Revelation 8:1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

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1 Blessings and Cursings April 10, 2014 Lifestyle Choices and Results Deuteronomy 27:9 26 Page 1 This is the in the scriptures that the appeal to hear is preceded by be silent. The nation senses that the promise is about to come true God is doing a work The level of excitement is easy to see Worship has a new sense of importance to it But the command is to be silent When does God talk to us? 1 Kings 19:9 13 Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? He said, I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. So He said, Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD. And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah? Psalm 62:5 8 My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. Revelation 8:1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Zephaniah 1:7 Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near, For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated His guests.

2 Silence Page 2 We can truly hear from God what it is He We can fully concentrate on what it is Psalm 4:4 Tremble, and do not sin; meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. These are instructions for when they are They are in the process of obeying and following Fully relying on Him in combat operations They will be As such, the call for obedience becomes more important than before Choices The representatives of the six tribes who stood on Mt. Gerizim were all sons of Leah and Rachel. The tribes on Mt. Ebal were descendants of the maids of these women plus Reuben and Zebulun. Reuben was the son of Leah who had lost his birthright because of his sin, and Zebulun was the youngest son of Leah. Tom Constable, Tom Constable s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Dt 27:11. The well, used by the Samaritan woman whom Jesus met and had a discussion is also here John 4:5 6 So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; and Jacob s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. At the exact spot which the nation would affirm the covenant Where they would affirm the blessing which could be theirs if they obeyed and the cursing if they did not Jesus Christ, who solved the problem of the presented His claims of being the Why the specific tribal arrangement for blessings and cursings? Simeon Levi Judah Issachar Joseph Benjamin Blessings on Gerizim

3 Page 3 Gerizim Simeon Levi: Joined, a companion Judah: The Lord be praised Issachar Joseph Benjamin: Son of the right hand Reuben Gad Asher Zebulun Dan Naphtali Curses on Ebal Ebal Ruben Gad: Good fortune, a troop Asher Zebulun Dan Naphtali: My wrestling Shechem (between Ebal and Gerizim) Plain of Moreh

4 The instructions for this service include: it will take place it will take place in the land is invited they will sit And the order of service As the nation has this provided in advance so do we Page 4 Revelation 19:7 9 Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, Write, Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are true words of God. Another picture is also alluded to by what is being discussed here Matthew 25:32 34 All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Why Shechem? Jacob bought land there (Genesis 33:19) Simeon and Levi killed every man there (Genesis 34) The people are taking an Amen to each curse is an agreement to it There are 12 curses listed here 12 tribes, 12 curses 12 is also the number of completeness for God s people Misleading a blind person is not just the obvious, but also an admonition to not someone with bad counsel Galatians 3:10 14 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM. Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH. However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, HE WHO PRACTICES

5 Page 5 THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us for it is written, CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Blessings The Obedient Life Moses now unfolds the blessing of fidelity to the law and the curse of transgression Tom Constable, Tom Constable s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Dt 28:1. Interesting thought If we are obedient Blessings If we are not Cursings Proverbs 3:33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Blessing as used here in Deuteronomy is related to the root Hebrew word meaning to The blessing of the Lord flows from our desire and ability to kneel before Him Knowing our nature, God presents the blessings to us as an inducement to. What follows are the to our experiencing blessings Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ As we are obedient to the Lord He blesses us No matter Even will experience blessings due to our obedience We will experience blessings in We will have

6 Page 6 There will food on the table Our daily routine will not be, but something we look forward to Fleeing seven ways speaks to When God fights for you, the enemy is dealt with Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. The verb forms used in verse 7 and 8 show that Moses not only proclaimed the blessing to the people, but desired it for them, because he knew that Israel would not always or perfectly fulfil the condition upon which it was to be bestowed. Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 1 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996), 964. Again, a blessing for success in their vocations and to have more than what they would need A for those who follow Him with the God of the universe As the nation would follow God, the nations around would take notice and want to know more about this God they follow 1 Kings 10:1 9 Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions. So she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king which he did not explain to her. When the queen of Sheba perceived all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her. Then she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. Nevertheless I did not believe the reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard. How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your

7 Page 7 wisdom. Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness. The nation did get there but stay there Is our life such a reflection of Jesus Christ that people just want to know how we do it? All it takes is obedience Proverbs 3:5 10 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones. Honor the LORD from your wealth and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine. Past teachings, study notes and slides of Through the Bible with Pastor Ken Brown are available at: