Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Deuteronomy 11
Deuteronomy 11:1"You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always."
This verse sets the stage for the entire chapter, establishing that obedience is not merely about rule-following. It is the natural response to a loving relationship with God.Deuteronomy 11:18-19"You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes." You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Here, Moses stresses that God's teachings shouldn't be a distant concept but should be woven into the very fabric of daily life, passed down from one generation to the next.Deuteronomy 11:26"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse:"
This is the heart of the chapter's message, presenting a clear and unavoidable choice that determines the nation's future: will they choose the path of blessing or the path of the curse?
Historical & Cultural Context
A Final Appeal to the Eyewitnesses
Moses is addressing the generation of Israelites who are poised to enter the Promised Land. He makes a crucial point: he is speaking directly to them, the eyewitnesses of God's mighty acts. They saw the plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and God's judgment in the wilderness. This is a personal reminder of the powerful and faithful God they serve, grounding his call to obedience in their shared experience. It is not a history lesson for them.
A Land Dependent on God's Care
The scene then shifts to look forward, contrasting the land they are about to enter with the one they left behind. Egypt was a land of human effort, where crops grew through man-made irrigation systems. The Promised Land, however, is different. It is a land of hills and valleys that depends on the rain from heaven - a land that God Himself watches over. This powerful image establishes that their very survival and prosperity will be tied directly to their relationship with God, who alone provides the life-giving rain.
A Call to Remember and Obey
Standing on the edge of their new home, Moses delivers a passionate sermon to Israel. He begins by grounding their future obedience in their past experiences, reminding them of the awesome power and righteous judgment they have personally witnessed. From this foundation of memory, he paints a vivid picture of the choice before them: a life of blessing in a land cared for by God, or a life of hardship resulting from disobedience. The entire chapter is a call to choose wisely by loving God and making His words the center of their lives.
Remember What You Have Seen (Deuteronomy 11:1-9)
1 "You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always."
2 And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm,
3 his signs and his deeds that he did in Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt and to all his land,
4 and what he did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and to their chariots, how he made the water of the Red Sea flow over them as they pursued after you, and how the Lord has destroyed them to this day,
5 and what he did to you in the wilderness, until you came to this place,
6 and what he did to Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, son of Reuben, how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the midst of all Israel.
7 but your own eyes have seen all the great work of the Lord that he did.
8 "You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land that you are going over to possess,"
9 and that you may live long in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give to them and to their offspring, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Commentary:
Moses tells the people to base their obedience on their own eyewitness accounts of God's power and justice.
A Land That Depends on God (Deuteronomy 11:10-17)
10 For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it, like a garden of vegetables.
11 But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven,
12 a land that the Lord your God cares for. The eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.
13 "And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,"
14 that I will give you the rain of your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil.
15 And I will provide grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full.
16 Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them;
17 then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the Lord is giving you.
Commentary:
Unlike Egypt, the new land's fertility depends on God's rain, making obedience essential for survival and prosperity.
Weaving God's Word into Life (Deuteronomy 11:18-25)
18 "You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes."
19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
20 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,
21 that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.
22 For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him,
23 then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you.
24 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours.
25 No one shall be able to stand against you.
Commentary:
To ensure faithfulness, the Israelites must make God's commands a constant and visible part of every aspect of their lives.
The Choice on the Mountains (Deuteronomy 11:26-32)
26 "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse:"
27 a blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today,
28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.
29 And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.
30 Are they not beyond the Jordan, west of the road, toward the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah, opposite Gilgal, beside the oak of Moreh?
31 For you are to cross over the Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you. And when you possess it and live in it,
32 And you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the rules that I am setting before you today.
Commentary:
Moses commands a future ceremony on two mountains to physically represent the clear choice between blessing for obedience and a curse for disobedience.
Related Verse Analysis
Core Truths in Deuteronomy 11
Memory as the Foundation of Faith
This chapter teaches that a healthy faith is built on remembering God's past actions. Moses repeatedly calls the people to 'consider' and recall what their 'own eyes have seen,' showing that personal experience with God's power and faithfulness is the strongest motivation for future trust and obedience.
The Connection Between Obedience and Blessing
Deuteronomy 11 makes it clear that God's blessings are not unconditional entitlements. The prosperity of the nation in the land - symbolized by the life-giving rain - is directly linked to their wholehearted love and obedience, creating a relationship of active trust and dependence on Him.
