Moses has just reestablished the covenant with the Israelites. He has gone over the blessings and the curses that will come over the people based on their actions. Moses inspired by God then says this:

Deuteronomy 29:19-21
““Those who hear the warnings of this curse should not congratulate themselves, thinking, ‘I am safe, even though I am following the desires of my own stubborn heart.’ This would lead to utter ruin! The Lord will never pardon such people. Instead his anger and jealousy will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will come down on them, and the Lord will erase their names from under heaven. The Lord will separate them from all the tribes of Israel, to pour out on them all the curses of the covenant recorded in this Book of Instruction.”

He then goes on and explains that those people’s land will be a waste land covers in sulfur and salt. He says their land will be like that of Sodom and Gomorrah. The language here is very similar to the conversation Abraham had with God about saving Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham asked God if He would destroy the city if there were 50 righteous people. Then Abraham asks if there were 45. Abraham continues all the way down to 10 and God says he won’t destroy the city if there are 10 righteous people. Why did Abraham stop at 10? When the Angels go to Lot they tell him to get his wife, daughters and sons-in-law. We know about the 2 daughters who lived with Lot. They are the daughters he offered to the men in the city. Notice the Angels knew Lot has sons-in-law. That means Lot had more than the 2 daughters living with him. Lot had 2 other daughter which were married and most likely the 2 living with him were promised to be married in the future. That makes 10 people which Lot should have been able to lead in the ways Abraham led him. This does not include all of Lot’s servants. Abraham thought for sure the city would be saved because of Lot and his influence on the city.

Now we pick up with this new generation and God responds saying don’t think that you will be saved because of the righteous. Everyone will have to give an account and pay for their sins. The community cannot save you from your choices to disobey God. God is so precise that He can differentiate between the wicked and the righteous. He can bless your next door neighbor while you are going through hell. We are at a time where God isn’t playing around anymore. You may have been skating by up til now but as we transition into the new year we have to get serious about the things of God. Here is your warning that what God let you get away with last year is not going to be ok moving forward. It is time for the body of Christ to mature so the curses of this world don’t come on us.