The Heart of the Matter

I think we're all familiar with the middle portion of this passage, and that is the reference to "good treasure."  The deal is, our definition of good treasure has to align with our Creator's definition.  First He promised to make us plenteous in "goods" which in the Hebrew is a word that is described as "abundance in the wildest sense"  covering everything from products made to personal attributes.  Our culture emphasized money, which truly has no value, while YHWH places emphasis on using our talents He gave us, as well as personal attributes that reflect Him, since we are created in His image.

The next promise is children, which we as a society determined to downsize our procreation.  So, for the most part, we simply turned Him down on that promise.  Most of America determines family size by accident or affordability!  Family planning is based upon things that often simply don't matter, like education, convenience, etc.  The first promise is plenty, so the next promise is covered, but, as a society, we chose otherwise.  Even up to a hundred years ago, if a family consisted of fewer than 5 children, was a pretty small family, usually due to a maternal health issue.  Now, our society views five children as large family.

So, we quit making things and started calling our talents, hobbies, we stopped having large families, and as a society, we stopped our agrarian culture, all to make money and live the American dream!

Those decisions did not change G-d's end of the contract, we just turned down His offer, in lieu of our definition of good treasure.  As it turns out, our definition didn't change His.  It also seems very apparent that His commandments are not about earning salvation, but rather they are about living in this world in covenant with our Creator.

Deuteronomy 28:11-15a
And YHWH shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which YHWH sware unto thy fathers to give thee.  YHWH shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in His season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.  And YHWH shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of YHWH thy Elohim, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.  But it shall come to pass . . .

This is where American Christianity got derailed over twenty years ago, and it's affected the national economy horribly.  We were politically derailed long before that, but when it began to be promoted in the local church, the economic demise was imminent.