©Michael Player
Chapter 27:9-26 (ESV) - Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Keep silence and hear, O Israel: this day you have become the people of the LORD your God. You shall therefore obey the voice of the LORD your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.”
That day Moses charged the people, saying, “When you have crossed over the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. And the Levites shall declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice:
“‘Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the LORD, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
“‘Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
“‘Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbor's landmark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
“‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
“‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his father's wife, because he has uncovered his father's nakedness.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
“‘Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
“‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
“‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Question to consider: Why did Moses instruct for the Law to be spoken in front of the men of Israel in this way?
In Genesis 15, God had Abraham cut up a heifer, goat, and ram along with two birds which were not cut in half and arrange the carcasses so that the blood streamed in between them. “When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.’” (Genesis 15:17-21)
Now the day was upon them, and instead of lining up more animal pieces, Moses instructed the tribes of Israel to line up on the mountains of Shechem (Ebal and Gerizim) with the Levites passing between them like the pool of blood pronouncing the curses of disobedience and the blessings of obedience to the covenant. The tribes which belonged to the true wives of Jacob (Leah and Rachel) lined up on Mount Gerizim (which received the blessings) and the tribes which came from the concubines (Zilpah and Bilhah) – including Reuben who was shamed for laying with Bilhah and Zebulun, Leah’s youngest son.
The original covenant was given to the previous generation, but they were kept from the land, and now this generation which did not know slavery in Egypt was ordained as God’s people and would receive the land by faith. Usually, when a covenant was cut, both parties passed through the pieces and agreed to follow all of the stipulations of the covenant under the oath that the same be done to them as the animals should they fail to uphold the covenant.
In God’s covenant with Abraham, God alone passed through the pieces. Paul referred to this covenant as “the promises” and contrasted it with this day in which the people agreed to keep the whole Law. Of this Law, Paul quoted the last verse of today’s passage, “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’” (Galatians 3:10)
Although the curses were listed in today's passage, they would have been presented in both ways. So to Mount Gerizim, they would shout something like, “Blessed are they that have no other gods!” and to Ebal, “Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the LORD, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret!” To these the men would say “Amen.”
All of the laws listed here were ones related to the actions of an individual, and their promises were not merely based on their outward behavior but on what was done in secret. I’d also point out that some of these sins could be directly attributed to the ancestors of those standing on Ebal, like the prohibition against lying with his father’s wife pertaining to Reuben.
All of these instructions were faithfully carried out by Joshua “...just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses.” (Joshua 8:31)
Dear heavenly Father, thank You for keeping Your promises to Abraham despite our failure to keep Your Law. Help us to daily receive Your word and use it to transform us to the image of Christ so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your Holy Name. Amen.