Deuteronomy 11: 26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse.
27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day.
28 And a curse if you would not obey the commandments of the Lord your God but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
In the book of Deuteronomy there are written many blessings and curses and some persons become very dismayed because they may not know why God will speak of a curse, right after promising to bless.
Over and over again it occurs in the Scripture where God promises blessings, and right after He promises curses, or vice versa. In fact, the children of Israel were summoned to a special covenant ceremony where both blessings and curses were to be read.
And some people wonder and question why God is doing this. He has to do so, because our freedom of choice can turn a good thing into a bad thing, in so much that we can cause God’s blessings to turn sour by our course of action. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 27:11 And Moses charged the people the same day, saying,
12 These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin.
13 And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
14 And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice,
15 Cursed be the man that makes any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and puts it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.
Then right after, in the very next chapter, God promises a ton of blessings, if His people would not deviate from His revealed will. The two options of blessings or curses must be clearly understood by the reader, because we are the arbiters of our own destiny. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when you come in, and blessed shalt you be when you go out.
The uttering of both blessings and curses has caused some persons to come to incorrect views of God, as One who inflicts punishment when a person walks contrary to His revealed will. This is generally not the case, all He is doing is telling us what is on the menu.
Therefore, certain truths streaming from The Lord’s throne must now be made clear, for we are at that time when His glory is scheduled to fill the earth.
First of all, it is important to know that through our own freedom of choice we can put a good thing to a bad use, thus representing the good thing as if it were something bad, when this might not be the case.
Knives could be used to cut up onions, peppers fruit, cucumbers, and your daily bread, but they can also be used in nefarious ways not worth mentioning.
The same is true of guns, for in and of itself, the gun is a pretty harmless object, but if placed in the wrong hands or put to a wrong use, it can become a curse, as has been seen too often across the land. Guns do not shoot any person, people do, for someone has to pull the trigger.
The same is true of nuclear energy, which could be used to produce megawatts of energy for billions of people, but also could be used to wipe out millions. It almost always comes down to freedom of choice in what we choose to do with something that might be inherently good.
Again, in the health and fitness industry, carbs and sugars from even the very best sources have been demonized as culprits as if, in and of themselves, they can do you great harm. They cannot, if you don’t let them.
God created fruit, with their sweet content, fibers, and other nutritional values and thus, when they are used in harmony with the laws of health, they could be a great blessing. In the earth, made new there will be sweet fruit and carbohydrates, and many items that now seem to be off limits for some persons.
Therefore, we should avoid the temptation to find fault with the blessings, instead of with the choices we make. In fact, many things that are anathema in the health and fitness industries, are actually good for you, when used within the parameters of God’s instructions.
Water is good for you, for it comes from the hand of God to humanity as a good and perfect blessing, in so much that Christ uses it in referencing the water of life that is given to each believer. But even though water is very good, a young man died from drinking too much water not long ago.
Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Whitney Houston, and Stevie Wonder were all blessed with natural talents and if used in harmony with God’s revealed purpose they will remain as blessings. But when, like so many folks who have gone before, the blessings are perverted, they could become a curse.
Therefore, when we follow the same line of reasoning as it pertains to God’s blessings, we would discover that in every instance, the problem is never with The Giver, but with the receiver, and what he or she chooses to do with the blessing.
With many Christians, the attitude displayed might cause God to put blessings on hold for the time being, lest folks vaunt themselves and become puffed up with pride. The issue occurs so often, in both sacred, and secular history that in some instances it may not be safe for God to bless certain individuals.
The reason for this is that more harm than good can be the result if the blessing is turned on its head or made to serve purposes other than what The Lord had originally intended.
Now, it is true that God does not think and act as we do, for there is nothing such as the perfect man, or woman without their own set of issues. We have all come short of the glory of God, and thus, the predicament of The Lord deciding to bless a faulty person whom He knows will pervert the blessing, often occurs.
On the flipside of this predicament is the prospect of not getting anything done, for if He were to withhold blessing us, until He is sure we can handle it, that day may never come. Therefore, in some instances, The Lord goes ahead and blesses persons, so that at the very least, some level of good may be accomplished.
It is very often the case that when persons are down and out in the valley of despair, they would turn to God, and humbly pray for guidance and direction, but if and when The Lord exalts them to prominent positions, sometimes they may no longer feel their need of Him.
This pattern of initial humility, and pride later on, occurs so often in the Scripture that it warrants the most careful attention so that we may know how to avoid some of the pitfalls that occur after God blesses persons or nations. It is one of the main reasons why great men fall.
Before we proceed, let it be said that right after a day of great blessing, there come temptations to overthrow the very thing God sought to accomplish. As a general rule of thumb, your mountaintop experiences would be followed with temptations in the valley, where your arch-enemy is waiting in the wings to destroy and annoy.
