Prayer List

• Published on 18 May 11

Announcements

• Published on 18 May 11

DeuteronomyWeek Date Topic

1 09 Mar 11 Chapter 1:1-2:23 – Introduction and Moses’ Address

2 16 Mar 11 Chapter 2:24-4:43 - Conquest, Transition, Covenant

3 23 Mar 11 Chapter 4:44-6:25 – The Law

4 30 Mar 11 Chapter 7:1-11:32 – Application of the Principles

5 06 Apr 11 Chapter 12:1-14:21 – First Three Commandments

6 13 Apr 11 Chapter 14:22-18:22 – 4th and 5th Commandments

7 20 Apr 11 Chapter 19:1-23:14 – 6th and 7th Commandments

8 27 Apr 11 Chapter 23:15-25:19– 8th thru 10th Commandments

9 04 May 11 Chapter 26:1-27:26 – Covenant law and preparation

10 11 May 11 Senior Blessing – No classes

11 18 May 11 Chapter 28:1-68 – Blessings and Curses

12 25 May 11 Chapter 29:1-30:20 – Moses’ Final Address

13 01 Jun 11 Chapter 31:1-34:12 – Moses’ Final Actions

Key Points for Today’s Lesson• Review last week’s class found in Chapter 26-27• Study Deuteronomy 28• Learn about the blessings for obedience to God’s

Word• Learn about the curses for disobedience• Examine the five views provided by Moses to the

Israelites describing what would happen if they failed to obey God’s word

• Review historical examples of where these view came true

Two Weeks Ago• Covered Chapter 26-27• Reviewed the laws regarding first fruits and

tithes that would be given every third year• Learned how the Israelites were to praise God

and that he declared them His special people• Learned about the first altar to be built and that

the laws of God were to be inscribed• Learned that the altar was used for sacrificing to

God• Learn about blessings and curses

Ebal and Gerizim

Gerizim Ebal

Ruins of Gerizim

• This section of Deuteronomy is one of the most important sections of scripture– Records options open to Israel as they entered the

Promised Land– Obedience would result in blessings– Disobedience would result in disaster for the people

• Scholars indicate that the subsequent history of Israel closely matches the disasters predicted by Moses

• Books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings record this history

Notes about Chapter 27-28

• Moses describes blessings that will be given to those that are obedient to the law– Read Gen 1:28-30 and relate to this passage

• Greatest blessings– Israel could become the most exalted of all nations on

earth by obeying the word of God– God would give His people blessings everywhere:

economically, with safety, and in their activities (vs. 3-6)

• Moses then elaborates on the blessings (vs. 7-14)

Obedience and Blessings (28:1-14)

• Moses identifies four times as many curses as he did blessings in vs. 1-14– Stresses the seriousness of transgressions– Canaan was a dangerous place requiring strong

warnings for the Israelites

• Six formal curses (vs. 16-19) correspond to almost exactly the six blessings (vs. 3-6)– Vs. 20-68 serves as an exposition of these curses– Can be divided into five sections of increasing severe

levels of punishment similar to the exposition found for blessings in vs. 7-14

Six Curses (28:15-68)

• First View:– Moses explains various forms in which Israel would

suffer God’s discipline (vs. 20-24)

• Second View:– Increasing severity to include physical distress and

Israel’s enemies would ransack and oppress her (vs 26-37)

– A return to the conditions seen in Egypt (vs. 27)

• Third View:– Rejection by God from the covenant fellowship (vs.

38-46)

Exposition 1-3 (28:20-46)

• Fourth View: – Israel is invaded, conquered, and brutalized by her

enemies (vs. 45-57)

• Fifth View:– Israel is deprived of all the benefits formerly enjoyed

(vs. 58-68)– Disease and disaster would occur in the land (vs. 58-

63)– The people would be deported from the land (vs. 64-

68)– All of these, of course, would occur

Exposition 4-5 (28:47-68)

• What Moses describes in vs. 32-36 occurred – Assyrian captivity of the 10 northern tribes in 721 BC– Babylonian captivity of the 2 southern tribes in 586 BC

• Destruction of Israel– Seen with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70

AD– Variations of verses 64-68 have taken place and

continue to take place with modern day Israel

• God’s message for the Israelites and for us: Obey His Commands

Historical Notes

Review• Reviewed Deuteronomy 28• Learned about the blessings for obedience• Learned about the curses for disobedience• Examined the five views provided by Moses to the

Israelites describing what would happen if they failed to obey God’s word

• Reviewed historical examples of where these view came true

• Next week: Deuteronomy 29-30, Moses’ final sermon to the people