John Winthrop, 1630. After all, he is speaking to the generation whose parents died in the wilderness due to their disobedience and rebellion (Deut 1-4). In Deuteronomy 28, we see that obedience is a key factor in experiencing the blessings or curses of God. 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. 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. . 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 idea behind thechoiceis that God was determined to reveal Himself to the world through Israel. Deuteronomy 22 is entirely about instructions what to do and what not to do. They were Gods instruments to accomplish a plan of rescue for the world: God becoming man as a member of the Jewish race and dying on the cross for mans crimes against God. But with this promise, he also gave a warning that we should remember. And the second blessing is for those who keep Gods covenant. The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous. Because of this identity crisis, our people have become very confused. Here are some key points from the passage that we can apply to our lives: 1. Deuteronomy, rightly understood and placed in its location in redemptive-history, is far more than an ancient history book of Israel. For example, love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself are in both the Old and New Testaments. can certainly apply to us today. Second, we need to obey Gods commandments and keep His covenant. Then he warned them about the extreme dangers associated with deviating from the plan. Nothing that is in the Mosaic Law applies to me as a Gentile in virtue of it being in the Mosaic Law. When we do, we can expect His blessings in our lives. The holiness and splendor of God The overall goal of the book of Leviticus is to show the level of holiness God exists in. Deuteronomy is like a preflight check-list for one of the most important adventures in biblical history. 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. 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.". The book of Psalms is the longest book in the Bible. He was not pleased when the Israelites insisted on returning to their sinful practices. We have to distinguish between these as we consider how we relate to the Mosaic covenant now. 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'. 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. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It doesnt refer to America, because the church bought by the blood of Jesus is a pilgrim people drawn from all the lands, from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Years after Moses gave these instructions for kings, Israel's rulers refused to listen to this word of creation. If we obey God today, we can expect similar blessings in our lives. It was hard to keep all the laws, so they decided, lets keep the most important one. i. However, if we disobey God, we will experience His curses. 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. Not everyone who claims to speak and act on God's behalf is truly doing so. This is a summary statement in the New Testament. Therefore, it is important for us to be obedient to God if we want to experience His blessings in our lives. How much we give to God is not what matters. ii. God's people are to have a much different view of sex. What things can draw you away from the fundamentalvalues of life? Our Creator wishes to make Himself known to us. The book recounts the teachings and events of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. 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. The choice was up to Israel. As Christians, we are called to obey Gods commands. Deuteronomy 28:1 English Standard Version Blessings for Obedience 28 "And qif you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you rhigh above all the nations of the earth. 1 Then Moses and the elders of Israel charged the people, saying, "Keep all the commandments which I command you today. Well, in view of what Christ has done in the New Testament, we make at least two changes. Deuteronomy 28: 1 "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. We are not under the Mosaic Law, but under the New Covenant. Do we try to build status elsewhere? . They wouldnt be able toescapethe blessings. The things that no longer apply to us are not repeated in the New Testament. Under the law of Moses the Gentiles can never be saved. The Lord's careful instructions to the Israelites about making and collecting loans show how concerned he is for those who are in need. The head is the leader, the one who . He, however, has never broken a promise to his people. They were not chosen to be saved, rather they were chosen to be used to accomplish Gods plan of salvation. 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. King Solomon, for example, was very successful at first. You want to justify yourself? Posted Nov 28, 2016 by Michael L. Brown. not by the works of the law, and then teach that the law and its curse still apply today to New Testament believers . This passage has significant implications for our spiritual lives 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). "Be strong and courageous. When we think about the Old Testament, we often think of it as a book that contains a lot of laws and regulations. Faith in the finished work of the Cross of Christ is the Christian key to blessings in all aspects of life. So what can we learn from all of this? (1-2) Overtaken by blessing. how does deuteronomy 28 apply to us today. "Romans 7 talks about the Jesus of the law and Christ of the New Testament, the resurrected one", This is the Christ that represented the law in his, Another One, not the One that died in his BODY being representative of the law, The One who is not after the body of the One that died to the law in his body, this is, the resurrected One and not the same as the one represented in the law because that One is already DEAD, Deuteronomy 28 Is Not For Christians; Ephesians 1:3 Is Our Key To Blessings, Scriptures Expounded: About Wet Dreams And Human Wastes - Deuteronomy 23:10-14. No. 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. Tweet. There is a plan that we can use for our lives. This passage is a reminder that we need to put our faith in God and not in ourselves. When we chose to believe in God, we are also given a fresh start. Others may be trying to trick us. He was simply a really good interpreter of the Old Testament. They had to keep the terms of the covenant. 19-21. It is the manual for life! The agency added a 12.5% cost-of-living increase in October 2022. 4. Our obedience is looking unto Jesus, and faith in his completed works. In all of this instruction, Israel had the supreme privilege of learning the fear of the Lord (Deut 31:12). Moses warned the Israelites about staying away from prostitutes because immoral sex was strictly forbidden by God's law. Just as the punishments for laws in other states dont apply to us in California (even if we have the same law), we dont apply those punishments since we arent under that system of laws. They seem to be universals and are therefore in the New Testament. Here is, I. The Ten Commandments are recounted in ch. From the context of Deuteronomy 28:13, we know it is better to be the head than the tail. It is important for us to understand that God's love for us never ends. How can you show God you love him? 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. For the destroying of Amalek ( v. 17, etc. Israel was to fulfill the role of Adam by living as a kingdom of priests (Ex 19:5-6), to serve as Gods son and representative and thus display to this poor, fallen world what it means to be truly human. God doesn't make us obey him - it is our choice. Sometimes we are faced with big problems or strong opposition. 