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). John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. We have the same choice as God's followers. Therefore, the application we make of this verse is not that if Christians will repent God will heal America. The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous. 492Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland. Now he addresses their children and commands obedience in them (Deut 4). I recognize this and know the error. And the second blessing is for those who keep Gods covenant. Through Moses' instruction, Deuteronomy also describes the future of the nation, which later biblical authors use as a template to interpret Israel's history and to hold out hope for a new and better covenant (see e.g., Deut 29-30).. how does deuteronomy 28 apply to us today. God forgave Moses because of his trust in God, but Moses missed one of the greatest goals of his life - living in the land God had promised the Israelites. Your email address will not be published. 1. 5, and now in ch. 3. After all, he is speaking to the generation whose parents died in the wilderness due to their disobedience and rebellion (Deut 1-4). This is His way of bringing us back to Himself and showing us that we need Him. 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 makes that point . That was Gods year for their land, as . For example, love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself are in both the Old and New Testaments. Our respectful behavior sets a good example for others. Idolatry-the worship of handmade statues or images - was everywhere in the land. We are citizens of a new nation, a heavenly kingdom. But that is the good news. If the girl could prove her virginity, her husband would have to pay a large fine (cf. 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. We dont have all the laws that pertain to dietary and sacrificial things because Jesus did away with those laws. How does he expect me to respond?". It may not display this or other websites correctly. It's a hermeneutical problem; an undue flattening out of the covenantal administration. Share Improve this answer Follow answered May 24, 2022 at 21:53 conceptualinertia 1,112 10 16 Add a comment The aim of The BELOVED is to awaken Christian Unity, embolden Fellowship and inspire Hope. how far can a duck . Do not ever think that God is too kind to do anything about sin. The passage also includes a promise from God that these curses will be removed if the Israelites obey Him. The two laws are completely different, so the way they apply to us are different. 1. Ohio has its own statutes. There is no greater privilege for humans than to know, love, obey, and serve our glorious covenant Lord. What does it mean that the secret things belong to the Lord (Deuteronomy 29:29)? 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. The obligation not to murder is universal and should be in any law. And in such an area, the curses of Deuteronomy 28 are brought to bear upon us. General Equity would be a contradiction if you assume Abrogated as used by the divines means totally nullified in its entirety. Deuteronomy 28:15-68 is a powerful passage that contains a lot of practical applications for our lives today. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of He reminds them of how the previous generation died in the wilderness because they had disobeyed the LORD and turned aside to other gods. In all of this instruction, Israel had the supreme privilege of learning the fear of the Lord (Deut 31:12). 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. Second, Moses in Deuteronomy does not pull any punches regarding the deep problem of the human heart. Salvation in the OT (based on the Abrahamic Covenant) was always by faith, and never by works. 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. 28 be applied to the United States? 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. 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. It is always best to stay as far away from evil as we can. 16 Life Lessons and Commentary from The Book of Job | Job Bible Study, 14 Life Lessons from The Book of Joshua | Joshua Bible Study, 27 Life Lessons from The Book of Exodus | Exodus Bible Study, 29 Biblical Life Lessons from The Book of Genesis | Genesis Bible Study, 15 Life Lessons from The Book of 1 Samuel | 1 Samuel Bible Study, 14 Life Lessons from The Book of Numbers | Numbers Bible Study, 33 Life Lessons from The Book of Psalms | Psalms Bible Study, 5 Life Lessons from The Book of Ezra | Ezra Bible Study, 8 Life Lessons from The Book of Judges | Judges Bible Study, 15 Life Lessons from The Book of First Kings | 1 Kings Bible Study. 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. This request is one we should follow, too. 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. . God had promised the Israelites that if they obeyed his laws and teaching, he would bless them with food, shelter, and land. In this passage, Moses encouraged the people to make a real effort to consider their promise to God and to allow him to wash away their sins. 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. 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. It exalts Jesus Christ, crucified and raised as our only hope against sin. They wouldnt be able toescapethe blessings. It was given to those people in that state for that period of time. Similarly, God has already saved us from our worst enemy - slavery to sin. 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. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God had made his laws very clear and understandable so the people could not claim they were impossible to obey - they simply had to decide what they would do. 26 " When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it, 2 w you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall x go to the place that In Deuteronomy 28, we see that obedience is a key factor in experiencing the blessings or curses of God. "Christians become the heirs of all the promises in the Old Testament through union with Christ." Here is the first step: 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, "All the promises of God find their Yes in him [Christ]. The Puritans is the shining example of what abrogation vs general equity means. Finally, this passage reminds us of Gods faithfulness. 6. I really appreciate all the answers. Deuteronomy 22:5 and 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 (wearing a veil) make it clear that men and women are not to purposely cross-dress. Unfortunately, the Israelites broke their promise to God. That includes the prefatory material and its interpretation of the sermons. 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 a different covenant that applies to usthe new covenant with different obligations. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Are The Blessings and Curses in Deuteronomy 28 for Today? All the commands in the Old Testament are obsolete. It is difficult to overstate the importance of Deuteronomy in Scripture and Gods unfolding redemptive plan. We dont have the punishments proscribed in the law because that was for their judicial system in that nation. God does not make one thing up today and make up something contradictory tomorrow. Andif you faithfully obey the voice of theLordyour God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, theLordyour God will set youhigh above all the nations of the earth. Jesus is emphasizing the complete impossibility of self-justification, which is the fundamental difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Then, the lawyer who raised the question, seeking to justify himself, asks who is his neighbor. / RCCG Sells A Bag Of Rice At N9k To Their Members In Abuja, Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10). Note also in Ephesians 2 Paul talks about the role of the law. can certainly apply to us today. 2And all these blessings shall come upon you andovertake you, if you obey the voice of theLordyour God. No matter how much we give back to God, we should give it joyfully and thankfully. He would do this either by making them so blessed that the world would know only God could have blessed them so; or by making them so cursed that only God could have cursed them and cause them to still survive. If you diligently obey the voice of the LORD: The word if looms large. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. For now, a single person can expect to receive an average of $197 a . Stubbornness is characteristic of human nature, but that doesn't mean God likes it. God's command to destroy these nations was his judgment upon them for the wicked things they had done for many years. It should be an expression of intimacy between husband and wife within marriage. God did punish the people several times for their disobedience, but he always remained faithful to them. You want to justify yourself? 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. No. A regular family devotions time enables us to systematically disciple our children in "the whole counsel of God" ( Acts 20 . Our Creator wishes to make Himself known to us. 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 . Deuteronomy 31:6. God took them out of the land, He rescued them, and they were obligated to Him as their Sovereign. 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. Jeremiah 29:11 is often quoted and printed on images and materials as a source of inspiration and comfort. Help us continue to equip Christians with knowledge, wisdom, and character. not by the works of the law, and then teach that the law and its curse still apply today to New Testament believers . You are using an out of date browser. To put an honour upon the sabbatical year: Because it is called the Lord's release, Deuteronomy 15:2; Deuteronomy 15:2. Deuteronomy 22 is entirely about instructions what to do and what not to do. "Be strong and courageous. the name Deuteronomy means '2nd law' and is practical in application and is actually a review of the law before the Israelites enter 'the promised land'. 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? The choice was up to Israel. A. Just as our law does, the Mosaic Law included universal moral principles. 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. Not only do them for once, but keep them for ever; not only set out in his ways, but walk in them to the end. We are told that if we do not trust in Him, then we will not be blessed. However, if they disobey the Lord, they will be curse in every way. + 2 All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, + because you keep listening to the voice of Jehovah Indeed, at the end of the chapter, it says people in other cultures practiced these things and they were judged for them. God is honored when we trust him to help us meet any situation. Our obedience is looking unto Jesus, and faith in his completed works. The covenant God made with Israel contained three major features: Thelaw, thesacrifice, and thechoice. They hesitated and by staying outside of the land, they were not obeying God's instructions. When God pronounced a curse in the Bible, it was a divine judgment upon sin. 