"Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known." (vv.26-28)
The three great elements to the Old Covenant were the law, the sacrifice, and the choice. Israel had a choice – to obey and be blessed, or to disobey and be cursed. It was a cause and effect relationship for them with God.
However, it is important to recognize that we as believers in Jesus Christ, do not have an Old Covenant relationship with God. The curse we deserved was laid upon Him (Galatians 3:10-14). Though there may be an inherent curse of consequences in our disobedience, under the New Covenant, He does not punish us or curse us – because all that we deserved (past, present, and future), was poured out upon Jesus. We then expect to be blessed, not because of our obedience, but because of our position in Jesus.
This choice was up to Israel too. If they wanted to be blessed, then they should walk in obedience (as they were in the days of David and Solomon), but if they disobeyed, they would be cursed (as they were in most of the days of the later kings).
Inherent in Israel’s disobedience was idolatry (turning aside from the way to go after other gods). And like them, whenever we walk in disobedience, we exalt ourselves against God – and declare that our rules, our standards, our desires, are all more important than His. Thus, turning aside to our own ways. This is idolatry in its most basic and common form today.
Indeed, the culture of the last days has a problem with the idea of “true truth” altogether, because it believes that we each are the center of our own universe and we each create our own truth. According to the spirit of the last days there is no truth outside of ourselves. So we can learn and learn and learn - but they will never come to God’s eternal truth.
So the choice remains the same today blessing or cursing, life or death. His ways or our ways.
The Truth: "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call upon heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your offspring may live." (Deuteronomy 30:19)
