Deuteronomy 10:1-12:32
Moses set forth a stern warning: “Today I am giving you the choice
between a blessing and a curse! You will be blessed if you obey the commands of
the Lord your God that I am giving you today. You will receive a curse if you
reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn from His way by worshipping
false gods” (11:26- 28). Moses then laid out specific blessings that Israel would experience
for their national obedience, but he also prescribed destruction for the nation
if it chose to be disobedient and rebellious. Here lies a lesson for us all.
From our passages today, from what happens later in the Bible, and
from observing history, it seems that there is an undeniable truth pertaining
to the life and longevity of nations, that the stability of a nation
is directly linked to the morality of that nation. It is obvious from the beginning of
time that nations have risen and fallen in a continuous cycle, but the constant
between them all is the fact that all of them have declined morally until their
ultimate destruction and disappearance.
Moral decline should not surprise us since nations are simply
comprised of sinful men, and sinners, in their natural state, are bent towards
immorality and evil. But God told Israel that if it wanted to survive and if it
wanted to succeed, then it would need to obey His commandments; and His
commandments, what He says is right, are the standards of morality, for Israel
and for all nations.
He is not just the God of the Israelites but the God of the earth.
“The highest heavens and the earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord
your God” (10:14). Perhaps, then, we should take note; for our
nation will be blessed or cursed depending on how well we adhere to the moral
standards of God.
Did you notice what God said about the nations that lived in Canaan
already? “These nations have committed many detestable acts that the Lord
hates, all in the name of their gods. They have even burned their sons and
daughters as sacrifices to their gods” (12:31).
Later, God told the prophet Jeremiah, “At one moment I might speak
concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to
destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I
will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring upon it. Or at another
moment I might speak concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it
does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the
good with which I had promised to bless it” (18:7-10).
Daily Reflection
God is the God of all nations. He reigns over them all for He made them all, and
they are accountable to Him for their ways. They cannot do what they
want; they must live by God’s standards or face the penalties.
How well is your nation following the commandments of God? Can you
determine from your answer the nearness of its fall and eventual destruction?
Pray for your nation. Pray for God’s patience. Pray for your leaders,
that they will have the wisdom to choose the way of blessing — God’s way — and
not the way of the curse.
BiAY.org | Day 74 — 291 Days to Go
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