God begins his blessings with the caveat, “If ye walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them” (Leviticus 26:3). He then promises to show great favor to the Children of Israel if they do, vowing rain in its season, bountiful produce, peace and prosperity, safety and fertility. The Israelites shall fear neither beast nor enemy, for God will be with them and dwell in his sanctuary among them.
As the Israel Bible points out, the land of Israel is highly dependent on rain, as it has no body of water large enough to serve as an independent water source for irrigation. Water is a great blessing, but too much or too little, too early or too late, can be a curse, too. Therefore, God blesses the people with rain in its time. This is called gishmay b’rakha in Hebrew in the book of Ezekiel (34:26), or ‘rains of blessing’.
Virtual Classroom Discussion
Why does God need to promise His people success against their enemies (26:7-8) if the previous verse says “neither shall the sword go through your land”?