The Bible tells us that we should never be ignorant of his devices, and therefore, whenever God does something great for you, whenever God blesses you really good, try by His grace to be humble, lest satan succeeds in turning your blessing into a curse.
For instance, if out of the blue, God blesses you with a large sum of money, be very careful to turn again to Him and pray for heavenly wisdom, and discretion to manage it prudently, lest, before you know it, the dinero makes itself wings and flies away towards heaven like a bird and you find yourself back to square one, or even worse.
Again, if suddenly, God promotes you to a high position of trust, where you find yourself on top of the world as it were, be very careful to walk humbly with God, lest the old serpent fills your head with pride, and you think that you don’t need God’s counsel and guidance anymore.
These are just some of the reasons why great men fell in times past, and if the lessons of bygone years do not sink deep into our consciousness, great men, and women in our day are sure to fall also. The servant of The Lord puts us on our guard. Let’s read:
[Special Testimonies 27, 1902 par 6] Christ entered upon His mission of mercy, and from the manger to the cross was beset by the enemy. Satan contested every inch of ground, exerting his utmost power to overcome Him.
Like a tempest temptation after temptation beat upon Him. But the more mercilessly they fell, the more firmly did the Son of God cling to the hand of His Father, and press on in the blood-stained path.
After Christ’s transfiguration on the mountaintop, where Peter, James, and John saw Moses, and Elijah speaking with Jesus in His glorified form, devils were waiting in the valley to cause mayhem. This snare the Christian must be very wary of, and it should drive persons to prayer, even more than before the blessing came.
Devils become extremely irritated and exasperated when God’s kingdom on earth is making strides and advancing. The following is an example of what we are studying and we would do well, to learn from persons who have gone before. Let’s read:
Mark 9:2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.
3 And his raiment became shining, exceedingly white as snow; as no fuller on earth can white them.
4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.
5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.
14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.
15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.
17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which has a dumb spirit;
18 And wheresoever he takes him, he tears him: and he foams, and gnashes with his teeth, and pines away: and I spoke to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tore him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up; and he arose.
When David was down in the valley of the shadow of death, where Saul, and satan were on his heels night and day, he prayed like never before, and he humbled himself greatly before God, waiting on His word before making any move.
But later on when The Lord exalted David to the highest position as king, he began to take to himself unwarranted liberties, which inevitably led to his downfall, so that he lost respect in his own family and across the nation as a whole. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 12:7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus, saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul.
8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
Patriarchs & Prophets pp 717] It was the spirit of self-confidence and self-exaltation that prepared the way for David’s fall. Flattery and the subtle allurements of power and luxury were not without effect upon him.
According to the customs prevailing among Eastern rulers, crimes not to be tolerated in subjects were un-condemned in the king; the monarch was not under obligation to exercise the same self-restraint as the subject.
All this tended to lessen David’s sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin. And instead of relying in humility upon the power of Jehovah, he began to trust to his own wisdom and might.
As soon as Satan could separate the soul from God, the only Source of strength, he will seek to arouse the unholy desires of man’s carnal nature. The work of the enemy is not abrupt; it is not, at the outset, sudden and startling.
It is a secret undermining of the strongholds of principle. It begins in apparently small things—the neglect to be true to God and to rely upon Him wholly.
The same is true of Solomon, who after a day of bright beginnings, where he prayed, and The Lord answered him by fire, he began to become puffed up in his mind, as if he did not need God anymore.
As the Lord increased material blessings to Solomon he started to chart a proud, self-serving course that was contrary to God’s revealed will; a course that would exalt himself in the sight of the people and in the sight of the surrounding nations.
This he began to do when he started to violate God’s law on marriage, by appropriating hundreds of women, and concubines to himself. In other words, God’s doctrine of one wife per man would not pertain to him anymore, for in his mind, he was above the law.
This has caused some to question God’s goodness in blessing him with so much wealth. Indeed, it is a very sad commentary on our sinful nature, that God has to think twice as it were, before blessing us.
The same was true of King Saul, who at first seemed to be so humble, and willing to be led by God. But when he ascended the throne, he also became puffed up later on, so that the God of heaven could not even speak to him anymore. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 15: 10 Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying,
11 It repents me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night.
17 And Samuel said, when you were little in thine own sight, was thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed you king over Israel?
Therefore, our case study will involve Gideon, whom God chose as the instrument to deliver His people from the Midianites. Like David, like Saul and like Solomon, Gideon started off his mission, pretty humble, with a small view of himself, and being ever so careful to consult with God before making any move.
The following passages show how little Gideon thought of himself, and how the angel of God had to encourage and goad him into the heroic act that would place him in the hall of fame with other Bible heroes. Let’s read:
Judges 6: 11 And there came an angel of the Lord and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.
