Deuteronomy 28: Blessings and Curses

 Deuteronomy 28

Blessings at Gerizim Because of Obedience

Verses 1-14

Consequences of Disobedience

Verses 15-68

We find it uncomfortable to read the majority of verses in chapter 28 because of the many curses that God pours out in His anger against His people because when they enter the land of promise and they will become disobedient and forget the Lord their God, then the series of curses will be afflicted against them.

There are promises or blessings in verses 1 to 14, if the people will diligently obey the Lord and be careful to do All His commandments. But consequences because of disobedience from verses 15 to 68. It is worth to note that the majority of the verses in this chapter consists of God speaking curses to be afflicted to His people for their disobedience. 14 verses of blessings vs. 54 verses of curses or consequences of disobedience. God has reminded His people about the severity of being disobedient. In verse 61, God does remind His people that not every sickness and plague are written in the book of law, but those He will still bring about.

That is how God is so protective for His people so that by reading the book of the law, they will be reminded of the dreadful consequences beyond imagination if they forgot the Lord their God.

It is in God’s infinite wisdom that His people will eventually disobey, because the people will no longer be reminded in the book of the law. 

Why? 

His people will begin to stop reading and knowing the Lord through the laws and statues that the Lord has written through Moses and then the prophets. Because of this ignorance, the people will create barriers between them and the Lord. Their hearts will turn away because of the lack of fear of God. Their love for their neighbors, for the alien among them, for the orphan and the widow will grow cold and their leaders and kings will start to oppress their own people. More importantly, God reminded the Israelites of the severity of sin and wickedness. That when they forget the Lord their God, they will turn to the detestable things that the Canaanites are doing: namely, child sacrifices, idolatry and polytheism, ritual prostitution, divination, sorcery, and occult practices, rampant sexual immorality, violence and cruelty. All these things are abomination to the Lord, the very reasons that God drives out those nations before Israel. And if Israel will do the same detestable things, the land will vomit them out.

But because the Lord is so gracious, abounding in Love and Mercy, God sent judges as reminders to His people. Despite curses that were already established as a direct consequence of wickedness, He wanted His people to repent and not perish, call on Him and be saved. And God will do so if they do like a hen gathering her chicks. What a wonderful God we have full of mercy! 

But for how long does God allow this cycle to continue?