If you learn this verse, then you will be blessed. It’s long. But it’s worth it.
Memorize this week
“If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.”
Deuteronomy 30:16 (ESV)
If . . . Then
If you panic, by seeing how many words are in this verse, by thinking you’ll never memorize it, by questioning why you’re doing this anyway, then you will get discouraged and stop trying and eventually quit.
But that is the opposite of this verse.
Instead of being a negative if/then statement, Deuteronomy 30:16 is a positive if/then statement.
Deuteronomy 30:16 assures us that God is active, that God is good, and that God wants to bless us.
Despite its length and wordiness, we CAN memorize even this verse. Don’t worry about getting it word-perfect this week. The details will come in time as you add on the remaining 4 verses in upcoming weeks (yes, that’s all we have left!).
For now, learn it enough to be life-giving, not life-draining.
Deuteronomy 30:15 set up the choice for us (choose life and good or death and evil). Deuteronomy 30:16 now begins explaining the answers.
Let’s break it down. By chunking it, we can do this.
Think in 3’s.
1. If
For the IF section, there are 3 “by”s. They explain how to obey.
“If you obey…, by loving…, by walking…, and by keeping…”
- by loving
- by walking
- by keeping
Under the last one, “keeping,” there are 3 things:
“…and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules…”
- his commandments
- his statues
- his rules
2. Then
For the THEN section, see 3 good results of obedience:
“…then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you…”
Deuteronomy 30:16 (ESV)
- live
- multiply
- bless
Under the last one, “bless,” there are 3 phrases:
“…will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.”
- in the land
- you are entering
- take possession of it
3. “The LORD your God”
Also, you’ll see “the LORD your God” 3 times.
“…obey the commandments of the LORD your God…, loving the LORD your God, …and the LORD your God will bless you…”
- the commandments of “the LORD your God”
- by loving “the LORD your God”
- and “the LORD your God” will bless
If seeing these chunks helps you, use them. If not, use what works best for you.
God Will Bless You
Lastly, whether you memorize any of these words or not, remember this:
God doesn’t promise us a problem-free life if we follow Him, but He does promise us a blessed one.
Our blessings may differ in details, but we can trust they are for our good and His glory.
Download this week’s study guide here
Please share your thoughts here.
SO helpful!
Good! I’ve been working with this verse for a week already to see what would help me. :) It was hard at first, but once I got the patterns down, it’s been coming much easier.