Big Idea: The more I cherish my holy, powerful, sovereign, righteous, commanding, perfect, angry, just, all-knowing, and unchanging God, the more I cherish his being gentle and lowly as well.
In having my devotions this week, I became reacquainted with Deuteronomy 28:15-68. As I read, try as I might, I could not make it warm my soul.
Throughout the passage, God describes how his Chosen Nation will suffer curses, pestilence, blight, drought, hunger, thirst, poverty, wasting disease, fever, tumors, itching scabs, blindness, boils, plagues, humiliation, nakedness, defeat, oppression, theft, abuse, kidnapping, exile, ruined marriages, ruined children, destruction, confusion of mind, moral madness, vain idolatry, fear, dread, and death.
Throughout the passage, some of the curses flow forth from this cursed planet. Much of the curses are the consequences of wicked men and nations. However, behind everything, there is the one, holy, powerful, sovereign, righteous, commanding, perfect, angry, just, all-knowing, and unchanging God. He is the one who claims responsibility for the pain of his Chosen Nation. All the above curses ultimately flow from the mind, heart, and hand of the Lord.
And why is the Lord promising to bring such hell upon the backs and heads of his Chosen Nation? A representative verse clearly gives the answer:
If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the LORD your God, then the LORD will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting. (Deuteronomy 28:58)
Moses’ congregation, God’s Chosen Nation, are promised curses based upon their poor performance. The one, holy, powerful, sovereign, righteous, commanding, perfect, angry, just, all-knowing, and unchanging God would see their sins of commission:
- Their deeds
- Their disobedience
He would see their sins of omission:
- Their fearlessness
- Their forsaking God
- Their not serving with joy
- Their not serving God with their material things
- Their not carefully doing all the Law
And he personally would bring upon them “extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting.”
Friends, I know God is good.
I also know the Law of God is good. His commands are holy, righteous, perfect, wise, and beneficial.
I also know the Law of God is to be seen and valued as good. To the wise saint, they are delightful and not burdensome.
I also know keeping the Law of God is the responsibility given to all men — perfect, depraved, converted, or glorified. Those created in God’s image, they are to walk in God’s way. They are to be godly. (Antinomianism is heresy. God forbid!)
However, knowing all this goodness …
I still cannot make this good text of inspired scripture warm my soul.
Why is that? It is because I am not thoroughly good. I still have wicked desires and thoughts. I still spew forth wicked words and actions. Perhaps, sins of commission are on the decline, but sins of omission continue to show themself with greater clarity. In my natural born condition, and even in my supernatural born-again condition, I do not always serve God with joy. I do not serve him with all my heart, mind, soul, strength, and things. I am not one who carefully does all the words of God’s Law all the time, and I do this before the one, holy, powerful, sovereign, righteous, commanding, perfect, angry, just, all-knowing, and unchanging God.
Consequently, God’s good covenant of works — which promises payment upon pious performance — brings only uncomfortable fear to my sin-wearied mind.
Now, in response, I can foolishly engage in idolatry Disregarding what God clearly says about himself, I can simply imagine and proclaim God as I prefer him. I can pretend he is not so strict and does not expect perfect obedience without fail. I can also tone him down as one who overstates and exaggerates. Surely he is not one who pours out such horrid curses. Yes, I can recreate God in the image I prefer. I can create my own God and write my own theology.
Or, I can respond with self-righteousness.
- I can proclaim my goodness.
- I can show forth my goodness so others are impressed.
- I can hide my badness.
- I can eliminate certain outward expressions of badness.
- I can compare myself with others and judge myself more excellent.
- I can compare myself with my former self and find noteworthy improvements.
- I can write extra-biblical rules and laws, keep them, and congratulate myself for my saintly progress.
- I can repent longer — putting myself in extended periods of time-out before coming back to the Father.
- I can repent heavier — endeavoring to shed more tears.
- I can repent louder — talking to a priest, minister, accountability partner, focus group, or congregation.
- I can repent actively — committing to everyday habits in order to set fences and prove my sincerity.
- I can repent expensively — sacrificing privileges in order to show my devotion to God.
However, this all becomes sinful vanity when it discounts the one, holy, powerful, sovereign, righteous, commanding, perfect, angry, just, all-knowing, and unchanging God.
But when I am undone and properly recognize the one, holy, powerful, sovereign, righteous, commanding, perfect, angry, just, all-knowing, and unchanging God, I can find hope in reading Deuteronomy 28 in its context — it’s biblical context.
Deuteronomy 28 is part of a story — God’s story.
Deuteronomy 28 is a partial description of God. It is true he is holy, powerful, sovereign, righteous, commanding, perfect, angry, just, all-knowing, and unchanging, but that’s not all he is. God is also gentle and lowly.
For certain individuals, God has determined to pour out his promised curses on His own back and head.
For these same certain individuals, God has determined to grant them his own humanly earned, alien, outside, heavenly, godly, perfect, and gifted righteousness.
And now, because of the performance of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit …
I can rest. My judgment and reward is not based on my performance.
I can reverence, respect, fear, revere, stand in awe, and love. My terror and dread is ridiculous. No one has ever loved me more than the one, holy, powerful, sovereign, righteous, commanding, perfect, angry, just, all-knowing, merciful, gracious, gentle, lowly, and unchanging God. He calls me “Friend.”
I can meditate upon, pray for, and practice good deeds. Any time I desire, I can stop forsaking him and fall before him. When rightly impressed, I can practice obedience. Yes, I can serve God with joy, with my heart, soul, mind, strength, and things. Yes, I can endeavor to carefully do all that is written in the Law, and I can expect the Holy Spirit to fruit me from within.
And, I can relax and smile even when reading Deuteronomy 28. For it is true, there remains no more condemnation, curse, damnation, hell, or vengeance for me. Jesus has paid it all. Jesus has supplied it all.
Yes, Deuteronomy 28 is not the good Gospel. It is Law. However, when read within the context of God’s story, it feverishly points me to the good Gospel, the one that shows God to also and always gentle and lowly towards me.
Unfathomable Grace 