I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright. But if ye will not hearken unto Me, and will not do all these commandments; And if ye shall despise My statutes, or if your soul abhor My judgments, so that ye will not do all My commandments, but that ye break My covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it(Lev. 26:13-16).
For centuries, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had been molding His chosen people into His chosen nation. When the time was ripe, He had brought them forth out of the land of Egypt and broken the bands of their yoke of servitude and led them triumphantly, as free men, to the land of which he had promised their ancestors. The Israelites had served the Egyptians as indentured servants and unwilling slaves, but this was not the relationship that the Lord sought with them. It was never God’s intention to oversee a nation of mindless automatons; He desired, above all else, to be joined with His children through the bonds of love and fellowship. And I will set My tabernacle among you: and My soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be My people (Lev. 26:11-12).
However, for that bond to be real and true, it had to be freely chosen. To that end, God set out to ensure that His people had all the information necessary to make an informed choice. First, He established His right, as their Creator, to be sovereign over them. I am the Lord your God. He then gave to them, in great detail, the laws and statutes that they would be required to follow to be in obedience to Him. Following up on this, He explained to them the blessings that He would bestow on them as a consequence of their obedience (26:3-4).
If obedience were a choice, then disobedience had to be one, as well. With as much care as He had taken to outline the blessings of living as His children, God explained the consequences of turning away from Him. And if ye walk contrary unto Me, and will not hearken unto Me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins (26:21). God’s detailed explanations left nothing to the imagination. After hearing His words, the Israelites knew, beyond any shadow of any doubt, that obedience would bring with it peace and prosperity and disobedience would lead to suffering and death.
There are those today who would argue that God was not really offering a ‘choice’ at all. They would say that by demanding obedience with the threat of severe punishment as the only alternative, He was unfairly coercing their cooperation. They would be wrong. As Lord of all the earth, God could easily have forced them to obey Him; He didn’t need promises or threats. Yet just as He has done since the very beginning, God offered them the chance to come to Him of their own free will, the same offer He still extends to each of us today.
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely(Rev. 22:17).
Thought For TodayIf we don’t have the strength to openly choose God, how will we have the strength to follow Him?
Word Studies26:13 bondmen = slaves; 26:16 consumption may mean tuberculosis; burning ague = fever; 26:25 avenge the quarrel = execute punishment; 26:30 images = altars for heathen worship.
Christ Revealed:As the One who will dwell among us (Lev. 26:11). The Word was made flesh, and dwelt (tabernacled) among us (John 1:14).
Pray For Staff:Tifany Parisi • Government Officials: Sen. Tammy Baldwin (WI) Gov. Josh Green (HI)• Country: St. Vincent & The Grenadines (102,918) Caribbean • Major Languages: English, French Patois • Religious Freedom • 75% Protestant; 13% Roman Catholic; 12% Other • Prayer Suggestion: Express your gratitude for the loving-kindness of God (Jer. 32:17-18).
Optional Reading:Mark 14