One of the deep mysteries of the Bible is God’s unexplained, self-motivated love for humanity as a whole, and especially for Israel.
“It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the Lord set his heart on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples.
It was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath that he swore to your ancestors that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:7-8).
God’s choice of Israel wasn’t based on their population. His relationship with them had nothing to do with their size or reputation. It was based on His personal choice, arising from His loving character and nature.
What Does God Expect?
A profound theological truth is that God always gives what He demands from humans. God has given the Israelites great love and power.
He wants them to gain a life-changing understanding of their Lord, who has made a covenant with them. He desires that they devote their whole selves to living according to His expectations.
Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and who repays in their own person those who reject him.
He does not delay but repays in their own person those who reject him.
Therefore, observe diligently the commandment—the statutes and the ordinances—that I am commanding you today (Deuteronomy 7:9-11).
People fall into two categories: those who love God and those who oppose him. Those who truly submit to his demands are the ones who follow his requirements.
On the other hand, those who reject a relationship with God do not give him the service he deserves. They can expect God’s judgment for their actions.
Provisions for Obedience
Here is a list of what God promises people who align their behavior with His desires.
- As God’s people are loyal to God, He will be loyal to them (Vs. 12).
- God will love you, bless you, and multiply you; he will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground (Vs. 13).
- You shall be the most blessed of peoples (Vs. 14).
- The Lord will turn away from you every illness; all the dread diseases of Egypt that you experienced (Vs. 15).
Is this list of God’s blessings too good to be true? There’s one way to find out. Try aligning your life with God and see how it works.
Reflections
My wife and I have been married for 46 years. There are several ways to get to know her. One way is by reading a book about her. If I wrote about her kindness, laugh, generosity, and cooking, you could read it and get an idea of who she is.
Another way to know her is to be her friend. The deepest way is to be her husband for many years.
The same goes for knowing God. We can read about the blessings He promises to those who follow Him and find them interesting. We might even want to try to experience some of them.
But if we live with Him obediently, we will truly discover how real He is and how His blessings impact our lives.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 