It doesnt refer to America, because the church bought by the blood of Jesus is a pilgrim people drawn from all the lands, from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Just as one finds curses for disobedience in the Old Testament and Book of Mormon, Deuteronomy 28 contains a list of blessings that Israel would receive when they were obedient. But Deut. What Does The Bible Say About Tattoos / Body Piercings? This question is answered in Deuteronomy 28:15. Moses knew that he was about to die, so before he left the people he blessed them. He will bless those who obey Him and curse those who disobey Him. The Mosaic covenant is like a state law. Hes saying that this sums up the obligation of the Old Testament Law. God told Moses he was pleased when the Israelites obeyed him because they wanted to, not because they had to. But Did He Also Write Chapter 34? They had to keep the terms of the covenant. Moses warned the Israelites about the false prophets who would encourage them to worship other gods and idols. Refusing to obey God's instructions always brings defeat. And He is still a just God who curses those who disobey Him. The Apostle Paul quotes Deuteronomy twice regarding cursing in his letter to the Galatians. 4:3-5, ". 28 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. However, there are some things stated in there that go beyond the law and are above the temporal role of the Mosaic Law. Again, this is something that we should all be striving to do. We need to have faith in God, even when we face difficult circumstances (v. 37-39). A life blessed by God according to Deuteronomy 28 is one that is full of His goodness and love. By so doing they will become faithful sons, which wonderfully and gloriously, God promises to do in the future. The covenant God made with Israel contained three major features: Thelaw, thesacrifice, and thechoice. Indeed, at the end of the chapter, it says people in other cultures practiced these things and they were judged for them. Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? And I think if Joe takes these two steps and these two illustrations that I have given from Leviticus 5 and 2 Chronicles 7, he will be well on his way of appropriating the Old Testament for good Christian use. For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But even if we dont experience all of these blessings in our lifetime, we can take comfort in knowing that we are right with God and that we will ultimately inherit all of his promises. But even then, He is faithful to forgive us and restore us when we repent. Best Answer. God made it very clear to the Israelites that he did not want them to get mixed up in the false religious surrounding them. In this passage, Moses encouraged the people to make a real effort to consider their promise to God and to allow him to wash away their sins. It is meant to be a further burden on anyone that is seeking to justify himself, which is the case for the person who asked the question. We should constantly ask, "What is God saying to me through this? The Ten Commandments are recounted in ch. Our gifts show how much we appreciate God's kindness. God's laws and commands are practical - he knows what can cause us to start trusting ourselves instead of him. So to recap, I'm bumping into a question that has a different answer depending on one's embracing of a "theonomic" worldview? Stubbornness is characteristic of human nature, but that doesn't mean God likes it. L.Willows, Blessings on obedience, Commentary by David GuzikBlue Letter Bible / David Guzik Study Guide. The first curse, on the other hand, is for those who disobey Gods commandments. We have a different covenant that applies to usthe new covenant with different obligations. 2# Short Commentary & Lesson From Deuteronomy 5.28-30. The first case ( Deuteronomy 22:13-19) is of a man who marries a woman and then falsely charges her with being a harlot (not being a virgin when he married her). How do we try to avoid facing the truth of our status in spiritual obedience. But if we disobey, we will be cursed. (Stoning a murder is not necessary if you don't have stones nearby, you can hang him), A Model of Christian Charity --- by Gov. There are certainly principles in that passage that show that any nation who thumbs its nose at God and goes into idolatry will be judged. We need to be obedient to God's commands if we want to enjoy His blessings (v. 15-16). This article aimed to highlight the similarities between EST 56 and Deuteronomy 28 as regards syntax and vocabulary, interpret the previously unknown curses that astoundingly invoke deities. 2And all these blessings shall come upon you andovertake you, if you obey the voice of theLordyour God. Years after Moses gave these instructions for kings, Israel's rulers refused to listen to this word of creation. It was hard to keep all the laws, so they decided, lets keep the most important one. The "curse of the law" is not the curses found in Deuteronomy 28 that was specifically for the nation Israel in the Mosaic Covenant. June 9, 2015 by Karin. The important thing is that this is an agreement that God made with Israel. Stephen J. Wellum is Professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and editor of Southern Baptist Journal of Theology. These xtian fellas keep shooting themselves in d leg..that is all I can say if you deeply understand the post.. how does deuteronomy 28 apply to us today. When we disobey Him, we open ourselves up to His curse. Moses led Israel through everything they needed to know to live successfully in Canaan. He said that dividing wall has been torn down now so that the Jews and Gentiles can be combined into one new man on the New Covenant having been built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles in Christ Jesus the cornerstone. 12 If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:" God is vitally concerned for Israel and for all peoples and their well-being. Learn how to stand up to the enemy and enjoy your life! First, Deuteronomy beautifully describes the covenant relationship between God and his people. Adults need to be encouraged to remain faithful to their spouse. According to Leviticus 11, an animal is clean if it parts the hoof and chews the cord, if it lacks both or even one, it is unclean, it can't be offered as sacrifice and shouldn't even be eaten. Deuteronomy 28:15-68 is a powerful passage that contains a lot of practical applications for our lives today. For instance, the first blessing is for those who obey Gods commandments. Deuteronomy is like a preflight check-list for one of the most important adventures in biblical history. We are in a different state now. There is a statute against murder in California. The spiritual implications of Deuteronomy 28:15-68 are far-reaching. We often do not realize or understand that there is an unspoken opposite action for not obeying the treaties. Positioned strategically at the end of the Pentateuch, concluding the incredible life and ministry of Moses, renewing and expanding the Sinai covenant for the post-wilderness generation, Deuteronomy serves as the covenant instruction (torah) for a new generation posed to enter the Promised Land. These differences in hermeneutics lead to differences over which laws should apply today. 7. I have been unable until now to address the issue of the relationship between the Old Covenant and the Christian. In a six-part series, we explored family devotions the importance of it as well as ways to structure the time, to overcome obstacles, and to keep the gospel central. Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers. (1-2) Overtaken by blessing. Second, Moses in Deuteronomy does not pull any punches regarding the deep problem of the human heart. We need to be obedient to Gods commands if we want to enjoy His blessings (v. 15-16). As he says when kicking off his Sermon on the Mount, he didn't come to abolish the law but to show its fullest sense. . Israel was chosen for a purposeGenesis 12:13. These verses have spiritual implications for us as well. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. He would do this either by making them so blessed that the world would know only God could have blessed them so; or by making them so cursed that only God could have cursed them and cause them to still survive. There is a plan that we can use for our lives. We are dedicated to our historic Creeds and Confessions because we believe they are faithful to the Scriptures. Editorial: Reading Deuteronomy for Gods People Today. Does the Covenant of Works Have 2 Aspects to it. Somehow, there seems to be a choice that is up to us, something or someone is knocking at the door with a message and a reason for our survival. Putting God first in our lives is the best preflight plan we can have. Do we try to build status elsewhere? Confess them over you life and let the blessings of God literally run you down and overtake you. Christians may rightly embrace the promises of the Old Testament made to Israel, because in union with the Messiah, Jesus, we are Israel, we are the true Israel. Third, even though Moses predicts the future rebellion of this new generation and their children, he holds out hope, not due to them, but solely due to Gods unilateral action to redeem. It's a hermeneutical problem; an undue flattening out of the covenantal administration. Just as the punishments for laws in other states dont apply to us in California (even if we have the same law), we dont apply those punishments since we arent under that system of laws. When we do this, we can rest assured that He will bless us. We will not be able to escape them! It is difficult to overstate the importance of Deuteronomy in Scripture and Gods unfolding redemptive plan. 23 If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; 24 and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.". Nothing that is in the Mosaic Law applies to me as a Gentile in virtue of it being in the Mosaic Law. Scholarship that is driven by such an agenda is usually to be read with a critical eye. Copyright 2023, Southern Equip. Let me make a distinction between how the Israelites were chosen then and how we as Christians are chosen now because it relates to the purpose of the Law and how we apply it today. Explore our latest content and live stream the radio program with our mobile apps. The coming of Jesus, the Messiah, into the world and his atoning work on the cross and his resurrection and his reign in heaven and his authoritative teaching like in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 57 all of that together alter the way some of the promises and the teachings of the Old Testament are to be inherited and applied. This passage applies to us today because Gods character does not change. Others may be trying to trick us. Unfortunately, the Israelites broke their promise to God. Are The Blessings and Curses in Deuteronomy 28 for Today? This is something that we should all strive to do. When we do, we can expect His blessings in our lives. In either case, it was a new start for the people. This passage has significant implications for our spiritual lives today. But because they're the Ten Commandments, they don't apply to Christians, because that was part of the Old Covenant, and the writer of HebrewsHebrews 8:13says the Old Covenant is obsolete. Deu 25:1-4. 6, God gives Moses instructions to give to Israel. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. When things are going well in family, career, or any other area of life, we are tempted to become proud. i. Christians are the chosen in the sense that those who are in Christ, putting their trust in Him, are the ones that benefited from that plan of salvation God was working out through Israel. The message inherent in The Promise of God is that when we obey His command to put Him first (to set Him high, above all other things in our lives and treasure Him as our first cause, our Creator) then the blessings in our lives will become so powerful that they will overtake us. He says, For we are the circumcision and he is talking to his Gentile audience there in Philippi we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. And what he means when he says, we are the circumcision, is: We Gentiles who are united to the Jewish Messiah Jesus are the true circumcised people, the true Israel of God. The law is not that the creditor shall not receive the debt if the debtor, or his friends for him, can pay it; but he shall not exact it by a legal process. Not only do them for once, but keep them for ever; not only set out in his ways, but walk in them to the end. 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 makes that point . [17] EZR 9:13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; 14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? iii. No human being could break a curse pronounced by God; he could only submit to it and repent under it. Their crops will fail, their flocks and herds will dwindle, and they will be cursed with few children. The moral lawsthose against lying, stealing . 22 "You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. What is needed is for the covenant Lord unilaterally to act and circumcise their hearts (Deut 30:6). Sometimes, when God presents us with opportunities we shrink back because we have doubts. When a pilot wants to take his private plane up for a ride on a sunny afternoon, he goes throughapre-flight check-list. Blessings for Obedience. In fact, given sins entrance into the world, Israels role in the world was not only to be the nation by which Messiah would come and reverse the effects of sin and death (see Gen 3:15; 12:1-3); they were also called to live as Adam and the entire human race was supposed to liveas obedient sons (Ex 4:22-23) and servant kingsin relationship to the Lord and the entire creation. In Deuteronomy 28, Moses spells out the blessings that will come upon the Israelites if they obey Gods commands. / Popular Bible Quotations For Memorization And Meditation Deuteronomy 31:8 (2) (3) (4), (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (19) (Reply) (Go Down), (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (19) (Reply), About The High Rate Of Extramarital Sexual Affairs Today / What Does The Bible Say About Tattoos / Body Piercings? Sometimes the curse or judgment was pronounced by the servant of God as in Deuteronomy 27-28. Finally, this passage reminds us of Gods faithfulness. Second, it shows us the power of Gods curse. If we obey God today, we can expect similar blessings in our lives. They served their purpose for the carnal, physical nation of Israel, but they have been superseded by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ Who has opened a new way to God the Father, based on personal responsibility and . Deuteronomy 28:28 - "The LORD will make you go crazy, . We have to distinguish between these as we consider how we relate to the Mosaic covenant now. 16 Life Lessons and Commentary from The Book of Job | Job Bible Study, 14 Life Lessons from The Book of Joshua | Joshua Bible Study, 27 Life Lessons from The Book of Exodus | Exodus Bible Study, 29 Biblical Life Lessons from The Book of Genesis | Genesis Bible Study, 15 Life Lessons from The Book of 1 Samuel | 1 Samuel Bible Study, 14 Life Lessons from The Book of Numbers | Numbers Bible Study, 33 Life Lessons from The Book of Psalms | Psalms Bible Study, 5 Life Lessons from The Book of Ezra | Ezra Bible Study, 8 Life Lessons from The Book of Judges | Judges Bible Study, 15 Life Lessons from The Book of First Kings | 1 Kings Bible Study. The idea behind thechoiceis that God was determined to reveal Himself to the world through Israel. Therefore, the application we make of this verse is not that if Christians will repent God will heal America. Read more Explain verse Share Copy Show footnotes A A Even though that generation knew the letter of the law, God instructed them to circumcise their hearts and write His laws there (10:16). 3. He is not a nasty monster asserting that whatever He says goes, even if He says the opposite of what He said yesterday. God also rewards obedience. Well, the fact is that many of the things mentioned in Deuteronomy 28 are still relevant to us today. I find it necessary to tell you, @Goshen360, that I actually am aware that you are attacking an erroneous teaching in the Church. What was the point of the book of Deuteronomy? The question we have to ask ourselves as New Testament Christians in the New Covenant is, which commands or moral principles are obligatory and would apply regardless of the covenants, because they are universal morals that transcend the Mosaic Law? Because of Solomon's disobedience, Israel became a divided nation, and many of the Israelites turned away from God. Fashion will change, and God does not prohibit that. how far can a duck . But, I would rather you not attack errors with errors, especially worse ones. It was a dividing wall that kept the Gentiles and Jews separated. .this right here is the good news but also the 'offence of the cross', Galatians 5v11. Watch on. Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. Israel is called to be an obedient son, yet they have failed and will fail. Does he hate some people and love others? "Be strong and courageous. What benefit or dangers may there be in carrying over meaning from Israel to these other modern day audiences? Through Moses' instruction, Deuteronomy also describes the future of the nation, which later biblical authors use as a template to interpret Israel's history and to hold out hope for a new and better covenant (see e.g., Deut 29-30).. how does deuteronomy 28 apply to us today. Fine, try these two on for size. The ritual laws of sacrifice teach us that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22) and point us to Jesus on the cross. However, if we disobey God, we will experience His curses. He deals with Christians now through a new plan, a new covenant. I'd like to see where he does that anyway, since the work is no commentary in the true sense whatsoever, but rather a reprinting of Calvin's sermons with prefatory material added by a theonomist. It exalts Jesus Christ, crucified and raised as our only hope against sin. A commercial airline pilot about to take a 747 loaded with passengers from New York to Los Angeles talks his crew through a much more elaborate preflight ritual. These differences are evident in book iv chaper 20 pp. Reformed theology teaches that Deuteronomy 28, and its parallel in Leviticus 26 teach us the blessings and curses which may be expected in this life for people who will either obey or disobey. He is to exhort the Israelites regarding God's law. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. + 2 All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, + because you keep listening to the voice of Jehovah This is because God is faithful to His promises. We need to be careful to not take Gods blessings for granted (v. 17-19). Therefore, it is important for us to be obedient to God if we want to experience His blessings in our lives. Deuteronomy 28:15-68 give us the curses that would come upon Israel for disobedience. T. he subject of which Biblical laws apply today can be confusing for many Christians.. It has been replaced for everyone, including Jews, by the new contract. In this way, Moses not only describes and predicts the future history of Israel, he also anticipates Gods future redemptive work by which he will circumcise the hearts of the entire community, thus creating a people who will be wholly devoted to him from every tribe, nation, people, and tongue. The book of Joshua tells how Israel settled in Canaan, the land God promised to give them. The nation of Israel was obliged to obey the laws of their nation in order to reap Gods blessings or curses. The Mosaic Covenant is a treaty God made with the Jews, the nation of Israel. We can remind ourselves of the many times he has helped us, our family, and our friends. The name "Genesis" comes from a Greek word meaning "beginning." Idolatry-the worship of handmade statues or images - was everywhere in the land. 1. We take the teaching of the New Testament how Jesus fulfilled the priesthood, how he fulfilled the sacrifice of that ram we make the necessary adjustments, and we enjoy this promise, which now says something like: All the more will we be forgiven for our sins if we embrace the provision, not of the Old Testament ram and the Old Testament priest, but of the work of Christ and the sacrifice of the high priest Jesus and the offering of his self. Our obedience is looking unto Jesus, and faith in his completed works. These blessings are both spiritual and material, and they are promised to both individuals and the nation as a whole. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is one such example.. It is God who gives us the ability to work and who blesses us with more than we need. How much we give to God is not what matters. God restored the Israelites even though they continued to turn against him. After all, he is speaking to the generation whose parents died in the wilderness due to their disobedience and rebellion (Deut 1-4). This passage contains a list of curses that will befall the Israelites if they disobey God. It's all a lot for a simple guy like myself to digest. All the rules, regulations, preparation and sacrifices are meant to translate for us to the most realistic form what is at stake to be as holy as God. In all of this instruction, Israel had the supreme privilege of learning the fear of the Lord (Deut 31:12). When God pronounced a curse in the Bible, it was a divine judgment upon sin. Aside from that, though, God's people should have an attitude of wantings to help others instead of trying to take advantage of someone else's loss. We are blessed in our relationships, our health, our work, and every area of our lives. 28 "And if you will without fail listen to the voice of Jehovah your God by being careful to do all his commandments that I am commanding you today, Jehovah your God will certainly put you high above all other nations of the earth. and the threatenings of it [the law] serve to show what even their sins deserve; and what afflictions, in this life, they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law. The things that no longer apply to us are not repeated in the New Testament. Everything from Exodus 20 through Deuteronomy. This passage is a reminder that we need to put our faith in God and not in ourselves. For now, a single person can expect to receive an average of $197 a . It is my prayer that the various articles and contributions in this issue of SBJT will lead us to a greater understanding of Deuteronomy and a renewed appreciation for our Lord Jesus Christ, the one whom the message of Deuteronomy ultimately points. We are not being arbitrary when we say homosexuality is forbidden. Once again, this is something that we should all avoid. Today, we do not live under the Mosaic covenant. This was Jesuspoint. If we are slaves to sin we choose to go our own way; but when we become God's followers, he gives us the freedom, as well as the strength and courage, to follow God's way. God doesnt change, but that does not mean the way He deals with mankind doesnt change. Share Improve this answer Follow answered May 24, 2022 at 21:53 conceptualinertia 1,112 10 16 Add a comment We are picking and choosing, but we are not doing so arbitrarily. In other words, when step one says that we are heirs of all the promises, we have to take into account that those promises may be fulfilled differently today because of the changes that have come into history through the words and the work of Jesus. Deuteronomy is one long sermon given by Moses before his death. And the second blessing is for those who keep Gods covenant. Learn how your comment data is processed. His command was also a dramatic warning to the nation of Israel that God's people should beware of being overcome by the evil practices of their enemies. One way to know that is to see how its worded. For these celebrations, they were reminded to take a gift for God, according to what they had received from him. If they did, He would protect them, and if they didnt, He would forsake them(Deuteronomy 28). And let me give you one more example, because he asked about it. In all these ways, Deuteronomy is a Gospel book and required reading for Gods people today. This is because some claim a great many of the laws given to ancient Israel still apply today while others claim none of them do and that under the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-33) believers are only responsible for fulling the "law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2) or the "law of love" (Matthew 22:37-40 . We need to keep our hearts focused on God, so that we can obey His commands and enjoy His blessings (v. 43-45). 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The Mosaic Law was limited to a time and nation, but morality was not. He's the true king, who did not capitulate to the compromises of sin (contrast, for example, Solomon in 1 Kings 11 in light of Deut. being referred to and other "gotcha" laws which might be mentioned fall into one of the first two bins and no longer apply to us today. The head is the leader, the one who . These blessings and curses are based on obedience to Gods laws. When we chose to believe in God, we are also given a fresh start. They seem to be universals and are therefore in the New Testament. If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14). Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.