“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, then the Lord will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting…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.”
Deuteronomy 28:58-59 and 63.
Curses. Some are furious even to hear that word. Many people think that God owes us nothing, but his blessings. But his blessings are conditional. We don’t like to hear about his condition – that is joyful and glad surrender to Him (Deuteronomy 28:47).
We live in a culture that wants to believe that we are special, we are blessed, we are unique, we are superb, we are better, we are “chosen”.
Are we? Do we really live under God’s blessing, or moreso God’s curse is upon us?
In Deuteronomy 28 God warns Israel. In the first 15 verses we read about the blessings that will come upon the nation if they obey God’s commandments. From verse 15 to 68, over 53(!) verses, God lists all the terrible things that will come upon the nation and upon each individual if they do not obey the voice of the Lord. (Just note that 3.5 times more verses talk about God’s curses than about God’s blessings!)
The Curses of God
Let’s see how many of these are in our current reality.
“If you will not obey the voice of the Lord your god or be careful to do all his commandments…then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you…”
- …Your places and spaces (cities, fields) will be cursed (v.16.), those will be unsafe and futile.
- …Your food will be cursed, it will harm you, will make you sick or addictive (v.17.).
- …Your future generations will be cursed (v.18.).
- …Your economy will be cursed (v.18.); it will not grow, not multiply (see v.63).
- …Your efforts will be cursed (v.19.); you work and work and work without progress.
- …You will be confused and frustrated (v.20.); your mind, mental, relational and emotional health will be cursed and will decline.
- …Your health will be cursed (v.22); you will suffer from pandemics.
- …Nature will turn against you (v.23,24,38).
- …Your foreign policy will be cursed and nations will hate you (v.25).
- …Your way of thinking will be cursed (v.28); an irrational, confused, nonsense thinking and ideas will be normalized.
- …Poverty will increase in the nation (v.29).
- …Your efforts will be futile and other nations and people will benefit from your efforts while you are losing the fruits of your labor (v.30, 39).
- …Your wealth and property will be taken, controlled and enjoyed by others (v.31); like big corporations, banks, government, foreign powers will take control over the fruit of your labor.
- …Your children will be controlled by unwanted, evil powers and people while you are watching that paralyzed and heartbroken (v.32).
- …Your parenting will be cursed as your children will become slaves of powers you can’t control or compete with (i.e. social media) (v.41.)
- …Foreigners, sojourners and unknown nations will flood your country, use up its resources; your economy will depend on them, they will conquer you and oppress you. (v.33, 43.)
- …You will become a laughing stock, a cuss word, a proverb among other nations (v.37.).
- …Every area of your life and your society will face destruction (v.45.).
- …Foreign powers will control your economy, your culture, your children and your future (v.48-50).
- …Your people will turn against each other and devour each other (v.54-56).
- …Ruin and destruction will be at every level of the society instead of growth, prosperity and multiplication (v.63.).
- …Anguish, trembling, fear, hopelessness and depression will overtake you (v.65.).
Shocking list. Any resemblance to our society and life today?
The road from curses to blessings is simple and easy: joyfully surrender to the “glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God.”