Deuteronomy Chapter 11
Rewards for Obedience and the Choice
A. How to Be Blessed
1. (Deuteronomy 11:1–7) Remember the ways God has already blessed
“Therefore you shall love the LORD your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always. Know today that I do not speak with your children, who have not known and who have not seen the chastening of the LORD your God, His greatness and His mighty hand and His outstretched arm; His signs and His acts which He did in the midst of Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to all his land; what He did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and their chariots, how He made the waters of the Red Sea overflow them as they pursued you, and how the LORD has destroyed them to this day; what He did for you in the wilderness until you came to this place; and what He did to Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben, how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, their households, their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel, but your eyes have seen every great act of the LORD which He did.”
Moses begins by commanding Israel to love the LORD their God and to keep His charge, statutes, judgments, and commandments always. This emphasizes that true obedience is not mechanical conformity, but devotion rooted in love. Love is not merely emotional or sentimental; it is an act of the will. God does not suggest love, He commands it, because love is the foundation of every other act of obedience. He does not first ask for sacrifices or religious performances, but for the heart. As Jesus later rebuked the church in Revelation 2:4, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” When love is abandoned, obedience becomes empty ritual, and faith becomes lifeless. God wants His people’s obedience to flow from relationship, not robotic duty.
To love God is to keep His word. Any love that dismisses His commandments is counterfeit. As Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” This means that obedience is the natural fruit of genuine love. The one who truly loves God does not argue against His statutes, but delights in them. Love and obedience are inseparable.
Moses then makes it clear he is speaking to those who personally saw the power and discipline of God. “Know today that I do not speak with your children, who have not known and who have not seen.” This generation stood at the Red Sea, ate manna in the wilderness, saw the ground swallow the rebels. They were eyewitnesses of God's greatness, His mighty hand, His outstretched arm. They were responsible to remember and to teach.
Moses calls them to recall God’s power in Egypt: His signs, His acts, and His judgments against Pharaoh and all his land. The most dramatic expression of this power was when God caused the Red Sea to overwhelm the chariots and horsemen of Egypt. What seemed like certain destruction for Israel became the hour of their deliverance and the ruin of their enemies. This was not a small event; Moses says, “the LORD has destroyed them to this day,” meaning the Egyptian military power never fully recovered from that blow.
He reminds them of God’s sustaining care “in the wilderness until you came to this place.” Every step of their journey was marked by divine provision—manna, water from the rock, protection from enemies, guidance by cloud and fire. They did not survive by their own strength but by the faithfulness of God.
Moses then recalls the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram, leaders who challenged God’s appointed authority. Numbers 16 records this rebellion, when the earth literally opened and swallowed them alive, along with their families and possessions. This was a visible, terrifying testimony that God defends His order and His chosen leadership.
Finally, Moses sums up: “your eyes have seen every great act of the LORD which He did.” History is not merely a record of human achievement or failure. It is primarily the story of what God has done. The people of God must interpret their past not through the glory of man, but through the works of the LORD. Remembering His works strengthens faith, cultivates gratitude, and compels obedience.
2. (Deuteronomy 11:8–15) Blessings in the New Land
“Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD swore to give your fathers, to them and their descendants, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year. ‘And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.’”
Moses now connects obedience to tangible blessing. Israel is commanded to “keep every commandment” so that they would be strong, enter, and possess the land. Obedience would not only grant victory, it would also secure their continued life in the land. This land is described as “a land flowing with milk and honey,” a phrase that speaks of agricultural abundance, rich pastureland, and natural fruitfulness. Milk implies abundant livestock, honey refers to the wild sweetness of the land, not processed sugar but natural nourishment from the land flowing freely. God is reminding them that His commandments are not burdens designed to restrict them, but instructions that position them to receive blessing.
