In Deuteronomy chapter twenty-eight, verse fifteen, Moses prophesied the consequences of turning away from God. Chastisement, destruction, great sorrow, captivity, dispersion among the nations. The curse for Israel, should they not hear to keep God’s commandments, would come upon as a disobedient nation. The curse is its extent as covering all the relations of life.
If we do not keep God’s commandments, we not only come short of the blessing promised, but we lay under the curse, which includes all misery, opposite the blessing of all happiness. Observe the justice of this curse. It is not a curse causeless or for some light cause. The whole chapter twenty-eight are sixty-eight verses, with only fourteen that account for the blessing of obedience. The remaining verses explain what will come upon those who do not care to obey.
The extent and power of this curse are wherever the sinner goes, the misfortune of God follows. Wherever the person is, it rests upon them. Whatever the person has is under a curse. All his enjoyments are made bitter, and they cannot take any true comfort in them, for the wrath of God mixes itself with them. Many judgments would be the fruits of the curse. God would punish the people of the Jews for their apostasy and disobedience.
We may observe the fulfillment of these threats in their present state. To complete their misery threatened by these troubles, they should be bereaved of all comfort and hope and left to utter despair. Those who walk by sight, and not by faith, are in danger of losing reason itself when everything about them looks frightful. It shall come to pass in full detail as verses fifteen to sixty-eight declares. The punishment of disobedience is quite extensive: and is contrary to the rewards obedience has to offer.