Chapter Twenty-Eight
Blessings for Obedience
With the law now presented, the benefits and penalties are summarized in this chapter. While it is true that this list undoubtedly offered an effective incentive for each person to obey God’s rules and regulations, it also clearly identifies them in their uniqueness and favor from all other people groups. This covenant (given through Moses) was truly conditional,[1] God expected them to follow the law and in return He promised them tremendous blessings. This list provides a quick, but comprehensive, examination of their potential benefits for their obedience and compares them to the dismal realities if they failed to obey.
28:1 “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God.
Perhaps used to clarify the condition of God’s blessing, this introduction to the blessings begins with the Hebrew conditional ‘im’,[2] followed by ‘šā·môª tiš·mǎ’ (same root meaning ‘to hear’ as Deuteronomy 6:4)[3] to hear and obey YHWH and ends with another Hebrew conditional ‘kî’[4] (both translated as ‘if’), to obey the voice of YHWH. If they were careful to do all the commandments God required, He would make them the most important nation on earth (see Deuteronomy 26:19). In addition, the blessings would come upon them and overtake them (Hebrew ‘hiś·śî·ḡǔ’,[5] to reach, to catch up), another promise from God that He will indeed bless them in this manner.
26:3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. 5 Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 6 Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
The list of blessings begins with a general overview of how God will bless them. First, it doesn’t matter where they are. If they are in town, He will bless them. If out somewhere in the field (Hebrew ‘śā·ḏě(h)’,[6] open country, most often used to describe a field, but can be a reference to wilderness, see Deuteronomy 21:1), God will still bless them. They will be blessed with abundance, more children (see Genesis 49:25; Exodus 23:26; Deuteronomy 7:13; 30:9); more productive crops grown (see Deuteronomy 7:13; 30:9); more livestock and more food brought home. They will be blessed wherever they go and at whatever they do.
28:7 “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
God promises that any enemy that revolts against the people of Israel will be defeated. Note that it is YHWH that causes the defeat, not Israel, although they still must engage the enemy. The enemy will attempt to strike them down, but God will undoubtedly cause great panic and confusion, forcing them to hurriedly flee leaving any way they can. The number seven here is not to be interpreted literally as the term in the Bible generally implies something being complete.[7]
28:8 The LORD will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
God will bless them in everything they do, including filling their storehouses with an abundance of grain. YHWH will bless them in the Promised Land.
28:9 The LORD will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. 10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you.
YHWH will establish them as a holy people, a unique people group that all other people will see and know that they are called and identified as belonging to Him, making them feared by all nations. Again, the disclaimer, as long as they remain obedient to YHWH.
28:11 And the LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.
Amplifying the promises outlined in verse four, the promise to prosper with the fruit of their own wombs (children), the fruit of their livestock and the fruit of their crops, will occur within the boundaries of the Promised Land.
28:12 The LORD will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.
YHWH promises to open to them His storehouse of treasures providing rain and bless the work of their hands allowing them to have an abundance, which can be offered to other nations for assistance or as a loan. However, they were not allowed to borrow from another nation. As a nation blessed by God, they would have no reason to borrow from someone else. Plus, that would put their reliance on human strengths and would no longer be unique or holy.
28:13 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, 14 and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
If the people of Israel continued to obey YHWH, He would make them the leading nation. They will be on top and prosper, leading others, not falling behind and following others. In addition to the usual disclaimer that they need to be obedient to YHWH, they are instructed to be careful to do them as they were instructed and if they varied in any way, or pursued worshiping false gods, these blessings would not occur.
Prosperity was the main benefit of these blessings, prosperity in nearly everything beneficial. Included in that prosperity was security, as they would be protected from any enemy. All they had to do was be obedient to God and enjoy His presence. But what would happen if they failed to remain obedient or dabbled in pagan worship? First and foremost, these blessings would stop and they would no longer be protected.
Curses for Disobedience
28:15 “But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. 16 Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. 17 Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 18 Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. 19 Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.
If the people of Israel, for whatever reason, fail to obey YHWH, there will be consequences. First, just like the listing of blessings that began with God blessing them wherever they were doing whatever they were doing, they will be cursed wherever they are and not receive any blessings regardless of what they do. Their food will not be in abundance, they will not have an abundance of children, nor will their crops or livestock be in abundance.
