Deuteronomy 28:20
The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.
Spoken by Christ from the pillar of cloud through Moses, the warning was read aloud to all Israel from the book he had written, setting the curses for disobedience alongside the promises for obedience so no mind is left in ignorance. It lays down a conditional covenant rule that God meets His people with prosperity for obedience and with adversity for transgression, sending cursing, vexation, distress and rebuke upon all they undertake and withdrawing His prospering hand until they are destroyed and perish quickly because they have forsaken Him. Its claim has not weakened with age but binds all who receive life, health and temporal and spiritual gifts just as freshly now as then. Continued breaking of His commandments, including His laws of health, tears down the barriers He set for holiness and health and brings disease, suffering and physical, mental and moral decline, while through transgression the curse has fallen upon the earth itself, upon man, cattle, beasts, vegetation and even the fish of the sea, growing broader and deeper as transgression spreads. Those who obey with a whole heart are blessed and shielded, but distrust and disobedience leave sinners where divine favor cannot be given, as seen when Israel lost protection and became prey to enemies and the generation that left Egypt was barred from the promised land, when wealth gained by treading on the poor brings no lasting benefit, and when disease in herds cursed for man's sin makes flesh and milk unsafe.
Setting and Plain Meaning
This warning stands among the curses pronounced for disobedience, read aloud to all Israel assembled from the book that had been written, declaring what would come upon them if they disobeyed, set alongside the promises to them if they obeyed. The curses were pronounced against those who would not obey His voice, with this curse, vexation and rebuke expressing the consequence of doing wickedly and forsaking Him. The words are the voice of Christ from the enfolding pillar of cloud, expressing the principles of the law of His kingdom, made specific so that minds are not left in ignorance and uncertainty.
The covenant works by condition, with God visiting His people with prosperity or adversity according to obedience or transgression. Life and blessing come for doing His judgments and keeping His ordinances, while cursing, distress and destruction come for wickedness and forsaking Him. Disobedience to His commandments brings a curse and trouble upon undertakings, while obedience brings prosperity, and people must choose which outcome they will experience.
Because of the wickedness of forsaking Him, He sends cursing, vexation, distress, trouble and rebuke upon all that people set their hands to do. Refusal to heed and obey brings this rebuke upon every undertaking, ending in destruction and swift perishing and ruin. His prospering hand is removed and the trouble continues until they are destroyed and perish quickly.
The law given at Sinai was contained in the sacred ark, yet the ark itself was not a god nor a source of protection apart from obedience to Him. These directions were given for present and future good, laying a never-ceasing obligation on all blessed with life and health and temporal and spiritual advantages. The message has not grown weak with age, and His claims are just as binding now and as fresh in importance as His gifts are fresh and continual.
Effects and Present Application
Continued breaking of God's commandments brings disease and suffering of every kind, with physical, mental, and moral decline, because transgression tears down the barriers He set up to keep people in health and holiness and to teach them obedience, as was shown with Israel in the wilderness. His prospering hand is removed from persistent disobedience, and the work people undertake comes under cursing, distress, and rebuke until destruction, leaving the land under the curse.
Because of transgression and departure from His commandments the curse has come upon the earth itself, upon man, upon cattle and beasts, upon the fish of the sea, and upon trees and vegetation. That curse has grown through successive generations as people forgot God and broke His commandments. Human beings suffer from their own course of action, and the beasts suffer under it, and as transgression becomes almost universal the curse will be allowed to become as broad and as deep as the transgression.
God pronounced a curse upon the herds of the field because of man's transgression and sin, so disease among animals is becoming more and more common. Disease in cattle makes meat eating dangerous, bringing disease among men from the use of diseased flesh, so there is no safety in eating the flesh of dead animals. In a short time milk and anything coming from animal creation will not be safe to use, leaving no safety except in leaving meat entirely alone. In dealings with others the same cursing, vexation, and rebuke falls upon all a person undertakes when there is wrongdoing, especially treading upon the poor, for wealth gained through injustice brings no lasting benefit and what people build or plant may not be theirs to enjoy.
Israel's history fulfills this, for the adults of the army that left Egypt were refused entrance into the promised land because of the wickedness of their doings in forsaking Him. When Israel transgressed His law they lost His protection and became prey to their enemies. Those who take God at His word and obey His commandments with a whole heart will be blessed and have Him as a shield of protection, but distrust, disobedience, and alienation from His will and way place the sinner where He cannot give divine favor, for He will not be trifled with.