Deuteronomy 30:19 - Our Choice: Blessings or Curses!
Deuteronomy 30:19 (NLT) Today I have
given you the choice between life and death,
between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven
and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh,
that you would choose life, so that you and your
descendants might live!
COMMENTARY PEARL
Sometimes Christians raise the subject of
a generational curse, something thats
on a family and can only be broken through
prayer.
I dont think the Bible teaches that,
however. Instead, sometimes a family has a cycle of
sin that is passed on from generation to
generation. Certain people have brought, in effect, a
curse upon their lives. And I dont mean that in
any mystical way.
For instance, if a parent is an
alcoholic, chances are far greater that his or her
child will become an alcoholic. And the
possibility of divorce is higher if your parents are
divorced.
My mother was an alcoholic. She was
divorced seven times. I started on the wrong road
during the early years of my life, but when I came
to Christ at age 17, Jesus broke the cycle of
sin in my life. Im happy to report that
Ive been married for more than 40 years now, and
the Lord has been good and faithful to me.
So if theres a so-called curse on your
life, its because youve disobeyed God. If
youre living a sinful life, then youll
experience the repercussions of that - a curse, if you
will. You choose whether your life will be blessed
or cursed.
God said to the Israelites, Today I
have given you the choice between life and death,
between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven
and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh,
that you would choose life, so that you and your
descendants might live! You can make this choice by
loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and
committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to
your life (Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT).
If you want to live a blessed and happy
life, then you need to love God, obey His voice,
and cling to Him. Live it. Put it into practice.
And watch what the Lord will do. [Greg Laurie
from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
COMMENTARY
Love and Justice
Satan deceives many with the plausible
theory that Gods love for His people is so great
that He will excuse sin in them; he represents
that while the threatenings of Gods word are
to serve a certain purpose in His moral
government, they are never to be literally fulfilled.
But in all His dealings with his creatures God
has maintained the principles of righteousness
by revealing sin in its true character--by
demonstrating that its sure result is misery and death.
The unconditional pardon of sin never has been,
and never will be. Such pardon would show the
abandonment of the principles of righteousness, which
are the very foundation of the government of
God. It would fill the unfallen universe with
consternation. God has faithfully pointed out the results
of sin, and if these warnings were not true,
how could we be sure that His promises would be
fulfilled? That so-called benevolence which would set
aside justice is not benevolence but weakness. {PP
522.2}
God is the life-giver. From the beginning
all His laws were ordained to life. But sin
broke in upon the order that God had established,
and discord followed. So long as sin exists,
suffering and death are inevitable. It is only because
the Redeemer has borne the curse of sin in our
behalf that man can hope to escape, in his own
person, its dire results. {PP 522.3} [Remnant SOP SB
re Deu. 30]
"The wages of sin is death; but the gift
of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord." Romans 6:23. While life is the inheritance
of the righteous, death is the portion of the
wicked. Moses declared to Israel: "I have set before
thee this day life and good, and death and evil."
Deuteronomy 30:15. The death referred to in these
scriptures is not that pronounced upon Adam, for all
mankind suffer the penalty of his transgression. It
is "the second death" that is placed in
contrast with everlasting life.
In consequence of Adam's sin, death
passed upon the whole human race. All alike go down
into the grave. And through the provisions of the
plan of salvation, all are to be brought forth
from their graves. "There shall be a resurrection
of the dead, both of the just and unjust;" "for
as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all
be made alive." Acts 24:15; I Corinthians
15:22. But a distinction is made between the two
classes that are brought forth. "All that are in the
graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth;
they that have done good, unto the resurrection
of life; and they that have done evil, unto the
resurrection of damnation." John 5:28, 29. They who have
been "accounted worthy" of the resurrection of
life are "blessed and holy." "On such the second
death hath no power." Revelation 20:6. But those
who have not, through repentance and faith,
secured pardon, must receive the penalty of
transgression--"the wages of sin." They suffer punishment
varying in duration and intensity, "according to
their works," but finally ending in the second
death. Since it is impossible for God, consistently
with His justice and mercy, to save the sinner in
his sins, He deprives him of the existence which
his transgressions have forfeited and of which
he has proved himself unworthy. Says an
inspired writer: "Yet a little while, and the wicked
shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider
his place, and it shall not be." And another
declares: "They shall be as though they had not been."
Psalm 37:10; Obadiah 16. Covered with infamy, they
sink into hopeless, eternal oblivion. GC544,5
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Deuteronomy 30:19 - Our Choices Are Crucial!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20181017-1102.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
