Title: God the Source of Blessings
2005-01-30
“All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the word of the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 28:2).
1. Background of the text
Moses reaffirms the commandments God gave to the people of Israel at a time of imminent death. In particular, the text speaks of the fact that it is necessary for Israel to obey God in order to live as God's people. God had promised Israel that he would make them superior to the nations in the whole world, but he wanted to do so in order to make God known through Israel. What God would give them to make them superior to other nations was ‘blessing’.
II. What is ‘blessing’?
1. View of the world
The people of the world think that happiness is focused on material things. So, unless you are on a special path, you do not consider those who are not blessed with material blessings as those who are blessed. However, sensible people do not think that they are blessed no matter how much material they have if they are not at peace. However, since the standard of peace is also their own, their happiness ultimately depends on how much of the earth's resources they possess.
2. THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT
The Bible also speaks of being blessed with a state of being enjoyed a lot. There are, however, three distinct differences from the world's view.
First, the blessing the Bible speaks of is the state of enjoying a lot of heavenly resources as well as earthly resources. Second, those who are blessed must enjoy peace, and this peace means peace that comes from a harmonious relationship with God, not just a state of peace and contentment in one's own heart. On top of such an inner state, it is the blessed state that the Bible speaks of when we have abundantly enjoying the resources of heaven and earth. Third, the Bible speaks of God as the source of all blessings. All blessings come from the storehouse of heaven. However, the Bible does not say that God is the Blessing One, but the source of blessings. The earthly resources of a man away from God, the source of all blessings, cause his unhappiness. Without God's love, people who enjoy a lot of the earth's resources become polluted water sources and pollute numerous fields.
Ⅲ. The true happiness of saints
God has chosen us to return the world to the purpose of creation, and we need water to flow into it. God wants to bless all His people because when there are plenty of resources it can flow into a great river. The work of grace makes us love God, and love for God makes us give up our own plans of life, accept God's plan, and rejoice that it is done. God wants the renewed person to flow like a river, so He pours out the resources of heaven and earth without limit. It is not a blessing to be given in any other way. Therefore, we need to change our overall attitude of living before God.
IV. commandments and obedience
The text tells us how we can live enjoying the blessings of heaven and earth. “If you obey the word of Jehovah.” Obedience to the commandments proves love for God. When we listen carefully to the heart of God when He speaks, and try to obey Him collectively in our lives, God gives blessings in heaven and on earth that flow through us. However, because people think of God's blessings as rewards without correlating them with vocation, blessings are the beginning of corruption. If you have received grace, you must serve it without a name and without light and let it flow constantly. At that time, God grants grace again.
2005-01-30