DISOBEDIENCE IS NO JOKE. Deuteronomy 28 To many people today, disobeying authority often results only in a disapproving "Tsk, tsk," and the command is repeated until the defiant individual finally gets their way. This situation can occur with children in families who seek to take control early on by wanting—and often getting—what they desire without facing consequences. In assemblies where practices have historically been based on biblical principles, changes are being made despite the elders' preferences to accommodate the "changing times" and the tendency to blend God's things with worldly influences. The pressure is exerted by threatening, "If this doesn't happen soon, we are leaving." Some seem to believe the scriptures don't mean what they say, as in "Friendship with the world is enmity with God." In society, when a lawbreaker is caught and all evidence points to guilt, almost everyone will plead "Not guilty." Even judges expect that plea when they ask how a person pleads.
To be fair to others, we need to let them know that there are consequences for disobedience. A person's reputation begins to form even in childhood. God blesses those who obey Him and act according to His word when it is given. However, disobedience can have very serious consequences. Not all of them may be immediate, but the payout will come eventually. God can make that possible for us, something we could never do ourselves. Obedience keeps us in a proper relationship with God. It is His joy to guide His children along paths of righteousness and to give from His fullness what benefits us in the long run. For His people to commit to doing His will is a choice we make, and from His abundant goodness, He empowers us to live each day for His honor, His glory, and our ultimate good.
The blessings and curses in this chapter resemble the beatitudes of the Old Testament. God called the Israelites out of all nations to be a holy nation through whom the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, would come into the world to save lost sinners. God’s desire was for them to be a holy people who would love and serve Him willingly. He would bless them if they obeyed His commandments and walked in His ways. In turn, they could share their blessings with others. The physical blessings mentioned here served as visual lessons of spiritual truths and eternal blessings.
The other side of the picture is the serious fact that disobedience could bring curses upon them. The same One who blesses because of obedience can withhold blessings and allow the enemies of God's children to have their way with us. He can move the forces of nature to do what is unusual to bring us to a point where we stop, repent, and turn back to God. To the children of Israel, God warned through Moses about the severe consequences of disobeying His will and commands. The curses of disobedience would affect every part of their physical and human lives. Crops would fail, and the animals wouldn't produce useful offspring. Droughts and various plagues would come, and their entire livelihood would be impacted.
The problems caused by disobedience would even extend into national life, leading the nation to be overwhelmed and defeated by its enemies. They would lack the power to avoid slavery, and their reputation as a strong nation among other countries would be lost; instead, they would be seen as a helpless and defenseless nation. Social chaos would touch every aspect of their community life, resulting in moral decline, family breakdowns, and mental stress that could drive them to madness. All of this would progress further into defeat, exile, and dispersion among the nations, until they would scarcely be recognized as a distinct people. All of this would happen because of disobedience to God's commands.
We are not immune to experiencing a similar outcome today. The distinctive characteristics of a scripturally assembled congregation—guided by God's Word in Gospel preaching, teaching, and practicing scriptural truth—can be overlooked and eventually lost. When that occurs, it opens the door for assimilation into a culture of counterfeit Christianity. Our only real strength lies in the promise of the Lord to be with us as we biblically preach the Gospel, make disciples as He commanded, baptize them in the manner He specified, and teach them to obey God's commands.
Disobedience not only causes us to lose blessings that could have been ours but also what might have been. God’s plans are for our good and positively influence the purposes of His kingdom. How much is lost that could have been gained by doing God’s work His way! We cannot fully understand the loss of a positive influence on others. The consequences of disobedience include losing potential for good, fellowship with God and His people, and spiritual success.
The suffering that occurs to both the innocent and the guilty can happen when people rebel against God. Lasting success in life’s work will never be achieved if we ignore God’s will. Years of wasted effort chasing temporary pleasure and personal satisfaction leave a person feeling unfulfilled and unhappy. “Oh, the years of sinning wasted, could I but recall them now! I would give them to my Savior; at His feet, I’d gladly bow!”
Our Lord Jesus Christ holds "all power in heaven and in the earth." If or when we fail to fulfill His command, we will stop being a body of believers where God can dwell among His people. Letters to the seven churches of Asia are given to us to read and learn from. Hopefully, we will never become a church where the Lord is standing outside, knocking and waiting for even one person to open the door so He can come in. The Lord Jesus knows what is happening in each assembly, and He also knows every individual present. It is foolish for us to change what He has told us to do to fit the world around us. It is wise to keep in mind the One who called us and what He has called us to do.
This chapter in Deuteronomy serves as a warning to us. The events that happened to them are described as "ensamples" and are written for our admonition, so we can learn from the Israelites' mistakes and avoid making them ourselves. Failures are provided as lessons so that we do not repeat them. Our weakness is real, and our inability cannot be ignored. However, we must remember that God can use "the weak things to confound the mighty." A wise nation, assembly, and family are those committed without hesitation to doing God's will and not turning away from His commands.
How will they know that I am real, not a fake, not a sham, and not a fraud? There must be a way to show that the words I preach are from God through His word. God Himself said He will handle this when I follow the commands He gives. My role is not to teach my own opinions or walk the path I think is the “Christian way” to please myself, but to commit myself to do His will without hesitation, and He has promised to bless His Word.
If I choose my own path, things will start to get serious afterward. The work I aim to do will likely fail, and the sky above will feel like brass. No matter how hard I try to sow the seed of Gospel truth, nothing will produce lasting results—only futile efforts. The ground where I try to plant spiritual seeds will be so dry that nothing grows because no heavenly rain falls upon the soil.
May I never think I am in control! The Lord alone can add a blessing to His word and also bring a curse upon those who proclaim it deceitfully. No effort I put forth can save a soul. It is the Spirit and the Word that give new birth. Far be it from me to think I can do any more than faithfully sow the seed. Life springs from once dry and barren land when God establishes His Word and meets the need.