Throughout the Bible, there are two primary ways the Lord motivates his people to obedience, the promises of blessing and judgment. Obedience will be rewarded; disobedience will be punished. The Bible sets these before us often as a means of stirring us and moving us toward holiness and godliness.
One way the Lord expresses the blessing or the judgment is how he walks with his people. In Leviticus 26, the Lord says if Israel walks in his statues and observes his commandments, he will send multiple blessings upon them, including bountiful harvests and protection from enemies. The ultimate expression, though, of his blessing is that he says, “I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” The Lord walking among his people as their God is the chief blessing and delight for his people!
On the other hand, God promises to walk in a different manner if his people disobey. The judgments include loss of health, loss of harvest, and loss of home through enemy invasion. The ultimate expression, though, of his judgment is that he says, “I will walk contrary to you!”
In terms of blessing, could there be a greater blessing than God dwelling with his people? In terms of judgment, could there be a more fearful judgment than God walking contrary to you? It is the grandeur of the blessing and the intensity of the judgment that motivates us to pursue holiness before God. He sets before us blessing and judgment! How will God walk with us today? The answer lies in how we walk before him!
"I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect." (Lev. 26:13)
ReplyDeleteIt's powerful, isn't it!? And it is my story, and your story too if you belong to Jesus Christ.