God lists a couple commands to lead off. Basically, don't have idols or sacred stones to bow down to in your land, and observe the Sabbaths and have reverence for His sanctuary. Who is the LORD?
I find it interesting that God lists off the rewards that He will give on condition that Israel follows his decrees and obeys his commands. Simple right? The rewards are just about the most amazing thing I could hope for in my mortal life.
Rain in its season - As it is supposed to, and not when it isn't.
The ground will yield its crops - Simply put...what is planted will grow as it should, continually year round. They will have to move out last years abundance to make room for the new year's yield.
Peace in the land - No reason to fear enemy or wild animal...well, "savage beasts" whatever they may be. "The sword will not pass through your land." An absence of conflict, as the wars that do rage go on around them.
Their numbers will increase. When Israel goes on the offensive ("pursue your enemies"), God says five will chase a hundred, and a hundred will chase 10,000. In cases of extreme outnumber, Israel will prevail.
The Presence of God Himself - He will walk among them, and not abhor them. Will be their God, not some other group's God.
= verse to ponder: Lev. 26:13 =
As wonderful as these potential rewards are, the consequences for disobedience and ignoring God's commands are just as terrible.
In violation of God's covenant, Israel will experience "sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever." They will lose their emotional and physical health.
The land will not work the way it was intended. Planting will be in vain, because what does happen to grow, the enemies will eat it. (Because they will raid, or because they will have taken over?) What paranoia will infect someone to "flee even when no one is pursuing you."
And that is just the first wave of what will happen. If the stubbornness remains, they will be punished "seven times over." God says the sky will be like iron, and the ground bronze. Hard. Will not be moved. They will have no crop yield or tree fruit.
If Israel is still hostile after that, they can expect another multiplication of afflictions seven times over. I guess this would be an exponential increase. In addition to no crops, fear, and raiding enemies, wild animals will "rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you...few in number." That's crazy. These animals will not fear man.
If Israel continues to be hostile...another 7 times. We're up to 301 times. God sayts he will bring the sword upon them to avenge the broken covenant. Plague, enemies and simple baking that doesn't work the way it should.
2107 times: This gets probably as bad as anything I've read up to this point. "You will eat the flesh of your sons and daughters..." Cannibalism? Eating your own kids? That's pretty awful. How could you not turn back to God to end horror? How could you not want to blame God for horror? Look at this...Lev. 26:30-39:
"...And I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars and cast your dead bodies upon the dead bodies of your idols, and my soul will abhor you. And I will lay your cities waste and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your pleasing aromas.Can you believe that? This is how seriously God takes His covenant, and His command to be holy. He paints a horrifying picture of doom, fear and hopelessness. Something I would do anything to avoid.
And I myself will devastate the land, so that your enemies who settle in it shall be appalled at it. And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate, while you are in your enemies’ land; then the land shall rest, and enjoy its Sabbaths. As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest, the rest that it did not have on your Sabbaths when you were dwelling in it.
And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf shall put them to flight, and they shall flee as one flees from the sword, and they shall fall when none pursues. They shall stumble over one another, as if to escape a sword, though none pursues. And you shall have no power to stand before your enemies.
And you shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. And those of you who are left shall rot away in your enemies’ lands because of their iniquity, and also because of the iniquities of their fathers they shall rot away like them..."
But when Israel remembers God, God will remember His covenant with Jake, Ike, and Abe. Those who repent will still have to pay for their sins, but God will not abhor them or reject them or break his covenant with them.
Something else I draw from this is the kind of give-and-take between the nation of Israel, and the land. It is as though they are rivals since the fall. The land has to be worked, and they need a symbiotic relationship with each other. The land will be able to rest when God punishes Israel for ignoring Sabbaths. The land will become like bronze. God will comfort and protect the land from abuse by the people. There seems to be a distrust forming...a mutual conflict building between man, and the earth/land.
Also, I'd be interested to see the historical record to see what actually took place...if any of this came to pass. Maybe I'll get there and read it myself. Judging from what I know and have read already, it probably won't take long.
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