Deuteronomy 24-31: Ignoring the Obvious

Deuteronomy 29:14-20   Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath;  15 But with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day:  16 (For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which ye passed by;  17 And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:)  18 Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;  19 And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:  20 The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.

     Moses is in the process of preparing the people to enter into the land of Canaan.  He has recounted to them the law that God gave to their parents forty years earlier.  He has explained to them that God will curse them if they disobey.  Verses eighteen to twenty present an all-too-common scenario.  This person disobeys but blesses himself saying none of the curses will come upon him.  Though he is walking according to his own vain imagination, he declares he will be at peace.  Verse twenty tells us the outcome of such thinking-- "The Lord will not spare him."  Though he denies the existence of the obvious outcome of his actions and speaks words of affirmation to himself God delivers the promised curses upon him.

     So how do we apply this to our lives today?  Well, we like this person, if we are not careful, may miss the obvious actions in our lives that are causing us problems.  If we ignore God it will not make Him go away.  If we ignore our duties they will not go away.  Let us take a good look at what God reveals to us about sin and ourselves and follow His instructions.  Ignoring the obvious will not make it go away.

Deuteronomy 29:29   The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Daily Devotional: Romans 3:9-26 Righteousness By Faith