Blessings and Curses: Deuteronomy’s Covenant of Life and Death

Bible Believing Christian
Sep 16
3 min read

Blessings and Curses: Deuteronomy’s Covenant of Life and Death

As Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, Moses laid before them a choice of breathtaking clarity: blessing or curse, life or death. Deuteronomy 27–30 describes these covenant terms in vivid detail. Obedience would bring fruitfulness and security; rebellion would bring devastation—including unthinkable horrors such as famine so severe that some would resort to cannibalism. This covenant drama still warns and instructs today.

Biblical Foundation

Moses called the people to a covenant renewal at Mounts Gerizim and Ebal:

“Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I am commanding you today, the LORD your God will put you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings will come to you and reach you if you obey the LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 28:1–2 NASB)

Blessings included fertile land, victory over enemies, and abundant offspring (Deuteronomy 28:3–14). But warnings followed:

“But it shall come about, if you do not obey the LORD your God, to be careful to follow all His commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.” (Deuteronomy 28:15 NASB)

Among the direst judgments:

“You shall eat the offspring of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you.” (Deuteronomy 28:53 NASB; see also vv. 54–57)

Moses concludes:

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have placed before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.” (Deuteronomy 30:19 NASB)

Historical & Contextual Notes

Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal: The blessings were proclaimed on lush Gerizim; the curses on barren Ebal—an object lesson in outcomes.

Covenant treaty form: Deuteronomy mirrors ancient Near Eastern suzerain-vassal treaties, which included stipulations, blessings, and curses.

Fulfillment in Israel’s history: The horrors predicted—including siege-induced cannibalism—tragically came to pass (2 Kings 6:28–29 during the Aramean siege of Samaria; Lamentations 4:10 in Jerusalem’s fall to Babylon; Josephus recounts similar events in AD 70).

Misconceptions / Objections

“God delights in cursing.”The repeated call to choose life shows His desire to bless. Judgment is the consequence of persistent rebellion, not divine cruelty.

“These curses were only for ancient Israel.”While the covenant context is specific, the principle is timeless: turning from God still leads to ruin, whether personal or national.

“Cannibalism is exaggerated rhetoric.”History proves otherwise. Scripture and outside records confirm that desperate siege conditions have driven people to such extremes, validating Moses’ prophecy.

Theological Reflection

Blessing and curse are not magical forces but relational realities. Life flows from walking with God; death follows rejecting Him. The Hebrew for curse, אָרָר (arar), means to bind or hem in—sin ultimately imprisons.

Connection to Christ

Christ Became the Curse: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’” (Galatians 3:13)

True Life in Him: Jesus offers the life Moses urged Israel to choose (John 10:10).

New Covenant Fulfillment: The blessings of obedience are fulfilled and secured in Christ, who obeyed perfectly and grants His righteousness to all who believe.

Christ-Centered Conclusion

The blessings and curses of Deuteronomy are more than ancient history. They show that obedience brings flourishing and rebellion brings ruin—sometimes in shocking, literal ways. Jesus bore the curse to give eternal life, calling us to choose Him, the true and everlasting blessing.