What a strange curse for disobedience God is pronouncing to Israel. “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?
Was the loss of freedom due to vaccine mandates a result of modern-day curses for disobedience to God? This is a huge possibility.
Since the curse of the virus in the Great Pandemic, we’ve experienced mandates, rules and regulations against our own will. The govenment is beginning to look more and more like Pharaoh every day. Is this the reason America is falling into so many new curses? We are experiencing unusual things we have never experienced before.
These things COULD be a small part of modern-day curses on our land. However, let’s think further. How did this same theory apply back during the days of ancient Israel?
LOOKING TO ANCIENT TIMES FOR MEANING
Israel was about to enter the Promised Land. 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.
Whenever things are so important they can mean the difference between blessings and curses; we need to have a reminder.
ISRAEL’S REMINDER
Often very important reminders require a form of repetition. The reminder could be something we see over-and-over during the course of each day. That way we do not forget to remember.
The ancients had a perfect way of reminding themselves of these critical commandments from God. They devised a way to remember each time they went in and out of their homes. A type of decorative container called a Muzuzah was placed 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, the Israelites were safe from the curses of Pharaoh. Today we see the curses of Pharaoh in our own land. 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 of Moses to God just before his death. God appointed Joshua as the leader over Israel. Moses knew that strong leaders stand in the gates and the doorways of God. He desired they lead the people; bringing them in and out, as God commanded. They would be 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 must learn to follow its true leader; The Good Shepherd. We have seen the results of those who want to follow the hirelings. They are those who do not really care about the sheep. The hirelings allow the wolves to come and scatter us. We know we can no longer listen to these false leaders. They are imposters.
Our true leader will always be Jesus Christ. He is The Good Shepherd. Only He knows what is best for us. We walk through His door by obedience. He leads us in and out to safe green pastures. With Him we walk beside still, cool waters.
We are done with the fake leaders of the world. In going out and coming in, we 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 remind us of God’s commandments. We will remember His ways. True members of His flock are obedient.
These verses of each ancient Muzuzah were deliberately stationed inside the doorway of each home. Their purpose is to remind the people of their obligations toward God. Every time they came in or went outside their homes they were reminded.
CURSED IN COMING AND CURSED IN GOING
If they did not mind the scriptures inside the scrolls of the Muzuzah; they would be cursed. However, 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? Is it impossible to imagine your days and the days of your children could be as many as the days of the heavens above the earth? This would be the same as saying; “as many as the stars in the sky.” Those were the words of 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, 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. He will bless our coming in and our going out.
SOME WILL STILL CHOSE DISOBEDIENCE
How sad to realize some will still choose disobedience. They will put themselves under the curse. Because of their own choices they will be cursed in their coming in and their going out.
Our homes should become sanctuaries. They should be places where we go to rest and worship God. They should be places where we can leave the cares of the world behind. If we forget to put God’s ways first when we come and go in our homes we lose that safeness. We forfiet that provision God gives to those who choose to be obedient.
I wonder if we put Muzuzahs in the doorways of our modern homes, would they help anyone to remember? Would we think to repent, change and turn our hearts and homes toward God?
WE MUST BE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN
Could this practice remind us it is our responsibility to be teaching our children God’s best ways to live? Would they see our actions and know as we go about our daily tasks? Could this reminder help us to remember not to leave this important part of keeping our nation safe in the hands of schools with government 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. I pray we continue to follow the Good Shepherd and avoid the heirlings.