How does Jeremiah 22:8 connect with Deuteronomy 28 regarding blessings and curses? Jeremiah 22:8 in Focus “ ‘And many nations will pass by this city and ask one another, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this great city?’ ” Deuteronomy 28 in View Deuteronomy 28 lays out two clear paths for Israel: • vv. 1-14 – Blessings for covenant loyalty • vv. 15-68 – Curses for covenant violation Shared Language and Imagery • Public Spectacle of Judgment – Deuteronomy 28:37 “and you will become an object of horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the nations.” – Jeremiah 22:8 “Nations will pass by… ‘Why has the LORD done this?’” • Ruined Reputation of a “Great” People – Deuteronomy 28:1, 10 promises Israel will be “set high above all nations” and called by the LORD’s Name. – Jeremiah 22 shows the reversal: the once-exalted city becomes an astonishment. • Question-and-Answer Pattern – Deuteronomy 29:24-25 (immediately following the curse section) records outsiders asking the same question and answering, “Because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD.” – Jeremiah 22:9 gives the identical answer. How Jeremiah Leans on Deuteronomy 28 • He treats the covenant terms as still legally binding; the penalties are unfolding exactly as written. • He shows that blessing or curse is not random; it is covenant-dependent. • He uses Deuteronomy’s language to prove God’s consistency—Judah cannot claim surprise. Snapshot of the Covenant Shift Blessings forfeited (Deuteronomy 28:1-14): • Security in the land • Prosperity in city and field • Exaltation above the nations Curses now activated (Deuteronomy 28:15-68; Jeremiah 22): • Siege, destruction, exile (vv. 49-52, 64) • Mockery from surrounding nations (v. 37) • Loss of king and dynasty (v. 36; cf. Jeremiah 22:30) Other Prophets Echo the Same Link • Jeremiah 11:3 – “Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant.” • 2 Kings 22-23 – Josiah’s discovery of “the Book of the Law” (Deuteronomy) and the immediate fear of coming curses. • Daniel 9:11-13 – Daniel prays, acknowledging the Deuteronomy curses as the reason for the exile. Takeaway for Every Generation • God’s promises—both positive and negative—stand unchanged (Numbers 23:19). • Covenant faithfulness brings blessing; rejection invites curse (Galatians 6:7-8). • The clarity of Scripture leaves no room for blaming God; the cause is always covenant breach, never covenant failure. |
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