There is a plan that we can use for our lives. The blessings include material abundance, victory in battle, and protection from enemies. 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. God made it very clear to the Israelites that he did not want them to get mixed up in the false religious surrounding them. The imagery of having blessings run after us and overtake us with their joyful power is wonderous! Yes, we should have respect for God and a healthy fear if his anger, but God is not honored when we do what he says simply because we are afraid to do otherwise. It is God who gives us the ability to work and who blesses us with more than we need. These blessings are both spiritual and material, and they are promised to both individuals and the nation as a whole. Do not ever think that God is too kind to do anything about sin. Who was Deuteronomy chapter 28 speaking to? - Answers 12 If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. I know what I think but I'm waiting for the Covenant Theology "experts" to reply to this one. Our Creator wishes to make Himself known to us. Are The Blessings and Curses in Deuteronomy 28 for Today? 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. However, there are some things stated in there that go beyond the law and are above the temporal role of the Mosaic Law. They were not chosen to be saved, rather they were chosen to be used to accomplish Gods plan of salvation. 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. Here is an analogy: There is nothing in California law that applies to somebody living in Ohio. Deuteronomy 1:9-3:29 ESV - "At that time I said | Biblia 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. There are blessings and curses in the Mosaic Covenant meant for Israel. 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. Because God does not change, the blessings He gave to people in the past apply to us as much as they have ever . It is out of this desire to please God that we do what he says. 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. If we are no longer under the Sinai covenant, how do we apply the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28 to believers today? Learn how your comment data is processed. Copyright 2023, Southern Equip. But Deuteronomy gives us more than a mere recounting of this unique episode in Israels history. We should never take advantage of people in need. Deuteronomy 21:10-14 gives a law about divorce. William Twisse on Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28, and the covenant of works. For instance, the first blessing is for those who obey Gods commandments. These blessings and curses are based on obedience to Gods laws. We need to keep our hearts focused on God, so that we can obey His commands and enjoy His blessings (v. 43-45). Jesus: The Key to Living in the Blessings of Deut. 28 Upon condition that they observe and do all his commandments (and in order to obedience there is need of observation) and that they keep the commandments of God ( v. 9) and walk in his ways. 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? Their crops will yield abundant harvests, their flocks and herds will increase, and they will be blessed with many children. But if we disobey, we will be cursed. The Puritans is the shining example of what abrogation vs general equity means. In this song of blessing, Moses reminded the Israelites that God was their only true, safe place of security. basically, it is a renewal of the covenant God made with them previously. The Mosaic contract is no longer in force. It could be that since they were getting ready to enter the land God promised to them, Moses was announcing the formation of the nation of Israel. Now here is the second step. The Mosaic Law of the Old Testament was written for the chosen people of Israel. So what can we learn from all of this? Now, Jews and Gentiles alike who put their faith in Jesus are under the new contract. 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 makes that point . God is honored when we trust him to help us meet any situation. All rights reserved. The name "Genesis" comes from a Greek word meaning "beginning." 5. It was made between God and Moses and 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. We need to be obedient to Gods commands if we want to enjoy His blessings (v. 15-16). Idolatry-the worship of handmade statues or images - was everywhere in the land. Moses reminded the Israelites that the same God who had rescued them from slavery in Egypt could help them defeat an enemy, no matter how strong their opponent was. The important thing is that this is an agreement that God made with Israel. Could Deut. A husband must NOT treat his wife brutally. It's all a lot for a simple guy like myself to digest. We are citizens of a new nation, a heavenly kingdom. 1 # Short Commentary & Lesson from Deuteronomy 1. Deuternomy 22:5, how does it apply now? - Christian Chat .com! Here is the first step: 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, All the promises of God find their Yes in him [Christ]. Well, the fact is that many of the things mentioned in Deuteronomy 28 are still relevant to us today. God made a promise to the Israelites - he would be their God, take care of them, and bless them. His blessings are poured out on us abundantly, and we enjoy His favour and protection. The Law in Deuteronomy: How Does the Law Apply to Christians Today Pilots gladly endure all of these precautions in order to fly and land safely at their destinations. Some argue that all laws related to sexual conduct carry over to the New Testament, but Leviticus also prohibits sex during a woman's menstrual period (Leviticus 18:19), which most Christians do not regard as sinful. Therefore, you cant justify yourself. Everything from Exodus 20 through Deuteronomy. The Bible is clear that God blesses those who obey Him and curse those who disobey Him. From the context of Deuteronomy 28:13, we know it is better to be the head than the tail. The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous. Note also in Ephesians 2 Paul talks about the role of the law. God does not make one thing up today and make up something contradictory tomorrow. The first curse, on the other hand, is for those who disobey Gods commandments. Let us highlight each of these areas in turn. June 9, 2015 by Karin. Required fields are marked *. The moral lawsthose against lying, stealing . Does Deuteronomy 22:5 mean that women should wear dresses? - NeverThirsty Commentary on Deuteronomy 25 by Matthew Henry We must always give God the credit for our health, riches, and well-being. Questions about Deuteronomy | GotQuestions.org The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous. This allows us to answer a lot of challenges that people might make regarding the old law. Confronting an enemy always causes a certain amount of fear, but with God, on our side, we can be confident of victory. We are not under the Mosaic Law, but under the New Covenant. Heb 2:5-18; 7-10). It is difficult to overstate the importance of Deuteronomy in Scripture and Gods unfolding redemptive plan. There is no greater privilege for humans than to know, love, obey, and serve our glorious covenant Lord. Here's a slightly different slant: of course it applies to us! It was based on their obedience. There is no greater privilege for humans than to know, love, obey, and serve our glorious covenant Lord. 1. Under the law of Moses the Gentiles can never be saved. He reminds them of how the previous generation died in the wilderness because they had disobeyed the LORD and turned aside to other gods. Deuteronomy 28 - "And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? Why would God command the Israelites to destroy their enemies without mercy? 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. 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. 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. Help us continue to equip Christians with knowledge, wisdom, and character. ( Deu 28:1-2) Overtaken by blessing. L.Willows, Your email address will not be published. (Read Deuteronomy 28:15-44) If we do not keep God's commandments, we not only come short of the blessing promised, but we lay ourselves under the curse, which includes all misery, as the blessing all happiness. Does Deut 28 apply to us? | The Puritan Board For example, in his death for sins, Jesus effectively replaces the Old Testament priesthood and the Old Testament sacrifices and all of those ceremonial provisions that surrounded that process of sacrifice. 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. That was Gods year for their land, as . In all of this instruction, Israel had the supreme privilege of learning the fear of the Lord (Deut 31:12). After all, he is speaking to the generation whose parents died in the wilderness due to their disobedience and rebellion (Deut 1-4). It should be an expression of intimacy between husband and wife within marriage. Our behavior reveals what we truly believe in our hearts. 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 often do not realize or understand that there is an unspoken opposite action for not obeying the treaties. They wouldnt be able toescapethe blessings. One way to know that is to see how its worded. (Stoning a murder is not necessary if you don't have stones nearby, you can hang him), A Model of Christian Charity --- by Gov. If we obey God today, we can expect similar blessings in our lives. This is because God is faithful to His promises. If they did, He would protect them, and if they didn't, He would forsake them (Deuteronomy 28). 14-16 of Institutes published before Calvin preached on Deuteronomy and it remains present in his Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses, written and published after Calvin preached on Deuteronomy. 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. Deuteronomy 8 - A Warning Against Pride A. God's work of building humility in Israel during the wilderness wanderings. These xtian fellas keep shooting themselves in d leg..that is all I can say if you deeply understand the post.. It begins when you "love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength" (6.5). If the girl could prove her virginity, her husband would have to pay a large fine (cf. 19-21. God told Moses he was pleased when the Israelites obeyed him because they wanted to, not because they had to. 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 ). Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Religion / Deuteronomy 28 Is Not For Christians; Ephesians 1:3 Is Our Key To Blessings (25923 Views), Scriptures Expounded: About Wet Dreams And Human Wastes - Deuteronomy 23:10-14 / Moses Wrote The Book Of Deuteronomy. It is all over the book of Hebrews, but here is Hebrews 10:12 and 14: When Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Does Deuteronomy 25:5-10 supersede Leviticus 18:16, or vice versa? We need to remember that obedience to God leads to life, while disobedience leads to death (v. 46-68). We are told that if we do not trust in Him, then we will not be blessed. We dont have the punishments proscribed in the law because that was for their judicial system in that nation. Bible Gateway Deuteronomy 28 :: NIV - Massachusetts Institute of Technology The same principles that applied to Israel's success in Canaan apply to us today. 3. 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. Message to all Black Christians on Deuteronomy 28 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 covenant God made with Israel contained three major features: Thelaw, thesacrifice, and thechoice. In all these ways, Deuteronomy is a Gospel book and required reading for Gods people today. Moses knew that he was about to die, so before he left the people he blessed them. If their teachings and their lifestyles do not line up with God's word, stay far away from them! This truth was very offensive to some jewish christians as it is now offensive to religious gentile christians. Copy. The church has no homeland except heaven and eventually the new earth. For these celebrations, they were reminded to take a gift for God, according to what they had received from him. Sometimes the curse or judgment was pronounced by the servant of God as in Deuteronomy 27-28. Because of Solomon's disobedience, Israel became a divided nation, and many of the Israelites turned away from God. Here is another example. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day Should they be guilty of such a sin, since they were so strongly and publicly cautioned against it; and even the heaven and the earth were called upon as witnesses of the law being set before them, which so expressly forbids it, ( Deuteronomy 30:19) that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto you go Deuteronomy 4:26 - Bible Verse Meaning and Commentary - Bible Study Tools The passage in Deuteronomy 23:2, and similar passages, are no longer valid today, nor can they be applied to the Church of God. The list of curses in this passage is exhaustive, and demonstrates the severity of Gods curse. The two laws are completely different, so the way they apply to us are different. If you diligently obey the voice of the LORD: The word if looms large. Deuteronomy 28 1 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. When we live a life blessed by God, we are truly living the best possible life. Deuteronomy is the second time the law is given. (1-2) Overtaken by blessing. This chapter shows that God is just and faithful to His promises. Deuteronomy 28 - Bible Study Tools Which Old-Testament Promises Apply to Me? | Desiring God