God took them out of the land, He rescued them, and they were obligated to Him as their Sovereign. 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. 2 Samuel 24:24) to her father and remain married to the girl. Observe the justice of this curse. But what we may not realize is that many of these laws are still relevant to us today. Some people may be deceiving themselves. Deuteronomy 28:28 - "The LORD will make you go crazy, . It should be an expression of intimacy between husband and wife within marriage. These verses have spiritual implications for us as well. As a nation, we can expect to be blessed with political stability, economic prosperity, and military success. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Hes saying that this sums up the obligation of the Old Testament Law. We need to obey Gods laws and statutes, so that we can experience His righteousness and peace (v. 30-32). Deuteronomy 28:1-14 speaks to us of the need to put our trust in the Lord. Nairaland - Copyright 2005 - 2023 Oluwaseun Osewa. We put our confidence in Him, so we are chosen regarding salvation. Deu 25:1-4. We are dedicated to our historic Creeds and Confessions because we believe they are faithful to the Scriptures. Many of those Jews took advantage of the mercy offered through that plan, and many went wayward. Let us highlight each of these areas in turn. 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. 2 So it shall be on the day when you cross the Jordan to the land which the Lord your God gives you, that you shall set up for yourself large stones and coat them with lime 3 and write on them all the words of this law, when you Because God does not change, the blessings He gave to people in the past apply to us as much as they have ever . Best Answer. . They were not chosen to be saved, rather they were chosen to be used to accomplish Gods plan of salvation. We will also be blessed materially, with good health, financial stability, and strong relationships. Of course, these blessings are not guaranteed. Others may be trying to trick us. 28 be applied to the United States? 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. What Does The Bible Say About Tattoos / Body Piercings? The curses include sickness, defeat, and exile. Other things, like homosexuality are forbidden in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. Heb 2:5-18; 7-10). 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. We get a lot of questions in the inbox about how to interpret the Old Testament as a Christian, trying to understand which promises apply to us and which ones dont. A. Well, the fact is that many of the things mentioned in Deuteronomy 28 are still relevant to us today. 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. All of Gods Promises (legal treaties) which were a covenant with His people ended with a blessing. There is no greater privilege for humans than to know, love, obey, and serve our glorious covenant Lord. 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. We are told that if we do not trust in Him, then we will not be blessed. 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. not by the works of the law, and then teach that the law and its curse still apply today to New Testament believers . We need to be obedient to God's commands if we want to enjoy His blessings (v. 15-16). wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? Bible calls it the tree of the knowledge of good AND. Read through all of the awesome blessings listed in Deuteronomy 28. 3. God has these same concerns today, and he expects us to be not only fair but also kind and considerate in our dealings with those who seek our help. We need to look at the passages in question and ask: Does this seem to express a moral obligation that transcends the Mosaic Law? It was a dividing wall that kept the Gentiles and Jews separated. 5. Finally, after thirty-eight years of delay and the death of the previous generation due to their rebellion in the wilderness, Gods patriarchal promises are now finally being fulfilled as the people of Israel are on the verge of entering the land. It is out of this desire to please God that we do what he says. There is no balancing involved or necessary as far as I can see. Our hearts are confident because of Gods Love, encouraged by the joy of His Loving Presence, gathered together by the enduring power of His Holy Spirit., Andif you faithfully obey the voice of the, If you diligently obey the voice of the LORD, That the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. This is something that we should all avoid. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? No command is incumbent upon me in virtue of being part of the law. It is a life in which we are obedient to His commands and live in accordance with His will. Learn how your comment data is processed. I cannot justify myself, Greg Koukl, based on the demands of those simple commandments. Second, it shows us the power of Gods curse. Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? And just as the LORD told the Israelites that he would notice if they did "the right thing," he notices us when we do the right thing. 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. 22 "You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. The first Kings is the first half of a single book that was divided into two parts, 1 and 2 Kings because together they were too long to 19 Life Lessons from The Book of Deuteronomy | Deuteronomy Bible Study. And the second curse is for those who break Gods covenant. The Book of Deuteronomy records Moses' final sermon to the Israelites, which he gave just before he died and they went up to enter the Promised Land. 492Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland. He shall be forgiven. So, forgiveness is offered through the offering of a ram, and nowadays now, since Jesus he has replaced the work of that priest and the offering of that ram. L.Willows, Your email address will not be published. If we are no longer under the Sinai covenant, how do we apply the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28 to believers today? What does it mean to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19)? The Puritan Board is a forum dedicated to the discussion of Christian theology in a Confessionally Reformed context. Their crops will fail, their flocks and herds will dwindle, and they will be cursed with few children. This agreement was never to be broken and was intended to last forever. Deuteronomy is one long sermon given by Moses before his death. There was a unique relationship God had with the nation of Israel as part of the execution of that plan. Israel is called to be an obedient son, yet they have failed and will fail. If we obey God today, we can expect similar blessings in our lives. There is a statute against murder in California. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering. And here is the promise. For now, a single person can expect to receive an average of $197 a . Editorial: Reading Deuteronomy for Gods People Today. After all, he is speaking to the generation whose parents died in the wilderness due to their disobedience and rebellion (Deut 1-4). We need to have faith in God, even when we face difficult circumstances (v. 37-39). He is to exhort the Israelites regarding God's law. Therefore, you cant justify yourself. As a general rule, if we obey the Lord it is better for us than if we willfully disobey. Deuteronomy 28:15-68 is a list of the blessings and curses that come as a result of obedience and disobedience. 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. But Did He Also Write Chapter 34? This is His way of bringing us back to Himself and showing us that we need Him. 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. / 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? The important thing is that this is an agreement that God made with Israel. The Mosaic Law was limited to a time and nation, but morality was not. Moses knew that he was about to die, so before he left the people he blessed them. 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. However, if they disobey the Lord, they will be curse in every way. We are blessed when we give with a cheerful heart. What does it mean that you are the head and not the tail in Deuteronomy 28:13? He is still a good God who blesses those who obey Him. 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. 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. So to recap, I'm bumping into a question that has a different answer depending on one's embracing of a "theonomic" worldview? I have been unable until now to address the issue of the relationship between the Old Covenant and the Christian. Blessings Will Run After Us Deuteronomy 28:1-2 commentary by David Guzik, notes with L.Willows, Blue Letter Bible / David Guzik Study Guide, Songs of The Dawn, a worship poem from L.Willows (Hope in God, Heart Prayer, Faith), Praying for People of Every Tribe, Tongue and Nation, from Precept Austin (Redemption, Pray without Ceasing), Faith; Rejoicing in Grace, from Martin Lloyd Jones (Overcome, Trusting God, True Courage), Repent Unto Life, by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Eternal Life in Christ, Divine Mercy of God, Resources). .this right here is the good news but also the 'offence of the cross', Galatians 5v11. The rest of the bible of course shows us that the principles, blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience still apply, but as a matter of bible interpretation I don't see how this particular passage has direct application outside of Israel in the land. the covenant nation of God? The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous. 1. 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. Everything from Exodus 20 through Deuteronomy. He will bless those who obey Him and curse those who disobey Him. Their crops will yield abundant harvests, their flocks and herds will increase, and they will be blessed with many children. God loves us even when we do things that go against his commands. In all these ways, Deuteronomy is a Gospel book and required reading for Gods people today. In all of this instruction, Israel had the supreme privilege of learning the fear of the Lord (Deut 31:12). Years after Moses gave these instructions for kings, Israel's rulers refused to listen to this word of creation. There are some laws which had a ceremonial or civil component, which have since passed away, but retain their moral component and still apply today . We have the same choice as God's followers. If we obey Gods laws, we will be blessed. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan, which points out even your enemies are your neighbor. 2. But if we disobey, we will be cursed. No matter how much we give back to God, we should give it joyfully and thankfully. 1. 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. He is not a nasty monster asserting that whatever He says goes, even if He says the opposite of what He said yesterday. Confronting an enemy always causes a certain amount of fear, but with God, on our side, we can be confident of victory. God's laws and commands are practical - he knows what can cause us to start trusting ourselves instead of him. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. God changes a lot of different things. As Christians, we are called to obey Gods commands. When we disobey, we can expect His curse. But Deut. So, that is step one. And in such an area, the curses of Deuteronomy 28 are brought to bear upon us. We have no such promise in the Bible. 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. When we disobey Him, we open ourselves up to His curse. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. The reasons of this law are, 1. 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. By a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. That means that some of the promises of the Old Testament are fulfilled differently now than they were then. Therefore, it is important for us to be obedient to God if we want to experience His blessings in our lives. First and foremost, we need to realize that the Old Testament is still relevant to us today. Moses led Israel through everything they needed to know to live successfully in Canaan. How do we try to avoid facing the truth of our status in spiritual obedience. We have a different covenant that applies to usthe new covenant with different obligations. This passage is a reminder that we need to put our faith in God and not in ourselves. When we do, we can expect His blessings in our lives. We need to trust in Gods plan for our lives, even when it doesnt make sense to us (v. 40-42). Here is the first step: 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, All the promises of God find their Yes in him [Christ]. To add a lil. These differences are evident in book iv chaper 20 pp. Are The Blessings and Curses in Deuteronomy 28 for Today? He was simply a really good interpreter of the Old Testament. We should constantly ask, "What is God saying to me through this? It begins when you "love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength" (6.5). Gods lawsfrom both the Old Testament and New Testamentare not just arbitrary expressions of His power. There is a plan that we can use for our lives. When we disobey God, he will forgive us if we turn away from our sin and turn back to him. 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. 