94. Be Well and Live Long
Deuteronomy 4:40 Thou shalt keep therefore his statures, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with the children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, for ever.
Here is the classic conditional promise of the Law. If you keep the commandments, then it will be well with you and you will prolong your life. Simply put, anyone who loves God and neighbor will live a long and happy life. There are consequences for good, upright moral behavior, good consequences that make life happy, meaningful, worthwhile, peaceful and satisfying. Living according to the basic Moral Law will cause happiness and wellbeing and the consequent result of a long life. Health and wealth are not included in the promises of God, but to some general degree people who keep the Ten Commandments will be happy and prosperous during their earthly life.
This conditional promise is both obvious and hidden. Murder obviously does not produce a long and healthy life, obviously for the victim but also in a hidden way for the perpetrator. There are many good deeds and righteous acts we do according to the Commandments of God that have a direct and indirect benefit on our souls and bodies for a long and happy life. We don’t usually see the results of obedience on our bodily and mental health, and we can’t make the connection between my obedience or disobedience and the consequences of my good behavior or my sins upon my life and living. Therefore, God tells us in His Word that this is true. There is a direct connection, a cause and effect relationship, between keeping the Law and living well. We need to believe God’s Word in order to see it.
Of course, all sinners fail in keeping the Law perfectly; therefore, all sinners suffer in a life that does not always go so very well, and so often die too early. That is why we live in the mess we are in, too many sins in and around us. If we could all only live perfectly loving lives we would be living in a heaven on earth, a utopian paradise. And Some Day it will be so in the heavenly paradise.
The bottom line: if you want to live a better and longer life, be perfect according to God’s Law. The line below the bottom life: repent of sin and failure and believe the Gospel. Faithfully hear the Gospel and change for the better will gradually come about. Believe in Jesus who lived a perfectly obedient life for you.