Continuing a chronological Bible study:
(Deuteronomy 27:1) And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, "Keep all the commandments which I command you this day."
In the last chapter and post, Moses had made an end to a long recitation of the laws of God. Now he and the elders of Israel, rulers of each tribe, joined together in an exhortation to the people to observe and obey all the commandments which he had given them.
(2) "And it shall be on the day when you shall pass over Jordan to the land which the Lord your God gives you, that you shall set up great stones and plaster them with plaster."
Moses told the people that when they had crossed over the Jordan River into the land the Lord was giving to them, they were to set up some large stones and plaster them. Whether the plaster was over the surface of the stones so that they could be written upon, or whether it was to cement the stones together to make a large lasting monument, or maybe both, we are not told exactly.
(3) "And you shall write upon them all the words of this law, when you are passed over, that you may go into the land the Lord your God gives you, a land that flows with milk and honey, as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you."
The people were to write the laws God had given them on the stones when they had crossed over the Jordan into their land. Of course, it may have been only a summation of the laws, as they were very wordy, and perhaps only the Ten Commandments. The way Moses spoke, it sounds as if it was a condition of their entering into the land. The land had been promised to their forefathers and was now being given to them on the condition that they held up to their side of the covenant, remembering and obeying God's laws. Moses constantly reminded the people that their Lord was giving them this gift of a very good and fruitful land, and the stones would display a condition and reminder to the people to obey God's laws.
(4) "Therefore it shall be when you have gone over Jordan, you shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster."
Moses repeated his instructions that after they had crossed over Jordan into their land, they were to set up and plaster the stones, and Moses told them specifically where to set them up, on Mount Ebal.
(5) "And there shall you build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones; you shall not lift up iron upon them. (6) You shall build the altar of the Lord your God of whole stones, and you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God."
There they were also to build an altar to the Lord. It was to be an altar of whole stones and no iron tool was to be used on the stones. There on the altar, the people would offer burnt offerings to the Lord.
(7) "And you shall offer peace offerings, and shall eat there, and rejoice before the Lord your God."
The people would also offer peace offerings to the Lord on that altar. They were to eat of their offerings there before the altar in the place where the stones were placed on which God's laws were written. Again, these made for constant reminders to be thankful to the Lord for His provision and to remember His laws they were to obey as their part of the covenant with their Lord.
(8) "And you shall write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly."
Moses added to his instructions for the stones upon which the law was to be written. They were to make sure all the words of the law were to be written very plainly so that they might be easily read and understood.
(9) And Moses and the priests, the Levites, spoke to all Israel, saying, "Take heed and hearken, O Israel; this day you have become the people of the Lord your God."
Then Moses with the priests, the Levites, spoke to all the people exhorting them to give attention to what they said. That day the people had become the people of the Lord by the solemn renewing of their covenant with Him.
(10) "You shall therefore obey the voice of the Lord your God and do His commandments and His statutes, which I command you this day."
Moses with the priests reiterated that the people were to listen to their Lord and obey all His commandments and statutes which Moses had recited to them.
(11) And Moses charged the people the same day, saying, (12) "These shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people when you have come over Jordan, Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin; (13) And these shall stand upon Mount Ebal to curse, Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali."
Moses then charged the people with instructions that when they had crossed over the Jordan River into their land, the tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin, were to stand at Mount Gerizim to bless the people. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali, were to stand at Mount Ebal to curse. Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal were two mountains near to one another with a valley between them. Six tribes stood against their respective mountains facing each other where there would be pronounced blessings and curses. There may have been purpose in how the members of these groups were selected. The tribes chosen to stand at Mount Gerizim and bless the people all came from the two wives of Jacob, Leah and Rachel. The tribes chosen to stand at Mount Ebal and curse the people were four tribes that came from Leah and Rachel's handmaids, Zilpah and Bilhah, respectively. Jacob's wives had given him their handmaids to produce children because they were too impatient to wait upon God's plan, and they were even in competition with each other to give Jacob children. John Wesley, in his Notes on the Bible, wrote that the handmaid's children may have been chosen to represent curses "to shew that the curse belongs to those of servile and disingenuous spirits." Included with these tribes were Reuben, the son of Leah, who had defiled his father's bed (Genesis 35:22) and exposed himself to the curse of the law, and also Zebulun, the youngest son of Leah, who would have been added to make an equal division of the tribes, if for no other reason.
