Deuteronomy 28:15-68 - Introduction to the Curses & Review of Israel’s History

<p style="text-align:center;">Deuteronomy 28:15-68</p> <p style="text-align:center;">Dr. Steven R. Cook</p> <p>Introduction </p> <p>     Concerning Deuteronomy chapter 28, Thomas Constable states, “This section of Deuteronomy (chapters 27-28) is one of the most important ones in Scripture because it records the two options open to Israel as she entered the Promised Land. Obedience to the revealed Word of God would result in blessing, but disobedience would result in blasting.”<a href='#_ftn1'>[1]</a> Dwight Pentecost adds, “For understanding and explaining Israel’s history as recorded throughout the Old Testament, there are perhaps no more important chapters than Deuteronomy 28–30.”<a href='#_ftn2'>[2]</a></p> <p>     Moses, having previously stated God’s wonderful blessings for the obedient-to-the-Word Israelite (Deut 28:1-14), followed with God’s cursings that would come upon the one who was disobedient-to-the-Word (Deut 28:15-68). In Deuteronomy 28:15-68, Moses set forth the curses that God would bring upon Israel if they repeatedly violated His directives as found in the Deuteronomic law code. Moses used the Hebrew verb אָרָר arar six times, which means, “to bind with a curse.”<a href='#_ftn3'>[3]</a> The form of the verb is passive, which meant a curse was received by the nation of Israel if they turned away from God. Victor Hamilton states that אָרָר arar means “to bind, hem in with obstacles, [or] render powerless to resist.”<a href='#_ftn4'>[4]</a> The curses mentioned in Deuteronomy are reflexive of those who violate their covenant relationship with God. That is, they bring the curses on themselves by violating God’s Word.<a href='#_ftn5'>[5]</a> God’s curses are His righteous response to unethical behavior among His people, and they could be avoided by simply walking in obedience with the Lord (Deut 28:15, 20, 45-47, 58-59, 62; 29:25-28; 30:17-18). If the Israelite was aligned with God’s Word in thought, speech, and conduct, it would open the channel for His blessing. However, if the Israelite turned fr