Deuteronomy 28:15-68
Anyone familiar with the history of Israel as presented in the rest of the Old Testament Scriptures knows that the curses pronounced in today’s reading all eventually come upon Israel in stark reality as a result of Israel’s persistent failure to walk humbly with the LORD. In His love and mercy, the LORD is slow to implement these curses, doling them out over centuries, and sending multiple prophets with warnings and calls to repentance. The curses come to an Old Testament climax first in the Assyrian exile of the Northern Kingdom and then in the destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent Babylonian exile of the Southern Kingdom.
But exile is not the end of the story. A remnant returns from the Babylonian captivity and tries to do better, and in some respects they succeed. For example, after the exile, blatant idolatry (of the sort rampant before the exile) is never again a major problem for God’s chosen people. Unfortunately, though, the “just try harder” approach with its external successes produces a much subtler idolatry in the form of self-reliance and self-righteousness as exemplified by the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. Zealous for the Law? Yes. Even more zealous for themselves? Quite. So much so that they fail to recognize and trust in the One sent to save them, so the curse continues and Jerusalem is thus again destroyed in 70 AD.
May we pay attention and learn from Israel’s experience. May we bend the knee before the LORD God Almighty. May we not flout His law, but instead uphold it, knowing that we cannot meet the standard by ourselves, but trusting that Jesus does. May we repent and lean on Him fully. We have no other hope.
See also: March 1 (2023) / Deuteronomy 28-29
Thank God for the New Covenant.
Amen!