The promise of abundance of rain had been given on 136 condition of obedience. "It shall come to pass," the Lord had declared, "if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full. "Take heed to yourselves," the Lord had admonished His people, "that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; and then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you, and He shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you." Deuteronomy 11:10-17.

Løftet om rigelig regn blev givet på betingelse af lydighed. Herren sagde: "Og hvis I nu lyder mine bud, som jeg i dag pålægger eder, så I elsker Herren eders Gud og tjener ham af hele eders hjerte og hele eders sjæl, så vil jeg give eders land dets regn i rette tid, både tidligregn og sildigregn, så du kan høste dit korn, din most og din olie; og jeg vil give græs på din mark til dit kvæg, og du skal spise dig mæt. Men vogt eder," sagde Herren videre til sit folk, "at ikke eders hjerte dåres, så I falder fra og dyrker andre guder og tilbeder dem; thi da vil Herrens vrede blusse op imod eder, og han vil lukke himmelen, så der ikke falder regn, og jorden ikke giver grøde, og I skal hurtigt udryddes af det herlige land, Herren vil give eder." 5Mos. 11,10-17.