Deuteronomy 28:15
But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
Moses set this warning before all Israel that if they would not listen to the voice of the Lord to keep all His commandments and statutes, all these curses would come upon them and overtake them. It is the curse side paired with the blessings promised for obedience, stating that God sends prosperity or adversity according to whether His law is obeyed or transgressed. The directions express the principles of the law of God's kingdom in specific form so minds are not left in ignorance, laying an obligation still binding now, for the words are the voice of Christ from the pillar of cloud. The overtaking curses include rebuke and distress in daily life and work, drought with heaven withholding rain and land failing to yield, disease of every kind breaking down the barriers God erected for health, national disgrace and dispersion with fear and insecurity, and being left prey to enemies. Obedience from the heart brings prosperity and blessing for present and future good with God's protection, while distrust and disobedience place people beyond His favor, so all must choose whether to suffer the curse or enjoy the blessing.
Warning and Its Setting
If Israel would not listen to the voice of the Lord their God to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes, all these curses would come upon them and overtake them. The curses are the sure result of disobedience, coming upon and overtaking those who forsake God, while obedience brings prosperity and blessing. Obedience or disobedience to God's law made a real difference to the people, with the chapter setting out blessings for obedience alongside curses for disobedience.
The warning was set before all Israel when assembled, read aloud from the book Moses had written containing the record of their past history together with God's promises if they would be obedient and God's curses if they were disobedient. Its directions express the principles of the law of the kingdom of God, made specific so that minds are not left in ignorance and uncertainty. They lay a never-ceasing obligation on all whom God has blessed with life and health and temporal and spiritual advantages, and the message has not grown weak because of age. God's claims are just as binding now, just as fresh in importance, as God's gifts are fresh and continual, for the words are the voice of Christ from the enfolding pillar of cloud, not the voice of man.
The verse is the curse side paired with the blessings promised for obedience, stating the principle that God's people are visited according to whether they obey or transgress His law. God sends prosperity or adversity according to whether His law is obeyed or transgressed, so people must choose whether to suffer the curse or enjoy the blessing. God's promises are upon condition of obedience, and disobedience brings curses and loss of the promised blessing. Together with the earlier record this explains why the Lord refused to bring the adult army that left Egypt into the promised land and left them to fall in the wilderness.
Curses That Overtake Disobedience
Refusing to listen to the voice of the Lord to observe to do all His commandments and statutes brings upon the disobedient all the curses described in the verses that follow, and they overtake them. The cursing reaches into daily life and work with distress and rebuke and can lead to destruction, for the curse reflects God's withdrawal of His prospering hand, and His people are visited according to whether they obey or transgress. Among those threatened curses is drought, with the heavens withholding rain and the land failing to yield its fruit, whereas obedience was the condition for rain in its proper seasons and abundance.
The curses also include national disgrace, dispersion among other peoples, distress, fear, and insecurity, as the curse side paired with the blessings promised for obedience. They include disease coming upon Israel for refusing to obey, and Israel's experience at Marah illustrates that suffering from disease follows transgression of God's law. They include disease of every stripe and type, and it is no mystery that the inhabitants of the earth suffer such disease through transgression of the law of God. Disobedience, as Israel's did, breaks down the barriers God in His providence erected to preserve people from disease, barriers meant to keep them in health and holiness and to teach them obedience.
The curse is applied to the earth, to people, and to animals, so that human suffering and disease among animals are consequences of transgression, and as disobedience spreads the curse is permitted to spread with it. Through successive acts of disobedience the threatened curse has rested increasingly upon humanity, the land, animals, trees, and vegetation, with effects including disease and human degeneracy. Disobedience left Israel prey to their enemies, while while they obeyed no harm could be done to them. The law was given at Sinai and kept in the ark, but the ark itself could not protect Israel while they were breaking that law, for God sends prosperity or adversity according to whether His law is obeyed or transgressed.
The curses in the following verses were repeated by imprisoned preachers when ordered to swear, and this fulfilled the injunction as represented to the governor, who then released them. God made blessing proportionate to benevolence, prospering ancient Israel or straitening them in proportion as they obeyed or disobeyed His requirements. Honoring the Lord with substance and with the firstfruits of all increase brings barns filled with plenty, while robbing God in tithes and in offerings brings loss, so that those who withhold rob themselves.
Blessing and Human Response
Refusing to heed the divine voice to observe and do all the commandments and statutes brings the curses set out in the chapter, which come upon the disobedient and overtake them. Obedience stands in direct contrast as the path to prosperity, and it is given for present and future good to bring blessing. Forsaking God therefore meets the overtaking curse, while hearkening and obeying meets prospering favor.
When God specially favors His people with such blessing, they should acknowledge His goodness publicly. That open acknowledgment glorifies His name and testifies that His words are faithful and true. Obedience from the heart is what brings this blessing and the protection of His favor, whereas distrust and disobedience place persons beyond that protection. The two outcomes remain set before all, so each must choose whether to suffer the curse for disobedience or to enjoy the blessing of obedience.