111. Live, Multiply, Possess
Deuteronomy 8:1 All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers.
The conditional promise is that you will live, multiply, and possess the land if you observe to do the commandments. The condition is obedience to the Law of God as written in the Ten Commandments. If you live by the stipulations of the covenant on your part then God will give the blessings of the covenant on His part. The reverse is also true: if you do not keep the stipulations then God will bring the curses of the covenant into effect. You either live or die by the Law of God. The Good News: Jesus kept the Law for you, gave you perfect law keeping, and took away your law-breaking disobedience. Therefore, by faith, the promise is yours to claim. Thus, you either live by faith in Jesus or you die in your sins by yourself.
You will live in the land. The promise under the Mosaic Covenant for Israel is that they will live in the Promised Land, work its soil, play in the land, and enjoy the produce of the land from their labor on it. For us, the Land is the Kingdom of God, in which we will live and enjoy the blessings of God’s rich life. Living in the Kingdom becomes richer and fuller day-by-day, and the Kingdom is never taken away.
You will multiply in the land. Not only will you grow and increase your family, your crops, and your livestock, but you will also grow and increase in the knowledge and love of the Lord and His Kingdom Life. The invisible, spiritual life of God in you becomes ever more and more real and alive in your heart.
You will possess the land. God gives you the Kingdom but the promise is that you will also possess it, that is, use it beneficially and enjoy its blessings and ultimately feel better about everything. We possess the land by repentance and faith. We believe the gospel of Christ and the promises of God. We renounce and reject the lies, deceits, and temptations of Sin and Satan. Faith drives out one and possesses the other. Faith comes by hearing the Gospel, hearing through the word of Christ. Possessing the Land means enjoying all the gifts and blessings of the King of the Kingdom. We don’t let anyone deceive us into giving that up.