Today's Reading:

Deuteronomy 28
Deuteronomy 29
Deuteronomy 30

Even during a list of curses, God gave the warnings out of love. The consequences, while horrific and embarrassing, came because of disobedience. Including the very real, physical pain like hemorrhoids that made the point unforgettably clear. With repentance and obedience to His commands came blessings. God can restore all fortunes, like He did with Job- looking inward at the heart for true change. If you disobey God, then yeah, you will have a real pain in the rear end. Scripture is real, noteworthy and sometimes humorous, but it always points to God, His love and our attitudes. How can humor or irony in Scripture draw us closer to God without causing us to lose sight of His holiness and power? 

  

 

Moses gave out commands for the Israelites as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. Curses for disobedience and blessings for following the laws. Just because one would follow the commands did not mean that life was going to be a cake walk or celebratory. This truth still applies today. In yesterday’s reading, the curses at Mount Ebal were introduced. The blessings spoken from Mount Gerizim were not fully listed like the curses. Scripture noted that the Israelites would be blessed with rain, abundant harvests, and flourishing flocks; they would prosper. They would defeat their enemies, who would be scattered in seven directions and flee terrified. The Lord promised to bless them so they would be fruitful and exalted above all nations.  

In chapter 27 yesterday, the instructions from Moses were part of the ritual ceremony and the Israelites responded to the oath with an “Amen” agreement after each of the 12 curses. Now in chapter 28, Moses began with the blessings for obedience, and now the vivid list of curses for disobedience were detailed. There were approximately 53 verses of curses and 14 verses of blessings. The curses were the opposite of the blessings told. The consequences escalated from madness, blindness, oppression, robbery, wives taken, houses built and not lived in, droughts, turning to other gods and even tumors. This was not random suffering but judgment due to their selfishness.  

The grim humor that the Lord would plague them with diseases, including the infamous tumors or “emerods,” is a detail that is awkward but intentional.  Oh, how God sends consequences. We will see this again in 1 Samuel 5 when the Philistines were struck with tumors after capturing the ark. Deuteronomy 28:27 reads, “The Lord will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured.” Buckle up, because these curses would not be fun, and He will give you a perpetual rear-end itch. The term “emerods,” meaning hemorrhoids in older translations, was later translated to “tumors” in the late 19th and mid-20th centuries to not be so crass. The curse was meant to be humiliating and debilitating, not funny, like we can joke about today.  

The scripture became more graphic as Moses warned that famine would spread. Their enemies would eat what little food they were able to grow. The crops would have no rain; worms would eat what grew and they would starve. Their sons and daughters would be taken into captivity. Poverty would be so bad that they would be sent back to Egypt, absolutely worthless, that even a slave would not want them. The Israelites would resort to unspeakable acts like cannibalism. Husbands, being selfish, would not share the flesh of their own children with their wives. Women would resort to eating the placenta of a newborn. All of society would collapse. Unfortunately, the horrifying curses were recorded in scripture not as allowable behavior, but as warnings of judgment.  

During the Siege of Samaria around 852 BC (2 Kings 6:28-29), a woman boiled and ate her son. In the Babylonian Siege of Jerusalem around 586 BC (Lamentations 2:20; 4:10) mothers ate their children. Then, during the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Josephus recorded a woman named Mary, who roasted and partially ate her infant son due to famine. Scripture consistently presented cannibalism as a sign of extreme judgment and curse- not comedy, but horror.  

Chapter 29 focused on the renewal of the covenant. Moses gathered everyone from the foreigners, wood cutters and water carriers to the leaders and elders. This message was for everyone. They had witnessed trials and miracles during their wilderness journey, yet Moses reminded them that understanding ultimately comes from God. He recalled their victories over Sihon and Og and how the Lord sustained them with manna.  They were to renew the covenant and obey in order to prosper. The secret things belonged to God, but He revealed others for the Israelites to share with future generations.  

God gave a clear warning- do not think that because you heard the words, you would get a blessing. This was a group deal with the Israelites. False security is thinking that because you are part of the Chosen ones, that there is a free pass to hear the message but not apply it to their life. God saw the individual heart and held each person accountable, even if it meant judging an entire nation. A rebellious heart hurts everyone. There would be future exile and devastation to all if they disobeyed. The harsh warnings were to bring hope through repentance, obedience, and tough love. It was a humility check to be faithful and not worry about unknowns. God would scatter the people, but if they would repent and follow, then He promised to restore them.  

 

Today's Discussion question: 

How can humor or irony in Scripture draw us closer to God without causing us to lose sight of His holiness and power?

 
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