Signs of Favor

Scripture: Deuteronomy 7:13

"He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock, in [fn] the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you.

Background:
Moses in this chapter exhorts Israel, I. In general, to keep God’s commandments (v. 11, 12). II. In particular, and in order to that, to keep themselves pure from all communion with idolaters. 1. They must utterly destroy the seven devoted nations, and not spare them, or make leagues with them (v. 1, 2, 16, 24). 2. They must by no means marry with the remainders of them (v. 3, 4). 3. They must deface and consume their altars and images, and not so much as take the silver and gold of them to their own use (v. 5, 25, 26). To enforce this charge, he shows that they were bound to do so, (1.) In duty. Considering [1.] Their election to God (v. 6). [2.] The reason of that election (v. 7, 8). [3.] The terms they stood upon with God (v. 9, 10). (2.) In interest. It is here promised, [1.] In general, that, if they would serve God, he would bless and prosper them (v. 12–15). [2.] In particular, that if they would drive out the nations, that they might not be a temptation to them, God would drive them out, that they should not be any vexation to them (v. 17, etc.).


Commentary:
1. That, if they would sincerely endeavour to do their part of the covenant, God would certainly perform his part. He shall keep the mercy which he swore to thy fathers, v. 12. Let us be constant in our duty, and we cannot question the constancy of God’s mercy (Henry, 1996).

2. That if they would love God and serve him, and devote themselves and theirs to him, he would love them, and bless them, and multiply them greatly, v. 13, 14. What could they desire more to make them happy? (1.) "He will love thee.’’ He began in love to us (1 Jn. 4:10), and, if we return his love in filial duty, then, and then only, we may expect the continuance of it, Jn. 14:21. (2.) "He will bless thee with the tokens of his love above all people.’’ If they would distinguish themselves from their neighbours by singular services, God would dignify them above their neighbours by singular blessings. (3.) "He will multiply thee.’’ Increase was the ancient blessing for the peopling of the world, once and again (Gen. 1:28; 9:1), and here for the peopling of Canaan, that little world by itself. The increase both of their families and of their stock is promised: they should neither have estates without heirs nor heirs without estates, but should have the complete satisfaction of having many children and plentiful provisions and portions for them (Henry, 1996).

3. That, if they would keep themselves pure from the idolatries of Egypt, God would keep them clear form the diseases of Egypt, v. 15. It seems to refer not only to those plagues of Egypt by the force of which they were delivered, but to some other epidemical country disease (as we call it), which they remembered the prevalency of among the Egyptians, and by which God had chastised them for their national sins. Diseases are God’s servants; they go where he sends them, and do what he bids them. It is therefore good for the health of our bodies to mortify the sin of our souls (Henry, 1996).

Reflection:
God is love, and He extends his love to us, and His favor; when we totally and utterly depend on Him to be who He says that He is. When we are obedient to the Lord of lords and the King of kings, He blesses our lives with signs of favor. Everything that we put our hands to do, will be blessed. Our waking up, and our laying down will be blessed. The fruit of our womb, which includes our mental faculties; 'our ability to think, and to create,' will be blessed above measure. The love of God is expressed to us through the blessings that He gives to us; to show us that we are indeed in line with His will. Let us remember the Lord our God, for it is He that giveth us power to get wealth.

Strong's Concordance Definition: Deuteronomy 7:13

and He will love: 157
1) to love
a) (Qal)
1) human love for another, includes family, and sexual
2) human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom
3) human love for or to God
4) act of being a friend
a) lover (participle)
b) friend (participle)
5) God's love toward man
a) to individual men
b) to people Israel
c) to righteousness
b) (Niphal)
1) lovely (participle)
2) loveable (participle)
c) (Piel)
1) friends
2) lovers (fig. of adulterers)
2) to like


thee, and bless: 1288
1) to bless, kneel

a) (Qal)
1) to kneel
2) to bless
b) (Niphal) to be blessed, bless oneself
c) (Piel) to bless
d) (Pual) to be blessed, be adored
e) (Hiphil) to cause to kneel
f) (Hithpael) to bless oneself
2) (TWOT) to praise, salute, curse

thee, and multiply: 7235
1) be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous

a) (Qal)
1) to become many, become numerous, multiply (of people, animals, things)
2) to be or grow great
b) (Piel) to make large, enlarge, increase, become many
c) (Hiphil)
1) to make much, make many, have many
a) to multiply, increase
b) to make much to do, do much in respect of, transgress greatly
c) to increase greatly or exceedingly
2) to make great, enlarge, do much
2) (Qal) to shoot

the fruit: 6529
1) fruit

a) fruit, produce (of the ground)
b) fruit, offspring, children, progeny (of the womb)
c) fruit (of actions) (fig.)

of they womb: 6990
1) belly, womb, body
a) belly, abdomen
1) as seat of hunger
2) as seat of mental faculties
3) of depth of Sheol (fig.)
b) womb

of they land: 127
1) ground, land

a) ground (as general, tilled, yielding sustenance)
b) piece of ground, a specific plot of land
c) earth substance (for building or constructing)
d) ground as earth's visible surface
e) land, territory, country
f) whole inhabited earth
g) city in Naphtali

to give thee: 5414
1) to give, put, set

a) (Qal)
1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend
2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate
3) to make, constitute
b) (Niphal)
1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned
2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted
c) (Hophal)
1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up
2) to be put upon

References:
Blue Letter Bible. "Book of Deuteronomy 7 - (NASB - New American Standard Bible)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 9 Mar 2010. < http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Deu&c=7&t=NASB >

Henry, Matthew. "Commentary on Deuteronomy 7." . Blue Letter Bible. 1 Mar 1996. 2010. 9 Mar 2010.
http:// www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?
AuthorID=4&contentID=791&commInfo=5&topic=Deuteronomy&

Higgigns, S. (2010) Signs of Favor. Devotions for Thought. Higgins Publishing. Http://www.devotionsforthought.blogspot.com, Http://www.higginspublishing.com