No human being could break a curse pronounced by God; he could only submit to it and repent under it. It is important for us to have God's attitude about someone else's property, and not to allow the attitude of the world to rub off on us. Jesus is emphasizing the complete impossibility of self-justification, which is the fundamental difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Sometimes we are faced with big problems or strong opposition. Deuteronomy 4:26. Stephen J. Wellum is Professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and editor of Southern Baptist Journal of Theology. 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. We are in a different state now. 2And all these blessings shall come upon you andovertake you, if you obey the voice of theLordyour God. Prayer: 10 Minutes: If there is any situation in your life that needs prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to pray through you for that situation. The Mosaic contract is no longer in force. Their crops will yield abundant harvests, their flocks and herds will increase, and they will be blessed with many children. There is a statute against murder in California. 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). Sometimes we think that a small bit of disobedience is no big deal to God, but sin always has consequences. Possibly, Moses wanted to remind the new generation that had grown up during the desert wandering that they, too, were God's chosen people. L.Willows, Your email address will not be published. We need to rely on His strength and not our own. Sometimes it should be recognized that exegetical and hermeneutical practice have made some good advances that have built upon the understanding of 16th/17th century methods. The Mosaic covenant is like a state law. In the previous verse, the lender has wealth and power while the borrower is subservient. JavaScript is disabled. Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan, which points out even your enemies are your neighbor. He will bless those who obey Him and curse those who disobey Him. Watch on. Idolatry-the worship of handmade statues or images - was everywhere in the land. Rather, if Christians repent, turn from their wicked ways, humble themselves, and pray to God, he will do a mighty work in and through the church however he please. The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous. But Did He Also Write Chapter 34? Virtually every one of the Ten Commandments, save the Sabbath, is also expressed in some way or another in the New Testament as morally obligatory. L.Willows, Blessings on obedience, Commentary by David GuzikBlue Letter Bible / David Guzik Study Guide. Moses warned the Israelites about staying away from prostitutes because immoral sex was strictly forbidden by God's law. 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. Because of Solomon's disobedience, Israel became a divided nation, and many of the Israelites turned away from God. But even then, He is faithful to forgive us and restore us when we repent. Deuteronomy 28 Message To All Black Christians Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: It's been a long ride for our people, the so called black man and woman in this land of America. The same principles that applied to Israel's success in Canaan apply to us today. In this song of blessing, Moses reminded the Israelites that God was their only true, safe place of security. The nation of Israel was obliged to obey the laws of their nation in order to reap Gods blessings or curses. It begins when you "love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength" (6.5). The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 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. Therefore, it is important for us to be obedient to God if we want to experience His blessings in our lives. There were debates between them about which law was the greatest commandment, so they asked Jesus. Abraham was saved by faith, not by works and he is the prime example of how everyone has always been saved. We need to trust in Gods plan for our lives, even when it doesnt make sense to us (v. 40-42). In Deuteronomy 28:1-13, God tells the Israelites that He would reward their obedience by giving them children, crops, livestock, and victory over their enemies, but He also tacks on fifty-four more verses describing the curses that would come upon the nation if they didn't obey Himincluding diseases, heat and drought, military defeat, boils, God made a promise to the Israelites - he would be their God, take care of them, and bless them. When we chose to believe in God, we are also given a fresh start. We need to be careful to obey His commands so that we can experience His blessings in our lives. These differences are evident in book iv chaper 20 pp. I really appreciate all the answers. Some people may be deceiving themselves. This exception does not apply to uncles (it is obviously impossible to apply to a Father's spouse because the Father by definition is not childless) because we have no basis for presuming the exception goes beyond what is expressly provided. Ultimately, of course, this is what the OT prophets and the NT announces occurs in the dawning of a new covenant secured by the life, death, and resurrection of Gods own obedient Son (Rom 3:21-31; cf. The Puritans is the shining example of what abrogation vs general equity means. Similarly, God has already saved us from our worst enemy - slavery to sin. 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. We need to be careful to not take God's blessings for granted (v. 17-19). Jesus says, you dont have to worry about the rest of the commandments if you can fulfill these: Love your God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself. 33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. 10. 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. Here is the way Paul puts it in Philippians 3:3. He expects His people to obey Him, and He will bless them when they do. These verses have spiritual implications for us as well. Deuteronomy 28:15-68 give us the curses that would come upon Israel for disobedience. So, that is step one. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The short answer is, "No." For example, love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself are in both the Old and New Testaments. Everything from Exodus 20 through Deuteronomy. Before Moses dies he gives that same law again a second time in Deuteronomy to the new generation that is now meant to take the land and live according to this law as a nation. My bad -- technically he preaches on Deut 28:1-34 and 45-63. There is a plan that we can use for our lives. We need to be humble before God and remember His goodness to us (v. 33-36). He is not a nasty monster asserting that whatever He says goes, even if He says the opposite of what He said yesterday. We need to obey Gods laws and statutes, so that we can experience His righteousness and peace (v. 30-32). Even though that generation knew the letter of the law, God instructed them to circumcise their hearts and write His laws there (10:16). Best Answer. Then, the lawyer who raised the question, seeking to justify himself, asks who is his neighbor. If we are no longer under the Sinai covenant, how do we apply the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28 to believers today? Editorial: Reading Deuteronomy for Gods People Today. 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.". The extent and power of this curse. How does he expect me to respond?". We still must live with the consequences of that sin, though. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. A regular family devotions time enables us to systematically disciple our children in "the whole counsel of God" ( Acts 20 . Faith in the finished work of the Cross of Christ is the Christian key to blessings in all aspects of life. No doubt, it was very easy to be lured into practices that appeared to be harmless on the surface but were deadly in the end. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. The spiritual implications of Deuteronomy 28:15-68 are far-reaching. how does deuteronomy 28 apply to us today. It is a life in which we are obedient to His commands and live in accordance with His will. It secured a salvation plan for the world, and whether they individually participated in it or not was another question. God dealt with Adam and Eve in one way, and He dealt with the Jews through Abraham with a different plan. Deuteronomy 22 is entirely about instructions what to do and what not to do. Do we try to build status elsewhere? For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Confronting an enemy always causes a certain amount of fear, but with God, on our side, we can be confident of victory. That the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth: Therefore, if Israel would obey the LORD, He wouldsetthemhigh above all nations of the earth, and the blessings would be so powerful that they wouldcome upon you and overtake you. We can read in the Bible how God has helped his people again and again with their problems. The verse reads: "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope," ( Jeremiah 29:11 ). We have to distinguish between these as we consider how we relate to the Mosaic covenant now. Then he warned them about the extreme dangers associated with deviating from the plan. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. Israel is called to be an obedient son, yet they have failed and will fail. ( Deu 28:1-2) Overtaken by blessing. For these celebrations, they were reminded to take a gift for God, according to what they had received from him. We, both as individuals and collectives find times and seasons of apparent fullness and lack, opportunity and trial- that it can seem that we are very blessed or not at all. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Learn how your comment data is processed. Now, Jews and Gentiles alike who put their faith in Jesus are under the new contract. Deuteronomy 28:9-10 promises the people that "the Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself and all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord." . This was Jesuspoint. Blessings for Obedience. For God to say to any people: I am your God and you are my people is the very reason and purpose for our existence as Gods image-bearers. The imagery of having blessings run after us and overtake us with their joyful power is wonderous! Israel was to fulfill the role of Adam by living as a kingdom of priests (Ex 19:5-6), to serve as Gods son and representative and thus display to this poor, fallen world what it means to be truly human. First, my people if my people the people are no longer merely the Jewish, ethnic people of God, but the blood-bought people of the Messiah united to him by faith. 34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. In the healthiest churches, we find a holy conspiracy between pastors who gladly care for the sheep, and sheep who do what they can so that the pastors might serve joyfully. Help us continue to equip Christians with knowledge, wisdom, and character. We are citizens of a new nation, a heavenly kingdom. When we disobey, we can expect His curse. And He is still a just God who curses those who disobey Him. In either case, it was a new start for the people. The offence of the cross is the nullification of sacrifice and self effort in receiving God and receiving from God - that you no longer need obedience to the law to be justified and belong to the commonwealth of zion. However, if they disobey the Lord, they will be curse in every way. .this right here is the good news but also the 'offence of the cross', Galatians 5v11. Yet, Deuteronomy 5:15 explains that the reason is because of God's redemptive act on Israel's behalf during the exodus experience rather than because God rested on the seventh day. Learn how to stand up to the enemy and enjoy your life! It is important for us to understand that God's love for us never ends. Does that mean that Leviticus 5:16 doesnt apply to us? June 9, 2015 by Karin. 492Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland. For instance, the first blessing is for those who obey Gods commandments. 6. We need to remember that obedience to God leads to life, while disobedience leads to death (v. 46-68). No command is incumbent upon me in virtue of being part of the law. That includes the prefatory material and its interpretation of the sermons. Hes saying that this sums up the obligation of the Old Testament Law. It is out of this desire to please God that we do what he says. Is the US. There is no greater privilege for humans than to know, love, obey, and serve our glorious covenant Lord. It was given to those people in that state for that period of time. 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. No. Deuteronomy 21:10-14 gives a law about divorce. The Bible is clear that God blesses those who obey Him and curse those who disobey Him. Does that mean we can go around murdering people because were not under the Mosaic Law? We need to have faith in God, even when we face difficult circumstances (v. 37-39). William Twisse on Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28, and the covenant of works. 10 " When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not enter his house to take his pledge. When God pronounced a curse in the Bible, it was a divine judgment upon sin. The Lord's careful instructions to the Israelites about making and collecting loans show how concerned he is for those who are in need. If Beeke actually lists it as his #1 commentary, as you claim, I'd have to say that's a pretty poor choice, since it technically is not a commentary. First and foremost, we need to realize that the Old Testament is still relevant to us today. So we are obligated to follow those moral rules, not in virtue of them being in the Mosaic law, but because they are universal for all people. Through Moses instruction, Deuteronomy also describes the future of the nation, which later biblical authors use as a template to interpret Israels history and to hold out hope for a new and better covenant (see e.g., Deut 29-30). If we obey Gods laws, we will be blessed. Deuteronomy 28 listed blessings and curses for by being obedience or disobedience and says do this (obey) or do that (disobey) and God does this (bless) or that (curse) - that's the religion of the law of Moses. Now, a side note: This does not exclude a real future for present day ethnic Israel in Gods purposes, because they will one day profess faith in Messiah Jesus and be grafted back in to become part of the true Israel along with all other Christians who are part of Jesus Christ. When a pilot wants to take his private plane up for a ride on a sunny afternoon, he goes throughapre-flight check-list. So to recap, I'm bumping into a question that has a different answer depending on one's embracing of a "theonomic" worldview? Even if she was raised in a heathen/ pagan/ non-Christian ideology and belief system. God gave instructions to parents that they must first understand and internalize His laws and ways and then teach them to their own children. 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. Your email address will not be published. Let me see if I can simplify some very complex issues and provide a two-step process that enables Joe and the rest of us Christians to appropriate the Old Testament, especially the promises for our use as Christians in the 21st century. God's laws and commands are practical - he knows what can cause us to start trusting ourselves instead of him. Moses warned the Israelites about the false prophets who would encourage them to worship other gods and idols. The book of Joshua tells how Israel settled in Canaan, the land God promised to give them. How to Apply Deuteronomy 6. Scholarship that is driven by such an agenda is usually to be read with a critical eye. Putting God first in our lives is the best preflight plan we can have. 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. It should be an expression of intimacy between husband and wife within marriage. God also rewards obedience. not by the works of the law, and then teach that the law and its curse still apply today to New Testament believers . Tweet. 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. Deuteronomy 28:20 says, The LORD will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you put your hand to do, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin. This means that if we live a life that is not pleasing to God, He will curse us with problems and confusion. Deuteronomy 8 - A Warning Against Pride A. God's work of building humility in Israel during the wilderness wanderings. Exodus 22:21-24. The astronauts flying a space shuttle mission endure days of preflight preparation. Israels being chosen did not secure their salvation. The head is the leader, the one who . In fact, one of the purposed effects of giving the law to Israel was to reveal and intensify sinto show us clearly that apart from Gods grace and provision, we cannot change our hearts (Deut 30:6; cf. 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. Confess them over you life and let the blessings of God literally run you down and overtake you. That is my understanding of Romans 11. Unfortunately, the Israelites broke their promise to God. This was doubly important in biblical times because many of the pagan religions surrounding Israel made prostitution a regular part of their religious ceremonies. I have been unable until now to address the issue of the relationship between the Old Covenant and the Christian. If not, we have reason to question whether our faith is real. A man must NOT treat his wife as a slave, even if she is a captured prisoner of war. When Jesus is talking about loving your neighbor he is not advancing it as a separate ethic. This passage is a reminder that we need to put our faith in God and not in ourselves. Fashion will change, and God does not prohibit that. We will also be blessed materially, with good health, financial stability, and strong relationships. Our gifts show how much we appreciate God's kindness. ii. In truth, it is a Gospel book which describes beautifully the covenant relationship between Yahweh and his people, the deep and abiding problem of the human heart, and the only remedy for uncircumcised hearts, namely, Gods sovereign and gracious action to redeem by the provision of a greater and better Israel, the true obedient Son and servant King. John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. These things are wrong in any culture. Today, we do not live under the Mosaic covenant. As Christians, we are called to obey Gods commands. In the New Testament, God doesn't bless us because of what we do but because of our faith in Christ and His finished works. When we do, we can expect His blessings in our lives. However, if we disobey God, we will experience His curses. Moses summed up his song by once again stressing to the people the importance of knowing God's Law, applying it to their