Deuteronomy chapter 29

vs 21

The idea of thinking you'll be fine even though you're going against God is so opposite to God's desires that he has made this special mention of the force with which his curses will smite such foolish people.

vs 22

So there will be no sweeping God's curses under the mat for when foreigners come and visit. No hiding skeletons (of people who died from curses) in the closet from the kids.

vs 23

The who now? The kingdoms of Admah and Zeboyim (Zeboiim, Zeboim) were allied with Sodom and Gomorrah back in Genesis 14. Also Zoar, but they don't get mentioned here. So anyway, they were obviously on the losing side of that alliance, because God threw them down.

And he will do the same thing if his demands aren't met by Israel. He wants a relationship, sure, but he will still punish those that go against him.

vs 24

So calamatous and so mighty will God's wrath be that nations will be forced to acknowledge his hand in it.

vs 25

But God won't just be happy with people asking the question of his involvement. No, for him Israel, the cursed, the oathbreakers, will stand as an example of what happens to those who abandon covenant with God. I've actually never felt so bad for someone who denies Christ after being in the body as I do after reading this passage.

vs 26

Rebellion and rejection and idolatry were their crimes.

vs 27

Perhaps Moses thought some people might read the curses and think, "Well, I could survive one or two of these." He wants to make sure that they understand that all of them are coming on those who break covenant.

vs 28

The quotation marks here mean that whoever translated this assumes that this verse is part of Moses' speech. I'm not arguing with them, but it is interesting to note that if you stopped them one verse ago, this would read as a very interesting later editorial addition.

vs 29

This is an interesting idea. Because God reveals himself to a degree, and his laws and commandments and desire for relationship, as God's people we gain a sense of ownership over those things. Ownership is perhaps not the best word, as God really owns everything. But that doesn't mean he can't then give a bit of it to us. He can let us own those things he reveals to us.

After all the talk of cursing, this is a great promise - that not only does God offer relationship, but he offers himself to us. We can call him our God, and it's true. "I will be your God," says God, and he means it. He will let them (and us) claim him. Not exclusively, obviously. But there's enough of God to go around.