“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. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God.” Deuteronomy 28.1, 2

God assured Abram that He would bless the nations that blessed him and would curse those that cursed him. God remained faithful to that promise throughout the period of the patriarchs, and the people of Israel were encouraged to believe that this promise of protection and provision remained an integral aspect of the Covenant as it was renewed at Mt. Sinai.

In Deuteronomy 28.1-14, Moses paints with a broad brush to fill the imaginations of God’s people with a vision of the yet-unseen blessings of the Lord. He would drive out the nations before them. He would turn over towns and villages and fields and vineyards to His people. He would elevate them above all the nations, so that they need not fear any. And He would prosper and bless them in every way.

But the realization of this promise depended on faithful obedience to the Law of God (vv. 15 ff.). Outside the safety and protection of God’s Covenant, His people are on their own, and He will stand against them, using adversity to move them back to the blessed path (Heb. 12.3-11). God wants His people to know the fullness of temporal blessings, without their becoming slaves to circumstances and things, and He knows that this can be possible only within the framework of His Law.

For a more complete exposition of the promises of God, order a copy of T. M.’s book, I Will Be Your God, from our online store.