(14) "And the Levites shall speak and say to all the men of Israel with a loud voice,"
The Levites who were priests would stand in the valley in between the two sets of tribes. The rest of the Levites were with their tribe on the blessings side.
(15) "'Cursed the man who makes a graven or molten image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and puts it in secret.' And all the people shall answer and say, 'Amen!'"
The priests would speak in a loud voice so as to be heard by all the members of the tribes. They would declare a man was cursed if he made engraved or molded images which were an abomination to the Lord. This refers to the second of the Ten Commandments, referring to images or statues of God or some representative they might use in worship. No one has seen God, so for a simple craftsman to make something that represented Him would be extremely demeaning to and unworthy of Him. There is no way man could envision anything worthy of representing God. Even if he put his image or statue in a private place for his eyes only, and with no plan to worship it, there would be a temptation to see it and worship it as God. All the people from both sides were to answer, "Amen!" That demonstrated that they accepted and knew it to be true.
Notable is the fact that only curses are mentioned here, no blessings. Perhaps they simply were not mentioned, or could it be symbolic of something more? John Wesley wrote, "For as many as were under the law, were under the curse" (Galatians 3:10). He wrote that it was an honor reserved for Christ to bless us, something the law could not do. In Jesus's Sermon on the Mount, what Wesley called "the true Mount Gerizim," we have only blessings (Matthew 5:3-12).
(16) "'Cursed he who makes light of his father or his mother.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'"
This referenced the fifth of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12), honoring mother and father. One who made light or mocked them or held them in low esteem was cursed, and all the people were to voice their agreement with that deserved curse, by saying, "Amen!"
(17) "'Cursed he who removes his neighbor's landmark.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'"
By removing a neighbor's landmark which marked his property line, one might attempt to steal part of his neighbor's property. That was an obvious offense against the eighth commandment, "You shall not steal." (Exodus 20:15). All the people were to say, "Amen," again voicing their agreement.
(18) "'Cursed he who makes the blind to wander out of the way.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'"
A man was cursed if he knowingly took advantage of a blind man by wrongly directing him or by putting a stumbling block in his way, a direct reference to the law in Leviticus 19:14. The people were to again say, "Amen."
(19) "'Cursed he who perverts the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'"
A man was cursed if he perverted justice for the stranger, the fatherless, the widow, or any poor and defenseless person, if he knowingly took advantage of the defenseless and less fortunate. The people were to agree with that just curse.
(20) "'Cursed he who lies with his father's wife, because he uncovers his father's garment.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'"
A man was cursed if he lay with his father's wife, a direct offense against the seventh commandment, "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14), punishable by death according to the law in Leviticus 20:11, because he had "uncovered his father's nakedness." Uncovering his father's garment or revealing his nakedness meant to expose and take what was the most private and most intimate pleasure and possession of his father. All the people were to agree with this just curse.
(21) "'Cursed he who lies with any manner of beast.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'"
A man or woman was cursed if they engaged in any type of sexual relations with an animal (Leviticus 18:23), and the people were to agree.
(22) "'Cursed he who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'"
A man was cursed if he had sexual relations with his sister or half-sister (Leviticus 20:17). The people were to say, "Amen," in agreement with the curse.
(23) "'Cursed he who lies with his mother-in-law.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'"
Likewise, a man was cursed if he had sexual relations with his mother-in-law (Leviticus 20:14), and the people were to agree in unison.
(24) "'Cursed he who strikes his neighbor secretly.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'"
This would indicate a brutal attack or even murder. He who secretly assaulted or murdered his neighbor was cursed, and the people would agree with "Amen!" Obviously, if he killed his neighbor, it was an offense against the sixth commandment, "You shall not kill" (Exodus 20:13). There were also laws against assault not unto death (Exodus 21:18-19).
(25) "'Cursed he who takes reward to slay an innocent person.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'"
Obviously, if a man killed an innocent person, he was guilty of murder, but this also refers to a judge or a witness who took a bribe that resulted in the death of an innocent person. See Exodus 23:7-8. All the people were to agree.
(26) "'Cursed he who does not confirm the words of this law to do them.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'"
To sum it all up, Moses told the people the Levite priests were to call out a curse to the one who did not confirm the words of the law by observing them and doing what the law said. And all the people were to say, "Amen" to that. As John Wesley pointed out, "To this we must all say, Amen! Owning ourselves to be under the curse, and that we must have perished for ever, if Christ had not redeemed us from the curse of the law, by being made a curse for us." Amen!
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