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See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse --\u201d (Deuteronomy 11:26).

Let\u2019s get back to Deuteronomy. The Bible does not speak with politically correct language and so, without some reflection and context our text is easily misunderstood. Mind you, Christians should be considerate with their language and make every effort not to cause offense. So, what does God mean when he says to Israel, See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse --?

Chapter 11 opens with \u201cLove the Lord your God. Do what he requires. Always obey his rules, laws and commands\u201d. This is immediately followed by a reminder to all the adults that their children were not the ones who saw everything God had done to take Israel out of Egypt and lead them through the desert. This younger generation did not see the majesty of God on Mount Sinai, nor his power in defeating the Egyptian military strength.

Since there is a memory and knowledge deficit among the young, those who can recall the things God did must tell the stories. Story telling in Israel was a vital component of religious life. Without the stories, the call to love God and obey his commands comes in a vacuum. While Israel\u2019s history is being told, the adults can communicate how precious their covenant with God is. They can talk about all that God has done and convey how grateful they are for the life God has given them.

Israel does not love God and obey his commandments just because. God never offers, \u201cbecause I said so\u201d as a reason for covenant faithfulness. Rather, God always points back to everything he has done. It would be the height of ingratitude for Israel to shrug her shoulders and say, \u201cso what? What\u2019s the big deal?\u201d Of course, this is what she often would do in generations to come.

Here, God reminds Israel that he brought her to the Promised Land not to enslave her but to set her free. In Egypt, she had nothing. Her new home was a land of flourishing, of plenty and God wanted her to enjoy it and prosper. An essential ingredient to that prosperity was Israel\u2019s response of love and obedience to God. If Israel loves and obeys God, he will bless her and see to it that she will flourish. If, on the other hand, she choses disobedience and disloyalty than she will be enslaved by other nations, that was the curse.

God always acts first and then calls for our thankful response.

Israel\u2019s story stands as a parallel for our own. Our Egypt is our enslavement to sin and judgement. Jesus is our Moses. But as the writer of Hebrews argues, Jesus is much greater than Moses, because he offered himself as the Passover lamb. In his death he forgives our sins, and, in his resurrection, he conquers the power of sin and death. Our love for God also has context.

If we want to continue the parallel with Israel, then we need to understand that we are still waiting to enter our promised land. Until Jesus returns to establish the new heavens and earth, we live in the wilderness between Egypt and Canaan. This is the time to respond to him in love and obedience for all he has done for us. It is the time to tell the stories of God\u2019s great works of redemption. But what stories are we telling? What is the context? Do we obey God out of fear of judgement or out of loving gratitude for his redemption? Our children can tell us the answer.