Deu 6:10-11 | KingComments | STEP | After the previous conditions, the land opens up to us, as it were. Here is the first time out of three times in this chapter which talks about entering the land; and every time it is added that God has sworn it ( ). When God affirms His own words with an oath, He does so to meet us in our weakness and thereby provide additional confirmation of His promise ( ). The oath makes it clear that no matter what happens, God will give His people the land and thereby give them the full enjoyment of its blessing. The foundation is the work of Christ. If God has sworn like this, why should we still doubt? We always find an oath of God under special circumstances. God swears on four occasions, each time in connection with the land: 1. God promises to Abraham on the basis of the sacrifice of the son of the promise a rich seed in the land of the promise and in his seed a blessing to the whole world ( ). 2. If the people apostates from God, He swears that the people will not enter the promised land ( ). 3. If the people are unfaithful, God will fulfill His promises in the Man of His right hand ( ). 4. If Christ reigns in the land, every knee will bow before Him, and the repented remnant of His people, who will then be all Israel because all the wicked are cut off, will be in the land ( ). The blessings are ready for us, there is nothing of us in it, God has prepared them. Present in the land, in the first place, are “great and splendid cities”. The church is compared to a city ( ). Cities can be seen as a picture of local churches, as representations of one church. The cities here find themselves in the land. It proposes local churches that have their permanent foundation in the land, where they live in the riches of the heavenly blessing. Secondly, there are “houses, full of all good things”. A city consists of houses. A church consists of families. In the letters that especially speak about the heavenly blessings –the letter to the Ephesians and the letter to the Colossians –, Paul also explicitly discusses the family ( ; ). That is the place where the riches of Christ are shared with each other. Thirdly, the “hewn cisterns”. These are water basins where the water is collected and from which it can be drawn. It represents ministry through the Lord’s gifts to perfect the saints ( ). Fourthly, we find in the land the “vineyards and olive trees”. The vineyards show us that the land is an area of joy. Wine is a picture of joy ( ; ). Fellowship with the Father and the Son and with each other gives a “joy” that is “complete” ( ). The olive trees represent the rich fruit and blessing of the Spirit ( ). Oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit ( ; ). In between it is pointed out time and again that God’s people did nothing for these blessings. By free grace God has given them His people. So it is with our heavenly blessings. There is no contribution from us. We have received them out of free favor on the basis of the work of the Lord Jesus, only because God has had it in His heart to give them to us. Three times we are reminded that we were slaves of sin, but God has delivered us from it ( ).

‏ Deuteronomy 6:10-11

The Blessing of the Land

After the previous conditions, the land opens up to us, as it were. Here is the first time out of three times in this chapter which talks about entering the land; and every time it is added that God has sworn it (Deu 6:10 ; 18 ; 23). When God affirms His own words with an oath, He does so to meet us in our weakness and thereby provide additional confirmation of His promise (Heb 6:17-18). The oath makes it clear that no matter what happens, God will give His people the land and thereby give them the full enjoyment of its blessing. The foundation is the work of Christ. If God has sworn like this, why should we still doubt?

We always find an oath of God under special circumstances. God swears on four occasions, each time in connection with the land:

1. God promises to Abraham on the basis of the sacrifice of the son of the promise a rich seed in the land of the promise and in his seed a blessing to the whole world (Gen 22:16-18).

2. If the people apostates from God, He swears that the people will not enter the promised land (Psa 95:11).

3. If the people are unfaithful, God will fulfill His promises in the Man of His right hand (Psa 110:1 ; 4).

4. If Christ reigns in the land, every knee will bow before Him, and the repented remnant of His people, who will then be all Israel because all the wicked are cut off, will be in the land (Isa 45:23).

The blessings are ready for us, there is nothing of us in it, God has prepared them. Present in the land, in the first place, are “great and splendid cities”. The church is compared to a city (Rev 21:2 ; 10). Cities can be seen as a picture of local churches, as representations of one church. The cities here find themselves in the land. It proposes local churches that have their permanent foundation in the land, where they live in the riches of the heavenly blessing.

Secondly, there are “houses, full of all good things”. A city consists of houses. A church consists of families. In the letters that especially speak about the heavenly blessings –the letter to the Ephesians and the letter to the Colossians –, Paul also explicitly discusses the family (Eph 5:22-33 ; Eph 6:1-4; Col 3:18-22). That is the place where the riches of Christ are shared with each other.

Thirdly, the “hewn cisterns”. These are water basins where the water is collected and from which it can be drawn. It represents ministry through the Lord’s gifts to perfect the saints (Eph 4:11-13).

Fourthly, we find in the land the “vineyards and olive trees”. The vineyards show us that the land is an area of joy. Wine is a picture of joy (Jdg 9:13; Psa 104:15a). Fellowship with the Father and the Son and with each other gives a “joy” that is “complete” (1Jn 1:3-4). The olive trees represent the rich fruit and blessing of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). Oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit (1Jn 2:20; 1Jn 2:27).

In between it is pointed out time and again that God’s people did nothing for these blessings. By free grace God has given them His people. So it is with our heavenly blessings. There is no contribution from us. We have received them out of free favor on the basis of the work of the Lord Jesus, only because God has had it in His heart to give them to us. Three times we are reminded that we were slaves of sin, but God has delivered us from it (Deu 6:12 ; 21 ; 23).