W. Robert Godfrey

But no, he's always bringing us back to think about leadership, about how there's going to continue to be people doing the work of the Lord.

and although Eliezer won't amount to much, you see this transition, this continuation that's taking place and is so critical.

Now, here in this section of warnings we've been looking at from chapter 5 to chapter 10 at verse 11, there's one great

truth that summarizes it all.

You may be thinking now, why didn't he just summarize and get on with it to begin with?

But the great summary is this, I will bless you as you keep my covenant, and I will punish you as you fail to keep my covenant.

And the promises are very strong here, stronger perhaps to Israel than we see them any other place because Israel is a picture of what's going to happen to the people of God throughout history.

But it remains generally true, doesn't it, that the Lord blesses His people when they're faithful to Him and He punishes His people when they're not.

Now that's a truth that can be badly abused.

It's been turned into a prosperity gospel by some in our own time.

It says, if you really follow the Lord, He'll make you healthy and wealthy.

Well, I don't think the Lord has promised that anywhere, and I don't think it's true, except for the preachers who preach that when people send them money.

The Lord hasn't promised that to His people, that He will bless us all with health and with wealth.

We probably all know wonderfully devout Christian people who die young.

Have they been punished?

Have they been disobedient?

Well, not more than in general.

They're not being punished in a particular way.

And particularly, we need to remind ourselves that the blessings we ought to be seeking today as Christian people are spiritual blessings, the forgiveness of our sins,

the sanctification of our lives, the inheritance of eternal life.