Free files for youth pastors:
4 – Deuteornomy 27-27 – Curses and Blessings (order of service)
4 – Deuteornomy 27-28 – Curses and Blessings (ppt)
4 – Deuteronomy 27-28 – Curses and Blessings (pulpit)
4 – Deuteronomy 27-28 – Curses and Blessings (outline)
4 – Deuteronomy 27-28 – Curses and Blessings (drama)
4 – Deuteronomy 27-28 – Curses and Blessings (fillout sheet)
4 – Deuteronomy 27-28 – Curses and Blessings (mp3)
Have you ever been in a witnessing situation when you just weren’t sure what to say? I’m talking about a time when you were growing and learning so much about Christ that at times you might get excited and say too much to an unbeliever who wasn’t quite ready to hear it all. Have you ever felt at other times that you should have said way more? Situations like those are exactly the reason why we’re studying the book of Deuteronomy. You are in these situations and conversations every single day. Every day your conversations could and should give you a way to talk to others about Jesus and everything surrounding salvation in Him. My goal through Deuteronomy is that you understand the gospel better, and that you are better trained to share it with everyone.
The book of Deuteronomy is a time when God’s chosen people (Israel) had been wandering through the wilderness, and God leads them to their final destination after 40 years. Picture them stopping, overlooking a beautiful Jordan River with the sun gleaming off the waters, and seeing their promised land on the other side. Imagine the frustrating anticipation they felt as God had them stop for two months at that very spot to remind to them the very reason why He took them on their journey…to live as His chosen people. Remember, Deuteronomy is written in the structure of an ancient peace treaty between a superpower kingdom and a nerdy little nation. Like the superpower kingdom, God is promising His powerless (without Him) people that He will save, protect, and bless them.
The fourth section of Deuteronomy (and of an ancient peace treaty) is the curses and blessings listed for disobedience and obedience to the laws of the peace treaty. Read Deuteronomy 27-28. God is making sure that His people clearly understand the curses and blessings surround His salvation. If His people do not follow His laws, then their bodies, foods, flocks, families, military, and nation will be cursed. Will God just cast curses on His people? I don’t think so. God really seems to be saying that these are what naturally happens to cursed people when they don’t connect to the only life source – God Himself. On the flip side, if His people do follow His laws, then they will be blessed with His favor, with fruitfulness, with food, and with fellowship. To make sure it was very clear to them, God put half the nation on one huge hill and the other half of the nation on another huge hill. He had His Levites down in the valley read off the curses, and the people on one hill would shout, “Amen!” Then when the blessings were read, the other hill would shout, “Amen!” The consequences were made clear to them.
So what about now…about 3500 years later or so? Are we as God’s people still cursed for our disobedience and blessed for our obedience to His commands? In a clear word…NO! God’s new covenant is all wrapped up in Christ. Jesus literally became the curse to pay for Israel’s and our sins (Gal 3:13). Also, God says that all of His blessings are specifically found in Christ (Eph 1:3). In other words, we know that today God doesn’t curse disobedient believers for their disobedience. So in the same way, believers aren’t being blessed purely for their personal obedience. Just as Jesus took our curse, Jesus has become our blessing. We are blessed by the measure of Jesus’ obedience and not our own. We also have to understand that God’s curses and blessings are ultimately found in eternity. What you do with the gospel will eternally decide whether you will be blessed beyond what you could ever imagine, or cursed worse than you’re ever afraid of.
Now, back to your witnessing opportunities…we need to understand the gospel well enough for our own lives in terms of God’s curses and blessings found in Christ alone that we’re able to communicate them in loving and truthful ways to others. Rescue others from the curse that is overtaking them. Take them to the blessing…Jesus!
YOUTH GROUP TRUTH 
Good message! Now, here’s a question relating to all this.
Paul tells the Corinthians (and by extension, us) that, because of Jesus, all the promises of God are YES in Christ. – 2 Corinthians 1:20
So, for believers, does that mean the promises of Deuteronomy 28:1-14 can be counted upon, but not the curses because they have been negated by Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection?
I most certainly believe so! I believe that all of the promises of God find their YES, their fulfillment, and their fullness. These promises are first and foremost found and given to Jesus. We seem them given to Him in greater spiritual ways. These are also given to us through Christ partially in this life…but especially for all eternity on the new earth and in the new heavens. We see these specifically mentioned in Isaiah 65 and Revelation 21-22. We are looking forward to the never-ending day when we are restored as rightful rules with dominion over the earth (ground), animals, etc.
Regarding ‘rightful rules (rulers?) with dominion over the earth, animals, etc’ …
Rule over what or whom? Adam ‘ruled’ over his corner of the earth but there were no other people to worry about. Today humans already rule over the earth and animals/birds/fish. So what will be different on the new earth/heavens?
Actually, the Bible isn’t exactly clear concerning what we’ll be ruling over. The disciples seemed to ask Jesus, and He didn’t think it was time for them to know just yet. We know that we will rule and reign with Christ as talked about in several places in Scripture (2 Tim 2:12, Rev 22:5, etc). The Corinthians thought they were already ruling, but Paul sacrastically puts them in their place (1 Cor 4). Adam was created, called, and commanded to rule over the whole earth, all of the beasts of the ground, all of the fish of the sea, and all of the birds of the air. He was called to fill the earth by his wife, Eve, and they were to subdue it…which means rule over it…conquer it (Gen 1:26-28). He was ruling more than just the corner of his earth…even know where he was ruling was intended to spread throughout all the earth. What ultimately will be different is that not only will we be ruling, but all that we will be ruling will specifically be under the feet of Christ…which now it is not yet completely and submissively under His subjection (Hebrews 2:5-9). Eternity is the time when we will rightfully be ruling and reigning with Christ, but also the curse will be reversed and all creation (animals, earth, angels, etc) will be under Christ feet and under His subjection…and then also under ours. Wow, you ask great questions. I certainly don’t have all of the answers…but these are just some of the things I’ve been learning and trying to connect the dots with 🙂
Hey, Chippernet2 … you’re a cool guy/gal and obviously a good thinker. I appreciate your comments and humility to admit you don’t have all the answers, but you are studying!
Iron sharpens iron, so keep it up.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you today, tomorrow and forever.
I’m a dude 🙂 And thanks! I pray that God continually points you to the person and work of Christ in all the Scriptures!
Only by His grace,
Chip