The
Blessings of Obedience to God
By
Matthew Henry
Theologian
1662 - 1714
1 If thou shalt obey diligently the voice of the Lord thy God, and observe and do all his commandments, which I command thee this day, then the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt obey the voice of the Lord thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed also in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy dough. 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed also when thou goest out. 7 The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise against thee, to fall before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and shall flee before thee seven ways. 8 The Lord shall command the blessing to be with thee in thy store houses, and in all that thou settest thine hand to, and will bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 9 The Lord shall make thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways, 10 Then all people of the earth shall see that the Name of the Lord is called upon over thee, and they shall be afraid of thee. 11 And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord swore unto thy fathers, to give thee. 12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, even the heaven to give rain unto thy land in due season, and to bless all the work of thine hands: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but shalt not borrow thyself. 13 And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail, and thou shalt be above only, and shalt not be beneath, if thou obey the commandments of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day, to keep and to do them. 14 But thou shalt not decline from any of the words, which I command you this day, either to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Deuteronomy
28:1-14
The
blessings are here put before the curses, to intimate, 1. That God is
slow to anger, but swift to show mercy: he has said it, and sworn,
that he would much rather we would obey and live than sin and die. It
is his delight to bless. That though both the promises and the
threatenings are designed to bring and hold us to our duty, yet it is
better that we be allured to that which is good by a filial hope of
God’s favour than that we be frightened to it by a servile fear of
his wrath. That obedience pleases best which comes from a principle
of delight in God’s goodness. Now,I. We have here the conditions
upon which the blessing is promised. 1. It is upon condition that
they diligently hearken to the voice of God (v. 1, v. 2), that they
hear God speaking to them by his word, and use their utmost endeavors
to acquaint themselves with his will, v. 13. Upon condition that they
observe and do all his commandments (and in order to obedience there
is need of observation) and that they keep the commandments of God
(v. 9) and walk in his ways. Not only do them for once, but keep them
for ever; not only set out in his ways, but walk in them to the end.
3. Upon condition that they should not go aside either to the right
hand or to the left, either to superstition on the one hand, or
profaneness on the other; and particularly that they should not go
after other gods (v. 14), which was the sin that of all others they
were most prone to, and God would be most displeased with. Let them
take care to keep up religion, both the form and power of it, in
their families and nation, and God would not fail to bless them.II.
The particulars of this blessing.1. It is promised that the
providence of God should prosper them in all their outward concerns.
These blessings are said to overtake them, v. 2. Good people
sometimes, under the sense of their unworthiness, are ready to fly
from the blessing and to conclude that it belongs not to them,; but
the blessing shall find them out and follow them notwithstanding.
Thus in the great day the blessing will overtake the righteous that
say, Lord, when saw we thee hungry and fed thee? Matthew 25:37 .
Observe,(1.) Several things are enumerated in which God by his
providence would bless them:—[1.] They should be safe and easy; a
blessing should rest upon their persons wherever they were, in the
city, or in the field, v. 3. Whether their habitation was in town or
country, whether they were husbandmen or tradesmen, whether their
business called them into the city or into the field, they should be
preserved from the dangers and have the comforts of their condition.
This blessing should attend them in their journeys, going out and
coming in, v. 6. Their persons should be protected, and the affair
they went about should succeed well. Observe here, What a necessary
and constant dependence we have upon God both for the continuance and
comfort of this life. We need him at every turn, in all the various
movements of life; we cannot be safe if he withdraw his protection,
nor easy if he suspend his favour; but, if he bless us, go where we
will it is well with us. [2.] Their families should be built up in a
numerous issue: blessed shall be the fruit of thy body (v. 4), and in
that the Lord shall make thee plenteous (v. 11), in pursuance of the
promise made to Abraham, that his seed should be as the stars of
heaven for multitude, and that God would be a God to them, than which
a greater blessing, and more comprehensive, could not be entailed
upon the fruit of their body. See Isaiah. 61:9 . [3.] They should be
rich, and have an abundance of all the good things of this life,
which are promised them, not merely that they might have the pleasure
of enjoying them, but (as bishop Patrick observes out of one of the
Jewish writers) that they might have wherewithal to honour God, and
might be helped and encouraged to serve him cheerfully and to proceed
and persevere in their obedience to him. A blessing is promised,
First, On all they had without doors, corn and cattle in the field
(v. 4, v. 11), their cows and sheep particularly, which would be
blessed for the owners’ sakes, and made blessings to them. In order
to this, it is promised that God would give them rain in due season,
which is called his good treasure (v. 12), because with this river of
God the earth is enriched, Psalm 65:9 . Our constant supplies we must
see coming from God’s good treasure, and own our obligations to him
for them; if he withhold his rain, the fruits both of the ground and
of the cattle soon perish. Secondly, On all they had within doors,
the basket and the store (v. 5), the store-houses or barns, v. 8.