In addition to the cessation of all blessings, the following 25 verses identify nine specific curses (each listed with the introduction of “The LORD will…” in the ESV). Since these curses are very explicit, the people would be able to recognize that they were sent by YHWH to punish them.
28:20 “The LORD will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and perish quickly on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken me.
The first punishment listed contains three elements:
While these three are not very specific on their own, combined they create a very clear picture of an angry God. Why is He angry? Because they did evil and have turned their backs against Him. This set of curses will continue until they are destroyed and gone (see Leviticus 26:23-25, see also Malachi 2:2).
28:21 The LORD will make the pestilence stick to you until he has consumed you off the land that you are entering to take possession of it.
Pestilence (Hebrew ‘dā’·ḇěr’,[12] referring to pestilence or plague, a general word that is often used to foretell judgment)[13] will come and stay with them until they either dead or out of the Promised Land.
28:22 The LORD will strike you with wasting disease and with fever, inflammation and fiery heat, and with drought and with blight and with mildew. They shall pursue you until you perish. 23 And the heavens over your head shall be bronze, and the earth under you shall be iron.
Perhaps as an amplification of verse 21, these two verses describe a very uncomfortable scenario. YHWH will strike them with a wasting disease (Hebrew ‘šǎ·ḥě’·pěṯ’,[14] a disease that causes the body to waste away, see Leviticus 26:16) along with a fever, inflammation, and a fiery heat (Hebrew ‘ḥǎr·ḥǔr’,[15] found only this one time in the Bible, refers to an extra hot type of fever or scorching heat from the sun). In addition, they will experience drought (Hebrew ‘ḥě’·rěḇ’,[16] meaning a sword, a knife or some other cutting tool, which can be used to describe a coming judgment, however, many translators instead relate the word to either the Hebrew word ‘ḥā·rēḇ’[17] meaning dry and desolate, or the Hebrew word ‘ḥō·reḇ’,[18] indicating heat, drought or dryness), blight (a disease that would dry up crops) and mildew (another disease that would destroy crops). Using the metaphors of the sky being like bronze and the earth being like iron, verse 23 describes the extremely hostile conditions they would face in any attempt to farm or raise a crop to live on. The old adage “between a rock and a hard place,” may be an appropriate way to summarize, as the people would be sick and so would their crops.
28:24 The LORD will make the rain of your land powder. From heaven dust shall come down on you until you are destroyed.
Raining powder (Hebrew ‘ā·ḇāq’,[19] considered to be an extremely fine dust) is a dramatic and horrific snapshot of a condition that would quickly be unbearable. Dust would make everything much more difficult to do, let alone no visibility, but also having severe difficulty in eating, breathing, and drinking.
28:25 “The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them. And you shall be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 26 And your dead body shall be food for all birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth, and there shall be no one to frighten them away.
In addition to life being miserable, God will revoke any protection He was providing for them. Instead of defeating their enemies, YHWH will give victory to their enemies. They will enter the battle from one direction and flee seven ways as they attempt to avoid being captured or destroyed (the opposite of verse seven). They will become a horror (Hebrew ‘zǎ·’ǎwā(h)’,[20] a terror, a trembling) to other nations as they see the horrific destruction done to them by their own God.
When they die their bodies will feed the birds and animals and there will not be anyone around to shoo them away (see also Jeremiah 16:4; 19:7; 34:20; Ezekiel 39:4).
28:27 The LORD will strike you with the boils of Egypt, and with tumors and scabs and itch, of which you cannot be healed.
Similar to the sixth plague that God sent to Pharaoh and the inhabitants of Egypt (see Exodus 9:8-12), this sixth specific curse promises striking the people of Israel with boils, tumors (Hebrew ‘ǒpā·lîm’,[21] referring to a tumor, although not used to describe the boils in Egypt), scabs (Hebrew ‘gā·rāḇ’,[22] a festering eruption, difference unknown from the Hebrew word ‘ǎḇǎ’·’bǔ·’ōṯ’,[23] used to describe the sores from the plague in Egypt, see Exodus 9:9-10) and itch (Hebrew ‘ḥā’·rěs’,[24] considered another skin disease, first appearance, can also refer to the sun, see Judges 8:13; 14:18; Job 9:7). Regardless of what type of boil, tumor, scab, or skin disease, none of them were able to be healed.
