And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.
Moses set this before Israel in his final address as one of the terrible curses for disobedience, in contrast to the blessing promised for obedience. Disobedient Israel would be brought to humiliation, scattered and shamed, becoming an object of astonishment and horror, a proverb and saying of reproach, and a byword of disgrace among all nations wherever the Lord sent them. The directions express principles of God's kingdom that leave no one in ignorance, showing His promises were upon condition of obedience and His claims are just as binding now as His gifts are continual. Transgressing His law breaks down the barriers He erected to preserve His people from disease and defeat, so disregard for His commands about hearkening to His voice and about cleanliness in camp, clothing, house and person brings curse instead of blessing and makes His people an object lesson of suffering and reproach. One who has light and does not live up to it will become a proverb of reproach and drag others to ruin, and when God's people are divided and scattered they become such a disgraceful byword, which is Satan's object against the church.
Curse and Its Setting
In his final address Moses set before Israel terrible curses for disobedience in contrast to the blessing promised for obedience, because he feared they would depart from God their only helper. If Israel left God they would be scattered and shamed before other peoples wherever the Lord sent or led them. There they would become an object of horror and astonishment, a saying of reproach and disgrace among the nations.
The verse stands in Deuteronomy 26-28, which plainly state the blessings of obedience and the results of disobedience. Those 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 present the never-ceasing obligation of all blessed with life and health and temporal and spiritual advantages, whose claims are just as binding now and just as fresh in importance as His gifts are fresh and continual. The Lord's promises to Israel were upon condition of obedience, which is why the adults of the army that left Egypt were refused entrance into the promised land.
Obedience brings blessing and prosperity, while transgression of God's law brings a curse and adversity. Disobedience to God's commands would bring Israel to humiliation among the nations. One result of that curse would be becoming an object of astonishment and horror, a proverb and saying of reproach, and a byword of disgrace among all nations whither the Lord led or sent them, in contrast to the blessings of obedience.
The contrast between blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience applies to the wider effects of sin, which have grown heavier through successive generations. The curse was fulfilled when the Jews, after refusing the blessings and light given them, became an astonishment and reproach to the world.
Obedience Health and Application
Living in health and holiness depends on diligently hearkening to God's voice and keeping His commandments and statutes. Transgressing His law breaks down the barriers He erected to preserve His people from disease, so disobedience brings upon human beings disease of every kind like the diseases brought upon the Egyptians. In this Israel was made an object lesson of suffering because of sin, while Christ as invisible leader and healer desires to shelter under His preservation and to cure the evils of the human heart in all who will look to Him and do His will.
Disregard for God's commands about cleanliness in camp, clothing, house and person brings a curse instead of blessing and defeat instead of victory. God gave Israel habits of cleanliness, with special commands about cleanliness in their camps and washing their clothes lest He see their uncleanness and not go out with their armies to battle, to give them health and to keep them elevated above the surrounding heathen as His peculiar treasure sanctified to Himself, and disregarding those commands displeases Him. The same applies now, for any family among Sabbathkeepers that persists or dares continue in slack, disorderly, unclean habits will be visited with a curse instead of a blessing, bringing reproach upon all Sabbathkeepers and causing unbelievers and the heathen to speak of them with contempt and to make them a byword and a proverb.
One who has light and does not live up to it will become a proverb of reproach in the land unless the course is entirely changed. That disobedient course brings ruin and drags others down to perdition with him, and the example of others is no excuse, for God's requirements are plain and each must carry out conviction and do what is known to be right rather than walk in darkness. The verse sets life or death before the sinner and calls for choosing this day whom to serve. Becoming a reproachful byword, known among others for disgrace, is what happens when God's people are divided and scattered, and causing that division and scattering is Satan's object against the church, and the Monterey church was in danger of becoming such a proverb of reproach through division and scattering.
Moses set this before Israel in his final address as one of the terrible curses for disobedience, in contrast to the blessing promised for obedience. Disobedient Israel would be brought to humiliation, scattered and shamed, becoming an object of astonishment and horror, a proverb and saying of reproach, and a byword of disgrace among all nations wherever the Lord sent them. The directions express principles of God's kingdom that leave no one in ignorance, showing His promises were upon condition of obedience and His claims are just as binding now as His gifts are continual. Transgressing His law breaks down the barriers He erected to preserve His people from disease and defeat, so disregard for His commands about hearkening to His voice and about cleanliness in camp, clothing, house and person brings curse instead of blessing and makes His people an object lesson of suffering and reproach. One who has light and does not live up to it will become a proverb of reproach and drag others to ruin, and when God's people are divided and scattered they become such a disgraceful byword, which is Satan's object against the church.
Curse and Its Setting
In his final address Moses set before Israel terrible curses for disobedience in contrast to the blessing promised for obedience, because he feared they would depart from God their only helper. If Israel left God they would be scattered and shamed before other peoples wherever the Lord sent or led them. There they would become an object of horror and astonishment, a saying of reproach and disgrace among the nations.
The verse stands in Deuteronomy 26-28, which plainly state the blessings of obedience and the results of disobedience. Those 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 present the never-ceasing obligation of all blessed with life and health and temporal and spiritual advantages, whose claims are just as binding now and just as fresh in importance as His gifts are fresh and continual. The Lord's promises to Israel were upon condition of obedience, which is why the adults of the army that left Egypt were refused entrance into the promised land.
Obedience brings blessing and prosperity, while transgression of God's law brings a curse and adversity. Disobedience to God's commands would bring Israel to humiliation among the nations. One result of that curse would be becoming an object of astonishment and horror, a proverb and saying of reproach, and a byword of disgrace among all nations whither the Lord led or sent them, in contrast to the blessings of obedience.
The contrast between blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience applies to the wider effects of sin, which have grown heavier through successive generations. The curse was fulfilled when the Jews, after refusing the blessings and light given them, became an astonishment and reproach to the world.
Obedience Health and Application
Living in health and holiness depends on diligently hearkening to God's voice and keeping His commandments and statutes. Transgressing His law breaks down the barriers He erected to preserve His people from disease, so disobedience brings upon human beings disease of every kind like the diseases brought upon the Egyptians. In this Israel was made an object lesson of suffering because of sin, while Christ as invisible leader and healer desires to shelter under His preservation and to cure the evils of the human heart in all who will look to Him and do His will.
Disregard for God's commands about cleanliness in camp, clothing, house and person brings a curse instead of blessing and defeat instead of victory. God gave Israel habits of cleanliness, with special commands about cleanliness in their camps and washing their clothes lest He see their uncleanness and not go out with their armies to battle, to give them health and to keep them elevated above the surrounding heathen as His peculiar treasure sanctified to Himself, and disregarding those commands displeases Him. The same applies now, for any family among Sabbathkeepers that persists or dares continue in slack, disorderly, unclean habits will be visited with a curse instead of a blessing, bringing reproach upon all Sabbathkeepers and causing unbelievers and the heathen to speak of them with contempt and to make them a byword and a proverb.
One who has light and does not live up to it will become a proverb of reproach in the land unless the course is entirely changed. That disobedient course brings ruin and drags others down to perdition with him, and the example of others is no excuse, for God's requirements are plain and each must carry out conviction and do what is known to be right rather than walk in darkness. The verse sets life or death before the sinner and calls for choosing this day whom to serve. Becoming a reproachful byword, known among others for disgrace, is what happens when God's people are divided and scattered, and causing that division and scattering is Satan's object against the church, and the Monterey church was in danger of becoming such a proverb of reproach through division and scattering.