Deuteronomy 27 Devotional
by Pastor Mark Hudson
McConville in his commentary on Deuteronomy looks at previous chapters for the context of this chapter.
11:26-28 Blessings and curses pronounced in Moab
11:29-31 Ceremony of blessing and curse on Gerizim and Ebal
11:32 Call to obey commands
26:16-19 Call to obey commands
Ch. 27 Ceremony of blessing and curse on Gerizim and Ebal
Ch. 28 Blessing and curse pronounced in Moab
“This structure has the effect of enclosing the laws of chs. 12-26 between exhortations to obedience” p. 387. Then he looks back to 5:23-27 where the elders accept and commission Moses’ role as spokesman for Yahweh. “The elders now declare that Moses has spoken everything that Yahweh has told him on Horeb, and prepare to acknowledge formally their acceptance of Yahweh’s words on entry to the land” (Ibid.).
This chapter begins with Moses and the elders (this is unusual to combine the elders and Moses), commanding the people to “keep the whole commandment that I command you today.” Three times the word command is used in that verse. If you have trouble with authority, you will never accept this book or the God of this book. God is the One who commands. If you can’t accept that, you can never be a follower of Christ. In the next section beginning at v. 9, they are to “obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping His commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.”
God commands and rules through His word. In vs. 2, they are to find some huge boulders, whitewash them and write on the plaster, the words of the law. The second things they were commanded to do is to build an altar from uncut stones. When that task was completed, they were commanded to offer burnt and peace offerings there. He returns to the writing on the boulders. They were to write them “very plainly.”
This seems to be a special day of commissioning of the people themselves because Moses says, “this day you have become the people of the Lord your God.” Then again, in the next verse (10), they are to obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping His commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.” This obedience is a trait, a way of life, and the path of blessings.
The nation of Israel will enter the land just north of the Dead Sea when Joshua begins the conquest. So, what is described here probably occurs around Shechem. So, is Shechem the chosen place spoken of that many people think refers to Jerusalem? Shechem was an important city for the patriarchs See Gen 12:6; 33:18, all of 34; 37:12. But finally God decides that Jerusalem will be the final place. Wherever they worship, God chooses the place.
Now the nation is informed how they are to enter the land or rather who will greet them and what they will say when they enter the land. Now in v. 9, the Levitical priests and Moses speak to Israel. On Mount Gerizim, Simeon and other tribes stand on that mountain to bless the people. This grouping may be because they are descended from Leah and Rachel (in birth order). The rest of the tribes stand on Mt. Ebal. They are grouped together because they are from the maids of Leah and Rachel (except Reuben and Zebulun) to remind them of the curses the accompany breaking the law of God.
From v. 15-26, the tribes on Mount Ebal say, “Cursed by anyone . . .” and listed are a smattering of laws they were not to disobey. But it is difficult to say why these laws were chosen. But we do witness the consequences of disobedience.
This is part of the gospel and part of the entire Bible. There is always bad news that is part of the good news. The backdrop of the gospel is judgment and God’s just wrath. While we can’t overplay this neither can we ignore this truth. Every person who becomes a Christian must first come to the realization that they are not one. In a sense, the law thunders at us apart from Christ like the Levites and select tribes on Mount Ebal. It says we are cursed for not obeying the law. God’s wrath abides on all who do not believe, “. . . but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” John 3:19. Or the following in the last verse of that chapter, “ . . . Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
But the perfect, sinless Son of God bore the just, perfect wrath of God for us or in our place. Jesus, who never sinned, stood in the place of those who always sinned so we could be forgiven. Jesus took the full measure of God’s anger against sin in his body on the cross. He endured the shame and became sin for us. The wrath of God thundered against us, the lawbreakers, yet Christ, the perfect Son, bore our punishment. What a glorious gift to give to sinful people.
Dear heavenly Father, thank You for how interesting Your word is. We admit we deserve Your curse. We consider ourselves sinners and rebels yet in Christ we are dearly loved and are called out of this world to become adopted by You and to share in all the rights and privileges of being Your children. How can we ever comprehend such grace and covenant love? Mold us into obedient children that wait for Your word and eagerly seek Your word. Fill us with Your Spirit to become more and more like Jesus Christ who we will soon see. In His glorious life-giving name. Amen.