As a nation, we can expect to be blessed with political stability, economic prosperity, and military success. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering. And here is the promise. Popular Bible Quotations For Memorization And Meditation Deuteronomy 31:8, Re: Deuteronomy 28 Is Not For Christians; Ephesians 1:3 Is Our Key To Blessings, About The High Rate Of Extramarital Sexual Affairs Today. For hundred of years we have been a people without our rightful identity. [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? We need to be careful to not take God's blessings for granted (v. 17-19). We are picking and choosing, but we are not doing so arbitrarily. But he turned away from God after he had accumulated great wealth and built a huge army. 28 "And if you will without fail listen to the voice of Jehovah your God by being careful to do all his commandments that I am commanding you today, Jehovah your God will certainly put you high above all other nations of the earth. Here are some key points from the passage that we can apply to our lives: 1. 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. Link panels (synchronize references) Go to table of contents 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. Scholarship that is driven by such an agenda is usually to be read with a critical eye. No doubt, it was very easy to be lured into practices that appeared to be harmless on the surface but were deadly in the end. First, Deuteronomy beautifully describes the covenant relationship between God and his people. Reformed theology teaches that Deuteronomy 28, and its parallel in Leviticus 26 teach us the blessings and curses which may be expected in this life for people who will either obey or disobey. Our Creator wishes to make Himself known to us. In this regard, Deuteronomys exposition of the law-covenant must be viewed as wholly positive: torah from the living covenant Lord who speaks and relates to his people on how to live life in the land and know Gods blessing in their lives and in all of their relationships. And in such an area, the curses of Deuteronomy 28 are brought to bear upon us. I think the 'specifics' mentioned such as v8b and v68 show us that this passage is primarily directed towards OT Israel. All rights reserved. One can certainly see how people might find these . 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. He shall be forgiven. So, forgiveness is offered through the offering of a ram, and nowadays now, since Jesus he has replaced the work of that priest and the offering of that ram. Were on a mission to change that. That was Gods year for their land, as . We can remind ourselves of the many times he has helped us, our family, and our friends. The book of Joshua tells how Israel settled in Canaan, the land God promised to give them. We need to be obedient to God's commands if we want to enjoy His blessings (v. 15-16). They had to keep the terms of the covenant. Not everyone who claims to speak and act on God's behalf is truly doing so. General Equity would be a contradiction if you assume Abrogated as used by the divines means totally nullified in its entirety. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. When God pronounced a curse in the Bible, it was a divine judgment upon sin. Jesus is emphasizing the complete impossibility of self-justification, which is the fundamental difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. He also requires us to be good caretakers of what we have been given. Even if she was raised in a heathen/ pagan/ non-Christian ideology and belief system. On an individual level, we can expect to be blessed with a clear conscience, a sense of Gods presence, and joy in our daily lives. But with this promise, he also gave a warning that we should remember. 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'. 13 When the sun goes down you shall surely return the pledge to him, that he . 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous. By so doing they will become faithful sons, which wonderfully and gloriously, God promises to do in the future. The important thing is that this is an agreement that God made with Israel. God does not make one thing up today and make up something contradictory tomorrow. 4:3-5, ". 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. 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. Moses summed up his song by once again stressing to the people the importance of knowing God's Law, applying it to their lives, and teaching it to younger generations. Deuteronomy 28:20 says, The LORD will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you put your hand to do, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin. This means that if we live a life that is not pleasing to God, He will curse us with problems and confusion. iii. It is a life in which we are obedient to His commands and live in accordance with His will. Deuteronomy is one long sermon given by Moses before his death. If Beeke actually lists it as his #1 commentary, as you claim, I'd have to say that's a pretty poor choice, since it technically is not a commentary. No doubt, we have to apply carefully the old covenant to us in light of Christ, yet we must never forget that it is applicable to us as Scripture and thus we need to learn anew what God is teaching us today through this wonderful book. Sometimes we think that a small bit of disobedience is no big deal to God, but sin always has consequences. We dont have the punishments proscribed