Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 11: God watches over His people

Begin in prayer

Before hearing the blessing and the curse, let us ask God to help us listen. Pray that our family would remember His mighty deeds and respond to His word with faith.

All the paths of Yahweh are loving kindness and truth to such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

Psalm 25:10

Father in heaven, Your word tells us the truth about blessing and judgment. Help our family listen with reverence and see the mercy found in Your Son. Keep us from deceived hearts that turn toward other gods, and teach us willing obedience. Please open our eyes as we read Your Word, make us more like Christ, and bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

Moses addresses those who have seen the LORD’s mighty deeds in Egypt and the wilderness. They must remember both His deliverance and the judgment that swallowed Dathan, Abiram, and their households. The land ahead depends on rain from heaven, under God’s constant care. Loving obedience will bring provision, while idolatry will bring drought and death from the land. His words must therefore fill their hearts and their children’s daily instruction. Moses sets blessing and curse before them as they prepare to cross the Jordan.

As you read Deuteronomy 11, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

God watches over His people and sets before them His blessing and His curse.

The people hearing Moses have seen what their children have yet to learn. God’s deeds establish the seriousness of His commands, including His judgment within Israel itself. In Egypt a farmer watered his seed with his foot, like a garden, but these hills drink rain from the sky. The blessing would be spoken on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal (verse 29). God watches over this land throughout the year and commands the rain. Under this covenant, abandoning Him would close the heavens and bring ruin. God also promises to drive out stronger nations as Israel loves Him and keeps His commands. Teaching His words at home must keep His mighty deeds and commands before the next generation. The announced blessing and curse show that Israel cannot treat loyalty to the LORD as an optional matter.

How does Deuteronomy 11 show us that God watches over His people and sets before them His blessing and His curse?

God’s mighty deeds call for obedience.

Israel has seen God defeat Egypt’s army and sustain the wilderness journey. They have also seen Him judge Dathan and Abiram. His commands come from the God whose power they have witnessed.

God gives rain and warns of ruin.

The land’s hills and valleys depend on rain from heaven. God promises that provision as Israel loves and serves Him. If they worship other gods, He will withhold rain and they will perish from the land. The curse comes if they will not listen to His commandments, as verse 28 says.

God’s words must fill family life.

Moses commands Israel to keep these words in their hearts. Parents must teach them throughout the ordinary movements of the day. The coming generation needs to know the God their parents have seen at work.

Memorise

Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you today;

Deuteronomy 11:26-27

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, which warning of God do I ignore, and why do I need Jesus?

The command begins, “Therefore you shall love Yahweh your God”. Israel had seen His deeds and could never plead ignorance of His power. The blessing and the curse exposed the seriousness of their response to Him.

Our disobedience places us under God’s righteous judgment. Christ carried the curse of that disobedience for His people at the cross. He rose again, and His finished sacrifice is enough to bring guilty sinners into God’s favor.

Turn from unbelief and come to Him. Whoever trusts Jesus is forgiven, because His work is enough. Hear God’s warnings, and look to Jesus, the Savior who stands between His people and the curse.

Parent's note

Tell your children that God’s warnings must be heard alongside His mighty acts of rescue. Keep the judgment on Dathan and Abiram plain. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God for speaking, and bring the heart question about listening to His warnings before Him. Every child can pray, so invite each one to ask for faith.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,”

Galatians 3:13

Father in heaven, thank You that You watch over Your people and set before them Your blessing and Your curse. Forgive our careless listening, and lead us to Jesus, who bore the curse for His people. Help those who trust Him treasure Your word and teach it faithfully throughout daily life. In Jesus' name, Amen.