Moses contrasts the Promised Land with Egypt. Egypt depended on human effort to survive. Fields were irrigated “by foot,” meaning water was manually lifted from canals or the Nile River using foot-powered pumps, labor-intensive systems, and artificial channels. Egypt’s fertility depended on human ingenuity and the Nile’s seasonal flooding. In contrast, Canaan is “a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven.” Its fruitfulness is not man-made, but dependent on God’s direct provision. This means that Israel must live in constant dependence on the LORD instead of trusting in human systems or pagan gods.
God further says that Canaan is “a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.” This reveals God’s special affection and covenantal attention toward the land. His eyes are continually fixed upon it. No other land is described in Scripture with such personal divine care. This promise still holds theological significance today regarding God’s ongoing relationship with the land of Israel.
God then lays out the condition: earnest obedience and love. “If you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you rain.” Obedience must come from the heart and soul, not just outward conformity. Just as Jesus later said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” God promises provision for those who put Him first.
The promise of rain is especially significant because Canaan was filled with Canaanite worship centered around Baal, the so-called storm and fertility god believed to control rain and crops. The Israelites would be tempted to adopt local customs and pray to Baal for rainfall. God directly confronts this by declaring that He alone gives “the early rain and the latter rain.” The early rain in October and November softened the hardened soil for plowing and planting after the dry summer months. The latter rain in March and April brought the crops to maturity and ensured a successful harvest. Without these rains, famine and drought would occur. God is teaching Israel that their survival and prosperity depend not upon idols, but upon covenant faithfulness.
God promises that obedience brings not only rain but also grain, new wine, oil, and grass for livestock, ensuring both human nourishment and animal provision. “That you may eat and be filled” makes it clear that God is not stingy. He intends His people to be satisfied under His blessing, but only when they walk in love, faithfulness, and obedience.
3. (Deuteronomy 11:16–17) The Danger of Blessing: Turning from God in Prosperity
“Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, lest the LORD’s anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the LORD is giving you.”
After promising abundant blessing, God immediately issues a solemn warning. Prosperity brings its own spiritual danger. The command “Take heed to yourselves” means to guard your soul carefully. The greatest threat to Israel was not the Canaanite armies or fortified cities, but the deception of the heart. Moses warns, “lest your heart be deceived.” Deception begins internally, long before idols are physically worshiped. The human heart is easily lifted up in pride, especially in times of success. When life becomes comfortable, people begin to subtly shift their confidence from God to themselves. They start believing that their success, wealth, or peace came from their own strength, wisdom, or planning. They forget that every blessing is from God.
This deception leads to turning aside to serve other gods and worship them. Idolatry does not always begin with statues and pagan temples; it begins with misplaced trust. Anything we love, trust, or fear more than God becomes an idol. In Israel’s context, the temptation would be to worship Baal, Ashtoreth, or other Canaanite gods, seeking continued prosperity through pagan rituals. God warns that such compromise would provoke His righteous anger.
The consequence is clear: “He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce.” The same God who promised rain for obedience now promises drought for disobedience. Israel’s survival depended on rain from heaven. Without it, no crops would grow, no animals would feed, and famine would grip the land. This warning came to pass generations later in the days of King Ahab, when Elijah declared, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1). God literally shut the heavens as judgment for Israel’s idolatry.
God adds, “and you perish quickly from the good land which the LORD is giving you.” The land is a gift, not a possession earned by Israel’s might. But continued enjoyment of the land depends on continued obedience. Blessings are not meant to lead us away from God but nearer to Him. When blessings replace God in our hearts, those blessings can be removed.
There is also a deeper lesson for believers today. God sometimes allows hardship, dependence, and need to keep His people close to Him. The constant need for rain in Israel kept them constantly dependent upon the LORD. In the same way, the trials, limitations, or needs in our lives are not curses but mercies. They remind us that we are not self-sufficient. Anything that keeps us dependent on God is ultimately for our good.
4. (Deuteronomy 11:18–21) Blessing is Gained by Keeping the Word of God Always Before You
“Therefore you shall lay up these words of Mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth.”
Moses now shows Israel the way to secure blessing across generations. The key is not military strength, economic power, or cultural influence, but keeping the Word of God constantly before the heart, the home, and the nation. God commands, “you shall lay up these words of Mine in your heart and in your soul.” This means more than hearing or memorizing Scripture. It means storing it like a treasure, making it part of the inner life, the emotions, the will, and the conscience. The Word must not merely be in the hand or on the lips but within the heart and soul. Just as a soldier secures his weapon or a farmer secures his grain, believers must secure the Word of God within, guarding it from neglect and forgetfulness.
God then says His Word must be bound “as a sign on your hand” and be “as frontlets between your eyes.” The hand represents action, what we do. The forehead represents thought, what we think. In other words, every work of the hand and every thought of the mind is to be guided by God’s truth. Later, religious Jews physically applied this by creating phylacteries—small leather boxes containing Scripture tied to the hand or forehead. But the intent was spiritual: the Word of God must govern conduct and thinking continually.
Next, God commands continual instruction in the home. “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” The teaching of Scripture was not to be confined to Sabbath worship or synagogue instruction. It was to permeate family life. Every moment of the day became an opportunity for discipleship. Whether sitting in the house in rest, walking during the day, lying down at night, or rising in the morning, God’s Word was to be present in conversation. This requires that parents themselves know and love the Word. Teaching begins at home, and parents—not priests, not prophets—bear the primary responsibility to shape the next generation in the knowledge and fear of the Lord.
God also commanded, “you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” This made God’s Word visible in the public and private life of the family. The doorposts of the house symbolize the entrance to the home, and the gate represents the public sphere, where business and community matters were handled. This means the Word must guide both household living and civic life. Even today, Jewish families use the mezuzah on doorposts, containing Scriptures such as Deuteronomy 6 and 11, as a reminder of this command.
The purpose is then stated: “that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth.” Long life, stable generations, and continued inheritance of the land depended upon keeping the Word central. The blessing is not momentary but enduring, extending from one generation to the next when the Word of God is honored both privately and publicly.
B. The Choice
1. (Deuteronomy 11:22–25) The Promise of Blessing
“For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him, then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and mightier nations than yourselves. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even to the Western Sea, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand against you; the LORD your God will put the dread of you and the fear of you upon all the land where you tread, just as He has said to you.”
Moses now brings the people to a decisive point of choice. Obedience is not just about law; it is about relationship. The command is summed up in three expressions: loving the LORD your God, walking in all His ways, and holding fast to Him. These words imply devotion of the heart, conformity of life, and perseverance in faith. Loving the LORD speaks of affection and loyalty. Walking in His ways means modeling life after His revealed will and character. Holding fast means clinging to Him in faith and dependence, refusing to let go even in difficulty, temptation, or prosperity. The commandments of God are not cold regulations; they are the practical expression of loving God.
The promise is that if Israel lived in this loving obedience, “then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you.” God would go before them in supernatural victory. Israel was not expected to conquer the land by their own strength or military genius. God Himself would push out nations greater and mightier than they were. The requirement was not strength, but faithfulness. Many want God to fight their battles, but they do not want to live in obedience or in close fellowship with Him. God fights for those who walk with Him.
God further promises, “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours.” This meant that wherever Israel advanced in faith and obedience, God would give them the land. This promise was later repeated to Joshua in Joshua 1:3 just before the conquest of Canaan. The full boundaries of the land are described: from the wilderness in the south, to Lebanon in the north, from the River Euphrates in the east, to the Western Sea (the Mediterranean Sea) in the west. These are the same borders promised to Abraham in Genesis 15:18. Israel only possessed these full boundaries briefly under David and Solomon. The promise remains linked to obedience and will be fully realized in the future Messianic Kingdom.
