Day 19

Blessings and Curses

from the Deuteronomy reading plan


Deuteronomy 27:9-26, Deuteronomy 28:1-68, Galatians 3:10-26

BY Kara Gause

When I entered my twenties, I began to appreciate my parents’ commitment in raising me, or honestly, just keeping me alive all those years. When I got married, my eyes were opened to the startling reality of how thoroughly selfish I can be. (It’s astounding, I tell you.) And when I became a parent, I got a glimpse at just how unfathomably patient God has been toward me. 

These are my personal experiences, yet when I read today’s passages from Deuteronomy, I’m reminded of how much patience and mercy God has always extended toward His people. In these verses, God spells out for His children through Moses and the Levitical priests, exactly what is required for them to belong to Him—and what will happen should they stray (Deuteronomy 27:9). 

For Israel, choosing God and obeying His ways would yield abundant blessing (Deuteronomy 28:2). Choosing any other way, whether their own, or the practices of surrounding nations, would result in complete and utter catastrophe, something God does not want (v.14). Each graphic detail of blessing or curse works to help them choose to wholeheartedly love and obey Him. If they agree to the terms of the covenant but don’t follow through with obedience, calamity will follow; ultimately, they “will be ripped out of the land [they] are entering to possess,” scattered across other nations, and sent back to Egypt, where they will hope to sell themselves back into slavery (v.63).

Mind you, these are hardly “gotcha” curses, coming out of nowhere. It’s as if God is intentionally detailing these consequences to ward them off destructive paths. Israel doesn’t have to be overtaken by curses; God is equally offering the chance to be overtaken by blessing instead—by joyfully serving God and obeying the law (v.2,47).

So often, I tend to separate God’s character from His commands, considering them a burden when they’re meant to be a gift “for the sake of [our] transgressions,” protecting us from our sin and ourselves (Galatians 3:19). In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul explained that the law once contained our sin, even acting as “our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith” in Him (v.24). No, we could never keep it perfectly, but it led the way until “the way, the truth, and the life” Himself came to fulfill it on our behalf (Matthew 5:17; John 14:6). It was given by a mediator, and in the end, perfectly fulfilled by our great Mediator (Galatians 3:19–20).

Growing up, I rarely understood the purpose of boundaries and discipline in the moments I so desperately needed them. “No discipline seems enjoyable at the time,” regardless of how lovingly it is given (Hebrews 12:11). I wonder if the same can be said of how I instinctively view God’s commands, failing to see them as the protection and provision they offered God’s wayward people until freedom offered by faith in Jesus Christ became ours (Galatians 3:25–26).

Post Comments (32)

32 thoughts on "Blessings and Curses"

  1. Sophia Ayres says:

    I can’t escape God’s blessings when I obey him and I couldn’t have escaped his just curses when I abandoned his plan and wrote my own. I can’t follow my heart because it is broken like a compass that doesn’t point North for direction. But now he has provided the way of escape and of blessing. The way still means choosing him and sacrificing what I can see as easy and right. The way also includes repenting directly through Jesus’ sacrifice when I make the wrong choice and sin. Thank you God for your faithfulness and extending your grace to all nations.

  2. Gwen Dunn says:

    How I need not only to be reminded of the curses of disobedience but the blessings of obedience by a God who would die on a cross for me. I struggle with obedience. Holy Spirit, help me with my disobedience.

  3. Erin Carr says:

    My gosh! I never realized what is truly meant by God always keeps his promises! I know that to be true, but this study makes that literal in Galatians 3:13-14. Wow is all I can say. God’s promise to Abraham was BEFORE the law. I knew that, but now that I’ve read this, it hits me in a much deeper way. So amazing! I’m in awe this evening.

  4. Brandy Deruso says:

    We are blessed through obedience of god and his will and his way lord you are good.
    Lord you are good and you are great you are the king of kings and lord and lord and we worship you on today let your annoiting reign and saturate our lives and our houses of worship lord have your way lord remove anything from us that should not be that would hinder your worship your move your annoiting lord we declare and decree healing restoration prosperity debt cancellation provision all that you have for us lord we receive it lord we rebuke and bind the enemy lord in the name of Jesus no weapon formed against us shall not prosper in Jesus name bless our leaders of our ministries lord and we will forever give your name the praise we honor you lord and reverance you lord and we declare and decree it is in Jesus name! Hallelujah!

  5. Rachael Hunnell says:

    i love this!!!

  6. Alexandra Dent says:

    ❤️

  7. Lauren Whitham says:

    I am still processing, but this hit me hard. I have always been such a rule follower. And I felt most loved when I did the “right things.” And this reminder that I am not imprisoned to the law anymore, literally brought me to tears.

  8. Sky Hilton says:

    Hello and good Friday, my dearest friends! As always when I read Deuteronomy, I see God’s love and patience though out every line. I find it so inspirational! I didn’t find it harsh or cold, but a beautiful promise that God always carries us through everything. I also saw the curses like how life gets when we try to solve our own problems, and exclude God from them. When this happens.. things will get worse. We simply cannot rely on our own strength!. But when we rely on God.. then beautiful things start to happen. I believe thats when real faith breaks through. He is our SUPERHERO!

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