This chapter contains several more laws on social justice, the sabbath and festivals, and it has another promise of the inheritance of Canaan.
“Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.” (v13) We receive another reminder to listen to God and His words (as well as a reminder about no other gods). We clearly need the constant reminders since we are very easily distracted and quickly forget God’s words – it seems like we receive God’s commands, and “before the ink is even dry” we forget them and revert back to the old ways of our culture and upbringing (ie. sinful nature) (unfortunately, we’ll see this happen to Israel in a few chapters).
“Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him. But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to our enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces. You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.” (v20-27,32-33)
Israel is given Canaan on a silver platter – God promises to do all of the hard work, driving out the inhabitants, one at a time. The is only one condition, one commandment that God gives Israel in order for this to happen: “Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.” It’s that simple. Unquestioning obedience is all God asked.
In return, God promises not only the land, but several other massive blessings: no hunger, no thirst, no sickness or disease, no miscarriages or infertility, and no early deaths. How priceless are those things? Medical science would be rendered unnecessary in light of those promises. It’s the best-case-scenario, as close to the Garden of Eden or Heaven as Israel will get while sin is still in the world. It could not get any better than this.
Unquestioning obedience – it’s that simple. It’s the enactment of the greatest commandment: to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind (Mt 22:37). Jesus also puts it this way: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (Jn 14:15) And we have this confirmation as well: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 Jn 5:3)
Scripture is clear that loving God, and obeying God, are the same thing.
Though simple, unfortunately, loving and obeying God seem quite difficult. How can we possibly accomplish this? Jesus Himself struggled with things the Father asked of Him (though in His defense asking Him to sacrifice Himself as a payment for sin is a pretty daunting request), yet He still obeyed. How can we hope to successfully love / obey God if it was even a challenge for Jesus, and we are far from sinless?
Here are some suggestions: “I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.” (Php 4:13) “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Tim 1:7) “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ ” (Mt 19:26) “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.” (Isa 41:10) “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Cor 10:13)
I could quote many more verses, though I think we get the point. God designed us to rely on Him, so that we could receive His strength, so we could obey Him. The way we have the strength to overcome sin/rebellion and obey Him, is to submit to Him and He will give us what we need in order that we may love Him. In order to love God, we need to love God – is that a paradox? Probably, but this is what scripture indicates, that God is our everything, and without Him, we are nothing. It’s almost as if He just wants us to come to him as we are, weak, rebellious and unloving, and He will do all of the work in our hearts to make us into people who can love and obey Him. Food for thought.
Back to Israel’s promise of abundant blessing – what is their one primary commandment? Submit to God. That’s it. Submission leads to God’s forgiveness, which leads to God’s work in their hearts, which leads to love and obedience, which leads to blessing, which leads to the ultimate blessing of eternal life after death. Who could ask for better? God does all of the hard work, all we need to do is be willing participants in God’s work within us. This is fantastic news for sinners like me.
Father God praise be to You for Your steadfast love and patience with us. We have sinned against You, but You invite us to accept Your abundant mercy, grace and forgiveness, because You love us dearly and long to be in relationship with us. Through those relationships You can be glorified, and others can see Your light in us so that they too may believe. Please help us to fully submit to You and Your leading in our lives, since we cannot do this without You. You are our everything. Thank you Father.
~ Conqueror in Training