What a strange curse for disobedience God is pronouncing to Israel here: “You will be cursed in your coming in and your going out.”
Doesn’t that should a bit strange to you?
What on earth could it mean?
WELCOME
Welcome the The IN SEASON Lifestyle Blog’s COME AS A CHILD BIBLE STUDY which we hold every Thursday.
At the present time we are examining the curses for disobedience found in Deuteronomy Chapter 28.
COMING IN AND GOING OUT
What on earth could this mean?
Could it be that the loss of freedom because of vaccine mandates for people flying the airlines, working in the medical professions, or participating in a once-great military, or teaching school or working on government contracts, or simply needing to cross the state borders, or go to the hospital or the doctor, or maybe visiting community restaurants and theatres; are all a result of modern-day curses for disobedience to God’s ways?
This is a huge possibility.
Since America received the curse of the virus in the Great Pandemic; we have had such rules and regulations mandated to us against our own will. Our President is beginning to look more and more like Pharaoh every day. Many believe he is the reason that America is falling into so many new curses; things we have never experienced before.
These things COULD be a small part of the modern-day curses on our land for sure; but, how did this same theory apply back during the days of ancient Israel?
LOOKNG TO ANCIENT TIMES FOR MEANING
Israel was about to enter the Promised Land. As they entered they entered with the unconditional knowledge from God that they would be blessed for obedience and cursed for disobedience.
This fact was VERY important.
It was important to the people; and it was even more important to God.
Sometimes when something is this important; so important that it can mean the difference between blessings and curses; you need to have a reminder.
ISRAEL’S REMINDER
Often reminders that are very important require a form of repetition. This type of reminder must be something that we see often, over-and-over during the course of each day; so that we do not forget to remember.
The ancients had a perfect way of reminding themselves of these critical commandments from God each time they went in and out of their homes.
They placed a type of decorative container called a Muzuzah on the inside of the doorposts to their houses.
The Muzuzah contained small scrolls with the scriptures from Deuteronomy 6:4-9, and Deuteronomy 11:13-21 written on parchment.
A REMINDER OF PASSOVER
Who can have anything over the doorposts of their home and not think of and/or remember Passover?
When the Angel of Death saw the blood on the doorposts that first Passover, the Israelites were safe from the curses of Pharaoh; which came from disobedience to God.
Today we see the curses of Pharaoh in our own land, and we know the same curses are also falling on our own people. The children of Israel were delivered by the blood of the lamb; and so are we.
But; do we remember?
DOORWAYS ARE FOR COMING IN AND GOING OUT
I can’t think of a doorway without remembering several verses of scripture; the first pertains to leadership of a community:
Numbers 27;16-17: “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
This was the request that Moses asked of God just before his death; and God appointed Joshua as the leader over Israel.
Moses knew that strong leaders stand in the gates and the doorways of God and lead the people; bringing them in and out, as God commands; like a good shepherd leading his sheep to peace, safety and abundance.
I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Then; of course we think of Our Messiah who is the True Good Shepherd over God’s flocks. What are those words that He has said to us?
(John 10:9-16) I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep, but a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.
I am the good shepherd; and I know my sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
ONE FLOCK AND ONE SHEPHERD
The modern-day Church of this country of America which was patterned after God’s pattern nation called Israel, must follow its true leader; The Good Shepherd.
We have seen the results of those who want to follow the hirelings; those who do not really care about the sheep; but want to allow the wolves to come and scatter us; and we know we can no longer listen to these false leaders; they are imposters.
Our true leader will always be Jesus Christ; The Good Shepherd, for He alone knows what is best for us and we walk through His door by obedience; and He leads us in and out to safe green pastures and beside still, cool waters.
We are done with the fake leaders of the world when it comes to going out and coming in; we, like ancient Israel, will follow the Muzuzah God has placed over the doorposts of our hearts.
A SPIRITUAL MUZUZAH
Our spiritual Muzuzah is Jesus Christ, who has allowed God’s Holy Spirit to become a part of us.
Like the scriptures inside the Muzuzah; God’s Holy Spirit will always be there to remind us of God’s commandments and His ways, and of the fact that we must be obedient if we are true members of His flock.
These verses of each ancient Muzuzah were deliberately stationed inside each doorway of each home to remind the people of their obligations toward God every time they came in and went outside of their homes.
CURSED IN COMING AND CURSED IN GOING
If they did not mind the scriptures inside the scrolls of the Muzuzah; they would be cursed in their coming in and cursed in their going out; but if they obeyed the Word of God they would be blessed.
What exactly do these scriptures say?
(Deuteronomy 6:4-9:) Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
The commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.
Impress them on your children.
Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
FIX THESE WORDS IN YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS
Deuteronomy 11:13-21:) So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today – to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul – then I will send rain on your land in season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.
Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you.
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Write them on the doorframes of your houses and your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
AS MANY AS THE DAYS THAT THE HEAVENS ARE ABOVE THE EARTH
Can you imagine that last line; that your days and the days of your children may be as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth?
This would be the same as saying; “as many as the stars in the sky” which was God’s Covenant with Abraham.
Being obedient to God’s laws brings you and me into the same covenant; either through inheritance; or through adoption. Jesus has made it possible!
God says when we belong to him that we have his laws written over the doorposts of our hearts. If we listen to what God is saying to our hearts we will be blessed in our coming in and in our going out.
STILL SOME WILL CHOSE DISOBEDIENCE
How very sad to think that some will still choose disobedience and put themselves under the curse that would mean they would be cursed in their coming in and their going out.
Our homes should act as a safe sanctuary where we can go to rest and worship God and leave the cares of the world behind.
If we forget to put God’s ways first (as we come and go and walk in and out of our homes) we will lose that safeness and that provision that God gives to those who choose to be obedient.
I wonder if we put a Muzuzah in the doorway of our modern-day homes in America, if it would help anyone to remember and change and repent and turn their hearts and homes toward God?
WE MUST BE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN
Would it remind us that it is our responsibility to be teaching our children God’s best ways to live, as we go about our daily tasks; and not to leave this vitally important part of keeping our nation safe and secure in the hands of schools with government’s overreach.
If we all made a vow to say a prayer for change each time we pass through the doorposts of our homes; would that turn our country around?
Let’s give it a try and see.
Our God is waiting and watching to see what we choose.
Will you choose life and blessing; or will you choose death and curses?
PLEASE CHOOSE LIFE
Each of us must make up our own minds; but the collective decisions are what make or break our nation.
My prayer is that we act in unity and love as we continue to follow the Good Shepherd and avoid the heirlings.