“Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you” (Deut 28:47-48).
There is an important principle which repeats itself time and again in practically every book of the Bible. The conclusion of a book almost always strategically repeats key words, phrases, and themes from the introduction of a book in order to cast interpretive light upon the meaning of the book as a whole. It is not at all surprising this passage in Deuteronomy repeats four key words from the introduction of the Torah: “serve” (avad), “nakedness” (ayrom), “send” (shalach), and “cursed” (arur).
Textual Analyzing
The word “serve” in Deuteronomy 28:47-48 has two addresses, one positive the other negative: because Israel refuses to “serve” the LORD in the Promised Land (Deut 28:47), they will “serve” their enemies in exile (Deut 28:48). Similarly, the word “serve” has two objects in Genesis 1-3 as well. Because Adam fails to “serve” God in his Garden-Temple (Gen 2:15), he ends up “serving” the ground outside the garden, i.e., in exile (Gen 3:23).
The particular word for “nakedness” (ayrom) (Deut 28:42) describes Israel’s total shame and subjugation by their enemies. It just so happens this particular word is used only three other times in the Torah, and it’s the same word used to describe Adam and Eve’s shameful state after they succumbed to the temptations of their enemy (Gen 3:7, 10, 11). Since a different word is used to describe Adam and Eve’s “nakedness” before the fall (“arum;” Gen 2:25), this change in words (Gen 3:7, 10, 11) obviously highlights their fall from grace.
The phrase “the LORD will send” (Deut 28:48) is nearly an identical repetition of the phrase used to describe God “sending” Adam out of the Garden and into exile (Gen 3:23). And though the the word “cursed” is not used in Deuteronomy 28:47-48, it is repeated six times in Deuteronomy 28 (vv. 16-19), describing the consequences of Israel’s disobedience. The word “cursed” is obviously a key word in the story of Adam and Eve’s fall as well, expressing the consequences of their disobedience (Gen 3:14, 17).
How Would we Know that God’s Plan for Blessing is Secured?
Looking back upon the introduction of the Torah through the lens of this conclusion, we see how Adam’s disobedience to God’s commandments and subsequent exile from the garden serves as a prefiguration for Israel’s disobedience to God’s commandments and their exile from the Promised Land: Adam as Israel, Israel as Adam. This strongly suggests, therefore, that God’s plan to bless Israel and the nations will not (cannot) be fulfilled through obedience to the Sinai Covenant. For already in the introduction to the Torah, Moses anticipates Israel’s exile from the Promised Land by telling us the story of Adam and Eve (see Deut 31:28-29).
God’s plan to bless Israel and the nations will not (cannot) be fulfilled through obedience to the Sinai Covenant
So if God’s program of blessing will not be fulfilled through obedience to the law, then how will it be fulfilled? According to Moses, God will bless Israel and all nations through the “seed” of the woman (Gen 3:15) who will come in “the last days” (Gen 49:1, 8-12; Num 24:14, 17-19). Moreover, blessing is ensured because God will circumcise the hearts of his people so they will love him (Deut 30:6).
Noticing The Details
By noticing these strategic repetitions in the introduction and conclusion of the Torah, we can see the Torah’s theology is both Messianic and New Covenant. For it is only God’s faithfulness to his promises and not Israel’s obedience to God’s commandments which secures a truly happy ending to the Torah story!
“Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance on His adversaries, and will atone for His land and His people” (Deut 32:43). “So Israel dwells in security, the fountain of Jacob secluded, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens also drop down dew. Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, who is the shield of your help and the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, and you will tread upon their high places” (Deut 33:28-29).