28:28 The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of mind, 29 and you shall grope at noonday, as the blind grope in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. And you shall be only oppressed and robbed continually, and there shall be no one to help you. 30 You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall ravish her. You shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it. You shall plant a vineyard, but you shall not enjoy its fruit. 31 Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat any of it. Your donkey shall be seized before your face, but shall not be restored to you. Your sheep shall be given to your enemies, but there shall be no one to help you. 32 Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, while your eyes look on and fail with longing for them all day long, but you shall be helpless. 33 A nation that you have not known shall eat up the fruit of your ground and of all your labors, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually, 34 so that you are driven mad by the sights that your eyes see.
One might consider that after the above-mentioned curses that a mental breakdown would be inevitable. However, this is another specific curse, YHWH will strike them with madness (Hebrew ‘šig·gā·’ôn’,[25] insanity or madness, first appearance in Scripture), blindness (Hebrew ‘iw·wā·rôn’,[26] means blindness but can also refer to Spiritual blindness) and confusion (Hebrew ‘ṯim·hôn’,[27] bewilderment, disorientation and confusion) that causes them to grope around during the day and at night preventing them from gaining any prosperity, especially as they will continuously be oppressed (Hebrew ‘ā·šûq’,[28] to defraud, being taken advantage of) and robbed (Hebrew ḡā·zûl’,[29] to rob, to take away something by force) and no one will be around to help them.
If they marry or plan a marriage, the wife will be taken by another man who will ravish her (Hebrew ‘yiš·gā·lěn’,[30] to violate sexually, rape). If they build a house, they will not be allowed to live there. If they plant a vineyard, they will not be able to drink the wine.
Their oxen will be slaughtered while they watch, but the meat will not be shared with them to eat. Their donkeys will be taken away without being compensated and their sheep will be given to their enemies. Again, no assistance will be available, no one will be able to help.
Their sons and daughters will be given to another people while they watch. Their hearts will break for them, but they will be helpless in bringing them back or helping them in any way.
A nation that they have never heard about before will take and eat the harvest of the crops they worked so hard to produce. They will continuously be oppressed and receive devastating blows that will persecute them even more.
Seeing and experiencing all these things will add to their insanity and madness.
28:35 The LORD will strike you on the knees and on the legs with grievous boils of which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head.
This verse could be an amplification of verse 27, as this is the same Hebrew word translated as ‘boils’ in the Egyptian plague (see Exodus 9:8-12), the boils described in Leviticus (see Leviticus 13:18-23) as well as the boils mentioned in verse 27. The only unique and differentiating term would be the Hebrew word translated here as ‘grievous’ (‘rā’,[31] an adjective meaning bad or evil), but most consider this reference to be an entirely different ailment, since it specifically refers to a condition that can occur from the sole of the person’s foot to the top of their head, which suggests other skin diseases such as an incurable form of psoriasis, eczema, Hansen’s disease (leprosy), etc.
28:36 “The LORD will bring you and your king whom you set over you to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known. And there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone. 37 And you shall become a horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where the LORD will lead you away. 38 You shall carry much seed into the field and shall gather in little, for the locust shall consume it. 39 You shall plant vineyards and dress them, but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm shall eat them. 40 You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives shall drop off. 41 You shall father sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours, for they shall go into captivity. 42 The cricket shall possess all your trees and the fruit of your ground. 43 The sojourner who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. 44 He shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him. He shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.
Even though this last curse has several elements that may either clarify or amplify some of the other specific curses outlined above, these individual clauses seem to emphasize the pain and anxiety of being conquered by a foreign nation, beginning with the fact that YHWH will bring them and any king out of their land and into a pagan-worshiping nation that they, nor their fathers, have ever heard about or knew. While there, they will be forced to serve false gods and idols made of wood and stone.
The people and the nation of Israel will become a horror (Hebrew ‘šǎm·mā(h)’,[32] ruin, astonishment, an example of judgment deserved), proverb (Hebrew ‘mā·šāl’,[33] a parable, a short story) and a byword (Hebrew ‘šenî·nā(h)’,[34] a taunt, an intentionally scornful put-down, a jeer) making the name ‘Israel’ an equivalent of a sad joke among the people that conquered them.
