Tues.’s Devo - Rewards of Obedience

Read: Deuteronomy 28:1-68; Luke 11:14-36; Psalm 77:1-20; Proverbs 12:18 God had given the children of Israel the law on Mt. Sinai and the laws in the land of Moab written in Deuteronomy. They had seen with their own eyes what God did to Egypt and how he delivered them with his strong arm and yet they still could not see with their hearts, or hear with their hearts or understand with their hearts. God had provided for them miraculously through the wilderness and neither their shoes nor their clothes wore out, God had also given them victory over King Sihon and King Og. Today, God was calling them into another covenant before they entered into the land he had promised them. If they obeyed his laws they would be blessed and their off-spring would also. If they refused and chose to rebel, then they would be cursed. He warned them of the detestable idollic practices of the people whose land they would be taking. He hated their idol worship and told them not to take up any of their ways. If they did, then all the surrounding nations would witness their destruction and decay. If years later, their descendants decided to repent, God would restore their fortunes and bless them. The laws he was giving them were not too difficult for them and not beyond their reach to keep. God was giving them the choice of choosing life or death. Life if they followed God and his commands and death if they rebelled and went their own way. God was calling heaven and earth to witness their response. In Luke, the Pharisees watched Jesus’ every move. They often had him to eat with them so they could find something to fault him with. This night they noticed that he didn’t wash his hands before eating. The Pharisees had this elaborate ritual they went through before eating which was really just for show. Jesus knew what they were thinking and called them fools. He told them that they took such care to follow every line and tittle of their made up laws so that it would earn them points with one another while God was not impressed in the least. The thing that God wanted was justice and worship. He told them that they loved the seats of honor in the synagogue yet they were the least in God’s kingdom. They were very offended at what he was saying and tried to defend themselves. Jesus continued to tell them that they were suppose to be the experts in the law and yet they had added so many requirements to the law that no-one would be able to come into God’s presence with anything but condemnation. They made it all about doing things instead of being righteous. They were hypocrites who built statutes to honor the very prophets that their parents and ancestors killed. Jesus held their generation responsible for all the murders from Abel till then. They would be responsible for killing the Son of God. The teachers of the law became more and more hostile in order to trap Jesus as the crowds grew larger. Jesus turned to the crowds and told them to beware of the wrong teaching of the Pharisees. Everything that had been hidden was about to come to light and then the truth would be out. Jesus warned them not to fear their life but to fear the one who could deliver them from death. Lord, help us to keep our priorities right and to always put you first.