4 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. We have the commands against homosexuality in Corinthians and Romans, so it becomes clear that this is a universal and it is not just simply a provision of the Old Testament Law, while the punishment is limited to that old system and not applicable in the New Testament. ( Deu 28:1-2) Overtaken by blessing. In the ancient Near East it was customary for legal treaties to conclude with passages containing blessings upon those who observed the enactments, and curses upon those who did not. (Harrrison). Deuteronomy 21:10-14 gives a law about divorce. 3 He quotes Deut 27.26: All who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." They say it looks like were picking and choosing the Old Testament Law because were against homosexuality, but we dont follow these other details. how does deuteronomy 28 apply to us today. In any case, God's Word is the one true standard against which all activities show be judged. The Mosaic Covenant is a treaty God made with the Jews, the nation of Israel. 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. 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 much we give to God is not what matters. This is a summary statement in the New Testament. 28 is specifically about the covenant relationship between God and Israel. We can read in the Bible how God has helped his people again and again with their problems. The Mosaic covenant is like a state law. 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. *SMDH* GOSHEN DONE LED MORE PEOPLE INTO HELL FIRE THAN BEELZEBUB WITH THIS HIS DOCTRINE, 8 But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, 9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a. God did punish the people several times for their disobedience, but he always remained faithful to them. In the storyline of Scripture, Israel was privileged to be in this position, not because they were better or more numerous than the nations (Deut 7:7), but solely due to Gods sovereign choice and his covenant loyalty to Abraham (Ex 19:4; Deut 7:8). When we do this, we can rest assured that He will bless us. God doesnt change, but that does not mean the way He deals with mankind doesnt change. A man must NOT treat his wife as a person he can disrespect or demean. No. 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. The Mosaic law included universal moral rules and rules that were limited to the nation who lived under that contract. We are picking and choosing, but we are not doing so arbitrarily. The Israelites were given two choices: obey God's commands and live good lives, or disobey them and face death and disaster. June 9, 2015 by Karin. 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. This is something that we should all strive to do. . What benefit or dangers may there be in carrying over meaning from Israel to these other modern day audiences? Again, this is something that we should all be striving to do. I find it necessary to tell you, @Goshen360, that I actually am aware that you are attacking an erroneous teaching in the Church. The Bible is clear that God blesses those who obey Him and curse those who disobey Him. But with this promise, he also gave a warning that we should remember. 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. The imagery of having blessings run after us and overtake us with their joyful power is wonderous! Stubbornness is characteristic of human nature, but that doesn't mean God likes it. Deuteronomy 28:15-68 is a powerful passage that contains a lot of practical applications for our lives today. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: a. General Equity would be a contradiction if you assume Abrogated as used by the divines means totally nullified in its entirety. Similarly, God has already saved us from our worst enemy - slavery to sin. In Deuteronomy 28, Moses spells out the blessings that will come upon the Israelites if they obey Gods commands. We need to be careful to not take Gods blessings for granted (v. 17-19). They seem to be universals and are therefore in the New Testament. 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 . It tells us what we need to know about God and how he wants us to live. 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. 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 makes that point . It is God who gives us the ability to work and who blesses us with more than we need. We have to distinguish between these as we consider how we relate to the Mosaic covenant now. There has probably been a moment or two in 40 years that maybe Id love my neighbor as myself, but most of the time, no. Possibly, Moses wanted to remind the new generation that had grown up during the desert wandering that they, too, were God's chosen people. When we obey the Lord and keep His commandments, we are blessed in every way. What are the results of disobedience to the laws (commands in the old and new testament) of God? 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. Watch on. It doesnt mean that. What was the point of the book of Deuteronomy? We need to rely on His strength and not our own. 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. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of 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. This passage applies to us today because Gods character does not change. However, there are some things stated in there that go beyond the law and are above the temporal role of the Mosaic Law. Stephen J. Wellum is Professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and editor of Southern Baptist Journal of Theology. so what is v. 5 saying and does it apply? 1. Thank you for this brief but important rudiment of the simplicity of the gospel of Christ . What values do you need to maintain in life to be truly successful? 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. God gave the Israelites specific instructions for returning lost animals because they were valuable possessions. 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. John Winthrop, 1630. The Lord's careful instructions to the Israelites about making and collecting loans show how concerned he is for those who are in need. And, therefore, all the promises made to the circumcision, the true Israel, belong to us, Jew and Gentile in Christ Jesus. Were on a mission to change that. What does it mean that the secret things belong to the Lord (Deuteronomy 29:29)? 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. This chapter shows that God is just and faithful to His promises. Jeremiah 29:11 is often quoted and printed on images and materials as a source of inspiration and comfort. It was made between God and Moses and Israel. The agency added a 12.5% cost-of-living increase in October 2022. 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.