The Verses Of Curses (Part Two)

This is a series articulating the covenant curses that fall upon Yahweh’s chosen people, the Israelites, when they rebel and break covenant with Yahweh, via breaking His Laws. As we walk through the curses of Deuteronomy 28 together, I encourage us to ask ourselves: “Which ethnic group of people experience these curses in totality?” Please be honest with Yahweh and yourself. For the first part of this series, please see The Verses Of Curses Part One. Let’s continue to observe the sobering ramifications of breaking Yahweh’s Commands, picking up at verse 21 of Deuteronomy 28.

Yahweh will bring on you a plague that will stay with you until He has exterminated you from the Land you are entering in order to take possession of it. Deuteronomy 28:21

The Hebrew word interpreted as plague is pestilence. A pestilence is a contagious, infectious, epidemic disease that is virulent, affecting the entire community. We see Yahweh sending pestilence in Jeremiah 21:5,6, 2nd Samuel 24:10–15, along with Ezekiel 5:12.

Yahweh will strike you down with wasting diseases, fever, inflammation, fiery heat, drought, blasting winds and mildew; and they will pursue you until you perish. Deuteronomy 28:22

These wasting diseases were present during the Middle Passage, the voyage of a Hebrew slave from West Africa to the Americas/Occident. Living conditions during the Middle Passage were inhumane and truly unsanitary.