How does this verse connect to God's warnings in Deuteronomy 28:15-20?

Setting the Stage

– Deuteronomy 28:15-20 lays out the covenant curses for Israel’s disobedience.

– Jeremiah 11:8: “Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but each one walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. So I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I had commanded them to do, but they did not.”

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Direct Echoes between Jeremiah 11:8 and Deuteronomy 28:15-20

• Same covenant framework: both passages address Israel under the Sinai covenant.

• Repeated call to “obey” vs. “not obey” (Deuteronomy 28:15; Jeremiah 11:8).

• God Himself brings the curses: “The LORD will send on you curses…” (Deuteronomy 28:20) paralleled by “I brought upon them all the words of this covenant” (Jeremiah 11:8).

• Focus on the heart: refusal to “incline their ear” (Jeremiah 11:8) mirrors Israel’s hardened heart in Deuteronomy 29:4; cf. Hebrews 3:7-8.

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Specific Elements of Deuteronomy 28:15-20 Reflected in Jeremiah’s Day

1. Curses on daily life (v.16-19) ➔ The Babylonian siege and exile stripped Israel of “basket and kneading bowl” security (cf. Jeremiah 14:1-2).

2. “Confusion and rebuke in everything you undertake” (v.20) ➔ National chaos in Jeremiah 25:8-11.

3. Successive worsening (“until you perish quickly,” v.20) ➔ Jeremiah’s message of unavoidable judgment (Jeremiah 7:16).

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Why the Connection Matters

• Demonstrates God’s faithfulness to His word—both blessings and curses (Numbers 23:19).

• Proves sin has tangible, historical consequences (Romans 6:23).

• Underscores the need for genuine heart obedience, not mere ritual (Deuteronomy 10:16; Jeremiah 4:4).

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Application for Today

– God’s character is consistent; warnings stand as firmly as promises (Malachi 3:6).

– National and personal obedience still carries consequences (Luke 6:46-49).

– The covenant curses highlight humanity’s need for the New Covenant fulfilled in Christ (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Galatians 3:13-14).