A common error in today’s Christian landscape is the teaching of the ‘prosperity gospel.’ Generally speaking, this message communicates that strong enough faith and good enough obedience will always lead to physical health and tangible wealth. In other words, those who truly follow Jesus always find visible success and comfort in this life.

But a faithful reading of the Bible shows that the prosperity gospel cannot be true. Jesus promises hardship to His followers (John 15:19, 16:33). And He Himself lived a life of poverty and suffering. The epistles are full of instruction on how to navigate trials and persecution. The early church experienced constant exclusion, poverty, and attack. All of this is clear evidence against the prosperity gospel, but it is all from the New Testament. What about the Old? 

Passages like Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 are go-to favorites for those who subscribe to the prosperity gospel. Let’s explore these promises and see how they relate to Christians today.

Leviticus 26:

3 “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, 4 then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. 6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land. 7 You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.”

Deuteronomy 28:

2 “And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. 3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. 5 Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl . . . 13 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, 14 and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”

The promises listed in these passages are clearly physical, tangible blessings. And they are directly correlated to the people’s obedience to God. So does the Old Testament teach a prosperity gospel? Although it may appear that way on the surface, the answer is No. And here are a few reasons why:

1. The Rest of the Old Testament Writings

As we try to make sense of these promises of blessing, we have to keep some other Old Testament passages in mind. Do those who obey God always experience health and wealth throughout the Hebrew Bible? The answer is a clear No. Job is an obvious example. In fact, the purpose of the whole book is to show that there is not a direct correlation between a man’s righteousness and his material blessings. God works in ways that are not that simple. Elsewhere we see prophets like Jeremiah and Elijah living in poverty and danger as they faithfully serve God. The wisdom of Proverbs warns against the trap of wealth (Prov. 11:28, 23:4). Psalms and Ecclesiastes wrestle with seeing the wicked succeed outwardly, while the righteous suffer (Ps. 10, 73:3, Eccl. 8:14). So whatever is going on in Lev. 26 and Deut. 28, we see that the rest of the Old Testament is aware of the complexities and exceptions to the ‘rule.’ 

2. Covenant Purpose

Context is key. We have to account for the fact that these physical blessing promises are given in a covenant agreement between God and the nation of Israel. A specific time in history when Moses was leading God’s people. This is known as the ‘Mosaic Covenant.’ It is built upon the covenant with Abraham. The purpose behind both covenants is God’s pursuit to reconcile the whole world. God chose to bless Abraham so that through his family line, God could bless all people (Gen. 12:2-3). The marvels God will do for the nation of Israel are supposed to show the surrounding nations how awesome Yahweh is (Exod. 34:10). 

The people receive God’s commands before they enter the Promised Land - a physical place. The idea is that as the people follow and obey God, His blessings on them will serve as visible evidence for the surrounding nations that He is real and powerful. If the people obeyed God’s commands, they would be living reflections of His character. A society totally surrendered to God and living in His good design would naturally lead to prosperity and flourishing. There are commands to take care of the poor and needy, as well as the animals and the land itself. If everyone bought into Yahweh’s instructions, then they really would experience physical blessings as a community.

But one more important covenant note is that the tangible benefits are not the main focus. They are more of a byproduct. The most incredible reality is that God Himself will dwell among the people and they will be His possession. 

Leviticus 26:

11 “I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.”

Deuteronomy 28:

9 “The LORD will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. 10 And call the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you.”

3. Unity of Scripture

The miracle of “God with us” ties these passages into the grand story of the Bible. God tells the nation of Israel that all the blessings will be theirs if they simply obey and follow the covenant terms. When Moses gives out the terms in Deuteronomy he actually lets the people know that they will never be able to do it on their own (see Deut. 29)! So what is going on here? 

We are being pointed forward to the coming of the Messiah. The One who will deliver Israel, and the whole world, from their failures to follow God’s covenants. Tim Keller explains it like this: 

“Jesus takes the curse of the covenant so that the blessing of the covenant could come to us . . . So, in response to the great question ‘Are the covenant blessings of God conditional or unconditional?’ - the answer is yes. Jesus, as the obedient and faithful covenant servant, absolutely fulfilled the conditions of the covenant through his life and his suffering in our place, making it possible for him, as our faithful covenant Lord, to love us unconditionally.” (Tim Keller, Center Church)

For Christians today, the blessings outlined in Lev. 26 and Deut. 28 become our future hope through the salvation Jesus brings. We look forward to living in the new heavens and new earth, where everything we do will prosper. Where we will never be in need. Where sin and death and curses and hardships and pain and tears will be extinct. As we live in a world where we still suffer and no tangible prosperity is guaranteed, we can have deep inward flourishing as we hope in God and look forward to the full realization of His covenant blessings. We will see our Savior face to face - God with us - the Source of all blessing.