Introduction:

A. These promises are given to Israel only. We need to understand this. But, the principles given here apply to any person, group of people, nation, or church. If any individual will seek the face of the Lord, He will bless that person. If a group of people, nation, or church will humbly seek the Lord's will, He will reveal His will to them, and will give them the blessings found in this chapter.

B. From verse 14-45, we find the future of Israel. Verse 14-39 tells of the fall of Israel. The Old Testament records that Israel did stop serving God and fell into all the calamities God said would befall them. Verse 40-45 tells of the restoration of Israel at the end of the tribulation period and during the millennium reign.

I. Verse 1,2 - The main commandments God wanted Israel to observe. This is also the main commandment God wants us to observe.

II. Verse 3-13 - The conditional blessings of the Lord (Note the word "if"!)

A. Verse 4,5 God will give prosperity by giving:

1. The proper amount of rain.

2. A good harvest every year.

3. Plenty to eat, even for the poor. (verse 10 - the old crop would be given to the poor when the new crop came in.)

B. Verse 6-8 - God will give peace

1. Not the fearful peace of a "cold war", but no fear, a total trust in God.

2. There will be no evil beasts to worry about.

3. There will be no evil nations to worry about.

4. Verse 7 - Israel shall chase their enemies, not the enemies chasing them.

5. Verse 8 - What a victory and confidence toward God.

C. Verse 9-13 - God is with them.

1. Respect from God. Many quote Acts 10:34, "God is no respecter of persons", in an attempt to prove that God blindly blesses and punishes people. The truth is, God does respect those persons who serve Him faithfully. He gives them blessings and helps that He doesn't give to others. They may have the same troubles as everybody else, but God will be with them in their troubles.

2. God will make Israel a great nation.

3. Verse 11 - God will establish His worship with them.

4. Verse 12 - God will be with them in comfort, as an ever present help, and constant companion. See II Cor. 6:14- 18, if we desire God to be with us, we must obey Him.

D. Verse 13 - The source of their power is God, not themselves.

1. Phil. 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.

2. Gal. 2:20 - Paul lived by the faith of God.

III. Verses 14-39 - Judgments for disobedience.

A. Verse 14,15 - The gradual decline to sin.

1. Israel gradually stopped listening to God (not harken).

2. Israel would gradually stop doing all the commandments and obey only those they wanted to.

3. They would then begin to despise the statutes. After we stop listening to God, we hate God commands.

4. The next step is to abhor the judgments of God. They would quit listening, then start hating God's commandments. When God punishes them, they abhor (a stronger word than hate) His judgments.

5. The end result of this progression is that they break God's covenant and cause God to put more judgment upon them.

B. There are five judgments God will put on them, each more severe than the former.

1. Verse 16,17 - The first judgment, loss of health, prosperity, and peace.

a. There are the things given in verse 3-8. Terror, panic, destruction (trouble), consumption (a wasting away), burning ague (inflammation, fevers), and crop failures. The result will be that Israel will lose all hope.

b. Then the enemies (plural) will overtake them and rule them. (This happened again and again during the period of the judges.)

2. Verse 18-20 - The second judgment. This is the very beginning of sorrows, if they don't turn to the Lord. God will make it seven times worse.

a. God will remove their pride of power. God will show them they can't sin and get answers to their prayers. He will stop listening to them.

b. There will be no increase in crops.

3. Verse 21-22 - The third judgment. God will cause it to be seven times worse if they don't listen.

a. There will be a revival of the promise of verse 6. The wild beasts shall return and eat their children. (That ought to get through to parents!)

b. The wild beasts will kill the cattle.

c. The wild animals will eat so many people and cattle, the population will actually go down!

4. Verse 23-26 - The fourth judgment. God will cause it to be seven times worse if they don't reform their ways.

a. God will bring an enemy to show Israel that He isn't going to keep His part of the covenant. (Because they haven't kept theirs.)

b. When they seek refuge in their walled cities from the enemy, He shall cause disease to be there so they can't resist the enemy.

c. Verse 26 - There will be so little food, 10 women will be around 1 oven to bake the bread.

d. The bread will be delivered by weight. If one pound of seed is planted it yields one pound of bread. (a marked decrease.)

e. The days of a full stomach will be over.

5. Verse 27-39 - The fifth judgment. God will cause it to be seven times worse if they don't listen. He will not come in fury.

a. Verse 29 - See II Kings 6:26-29. The Bible records they did eat their children, but verse 31 says they blamed God, not their own sinfulness.

b. Verse 30 - False worship is destroyed. This happened in II Kings 23:20. God desired them to willingly destroy their false worship, but since they wouldn't, He will take it from them by force.

c. Verse 31 -

1) The cities and sanctuary will be laid waste. This happened during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon.

2) God will not accept their offerings. See Micah 6:6-8 where God refuses to accept their offerings. Ps. 51:16,17, God desires a broken and contrite heart, not offerings.

d. Verse 32-35 - This happened during the 70 year captivity.

e. Verse 36-39 - The remnant that are left do not repent, but continue in rebellion against God. Some go to Egypt where they die. They are continually afraid of Nebuchadnezzar or any other power.

IV. Verse 40-46 - The return to God. This does not happen until the Jews are hold up in Petra during the very last part of the tribulation period.

A. Verse 40,41 - The way of restitution.

1. They must confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers against God.

2. They must confess they have been contrary to God.

3. They must confess that God has caused their trouble because of their sinfulness.

4. This confession occurred in a limited sense by Daniel, Daniel 9:3-19, Nehemiah, Nehemiah 1:4-11, and Ezra, Ezra 9:5-15.

B. Verse 42,43 - The return of God's blessings.

C. Verse 44,45 - God forgives and returns His blessings upon Israel. This is because of His unconditional covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

D. NOTE: It's good to know the difference between the conditional and unconditional promises of God, isn't it?