16: The Lord set before you today a blessing and a curse (Deut 11:1 – 32)

Moses once again warned them to keep God’s commandments. And he asked them to take special care not to forget God’s words.

πŸ‘‰ Read Deuteronomy 11:1-32

Moses emphasizes that he was telling God’s commandments to this generation. What characterizes this generation? (3-6)

 

Why did they need to keep God’s commandments? (two reasons. 8-9, 10-15, focus on ‘the land’)

 

Find verbs that Moses uses that they needed to do to keep God’s words in their hearts and lives? (18-20)

 

If they carefully observe God’s words, they will live long in the land. How does obedience guarantee their well-being? (three things, 23-25)

 

“I am setting before you (         ) a (          ) and a (           ).” As they enter the land of Canaan, they need to proclaim the covenantal blessings on (                        ) and covenantal curses on (                       ).

Answers and Meditations

They experience God’s greatness and power in His judgment

The more you know God, the heavier the responsibility to obey God you have. So that others who don’t know God see your obedience and revere God.

 

To be strong enough to possess the land

To get God’s blessing and live long in the land

They needed to keep God’s commandments to enter the land and to live in the land. Canaan was a special land in which the Lord God resided.

The land’s harvest was dependent on God’s provision, not like the land of Egypt, where you can help yourself. When you live in the land, you are bound to God; you cannot be independent. Is such a land blessing for them?

If you seek wealth, Egypt, the land of pagan gods, is a better place. If you seek God’s presence, Canaan is the best place.

If your life situation needs daily provision from God, you are in the land of Canaan. Don’t seek to get out of it; rather, stay in Christ, and you will experience abundant blessings from God.

 

Fix, tie, let

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Moses asked them to have God’s words as intimate as possible in their personal lives, their home, and their culture.

 

God will drive ALL those nations before you

EVERY place they set your foot will be yours.

NOBODY will resist you.

If you follow the Lord, ALL will be given to you. NO one can stand against you.

 

Today, blessing, curse, Mt. Gerizim, Mt. Ebal

God always and every day sets before us the way of life and the way of death. No matter your past failures, you can find a way of living. Regardless of your faithful walk until today, you are to choose the way of life every day.

These two mountains are located at the center of Canaan. The proclamation of blessing and curse at the heart of the land symbolizes the uniqueness of the land that the Lord is looking over the land. If the Lord disciplines your life, you are His privileged child.


The choice of life and death, or blessing and curse, is a theme in the Pentateuch. There were two trees in the Garden of Eden: the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. They chose to eat the Tree of Knowledge, not the other.


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