Troublesome Topic: The Blessings and Curses of the Former Covenant

The blessings and curses of the covenant came as consequences for faithfulness and rebellion, respectively. Whether they received the covenant blessings or the covenant curses was always directly tied to their obedience of the covenant conditions.

Lengthy lists of blessings and curses are found in various places in the Torah. One example is Dt. chapters 27 and 28. The aspects of their lives that would be cursed or blessed included childbearing, crops, herds and flocks, travel, business endeavors, health, rainfall, agriculture, warfare, finances, unity, personal freedom, and more. That pretty much covers all of life.

The covenant blessings are not promises; the concept of promise is never mentioned here.

Many other examples are mentioned which make very clear that it would be more advisable for this people, now in a covenant relationship with the Almighty God, to obey rather than disobey the conditions He had laid out. The entire future of this people depended on their faithfulness to the covenant.

For those of you reading the short version of this study on covenants, the next lesson is Signs of the Former Covenant.

For those of you reading the medium and full length versions of this study on covenants, the next lesson is Our Use of the Word “Promise”.