Jo’s Place

Moses Continued the Blessings for Israel  Moses said this about the tribe of Benjamin:  “The people of Benjamin are loved by the Lord and live in safety beside him.  He surrounds them continuously  and preserves them from every harm.”  Moses said this about the tribes of Joseph:  “May their land be blessed by the Lord, with the precious gift of dew from the heavens and water from beneath the earth; with the rich fruit that grows in the sun, and the rich harvest produced each month; with the finest crops of the ancient mountains, and the abundance from the everlasting hills; with the best gifts of the earth and its bounty, and the favor of the one who appeared in the burning bush.  May these blessings rest on Joseph’s head, crowning the brow of the prince among his brothers.  Joseph has the majesty of a young bull; he has the horns of a wild ox.  He will gore distant nations,  even to the ends of the earth.  This is my blessing for t...

Moses Blesses the People This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave to the people of Israel before his death:  “The Lord came from Mount Sinai  and dawned upon us from Mount Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran and came from Meribah-kadesh, with flaming fire at His right hand.  Indeed, He loves His people; all His holy ones are in His hands.  They follow in His steps  and accept His teaching.  Moses gave us the Lord’s instruction, the special possession of the people of Israel.  The Lord became king in Israel— when the leaders of the people assembled, when the tribes of Israel gathered, as one.”  Moses said this about the tribe of Reuben:  “Let the tribe of Reuben live and not die out, though they are few in number.”  Moses said this about the tribe of Judah:  “O Lord, hear the cry of Judah  and bring them together, as a people.  Give them strength to defend their cause; help them against their enemies!”  ...

​ Blessings for Obedience “If you fully obey the Lord, your God …and carefully keep all His commands, that I am giving you today, the Lord, your God, will set you high above all the nations, of the world.  You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God:  Your towns and your fields  will be blessed.  Your children and your crops  will be blessed.  The offspring, of your herds and flocks, will be blessed.  Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed.  Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed.  “The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you.  They will attack you, from one direction, but they will scatter from you, in seven!  “The Lord will guarantee a blessing, on everything you do …and will fill your storehouses, with grain.  The Lord, your God, will bless you, in the land, that He is giving to you.  “If you obey the commands of the Lord your God …and walk in His ways,...

The Lord’s Blessings You will be blessed, if you obey the commands, of the Lord your God, …that I am giving you today.  But you will be cursed, if you reject the commands, of the Lord your God ….and turn away from Him …and worship gods, that you have not known before.  “When the Lord, your God, brings you into the land …and helps you take possession of it, …you must pronounce the blessing, at Mount Gerizim …and the curse, at Mount Ebal.  (These two mountains are west, of the Jordan River, in the land of the Canaanites, who live in the Jordan Valley, near the town of Gilgal, not far from the oaks of Moreh.)  For you are about to cross the Jordan River, to take over the land, which the Lord, your God, is giving to you.  When you take that land …and are living in it, …you must be careful to obey all the decrees and regulations, which I am giving to you today.  Deuteronomy 11:27–32 (NLT) Praise be to God

​ The Blessings of Obedience The Lord told Moses to instructed Israel in this way… He said, “Therefore, be careful to obey every command, that I am giving you today, so you may have strength to go in …and take over the land, which you are about to enter.  If you obey, you will enjoy a long life, in the land, that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors …and to you …their descendants—a land flowing with milk and honey!  For the land, which you are about to enter …and take over, is not like the land of Egypt, from which you came, where you planted your seed, and made irrigation ditches …with your foot, as in a vegetable garden.  Rather, the land, which you will soon take over, is a land of hills and valleys, with plenty of rain—a land that the Lord, your God, cares for Himself.  He watches over it, through each season of the year!  “If you carefully obey the commands, which I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord, your God, and serve Him, with all your he...

Blessings of Obedience Moses told the children of Israel… “Then, it shall come to pass, because you listen, to these judgments and you keep them and you do them that the Lord, your God, will keep, with you, the covenant, and the mercy, which He swore, to your fathers.  And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land your grain and your new wine and your oil the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock (The Lord will bless all these things)  in the land, of which He swore, to your fathers, to give to you.  You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you …or among your livestock.  And the Lord will take away, from you, all sickness and He will afflict you, with none, of the terrible diseases of Egypt, which you have known but He will lay them, on all those, who hate you.  Also, you shall destroy all the peoples, whom the Lord, your ...

​ Blessings for Obedience “Do not make idols or set up carved images, or sacred pillars, or sculptured stones, in your land, so you may worship them.  I am the Lord your God.  You must keep My Sabbath days of rest, and show reverence, for My sanctuary.  I am the Lord.  “If you follow My decrees, and are careful to obey My commands, I will send you the seasonal rains.  The land will then yield its crops, and the trees, of the field, will produce their fruit.  Your threshing season will overlap,    with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap, with the season of planting grain.  You will eat your fill, and live securely, in your own land.  “I will give you peace, in the land, and you will be able to sleep, with no cause for fear.  I will rid the land of wild animals, and keep your enemies out, of your land.  In fact, you will chase down your enemies, and slaughter them with your swords.  Five of you will chase...