Sunday, April 21, 2024 – Deuteronomy 28, 29

1. Do you think that the diseases and sicknesses that God’s people experience today are the result of curses? John 9:1-3

2. How does question number one relate to the experience of Job? Job 1:8

3. How can we obey the commandments of the Lord today, to avoid the curses mentioned in Deuteronomy? John 15:5

In Deuteronomy 28 and 29, as Moses approaches the end of his life, he shares with the people of God, the alternatives of obeying and disobeying God. Living a life of obedience to God will cause our blessing cups to be so full, that they will run over. But a life of disobedience will bring curses in the same proportion. Bible commentators refer to the teaching here in Deuteronomy 28 and 29 as “Deuteronomic Theology”, which may be summarized as “obey the commands of God and be blessed; disobey them and be cursed.” But this seems to be an oversimplification of reality. Do bad things happen to us only because we have disobeyed God? The book of Job tells us that Job suffered some of the same things listed in our reading because he “was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” (Job 1:1, 8). The reality is that none of us are totally free from the effects of the evil one, however righteous we may be. And yet our disobedience can bring hardships upon us and cause us and others much pain. In some cases, Moses’ words were prophetic, Israel would experience some of the very curses mentioned in Deuteronomy 28 and 29 because of their disobedience (compare Deut. 28:20-44 to 2 Kings 24–25).