They will bring a lot of seed to plant crops in the fields but will only be able to gather a small amount as the locusts will consume their crops. Plus, after they plant a vineyard and dress the vines, they will not be able to drink the wine or gather any of the grapes grown, as worms will eat the grapes. In addition, any olive trees owned will not produce as the olives will fall off the tree. Making it impossible to anoint oneself (Hebrew ‘ṯā·sûḵ’,[35] to anoint, in context refers to the common practice of applying oil after bathing for personal hygiene).
They will be separated from their children as they will be taken away into captivity. Many ancient cultures would not allow conquered people to remain in families or in related people groups to force them to assimilate into the conqueror’s language and culture, ultimately stripping them of their own identity.
Crickets will inhabit their trees and consume all the fruit. The Hebrew word ‘ṣelā·ṣǎl’[36] (translated here as ‘crickets’) refers to a sound, perhaps a whirring. It is considered to be an onomatopoeic word (the naming of something that imitates the sound made by it) and could be several species of insects, including locusts, which is even more destructive.[37]
This list of specific curses closes with the opposite of the closing of the blessings (see verses 12-13). Instead of rising in prominence, the sojourner (foreign person in the land) will rise above the people of Israel, as they will continue to decline. Israel will no longer be able to lend to others but will be able to receive loans from others. The sojourner will become the head, while the people of Israel will become the tail.
28:45 “All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you. 46 They shall be a sign and a wonder against you and your offspring forever.
The people of Israel are reminded that the curses will come as the result of them being disobedient. The curses are now identified as being a sign[38] and a wonder (Hebrew ‘mô·pēṯ’,[39] an unexplained phenomenon, typically supernatural),[40] something that would clearly be understood that it was punishment from God, and with full knowledge as to why they are being punished. The effect of these curses will not be temporary like some punitive reprimands, they will adversely affect all future generations.
28:47 Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you.
In contrast with Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” They are being told that the root cause of their disobedience is their lack of love, they were no longer serving YHWH with joy and gladness of heart. Instead of loving God, they were loving His provisions, as they had an abundance of everything they needed and wanted.[41] Instead they will serve enemies chosen and sent by God. Their abundance of provisions will be replaced with hunger, thirst, nakedness, lacking everything. Their enemies will burden them with a yoke of iron (referring to heavy labor and relentless cruelty that will be ongoing and never ending).
28:49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, swooping down like the eagle, a nation whose language you do not understand, 50 a hard-faced nation who shall not respect the old or show mercy to the young. 51 It shall eat the offspring of your cattle and the fruit of your ground, until you are destroyed; it also shall not leave you grain, wine, or oil, the increase of your herds or the young of your flock, until they have caused you to perish.
YHWH will bring an enemy nation against them from a great distance, who will come into Israel like an eagle swooping down on its prey. The enemy will speak a language that they will not understand. This “hard-faced” (two Hebrew words: ‘ǎz’,[42] meaning strong, powerful, insolent, fierce, etc.; and ‘pā·nîm’,[43] indicating the position being in front of something) nation will not respect the elderly nor will they show mercy to young children. The enemy will also consume Israel’s meat, grain, wine, and oil, ultimately destroying their economy. All these things will continue until Israel has been destroyed.
28:52 “They shall besiege you in all your towns, until your high and fortified walls, in which you trusted, come down throughout all your land. And they shall besiege you in all your towns throughout all your land, which the LORD your God has given you. 53 And you shall eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of your sons and daughters, whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies shall distress you.
The Hebrew word ‘hē·ṣǎr’[44] (translated here as ‘besiege’, both times) refers to being in distress, a state of anxiety and fear.[45] In this context it is referring to a common war tactic of surrounding a town and either attack by breaching the walls and gates, or wait them out as they prevent the inhabitants from obtaining any additional food and water (often referred as a famine).[46] When their enemy breaks down their trusted walls and other barriers they will be cut off from food and will do the unthinkable to survive, some will eat their own children.
The next four verses are very graphic and disturbing as they predict the level of depravity people will reach due to conditions they will face.
28:54 The man who is the most tender and refined among you will begrudge food to his brother, to the wife he embraces, and to the last of the children whom he has left, 55 so that he will not give to any of them any of the flesh of his children whom he is eating, because he has nothing else left, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in all your towns.
