To begin with, let’s read, “Deuteronomy 28:1, “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth.” Now, let’s compare that to verse 15, “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.” This chapter tells us of the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience for the nation of Israel. The Lord’s desire was to bless His earthly people, but His blessings depended on their obedience to His commandments, the law. From verses 1-14, we learn of the blessings of obedience. In verses 15-68, we learn of the result of disobedience.

Now let’s read Deuteronomy 28:48-49, “Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee. The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand.” Along with that, let’s read Deuteronomy 28:68, “And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.” We speak often of the love of God, and we should, however we do Him a disservice if we fail to consider His hatred of sin and His absolute judgment of sin. Since Israel would not serve the Lord their God, who was so good to them, they would serve other lords, their very enemies. God would raise up and send against them, not only, the Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Babylonians, but also the Romans. In contrast to the goodness of God, these nations were harsh rulers. The Lord had delivered Israel from slavery, but because of their disobedience, their refusal to acknowledge Him as Sovereign ruler, their refusal to keep themselves pure, they were sold back into slavery.

Luke 12:48 teaches us that, “…unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.” Israel was blessed greatly of the Lord. They were loved greatly by the Lord. Because of this, it was expected that they would love and serve the Lord in return. May we all learn this valuable lesson! As believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, we have been blessed beyond knowing. Ephesians 1:7-8 speaks of that. It says, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.” What does the Lord require of us for this great unmerited favor? Matthew 22:37 says, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” The Lord wants us to love Him. Is that too much to ask of us who have received so much from Him? We read of the Lord’s desire in Proverbs 23:26 where the Lord says, “My son, give me thine heart…” Dear fellow believer, may we give the Lord our whole hearts, give Him first place in our lives, and seek to know and follow Him according to His Word. (171.6)