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 Required fields are marked *. The Bible is clear that God blesses 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. Of course, these blessings are not guaranteed. Here are some key points from the passage that we can apply to our lives: 1. One can certainly see how people might find these . 33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. Moses did not get to enter Canaan because he had disobeyed God. In this song of blessing, Moses reminded the Israelites that God was their only true, safe place of security. The Israelites were given two choices: obey God's commands and live good lives, or disobey them and face death and disaster. We need to be faithful to God and avoid idolatry (v. 20-24). We need to obey Gods laws and statutes, so that we can experience His righteousness and peace (v. 30-32). b. 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. We are not blessed because we do this or that in the New Testament, we are blessed because Christ already took away the curse of the law and we are ONLY left with blessings. Posted Nov 28, 2016 by Michael L. Brown. By so doing they will become faithful sons, which wonderfully and gloriously, God promises to do in the future. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 5. Then theres a new generation that takes the land under Joshua. Universal moral obligations from the Mosaic Law are repeated in the New Testament. 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. Explore our latest content and live stream the radio program with our mobile apps. L.Willows, Your email address will not be published. Deuteronomy 28:28 - "The LORD will make you go crazy, . 2. This passage contains a list of curses that will befall the Israelites if they disobey God. Deuteronomy 28:15-68 give us the curses that would come upon Israel for disobedience. He is to exhort the Israelites regarding God's law. He is still a good God who blesses those who obey Him. 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. [17] The promises of it, in like manner, show them God's approbation of obedience,and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof:[18]. The extent and power of this curse. Possibly, Moses wanted to remind the new generation that had grown up during the desert wandering that they, too, were God's chosen people. God made a promise to the Israelites - he would be their God, take care of them, and bless them. 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 is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 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. I think the 'specifics' mentioned such as v8b and v68 show us that this passage is primarily directed towards OT Israel. . In all these ways, Deuteronomy is a Gospel book and required reading for Gods people today. Put up a link or something. The book of Judges tells how the Israelites kept rejecting the Lord and worshiping idols. We will not be able to escape them! If they did, He would protect them, and if they didn't, He would forsake them (Deuteronomy 28). We put our confidence in Him, so we are chosen regarding salvation. wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? 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. This chapter shows that God is just and faithful to His promises. Gentiles were never under the old contract. Abraham was saved by faith, not by works and he is the prime example of how everyone has always been saved. This remind of when I was in school(primaryschool) my mum always told me if you do well at school and pass all your exams I will buy new dress and special food only for me,and those things she promised to give will entice me and I will put more effort in my study, I thought to myself the creator of heaven and earth the all knowing God, he that exists before every other thing were created promised us all these blessings, and I started thing living life without stress, depress,no sickness, etc,and said prayer asking God to give me Grace to stay under his law and commandments, my heart fill with joy and hope,..GLORY TO HE THAT NEVER FAIL. 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. God granted Canaan to the Israelites and instructed them to take ownership of it. When we think about the Old Testament, we often think of it as a book that contains a lot of laws and regulations. The "curse of the law" is not the curses found in Deuteronomy 28 that was specifically for the nation Israel in the Mosaic Covenant. A. Here is the first step: 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, All the promises of God find their Yes in him [Christ]. 4 It is not enough to merely read the Bible or hear a sermon. God gave instructions to parents that they must first understand and internalize His laws and ways and then teach them to their own children. Deuteronomy 28:1-2: What is this requiring? Christians are the chosen in the sense that those who are in Christ, putting their trust in Him, are the ones that benefited from that plan of salvation God was working out through Israel. If not, we have reason to question whether our faith is real. The LORD had Moses instruct the Israelites that every man must attend the three special, religious festivals every year. Well, the fact is that many of the things mentioned in Deuteronomy 28 are still relevant to us today. It is the manual for life! . God told Moses he was pleased when the Israelites obeyed him because they wanted to, not because they had to. 2. 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, 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. 