The scenario is so grim that the people’s state of mind is represented here in two examples, one man and one woman. The man is introduced as once being a gentle and refined man who becomes so depraved that he becomes a cannibal who will not share his food, his own children. The New Living Translation renders these verses as: “The most tenderhearted man among you will have no compassion for his own brother, his beloved wife, and his surviving children. He will refuse to share with them the flesh he is devouring—the flesh of one of his own children—because he has nothing else to eat during the siege and terrible distress that your enemy will inflict on all your towns.” (NLT)
28:56 The most tender and refined woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because she is so delicate and tender, will begrudge to the husband she embraces, to her son and to her daughter, 57 her afterbirth that comes out from between her feet and her children whom she bears, because lacking everything she will eat them secretly, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in your towns.
The woman is also described as a gentle and refined person, who would never consider harming another but will turn against her own family. “The most tender and delicate woman among you—so delicate she would not so much as touch the ground with her foot—will be selfish toward the husband she loves and toward her own son or daughter. She will hide from them the afterbirth and the new baby she has borne, so that she herself can secretly eat them. She will have nothing else to eat during the siege and terrible distress that your enemy will inflict on all your towns.” (Deuteronomy 28:56-57, NLT)
The text of the last four verses describes a horrific reversal of attitude, those that were good, decent and loving parents lost all positive traits and possibly their sanity as a result of the conditions imposed on them by their enemy. Words so despicable and offensive that many listeners may have boldly claimed, “that will never happen!” But sadly, these verses were more than empty scare tactics (see Considerations below).
28:58 “If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the LORD your God, 59 then the LORD will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting. 60 And he will bring upon you again all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. 61 Every sickness also and every affliction that is not recorded in the book of this law, the LORD will bring upon you, until you are destroyed. 62 Whereas you were as numerous as the stars of heaven, you shall be left few in number, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God. 63 And as the LORD took delight in doing you good and multiplying you, so the LORD will take delight in bringing ruin upon you and destroying you. And you shall be plucked off the land that you are entering to take possession of it.
The curses are reaffirmed, if the people of Israel fail to keep the requirements of God’s law and not fear the name YHWH, then He will bring to them these long-term extraordinary afflictions and severe diseases. Plus, afflictions and diseases that have not been recorded here.
They were as numerous as the stars in the sky, but after the curses they would be only a few in number. It is important to note that the text implies that there will be a remnant of the people of Israel after the period of curses (see verse 62).
As YHWH took delight in blessing and multiplying the people of Israel, He will also take delight in punishing them and removing them from the Promised Land. The Hebrew word ’śûś’,[47] translated as ‘delight’ twice here in verse 63, is a verb meaning to rejoice, a time to be glad. Many interpret that this verse implies that God delights in giving unthinkable pain and suffering, that He is some form of divine despot. Using the parent analogy again, all parents understand the need for discipline and punishment. While not enjoyable at the time of administering the punishment, the benefits of lesson learned to prevent a reoccurrence is pleasing. Since God knows the future, He knows what benefit will come from the present anguish. This concept remains true today, as Christians that might be currently suffering or perhaps suffer in the future, they can have hope in knowing that they will be spending eternity with Jesus (see Romans 8:18-30).
28:64 “And the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. 65 And among these nations you shall find no respite, and there shall be no resting place for the sole of your foot, but the LORD will give you there a trembling heart and failing eyes and a languishing soul. 66 Your life shall hang in doubt before you. Night and day you shall be in dread and have no assurance of your life. 67 In the morning you shall say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and at evening you shall say, ‘If only it were morning!’ because of the dread that your heart shall feel, and the sights that your eyes shall see. 68 And the LORD will bring you back in ships to Egypt, a journey that I promised that you should never make again; and there you shall offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer.”
After the curses, the remnant will be scattered around the world and be assimilated by various nations, but they will not find rest as they will always be stirred up and in motion. YHWH will give them a trembling heart (Hebrew ‘rǎg·gāz’,[48] refers to trembling or shaking, found only this one time in Scripture, plus ‘lēḇ’[49] referring to the inner self, describing a fainting heart), failing eyes, and a languishing soul. Their lives will hang in the balance, being unsure from day to day if they will survive. Due to the ever-present dread, the days and nights will pass very slowly.
