Deuteronomy 28:1-14

C. BLESSINGS TO BE REPEATED FROM MOUNT GERIZIM (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)

And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that Jehovah thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth: 2 and all these blessings shall come upon thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of Jehovah thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy beasts, the increase of thy cattle, and the young of thy flock. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough, 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
7 Jehovah will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thee: they shall come out against thee one way, and shall flee before thee seven ways. 8 Jehovah will command the blessings upon thee in thy barns, and in all that thou puttest thy hand unto; and he will bless thee in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee. 9Jehovah will establish thee for a holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee; if thou shalt keep the commandments of Jehovah thy God, and walk in his ways. 10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of Jehovah; and they shall be afraid of thee. 11 And Jehovah will make thee plenteous for good, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which Jehovah sware unto thy fathers to give thee. 12 Jehovah will open unto thee his good treasure the heavens, to give the rain of thy land in its season, and to bless all the work of thy hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. 13 And Jehovah will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them, 14 and shalt not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 28:1-14

481.

What specifically is promised in the expression: Set thee on high above all the nations of the earth? On high in what respect?

482.

What is a synonym for the word Blessed? As used in Deuteronomy 28:3-5.

483.

What would cause the enemies of Israel to flee before them? The fierceness of Israel's appearance? The military ability of Israel or what?

484.

Itemize the relationships of Jehovah to Israel if they were obedient.

485.

List the specific promises, material and Spiritual, promised by God to Israel.

486.

God assumes faith and demands what?

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 28:1-14

If you will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations ofthe earth.

2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you heed the voice of the Lord your God.
3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, and the fruit of your ground, and the fruit of your beasts, the increase of your cattle, and the young of your flock.
5 Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading trough.
6 Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
7 The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way, and flee before you seven ways.
8 The Lord shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouse, and in all that you undertake; and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you.
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 people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name [and in the presence of] the Lord; and they shall be afraid of you.
11 And the Lord shall make you have a surplus of prosperity, through the fruit of your body, of your livestock, and of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.
12 The Lord shall open to you His good treasury, the heavens to give the rain of your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.
13 And the Lord shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day, and are watchful to do them.
14 And you shall not go aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

COMMENT 28:1-14

The blessings here recounted are not those that God sends on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). They are the blessings promised to an obedient Israel, and withheld if they are disobedient as in Deuteronomy 7:12-26, Leviticus 26:3-13.

THY BASKET AND THY KNEADING-TROUGH (Deuteronomy 28:5)a rendering to be preferred over the A.V., thy basket and thy store, as also in Deuteronomy 28:17. Both when they gathered produce (grain) would they be blessed, and when they proceeded to use it by baking, would God be with them.

The basket (Heb. tene) was large and deep, and in it grain or other products of the field were carried home and kept. Cf. Deuteronomy 26:2 ff. They were variously made of willow branches, palm leaves, or rushes.

COME OUT AGAINST THEE ONE WAY, AND SHALL FLEE SEVEN WAYS (Deuteronomy 28:7)Indicating the utter confusion and consternation of a routed enemy. Note Deuteronomy 28:25 where Israel is described as fleeing in the same way. The simple promise of God was victory over the enemy with obedience, defeat with disobedience. And the defeat is described as being just as cataclysmic as the victory would be glorious.

AND ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH SHALL SEE (Deuteronomy 28:10)Note the two blessings promised here: 1. Foreign nations shall see Israel's greatness as coming from Jehovah God, and that his name is held high in the land. 2. They shall fear Israel. Cf. Deuteronomy 2:25, Deuteronomy 11:25.

JEHOVAH WILL OPEN UNTO THEE HIS GOOD TREASURE THE HEAVENS, TO GIVE THE RAIN OF THY LAND IN ITS SEASON (Deuteronomy 28:12)The early and latter rains (See Deuteronomy 11:11-17, notes), were the very life of the land in Israel, Every kind of blessing was dependent upon their regular appearance. Without them, the land very literally became cursed. See Deuteronomy 28:24 of this chapter. Because the manna also came from above (Psalms 78:23-24), and because godly people of all ages have known that Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above (James 1:17), many blessings are included when God speaks of opening up the windows of heaven (2 Kings 7:2; 2 Kings 7:19, Malachi 3:9-12), although this expression originally had specific reference to rain (Genesis 7:11). So here God's treasure the heavens is specifically rain, but because a million blessings followed a well-watered Palestine, the treasure included much more than water!

THOU SHALT LEND TO MANY NATIONS. NOT BORROW (Deuteronomy 28:12)See Deuteronomy 23:19-20, note.

Before you leave this section, reread Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and note the ifs. All the promised blessings were Israel's to have and enjoy IF.