Wednesday: To Eat or Be Eaten
(Isa. 1:19-31)
Read Isaiah 1:19-31. What theme appears here that is seen all through the Bible?
Notice the logical structure in Isaiah 1.19-20: If the people choose to be willing and obedient to God, they will eat the good of the land ( Isaiah 1.19-20). The choice is theirs. These verses, then, contain a conditional blessing and curse.
Image © John Thompson from GoodSalt.com
Isaiah 1 reiterates and applies the words of Moses recorded in Deuteronomy 30.19-20 at the time when the covenant with the nation of Israel was set up: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses” (NRSV).
Look at those words from Moses. Notice, there is no middle ground. It is either life or death, blessings or curses. Why do you think there is only one of two choices for us? Why can’t there be some sort of compromise?
These words of Moses summarize the series of warnings, blessings, and curses that conclude the formation of the covenant in Deuteronomy 27:1-30:20 (compare Leviticus 26:1-46). Elements of this covenant include (1) the recounting of what God had done for them, (2) conditions/stipulations (commandments) to be observed in order for the covenant to be maintained, (3) reference to witnesses, and (4) blessings and curses to warn people what would happen if they violated the covenant conditions.
Scholars have found that these elements appear in the same order in political treaties involving non-Israelite peoples, such as the Hittites. So, for establishing God’s covenant with the Israelites, He used a form they would understand and would impress upon them as forcefully as possible the nature and consequences of the mutually binding relationship into which they were choosing to enter. The potential benefits of the covenant were staggering, but if Israel broke their agreement, they would be worse off than ever.
| In your own Christian walk, how have you experienced the principle of blessings and curses as seen above? |
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Our grandsons are teenagers and are going through the usual teen issues of coming to terms with authority, and so on. Those of us who are older and have long enough memories remember when we were like that too and are somewhat understanding of the issues. The teenagers, of course, do not understand at all and rebel all the more. Currently, the big issue is school work and our job as "academic" grandparents is to get them across the line. What I would really like is for our grandsons to love maths and science so that they enjoy studying and get good grades, ultimately having a wider choice of interesting careers when they are older. Their idea is to do as little as possible so that they can get on with the serious task of playing games and hanging out with schoolmates (who incidentally are just as rebellious as they are). Grandma Carmel comes to aid with the offer of extrinsic motivation. If they do well at maths and science then she promises them financial gain.
Perhaps, being involved with grandchildren gives us a little idea of the problem God has with us. How is the situation with Israel different from the grandchildren situation? Is it different with spiritual Israel today? Does God use extrinsic motivation?
Bro Maurice- glad to hear your testimony about your life and about your grandsons. Our testimonies are to strengthen our faith with God as well as others.
Anyhow, I have a work mate for years who had two children, a girl and a boy. The girl is a model child and she will talk about her. Did well in school, started working at a brand name motor bike shop. She did so well at her job they paid to send her to college and she studied engineering and now is doing well in her early twenties at the main office. She saves lots of her money and invest some.
The boy on the other hand started well in school. He got A's and was a model child in early high/secondary school. He was preparing to go to college but dont even knew if he ever started. He was active in sports and so got to know others friends. He started going out with other friends and his grades started going down. He started missing school, stop going to his job, lost his vehicle because he could not pay for it. She stated things just didn't worried him, his friends will pick him up from home and take him places with them. His young life started spiraling down. He started doing drugs, almost OD. Now she is trying to get him into the military.
Sometimes what we want for our children and grand is not what they are seeing for themselves. Sometimes they have to hit rock bottom like the prodigal son then they will realized the road for themselves. Ask them what they want to do as adults? If it is the military, or not to go to college, or what? Math's and science might not be their calling, might be something else. Work with them and pray for them.
My entire household have chosen different career path. I am glad if one or two had my career, but they choose not to do what I am doing.
While I was reading Deuteronomy about the blessings and curses one thing that impacted my thoughts - the pivotal point was either
love the LORD with your whole heart and live according to His Principles of Life or
turn your heart away from the LORD and bow down and worship other gods.
Deut 30:6,10,15-17, Deut 29:25-26
It is not only what you do but why you do it!
Interesting title, God is so gracious to give us ample warning of the consequences of choosing the wrong side, and then if we do make the wrong choice we have the opertunity to turn back to Him. Our God is of love and grace, as well as justice, I do believe His character is depicted in our lesson today, in the warning of "eat or be eaten".
...The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. but when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.
II Chronicles 15:2, 4 NKJV.
I have returned to the the God of my father and mother. It is good judgement to turn back to the God of our fathers and mothers, if we have turned away. Thank God we can find Him if we seek Him. And if we are willing to be(made willing)obedient. Isaiah 1:19.
So far, God has been wonderful to me. Eventhough I have gone through a lot of difficulties, God has always demonstrated His love. He can transform suffering into joy, obstacles into advantages, and losses into prizes! At this present and unique time, all I owe to do is to thank and worship God for His love and mercy! In the midst of caos, God is always willing to show the best and safe path to follow! To Him be all the glory, because He is awesome!
In my opinion this ultimatum was not for the true believers, but for the corrupt leaders and those who had fallen away. God had been trying to reason with them to no avail. It came down to this promise so has to keep the line of David alive for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus.
We are of good blessing that our God is loyal to our decisions. If we decide to eat the good of land(now its the eternal life John 3:16) we shall eat it and if we choose to be eaten by His sword Revelation 8 it will happen. So brethren lets be obdient to our God so as we eat rather than being eaten .
Wednesday’s topic is very interesting: It is very pointed and forthright concerning our spiritual life and our relationship with God. The essence is: There is no middle ground.
Our loving God desires our good at all times: for such he is transparent in revealing the consequence/s of our individual choice/s. This is similar to his instructions to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They were told not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil: for in the day that they eat of it they shall surely die.
Here, in the cited scripture: Deuteronomy 30:15-19, God does not only reveal to his people the consequences of choice; but he in his wisdom and love makes recommendation: “... therefore choose life, that thou both and thy seed may live.” What an awesome, compassionate, loving God!
In Deuteronomy 29:29, we’re told: “The secret things belong unto the LORD: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
May the word of God be “a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path” always.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou has
rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of they God, I will also forget thy children. Hosea 4:6
Today question is- In your own Christian walk, how have you experienced the principle of blessings and curses as seen above?
Health and SDA
This is one of the sore spot for me. As I look at the general health condition of some of us, we are being destroyed by our own lifestyle choices. We, SDA have all the health books from EG White, yet some of us are unhappy, unhealthy, unsatisfied with our health because we are plagued with all manner of lifestyle diseases. Some spend so much money at the doctors office/pharmacies/dispensers etc. If only we can go back to her books, read and do what she says our lifestyle disease will vanish away like clouds, or it will take a little time but will definitely go away. Trust her/my words.
Today I will like to look at one lifestyle disease, for me it is Arthritis.
Lifestyle diseases are defined as diseases linked with, and often caused by the way people live their life. These are non-communicable diseases. Lifestyle diseases are commonly caused by lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating, alcohol, drugs and smoking, which lead to heart disease, stroke, obesity, type II diabetes and Lung cancer. The diseases that appear to increase in frequency as countries become more industrialized and people live longer can include Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, etc.
Solution- My people, I encouraged all of us who contribute to this site to read her health books. When we read, do what she asked us to do because if we believe she is a messenger from God then follow her teachings.
What I have done- I told you several times about growing up very poor. Many times being poor, the sources of nutrients people can readily purchase is starch and sugar. So from a child I used a lot of sweet things as snacks. Being an adult when I continue with the sweets, the sugary snacks (juices, cakes, cookies, sweets, chocolates, etc, etc), most likely have contributed to my arthritis(undiagnosed by a human medical professional).