in the law because that was for their judicial system in that nation. For instance, the first blessing is for those who obey Gods commandments. Moses did not get to enter Canaan because he had disobeyed God. We are not being arbitrary when we say homosexuality is forbidden. Deuteronomy 28:28 - "The LORD will make you go crazy, . This allows us to answer a lot of challenges that people might make regarding the old law. Even though that generation knew the letter of the law, God instructed them to circumcise their hearts and write His laws there (10:16). Now, Jews and Gentiles alike who put their faith in Jesus are under the new contract. Deuteronomy 4:26. The passage in Deuteronomy 23:2, and similar passages, are no longer valid today, nor can they be applied to the Church of God. It was hard to keep all the laws, so they decided, lets keep the most important one. Read through all of the awesome blessings listed in Deuteronomy 28. If not, we have reason to question whether our faith is real. The astronauts flying a space shuttle mission endure days of preflight preparation. He promises to remove the curse if the Israelites obey Him, and He is faithful to His promises. L.Willows, Your email address will not be published. What was the point of the book of Deuteronomy? Now he addresses their children and commands obedience in them (Deut 4). First, Deuteronomy beautifully describes the covenant relationship between God and his people. According to Leviticus 11, an animal is clean if it parts the hoof and chews the cord, if it lacks both or even one, it is unclean, it can't be offered as sacrifice and shouldn't even be eaten. The word 'deuteronomy means "repetition of the law" after 40 years when the people were about to enter Canaan, and Moses was reminding them of their history: although he was . We need to remember that obedience to God leads to life, while disobedience leads to death (v. 46-68). "Be strong and courageous. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. 1 Then Moses and the elders of Israel charged the people, saying, "Keep all the commandments which I command you today. God is honored when we trust him to help us meet any situation. Posted Nov 28, 2016 by Michael L. Brown. In any case, God's Word is the one true standard against which all activities show be judged. What does it mean that the secret things belong to the Lord (Deuteronomy 29:29)? 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. Nairaland - Copyright 2005 - 2023 Oluwaseun Osewa. "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]. 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. A husband must NOT treat his wife brutally. He deals with Christians now through a new plan, a new covenant. Whether or not Beeke lists it as his number one choice as a commentary is irrelevant. We have the same choice as God's followers. June 9, 2015 by Karin. 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. In Deuteronomy 28, Moses spells out the blessings that will come upon the Israelites if they obey Gods commands. Some people may be deceiving themselves. 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. 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. Old is usually quite good, but not necessarily above correction or improvement. 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. As New Testament Christians in the New Covenant, which commands or moral principles are obligatory and would apply regardless of the covenants because they are universal morals that transcend the Mosaic Law? Stubbornness is characteristic of human nature, but that doesn't mean God likes it. What benefit or dangers may there be in carrying over meaning from Israel to these other modern day audiences? 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. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of He received his Ph.D. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and he is the author of numerous essays and articles and the co-author of Kingdom through Covenant (Crossway, 2012). However, if they disobey the Lord, they will be curse in every way. Here is the way Paul puts it in Philippians 3:3. There were debates between them about which law was the greatest commandment, so they asked Jesus. As a result, each of them experienced a downhill slide. Putting God first in our lives is the best preflight plan we can have. The new contract is a new enterprise. But if we disobey, we will be cursed. 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. How much we give to God is not what matters. Therefore, it is important for us to be obedient to God if we want to experience His blessings in our lives. The Puritan Board is a forum dedicated to the discussion of Christian theology in a Confessionally Reformed context. I can't give a satisfactory explanation of why Deuteronomy 20 should be in our Bibles. Fashion will change, and God does not prohibit that. There is no balancing involved or necessary as far as I can see. Tweet. In the previous verse, the lender has wealth and power while the borrower is subservient. As such, we should begin to obey God's commands and follow his ways. We are blessed when we give with a cheerful heart. It tells us what we need to know about God and how he wants us to live. This passage is a reminder that we need to put our faith in God and not in ourselves. The obligation not to murder is universal and should be in any law. All rights reserved. Third, even though Moses predicts the future rebellion of this new generation and their children, he holds out hope, not due to them, but solely due to Gods unilateral action to redeem. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever because He is God. . We take the teaching of the New Testament how Jesus fulfilled the priesthood, how he fulfilled the sacrifice of that ram we make the necessary adjustments, and we enjoy this promise, which now says something like: All the more will we be forgiven for our sins if we embrace the provision, not of the Old Testament ram and the Old Testament priest, but of the work of Christ and the sacrifice of the high priest Jesus and the offering of his self. Deuteronomy 28:15-68 is a powerful passage that contains a lot of practical applications for our lives today. Anything we read from the Bible falls under 1 of these dispensations and it should not be carried or used in another dispensation practically. God also rewards obedience. What is needed is for the covenant Lord unilaterally to act and circumcise their hearts (Deut 30:6). In Deuteronomy 28, we see that obedience is a key factor in experiencing the blessings or curses of God. Rom 5:20-21; 7:13)a lesson we must never forget. God made it very clear to the Israelites that he did not want them to get mixed up in the false religious surrounding them. 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. Then he warned them about the extreme dangers associated with deviating from the plan. Deuteronomy 31:6. God took them out of the land, He rescued them, and they were obligated to Him as their Sovereign. Deuteronomy emphasizes the heart and feeling of the lawto love God with all your being and your neighbor as yourself. Both versions allot six days for laboring (Exodus 20:9; Deuteronomy 5:13). I have been unable until now to address the issue of the relationship between the Old Covenant and the Christian. Copyright 2023, Southern Equip. 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. Israel is called to be an obedient son, yet they have failed and will fail. Could Deut. and the threatenings of it [the law] serve to show what even their sins deserve; and what afflictions, in this life, they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law. For example, love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself are in both the Old and New Testaments. Our hearts are confident because of Gods Love, encouraged by the joy of His Loving Presence, gathered together by the enduring power of His Holy Spirit., Andif you faithfully obey the voice of the, If you diligently obey the voice of the LORD, That the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. We need to be humble before God and remember His goodness to us (v. 33-36). See Other Shows. You want to justify yourself? Then theres a new generation that takes the land under Joshua. Salvation in the OT (based on the Abrahamic Covenant) was always by faith, and never by works. how far can a duck . He says, For we are the circumcision and he is talking to his Gentile audience there in Philippi we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. And what he means when he says, we are the circumcision, is: We Gentiles who are united to the Jewish Messiah Jesus are the true circumcised people, the true Israel of God. What does "I set before you life and death" mean in Deuteronomy 30:19? 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 ). Required fields are marked *. We put our confidence in Him, so we are chosen regarding salvation. Editorial: Reading Deuteronomy for Gods People Today. 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. For God to say to any people: "I am your God and you are my people" is the very reason and purpose for our existence as God's image-bearers. We need to trust in Gods plan for our lives, even when it doesnt make sense to us (v. 40-42). I know what I think but I'm waiting for the Covenant Theology "experts" to reply to this one. We need to rely on His strength and not our own. We experience His peace and joy, our relationship with Him grows deeper, and we are able to impact those around us for His kingdom. 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? Ohio has its own statutes. JavaScript is disabled. We should never take advantage of people in need. No. These differences in hermeneutics lead to differences over which laws should apply today. . We are told that if we do not trust in Him, then we will not be blessed. 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 But Did He Also Write Chapter 34? Even though the old and new generation have received innumerable blessings from the Lord, their hearts are hard. Deuteronomy, rightly understood and placed in its location in redemptive-history, is far more than an ancient history book of Israel. God changes a lot of different things. Sometimes, when God presents us with opportunities we shrink back because we have doubts. The nation of Israel was obliged to obey the laws of their nation in order to reap Gods blessings or curses. 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 have a different covenant that applies to usthe new covenant with different obligations. Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers. 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. 33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. But because they're the Ten Commandments, they don't apply to Christians, because that was part of the Old Covenant, and the writer of HebrewsHebrews 8:13says the Old Covenant is obsolete. No. The New Covenant is based on grace, not obedience. This is something that we should all strive to do. God granted Canaan to the Israelites and instructed them to take ownership of it. How do we try to avoid facing the truth of our status in spiritual obedience. The Mosaic Law of the Old Testament was written for the chosen people of Israel. Defeating Giants - Part 4. Part of it was in response to the Jews. In the ancient Near East it was customary for legal treaties to conclude with passages containing blessings upon those who observed the enactments, and curses upon those who did not. (Harrrison). 4. 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. This book is named after the main character of its second part. Abraham was saved by faith, not by works and he is the prime example of how everyone has always been saved. Leviticus 5:1516 says if anyone sins, he shall bring an offering, a ram as an offering. If their teachings and their lifestyles do not line up with God's word, stay far away from them! 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. Refusing to obey God's instructions always brings defeat. The curses include sickness, defeat, and exile. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.". Now, a side note: This does not exclude a real future for present day ethnic Israel in Gods purposes, because they will one day profess faith in Messiah Jesus and be grafted back in to become part of the true Israel along with all other Christians who are part of Jesus Christ. Does that mean since Im not in California its okay for me to murder in Ohio? We need to look at the passages in question and ask: Does this seem to express a moral obligation that transcends the Mosaic Law? ). Copy. Therefore, you cant justify yourself. They are conditional on our obedience to God. Observe the justice of this curse. Under the law of Moses the Gentiles can never be saved. It is out of this desire to please God that we do what he says. It is meant to be a further burden on anyone that is seeking to justify himself, which is the case for the person who asked the question. Deuteronomy 28:1-14 speaks to us of the need to put our trust in the Lord. Then, the lawyer who raised the question, seeking to justify himself, asks who is his neighbor. The agency added a 12.5% cost-of-living increase in October 2022. It was a dividing wall that kept the Gentiles and Jews separated. wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? He, however, has never broken a promise to his people. Unfortunately, the Israelites broke their promise to God. T. he subject of which Biblical laws apply today can be confusing for many Christians.. They say it looks like were picking and choosing the Old Testament Law because were against homosexuality, but we dont follow these other details. We have to distinguish between these as we consider how we relate to the Mosaic covenant now. Read more Explain verse Share Copy Show footnotes A A But, I would rather you not attack errors with errors, especially worse ones. When we obey the Lord and keep His commandments, we are blessed in every way. Deuteronomy 28:9-10 promises the people that "the Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself and all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord." . When we chose to believe in God, we are also given a fresh start. 12 If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. basically, it is a renewal of the covenant God made with them previously. So what does this have to do with us today? Idolatry-the worship of handmade statues or images - was everywhere in the land. 22 "You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If they did, He would protect them, and if they didnt, He would forsake them(Deuteronomy 28). It may not display this or other websites correctly. Are The Blessings and Curses in Deuteronomy 28 for Today? Even though Christians are not under the law-covenant as a covenant, we need to be reminded of the incredible privilege it is to be Gods covenant people and take seriously Pauls admonition that all Scripture, including Deuteronomy, is for our instruction and admonition (2 Tim 3:15-17). Being the head would have a similar meaning. 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. I'd like to see where he does that anyway, since the work is no commentary in the true sense whatsoever, but rather a reprinting of Calvin's sermons with prefatory material added by a theonomist. Is the 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 . We are citizens of a new nation, a heavenly kingdom. There has probably been a moment or two in 40 years that maybe Id love my neighbor as myself, but most of the time, no. 28 is specifically about the covenant relationship between God and Israel. Deuteronomy 21:10-14 gives a law about divorce. 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. And there are different ways to explain why that is, and one is to realize that in spiritual union with the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, Christians are the messianic people, the true Israel, the heirs of everything promised to the true Israel. 23 If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; 24 and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.". PSA 89:30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; 31 If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; 32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 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.
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