National Blessings Series

Title: National Blessings

Theme: God's Covenant Blessings to a Nation

Series: Patriotic

Introduction: The New Testament has a brief passage of Scripture that is too often missed as one reads the Bible, "These things happened to them as examples and were written down…" (1 Corinthians 10:6) so we may see what may befall us, depending our obedience to God's Word. ( JFB; Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). 1 Corinthians (p. 323). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company; Matthew Henry Commentary) His covenant to a people: "If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God." (Deuteronomy 28:1-2) This covenant is personal; involving families and especially a nation. The blessings in Deuteronomy 28 come as full obedience to the Lord. (Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). Deuteronomy (p. 428). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company; Merrill, E. H. (1994). Deuteronomy (Vol. 4, p. 353). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers; Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 271). Peabody: Hendrickson; Smith, J. E. (1993); The Pentateuch (2nd ed., Dt 27:1–28:68). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co.) This passage of Scripture finds Moses, who received this constitution from God delivering a message that affects civil policy, religion and military establishments that is necessary for the happiness of His people, [Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Leviticus 26:3-12; Deuteronomy 4:5-8]. (Preached by Timothy Stone – 05/10/1792) truths for a nation wanting God's blessings.

Proposition: I would propose to you that America has the opportunity to enjoy God's blessings. These blessings can affect all areas of life: city and country (Deuteronomy 28:3); offspring of man and animals (Deuteronomy 28:4); preparation of food (Deuteronomy 28:5) and in travel (Deuteronomy 28:6). Further, the Lord assures protection from enemies (Deuteronomy 28:7) and secure storehouses (Deuteronomy 28:8) (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (Dt. 28:1–9). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)

Interrogative Sentence: Has God's blessing for a nation been enjoyed in America? Can we enjoy His blessings today?

Keep in mind that Israel owned the land because of God's covenant with Abraham, but the people could possess and enjoy the land only if they obeyed God's covenant as a holy nation. We today have all the blessings we need in Christ because of His grace, but we enjoy these blessings only as we trust and obey His voice. (Matthew 6:33; Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (Dt 28:1–14). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.) Keep in mind that God's promises are not to Israel in a physical sense, but in the spiritual sense; Christians, you have placed their trust in Christ. Galatians says, "Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham." (Galatians 3:7) "If you belong to Christ, then, you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:29) (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Heb 2:16). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)

Transitional Sentence: The first truth we must understand is what is meant by Biblical covenant with God. "A covenant (Hebrew, berith; Greek, diatheke) is a promise or agreement between two parties. A covenant may be conditional or unconditional." (Willmington, H. L. (1997). Willmington’s Bible handbook (p. 820). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.; Karleen, P. S. (1987). The handbook to Bible study: with a guide to the Scofield study system (p. 35). New York: Oxford University Press) "It is God who makes the offer so mankind may enter into a relationship with Him based on conditions which man could neither initiate nor alter, mankind can only accept or reject the covenant." (Barclay, W. (Ed.). (1975). The letters to the Corinthians (p. 189). Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster John Knox Press.)

Early American history indicates clearly that men in government understood the heart of Deuteronomy 28 and they sought the knowledge of the one who shared the "National Black Robe Regiment." Malachi wrote, "For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth." (Malachi 2:7)

"In a message spoken on General Election day of May 26, 1790 to John Hancock, Samuel Adams, the Honorable Council, Senate, and House of Representative of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Pastor Daniel Foster, taught God's Word, teaching from Proverbs 8:12-17, "I possess knowledge and discretion. To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Counsel and sound judgment are Mine; I have insight, I have power. By Me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just; by Me princes govern, and nobles - all who rule on the earth, and those who seek Me find Me." Pastor Foster said, 'The civil government is ordained of God in the hands of the Mediator, the Absolute necessity of order and government, for the existence and happiness of society, pleads it Divine origin. For without it, the affairs of mankind would fall into the utmost confusion and disorder... Civil government, then, is a branch of the Tree of Life, and founded in, and built upon the covenant, sealed in Heaven by the oath of God, and upon earth by the blood of Christ." (Pastor Daniel Foster, A.M. Pastor of the Church in New Braintree, Teaching Governmental Principles for the Political Leaders of His State; Wall-Builders, David Barton)