Deuteronomy 28 Devotional
by Pastor Bowlin

You may have noticed that this is quite a lengthy chapter; in fact, it is the third longest chapter in the Bible, according to word count, after Psalm 119 and 1 Kings 8. It also the second time in the Pentateuch where a long list of blesses and curses are promised to those who either keep or reject God’s law. The first list is found in Leviticus 26. Of course, that first pronouncement was given to the first generation of Israelites most of who had already died in the wilderness. This second pronouncement is being given to the second generation just prior to their entering into the land of Canaan.

If you remember, the word “Deuteronomy” literally means “second law,” implying that it is the retelling of the Law of Moses to the second generation. Unlike the book of Numbers that shows the nation of Israel on the move on a number of occasions, the book of Deuteronomy has Israel standing in place, for the most part, simply receiving God’s law and renewing their covenant with the Lord. In this covenant renewal ceremony, Moses recounted all that God did for Israel in leading them out of Egypt and providing for them in the wilderness and defending them against their enemies in the first ten chapters. Then, in chapters eleven through twenty-six, Moses retold to them the law and explained to them all that it required in its perfection of love. Our chapter this morning falls in the third section of the book that actually recounts the renewal ceremony itself with all the blessings and curses pronounced upon those who are vowing to keep God’s law and to live in God’s place in the Promised Land. According to the previous chapters in Deuteronomy 27, once entering the land under the command of Joshua, the tribes of Israel were to stand on two opposing mountains to pronounce these blessings and curses every seven years, but here in our text the blessings and curses are fleshed out in great detail.

The first fourteen verses are dedicated to God’s blessings for obedience and the remaining fifty-four verses describe the curses for disobedience. If any are wondering why so much time is spent on the curses in comparison to the blessings, I think it is because we tend to speed through the things we don’t want to hear. After all, if you think about it, most of us know the fruit of the Spirit, but I doubt that any of us could list all the works of the flesh that Paul describes in that same passage in Galatians 5. Similarly, many of us could describe the blessings in the beatitudes in Matthew ch.5, but I doubt that even a few could describes the opposite woes that Christ pronounces in Luke ch.6. In the same way, Jesus actually talks more about hell than heaven, and more about sin than righteousness. And yet we often forget what he has said regarding these matters.

What we must understand about the blessings and curses doled out according to God’s Law is that it is an all-or-nothing enterprise. In other words, Israel must keep all of God’s law all of the time in order to merit God’s blessings. And if Israel were to do so, they would receive all of God’s blessings all of the time. Again and again in this chapter, Moses points this out that Israel must faithfully obey God’s voice by doing all his commandments so that all these blessings would come upon them. But if they would not keep God’s law then all of these curses would come upon them instead. Of course, God gives many mercies to Israel throughout her history, but she never experienced all of these blessings. On the other hand, if you read ahead through the books of Judges, Samuel and Kings, it is obvious that Israel did receive all the curses at some point. In fact, much of those books serve as commentaries upon this very chapter in Deuteronomy.

Well, what about us? Do these blessings and curses apply to us today? It is important to understand that this was a covenant ceremony that God particularly instituted with the nation of Israel. No such ceremony is instituted with the world-wide church of Christ, which is greater than any nation. Although gentile believers have been grafted into the vine of Israel and are called sons and daughters of Abraham, we are not sons and daughters of Moses. The apostle Paul takes great pains to prove that Gentiles should not come under the yoke of the law with any intention of trying to merit God’s blessings because the whole point of the law is to save us but to condemn our sins and drive us to Christ. Thus, if you’re wondering how you as a sinner could ever receive God’s blessings, according to the law you never could, for you will never keep it perfectly in the way that the law requires.

There is only one Israelite who was worthy of God’s blessings, and he stood in the place of Israel as the perfect Son of God who kept God’s law perfectly and perpetually. He is the only one of whom God the Father said, “This is my son, with him I am well pleased.” Strangely, though, he also is the son whom God cursed upon the cross, pouring out his hot anger upon him because of our sin. Thus, the only way for us to be blessed according to the law is for someone to keep that law perfectly in our place and to bear the punishment of the law also in our place. And that is what Jesus has done for us as believers. Paul tells us in Ephesians 1 that God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” But notice that he says “spiritual” blessings rather than physical. The Lord has not promised us the physical blessings that were offered to Israel as a nation under the Old Covenant, at least not yet.

The Promised Land under the Old Covenant was a sign that pointed to the eternal Promised Land of the New Jerusalem that the Lord Jesus will reveal when he returns to earth on the last day. On that day, we will receive all the physical blessings promised here in the law of God because of Christ’s keeping the law in our place. And Jesus gave us a foretaste of that at his first coming through his many miracles healing diseases of all kinds, multiplying food and wine out of thin air, bringing money out of fish, and even raising the dead. So, although Israel never truly experienced the full blessing of the law due to their many sins, the promised still remains for all who have trusted in Christ. In the same manner, the promise of all the curses still reside upon all those who have not trusted in Christ and yet have broken God’s law again and again.

Deuteronomy Questions for Chs. 28-32
Dt 28
1. What are some of the blessings promised to Israel if she keeps the law of God?
2. How much of the law does she have to keep in order to merit these blessings?
3. What are some of the curses promised to Israel is she breaks the law of God?
4. Knowing the rest of the story, was Israel blessed or cursed under the law of God?
5. What does this national covenant with its blessings and curses have to do with us? (see Galatians 3:8-14; Ephesians 1:3-6)
Dt 29
1. What does God command Moses to do with Israel for a second time since they left Mt. Horeb/Sinai?
2. What does Moses remind Israel of prior to renewing the covenant?
3. Who is standing before the Lord at this time to renew the covenant with God?
4. What in this passage signifies that this covenant is generational in nature and not just for this contemporary group of people?
5. What does Moses warn them against in this renewal ceremony?
6. What will happen to Israel if they break this covenant with God?
7. What is the difference between the secret things of God and the revealed things of God? For which are we responsible?
Dt. 30
1. How are the Israelites to be restored to the land after they have broken God’s covenant?
2. What does God promise to nation if they repent of their sin and return to the Lord?
3. What does Moses say uniquely about the Word of God in this passage? How is this a word of encouragement?
4. Who does God call as a witness before cutting his covenant with Israel and promises them of the life and death consequences of the covenant?
5. Why does the Lord tell Israel to choose life?
Dt. 31
1. What is the pep talk Moses gives to Israel before turning the reins over to Joshua?
2. How then does Moses encourage Joshua in a similar manner?
3. What does Moses tell the priests and elders to do at the end of every seven years, and for what purpose?
4. What disturbing news does the Lord share with Moses as he is about to commission Joshua?
5. What then does the Lord give to Moses to help the coming generations when they have turned away from the Lord?
6. Where did Moses tell the Levites to keep the Book of the Law that he had written and why?
7. Why then did Moses call together the elders and officers of Israel?
Dt. 32
1. What are the first four verses of the Song of Moses about?
2. What are the children of Israel like in comparison?
3. What does he ask the Israelites in v.6?
4. What does he remind the Israelites of in vv.7-14?
5. How did Israel repay God’s many kindnesses in vv.15-18?
6. How does God respond to Israel’s unfaithfulness in vv.19-25?
7. Why does God not destroy Israel for their unfaithfulness according to vv.26-27?
8. What does God promise to do for his people in vv.36-38?
9. What does the Lord reveal about himself in vv.39-43?
10. What does Moses say that the Israelites should command their children to do?
11. Why did the Lord not allow Moses to enter into the Promised Land?