Deuteronomy 28
Why is it that, in Deuteronomy 28, there are so many more curses for disobedience than there are blessings for obedience?
For one thing, blessings are often overlooked. Most people do not fully recognize blessings until they are taken away. It is then, when curses come into view, that blessings may be contrasted and therefore seen.
In fact, the opposite of, or absence of, every curse is a blessing!
The opposite of the curse of sickness is health.
The opposite of the curse of slavery is freedom.
the opposite of the curse of poverty is wealth.
The opposite of the curse of failure in everything is success in everything.
The opposite of the curse of loss is gain.
The opposite of the curse of oppression is peace.
The reason there are so many more curses defined than blessings could very possibly be because we need to understand that curses, by nature, are overwhelming.
Rarely does a person of normal health think about and appreciate every single breath he or she breathes. But take that breath away or diminish it greatly and then see what becomes important!
That's what curses do - by nature, they go for the obvious blessings in our life, but they also go for the less recognized blessings in our lives. That's what makes curses so terrifying - there are no boundaries. Curses are so bad that they cause people to eat their own children!
It is almost as if, there are many reasons to obey God and be blessed, however, there are many more reasons not to disobey God and be cursed.
But there is more to it. Another reason curses are so well-defined (compared to blessings) is because God knew a day would come when people became confused about what was a blessing and what was a curse. That day is today.
By the standards of Deuteronomy 28, a great many folks today are accustomed to lives of curses. Just in the realm of health alone, people live in curses instead of blessings. Unfortunately, many misguided doctrines of the Church have made this acceptable and, in some cases, have even glorified it. These curses are described as clear as day in Deuteronomy 28 and yet people still do not understand these curses' "call to repentance" for the reversal of their imposition.
Now, before going all "that's Old Testament..." on me, consider Galatians 3.13:
But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” [Galatians 3.13]
God has only one intention for curses on anyone's life: to bring them to repentance and faith in Christ... and, therefore, into every blessing for obedience described in Deuteronomy 28 (like it is in heaven)!
God gives us plenty of reason to obey Him. But, knowing our bent on sin, God gave us many more reasons NOT to disobey Him! He's good like that! He knows what speaks to us and what we pay attention to!
Father, thank You for being so detailed in describing the curses for disobedience - so that in my thick-headed understanding I might 'get it' that the curses really are bad... and to be avoided!
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