The Third Sunday of Advent (OTA)

Deuteronomy 28:1-14

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. ² And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. ³ Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. ⁴ Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. ⁵ Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. ⁶ Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

⁷ “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. ⁸ The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. ⁹ The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. ¹⁰ And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. ¹¹ And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. ¹² The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. ¹³ And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, ¹⁴ and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

God does not just bless fruits of the womb. He blesses all those who do his commands. He blesses their livestock and their land. He offers these blessings to those who follow his commandments. Those who listen to what God has commanded them this day, will be blessed. God even promises them peace from their enemies.

God offers these same promises to us. The problem for us as for them, is that we are corrupt. We are easily deceived by the world. We are happy to fall into sin and corruption. We take pleasure in our wickedness. This world will continue to tell me that nothing is really immoral or wrong. Christianity has been boiled down to forgiveness. But God clearly tells us there are consequences.

Those who believe in Jesus are blessed. Their sins have been forgiven. Jesus Christ died for your immorality, for your sins, for your crimes against humanity and God. Jesus does offer forgiveness. Jesus does provide redemption. But this is for those who listen to God’s word. This is for those who have been called to action. You are forgiven! Go and sin no more!