Tag Archive - Curse

For His lovingkindness is everlasting: 2 Chronicles 7 and 8

August 2, 2010 in Bible Blog with 0 Comments

The promised blessing for the people of Israel if they seek out God wholeheartedly. “If  I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I sen pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:13,14  What is the hope here? When we turn back to God and seek Him out no matter where our sin has carried us we can find restoration.

The promised curse for the people of Israel if they turn away from God. “But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight and will make it a proverb and a by word among all peoples.” 2 Chronicles 7:19,20  When the people of Israel forsook following God they were uprooted and taken away in exile. When you are given a warning about a consequence for your actions do you move in such a way to avoid the bad outcome? Continue Reading…

One person devoted to God will make a difference: 1 Samuel 11 and 12

May 24, 2010 in Bible Blog with 1 Comment

How long will the people of Israel stray away from God and not turn to Him for their needs? How often do I stray from God’s desire for my life? This journey that the Israelites have taken mirrors my journey as a christian because I have moments when I am fully focused on God where I have gleaned great truths from Scripture, there are other moments when the flesh within me is raging, seeking to make me succumb to wickedness, and there are moments where I feel lost wondering when I will be delivered. Continue Reading…

Jesus Christ is the only hope for today and forever: 1 Samuel 7 and 8

May 22, 2010 in Bible Blog with 0 Comments

“If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 1 Samuel 7:3 NASB  Look at the language that Samuel uses to speak to the Israelites. Is the deliverance from God something conditional that needs the positive response of the Israelites before it will come to pass? Continue Reading…

Lack of regard for God leads to the demise of many: 1 Samuel 5 and 6

May 21, 2010 in Bible Blog with 0 Comments

When the Israelites brought the Ark into battle with the Philistines they were expecting to have victory just as in the stories of Joshua but instead they were met with defeat at the hands of the Philistines resulting in the Ark of the Lord being captured. The Israelites replaced their devotion to God with idolatry where they valued the things around them, such as the Ark, in greater standing than God. In 1 Samuel chapters 5 and 6 we are given the details of what happened to the Ark during the 7 months that it was in the possessions of the Philistines and how it was brought back to the Israelites. Continue Reading…

A wrong doesn’t make another wrong right: Judges 21

May 14, 2010 in Bible Blog with 0 Comments

What is the aftermath from the civil war that occurred between the sons of Benjamin and the rest of the sons of Israel? In Judges 21 we see that the men of Israel swore to not give any of their daughters to the surviving men of the tribe of Benjamin. Has the true source of the problem within the Israelites finally detected? They cried out, “Why, O Lord, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be missing today in Israel?” Judges 21:3  Did the men not see that they were straying from God and falling under the curse of which Moses spoke in Deuteronomy? Continue Reading…

Disobedience kindles God’s anger towards Israel: Judges 1 and 2

May 4, 2010 in Bible Blog with 0 Comments

In Judges 1 we see the first key to the falling away of the Israelites which was mentioned in Joshua. The Israelites conquered many areas of the promised land and drove out many inhabitants. Why did some of the sons of Israel not drive out all the inhabitants of the lands of their inheritance? The people did not follow God’s command to drive out the inhabitants of the land. What stands out to me is how both Moses and Joshua told the Israelites that this would be a problem for them. Continue Reading…

Falling away from God leads to your own demise: Joshua Summary

May 3, 2010 in Bible Blog with 0 Comments

The book of Joshua is a stands in stark contrast to the books of Liviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The writing of the book is in a narrative form which lends for easier reading. I found that the narrative was a great switch from the books detailing the law but it became too easy to miss important truths. The story of Joshua is a time of promises being fulfilled to the Israelites. Under the leadership of Joshua the Israelites were able to conquer the promised land and enter into a time of peace but there is a great warning woven throughout the book that is of the utmost importance to the people of Israel and myself. Continue Reading…

Choose life for you and your descendants: Deuteronomy 29 and 30

April 17, 2010 in Bible Blog with 0 Comments

The time Moses has with the Israelites is coming to a close. He is summing up what God desires for the people. In Deuteronomy chapters 29 and 30 Moses takes a moment to give one last reminder to the people of Israel, “You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his servants and all his land; the great trials which your eyes have seen, those great signs and wonders. Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor the eyes to see, nor ears to hear.” (29:2-4) The people were hard of heart and they didn’t understand, which sounds just me today. Continue Reading…

Overtaken by curses or blessings, your choice will be evident in your actions: Deuteronomy 27 and 28

April 16, 2010 in Bible Blog with 3 Comments

What would overtake you? I remember the feeling of speeding along in my car loving life as the wind blew through my hair when suddenly I felt despair and regret as I saw red and blue lights flashing behind me. I was quickly overtaken and pulled overtaken because I was breaking the law. Being pulled over for speeding is one poignant example of being overtaken but there are many things that we can be overtaken by some of which we would welcome and others we would dread. In Deuteronomy chapters 27 and 28 God makes a promise to the Israelites that they will be overtaken by either blessings or curses and this outcome will be directly related to their obedience or disobedience. The choice was theirs. What was their reaction to this promise from God? What would be your reaction to hearing that? Continue Reading…

God’s blessing and curse set before Israel in Deuteronomy 11 and 12

April 8, 2010 in Bible Blog with 1 Comment

See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today, and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 NASB

You were there when God worked through, for, and among His people. You saw God working in your midst! Do you remember? Moses continues to express God’s loving desire for the Israelites in Deuteronomy chapters 11 and 12. As the people are preparing to cross the Jordan and enter the promised land they need to be reminded of everything they knew. The people saw God’s wrath, His anger when they disobeyed, and His activity in their midst and they needed to remember those moments when they entered into the Promised Land. Continue Reading…