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power among nations and alter
the course of history. God inter–
venes in weather to fulfill His
prophecies.
"Fire, and hail; snow, and
vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his
word," reveals scripture (Psalm
148:8) .
Meteorologists don' t tell you
that! They don't tell you that
calamitous weather means a na–
tion or people are not being
blessed by God. That disastrous
weather is the result of grievous
national sins and idolatry.
Virtually nonexistent is the
meteorologist who will stand up
and say continuous bad weather is
a warning from God that a people
are not living right and need to
repent. Few understand that ca–
lamitous weather-whatever the
cause-means God has with–
drawn His hand of blessing and
intervention in weather patterns
on their behalf!
Wrong education about the
Bible has blinded the minds of
many to this clear biblical under–
standing. Many ministers or
teachers of the Bible don't believe
or teach such knowledge.
"Biessings Shall Overtake You"
Here is what the Bible reveals!
Fantastic physical and material
promises were made to the 12
tribes of the Old Testament
nation Israel-if they would obey
God. They were chosen to be an
example to the world of the great
blessings that could be poured out
upon
an
obedient nation. These ·
promises would apply to nations
today if they obeyed God's in–
structions, for God is not a
respecter of persons (Acts
10:34).
"And if you obey the voice of
the Lord your God, being careful
to do
al/
bis command–
ments ... the Lord your God will
set you high above all the nations
of the earth . And all these bless–
ings shall come upon you and
overtake you,
if you obey the
voice of the Lord your God"
(Deuteronomy 28:1-2, Revised
Standard Version) .
Deuteronomy, chapter 28, has
a parallel in content and thrust in
Leviticus, chapter 26.
January
1981
Together these two dramatic
chapters of blessings and cursings
show how every human and
national good could be guaran–
teed. They describe precisely, or
in principie, every type of prob–
lem that could curse, plague or
afflict a nation or people- be–
cause of disobedience to God's
laws and statutes.
What wonderful blessings were
promised for obedience: many
and healthy children; strong and
healthy cattle; abundant crops
and food stocks; defeated ene–
mies; prosperity and safety
throughout the land.
Nor are these all the blessings.
In addition to these God prom–
ised: "The Lord will open to you
bis good treasury the heavens, to
give the rain of your land in its
season and to bless all the work of
your hands ..." (Deuteronomy
28:12, RSV).
Note how the blessing of rain
"in its season" would bless
and prosper everything a nation
does!
But these fantastic blessings
were guaranteed only, "if you
obey the commandments of the
Lord your God, which
1
com–
mand you this day,
being careful
todo them.
and if you do not turn
aside from any of the words
which I command you ... to the
right hand or to the left, to go
after other gods to serve them"
(verses 13 and 14).
The Book of Curses
Then, in Deuteronomy 28, God
reveals a jarring list of curses for
disobedience.
"But if you will not obey the
voice of the Lord your God or be
careful to do all bis command–
ments and his statutes .. . then all
these curses shall come upon you
and
overtake
you" (verses
15).
In
other words, they would be ines–
capable!
"Cursed shall you be in the
city; and cursed shall you be in
the field" (verse 16).
Where doesn't ·that apply? Do
you know of any major cities
that are not plagued with crime,
violence, filth, pollution, poverty,
unrest and sickness? Even many
agricultura! areas (reachable by
car from majar metropolitan ar–
eas) are plagued with these
problems-plus drought, soil in–
fertility, poor land and sick
crops.
The curses mentioned in Deu–
teronomy 28 and Leviticus 26 are
not all the result of God's direct
intervention to produce them.
Many curses are the natural con–
sequences of breaking the physi–
cal and spiritual laws set in
motion by the Creator.
But the Bible also reveals there
is a time when God personally
chooses to intervene in the course
of nations to cause specific penal–
ties. His purpose is to punish or
awake nations to their grievous
sins, to warn them to repent.
But if they persist in sin: "The
Lord shall smite you with ... fi–
ery heat, and with drought , and
with blasting [destructive high
winds], and with mildew [exces–
sive moisture and rot] ... . And
the heavens·over your head shall
be brass, and the earth under you
shall be iron. The Lord will make
the rain of your land powder and
dust ..." (Deuteronomy 28:22-
24).
The concluding verses of Deu–
teronomy 28, and its parallel
chapter, Leviticus 26, reveal that
persistence in rebellion and diso–
bedience will lead to total agricul–
tura) and social collapse, and
finally, national captivity by
enemies.
God Does lntervene!
"Whatever was written in former
days was written for our instruc–
tion," we are taught in Romans
15:4,
RSV.
Listen to these remaFkable
prophecies about weather and sin.
They apply to events many are
experiencing today!
"And also I [God] have with–
holden the rain from you, when
there were yet three months to
the harvest: and
1
caused it to rain
upon one city, and caused it not
to rain upon another city; one
piece was rained upon, and the
piece whereupon it rained not
withered. So two or three cities
wandered unto one city, to drink
water; but they were not satisfied;
yet have ye not returned unto me,
37