How does Jeremiah 11:3 connect to Deuteronomy 27:26 about covenant curses? The Covenant Framework - God bound Israel to Himself at Sinai with a sworn covenant (Exodus 19–24). - Blessings were promised for obedience; curses were warned for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28). - The curses were publicly ratified on the plains of Moab just before entry into Canaan (Deuteronomy 27–29). Deuteronomy 27:26—Setting the Stage “ ‘Cursed is he who refuses to uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ ” - Spoken by Moses, repeated by the Levitical priests on Mount Ebal. - Summarized every individual command with a single sweeping word—“all the words of this law.” - The community sealed the warning with a congregational “Amen,” acknowledging full accountability. Jeremiah 11:3—Echoing Moses “Tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant,’ ” - Jeremiah delivers God’s lawsuit against Judah roughly eight centuries after Moses. - The prophet uses nearly identical wording to Deuteronomy 27:26, signaling he is citing the covenant document itself. Direct Links Between the Verses • Same covenant language—“cursed,” “man,” “words,” “law/covenant.” • Same scope—total obedience required, not selective compliance (cf. James 2:10). • Same divine source—“the LORD, the God of Israel.” • Same judicial function—serves as a legal proclamation of guilt before sentence is executed (Jeremiah 11:11). Why Jeremiah Invokes Deuteronomy - To prove Judah’s guilt from their own covenant charter; Moses’ words are still binding (Deuteronomy 29:14-15). - To show that looming disaster (Babylonian exile) is not arbitrary but covenantal (Jeremiah 11:8, Deuteronomy 28:49-52). - To remind the people that repentance is still possible before the curse fully falls (Jeremiah 11:6-7; Deuteronomy 30:1-3). Implications for the Original Audience - Covenant blessing could not be enjoyed while covenant obligations were ignored. - Reliance on temple ritual without obedience to God’s word invited the very curses read at Ebal (Jeremiah 7:4-15). - The exile becomes the concrete outworking of the curse Moses predicted centuries earlier. New Testament Echoes - Paul cites Deuteronomy 27:26 word-for-word: “All who rely on works of the law are under a curse” (Galatians 3:10). - Christ “redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13), satisfying the covenant penalties Jeremiah announced. Takeaway for Today - God’s word does not expire; promises and warnings stand across generations. - Selective obedience is disobedience—“all the words” matter. - The curse pronounced by Moses and echoed by Jeremiah ultimately drives us to the cross, where the covenant curse is borne and blessing secured for all who believe (Romans 10:4). |
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