Picture showing to the right the mountain “Ebal” with the rock of “Sit Islamieh,” and to the left the south mountain “Jirziem” with an IDF military post on the far left (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
After God brought the children out of Egypt they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. He led them to two mountains, Mt. Gerizim the mountain of “Blessings” and Mt. Ebal the mountain of “Curses.” Moses commanded 6 leaders from 6 tribes to stand on Mt. Gerizim to pronounce the “Blessings” that would come upon the people “if” they obeyed the commandments of God. The other 6 leaders from from the remaining 6 tribes stood upon Mt. Ebal and pronounced the Curses “if” they did not obey the commandments of God. Deuteronomy 28 lists the “Blessings” & “Curses”
There were 21 “Blessings” for obeying the commandments
- God will set you on high above all the other nations of the earth and all these “blessings” shall come upon you. Duet. 28:1-2
- You will be “blessed” in the city. Duet. 28:3
- You will be “blessed” in the field.
- You will have perfect offspring. Duet. 28:4
- Your crops will be “blessed” (prosperity, provision)
- Your cattle will be “blessed” (prosperity, provision)
- Your flocks will increase.
- Your baskets and storehouses will be full of good things. (bank accounts, etc.) Duet. 28:5,8
- You will be “blessed” in all you undertake. Duet. 28:6,8
- You will have complete victory over all your enemies. (poverty, sickness, disease, etc.) Duet. 28:7
- Your land will be abundantly fertile and productive.
- You will be established as a holy people unto God. Duet. 28:9
- You will be a witness and an example to all people on earth. vs. 10
- All nations will be afraid of you.
- You will be prosperous in goods, in children, in stock, and in crops in all the land. vs. 11
- The Lord will open to you all His good treasure. vs. 12
- The heavens will give you rain in due season in all your land.
- The Lord will “bless” the work of your hands.
- You will be prosperous enough to lend to many nations, and you will “not” need to borrow from them.
- The Lord shall make you the head, and “not” the tail. vs. 13
- You shall be above and never beneath.
There are 5 Conditions for these “Blessings”
- “If” you hearken diligently to the voice of the Lord. Duet. 28:1-2, 9, 13,15
- “If” you observe and “do” all His commandments. Duet. 1, 13, 15
- “If” you walk in His ways. Duet. 28:9
- “If” you do “not” go aside from any of the words of God, to the right hand or to the left. Duet. 28:13, 14
- “If” you do “not” go after other gods to serve them. Duet. 28:14
15 “Curses” for Disobedience
- You will be “cursed” in the city. Duet. 28:16
- You will be “cursed” in the field.
- Your baskets and storehouses will be “cursed”. vs. 17
- Your children will be “cursed.” vs. 18
- Your crops will be “cursed.”
- Your herds will “not” increase.
- Your flocks will “not” increase.
- You will be “cursed” when you come in. vs. 19
- You will be “cursed” when you go out.
- Jehovah will send “cursings” upon you. vs. 20
- He will send vexation.
- He will send rebukes.
- You will fail in all you do.
- You will be destroyed.
- You will quickly perish.
30 Additional “Curses” for Disobedience
- Pestilence cleaving unto you. (Something that brings a slow death) vs. 21
- Death, emaciation. (To grow thin, to waste away)
- Consumption. vs. 22
- Fever. (a burning fever, inflammation,inflame, persecutor. This probably refers to a rapidly consuming cancer or ulcer.) vs.22
- Extreme burning. (This refers not only to inflammation of the body, but to agony of mind and torture of soul because there would be no help.) vs. 22
- Sword. (wars and civil strife) vs. 22
- Inflammation. (Burning) vs. 22
- Blasting. (This refers to blighting east wind ruining crops and suffocating men and beasts.) vs. 22
- Mildew. (paleness of persons from fright, or of plants from drought.) vs. 22
- Heaven as brass. (Could refer to unanswered prayers as well as no rain and fruitful seasons.) vs. 23
- Earth as iron. (Failure of crops) vs. 24
- Drought, dust-no rain.( A way of saying there will be no rain from heaven, and the land will turn to dust from a lack of rain.) vs. 24
- Destruction because of long drought.
- Smitten before enemies. vs. 25
- Going out 1 way fleeing seven ways. vs. 25
- Removed into all kingdoms of the earth. vs. 25
- Bodies eaten by fowls and beasts.
- No help in driving away your enemies.
- Botch of Egypt. (Inflammation, botch, ulcer, boil.) vs. 27, 35
- Emerods. ( to swell, these were bleeding piles.) vs. 27
- Scab. (to scratch, scury, scab.) vs. 27
- Itch. (to scrape, itch.) vs. 27
- No healing. (there will be no remedy.)
- Madness. (craziness, madness. You will be confused and not know what to do.) vs. 28
- Blindness. (physical, mental and spiritual.) vs. 28
- Astonishment of of heart. (stupefy and amazement.) vs. 28
- Groping at noonday.
- No prosperity.
- Oppressed and spoiled forever.
- No man to save you.
Additional “Curses” for Disobedience
- Betroth a wife and an enemy shall capture and ravish her. vs. 30
- Build a house and a enemy will take it for his own.
- Plant a vineyard and an enemy shall take it.
- Your stock will be slain and eaten before your eyes. vs. 31
- No restoration.
- You will have no man to deliver you.
- Your sons and daughters will be given to other people as slaves. vs.32
- You will long for deliverance for your children and it will not come.
- You will be powerless to help them.
- Enemies will eat your crop. vs. 33
- You will be crushed always.
- You will be mad when you see your own helplessness. vs.34
- You will serve other gods, idols.
- You will not enjoy your sons and daughters because they will become slaves. vs. 41
- Strangers among you will be exalted and you will be humbled. vs.43
- Strangers will lend to you. vs. 44
- You will serve your enemies. vs. 48
- Robbery of all possessions.
- Nakedness.
- Want of all things.
- Bondage.
- Destruction of lives. vs. 48,51
- War with foreign nations. vs. 49
- Unmerciful treatment from enemies. vs. 50
- Cannibalism. vs.53-57
- Famine and distress. vs. 53-57
- Men murdering closest relative-brothers, wives, and even children
- women murdering closest relatives- husbands, sons, daughters, and even babies. vs. 56-57
- Great plagues of long endurance. vs.58-59
- Sore sickness of long continuance. vs.59
- All the diseases of Egypt shall cleave to you. vs. 60
- Service to other gods.
- No peace.
- No rest. Fearful and trembling hearts.
- Eye failures
- Sorrow of mind.
- Fears day and night.
- No assurance of life.
- Fretting and worry because of the constant dangers of life. vs. 67
- Slavery again as in Egypt. vs. 68
- The woman among who has been so delicate and refined will become so vile and coarse that she will murder her husband, sons, daughters and even her babies
All of these plagues will come upon you if you will “not” keep the commandments of God.
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