In chapter 28, Moses describes the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience to the people of Israel. He begins, “If you fully obey the Lord your God by keeping all the commands I am giving you today, the Lord your God will exalt you above all the nations of the world. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God:” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2) Moses then begins to list the blessings.
Here are a few of them: “You will be blessed in your towns and in the country.” (verse 3)
“You will be blessed wherever you go, both in coming and in going.
The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven!” (verse 6 and 7)
Moses later states that all nations will stand in awe of the people of Israel, and he finishes these blessings with, “If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God and carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always have the upper hand.” (Deuteronomy 28:13)
Moses completes this chapter relaying the many curses that will take place for disobeying God. He begins, “But if you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and do not obey all the commands and laws I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you:” (Deuteronomy 28:15)
Moses lists a few and then says, “The Lord himself will send against you curses, confusion, and disillusionment in everything you do, until at last you are completely destroyed for doing evil and forsaking me.” (verse 20) “The Lord will cause you to be defeated by your enemies. You will attack your enemies from one direction, but you will scatter from them in seven!” (verse 25) “You will grope around in broad daylight, just like a blind person groping in the darkness, and you will not succeed at anything you do.” (verse 29) “The foreigners living among you will become stronger and stronger, while you become weaker and weaker. They will lend money to you, not you to them. They will be the head, and you will be the tail!” (verse 43 and 44) “Because you have not served the Lord your God with joy and enthusiasm for the abundant benefits you have received, you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you. You will be left hungry, thirsty, naked, and lacking in everything. They will oppress you harshly until you are destroyed. The Lord will bring a distant nation against you from the end of the earth, and it will swoop down on you like an eagle.” (Deuteronomy 28:47-49)
“The siege will be so severe that you will eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters, whom the Lord your God has given you.” (verse 53) At this point, Moses gets very graphic. He states, “The most tenderhearted man among you will have no compassion for his own brother, his beloved wife, and his surviving children. He will refuse to give them a share of the flesh he is devouring -- the flesh of one of his own children -- because he has nothing else to eat during the siege that your enemy will inflict on all your towns. The most tender and delicate woman among you -- so delicate she would not so much as touch her feet to the ground -- will be cruel to the husband she loves and to her own son or daughter. She will hide from them the afterbirth and the new baby she has borne, so that she herself can secretly eat them. She will have nothing else to eat during the siege and terrible distress that your enemy will inflict on all your towns.” (Deuteronomy 28:54-57)
Moses concludes, indicating that as the Lord found pleasure helping you prosper and multiply, He will find pleasure in destroying you. Wow! Let us all maintain favor with the Lord.
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Help us to never take you for granted, and recognize the abundant blessings we have received from you so that we serve you with joy and enthusiasm. We love you!
“May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
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