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. Fine, but having skimmed the longish introduction where Jordan tries to make his case is already a strike against it for me. We need to trust in God and His promises, even when things are tough (v. 25-29). We are blessed in our relationships, our health, our work, and every area of our lives. Exegesis (including that done by older Reformed writers) that does not first take fully into account the historical situation between God and Israel before jumping directly to the application of theological paradigms shouldn't be seen as exemplary. He said that dividing wall has been torn down now so that the Jews and Gentiles can be combined into one new man on the New Covenant having been built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles in Christ Jesus the cornerstone. God gave the Israelites specific instructions for returning lost animals because they were valuable possessions. In fact, given sins entrance into the world, Israels role in the world was not only to be the nation by which Messiah would come and reverse the effects of sin and death (see Gen 3:15; 12:1-3); they were also called to live as Adam and the entire human race was supposed to liveas obedient sons (Ex 4:22-23) and servant kingsin relationship to the Lord and the entire creation. Because of this identity crisis, our people have become very confused. When a pilot wants to take his private plane up for a ride on a sunny afternoon, he goes throughapre-flight check-list. Best Answer. What does it mean that you are the head and not the tail in Deuteronomy 28:13? We need to be careful to obey His commands so that we can experience His blessings in our lives. We understand the Old Testament law was given as a contract to Moses and was therefore very unique and particular for the nation of Israel. It is not an agreement God made with anyone else. God's people are to have a much different view of sex. John Winthrop, 1630. 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. 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. 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 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. Their crops will fail, their flocks and herds will dwindle, and they will be cursed with few children. He can make plans and play things out so that certain things apply in some cases and dont apply later, though His purpose is constant and unchanging. This passage is a reminder that we need to put our faith in God and not in ourselves. ii. Deuteronomy is Christian Scripture. 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). Another adjustment is expected this fall, NBC News reported . The LORD wants us to obey him because we love him. It secured a salvation plan for the world, and whether they individually participated in it or not was another question. 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. 2 Samuel 24:24) to her father and remain married to the girl. Being the head would have a similar meaning. Under the law of Moses the Gentiles can never be saved. Here are some key points from the passage that we can apply to our lives: 1. God also rewards obedience. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever because He is God. 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. [17] EZR 9:13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; 14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? They say it looks like were picking and choosing the Old Testament Law because were against homosexuality, but we dont follow these other details. However, if we disobey God, we will experience His curses. No, God is loving and merciful, but he is also just so he doesn't permit evil to continue without being punished and corrected. Again, this is something that we should all be striving to do. A man must NOT treat his wife as a person he can disrespect or demean. 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. 1. 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. It is out of this desire to please God that we do what he says. Let us highlight each of these areas in turn. This truth was very offensive to some jewish christians as it is now offensive to religious gentile christians. *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. There is no greater privilege for humans than to know, love, obey, and serve our glorious covenant Lord. 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. 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. Moses warned the Israelites about staying away from prostitutes because immoral sex was strictly forbidden by God's law. .this right here is the good news but also the 'offence of the cross', Galatians 5v11. 10 " When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not enter his house to take his pledge. Somehow, there seems to be a choice that is up to us, something or someone is knocking at the door with a message and a reason for our survival. God dealt with Adam and Eve in one way, and He dealt with the Jews through Abraham with a different plan. This agreement was never to be broken and was intended to last forever. 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. For hundred of years we have been a people without our rightful identity. There are also laws and rules that are unique to a particular states situation. Because he is holy and just, as well as merciful and loving, he must punish wrong actions and attitudes. There is a unique kind of plan that He has in the new covenant that's expressed through Jesus and what He did on the cross. How men and women dress will change over time; otherwise, we would be wearing long outer garments without undergarments today.