The Law of blessing and prosperity – I
Background
As Israel begun their conquest of Canaan in earnest expectation of obtaining what God had promised to their forefathers, the law of Moses (part of which was Deuteronomy 28) was read in their presence. The blessing as well as the curse was for their choosing. As we know it, Israel did not experience the blessing because they were under the bondage of sin. The Holy Spirit was sent for the purpose of enabling God’s people to walk in the law and obtain the blessing. By seeking to be filled with His Spirit, God’s poeple can now fulfill the law of love and obtain the eternal blessing.
In today’s devotion, we will study the part of Moses’ Law (Exodus 20) that was read by Joshua in the presence of the people (Joshua 8:34-35). The spirit of the Ten Commandments is to love God with all our hearts and to love others as ourselves. Put in a nutshell, the commandments are acts of love and truth presented to the nation of Israel who had just emerge from Egypt, a land of lawlessness, so that everyone could understand and practice. It was through the Law that Israel begin to establish order and to prosper as a young nation.
Moses’ Law contains the precepts and boundaries of protection for God’s people. It defines the rules that must not be broken and boundaries that must never be crossed. If the laws are transgressed, the sinner will be exposed to dangers and the devil’s attacks. We can say that the 10 commandments define the boundaries between God’s Kingdom and the devil’s territory. If a believer transgresses the laws, the devil may take opportunity to attack his possessions and even his physical body. Therefore, the law functions as guardian and foundation of faith. Without knowledge of the law, man cannot recognize Christ as Lord and Savior. The apostle Paul said, “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” Galatians 3:24.
God’s law when obeyed make our path smooth and prosperous. According to Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” God’s Law and the laws it contains define the boundaries and a divine pathway towards peace and prosperity. The Law contains pure wisdom for abundant living. Knowing God and His Law give us the necessary wisdom to prosper in all that we do.
God’s law creates structures necessary for a nation to progress and prosper. The law in the days of Moses contributed to the prosperity of Israel and many surrounding nations. It has also been instrumental in forming the culture and civil laws of modern Israel as well as my beloved nation Singapore. We must understand that the purpose of law is to give society structure and enforce social order. According to Galatians 3:19, the laws were given for the purpose of deterring people from transgressions. Without it, the people of Israel would have destroyed themselves just like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The law serves as deterrence to crime, but not quite as a cure to society’s ills.
God’s law functions as the meeting point between God and man. God said, “if you will indeed obey My voice… then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples.” (Exodus 19:5). God established the premise that if man wants to be in a relationship with Him, man must first agree with His laws and walk in them. This is most fundamental in any relationship; an agreement based on a set of common values applicable to both parties. The prophet Amos asked, “How could two parties walk together unless they have a point of agreement” (Amos 3:3). Through the Law, God reveals the principles and values that He stands for. Even among friends, respect for another is based on mutually agreed laws that must never be transgressed. For example, stealing from one another and gossiping is not tolerated among friends. Likewise, as we revere God as our Creator, His laws must be respected at all times. And our response to God’s giving of His law is reverence and fear.
Moses’ Law is a set of instructions which God gave to Moses and it functions as a guide for personal discipline towards abundant living. The 10 commandments of Moses are recorded in Exodus 20:1-17. Today, we will study the first four commandments which concern the way humanity should interact with God:
Exodus 20:1-11
The Ten Commandments – relating with God
1. You shall have no other gods before me. (v 3)
God alone must be revered and worshiped and the worship of other gods is forbidden. The heart of this commandment is to live by the principles and the will of God alone. In other words, to fear Him as the sovereign God and Master of all creation. The act of worship is a reflection of absolute obedience and allegiance towards God. Transgressing this law causes man to stray from the destiny and blessings that God has ordained.
2. You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. (v 4-5a)
Dealings with other gods or evil spirits and communicating with them through idols is forbidden. This commandment forbids association and communion with spirits other than the Spirit of God. The allure of idolatry comes from pleasures of darkness and manipulation. An idolatrous person encapsulates his obsession and directs his affections towards an object (an idol). In chinese cultures, a lover of money worships “cai shen ye” (财神爷）the god of wealth. A person of violence worships “guan gong” (关公）the god of war. In essence, the root of idolatry is in the heart manifested in the act of worshiping a spirit within an idol. Addictions to substances (e.g. alcohol, nicotine, drugs) are prohibited. Sexual addictions through pornography or a special attachment to an object are signs of idolatry. In addition, People who practice witchcraft think they can manipulate evil spirits to obtain power for their personal gain. However, many are possessed by these evil spirits because they transgress this very important law. The heart of this commandment is personal holiness and purity of the heart.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. (v 7)
This commandment requires the name of God to be revered and treated with sanctity. Any man who professes to be God’s spokesman must be doubly sure before he speaks. Job spoke against his friends who purported to be speaking on God’s behalf and they were later chastized by God,
“Are you defending God with lies? Do you make your dishonest arguments for his sake? Will you slant your testimony in his favor? Will you argue God’s case for him? What will happen when he finds out what you are doing? Can you fool him as easily as you fool people?” Job 13:7-9
The prophet who ministers must be doubly certain when he says, “Thus says the Lord…” The Law stipulated, “But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name … must die.” Deuteronomy 18:20.
Using God’s name as a witness in false promises or making covenants lightly is also forbidden. All kinds of covenants and contracts involving assets or words of promise involve an authority as administrator. However, all authorities whether familial or governmental, are appointed by God. As God is the ultimate judge and administrator of all contracts and covenants, all who enter into a covenant or contract have to bear in mind the severity of a breach of trust. The heart of this particular commandment is faithfulness to commitments. God will reward those who keep the promises that they have made and punish those who breach them. Even in daily conversations, Jesus said, “let your statement be, Yes! or No! Anything beyond these is of evil.” (Matthew 5:37). The apostle James said, “but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.” (James 5:12). This law also warns against contracts and covenants that are forbidden by God, e.g. covenants made with other gods or criminal agreements with ungodly people. Such covenants and contracts must never be made.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. (v 8-11)
We, as the people of God must set aside a day, a rest day (Sabbath) which is holy and dedicated to worship God. Keeping the Sabbath day includes offerings and sacrifices. The heart of this commandment is to make the worship and service of God the highest call of life. Putting the worship of God as a divine activity above all other activities reflects our attitude towards God, for God holds a special and holy place in our heart that none could replace. Hence, the Sabbath Day of worship is holy, set apart for God alone.
Declaration of faith
I will love God and live by His vision and principles alone. I will not defile myself by engaging in the pleasures of darkness and idolatry. I will conduct myself with sobriety as a bear the mark of God in all that I do and say. I am committed to deliver on the promises that I have made before God and man. I will put the worship of God as the highest call of my life. Amen.