Being Steadfast in Blessing

God Always Sets a Choice Before Us

Deuteronomy 11:26–29 NKJV

26 “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; 28 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. 29 Now it shall be, when the Lord your God has brought you into the land which you go to possess, that you shall put the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.

In this mysterious ritual, Moses instructs the people that when they finally enter the Land, they are to pronounce blessings at Mount Gerizim, and curses at neighboring Mount Ebal. The Priests and Levites were to stand in the valley between the mountains. Six tribes were to stand on Mt. Gerizim and the six remaining tribes on Mt. Ebal. As the Levites called out a series of blessings and curses, the tribes on the mountains answered "amen" after each statement. We are told that Gerizim was fertile and lush with greenery and Ebal was a barren, bleak rock.

In the painting, too, there is a striking contrast between the mountains. Mount Gerizim is covered with fruitful terraces, blesses with life, celebration and joy. Vertical rays of light flow down, bringing blessings and peace. On the other side, Mount Ebal is arid, dark brown and barren. It looks dead. The strokes are horizontal, with no descending blessings.

It is taught that when we are aligned with goodness, goodness flows down on the mount of blessing, while the other mountain, the mount of curses, absorbs the murky blight of our misdeeds.

SOURCE: Blessings & Curses: Mount Grizim vs. Mount Ebal - Re'eh Art - Parshah (chabad.org)

Joshua 8:30–35 NKJV

30 Now Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal, 31 as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. 33 Then all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, the stranger as well as he who was born among them. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them.

The Israelites had just experienced a curse – defeat at the hands of the warriors of Ai. And like any curse, it was not only the sting of the enemy; it was the sting that the Israelites, by their actions, had been responsible for the curse.

Then the Israelites had experienced blessing – total victory over the king and town of Ai. Their enemy had been utterly destroyed, and they had received the bounty of the victory. And they knew that the blessing was from the hand of their God. And they knew that this time, they had sought Him first and been obedient to His command.

Yes, they had just lived through a very practical – and difficult – object lesson of the blessing and the curse.

They have just turned away from Ai, there in the Valley of Shechem. Though they still have enemies to face in cities to the north and cities to the south, the LORD determines that now is the time for the Israelites to offer sacrifices, to be reminded of the law, and to say “Amen” to the blessings and the curses. It is fitting that this take place in the Valley of Shechem. Because it was here that God first repeated His promises to Abraham when he arrived in Canaan (Genesis 12:6-7).*

Deuteronomy 28:1–6 CSB

1 “Now if you faithfully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all his commands I am giving you today, the Lord your God will put you far above all the nations of the earth. 2 All these blessings will come and overtake you, because you obey the Lord your God: 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. 4 Your offspring will be blessed, and your land’s produce, and the offspring of your livestock, including the young of your herds and the newborn of your flocks. 5 Your basket and kneading bowl will be blessed. 6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

Deuteronomy 28:15–19 CSB

15 “But if you do not obey the Lord your God by carefully following all his commands and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overtake you: 16 You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. 17 Your basket and kneading bowl will be cursed. 18 Your offspring will be cursed, and your land’s produce, the young of your herds, and the newborn of your flocks. 19 You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out.

Even the assignments as to which tribe stood where had meaning. Those on Mount Gerizim – the mount of blessing – are the tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. These are the children of Jacob’s lawful wives, Leah and Rachel (Genesis 35:23-26). Those on Mount Ebal – the mount of cursing – are the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. These are the children of Bilhah and Zilpah, the servant women of Jacob’s two lawful wives. (Reuben is the exception—though he was one of Leah’s legitimate sons, he was cursed because he had sexual relations with Bilhah, his father’s concubine – Genesis 35:22, 1 Chronicles 5:1).*

*SOURCE:The Blessing and the Curse — Ken Winter

Deuteronomy 30:19 NKJV

19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

Bondage keeps us from experiencing Blessing!

Bondage of Fear

Satan’s Oldest weapon.

Romans 8:16–17 NKJV

16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Matthew 14:29–31 NKJV

29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Bondage of Condemnation

John 3:16–17 NKJV

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

1 John 3:19–20 NKJV

19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

Romans 8:31–34 NKJV

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Psalm 66:18–20 (NKJV)

18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.

19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.

20 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!

regard from the hebrew root - to see

Romans 14:23 NKJV

23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Galatians 5:13 NKJV

13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

James 4:17 NKJV

17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Closed Windows illustration

Bondage to Bitterness

Acts 8:20–23 NKJV

20 But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! 21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

Matthew 5:21 NKJV

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’

Matthew 5:22–24 NKJV

22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Unforgiveness becomes bitterness.

Bitterness becomes hatred.

Hatred becomes.........

1 John 3:15 NKJV

15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Coming Out of Bondage Open the Doors to the Miraculous

Acts 9:10–13 NKJV

10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” 13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.

Acts 9:14–17 NKJV

14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” 17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”