Disobedience brings the curses of God upon Israel: destruction, being brought to nothing, plucking from the land, and scattering among all nations.
Deuteronomy 28 presents a conditional covenant: obedience brings blessings, but disobedience brings curses. Les Feldick emphasizes that these curses include being destroyed, brought to naught, removed from the Promised Land, and scattered among all peoples. The Lord who rejoiced to do them good would rejoice to destroy them because they refused to hearken to His voice.
Deuteronomy 28:63 — This verse directly answers the question by stating that just as the Lord rejoiced to do good to Israel, He will rejoice to destroy them and bring them to nothing, plucking them from the land.
In Deuteronomy 28, God sets before Israel a clear choice between blessing for obedience and cursing for disobedience. Beginning at verse 15, Moses declares, "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee." The curses then cover every area of life: the city, the field, the basket, the store, the fruit of the body, the fruit of the land, and more. Verse 37 states that disobedient Israel would become "an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee." Verse 63 warns that as the Lord rejoiced over Israel to do them good and multiply them, so He would rejoice over them to destroy them and bring them to nothing, and they would be plucked from off the land they were going to possess. Verse 64 adds that the Lord would scatter them among all people, from one end of the earth even unto the other. God also warned that in these nations they would find no ease, no rest, but a trembling heart, failing eyes, sorrow of mind, and their life would hang in doubt before them (vv. 65–66). All these consequences flow from the nation's refusal to hearken to the voice of the Lord.
Les Feldick stresses the conditional nature of the covenant that God made with Israel. If Israel is obedient, God will bless them every way; but if they turn their back on Jehovah and become disobedient, He will bring upon them all the curses listed in Deuteronomy 28, culminating in national destruction and dispersion. Feldick points his listeners directly to Deuteronomy 28:63, where God uses the same rejoicing language for destruction as He did for blessing: "as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, to multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to naught" (paraphrased). He emphasizes that this was spoken to Israel while they were still on the plains of Moab, east of Jericho, just before they entered the Promised Land. Feldick also connects Deuteronomy 28:37 to the Jew's experience in almost every nation on earth: they have become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword because of their rejection of Jehovah's love and mercy. He underscores that even though Satan attacks God's chosen people, Israel remains responsible for their actions, and their disobedience has brought these curses upon themselves.
Deuteronomy 28 lists specific curses that would come upon Israel if they refused to hearken to God's voice. Rather than blessed in the city and field, they would be cursed in the city and field; rather than blessed in basket and store, they would be cursed in their basket and store; rather than blessed in the fruit of the body and land, they would be cursed in the fruit of the body and land (vv. 16–18). Les Feldick points out that the chapter traces how Israel would receive the wrath of God because of their disobedience, and at verse 37 God says they would become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations—an experience the Jew has had in almost every nation on earth.
This warning was given to the nation of Israel while they were still on the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan, before they entered Canaan. Moses spoke these words to the nation as they were about to possess the Promised Land. Les makes a point of the setting so that the reader understands that the curses were not hypothetical—they were the actual terms of the covenant that Israel would later violate.
Yes, God foretold not only the destruction of disobedient Israel but also their scattering among all peoples. Deuteronomy 28:64 states that the Lord would scatter them among all people, from one end of the earth even unto the other (paraphrased). Les also points to Deuteronomy 30:1, where God says that after all these things—the blessings and the curse—have come upon them, they would call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord their God had driven them. This was a prophecy that had not yet happened at the time it was given, but God knew Israel would be dispersed more than once.
Destruction and Plucking from the Land
Les reads Deuteronomy 28:63 and explains that the same Lord who rejoiced to bless Israel will rejoice to destroy them and bring them to nothing, and they will be plucked off the very land they were going in to possess.
The Curses Replace the Blessings
Les highlights the conditional 'but it shall come to pass' and shows that from verse 16 onward the word 'blessed' is replaced by 'cursed' in the city, field, basket, store, and fruit of body and land.
Scattering Among the Nations
Les emphasizes the consequences of being destroyed, brought to nothing, plucked from the land, and scattered among the nations, while noting that Israel was still outside the Promised Land when this was spoken.
The Reason for Catastrophes
Les ties the catastrophes of Israel's later history back to the clear condition in Deuteronomy 28:15: if they will not hearken to the voice of the Lord, all these curses come upon them.
A Proverb and a Byword
Les applies Deuteronomy 28:37 to the Jew's experience in almost every nation on earth, explaining that Israel has become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword because they rejected the love and mercy of Jehovah.
A Prophecy of Dispersion
Les points to Deuteronomy 30:1 as a prophecy given before it happened, showing that God knew Israel would be driven among all nations—proving the curses of Deuteronomy 28 would indeed be fulfilled.
Why God Commanded Israel to Destroy Entire Nations — Deuteronomy 7
And again, I'm simply going to make the statement that you cannot, you cannot take for granted that the God of Israel is any different than the God of today. And that would be back in chapter 27, beginning with verse 15. You read it at your leisure. I'm not going to read it on the air.
The Blessings and Curses Fulfilled
Les says that when you read Deuteronomy 28–30, you can see how all the blessings and curses have been fulfilled to the last jot and tittle, and the dispersion has already taken place.
Deuteronomy 28:15: But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
This is the pivot verse where the conditional curses for disobedience begin in Deuteronomy 28.
Deuteronomy 28:37: And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.
God describes how disobedient Israel would become a laughingstock among the nations.
Deuteronomy 28:63: And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess.
This verse directly answers the question by stating that God would destroy Israel and remove them from the land for disobedience.
Deuteronomy 28:64: And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.
This verse describes the scattering of Israel among all nations, a key consequence of disobedience.
Deuteronomy 30:1: And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,
This verse confirms that God foreknew the dispersion and that the blessings and curses would come upon Israel.
No. Deuteronomy 30:1 shows that after all the blessings and curses come upon Israel, God promises they will call them to mind among the nations and He will restore them. Les Feldick points this out as a prophecy that Israel would be dispersed more than once and still has a future.
Les Feldick teaches that when you read Deuteronomy 28–30, you can see that all the blessings and curses have been fulfilled to the last jot and tittle. Israel did experience destruction, plucking from the land, and worldwide scattering.
Watch the Teaching: Why Moses Was Forbidden From the Promised Land — The Real Reason