Are You Blessed Or Cursed?

The Book now virtually closes with the recognition that Israel was bound to Him, and only Him, by the covenant. Yahweh reaffirms His authority over them and then confirms the blessings and cursing. If they walk with Him faithfully, blessing, but if they turn away there can only be disaster.

26 ‘You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God.

First of all they must recognize that Yahweh, the invisible Holy One, the One Who Is there with them, Is their God. Thus in lieu of this they were to make no idols nor were they to raise up a graven image or a pillar or any figure of stone for the purpose of bowing down to them. The whole paraphernalia of idolatrous worship was to be avoided.

2 You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.

The people of God are to keep His Sabbaths and reverence His Sanctuary thus indicating their submission to the signs of His Lordship and presence. What we believe is indicated by the preferences we choose, and this is especially true of worship. If our worship becomes debased, so also will our view of God.

3 ‘If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, 4 then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

The first promise in response to their obedience is that He would send the rain at the right times, when they were due, and would make the land and the trees fruitful. Their agricultural way of life would prosper. They would be continually busy because they would have so much grain to thresh that by the time they had completed the task the vintage harvest would be ready. Then there would be so many grapes that by the time that they had gathered in the fruit it would be time for sowing. They would be full of all manner of food. And they would dwell securely.

6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land.

Furthermore the land would know peace. They would be able to rest content with a total sense of security. They would not be troubled either by plagues of evil beasts or by the swords of evil men. Yahweh would keep their land free of both.

7 You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you. 8 Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.

When faced with an enemy they would always be victorious. When they chased them they would fall before them. To deal with a hundred they would only require five men. And their own medium unit of ‘a hundred’ would be sufficient to deal with ten large units of ‘a thousand’ each (ten thousand). For their enemy would be unable to resist them.