Deut. 28-29
Blessings and curses for obedience to God’s law – some people subscribe to the thought that bad things happen when you sin but if you live in obedience all will be well; that life for a God-fearing Christian should be free from strife and bad things. This passage seems to support that thought. However, as I mentioned recently, God has worked a new covenant with us, having fulfilled this one. So we are now no longer under this law. If we are no longer under this law, then we are no longer subject to these blessings and curses for obeying it.
Also, I don’t think God gave blessings and curses out on an individual level, but rather on a national level. These are promises to the nation as a whole under whatever government they have in place. So I don’t know that they ever applied that simply and specifically to individuals. The Bible is a complex thing…God help me to understand it!
Luke 7:31-50
In vs 39, Simon, “said to himself…” and in vs 40 it says that Jesus answered him. So Jesus answered an unspoken thought. And the irony is that Simon was thinking that Jesus, if He was who He said He was, should know that this woman was a “sinner.” Jesus’ response let Simon know in no uncertain terms that not only was He aware of the woman’s status, but He was also aware of Simon’s heart and thoughts. If that did not get through to Simon, his heart was surely hard!!