God continues, “No man shall be able to stand against you.” When Israel walked in obedience and love, no enemy could prevail against them. They would be undefeatable not because of their skill or weapons, but because God was with them. This reflects the truth later echoed in 1 John 4:4, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” God also promised to place “the dread of you and the fear of you upon all the land where you tread.” This means supernatural terror would fall upon their enemies before battle even began. We see an example of this in Joshua 2:9 when Rahab said the people of Jericho trembled because they knew the LORD fought for Israel.
This passage teaches that blessing and victory are tied to loving obedience. Israel’s success was never based on numbers, strength, or strategy but on their relationship with the LORD. Obedience brought confidence, courage, and conquest. Disobedience brought fear, defeat, and scattering. God does not bless rebellion. He blesses those who trust Him, love Him, and walk in His ways.
2. (Deuteronomy 11:26–28) The Choice: Blessing or Cursing
“Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.”
Moses now brings Israel to a decisive moment of accountability. God sets before them two paths: blessing and cursing. There is no middle ground. The word “Behold” demands attention. The choice is not hidden, it is placed openly before them. Under the Old Covenant, Israel's relationship with God was structured around three elements: the law, the sacrifice, and the choice. God had given His law, He had provided sacrifices for atonement, but now the people must choose obedience or rebellion.
The blessing is not arbitrary but conditional — “if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God.” Obedience would lead to protection, provision, peace, victory, and long life in the land. The curse is likewise conditional — “if you do not obey… but turn aside… to go after other gods.” Disobedience was never neutral; it was turning from God to idols, whether carved images or self-exaltation. To reject God’s commands is to enthrone another authority, making idolatry the root of rebellion.
This system of blessing for obedience and cursing for disobedience is specific to Israel’s national covenant under Moses. In Christ, believers are under a New Covenant. The curse of the law has already been fully poured out on Jesus Christ. As it is written, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse… Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us” (Galatians 3:10–13). Christians are not blessed because of perfect obedience, but because they are in Christ. However, sin still carries consequences, and God still disciplines His children in love, but He no longer curses them because the curse has been satisfied at the cross.
Yet the principle remains: God requires a choice. He does not allow spiritual neutrality. Israel must decide whether to walk in obedience, as in the days of David and Solomon, or in rebellion, as in the days of Ahab and Manasseh. Blessing and cursing are not accidents of fate but responses from a covenant-keeping God.
To turn to other gods is to deny the LORD’s authority. Whether bowing to idols, trusting in human power, or worshiping self, all disobedience is idolatry. It declares that our desires, our standards, or our ways are greater than God’s. That is the core of sin.
3. (Deuteronomy 11:29–32) Making the Choice Public
“Now it shall be, when the LORD your God has brought you into the land which you go to possess, that you shall put the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. Are they not on the other side of the Jordan, toward the setting sun, in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the plain opposite Gilgal, beside the terebinth trees of Moreh? For you will cross over the Jordan and go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you, and you will possess it and dwell in it. And you shall be careful to observe all the statutes and judgments which I set before you today.”
Once Israel enters the land, God commands a national ceremony to make the covenant commitment visible and unforgettable. Half the tribes were to stand on Mount Gerizim and proclaim the blessings, while the other half would stand on Mount Ebal and proclaim the curses. This would take place near Shechem, beside the terebinth trees of Moreh — the very place where Abraham first received God’s promise of the land in Genesis 12:6–7. The setting itself testified that God keeps His word.
Mount Gerizim, known for its green slopes and fertility, symbolized blessing. Mount Ebal, rocky, barren, and lifeless, symbolized cursing. The two mountains stand opposite one another, forming a natural amphitheater. The entire nation would hear the words spoken. This was not a private decision; it was a public declaration witnessed by all Israel.
God emphasizes that this ceremony will take place after they enter the land and take possession of it. Obedience does not earn the land — it is already given by grace. But obedience determines whether they will remain and prosper in it.
Finally, Moses closes this section by saying, “you shall be careful to observe all the statutes and judgments.” Blessing is not secured by emotion or good intentions, but by deliberate obedience to the Word of God.
