Deuteronomy 28:1-4 (NKJV)
“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: 3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. 4 “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
Why are there laws? Why does God give you rules and regulations to follow? Is He just mean and wants to control you? He does tell us that we are to obey carefully all of His commandments. And speaking of commandments, He didn’t call them the Ten Suggestions. So what are the consequences of not following His commandments? Better yet, what if we do follow carefully?
Moses is speaking to the Children of Israel toward the end of his time leading them. They have spent close to 40 years in the wilderness and are now preparing to enter the Promised Land. Moses wants to make sure they understand why they are to follow all of God’s commandments. Most people fear punishment more than they enjoy benefit. In Deuteronomy 28, Moses gives them a whole list of benefits of following. There is an incredible list of blessings in this chapter. I suggest you go there and read the whole chapter for yourself. Mainly, you will be blessed everywhere you go! God wants to bless you. He wishes that none shall perish.
So why enforce rules? Do they really matter? Why would anyone make rules anyway? Could it be that rules are made to make things go well? For instance, a traffic light stops traffic at times letting others go. Without the stopping, traffic would be all snarled. So God establishes rules to prevent bad things from happening. Society has followed God’s lead to some extent. Rules and laws are created to help life go more safely and smoothly.
I recently moved a client’s office to a new location. Part of the process was to install new network wiring for the computers. Building permits are required for this type of work. I had to get an electrical permit to have the wiring checked and a building permit to check the fireproofing around the connections. At first, I thought that was crazy; two permits. Others said the town was very difficult and gave everyone a hard time. But I thought about the process. Why did these things need to be inspected? Because faulty wiring and lack of fireproofing can cost lives in a fire. The reason for the Building Codes was to prevent loss of life in the event of a disaster. So these rules or codes save lives. The Building Inspector said they need to make sure fire cannot penetrate the holes made for the wiring. That would keep fire from spreading and injuring people. That means it is a good thing when you see it in that light.
It is the same way with God’s rules. When they are obeyed, people are protected. Things go better in relationships. God tells you to honor your Father and Mother so you may live long in the land…. This is the first command with a promise. God wants it all to go well with you. There are many laws and rules that God set out for us and they are all intended for our benefit. There are blessings in following them and curses in disobedience. But today is a special day! You see, God knew we could not always be obedient so He made a way for us to be reconciled to Himself even when we go astray. He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to redeem us. For there is forgiveness! For unto us a child is born. Unto us, a son is given. He is the Prince of Peace. May the Peace of Christ be with you today and every day! In His name I pray! Amen!
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+28&version=NKJV