Deuteronomy 28:58, commentary and pictures

Moses solemnly warned Israel that blessing depended on observing to do all the words of the law written in the book in order to honor God, and that curses would follow transgression. These were not merely human words but the voice of Christ from the enfolding pillar of cloud, making the principles of God's kingdom specific so that no mind is left in ignorance and uncertainty. To fear the glorious and fearful name of the Lord is to carefully keep all that law with heart and soul and to speak His holy name only with holy awe and reverence. Failure to obey breaks down the barriers God erected to preserve His people in health and holiness, bringing great and lasting plagues and sicknesses, scattering and fear and loss, while the ark itself could not secure prosperity when the commandments it contained were profaned. Diligently hearkening to His voice and keeping His commandments and statutes keeps away the diseases of Egypt because the Lord is the healer, and this obligation for present and future good rests without ceasing on all whom He blesses, as binding and fresh now as His continual gifts.

Moses' Solemn Warning

The verse belongs to Moses' warning and reading to Israel that blessing depended on obedience to God's law and that curses would follow transgression, presenting the consequences as a solemn call to obey and honor God. The words of the chapter are not merely a human voice but the voice of Christ from the enfolding pillar of cloud. They express the principles of the law of God's kingdom, made specific so that minds are not left in ignorance and uncertainty. The chapter sets out the blessings of obedience alongside the call to keep God's commands with all the heart and soul.

Obedience Brings Blessing or Curse

The promises of covenant life were conditional, requiring careful keeping of all judgments, ordinances, and law with reverence for the glorious and fearful name, and the failure of the adults who left Egypt to follow fully explains why they were refused entry into the promised land. Disobedience was met with consequence, for the chapter makes blessing depend on obedience and curse follow transgression.

Failure to observe to do all the words written in the book brings wonderful great plagues and sore sicknesses of long continuance upon Israel and their descendants. These include all the diseases of Egypt that were feared, and also every sickness and every plague not written in the book, continuing until destruction leaves them few in number though once as numerous as the stars of heaven, because of disobedience to the voice of God. As shown at the waters of Marah, diligently hearkening to the voice of the Lord, doing what is right in His sight, giving ear to His commandments and keeping all His statutes keeps away the diseases brought upon the Egyptians, because the Lord is the healer. Transgressing breaks down the barriers erected to preserve His people in health and holiness and brings suffering from disease of every kind.

The same God who rejoiced to do good and to multiply will rejoice to destroy and bring to nothing, to pluck from the land, and to scatter among all peoples from one end of the earth to the other. There they will serve unknown gods of wood and stone, find no ease nor rest for the foot, and receive a trembling heart and failing eyes and sorrow of mind, with life hanging in doubt and fear day and night without assurance, longing in the morning for evening and in the evening for morning. They will be brought into Egypt again with ships by a way never to be seen again, and there be offered for sale as bondmen and bondwomen with no buyer.

The law kept in the ark represented God, and He sent prosperity or adversity according to whether it was obeyed or transgressed, so that merely possessing the ark did not secure victory while the commandments it contained were profaned. The curse upon people, animals, and vegetation began with the fall, grew through later acts of sin, and has rested more heavily on the earth as people have continued to forget God and break His commandments. The fearful results of transgressing are set against the blessings of obedience so that each person must choose whether to suffer disobedience or enjoy obedience. Later disobedience hindered God's work and delayed the sealing, allowing more time for the last message of mercy to reach people.

Fearing God's Glorious Name

To fear the glorious and fearful name of the Lord is to observe carefully to do all the words of the law written in the book and to honor His name with reverence. Covenant life was conditional on that careful obedience, which is why the adults who left Egypt were not brought into the promised land. The law kept in the ark represented God Himself, so He sent prosperity when Israel obeyed it and adversity when they transgressed it, and merely possessing the ark could not secure victory while the people were profaning the commandments it contained. Failure to obey would bring wonderful great plagues and sore sicknesses of long continuance upon Israel and their descendants, including all the diseases of Egypt which they feared and every sickness and plague not written in the book, until destruction left them few in number though once as many as the stars of heaven because of disobedience to God's voice. God who rejoiced to do good and to multiply them would rejoice to destroy them and bring them to nothing and pluck them from the land, and scatter them among all peoples from one end of the earth to the other where they would serve unknown gods of wood and stone, find no ease nor rest for the foot, receive a trembling heart and failing eyes and sorrow of mind with life hanging in doubt and fear day and night without assurance, longing in the morning for evening and in the evening for morning, and be brought into Egypt again with ships by a way never to be seen again and there be sold as bondmen and bondwomen with no buyer.

God's holy name must be spoken with holy awe. Using titles such as God Almighty carelessly in prayer displeases Him and shows failure to realize His greatness and truth. He is great and dreadful, He will judge in the last day, He dwells in light which no one can approach, and no person can see Him and live. This reverence must be understood and practiced before the church can prosper.

The blessings of obedience are set out plainly, showing that obedience to God's commandments serves the people's present and future good. The words express the principles of the law of God's kingdom, made specific so that minds are not left in ignorance and uncertainty, and they are the voice of Christ from the enfolding pillar of cloud, not merely a human voice. They present a never-ceasing obligation resting on all whom God has blessed with life and health and temporal and spiritual advantages. The message has not grown weak with age, for God's claims are just as binding now and just as fresh in importance as His gifts are fresh and continual.