How does Deuteronomy 28:55 illustrate consequences of disobedience to God's commandments? Scripture Focus “Refusing to share with them even the flesh of his own children whom he will eat, because he has nothing else left to him in the siege and hardship to which your enemy will subject you in all your towns.” (Deuteronomy 28:55) Historical Context and Setting • Deuteronomy 28 forms part of Moses’ covenant sermon on the plains of Moab. • Verses 1-14 list breathtaking blessings for obedience. • Verses 15-68 warn of escalating curses if Israel turns away. • Verse 55 sits near the climax of those curses, describing a parent in a besieged city so starved that he eats his own child. • This horrid picture literally came to pass in later Jewish history (2 Kings 6:26-29; Lamentations 4:10) when Israel ignored God’s law and enemy armies surrounded their cities. The Shocking Image Explained • Cannibalism is the antithesis of God’s design for parenthood (Psalm 127:3-5). • The verse shows sin’s power to invert natural affections. Rebellion against God eventually corrodes even the deepest human bonds. • The siege is not random tragedy; it is specifically tied to covenant violation (Leviticus 26:27-29 predicted the same curse). • God’s Word portrays the consequence graphically to jolt hearts awake. The horror underscores how seriously He regards idolatry, injustice, and disregard for His commands. Key Principles Illustrated 1. Disobedience invites progressive judgment • The curses intensify step by step (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). Verse 55 represents the extreme end once lesser warnings were ignored. 2. Sin’s wages reach beyond the individual • One man’s refusal to share reflects the breakdown of community. Covenant unfaithfulness fractures society (James 3:16). 3. God’s Word is historically accurate and prophetically precise • Fulfilled in the sieges of Samaria (2 Kings 6) and Jerusalem (Jeremiah 19:9), proving the reliability of Scripture. 4. Divine justice is righteous, not arbitrary • God forewarned Israel clearly (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). Judgment only falls after persistent rebellion. Relevance for Believers Today • God still calls His people to wholehearted obedience (John 14:15). • Choices carry consequences: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) • While the church is not under Israel’s national covenant, the principle remains—persistent sin erodes families, churches, and communities. • The graphic warning motivates believers to cling to Christ’s redeeming grace, walk in the Spirit, and uphold God’s standards (Romans 8:12-14). Responding with Faithful Obedience • Regular self-examination (Psalm 139:23-24) • Swift repentance when convicted (1 John 1:9) • Active pursuit of godly love that nurtures, not devours, those entrusted to us (Ephesians 5:1-2) • Teaching the next generation the blessings of obedience (Deuteronomy 6:6-9) Deuteronomy 28:55 stands as a sobering monument to the catastrophic end of covenant unfaithfulness and a clarion call to embrace the life-giving path of obedience to God’s Word. |
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