Deuteronomy 28:8, commentary and pictures

The Lord promises to command his blessing on what is stored up, on everything put to the hand to do, and on life in the land he gives. That blessing is not unconditional but belongs to obedience, given only when his commandments are diligently heard, kept and walked in. What was promised to ancient Israel still holds for individuals and nations now, for his claims are as binding and fresh as his continual gifts. The blessing brings both temporal and spiritual prosperity, including health, strength, material increase and a place of honor among the nations. Those who receive it are under never-ceasing obligation to honor him with substance, firstfruits, gifts and faithful tithe, and to make him supreme so that others see his power and give him glory.

Promise and Its Condition

The Lord will issue authoritative command for blessing to rest on stored provisions, on every undertaking of the hand, and on life in the land he himself gives, and this is pledged to those who diligently obey his commandments as his peculiar people. The wider pledge sets these blessings over against curses for disobedience, so that transgression removes his prospering hand, and the promise includes health as a reward of obedience and stands among his enduring claims upon those he blesses. Faithfulness to his plan still brings corresponding results, though failure to fulfill his purpose forfeits blessings that might have been received.

The promise belongs to the blessings of obedience plainly stated in Deuteronomy 26, 27 and 28, made specific as a principle of the law of the kingdom so that minds are not left in ignorance and uncertainty. It is placed alongside the curses that would come upon the disobedient, presenting a choice between enjoying blessing through obedience and suffering the consequences of transgression. Moses read this promise from the book he had written to all the people assembled before him, together with the record of their past history and the curses for disobedience.

The blessing is strictly conditional on hearing diligently and keeping God's commandments and walking in his ways, not an unconditional guarantee. The covenant is an agreement between parties upon conditions, which God verifies only when those conditions are fulfilled by obedience to the divine law, and to expect the promised blessing in storehouses, work, and land while violating the conditions on which alone it can be bestowed is presumption. Prosperity and success in the land, including material prosperity and a place of honor among nations, depended on keeping the law, with obedience also preserving from disease and giving physical strength and vigor of intellect.

The ark had sacredness only because it contained God's law, and its presence brought prosperity only in obedience, for it did not itself bring success. God sends prosperity or adversity according to whether his law is obeyed or transgressed. The condition meant submitting to his authority as a nation governed by his judgments and as individuals walking in his ordinances, keeping his holy requirements and the solemn pledge made to him. Distrust, unbelief, pride, rebellion, breaking of the pledge, and perversity of spirit brought loss and delay in possessing Canaan and made it impossible for God to manifest his power to protect his people and drive out wicked nations, and God is never to blame for that misfortune and wrath.

To receive the blessing after failure requires true repentance, freedom from the sins of the surrounding nations, and the maintenance of purity, holiness, love, fear, and obedience. God as a loving, compassionate Father will pardon the truly penitent. Continued failure dishonors him and detracts from his glory before the surrounding nations, instead of representing a people whose God is the Lord.

Living Under the Blessing

What was promised to ancient Israel through obedience still holds for individuals and nations now, for the message has not grown weak with age and God's claims are just as binding and fresh as His continual gifts of life, health, and temporal and spiritual advantages. The blessing means temporal prosperity and also spiritual prosperity, including material prosperity and a place of honor among nations. Obedience brings health as a reward, for God keeps away the diseases brought upon the Egyptians and preserves from disease.

Transgression brings disease because it breaks down the barriers He erected to preserve His people in health and holiness and to teach obedience under Christ's special direction and protection as Deliverer and Healer. Obedience also gives physical strength, vigor of intellect, skill, and wisdom. The commanded blessing covers fields, flocks, herds, vineyards, orchards, children, lands, and all that is laid to hand.

When God is honored with substance and firstfruits, barns are filled in proportion to obedience and benevolence. When His law is degraded He withdraws blessing from orchards and vineyards. The verse lays a never-ceasing obligation on all who are blessed to return gifts and offerings and faithfully bring the tithe to sustain His messengers, and withholding tithes and offerings deprives of blessing. Teaching the law diligently in families belongs to receiving temporal and spiritual prosperity.

Loyalty is proved by accountability to light: when light shows the commandments trampled upon, obedience includes keeping the seventh-day Sabbath. It means putting the whole business into serving God in a world unfavorable to right and truth, standing as His peculiar people and royal family, and keeping the law clearly taught in the heart. The law remains binding because every specification in it is the character of the infinite God, so to abolish the law would be as if God abolished Himself.

The prosperity was to display God's power and make His people a witness among the nations. His people are to recognize publicly that blessings come from Him and give glory to His faithful word. When they make Him supreme their success depends on His blessing rather than the views of those who oppose His law, so that others consider the truths they teach and recognize the value of their methods.

Israel failed to fulfill God's purpose and therefore did not receive the blessings that could have been theirs. Yet faithfulness to God's plan of living still produces corresponding results. He extends mercy and restrains judgment because of the righteous who love and fear Him. Satan will not allow this blessing without a struggle for mastery, as when he wanted to be equal with Christ in heaven and worked in Eden, but those who see that God's law is changeless in character decide on the side of Christ.