Deuteronomy 28:7, commentary and pictures

The Lord Himself promises to scatter enemies who attack His obedient people, so that they advance together in one direction and break apart fleeing in every direction in defeat. This victory belongs to the blessings of Deuteronomy 28 for keeping His commandments, which Moses read to all Israel with their history and with the curses of disobedience. The blessing stands only on condition of listening to His voice, keeping His judgments and ordinances, and walking as His peculiar people, so to expect triumph while breaking His law is presumption. If Israel had continued in obedience after Egypt, God would have gone before them, prospered them, made them a terror to surrounding nations, and given them Canaan, but rebellion, idolatry, and unbelief forfeited His protection and brought defeat. The same principle holds now, for individuals and nations prosper temporally and spiritually in keeping His law, while turning from allegiance brings weakness, disease, and disaster.

Promise and Its Condition

The Lord Himself will defeat enemies that rise up against obedient Israel, so that attackers who come out together in one way will flee scattered in seven ways before them. This victory is one of the stated blessings of Deuteronomy 28 for keeping God's commandments, set alongside the curse that follows disobedience, and it shows that obedience is for present and future good. It belongs to the blessings Moses read to all the people assembled before him from the book he had written, together with the events of their past history and with the curses that would come upon disobedience. In that larger pattern blessings are conditional on obeying God while disobedience brings curses, in contrast with the fearful results of transgression.

The promises, including enemies being smitten before Israel and fleeing seven ways, stand only upon condition of listening to God's voice, doing His judgments, keeping His ordinances, walking in His statutes, and being His peculiar people. Disobedience forfeits the promise, and read with Deuteronomy 1 this explains why the adult army that left Egypt was refused entrance into the promised land. The same conditional principle prolongs the work in this generation when God's people do not believe, do His Word, and keep His commandments. The promise is covenantal, meaning an agreement based on conditions which God verifies only when Israel obeys the divine law and fulfills its part, so to expect victory while violating the conditions on which alone it could be bestowed is presumption.

Victory does not come from possessing the ark itself, because the sacredness of the ark of the covenant came alone from the law of God contained in the sacred chest. The living God who created the heavens and the earth and gave His law upon Sinai sends prosperity and adversity according to obedience or transgression of that law, so its presence could bring prosperity and deliverance only as Israel obeyed, and disobedience brings defeat even when the ark is present. The chapter states plainly the blessings of obedience and gives practical expression to the principles of the law of God's kingdom. Its directions express those principles made specific so that minds may not be left in ignorance and uncertainty, presenting the never-ceasing obligation of all whom God has blessed with life and health and temporal and spiritual advantages. Its message has not grown weak because of age, for God's claims are just as binding now, just as fresh in importance, as God's gifts are fresh and continual.

Every specification of the law is the character of the infinite God and cannot be abolished without abolishing Himself. The blessing is therefore a benediction God places upon commandment-keepers, calling them to stand as a peculiar people by keeping the law rather than trampling it as not binding. God promises to bless such keepers in their fields, flocks, herds, vineyards, and everything they put their hand to.

History of Israel

The promise meant protection from the nations that opposed Israel's passage, and the working of angels with Israel's armies to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan because of their wickedness, and not one of the good things promised would fail if the conditions were met. The condition was national submission to God's authority and government by His judgments, and individual walking in His ordinances in love and fear and obedience to the great Ruler of the universe, maintaining a high standard of purity and holiness and remaining free from the sins of those nations. If Israel had continued to obey after leaving Egypt, God would have gone before them and prospered them and made them a terror to surrounding nations. That obedience would have brought prosperity and well-being by keeping the precepts of the law, with victory over attacking enemies, enabling obedient Israel to dispossess idolatrous nations and occupy the land assigned to them. Instead repeated rebellion and idolatry led Him to let other nations defeat them.

God was faithful to His promises and was not chargeable for Israel's misfortunes and delay in possessing Canaan as a prosperous, holy, happy people. Their distrust and unbelief, pride and impatience, rebelliousness and perversity of spirit, transgression of His holy requirements, and imitation of heathen iniquities kindled His wrath, made it impossible to manifest His power in their protection, delayed their settlement, dishonored Him and detracted from His glory before surrounding nations, and made their guilt greater than that of idolatrous nations because of their privileges. Read with Deuteronomy 1, the conditional promise that enemies rising up would be smitten before Israel and flee seven ways explains why the adult army that left Egypt was refused entrance into the promised land, since disobedience forfeits the promise which stands only as Israel does His judgments and keeps His ordinances and walks in His statutes. The same principle prolongs the work in this generation when God's people do not believe and do His Word and keep His commandments.

When afflicted Israel cried to God in their oppression He heard them and raised up rulers to deliver them. Their failure to see that sin had brought their weakness and oppression led them to blame the lack of a king, though God had repeatedly shown His care and mercy. Keeping the commandments kept in the most holy place in heaven would have made Israel as strong as an army with banners, and Jerusalem would have stood until now if Israel had not broken them. God is not a stern, relentless judge but a loving, compassionate Father who pardons truly repentant sinners. Israel must bear His character of purity and goodness and benevolence in order to represent the people whose God is the Lord.

Principles for Today

The promise of enemies coming one way and fleeing seven ways was part of the blessings tied to obedience to God's law, and that same obedience can bring comparable blessings to individuals and nations now. Temporal and spiritual prosperity and well-being depend on keeping the precepts of that law. Blessing is given to those who heed His law and teach it to others.

When Israel obeyed and diligently taught the commandments to their children, they kept a right relation to God so that His promised blessing rested on them and their enemies could not prevail against them. Prosperity depends on obedience because obedience works in harmony with God's mind and carries out His purposes. Careless disobedience forfeits God's blessing and power, repeats the character of Adam and Eve's transgression, deteriorates character, and throws influence on Satan's side. Victory over attacking enemies stands among the blessings that result from obedience to God's commands, in contrast with the fearful results of transgression. Obedience to the law is the way of life for those who belong to the heavenly King's royal family, with God's promise to defeat enemies who rise against His people and scatter them in flight.

Obedience is connected with health as a promised reward, for blessings are conditional on keeping God's commandments and being His peculiar people. If His people will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord their God and do what is right in His sight and listen to His commandments and keep all His statutes, He will be their God and Deliverer and Protector and mighty Healer and will put none of the diseases brought upon the Egyptians upon them. Transgression of the law breaks down the barriers God in His providence erected to preserve them from disease that they might live in health and holiness and learn obedience.

God promises to bless those who keep His commandments in their fields, flocks, herds, vineyards, and everything they put their hand to. The blessing is a benediction placed upon commandment-keepers, who stand as a peculiar people by keeping rather than trampling the law, because every specification of the law is the character of the infinite God and cannot be abolished without abolishing Himself. They prosper or are straitened according to whether they obey or disobey, and honoring God with substance and firstfruits brings plenty. God gives victory over enemies when His people remain loyal to Him and carry His standard, but turning from allegiance to exalt what opposes Him brings disaster and defeat. Success in God's work depends on God's blessing, not on adopting the methods or relying on the approval of those who oppose His requirements, and when God blesses the work others are led to consider the truth it teaches.