Blessing and Curse

            If, as I have maintained, we have to be very careful to listen to Deuteronomy as a restatement of the Sinaitic covenant, if the notion of blessing and curse based on obedience needs to be heard as particular to the nation of Israel, which ceases to exist for God’s purposes once Jesus appears, then a reasonable question is, “What does this have to do with me?”

            The answer is a little complex.  The first part of the answer is that Jesus is the fulfillment of Israel.  So, Jesus is the one who does everything that Israel was supposed to have done.  We can summarize that by saying that Jesus loves the Lord, His God, with all His heart, soul, and mind.  We get hints at this obedience when Jesus keeps the specifics of the Sinaitic law:  He is circumcised, Mary undergoes purification, Jesus attends Passover regularly, He is in Sabbath every week; He pays a temple tax. 

            On the other hand, the curse for disobedience falls most fully on Him.  Consider that when the Lord’s patience with national Israel is exhausted, He exiles them.  However, there is always the remnant that will return or re-blossom.  In Jesus’ case, the curse is final and ultimate—forsakenness and death.

            So, the first answer to the question, “What does this mean for me?” is that these covenantal passages help us understand Jesus.

            After Jesus, we need to generalize the covenant with Moses.  That is, we need to translate it into New Testament categories.  God still has a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9; KJV).   Like Israel of old, God’s NT people are called by His grace.  Like Israel of old, they are called to a peculiar lifestyle.  Like Israel of old, they are called as a community.  And, insofar as the blessing and the curse apply, they apply christologically and eschatologically.  That means that those who are found in Christ at the last judgment receive the eternal blessing; those who are not found in Christ will not.  There’s a lot more to be said; post comments if you’d like to work through specifics.