58 “If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God, 59 then the Lord will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting. 60 And he will bring upon you again all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. 61 Every sickness also and every affliction that is not recorded in the book of this law, the Lord will bring upon you, until you are destroyed. 62 Whereas you were as numerous as the stars of heaven, you shall be left few in number, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God. 63 And as the Lord took delight in doing you good and multiplying you, so the Lord will take delight in bringing ruin upon you and destroying you. And you shall be plucked off the land that you are entering to take possession of it.
Deuteronomy 28:58-63
It is hard for born again believers to wrap our minds around this passage. He is so intense and this scares us, which it should. But the reality is that God is constant, never changing from beginning to end. So then that must mean he is still this same God from Deuteronomy. The God who sends the most painful and wretched consequences to those who deliberately disobey his laws. Punishments of pure suffering and sheer distress.
I was pondering this for a while and for a brief time felt a little confused because this characteristic of God had not always been taught fully to me. I know that there will always be things that my little mind just won't be able to comprehend about such an all-knowing God. But he did reveal to me how he can still be that jealous and just beyond all comprehension and yet the most compassionate and patient giver of grace. The answer to how he can be both of these extremes is
JESUS.
Jesus, period. He was and is the answer. How long have we always known that? I mean really, that is the most used answer for everything in church, (the "church" answer.) But really think about it and he will reveal it to you as well. Think about what Jesus did for us. Yes, he bared an unbearable death. He literally felt the weight of all our sins. He was separated from his Father, even though he was without blemish. Put it into perspective. He took on every single act of justice that we deserved, including death of course, but all those that would have occured before death as well. Pain, suffering, sickness, loss...
fearful plagues. harsh and prolonged disasters. severe and lingering illnesses.
He saved us from so much unthinkable, unimaginable consequences which we fully were owed thousands of times over. But now as we are taught, Christ's blood covers our sins and transgressions. And when that same jealous, and in our own mind, seemingly harsh God from the Old Testament looks at us, instead of seeing a black and sick heart he sees his One and Only Perfect Son. God is still that God but it is I who am changed because I have been saved. I am no longer of this world. Though I am a sinner, I am different because of Jesus.
Something that I have known for so long, God brought to me in a new light. Perhaps to shake me up or awaken me, things were put into a fresh new perspective. I'm sure he has done the same for you as well from time to time. Just a great and real reminder of the fullness of the God who calls us his.
God's Blessings,
Karsyn Penelope