The All-Encompassing Nature of God's Word
God's commands are not meant for a sacred scroll stored away for special occasions. They are intended to permeate every aspect of life: personal thoughts ('in your heart'), daily actions ('on your hand'), family life ('teach them to your children'), and the home itself ('on your doorposts').
Living Out the Message Today
Deuteronomy 11:7 reminds you that what you've personally witnessed of God's work is a powerful anchor for your faith. When you face uncertainty, take time to recall specific moments God has provided for you, guided you, or brought you through difficult times. This act of remembering builds confidence that the same God who was faithful then is with you now.
In our busy world, this means being intentional about making space for God's truth. It could look like discussing a Bible verse during dinner, playing worship music in your car, or placing scripture art in your home as a visual reminder. As Deuteronomy 11:18-20 suggests, it's about integrating faith into the normal rhythms of your life, not merely reserving it for an hour on Sunday.
While we may not see an immediate drought when we disobey, the principle holds true that our choices have consequences. Following God's wisdom in your relationships, finances, and integrity often leads to peace and health - a form of blessing. Conversely, ignoring His guidance can lead to brokenness, stress, and regret - a form of curse. The chapter encourages you to see your daily decisions as part of this larger choice between a life that honors God and one that turns away from Him.
A Choice of Blessing or Curse
Deuteronomy 11 reveals that God's call to obedience is not a list of arbitrary rules but an invitation to a life of blessing. By reminding Israel of His awesome power and faithful care, He frames their choice as one rooted in a loving relationship. The message is both clear and simple: when we remember who God is and what He has done, our hearts are moved to love Him, and a life of obedience becomes the natural path to flourishing under His constant care.
What This Means for Us Today
This chapter lays a clear choice at our feet, just as it did for Israel. God sets before us a path of blessing found in loving Him and a path of consequence found in turning away. The invitation is to actively choose life by weaving His truth into the very fabric of our days, trusting that He is the one who provides for and watches over us.
- In what area of your life do you need to more actively remember God's past faithfulness?
- What is one practical step you can take this week to make God's Word more central in your home or daily routine?
- Which path are your current choices leading you down - one of blessing or one of consequence?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This chapter precedes our text by recounting the second giving of the Ten Commandments, setting the stage for the call to obedience in chapter 11.
Following the general call to obedience, this chapter provides specific instructions on how and where Israel is to worship God once they are in the Promised Land.
Connections Across Scripture
This passage records the fulfillment of Moses' command, as Joshua leads the Israelites in the solemn ceremony of blessing and cursing on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal.
The author of Hebrews warns believers not to have a hard heart like the wilderness generation, echoing Deuteronomy's call to faithful obedience.
Paul discusses the curse of the law, explaining how Christ became a curse for us to redeem us and give us the blessing promised to Abraham through faith.
Discussion Questions
- Moses emphasizes that his audience were eyewitnesses to God's power (v. 7). How does a personal experience with God shape our faith differently than merely hearing about Him from others?
- Deuteronomy 11:18-20 describes a life completely saturated with God's Word. What are some practical, modern ways we can make God's truth a more constant presence in our families and daily routines?
- The choice between blessing and curse seems very direct here. How does the grace we know through Jesus Christ change our understanding of this principle in our own lives?
Glossary
places
Egypt
The nation where the Israelites were enslaved and from which God miraculously delivered them.
Red Sea
The body of water God parted for the Israelites to escape the Egyptian army and then closed to destroy their pursuers.
Mount Gerizim
The mountain in the Promised Land designated as the place from which the blessings for obedience would be pronounced.
Mount Ebal
The mountain opposite Gerizim, designated as the place from which the curses for disobedience would be pronounced.
figures
Moses
The prophet and leader who guided the Israelites out of Egypt and delivered God's Law to them.
Pharaoh
The title for the king of Egypt whose hard heart led to God sending ten plagues upon the land.
Dathan and Abiram
Two men who, along with Korah, led a rebellion against Moses' leadership in the wilderness and were swallowed by the earth as a sign of God's judgment.
theological concepts
Blessing
God's favor, provision, and flourishing, which He promised to Israel as a result of their obedience.
Curse
The negative consequences, such as hardship and judgment, that would result from disobeying God's commands.
Covenant
The binding agreement between God and Israel, where God promised blessings in exchange for their faithful obedience to His laws.