THOU SHALT BLESS THE LORD THY GOD

Yesterday we thought of what God had done for the children of Israel in the past and, although that is not forgotten in today’s passage, vv. 14-16, nevertheless, the focus now is upon what God purposed for them in the future. The land into which God would bring them was one in which they would lack nothing, and for which they should bless God. So, having mentioned what God would give to them, vv. 7-9, Moses indicates the praise and thanksgiving they must give to God, v. 10. We, in a similar spirit of praise, ought, with every meal, to give thanks for our food, 1 Tim. 4. 4; Isa. 62. 9, and ‘in everything’ we should be found with a thankful spirit, blessing ‘the name of the Lord’, even in time of adversity, 1 Thess. 5. 18; Job 1. 21.

Alas, instead of being thankful to the Lord it is very easy to forget Him, a danger foreseen by Moses and of which he warned the people vv. 11, 14,17. He indicates the possibility, v. 11, and then traces in some detail the sad process by which it could occur, vv. 12-17. In the land they would prosper, vv. 12-13, but prosperity has the potential to produce pride, and proud hearts would soon forget how dependent they had been upon the Lord, vv. 14-16. Instead of glorying in God they would glory in self, v. 17, taking personal credit for their situation and forgetting that apart from God’s help they would have nothing. Someone has said, ‘There are few things more objectionable than taking what God has given and allowing it to produce pride and self-­congratulation in our heart’. Yet, sadly, that spirit was found at Corinth so that Paul says, ‘what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?’, 1 Cor. 4. 7. To attribute to ourselves what in the goodness of God we have received from Him is to rob God of His glory.

The antidote to such failure is found in remembering that they belonged to God, their power to get wealth was deri­ved from Him and all because of His purpose for them, v. 18. Israel had many reasons to bless God, we have more. Johnson Oatman Jr. wrote, ‘Count your blessings, name them one by one’. It is good to do that, but then be sure to ‘Bless God’.