One of modern warfare’s many weapons features a “shield” created by man to destroy bombs and rockets coming down from the enemy. This instrument is commonly called the “IRON DOME.” Such domes have proven to be relatively effective in that only a fraction of the incoming armaments get through it, thereby eliminating most of the damage they are designed to inflict. Man believes that he is the inventor of the IRON DOME. Not so. In Leviticus 26:19 we find the Creator of the universe, speaking through Moses, telling the whole of mankind that He, God, was constructing spiritual iron domes long before man first envisioned his protective shield. Also, God’s implementation of His domes has, not one purpose as does man’s dome, but rather two purposes: 1) to keep man’s prayers from reaching Him, and 2) to keep His blessings from reaching man.

God creates His two-way shield on both an individual and a group basis. On the group level, His shield can affect two people, a region, a nation or the entire earth. He said in Leviticus 26:19: “…. I (GOD) WILL MAKE YOUR HEAVEN AS IRON ….” Note to whom He is speaking and why. By turning to verses 1-13 we learn that God is speaking to His Chosen People–the nation of Israel anciently and the so-called “Christian nations” today. In those verses He tells those who are called by His name, whom He calls His people that IT IS HIS WILL TO BLESS THEM IN EVERY WAY. That answers the “who” question. Now to the “why” question.

God has recued His people from slavery and has given His Law from atop Mount Sinai, has written His Law on stone tablets which were placed in an ark. He has made an oral covenant with Israel in which the Israelites need only to obey His Law, summarized in Ten Commandments, in order to receive from Him all of the promises made in the first 13 verses. The covenant was simple, easily understood and its commands easily obeyed, IF, that is, the people chose to obey it. Considering what He was offering and the positive and pleasant rules of engagement, who would not want to obey His commandments?

The answer: almost everyone who heard it then and has read it since. The question is, why? The answer is: man always has a better, more user-friendly way to “obey God.” The Proverbist explains why God’s right way is almost always rejected by those who want to receive His promised blessings, including salvation: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes.” “There is a way that seems right to a (foolish) man, but that way leads to destruction” (Prov. 12:15; 16:25). Also, there is a power that entices man to be foolish and to create his own, far better path to what he believes to be his salvation. That power is Satan, who following his success in Eden, has controlled the salvation-seeking masses ever since. Recall that he offered Adam and Eve a “better way” that would result in the same rewards. They could determine for themselves right and wrong and “not surely die.” As Jesus warned, few would embrace His way and walk it. The foolish religious masses, He warned, would embrace Satan’s way and walk it, all the while believing that they were walking with God. Revelation 12:9 Jesus sums up the situation: “Satan has deceived the whole world,” including the church world, proving the Proverbist right.

So why is God, who wants to bless His people (Israel anciently–Christians now), threatening to curse them in every possible way? The answer is found in Leviticus 26:3 where He says to salvation seekers: “IF you will walk in (obey) My statutes and keep My (ten) commandments (Law) and do them, THEN I will ….” In the following ten verses He tells His church (ekklesia–congregation in the wilderness–Acts 7:38) then and His church now (Gal. 6:16–“the Israel of God”) what He will do FOR them–He will bless them in every possible way. Obviously, He wanted to bless them then and us now, otherwise He would not have proposed such a covenant. No one asked Him to offer that wonderful covenant. It was totally His decision. A covenant is a two-way agreement in which both participants have parts to play. If either participant fails to fulfill his/her part, the covenant is nullified. The particulars within God’s covenant with Israel then and His church now are found in what I call His “fine print.” This ministry is focused on church people and features Biblical “fine print” that they must believe and obey in order to receive the promises of God, including Salvation.

Now let us turn to verses 14 and 15 where God warns His people (then and now) what He will do TO them IF they “… will not listen to Me and will not do all these commandments. If you despise My statutes and abhor My judgments and refuse to obey all of My commandments so that you BREAK MY COVENANT (that He made with them at Mount Sinai), I will do this TO you ….” In the following 30 verses the Lord tells ancient Israel and the modern day Laodicean church how He will curse them. An honest look at Western Society, specifically America, today reveals that much of what He promised to do TO disobedient people is taking place to both the church and the nations, particularly America. And we are now experiencing only the “beginning of sorrows” (Mat. 24:8).

One of the curses with which God will afflict sinners is found in verse 19 where He warns that He will MAKE CHURCH SINNERS LIKE IRON. Sound does not penetrate iron. He is warning us, then and now, that no matter how much we pray, go to church, study His Bible, etc., HE WILL NOT HEAR OUR PRAYERS IF WE DO NOT OBEY HIS LAW. We are told in Second Chronicles 7:14 that He punishes us (for disobedience–vs 13), but IF we will humble ourselves, pray, seek HIS face and TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS (DISOBEDIENCE TO HIS LAW), THEN (AND ONLY THEN) HE WILL HEAR OUR PRAYERS. Note the all-powerful, universally-hated “IF” Word upon which the outcome of our prayers is determined is featured in verses 3 and 14. All of God’s promised blessings and cursings are predicated upon our response to His “IF” condition. He only answers the prayers He hears.

I compare the Lord’s “fine print” relative to a promised blessing to the combination to a safe filled with treasures. We could have such a safe in our possession (the “headline”). However, without the CORRECT COMBINATION, we can starve to death while reading the combination (His “fine print”). There are numerous combinations (church doctrines) that can be tried. But only one combination works–the one Who offers us the safe and its contents. The safe and its contents (promises) are what I call God’s “headlines” (promises). The combination (instructions for opening) is His “fine print”–His ‘”IF” condition. The Holy Scriptures contain more than 500 “IFs.” In each case the Word determines whether something happens or does not happen. If the “IF” condition is not fulfilled, the promise will not be fulfilled. No amount of religiosity will change that rule. As with the safe and its combination, the “fine print” must be obeyed PERFECTLY in order for promise to be fulfilled.

Those who are called God’s people must understand, believe and be actively involved in fulfilling the “fine print” conditions established by the One making the promises. If we view His promises as gold, then the following “Golden Rule” applies: “HE WHO OWNS THE GOLD MAKES THE RULE.” The vast majority of church prayers go unanswered because they cannot penetrate the spiritual iron dome that God has placed over church people as well as the nations that host them. The dome is the result of sin–the breaking of God’s Law (1 Jn. 3:4).

Fools reject God’s hard-to-accept rule involving the receiving of God’s promises. In order to receive them we must obey His rules throughout our post-conversion lives. Read The Process of Salvation. Key word–Process. Also read Who Are God’s People? and “My People Who are Called by My Name.” Key words–People and Called respectively. L.J.