John Carter – December 31, 2017

NO AUDIO

 

Main Point: To Explain the meaning of being Blessed and Cursed within the context of the Mosaic Covenant.

{ESV}

28:1-6

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God,

            being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today,

            the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you,

            if you obey the voice of the Lord your God.

Blessed shall you be in the city,

            and blessed shall you be in the field.

Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb

            and the fruit of your ground

            and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock.

Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

Blessed shall you be when you come in,

            and blessed shall you be when you go out.

28:15-19

“But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God

            or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today,

            then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.

Cursed shall you be in the city,

            and cursed shall you be in the field.

Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb

            and the fruit of your ground,

            the increase of your herds and the young of your flock.

Cursed shall you be when you come in,

            and cursed shall you be when you go out.

28:1-6 “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God,	28:15-19 “But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God
Obedience vs. Disobedience – Voice (Gen 1:28; 2:16)
being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.	or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today,
Obedience vs. Disobedience – Commands (Gen 2:15-17)
And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God.	then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.
Consequences (Gen 1:28; 2:17; 3:17-19)
Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field.	Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field.
Work/Labor (Gen 1:26; 2:15; 3:17-19)
Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock.	Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
Multiplication of Life (Gen 1:22, 28; 3:14; 3:16)
Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.	Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock.
Provision/Food (Gen 1:30; 3:19)
Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.	Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.
Near and Far (Gen 1:31; 2:25; 3:19)

{Manuscript/Outline}

Why The Excursion?

Next week we will begin studying the Sermon on the Mount as recorded by Matthew. But before we get very far into that section we see that Jesus will use the term ‘blessed’ nine times. Although this is a familiar term in modern language, its modern definition seems to be different from its use here in Matthew. Words are interesting little things. They provided a great deal of information and clarity, yet they are also the source of great miscommunication. So to avoid confusion on what Jesus means when he says, “blessed.” Specifically, let’s look at the Mosaic understanding of the word blessed in the context of Deuteronomy 28.

Why Deuteronomy?

Deuteronomy is an excellent starting point for this discussion when you consider how Matthew writes his gospel account of the life of Jesus. Matthew seems to go to great length to show how Jesus is the greater Moses. [Jesus was the son of God, called from Egypt, crossed through the water to enter the wilderness, and now presents his people with laws to follow and obey.] So because words can mean different things in different contexts it seems appropriate to understand the word blessed in the context that Jesus, and Matthew, seem to have in mind.

• DEFINITION: The word blessing comes from the Hebrew word brk (barak). The range of meaning of blessing includes:
  • Aramaic[1]: blest, blessed; bless, praise; kneel, fall down; knee
  • Hebrew[2]: kneel; filled with power, praise; wish/will for blessing; bestow power for success, prosperity, fertility God, Man, day, land, or animals); call oneself happy; knee, pee (urinate), lap
  • Hebrew[3]: kneel, bless; salutation, greeting; prospered; knee; water of the knees,
  • Latin[4]: blessed, happy, fortunate
• This is the meaning of blessing used in Deuteronomy 28: to declare prosperity upon someone. But remember, this is not the only use of the word. This Hebrew word does not only have one meaning. It has a range of meanings where the context of its use determines its particular meaning.
• Two extremes – We must avoid taking this to an extreme in the wrong context.
  • Over emphasize the spiritual aspect: ethereal good only. Relationship(s).
  • Over emphasize the material aspect: material good only. Benefits and possessions
• The idea of being cursed is similar enough between the Hebrew usage and ours that we don’t need to dig further beyond the word than what is presented in the text.
• ANE Suzerain Treaty: Deuteronomy is set up as a common type of treaty found in the Ancient Near East. Specifically one made between ruling leaders. The treaty was diplomatic in nature. It was designed to protect the political interests of both parties. The treaty followed a usual format, but it always ended with conditions for meeting or failing to meet the agreed upon points of the treaty. Chapter 28 of Deuteronomy is this portion of that treaty.
• Genesis garden language: We have seen this type of blessing and cursing language earlier in the Bible. The first three chapters of the Bible, Genesis 1-3, spell out the blessing and curses of obedience.
• Blessed in Mathew: Although we see that obedience brings blessings of delight and disobedience brings curses of shame, Jesus turns our understanding of blessedness on its head in Matthew 5. My friend[5] points to things like this and says the Gospel creates problems. In other words, we think that a poor person is cursed, and therefore, avoid poverty. We site passages like Deuteronomy to prove this. But Jesus says those who are poor are truly blessed. This causes a problem. How can poverty in Deuteronomy be a sign of being cursed, while poverty in the teachings of Jesus become a sign of being blessed?
  • The solution is in the action. Being blessed isn’t about doing something; it is about being in right relationship with someone. You are not blessed because you do something. You are being blessed because someone is doing something to you. In other words, you are not blessed when you do something good or right. You are blessed because someone else is blessing you. Being blessed is something done to you (passive); it is not something you do to yourself (Active, perhaps middle).

{Translation}

{Reading Notes}

 

[1] P.77-78 A Lexicon of Biblical Aramaic – J.A. Fitzmyer S.J

[2] P.49-50  A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament – Holladay

[3] P.138-139 BDB

[4] P.53 –  Baker Theological Dictionary

[5] Derk Shultz – Pastor at Sunny Brea Arcata, CA