They will be sent back to Egypt in ships, something that God told them to never do, to sell themselves as slaves to survive, but there will be no buyer.
If they violate the terms of the covenant, they will not be able stay in the land, nor will they be able to live securely. Until when?.[50]
Considerations
Why would God use a nation contrary to His own nature to punish Israel?
In a sense, this question could be considered a trick question, as all people and people groups are sinners by definition and would be considered contrary to the nature of God. However, the question is still worth exploring.
To begin, we should start with who and what is God. We know a few things about Him including:
Once we understand these points, we can conclude that the use of a foreign entity by God, even one that does not respect or embrace God’s perspective of life, is only a ‘tool’ in God’s hands. Once they have served their role as that tool, and they continue in sin and do not repent of their sinful actions, they will be judged along with the rest of humanity. Being a temporary ‘agent’ for God does not give those leaders or nations any long-term advantage.
In the Introduction to Deuteronomy, under the heading, “Can You Hear Moses Crying?” the observation was made that both Moses and the apostle Paul had knowledge of future events given to them from God, and because of that knowledge, they both struggled with their emotions as they wrote about things that would occur in the future. While the book of Deuteronomy addresses several direct warnings as to what the people of Israel should do and what they should not do, the list of curses in this chapter is perhaps the most poignant. Moses went from saying things like, “if you disobey,” to “all these curses shall come upon you,” as the result of something done in the past (see verses 45-57). The text went from being a possibility if they did not obey, to being an absolute. Moses knew the horrific truth; in the future, the people of Israel would indeed turn away from God.
Sadly, many (if not all) of the events described in this chapter became part of Israel’s history. Due to their disobedience, the people of Israel were not allowed to remain in the Promised Land. God used Israel’s enemies to dislocate them. There were three major events that resulted in what is often referred to as the Diaspora (sometimes used as a singular term, even though referring to different time periods). Here is a quick summary and overview of the events, note that not all historians agree regarding the actual dates of these events.
1300-1200 B.C.
The people of Israel began to occupy the Promised Land between 1300-1200 B.C, under the leadership of Joshua.
922 B.C.
Around 922 B.C. The kingdom split. The northern ten tribes retained the name ‘Israel’ while the southern tribes became unified under the name ‘Judah’, (see 1 Kings 12:16-24).
722 B.C.
The northern kingdom was conquered in 722 B.C. by the Assyrians, who exiled the people living in Israel throughout their empire (see 2 Kings 17:1-18).
604 B.C.
Several years later the southern kingdom and the city of Jerusalem fell, in 604 B.C., to the Babylonians. During that initial siege they took many of the people of Judah captive, bringing them back to Babylon (which included the prophet Daniel).
586 B.C.
Later in 586 B.C., Jerusalem was again attacked by the Babylonians, due to trouble with the vassal king, and many more were brought to Babylon. Both the city of Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed during that year.
539 B.C.
Babylon was conquered in 539 B.C. by the Persian conqueror Cyrus the Great, who later allowed the Jews to return and rebuild the Temple.
332 B.C.
The next empire arises as Alexander the Great conquers the Persians in 332 B.C. beginning the Hellenistic rule of the region (then known as Judea).
168 B.C.
In 168 B.C. Antiochus the Fourth captures Jerusalem causing the “Abomination of Desolation” in the Temple (note: there are two separate events titled “Abomination of Desolation” in the Bible, this one and one still yet future, see Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Matthew 24:15-28; Mark 13:14-23; compare with Luke 21:20-24), which sparked the Maccabean revolt.[52] The Temple was successfully recaptured and rededicated in a ceremony which is the origin of the celebration of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights.[53]
142 - 37 B.C.
Several additional conquests occurred between 142 and 37 B.C., which ended when Herod the Great gained control of the region for the Romans.
66 A.D.
The Roman Emperor Caligula attempted to have his image placed in the Temple in 66 A.D., causing another Jewish revolt which resulted in the destruction of the Temple and the fall of Jerusalem in the year 70 A. D.
132 A.D.
A revolt led by Simon bar Kochban, in an attempt to rebuild the Temple, began in 132 A.D., but the revolt was quickly stopped by the Romans. As the result of that conflict, and continued, most of the remaining Jews fled the area and joined the others who left and now were scattered throughout the world, fulfilling the curses.
