Joel M Bradshaw

…if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, 14and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.–Deuteronomy 28, part 1

This gigantic chapter contains the stipulations of the covenant. Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. The chapter is clear about covenant expectations between God and Israel. What stood out to me are possible motivations. Why would Israel keep the covenant? Here are some options…

1. TO AVOID THE BAD. In this covenant, obedience resulted in good things. The nation didn’t want the bad things. The threat of punishment and avoiding it are motivators for many people.
2. IDENTITY. This motivation looks like this: “Yahweh is our God and we are his people. We are part of this family and these are the family values. This is what we do and don’t do. This gives us purpose and direction.”
3. RESPONSE. Now this one seems fair. Many times in the Law, God finished sentences with, “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of Egypt.” God wanted Israel to remember that. It seemed a natural and memorable thing to never forget and to keep in mind. Passover remembrance, and all that.
4. ALLEGIANCE. This one begins in the inner person and flows to the outer. This is the greatest commandment, to love God with of your heart, soul, strength (Deuteronomy 6:4). You might equate this with desire as in what motivated a person was a desire to be obedient and to give God all of themselves.

So now look at yourself and your motivations as a Christian. Jesus once famously said this in Luke 6…

46“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

We will use the same 1-4.

1. A person obeys because they want to avoid Hell.
2. A person obeys because of their new identity in Christ. We model the family values of the family we value.
3. A person obeys to respond. This takes the form of thanksgiving for the sacrificial work of Jesus on the cross. Christians were delivered from bondage to sin, not Egypt.
4. Allegiance. Much like a baptism serves as a public commitment, this is starts in the heart and flows into the life. I want to follow Jesus and serve him. I deny myself to do so.

I’m not saying which one of these is right. I can see my own story with a combination of these. I’m asking you to look at your motivations this morning. Why do you serve God? Why do you obey him? What motivates you?–JMB