VIII. BLESSINGS AND CURSINGS WITH RESPECT TO THE COVENANT (DEUTERONOMY 28:1 TO DEUTERONOMY 29:1). CHAPTER 28 COVENANT BLESSINGS AND CURSINGS. It should be noted that verse 1 is not an invitation to enter into covenant. The offer of the covenant had already been made by Yahweh out of His lovingkindn... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIRST SERIES OF CURSES (DEUTERONOMY 28:15). There now follows a series of five sixfold curses, the sixfold curses paralleling the six tribes on the Mount of cursing. Whereas the sixfold blessing was limited to one, for God's blessing is total, the sixfold curses are multiplied. It is possible t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CURSINGS THAT WILL RESULT IF THEY ARE NOT FAITHFUL TO THE COVENANT (DEUTERONOMY 28:15). But once they wander outside the sphere of the covenant only cursings can await them. They will have put themselves in the same place as that already taken by those whom they had cursed in Deuteronomy 27:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIRST SIXFOLD CURSE (DEUTERONOMY 28:16). These curses parallel the blessings in Deuteronomy 28:3 and must therefore all be seen together. Deuteronomy 28:16 ‘Cursed shall you be in the city, And cursed shall you be in the field. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading-trough. Cursed s... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SECOND SIXFOLD CURSE (DEUTERONOMY 28:21). This is now followed by a further sixfold curse, with each of the six, commencing (in EVV, in MT it comes second with the verb coming first for emphasis) with Yahweh's name. Whereas the first curses where on their daily lives and mainly affected the fru... [ Continue Reading ]
THE THIRD SIXFOLD CURSE (DEUTERONOMY 28:30). This is then followed by a further sixfold curse divided into three and three, the first three patterned on ‘you will -- and', the last three patterned on ‘your -- and'. This third set of curses refers to what have been called ‘futility curses' where the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FOURTH SIXFOLD CURSE (DEUTERONOMY 28:32). The next sixfold pattern is more complicated. It is again divided into three and three, each made up of two statements followed by a consequence. The curses are now becoming more severe. The first set of curses related to famine. The second set related... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIFTH SIXFOLD CURSE (DEUTERONOMY 28:38). This is now followed by a further sixfold pattern. Here the curses more reflect conditions in the land. The whole of their agriculture, on which they all depended, would fail and fall into total chaos. It was not only outside enemies that they had to fac... [ Continue Reading ]
A SUMMARY. The first series of curses are now summarised. There have been five sixfold curses, and it might have been felt that that was enough, but more were to come. And they would be even more terrible and be intensified. This again is typical of ancient treaties. Deuteronomy 28:45 ‘ And all t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SECOND SERIES OF CURSES (DEUTERONOMY 28:47). The curses in this second series can be analysed as follows in the words of Moses: a Because you did not serve Yahweh your God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things (Deuteronomy 28:47). b Therefore wi... [ Continue Reading ]
DETAILS OF THE SIXTH SIXFOLD CURSE (DEUTERONOMY 28:49). The curses now go deeper while repeating some of what has gone before. They had been engaged in much siege warfare in their defeat of Sihon and Og, and the capture of their great cities. They would remember the conditions when they had had to... [ Continue Reading ]
THE THIRD SERIES OF CURSES (DEUTERONOMY 28:59). The sixfold pattern here is not quite so apparent (there is always the danger of seeking to fit the text into a pre-prepared straitjacket). It is certainly more complicated here, but what has preceded suggests that we should seek such a pattern here t... [ Continue Reading ]