I went to Jesus and asked him about my constant pain and aches in my joints and he was the one who told me to cut down on the amount of sugary things that I am eating. As a result, I am using more fruits, vegetables and water more as snacks. Now I do not feel any aches and pain. Whenever I am feeling too comfortable and I start indulging in excess sweets, the pain starts again. So I have to back away from the sweets. The habit was ingrained in me but Jesus have given me the victory to overcome my sweet addiction. I choose to live pain free.
I need not go to the doctor with any of those pain. I have no medical condition that I knew about, I take no doctor medicine, I dont even take over the counter medicine. I want to live healthy to please my Jesus. Is living healthy a choice for SDA? If we are willing and obedient, we can be free of lifestyle disease.
My blessing is- stay away from much sweets as snacks and I am pain free and can move around.
My curse is- eat the sweets snacks and constantly be in pain until arthritis cripple my joints and my general health.
Wow, Lynn, thank you for your testimony! It is indeed an illustration of the 'blessings' and 'cursings' - both natural consequences of following God's laws or ignoring them. 🙂
Inga- have you seen how the world (none SDA) have taken EG White writings and trying to live healthy lifestyle. We have all the health books yet some of us have chosen the unhealthy lifestyle. Doctors upon doctors and health care workers have spoken to us yet we are just like the Israelites. We want our own way with our diets/foods. The Israelites complained about the manna and the Lord send them the delight of their hearts. They eat and overeat (not saying clean meat is wrong), but when we only delight in eating meat and no form of vegetables and fruits, something is wrong.
Look at diabetics, how many have lost many parts of their bodies- eye site, toes, feet, legs, kidneys etc. Type 2 DM is a lifestyle disease. Certain cancers occurs because of people lifestyle.
Some are destroying themselves, going to Jesus in praying and fasting, being told what to do, yet turning away from sound advice.
Does anyone in our SDA church doesn't know about our health message and what is good for us? Jesus desired for his people to be in good, prosperous physical and mental health as our soul prosper spiritually. 3 John 1:2
Whenever I am in pain, I cant serve the Lord as I desired to, all I am focused on is the pain. I cant give my all and best to Jesus.
“How can I apply to my life what I have learned?” is the reason for my studies, and to aid with this, the discovery of the cause, the why of what and how, is always at the forefront. I want to learn about why/what leads man to behave as he does, and how/why the Father interacts with man the way He does.
Examining Isa.1:19-31KJV, I found that God addresses first and foremost the leadership with His rebuke but cannot exclude the people from His judgement. This serves as a strong warning to all the faithful to study the Scripture for themselves and find answers, understanding and insight through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, not relying only on teachers to tell them what to think and believe.
We are called upon to be the living testimony of the Gospel Truth. By studying and sharing our insights with each other, we become stronger and more assured of what we have learned to be true and so to be prepared to live its Light! Just as our Heavenly Father admonished His people in Deut.6:3-9 to teach(engrave) His Words to the *heart* of their children, so are we admonished to live God’s Truth from the heart. It is God’s internalized Truth which we pass on to our children and our fellow man; if we cannot rightly understand it, we cannot rightly live it.
Isa.1:26-28 – “And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.” The leadership placed in the position of teaching and leading in righteousness had turned away from serving the people to use their office to serve themselves. Temptations abound, and spiritual darkness increases when the path to walk in is not illuminated by the New Light from within our heart. Depending exclusively on teachings and examples of them who occupy the places of influence is to our own peril.
God’s warnings are given to prevent the consequences arising when forgetting Him; if He is ignored or not rightly illuminated, who do we blame for our transgressions? I very much appreciate the clear, concise directive God gives the faithful to find the right path for life. Included in His Justice is Mercy and Grace. But these should not be used by us to become careless and expect God to mitigate our punishment. No, God is clear – there are only two choices; we either choose to serve Him or we serve the gods of the darkness of this world – Joshua 24:14-15KJV.
