It was to Israel the Lord was speaking in Deuteronomy Chapter 28, when He warned, “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day, that ALL these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee…..” Now read the next 53 verses. These curses were pronounced upon Israel generations prior to the division of Israel into two kingdoms. Therefore these curses applied to ALL Israel. The blessings cited in verses 1 through 14 were guaranteed to Israel if obedient. “All these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, IF thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God….The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, IF thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways” (See Deuteronomy 28:2 and 9).
“This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments. And to make thee high above all nations, which he hath made in praise, and in name, and in honor, and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken” (Deuteronomy 26:16-19).
But God is not so foolish as to keep a promise to those who forsake Him and turn to idols: “Wherefore the Lord thy God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever, but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me, for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed” (I Samuel 2:30).
“And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee. He will be with thee. He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8). But keep reading, friend, “And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, AND I WILL FORSAKE THEM, and I will hide myself face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?” (verse 17, Deuteronomy 31). To be continued in Part 3.
Christ’s Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley