Deuteronomy 28:22
The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.
Moses pronounced it as one of the curses for disobedience to God's commandments, that the people would be smitten with wasting illness and fever and scorching heat, and with violence and the sword, and with blasting and mildew upon their crops, which would pursue them until they perished in ruin and lay open to their enemies. It sets disease and other calamities as the fearful result of transgressing His commands, in contrast with the blessings and prosperity that follow obedience, and plainly states these principles of the law of His kingdom so minds are left in no ignorance or uncertainty about the choice before them. The adversity is sent by the living God who made heaven and earth and gave His law at Sinai, who sends prosperity according to obedience to that law and adversity according to transgression of it, with the curse reaching people and animals and the earth as transgression spreads. It teaches that disease of every stripe and type comes upon human beings through breaking down the protective barriers He erected to keep them in health and holiness, while He who promises to put none of these diseases upon those who diligently hearken to His voice and keep His commandments and statutes is the Lord who heals them and desires to keep in health all who do His will under Christ's sheltering preservation. Its directions lay a never-ceasing obligation, just as binding and fresh now as when spoken by the voice of Christ from the enfolding pillar of cloud, for keeping His statutes and judgments brings life and turning away brings loss of the promised inheritance, and the same condition governs His people now, whose disobedience hinders the work and delays the sealing, while the threatened curse of affliction grows heavier as transgression is persisted in.
Curses for Disobedience
Moses read and pronounced this as one of the curses to follow Israel for disobedience to God's commandments. Affliction would come in illness and fever and scorching heat, together with violence and the sword, and with blasting and mildew damaging crops. These evils would pursue the people until they perished in ruin. Transgression of God's law would leave them vulnerable to their enemies.
Bodily illness is named here among the destruction that disobedience brings under God's curse. That curse reaches people, animals, and the earth as transgression spreads.
The adversity is sent by the living God who created heaven and earth and gave His law on Sinai, the law contained in the ark. He sends prosperity according to obedience to that law and adversity according to transgression of it. The Philistines did not understand this when they thought the ark itself was the Israelites' god. Disease and other calamities are thus the fearful results of transgressing God's commands, in contrast with the blessings and prosperity that follow obedience. The choice set before people is between suffering the consequences of disobedience and enjoying the blessings of obedience.
Enduring Law and Health
Deuteronomy 28 plainly states the consequences of obedience and disobedience, with obedience bringing prosperity and disobedience bringing a curse. It expresses the principles of the law of God's kingdom made specific so that minds are not left in ignorance and uncertainty, and its directions are given for His people's present and future good. Its directions express the never-ceasing obligation of all whom God has blessed with life and health and advantages in temporal and spiritual things. The message has not grown weak because of age, but God's claims are just as binding now and just as fresh in importance as God's gifts are fresh and continual, for the voice speaking there is the voice of Christ from the enfolding pillar of cloud.
The Lord's promises are upon condition of obedience, so that keeping His statutes and judgments brings life while turning away brings loss of the promised inheritance. Read with the first chapter of Deuteronomy this explains why the adult army that left Egypt was refused entrance into the promised land. The same condition governs His people now, whose disobedience hinders the work and delays the sealing.
The verse shows one of the diseases that pursue transgressors until they perish, teaching that disease of every stripe and type comes upon human beings through transgression of God's protective commands and breaking down the barriers He in His providence erected to preserve them, that they might live in health and holiness and learn obedience. Read with the covenant of mercy that if they would diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord, do what is right in His sight, and keep His commandments and statutes, He would put none of these diseases upon them, it teaches that He is the Lord who heals them, desiring under Christ's sheltering preservation to keep in health all who do His will. The threatened curse of disease and affliction grows heavier as people persist in transgression, while obedience would keep disease from them, as illustrated when Israel's appetite-controlled rebellion in demanding meat brought a deadly judgment.