Title: In vain
Contents
Text / Deuteronomy 28:36~46 Title / Toil in vain
When God's curse comes upon us, any effort will be in vain. This is because of the consequences of the judgment that came after Adam's transgression. “The earth will bring you thorns and thistles, and you shall eat the vegetables of the field; in the sweat of your face you will eat until you return to the ground…” (Genesis 3:18,19) We are one of these discover the facts Work itself is sacred, but God's punishment after the crime was that one had to work in order to earn a living. In other words, labor has turned into toil as it has been reduced to a simple matter of making a living. But the Bible teaches that it is good and beautiful to see pleasure in all toil under the sun (Ecclesiastes 5:18). It also teaches that hard work is the channel of blessing (Psalm 128:2). Therefore, the toil itself is not a curse, but the problem is futile effort. No matter how hard you work, there is no result. This is God's curse. Accordingly, it teaches about the consequences of futile labor that Israel will experience when they disobey God's word.
1. It will be destroyed (36,37).
2. It will not bear fruit (38-42).
3. It will be lowered (43-45).
The reason why the curses rather than blessings is longer is not because God gives more curses than blessings, but rather because he wants to live a life of blessings through obedience and awareness of sin. This is also reflected in God's will to make this terrible cursed scene a "sign and admonishment" (46) for generations. The important thing is that blessings and curses are not something that life can catch up with, but rather the subjects that follow it.