My answer to the last question: I have experienced God's blessings when I've been close to Him. But when I look back on my life, I see He blessed me even when I wasn't as close to Him as I am now (I can't say I've ever been at a point where I cut myself from Him). And I've gone through tough times when I have been close to Him. So I wonder if the covenant blessings and curses are more applicable to Israel or the church as a whole?
Who wouldn't want to have all their character impurities removed? (Is. 1:25) I guess those who don't want to be considered impure to begin with. "Nothing wrong with me" is a lot more comfortable than getting broken ! (Is. 1:28; Matt 21:44). Who wants to be ashamed and disgraced? (Is. 1:29) What if being broken and ashamed and disgraced IS the only way to be made new?
What do we see of embarrassment in the Bible? Adam and Eve hid in the garden after they stepped outside the boundary God had set for them. We have examples of the Prodigal son in the pig pen before returning to his Father... and Mary embarrassingly dumping too-expensive perfume and wiping it all over Jesus' feet with her hair as she pours herself out publicly. Jesus' disciples (I've heard the joke "duh"-ciples) abruptly left their occupations to become "groupies" and seemed to be confused about nearly everything Jesus said and did most of the time, and then acted shamefully in His darkest hour. Jesus Himself never shows a need to defend Himself, though He always covered disgraced, shame-filled people in the Gospels (John 8:10-11). With His last breaths, when all the sin of the world was on Him and He was completely poured out and vulnerable, He felt all of our embarrassment and nakedness (Matt 27:46).
So as we reason with God about this binary question, 2 choices, we decide if we want the Bible's way or the world's way. The unbeliever gets rid of the discomfort of sin by saying it isn't there - love everything, accept everything, no urgency to change, everyone is awakening at their own rate, we are all united and connected whether we want to be or not, chill, relax. This worldview is comforting in a way because there is no fight to it, no armor to put on, no surrender. Just live and let live. I can see that the Christian way, as I'm experiencing it, is demonstrated in the life of Peter over time. Peter at first knew no shame, he was embarrassingly bold and brash and didn't know it (Matt 14:28; Matt 17:4; Mark 14:31; John 18:10). Then Peter was asked to put his own identity on the line to claim Jesus as Lord and he failed (John 18:15-26). We all face this turning point somehow I think. Go back to our occupations and non-believing friends and a bit of swearing in the courtyard and fit in. Or feel the shame of the idols that we have set up (Is. 1:29), sense the ways that our own works are dry and unsustainable (Is. 1:31), let our hearts break over the ways our self-centeredness has caused unspeakable pain (John 21:17). Feel the utter lack of harmony inside without a Savior. Finally, when fully acknowledging the problem of sin - my sin, the world's sin - we're ready for God's pure and real love to cover it over completely (1 Peter 4:8), to purge and remove it (Is 1:25), however uncomfortable it is. Amen.
Christina, I have also pondered on that question, whether the promise of prosperity still applies.
I have noticed that there are two applications of the blessing and curses one is to the group and the other is for the individual. Also there are a literal and/or spiritual applications of the principles of blessings and curses.
When we read the history of the tribes of Israel we notice that when the leader was righteous the majority followed and the group flourished, helping others when they lacked physically and guiding and correcting those who strayed morally or spiritually. However when the leader and his people ignored the LORD's Principles He allowed famine, pestilences, the sword and wild beasts to attack the group to try and get them to turn to Him.
They flourished or suffered as a group although within the group there were a remnant who didn't deserve it either way.
Think of Daniel and friends who went into captivity with the rest but were clearly true to the LORD.
I believe as individuals we experience a mix of physical and spiritually blessings when we love the LORD and by His power and grace live according to His Principles of Life. I think of the life of Paul as an example. I believe he tells us:
Be anxious about nothing, just as the LORD cared for you in the past He will care for you in the future, either He will shield you from suffering or He will walk with you and give you the strength to bear it.