Deuteronomy 28:15-68 (KJV)
The curse of God first appears in Genesis 2:15–17,
where our Creator promises our first parents that disobedience to His command
will result in their deaths. This curse was actualized in the fall — Adam and
Eve were cast out of abundant life in Eden when they followed the serpent and
not the revealed will of God (chap. 3).
Since
then, all people have been under a curse, and the only way to find blessing is
to turn from sin, trusting in the Lord’s promise of salvation (12:1–3; Gal. 3:10–14). This
truth was revealed to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 28. There God pledges
to bestow blessings upon the nation for its obedience and warns that curses
will follow disobedience. The people would demonstrate their faith through
their obedience and blessings would follow; good works do not earn salvation
for fallen people but demonstrate the trust that lays hold of it (James 2:14–26). Persistent, impenitent disobedience, on
the contrary, would reveal a lack of saving faith and bring curses.
The blessings and curses promised in Deuteronomy 28 are largely "physical"in nature, but not
exclusively so, for both typify spiritual realities. The ultimate covenant
curse is exile (vv. 58–68), and since God’s saving presence was felt
most powerfully during the old covenant within the borders of the Promised
Land, exile was also a spiritual curse, for exile is banishment from the Lord’s
place of blessing.
Our
Lord knew He would not get perfect obedience from Israel, otherwise He would
not have given them sacrifices to atone for their failures. What He expected
was a life of repentance. To receive the ultimate blessings of eternal life in
a new creation typified in Deuteronomy 28, however, perfect obedience is
required (Lev. 18:5; Gal. 3:10-14). No ordinary descendant of Adam can render this
obedience, but we find in Jesus the Christ a sinless substitute whose obedience
allows us to enjoy eternal blessings. Trusting Him alone is the only way to
escape the ultimate exile from God’s saving presence in the new heavens and
earth typified in Deuteronomy 28.
28:15-68 The
best comment on this lengthy series of curses is Paul’s word in Rom. 1:18. "For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of me." The inevitability of these curses would be real
for believers today were it not removed by Jesus who "hath redeemed us
from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." (Gal. 3:13).
28:32 Shall
be given unto another people refers to their children’s
being sold into slavery to a foreign nation. Unfortunately, this came to pass
through Israel’s disobedience. The northern kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria
in 721 B.C.,
and Judah fell to Babylon 587 B.C.
28:58 Moses forthrightly states the purpose of
the Law, that Israel mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD
THY GOD.
In
Christ,
Playwright Janet Irene Thomas
Founder/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre
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