14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
That was then, but later on, after God gave Gideon one of the most stunning victories over the Midianites, Gideon began to take unwarranted liberties to himself. And since praise of the human agent often tends to destabilize the man, Gideon began to falter.
He would not seek God’s face as previously when he had a diminutive opinion of himself, he would not ask God for any more signs and wonders, so that his steps might be guided with wisdom and discretion, and he goes even further by starting his own church with a form of worship God had never ordained or intended.
That’s the main reason why great men fall, for they often begin their mission in a humble frame of mind, but after God exalts them to positions of prominence, they tend to go out on a limb, and they often do, and say things God never commanded.
Thus, we who live in the 21st century would do well to learn from the errors of those who have gone before, because The Lord is again going to do great things for and through His chosen instruments, but He desires that they begin humble, and end with humility. Won’t that be a cute thing! Let’s read:
Judges 8:22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 And they answered, we will willingly give them. And they spread a garment and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.
27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
Whenever persons lose sight of God, it is just a matter of time before they would take a serious hit from devils, and when the hit occurs it will usually take down many others who placed their trust in man. Thus, the following points would help us to navigate the perils that are incidental to God using any of us in a mighty way.
[1] Pray like you never prayed before, and continue to pray, for doing so demonstrates constant dependence on God for wisdom and direction to execute His will.
Whenever and wherever this mode of thought and action is adopted, those who are anointed by God to do great things will be more likely to be faithful to the end, for if The Lord is diligently sought after in everything, He will be more than willing to guide us through unnumbered snares that are set for the feet of the unwary. Let’s read:
Psalms 32: 8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
[2] Avoid like the plague, the tendency, and the habit of taking praise to yourself from fellow fallen mortals. When persons might shower you with praise, let it be promptly directed to God, and if persons insist on praising you, run for your life.
Satan deals in accusation, as well as in praise, and some world leaders have now discovered that this is the key to getting concessions from anyone who suffers with praise. In fact, if you are the type of person who gets going, after you are praised and flattered by people, it is just a matter of time before you will be praised into doing some stupid things.
Let’s take some examples from the Bible so you would be able to identify it when it occurs, even from people who may be ignorant of what they are doing. This point could not be overstated enough since it is of critical importance to those in high places. In fact, it could be a life and death matter, that’s how serious it is. Let’s read:
Daniel 2: 25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art you able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king.
28 But there is a God in heaven that reveals secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these.
Daniel 5:13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spoke and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?
14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.
15 And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing.
16 And I’ve heard of you that you make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if you can read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
That was very excellent, and noble of Daniel to deflect all praises to God, but there is a flipside to this coin, because if, and when a person suffers with praise, it can cause the person in question to not only make very bad decisions it could cost him his life.
Praise to the human agent has the effect of destabilizing clear thought and if you are not very careful, it will cause you to do things you would never do under different circumstances. In other words, it can discombobulate the man, thus leading him like Humpty-dumpty to take a great fall. Let’s read:
1st Kings 22:6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, thus saith the Lord, with these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-Gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the king's hand.
That was the last battle king Ahab fought, for he was slain because he craved flattery over truth, and anyone who is in a high position of trust, who caves, and melts before praise, will be in danger of making very bad decisions not only for themselves, but also for all those who are under their jurisdiction. Let’s read:
[Christ’s Object Lessons 161] We need to shun everything that will encourage pride and self-sufficiency; therefore, we should beware of giving or receiving flattery or praise. It is Satan’s work to flatter. He deals in flattery as well as in accusing and condemnation. Thus, he seeks to work the ruin of the soul.
Those who give praise to men are used by Satan as his agents. Let the workers for Christ direct every word of praise away from themselves. Let self be put out of sight. Christ alone is to be exalted.
[3] The third and final point is for us to observe if there is any developing tendency in our lives to leave God out of the picture in certain circumstances. Some great men and some lay men fall into the habit of praying selectively, by which God’s guidance is sought for some things, but not for others.
If we form the habit of seeking God in everything, then the likelihood of taking a serious fall goes way down. In the Bible, we are encouraged to seek The Lord in all our ways, and the promise is given, that God will direct our paths in right places. Let’s read:
Proverbs 3:4 So shall you find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It shall be health to your navel, and marrow to your bones.
We therefore end with a passage of Scripture that will encourage us to chart a wise course moving forward. It isn’t necessary for any great man or woman to fall, and it is not God’s will that His servants who are promoted to a place of prominence in society or in the church, become the sport of circumstances.
If we keep God ever before our faces, He will help us to live victoriously, for it is His will that we be kept by His power through faith, through all the vicissitudes of life. Let’s read:
Philippians 4: 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
God Bless!