Friday, July 17, 2015

Deuteronomy 11: The Carrot And The Stick

There are two paths laid before Israel, and the choice is a stark one: "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn from the way that I am commanding you today, to follow other gods that you have not known" (vs. 26-28).

As if to symbolize the mutually exclusive choice before them, Moses designates two geographic locations to be associated with the blessing and the curse.  The blessing, he says, will be set on Mount Gerizim while the curse will be laid on Mount Ebal.  These two mountains represent the diametrically opposed consequences facing the nation, one a carrot and the other a stick.

The blessings in store for Israel if they obey are recounted in verses 8-15.  They include long life, rain - the early and the later rain, plenty and abundance.  The curses for disobedience are hinted at in verses 16-17: drought, famine and a short life.

We will hear more about both the blessings and the curses potentially in store for Israel in future chapters of Deuteronomy.

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