When it is brought home, God will bless it, and not blow upon it as
sometimes he does, Haggai. 1:6 - 9 We depend upon God and his
blessing, not only for our yearly corn out of the field, but for our
daily bread out of our basket and store, and therefore are taught to
pray for it every day. [4.] They should have success in all their
employments, which would be a constant satisfaction to them: "The
Lord shall command the blessing (and it is he only that can command
it) upon thee, not only in all thou hast, but in all thou doest, all
that thou settest thy hand to,’’ v. 8. This intimated that even
when they were rich they must not be idle, but must find some good
employment or other to set their hand to, and God would own their
industry, and bless the work of their hand (v. 12); for that which
makes rich, and keeps so, is the blessing of the Lord upon the hand
of the diligent, Proverbs.10:4, Proverbs 10:22 . [5.] They should
have honour among their neighbours (v. 1): The Lord thy God will set
thee on high above all nations. He made them so, by taking them into
covenant with himself, Chronicles 26:19 . And he would make them more
and more so by their outward prosperity, if they would not by sin
disparage themselves. Two things should help to make them great among
the nations:—First, Their wealth (v. 12): "Thou shalt lend to
many nations upon interest’’ (which they were allowed to take
form the neighbouring nations), "but thou shalt not have
occasion to borrow.’’ This would give them great influence with
all about them; for the borrower is servant to the lender. It may be
meant of trade and commerce, that they should export abundantly more
than they should import, which would keep the balance on their side.
Secondly, Their power (v. 13): "The Lord shall make thee the
head, to give law to all about thee, to exact tribute, and to
arbitrate all controversies.’’ Every sheaf should bow to theirs,
which would make them so considerable that all the people of the
earth would be afraid of them (v. 10), that is, would reverence their
true grandeur, and dread making them their enemies. The flourishing
of religion among them, and the blessing of God upon them, would make
them formidable to all their neighbours, terrible as an army with
banners. [6.] They should be victorious over their enemies, and
prosper in all their wars. If any were so daring as to rise up
against them to oppress them, or encroach upon them, it should be at
their peril, they should certainly fall before them, v. 7. The forces
of the enemy, though entirely drawn up to come against them one way,
should be entirely routed, and flee before them seven ways, each
making the best of his way.(2.) From the whole we learn (though it
were well if men would believe it) that religion and piety are the
best friends to outward prosperity. Though temporal blessings do not
take up so much room in the promises of the New Testament as they do
in those of the Old, yet it is enough that our Lord Jesus has given
us his word (and surely we may take his word) that if we seek first
the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, all other things
shall be added to us, as far as Infinite Wisdom sees good; and who
can desire them further? Matthew 6:33 .2. It is likewise promised
that the grace of God should establish them a holy people, v. 9.
Having taken them into covenant with himself, he would keep them in
covenant; and, provided they used the means of steadfastness, he
would give them the grace of steadfastness, that they should not
depart from him. Note, Those that are sincere in holiness God will
establish in holiness; and he is of power to do it, Romans 16:25 . He
that is holy shall be holy still; and those whom God establishes in
holiness he thereby establishes a people to himself, for a long as we
keep close to God he will never forsake us. This establishment of
their religion would be the establishment of their reputation (v.
10): All the people of the earth shall see, and own, that thou art
called by the name of the Lord, that is, "that thou art a most
excellent and glorious people, under the particular care and
countenance of the great God. They shall be made to know that a
people called by the name Jehovah are without doubt the happiest
people under the sun, even their enemies themselves being judges.’’
The favourites of Heaven are truly great, and, first or last, it will
be made to appear that they are so, if not in this world, yet at that
day when those who confess Christ now shall be confessed by him
before men and angels, as those whom he delights to honour.
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