Whom Will You Serve

"So all these curses shall come on you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the Lord your God by keeping His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. They shall become a sign and a wonder on you and your descendants forever. 'Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.'" -Deuteronomy 28.45-48

The beginning of chapter 28 lists the blessings that were to be pronounced from Mount Gerizim. Basically, it lists of the good things that God will do for Israel if they live in obedience to Him as their King. Everything that He has promised them will be fulfilled, and they will be the greatest nation on earth if they serve Him. But the majority of chapter 28 lists the results of not following God. It spells out the opposite of the blessings in greater detail.

God tells the people that the curses will overtake them until they are destroyed if they don't obey Him. They can choose to joyfully serve God and receive abundant blessings, or refuse to and serve their enemies who will overtake them. With God there is life, prosperity, and blessing, apart from God there is death and destruction. Israel can choose the outcome of their future by choosing whom they will serve. Choosing God invites His blessings, rejecting Him brings curses.

Men, we have a choice in whom to serve. We can live for God, obeying Him, and being blessed by Him so that we can bless others. Or we can choose to reject Him, pushing Him away, and as He goes so do His blessings. Whom will you serve? Will you willingly serve God, or unwillingly serve another, oppressive, master?

Let us choose God for the goodness of His blessings far outweighs the destruction of the curse. The blessings do not need the description of the curses because they are good. Let us live in a way that can be blessed by God. Let us choose to serve God.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor