The Blessings of Obedience -Jeremiah 31:5

Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.

Jeremiah 31:5 (NIV)

“Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit.”

Jeremiah 31:5 (MSG)

“You’ll go back to your old work of planting vineyards on the Samaritan hillsides, and sit back and enjoy the fruit—oh, how you’ll enjoy those harvests!”

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“Again you will plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters will plant and enjoy the [abundant] fruit [in peace].” -AMPLIFIED

“God’s people shall get to work again; and they shall have the fruit of their toil, and shall rejoice before God because they do not labour in vain nor spend their strength for nought.” ~Charles Spurgeon

Yesterday we were reminded that God is The Builder, and often He has to rebuild us too, just as He had to rebuild Israel. When He does rebuild, it is a time for joy and gladness. We tend to not view His rebuilding in our lives that way, but we are told it should be a time of celebration, because victory has finally arrived. God’s Message:

“Again I will build you so that you will be rebuilt, Virgin Israel. You will take up your tambourines again
and go out in joyful dancing.” -Jeremiah 31:4 (CSB)

The Lord continues to declare what life will be like in the latter days for Israel. He focuses now on the planting of the vineyards and the crops. He conveys to them that His blessings and joy will return once they are obedient to Him. God’s Message:

“You will again plant vineyards on the hillsides of Samaria; your farmers will plant them, and you will enjoy the fruit yourselves.” -(VOICE)

Because of her rebellious spirit against the Lord, Samaria, the capital of Israel, the Northern Kingdom, was conquered in 722-721 B.C. Part of the curse for disobedience towards the Lord was that her crops would be affected by heat and drought, blight and mildew. We can find this in Deuteronomy 28:

“The Eternal will strike you with plague—consumption and fever and inflammation—in the land where you’re going to live, and it will never leave until none of you are left alive there. He’ll afflict your land with heat and drought; He’ll afflict your crops with blight and mildew. All of these things will keep coming after you until you’re destroyed! ” -Deuteronomy 28:21-211 (VOICE)

A few verses further down we also find this detail:

“You’ll plant a vineyard but never enjoy its fruit.” -Deuteronomy 28:30c (VOICE)

But…God tells Israel that in the latter days, they will once again plant their vineyards on the hillside and their crops in the fields and will finally be able to enjoy them personally.

NOTE: There is deeper significance to this Message than first meets the eye. The people would go home and settle in, plant their crops, and wait patiently, in obedience, to the Lord. The Lord’s blessings would return to them, but those blessings hinged on their obedience. Consider what the Lord’s expectation would be from them:

“When you go into the land and plant fruit-bearing trees, you are not to eat the fruit right away. It’s off-limits for three years. When the fourth year arrives, all the fruit of those trees must be regarded as sacred, a praise offering to Me. When the fifth year arrives, you are finally allowed to eat the fruits of those trees. If you demonstrate your faith by following this procedure, these trees will be even more productive. I am the Eternal One, your God.” -Leviticus 19:23-25 (VOICE)

“By the law of Moses no man was permitted to eat of the fruit of his vineyard till the fifth year after planting. For the first three years it was considered uncircumcised, unclean, not fit to be eaten; in the fourth year it was holy to the Lord, the fruit belonged to Him; in the fifth year he might use it for himself. But in the time here mentioned the fruit should be considered common-lawful at all times to be eaten.” ~Adam Clark

The key would be their obedience to the Lord. And this Message conveys that the Israelites lives would return to normalcy by obeying the Lord. In their obedience to Him, the people of Israel would enjoy the fruit of their labor once again.

Take note, the Lord predicts that Israel will be obedient to Him in the latter days. And once again, His blessings will be poured out on them.

“Again you will plant your vineyards upon the mountains of Samaria and eat from your own gardens there.” -(TLB)

“They would return to Samaria and resume their agricultural pursuits, which the Lord, not Baal, would bless with fertility.” ~Thomas Constable

The Bible is very clear, obedience leads to blessing from the Lord. And this lesson is given to us more than once. Make note:

• “If you walk in My decrees and keep My commandments in your daily lives, I will grant you plenty of rain in the seasons when you need it, and your land will produce abundant crops and your trees will be filled with fruit. Your grain threshing will last until the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest will continue until it is time to plant again. You will fill your bellies with food and feel secure as you live in the land. I will see to it that you have peace in your land. You will be able to go to bed at night without a worry on your mind. I will take away the dangerous animals that roam your land, and no armies will invade your land.  When you go after your enemies, they will fall by your sword. Five of you will go after 100 of your enemies, and 100 of you will cause 10,000 to flee. I will grant you My favor, and you will be fruitful, multiply, and have many healthy children, and I will continue to honor My covenant with you. You will have so much surplus food from year to year that you will have to make room for the new harvest when it comes in.” -Leviticus 26:3-10 (VOICE)

“Obedience is something our old nature recoils at. Let’s face it our flesh likes to be satisfied and not take orders, especially biblical commandments. But the more I read and study my Bible the more I realize that obedience is the pathway to blessings. Obeying God’s Word, while not always easy, is the best investment you can make with your time, your talent, and your treasury.” ~Curt Blattman

• “If you listen obediently to the Voice of God, your God, and heartily obey all his commandments that I command you today, God, your God, will place you on high, high above all the nations of the world. All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you because you have responded to the Voice of God, your God: God’s blessing inside the city, God’s blessing in the country; God’s blessing on your children, the crops of your land, the young of your livestock, the calves of your herds, the lambs of your flocks, God’s blessing on your basket and bread bowl; God’s blessing in your coming in, God’s blessing in your going out.” -Deuteronomy 28:1-6 (MSG)

• “Come, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are scarlet, they will be as white as snow;
  though they are crimson red, they will be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” -Isaiah 1:18-20 (CSB)

• “The Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says: I am the Lord your God, who punishes you for your own good and leads you along the paths that you should follow. Oh, that you had listened to my laws! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river, and great waves of righteousness. Then you would have become as numerous as the sands along the seashores of the world, too many to count, and there would have been no need for your destruction.” -Isaiah 48:17-19 (TLB)

• “But the truly happy person is the one who carefully studies God’s perfect law that makes people free. He continues to study it. He listens to God’s teaching and does not forget what he heard. Then he obeys what God’s teaching says. When he does this, it makes him happy.” -James 1:15 (ICB)

• “So, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on bedrock. The rain fell, the rivers flooded, the winds blew and beat against that house, but it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the rivers flooded, the wind blew and beat against that house, and it collapsed — and its collapse was horrendous!” -Matthew 7:24-27 (Complete Jewish Bible)

“If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments.” ~Jesus (John 14:15 AMP)

My friend, the key to receiving God’s blessings is obedience to Him. Scripture tells this over and over again. So, if you feel like you have been missing out on God’s blessings, it may be time to sit quietly in His presence and do a heart check. Confess any sins that you find in your life. Allow God to speak to you and reveal to you changes that you need to make in your life. Then, step out in obedience and do them.

“Blessed (happy and to be envied) rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey and practice it!” ~Jesus (Luke 11:28 AMPC)

My Prayer:

Adonai Elohim, my Great Lord, I am reminded that you expect obedience from your children. In fact, your Word teaches me that Your blessings are the fruit, the reward, of my obedience to you. So, Lord, teach me to be quick to obey you. Help me to continually walk in obedience to you, questioning not your directives, but instead choosing to walk in them. To do so is an expression of my love to you, and I want you to know how much I do love you. I am so thankful for you, Lord, may be obedience to you show you this.