WHEN HEAVEN IS LIKE IRON
LEVITICUS 26:1-5, 12-19
Introduction:
When man follows God there are many blessing to be had and enjoyed. However, when man chooses to go his own way and rejects God’s counsel and His ways, man suffers as if the heaven were like iron and the earth was made of brass.
Why not submit to His ways and do His commandments and enjoy His blessing in this life?
I. I WILL BE YOUR GOD
A. I have redeemed you, Psalm 71:23, “My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.”
1. He broke your yoke, and made you walk upright, v. 13, “I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.”
2. That you might serve God uprightly, Psalm 116:16, “O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.”
a. An understanding servant, Psalm 119:125, “I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.”
b. Knowing that HE loosed our bonds of slavery, Psalm 107:14-16, “He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. 15- Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 16- For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.”
B. “I will walk among you,” Deuteronomy 23:14, “For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.”
1. Your camp shall be holy, Ephesians 1:4, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
a. Your family life should be a testimony for Christ, Ephesians 5:21-33.
b. Your personal life should be restricted to fellowship with God’s people, 2 Corinthians 6:14, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
2. That the Lord see no unclean thing and turn away, 2 Corinthians 6:17-18, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18- And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
C. You shall be my people, Ezekiel 11:20, “That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”
1. God is not ashamed to be called their God, Hebrews 11:16, “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”
2. We shall be His people, Romans 9:25, “As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.” [Osee = Hosea]
II. IF YOU WILL NOT HEARKEN UNTO ME
A. If you will not do ALL my commandments, Hebrews 12:25, “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:”
1. To fail in one point is to be guilty of ALL, James 2:10, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
2. We become guilty before God, Romans 3:19, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”
B. If you despise His statutes, Acts 13:41, “Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.”
1. Unbelief is the product of an evil heart, Hebrews 3:12, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”
2. The unfaithful will cast His Word behind their backs, Nehemiah 9:26, “Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.”
C. “I will set my face against you,” Psalm 68:1-2, “Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. 2- As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.”
1. The lost man having rejected God’s Word will flee before the Lord, Psalm 68:1, “Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.”
2. But where shall they go? Psalm 139:7, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?”
3. It is better to trust Him and be glad, James 4:7-8, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8- Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
CONCLUSION
Heaven does not have to be as iron and the earth as brass. Man can have God’s blessing if he will trust the Lord and follow His precepts.
The Psalmist writes in Psalm 64:10, “The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.” There is happiness in the Lord, but it is your choice to make.