Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for parsha Ki Tavo, Deuteronomy/Debarim 26:1 – 29:8.
The parsha begins with a description of the offering of Bikkurim, or “First Fruits,” and continues with specific curses for things done in secret, culminating with the second of two powerful statements in the Torah of the “blessings and cursings.”
And there is a notable symmetry to blessings, and the first of the cursings, which are essentially mirror images. But that is where the pattern appears to end, because the curses for rebellion to Him then continue, and go on, and on, and on. Which may explain why there is a decided tendency in ‘xtianity’ to pretend they were “done away with” anyway,
Here is the Erev Shabbat overview of the entire portion:
There is another interesting aspect to the presentation of both blessings and cursings in the Bible as well. Perhaps the most famous outline of blessings in the Book comes from the very first recorded public address by the Messiah, generally known as the ‘Sermon on the Mount,” from Matthew chapter 5, which begins with what are often called the “Beatitudes.”
In the Sabbath Day teaching, Mark points out that, just as is the pattern in Scripture that the blessings come first, Yahushua begins His ministry the same way, outlining blessings.
The curses, as He repeatedly outlines, are for explicit failure to ‘not serve Yahuah with joy…”
…almost like they have to be EARNED.
And can there be any doubt, by now, that they HAVE been?
Ki Tavo: “Selected Curses”
The combined two-part podcast is here, via Hebrew Nation Radio.