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. 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. The lawyer is interested in finding a way that he can work his own salvation out by himself. 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. A husband must NOT treat his wife brutally. Second, Moses in Deuteronomy does not pull any punches regarding the deep problem of the human heart. We need to be reminded of that same truth many times today. To add a lil. The LORD wants us to obey him because we love him. And in such an area, the curses of Deuteronomy 28 are brought to bear upon us. JavaScript is disabled. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of Second, it shows us the power of Gods curse. God dealt with Adam and Eve in one way, and He dealt with the Jews through Abraham with a different plan. But Deut. 34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. 3. What is needed is for the covenant Lord unilaterally to act and circumcise their hearts (Deut 30:6). [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? 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. And I think if Joe takes these two steps and these two illustrations that I have given from Leviticus 5 and 2 Chronicles 7, he will be well on his way of appropriating the Old Testament for good Christian use. The following commentary by David Guzik is a lead to deeper understanding. We dont have the punishments proscribed in the law because that was for their judicial system in that nation. God told Moses he was pleased when the Israelites obeyed him because they wanted to, not because they had to. Required fields are marked *. 1. 492Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland. What are the results of disobedience to the laws (commands in the old and new testament) of God? A life blessed by God according to Deuteronomy 28 is one that is full of His goodness and love. 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. The moral lawsthose against lying, stealing . Deuteronomy emphasizes the heart and feeling of the lawto love God with all your being and your neighbor as yourself. 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). The New Testament says that the Old Testament law was intended "to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith" (Galatians 3:24). Job was a very rich man, and although he did not belong to the people of Israel, he worshiped the Lord and was a truly good person. All rights reserved. If youre seeking to justify yourself, then you have to treat your neighbor this way, and youre not going to be able to consistently treat your neighbor this way. It is out of this desire to please God that we do what he says. 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. As a general rule, if we obey the Lord it is better for us than if we willfully disobey. When we obey the Lord and keep His commandments, we are blessed in every way. Read through all of the awesome blessings listed in Deuteronomy 28. 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. However, when we disobey the Lord, we experience His discipline and consequences. No, God is loving and merciful, but he is also just so he doesn't permit evil to continue without being punished and corrected. ( Deu 28:1-2) Overtaken by blessing. We have the same choice as God's followers. See How To Advertise. The same principles that applied to Israel's success in Canaan apply to us today. / RCCG Sells A Bag Of Rice At N9k To Their Members In Abuja, Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10). Its exactly like being in a separate state. Because of Solomon's disobedience, Israel became a divided nation, and many of the Israelites turned away from God. Put up a link or something. First, it shows us the importance of obeying God. God took them out of the land, He rescued them, and they were obligated to Him as their Sovereign. We need to be careful to obey His commands so that we can experience His blessings in our lives. Other things, like homosexuality are forbidden in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. 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 The list is severe, and includes everything from being cursed in the city to being cursed in the field. Rather, if Christians repent, turn from their wicked ways, humble themselves, and pray to God, he will do a mighty work in and through the church however he please. One example is Deuteronomy 28, which contains a number of blessings and curses. Were on a mission to change that. The Puritan Board is a forum dedicated to the discussion of Christian theology in a Confessionally Reformed context. God granted Canaan to the Israelites and instructed them to take ownership of it. Just as our law does, the Mosaic Law included universal moral principles. 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 . Another way is to see if the same kinds of directives come up in the New Testament where the Mosaic Law is not operating. We are blessed when we give with a cheerful heart. As Adam alluded to, there is always application. But, I would rather you not attack errors with errors, especially worse ones. 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. He deals with Christians now through a new plan, a new covenant. / Popular Bible Quotations For Memorization And Meditation Deuteronomy 31:8 (2) (3) (4), (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (19) (Reply) (Go Down), (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (19) (Reply), About The High Rate Of Extramarital Sexual Affairs Today / What Does The Bible Say About Tattoos / Body Piercings? 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. This book is named after the main character of its second part. Only God cannot be shaken when the earth seems to crumble beneath us. 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. Watch on. God took them out of the land, He rescued them, and they were obligated to Him as their Sovereign. 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. 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 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. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. A podcast listener, Joe from Boston, writes in with this question: Pastor John, I often struggle to interpret and apply portions of the Old Testament (specifically the prophetic books) where the word of God was being spoken to Gods people as the nation of Israel. Because he is holy and just, as well as merciful and loving, he must punish wrong actions and attitudes. 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. Deu 25:1-4. All the commands in the Old Testament are obsolete. 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. 4 We experience His peace and joy, our relationship with Him grows deeper, and we are able to impact those around us for His kingdom. 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. A man must NOT treat his wife as a person he can disrespect or demean. But Did He Also Write Chapter 34? Now, Jews and Gentiles alike who put their faith in Jesus are under the new contract. For these celebrations, they were reminded to take a gift for God, according to what they had received from him. 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.". Scholarship that is driven by such an agenda is usually to be read with a critical eye. For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. It may not display this or other websites correctly.