Deu 28:15-44 | KingComments | STEP | The verses that follow form a great contrast with the previous verses. It is a dramatic section full of warnings. These are prophecies that have literally been fulfilled. The interpretation of Scripture is threefold: literally in history, prophetically in the future and the spiritual or practical application for us. It is a serious section not only for Israel, but also for us. This section is also written that we may learn from it. In Romans 11 we hear the same warning and prophecy for Christianity ( ). Christianity has experienced the same. The question is: What do we do with the lesson that this section contains? In , everything in which the people in will be blessed by obedience is turned into a curse by disobedience. The curse runs parallel with the blessing. The curse hits them in the blessing. This is a penetrating presentation of the matter. From a spiritual point of view, we see that unfaithfulness causes the blessings to disappear – the insight in them and the enjoyment of them – and instead evil teachings come in, destroying the life of faith in every way.

‏ Deuteronomy 28:15-44

When Blessing Turns into Curse

The verses that follow form a great contrast with the previous verses. It is a dramatic section full of warnings. These are prophecies that have literally been fulfilled.

The interpretation of Scripture is threefold: literally in history, prophetically in the future and the spiritual or practical application for us. It is a serious section not only for Israel, but also for us. This section is also written that we may learn from it. In Romans 11 we hear the same warning and prophecy for Christianity (Rom 11:16-24). Christianity has experienced the same. The question is: What do we do with the lesson that this section contains?

In Deu 28:16-19, everything in which the people in Deu 28:3-6 will be blessed by obedience is turned into a curse by disobedience. The curse runs parallel with the blessing. The curse hits them in the blessing. This is a penetrating presentation of the matter. From a spiritual point of view, we see that unfaithfulness causes the blessings to disappear – the insight in them and the enjoyment of them – and instead evil teachings come in, destroying the life of faith in every way.

Curse of Disease, Drought and Flight

The plagues mentioned in this and the following verses do not all affect the people at once. Every time the people sink further into disobedience, God will send other plagues to make the people return to Himself. Forsaking the LORD causes evil deeds and forces God to bring the curse upon them, until the people will have been exterminated and ruined.

The first plague mentioned is the deadly pestilence. The result is that they are swept away from the land. Before that the LORD shall strike them with seven diseases, by which they shall be persecuted and ruined. The threat is terrible, the warning penetrating. God will not only take away from them the good, but He, the LORD, will also bring evil upon them (Deu 28:21-22).

Diseases and plagues that break out mean to us the breakout of sin, false teachings that are taught, the wrong that creeps in. There is also the loss of the good. They are deprived of the pleasure of blessing until God deprives them of the land itself. They will then be deprived of the fruits of the land; they will not know about it anymore. For us it means that we lose sight of heavenly Christendom and the place where the Lord Jesus dwells among His people and comes together with them.

Instead of a refreshing and fruit causing rain, the LORD will rain “powder and dust”. Disobedience is answered with drought in which no life is present and even the promise of life is lacking. Every hope of it is gone.

Other masters will rule over them. Those who profess to be God’s people will be ruled by the flesh and their own thinking. They will experience: “If you are living according to the flesh, you must die” (Rom 8:13a). They no longer ask for what God is interested in, but for what satisfies their own pleasures. The corpses, the dead bodies, the bodies without spirit, are prey to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts, that is to say of demonic powers.

Torments and Robberies

The first bundle of plagues has ended with death (Deu 28:26). In these verses, Moses proposes a second bundle of plagues that the LORD will bring upon them. He talks about skin diseases that belong in Egypt. Then he mentions mental illnesses. They will be driven mad. Any sense of orientation will have disappeared. They will not know where they are or where to go. Their most intimate relatives and their possessions will be taken away from them. They will see it happen before their eyes, but are totally powerless to do anything against it.

Paralysis and Carried Away

The diseases of Deu 28:27 do their exhausting work in Deu 28:35 “on the knees and legs”. Going and standing are made impossible, while there is no view of improvement. On the contrary, the disease affects their whole body. They themselves cannot do anything, but also their king, on whom they have placed their hope, cannot do anything for them (2Kgs 6:24-27). Finally, they are rejected, taken away from the promised land and brought to a foreign land. There they will serve other gods. Also in the land of their captivity they will have no rest. They will be an object of ridicule (1Kgs 9:7; Jer 24:9).

This bundle of plagues can also be seen in Christianity. Deviation from the Lord, from the Word of God, will lead to madness. The most senseless solutions are put forward to get out of a situation in which God’s people have ended up by their own unfaithfulness. Deviation from God’s Word brings hatred in the most intimate relationships. Relationships in families are broken. It happens before their eyes, but they are not able to turn the tide. Then other gods are served. Instead of returning to God and His Word, they resort to the paranormal, making them a mockery for the world.

The Harvest Cursed

The first bundle of plagues ends with death (Deu 28:26), the second with the exile (Deu 28:36). In Deu 28:38 Moses begins again with a people who are in the land amidst the blessings they possess. The curse will fall on every work they undertake to enjoy the blessing of the land – corn, wine and oil (Hag 1:9-11). God uses “the worm” and “the cricket”, among other things. Everything from which they expect any result will disappoint them terribly.

Even the idea that their descendants might then enjoy their work is not granted to them. Their children will go into captivity. Israel will become poorer and poorer, will sink further and further away. The alien is given the opportunity to rise above Israel. Israel will become dependent on the favor of aliens. Because of this, the opposite of Deu 28:12-13 will happen.

Deviation from God and His Word never delivers what is expected of it. In contrast, God has means to ensure that the expected proceeds are lost. Despite all the effort that is made, it will not be enjoyed.

About Who the Lord Jesus – of Whom seed to the field is a picture (Jn 12:24) – is according to God’s thoughts, nothing is heard when God’s Word is replaced by a word of men. Real joy – of which the wine speaks (Jdg 9:13) – is not enjoyed if only earthly pleasure is sought. The work of the Holy Spirit – represented in the olive oil (1Jn 2:20) – does not take place when carnal means are used to obtain God’s blessing.

The descendants, which we can apply to the spiritual products, will not have a long life in the land of God. The spiritual products of own effort will end up in the world, because there they belong.