Since that time there have been many battles and wars fought in and around Israel. The Crusades, Persian Wars, Muslim takeovers, Ottoman Empire, and many other events make for a bloody existence. Why so much bloodshed? Because God gave that land to the people of Israel, while it is true He disbursed the people due to their disobedience, He unconditionally gave them the land (their occupancy was conditional but only the Israelites could use the land, which may sound like “splitting hairs,” but it is not).[54] They were told they would return to the land, and they have (see Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Isaiah 11:11-16; 41:1-29; 44:1-28; 45:14-25; 54:1-17; 65:1-16; Jeremiah 3:11-18; 23:5-8; 31:31-34; 32:1-38:22; Ezekiel 28:25-26; 34:11-12; 37:21-25; 39:28; Hosea 3:4-5; Joel 2:18-27; Amos 9:14-15; Micah 2:12; Zechariah 8:7-8).
The curses also mentioned cannibalism, and even that horrific concept became a reality. Recorded in the book of Second Kings is a story about two mothers eating one mother’s son (see 2 Kings 6:24-30). In addition, there are several unverified accounts of cannibalism recorded during the Roman siege of Jerusalem (including reports in Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History, Book Five).[55]
The Wrath of God, Cruelty and Suffering
Often when people read about God’s judgment and the wrath that follows, they become perplexed in trying to understand where wrath fits into their comprehension of God. The greatest difficulty regarding any study of God (theology), is that mankind cannot think like God. He is perfect, without flaw, without sin and knows all there is to know. Plus, being part of creation, how can we begin to understand the Creator? All that we know of Him is what He has shared with us through His Word. In simple terms, we have no way to relate to someone who is perfect. Everything we see, hear, and know of this world is from a less-than-perfect perspective.
Here is a question to ponder, “Is God’s wrath part of His perfection?” Knowing that God is perfect, the answer must be yes. So why do so many Christians avoid talking about God’s wrath? Are they embarrassed that God would in judgment have wrath against someone? If God’s wrath is perfect, why do Christians feel the need to almost apologize for it? God did not change between the Old and New Testaments, He is unchangeable (immutable, see Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 40:8, 28; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17). God cannot compromise, nor is His reputation tainted because He gets angry and judges. Wrath is a necessary component to understand the nature of God. One roadblock regarding our ability to understand wrath is thinking that God’s nature is to love (which it is), but we then surmise that judgment and wrath are not compatible with love. The theologian D.A. Carson wrote:[56]
Our problem, in part, is that in human experience wrath and love normally abide in mutually exclusive compartments. Love drives wrath out, or wrath drives love out. We come closest to bringing them together, perhaps, in our responses to a wayward act by one of our children, but normally we do not think that a wrathful person is loving.
But this is not the way it is with God. God’s wrath is not an implacable, blind rage. However emotional it may be, it is an entirely reasonable and willed response to offenses against his holiness.
God’s wrath is not only perfect and necessary, it is essential. Without wrath, God would no longer be perfect and just. God desires to have a relationship with each and every person but, due to sin, that relationship is impossible (see Ezekiel 18:23; 33:11; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). Since the wages of sin is death (see Romans 6:23), all people are already condemned to death and destruction plus, the ultimate wrath, the eternal separation from God. In the Old Testament God chose the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel) to bless and prepare for the coming Messiah. Those people were given several promises in the form of covenants, including one that was conditional, the one given through Moses (also known as the Torah or law). If they broke that covenant there would be severe consequences as outlined in this chapter. God’s people have always been given a choice, the Israelites could obey that law or not. Even today, people still have choices, they can choose to accept Jesus as their Savior or not, if not, the same death and ultimate destruction will occur (see John 3:18-21).
By now you are probably thinking, “Why couldn’t He just forgive them?” He could have, but remember earlier, in Leviticus 17:11, we learned that sin can only be atoned by the offering of “innocent blood.” The procedures given to the people of Israel could provide limited atonement and forgiveness (limited only by time, the Day of Atonement was an annual event), but if they were no longer obedient to those procedures, forgiveness was not available to them. Years later, when Jesus lived a sin-less life, suffered, died, and rose to life again (done once for all time), forgiveness was offered (and still is) to those who chose Him as He flawlessly and completely fulfilled the requirement of the law (see 1 John 2:2).
