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Third Millennium Study Bible
Notes on Deuteronomy 28:15-30:20
Curses and the Conditional Covenant - Deuteronomy 28:15-29:1
See "Covenant Curse Types and Restorative Blessings" and "Conditional and Unconditional Covenants" below.
Harmon maintains:
As with the extra-biblical treaties, the section on curses is far longer than the section on blessings. The perversity of human nature in transgressing God's laws was taken into account, just as the negatives in the Ten Commandments ('You shall not . . . ') are addressed to sinners. This whole section points to the inevitable consequences of disobedience. Even when renewing the covenant Israel was faced with the dreadful prospect of experiencing God's curses rather than his blessings.
These curses would come if Israel did not obey God's laws (Deut 28:15). Currid states:
The third general statement in Deut 28:20 gives four stages of the way the final curse is enacted. First, "The LORD will send on you curses." Second comes "confusion," which is what God did to enemies when he handed them over to Israel (Deut 7:23). They do not know what to do and where to turn as they face God's wrath. Third, they face "frustration in all that [they] undertake to do." When God's wrath is upon them, nothing they do will succeed. The word translated "frustration" could mean "rebuke" (NIV and others), in which case what is meant is that everything they do is rejected by God and receives a rebuke from him. Finally, this will go on "until you are destroyed and perish quickly on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken me." This is a comprehensive failure of all they do, until they are destroyed.
This section listing curses pronounced on the covenant-breaker is weighty and grave. It demonstrates the vast extent of the many curses that God pronounces against violators of his law. And it is not mere bark with no bite. Cruden says, 'They are not merely imprecations, impotent and fruitless desires; they carry their effects with them and are attended with all the miseries denounced by God.' God means business here. These curses will 'pursue' the sinner (Deut 28:22) and 'cling' to him (Deut 28:21). The maledictions are hovering over the head of the miscreant, ready to fall at any moment. They will find out every law-breaker, and every sinner has as his end death and destruction.
In and of himself, no man is exempt. No one has a pardon. The reality is that 'All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Rom. 3:23). We are thus all condemned, and the curse hangs over us. We are covenant-breakers and worthy of the sanctions of the covenant. We are 'dead in [our] trespasses and sins' (Eph. 2:1). What can be done? How can we escape from being under this curse?
Yes, there is one solution. And that is the work of Jesus Christ. As Bowes rightly says, 'In all and at every point he met the curse, and took it in our stead upon himself.' We need to understand that all the curses ad infinitum mentioned in Deuteronomy 28 have been taken care of at the cross of Jesus Christ. But he has done this only for the believer. If you do not know Christ, then you are still under the judgement of the curses of the law. Will you not turn to him today and receive the true blessings that come from being in Christ?
Appeal for Renewal - Deuteronomy 29:2-30:20
Moses called the nation to recommit to the covenant first made at Sinai. His address follows the typical pattern for covenant making: (1) the prologue (Deut 29:2-8), (1) the stipulations (Deut 29:9-18), (3) the curses (Deut 29:19-29), (4) the blessings (Deut 30:1-10), (5) the offer (Deut 30:11-18), and (6) the witnesses (Deut 30:19-20). See "The Renewed or New Covenant?" below.
Prologue - Deuteronomy 29:2-8
Currid says, "The assembly of Israel is now called together to swear a solemn oath to enter into the covenant between themselves and Yahweh. Yahweh has shown himself to be true to the Israelites in the past and, therefore, he is deserving of their fidelity."
Moses began with a review of the mercy and great signs and wonders that God had shown his people in the past. Moses speaks of Israel's deliverance from Egypt, which occupies a third of the book of Exodus, is alluded to in Deuteronomy briefly but frequently; see especially Deuteronomy 11:2-7. See BC 18.
Israel did not yet understand the greatness of what was happening (Deut 29:4) - and they would never comprehend unless God opened their hearts (cf. Acts 16:14). Thompson states:
Paul combined Deuteronomy 29:4 with Isaiah 29:10 and applied both verses to the Jews of his day (Rom 11:8). See WCF 5.6.Alas, Israel, so signally favoured as to have lived in the midst of many evidences of divine favour and power, lacked the deeper understanding and insight to discern behind the external events a deeper significance. They needed the enlightenment that Yahweh could give but which, by reason of their disobedience, He had not given to them. Such blindness on the part of those who reject God's revelation is not uncommon. Men may hear but not understand, because of a hardness of heart. It was the problem of several of the prophets of the Old Testament who preached to audiences who would not hearken (Isa. 6:9f.; Jer. 1:17-19; Ezek. 3:4-11, etc.). It prevented the Jews believing in the Lord Jesus (2 Cor. 3:12-15).
The forty years and special preservation of clothes (Deut 29:5) is mentioned in Deuteronomy 8:2-4. The additional point is given here that the Israelites drank no wine or other fermented drink, as there were no grapes in the desert. They also had no bread, but God supplied them with manna as the staple of their diet. Currid says, "Yahweh has provided abundantly for the people coming out of Egypt. These people have been living in a time of great supernatural providence."
Israel also had a major victory over "Sihon" and "Og" (Deut 29:7).
Reflecting back upon all these events in the life of Israel, Moses exhorts the people to obedience (Deut 29:8). Currid says, "A proper recollection and understanding on the part of Israel should lead them to fidelity in the covenant relationship with Yahweh."
Related Resources
- Covenant Curse Types and Restorative Blessings
- Covenants in General
- Conditional and Unconditional Covenants
- The Covenants of Works and Grace: What Is Covenant Theology?
- The Law of God: What Is God's Law?
- The Three Uses of the Law: What Good Is the Law?
- Legalism and Antinomianism: Why do I have to obey God's law?
- The Renewed or New Covenant?
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