In the previous postings we learned WHY God is expressing His extreme displeasure in the form of curses in the final days of this age. We will now determine “WHO” He was addressing in the two distinct segments into which He divided the focal chapter. In a word, the answer to who, is “YOU.” In that ultimately important chapter we find Him, speaking through the prophet, using the Words “YOU” and “YOURS” approximately 200 times in 68 verses. Therefore, it is essential that we know who “YOU” was then and who “YOU” is now. First, some important background work is in order. for the sake of those who believe that the Old Testament has no relevance in the New Testament Church.

That the church systems in the so-called “Christian nations” of the world are made up primarily of Israelites is proven in the series titled Who and Where is Israel Today? Key word–Today? Read that series. Now we will look at a few New Testament Scriptures that prove that the ancient Israelites were the biological and spiritual ancestors of many, if not most of those in the New Testament Church. Having written much about these passages in the past, I will simply remind the reader of their content. It is especially important that we understand that God views the Old Testament equally as important as the New Testiment relative to our Christian “walk.” The following passages will bear this out.

“All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Tim. 3:14-16). The Apostle Paul was referring to the Old Testament which the apostles used in teaching the New Testament Church because the New Testament did not exist at that time and would not exist for another generation. In Second Timothy 2:15 Paul told Timothy to “Study to show yourself approved of God.” Timothy was instructed to study the Scriptures his grandmother Lois had studied long before the New Testament Church was founded. These would be the only Scriptures in existence during Timothy’s life–the Old Testament. Paul told his disciples to “Prove all things” by the Scriptures. They had only the Old Testament Scriptures (1 Thes. 5:21) by which they could prove that what they were saying and writing was of God.

Jesus tells us to prove our love for Him by keeping His (Old Testament) commandments. He stated that in order to keep ourselves in His l(Christ’s) love we must obey God’s Law, just as He (Jesus) had to obey the Scriptures (Law) in order to keep Himself in God’s love (Jn. 14:15,23; 15:10/ 1 Jn. 2:5).

Paul noted that the Bareans were more noble than some other people he had taught because they “searched the (Old Testament) Scriptures to see if what he was teaching them was true. Paul, as well as all the other apostles, taught out of the only Scriptures available at that time–the Old Testament.

The New Testament Church was “founded on (the teachings of) the prophets and the apostles” (Eph. 2:20). The Old Testament was preserved to be used as God’s teaching tool for the New Testament Church (1 Cor. 10:11). We must live by every Word spoken by God (Matt. 4:4). The Law is holy, just and good (Rom. 7:12). Man will be judged by every Word Jesus spoke. The Words He spoke were given to Him by God (Jn. 12:48-50). Sin is the transgression of the Law (1 Jn. 3:4). Conversely, obedience to the Law (commandments) creates righteousness in the obedient one. The absence of sin is righteousness, for which we are commanded to hunger and thirst (Mat. 5:6). We must be doers of the Law and not hearers only, thereby deceiving ourselves (Jam. 1:22). The New Testament Church is “the Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16).

The aforementioned Scriptures show beyond a doubt that the Word “you” in Deuteronomy 28 refers to all who claim to be God’s people. These are the people who own and read His Holy Bible, who attend church services, who wear crosses, fish symbols, etc. In other words–the church. Read “My People Who are Called by My Name.” Key word–Called.

I learned early on following my call to God’s ministry that the church had rejected Him and His teachings and had embraced the “god of this world–Satan–who provided teachings more to her liking (2 Cor. 4:4). I noted that many claimed the promises of verses 1-14 of Deuteronomy 28 because, being supposedly “saved,” the promises would automatically come to fruition because they were all “saved.” If the promise did not materialize (99.99% of the time), it was always because God did not want them to have the fruit of the promise, even though He said He did. When their requests of God to fulfill His promises went unfulfilled, they simply shrugged and tried again. They never considered the fact that the word “you” (46 times) in the first 14 verses did not refer to them. Being workers of iniquity, they were automatically disqualified for having broken the 4th commandment of God’s Law. They failed realize that the brass dome God had placed over their heads (vs 23) prevented Him from hearing their prayers. They refused to believe that 160 or so times “you” was used in the other 54 verses referred to them.

Over the decades since my call to the ministry I have had personal dealings with several different types of religious people. Only when dealing with isolated individuals have I found people who believed that the word “you” meant them in every case. Only a minutely few people realized that the promise of blessings in this life and salvation in the next life are dependent upon the believer’s obedience to God’s Law. Satan’s “only believe and repent” is still the most popular mantra among church people.

Amazingly, though God continues to pour out His wrath on the churched and the non-churched alike, and in the same measure, and to the same end, the who is “YOU” lesson remains unlearned. L.J.