Book of Deuteronomy
Book of Deuteronomy Chapter 28 Summary
Blessing and Cursing
- Blessings for… everyone! That's right—blessings for the Israelites in everything they do.
- The Israelites pronounce various blessings, including victory over enemies and Israel's power and prosperity being recognized by other nations. Also, the Lord will open up his storehouse of rain for the people. That's a big deal in wayback Middle East days.
- But it's not all good. The Lord will also send various curses, most of which are just the opposite of the blessings mentioned earlier. Maybe most importantly, these curses include a drought, which would be a crippling penalty in a farming-based society. These people need rain to make grain crops grow.
- Now, Deuteronomy gets back to anticipating Israel's future. A foreign king will rule over Israel, and his people will eat the fruit of Israel's labors. Historically, this is referring to the Israelites' exile to Babylon around 587 BCE.
- Their crops will not grow, and their children will become slaves. Without food, the people will commit atrocious acts just to survive.
Why is this all happening? Because the people did not obey.
- The Lord will bring the diseases of Egypt upon the people. Although the people were as numerous as the stars in the sky, their numbers will dwindle.
- Things are looking bleak.