In addition to being just, the use of wrath, suffering, and disaster have other side effects that most people often refuse to acknowledge, they can bring one closer to God.[57] When life is going well, people frequently turn their backs on God, or at least make Him a lower priority. The Bible contains many stories that begin during a time of prosperity for His people and then describe how God brought adversity to them to bring them back to Him.[58]
But why allow such cruelty, such as someone resorting to eating their own child? Sadly, cannibalism is only one of many dark traits of sin. Jeremiah wrote: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 19:7, NLT). Without God to influence and convict, the human heart can turn very dark, very quickly, even to consider something so unimaginable as eating one’s own child. Depravity, corruption, wickedness, selfishness, perversion, hatred, lust, cruelty, etc. are all bi products of sin. These did not come from God; they came from man.
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[1] See Considerations under Exodus 19:21-25.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 518.
[3] Both words are variations of Strong’s Hebrew 8085.
[4] Strong’s Hebrew 3588.
[5] Strong’s Hebrew 5381.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew 7704.
[7] See commentary and Considerations under Genesis 10:1.
[8] Strong’s Hebrew 3994.
[9] Strong’s Hebrew 4103.
[10] See commentary under Deuteronomy 7:22-24.
[11] Strong’s Hebrew 4045.
[12] Strong’s Hebrew 1698.
[13] See commentary under Leviticus 26:23-26.
[14] Strong’s Hebrew 7829.
[15] Strong’s Hebrew 2746.
[16] Strong’s Hebrew 2719.
[17] Strong’s Hebrew 2717.
[18] Strong’s Hebrew 2721.
[19] Strong’s Hebrew 80.
[20] Strong’s Hebrew 2189.
[21] Strong’s Hebrew 6076.
[22] Strong’s Hebrew 1618.
[23] Strong’s Hebrew 76.
[24] Strong’s Hebrew 2775.
[25] Strong’s Hebrew 7697.
[26] Strong’s Hebrew 5788.
[27] Strong’s Hebrew 8541.
[28] Strong’s Hebrew 6231.
[29] Strong’s Hebrew 1497.
[30] Strong’s Hebrew 7693.
[31] Strong’s Hebrew 7451.
[32] Strong’s Hebrew 8047.
[33] Strong’s Hebrew 4912.
[34] Strong’s Hebrew 8148.
[35] Strong’s Hebrew 5480.
[36] Strong’s Hebrew 6767.
[37] See commentary under Deuteronomy 2:20-23.
[38] See commentary under Exodus 31:12-13.
[39] Strong’s Hebrew 4159.
[40] See also commentary under Exodus 4:21.
[41] See also Considerations under Genesis 11:8-9 regarding the Speed of Decline.
[42] Strong’s Hebrew 5794.
[43] Strong’s Hebrew 3942.
[44] Strong’s Hebrew 3334.
[45] See commentary under Numbers 25:16-18.
[46] See commentary under Deuteronomy 20:19-20.
[47] Strong’s Hebrew 7797.
[48] Strong’s Hebrew 7268.
[49] Strong’s Hebrew 3820.
[50] See Considerations under Leviticus 26:46 regarding a speculation “Too Intriguing to Ignore” that attempts to answer that question.
[51] See Considerations under Genesis 25:24-26 regarding Inconsistent God?
[52] See Considerations under Genesis 10:19-20 regarding Ancient Jewish Writings.
[53] See Considerations under Leviticus 23:44, below Prophetic Overview regarding Other Notable Celebrations.
[54] See the commentary above Leviticus 25:1-7.
[55] Eusebius. (1926–1932). The Ecclesiastical History and 2: English Translation. (T. E. Page, E. Capps, W. H. D. Rouse, L. A. Post, & E. H. Warmington, Eds., K. Lake & J. E. L. Oulton, Trans.) (Vol. 1). London; New York; Cambridge, MA: William Heinemann; G. P. Putnam’s Sons; Harvard University Press.
[56] Carson, D. A. (2000). The difficult doctrine of the love of God (p. 69). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
[57] See Considerations under Genesis 35:9-15 regarding Traumatic Events in Life.
[58] See Considerations under Genesis 11:8-9 regarding the Speed of Decline.