“You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen.” Deuteronomy 10.20, 21

The second promise made to Abram was the promise of blessing (Gen. 12.2). God’s promise to bless Abram entails more than simply surrounding him with external comforts and security. The blessing of God begins in a relationship with God, in knowing, fearing, loving, serving, and obeying Him, none of which is possible apart from God’s gracious work in His people. He must bless us, or we will not be blessed. He must establish and sustain this relationship, or we will never realize the promise of full joy and unending pleasure which come from knowing the Lord (Ps. 16.11).

The Law of God provided complete instructions for remaining within the framework of God’s blessings. By His Law God revealed Himself and His will to Israel, thereby instructing them in what He required for them to know and enjoy Him. The religious laws, in particular, were aimed at maintaining, enriching, and, when necessary, restoring that spiritual relationship with God which is at the heart of His Covenant with His people. But the other statutes and precepts of the Law explained what God expected of His people in the way of loving Him and their neighbor throughout the course of their daily lives.

We cannot ignore, neglect, or transgress the Law of God without some injury coming into our relationship with Him (cf. Prov. 28.9; Ps. 66.18; Is. 59.1, 2; Rom. 8.5-8). For the blessing of God consists, above all else, in His presence with us, and we cannot know the presence of the holy God when we walk in the ways of sin and disobedience (Ex. 33.14). The Law of God, because of its ability to reveal the character of God, define and expose sin, and guide us into the way of righteousness, thus marks out the way into the promise of God’s blessing.

As we anticipate realizing that promise, our minds fill with exhilarating visions of the unseen realm and the throne of glory where our King waits to receive and bless us (cf. Eph. 1.15-23). One meaning of the word, “bless”, is “to be on one’s knees”, which would seem to define the kind of posture appropriate for those who fear the Lord and would hold fast to Him for the joy and pleasure of knowing His blessed presence.

For a more complete exposition of the promises of God, order a copy of T. M.’s book, I Will Be Your God, from our online store.