ESOCS Devotional 10 January 2022
TEXT: LEVITICUS 26: 1-13
MEMORY VERSE:
“If ye walk in my statutes and keep my commandments and do them; then will I give you rain in due season and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.” Leviticus 26:3-4
Two days ago, our devotion was taken from this same chapter (vs. 14-46) and dwelt on Vengeance of the Covenant. Today, it has pleased God to direct us to the other side of the coin: “Blessings of the Covenant”.
Blessings of the Covenant are God’s promises of bumper harvest, abundance, population growth, victory, and peace, first to the nation, and then, to individuals which keep God’s commandments and terms of the covenant. Although He is the God of all creation and has the rule over His universe, yet He gives incentives for our obedience to His laws and commandments upon which the old covenant was based. The list of blessings should convey to us the fact that God is jealous for His covenant; hence, He would bless a nation for keeping His covenant. The life of Israel over the centuries was such that when they walked with God in obedience, He gave them all things in abundance, secured them, and gave them victory over their enemies. On the other hand, when they rebelled and walked contrary to His commandments, He held up the rain and dew not to water the ground; or he sent pests to destroy their farms, and set an enemy over the land who subjected them to a life of servitude.
Below are some of the Blessings of the Covenant:-
- Abundance (4-5): The arid land of Palestine is made into a land flowing with milk and honey because God chose to water it with the dew of heaven and adequate rain. These gave them bumper harvest of fruits, grain, vegetables, etc so that new grain met old grain in their store. Jesus Christ the Son of God came to the Gospel Church for this purpose: “that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10). Only trust Him and serve Him walking in His covenant.
- Peace, Safety, and Security: For obedience they enjoyed divine protection against both external and internal crisis, so that none could make them afraid (vs. 5c and 6).
- Victory: Though they were few, yet they chased mighty and strong nations when they walked in obedience to the covenant.
- Population Increase: In obedience, they were blessed with great population of both biological and spiritual seed of Abraham.
- Favour: The KJVs: “I will have respect unto you” (Vs 9) is captured by NIV as “I will look on you with favour.” Obedience attracts divine favour.
- Tokens of His presence (11 and 12): Psalm 16:11 appropriately describes the state of a people that have Jehovah in the midst of them – “In thy presence is fullness of joy.”
- Grace of the Covenant: Neither the nation of Israel nor the Gospel Church was the most fit to be adopted as the sons of God but grace did it. It was purely God’s decision while the babes were yet in the womb to favour Jacob rather than Esau. By covenant grace, we have become sons, and we should strive hard to stick daily to the Holy Commandments, which He has set for us.
- Obedience to God’s covenant is blessing and life. Walk in it.
- Almighty God, I pray thee, grant me grace to keep your commandments and faith in Jesus Christ that I may be a partaker of thy manifold favours, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
FURTHER READING: Isaiah 42:1-12; 43:1-13; John 12:20-36
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ESOCS Devotional 10 January 2022