lives, and teaching it to younger generations. Well, the fact is that many of the things mentioned in Deuteronomy 28 are still relevant to us today. (1-2) Overtaken by blessing. Deuteronomy 28:1-2, The promise of God in Deuteronomy 28:1-2 offers many powerful insights that we can learn from when we listen with our hearts and open ourselves to applying the wisdom of its mighty blessing to our lives with obedience. Job was a very rich man, and although he did not belong to the people of Israel, he worshiped the Lord and was a truly good person. Deuteronomy 28 is a chapter in the Bible that describes the blessings and curses that will come to the people of Israel if they obey or disobey Gods commands. Does he hate some people and love others? Their crops will fail, their flocks and herds will dwindle, and they will be cursed with few children. A. Is it an over-simplification to say that the passages are directed toward a specific covenant God made with (ethnic) Israel but the principles contained therein have application to us today? 1. 13 When the sun goes down you shall surely return the pledge to him, that he . Read more Explain verse Share Copy Show footnotes A A They are conditional on our obedience to God. 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. It is here supposed that, if a man be charged with a crime, the accuser and the accused ( Actor and Reus) should be brought face to face before the judges, that the controversy may be determined. Gods lawsfrom both the Old Testament and New Testamentare not just arbitrary expressions of His power. 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. Moses let it be known that from this day on, the Israelites were God's people, so they needed to obey God's instructions. Israel was chosen for a purposeGenesis 12:13. God loves us even when we do things that go against his commands. It was a dividing wall that kept the Gentiles and Jews separated. Sometimes, when God presents us with opportunities we shrink back because we have doubts. Do not ever think that God is too kind to do anything about sin. God had promised the Israelites that if they obeyed his laws and teaching, he would bless them with food, shelter, and land. God did punish the people several times for their disobedience, but he always remained faithful to them. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is one such example.. Young people should be informed of the consequences that are sure to follow when God's instructions are ignored. What Does The Bible Say About Tattoos / Body Piercings? Of course, these blessings are not guaranteed. He reminds them of how the previous generation died in the wilderness because they had disobeyed the LORD and turned aside to other gods. Nothing that is in the Mosaic Law applies to me as a Gentile in virtue of it being in the Mosaic Law. That was Gods year for their land, as . It tells us what we need to know about God and how he wants us to live. The agency added a 12.5% cost-of-living increase in October 2022. The Israelites are told that if they obey the Lord and keep His commandments, they will be blessed in every way. Copy. 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. 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. 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. How can we discern if warnings or promises directed towards Israel are applicable to other nations, the body of Christ in the global church, or even to ourselves as individuals? Here is, I. Now he addresses their children and commands obedience in them (Deut 4). As a result, each of them experienced a downhill slide. We are dedicated to our historic Creeds and Confessions because we believe they are faithful to the Scriptures. We have the same choice as God's followers. How much we give to God is not what matters. 2. 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. A. If youre seeking to justify yourself, then you have to treat your neighbor this way, and youre not going to be able to consistently treat your neighbor this way. We are not under the Mosaic Law, but under the New Covenant. There is no greater privilege for humans than to know, love, obey, and serve our glorious covenant Lord. We must always give God the credit for our health, riches, and well-being. 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. Applying this principle to Deuteronomy 24:1-4, if husband and wife divorced because the wife is or became an unbeliever and departed from the marriage (which might be indicated, in principle, by the fact that the husband found "some uncleanness in her"), then the husband is free to remarry (The same would apply, of course, to a wife, that . What are the results of disobedience to the laws (commands in the old and new testament) of God? So what does this have to do with us today? But Deut. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever because He is God. But if we disobey, we will be cursed. In all these ways, Deuteronomy is a Gospel book and required reading for Gods people today. We are told that if we do not trust in Him, then we will not be blessed. Part of it was in response to the Jews. We often do not realize or understand that there is an unspoken opposite action for not obeying the treaties. Here are some key points from the passage that we can apply to our lives: 1. Popular Bible Quotations For Memorization And Meditation Deuteronomy 31:8, Re: Deuteronomy 28 Is Not For Christians; Ephesians 1:3 Is Our Key To Blessings, About The High Rate Of Extramarital Sexual Affairs Today. If we are obedient to Gods commands, we will experience His blessings. Deuteronomy 28:1-2: What is this requiring? First, it shows us the importance of obeying God. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? He deals with Christians now through a new plan, a new covenant. The lawyer is interested in finding a way that he can work his own salvation out by himself. 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. 8. Because God does not change, the blessings He gave to people in the past apply to us as much as they have ever . Read through all of the awesome blessings listed in Deuteronomy 28. Why would God command the Israelites to destroy their enemies without mercy? God never changes, so we can always depend on him. Share Improve this answer Follow answered May 24, 2022 at 21:53 conceptualinertia 1,112 10 16 Add a comment