And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: (Deuteronomy 28:1)
Literally, “hearkening thou shalt hearken” (see also ch. 7:12). This is an invitation to very serious consideration (see Ex. 23:22). After giving the instructions for the ceremony of cursing and blessing, for use on a future occasion, Moses returns in this chapter to repeat with some amplification the rewards and promises for obedience and disobedience.
Moses was now approaching the close of his life. He was again constrained to place more fully before his people the alternatives of obedience and disobedience. Moses knew that the course he was placing before Israel was educative and disciplinary. The law was the foundation of their education as a people (Gal. 3:17, 24), By his opening words, “If thou shalt hearken diligently,” he notified them that their eternal destiny was in their own hands. God’s hands are yet tied by man’s choice; He has no alternative but to reward a man in harmony with his conduct (Matt. 6:33).