Deuteronomy 27-28 - Blessings & Curses
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Deuteronomy 27 has the hallmarks of an ancient Near-Eastern land grant in which the king gives land to a people.
27:1-4
a ceremony to ratify the covenant
The altar was to be constructed from stone covered with lime-plaster, the white of which providing a sharp contrast with the black of the law that was to be written on the altar.
The writing of the law was clear and distinct. Readable. No blurring. No confusion. God’s people knew what was expected of them because God’s Law was clear.
27:5-8
The altar was to be constructed by uncut stone. This was in agreement with Exodus 20:25 “If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it.”
This set apart the altar from pagan altars, which were primarily constructed of cut, finished stone.
This prohibition also protected Israel from committing idolatry by carving idols of stone as they carved an altar of stones.
Sacrifices of burnt offerings and peace offerings and a celebratory meal following were also found in the ratification of the covenant at Mt. Sinai.
5 He sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord.
11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.
Final verse repeats vv. 1-4 for emphasis. The words of the Law were to be written “very plainly.” (in this context all the Law would’ve been Deuteronomy 5-26)
27:9-10
“Be silent! Listen!” = a message of grave importance
The message = Israel is now the people of God.
Have the Law
About to enter the Promised Land
Renewing the Mosaic Covenant right now
YHWH is their God and they are His people.
27:11-13
Fulfillment of Deuteronomy 11:29
29 “It shall come about, when the Lord your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, that you shall place the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.
Actual event in Joshua 8:30-35
30 Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, in Mount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of uncut stones on which no man had wielded an iron tool; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 He wrote there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written, in the presence of the sons of Israel. 33 All Israel with their elders and officers and their judges were standing on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, the stranger as well as the native. Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had given command at first to bless the people of Israel. 34 Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers who were living among them.
On the division of tribes between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal
Perhaps along maternal lines - Gerizim tribes descended from Leah and Rachel; Ebal tribes descended from their handmaids and the first and last-born of Leah
Perhaps along geographical lines - Gerizim tribes roughly to the south in the PL; Ebal tribes roughly to the north
We just can’t say for sure.
27:14-15
The Talmud (early Jewish rabbinical teaching) says that answering, “Amen,” after an oath is the same as declaring the oath yourself.
27:15-26
12 sins that will bring curses; the Dodecalogue (as opposed to the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments); all relates to secret violations of the law
thus, the covenant agreement covers public and private sins; either will bring curses on God’s people
v. 15 is a violation of the first table of the Decalogue; v. 16 is a violation of the second table of the Decalogue with specifics examples following
vv. 20-23 deal with sexual sins; 7th Commandment
these all dealt with more extensively in other places in the Law
Beastiality forbidden upon pain of death in the Mosaic Law, but was generally accepted in the ancient Near East. Only the Hittites restricted but even then it was permitted with a horse or a mule.
vv. 24-26
first two curses a violation of the Sixth Commandment, “You shall not murder.”
final verse is a summary statement against all those who will not take obedience to God’s Law seriously
application of Deuteronomy 27...
all must
obey
uphold
God’s law concerning man’s relationship with God
God’s law concerning man’s relationship with man
if not, curse
and all the people said, “Amen.”
That all are responsible to obey God’s Law results in all being condemned for their value to obey God’s Law.
impossible to obey and uphold all the law of God
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—
Jesus bore the curse that was due His people for their disobedience.
Notes on Deuteronomy 28…
the listing of blessings was a feature of ancient Near Eastern covenants. For example,
A Study Commentary on Deuteronomy Blessings (Deuteronomy 28:1–14)
in the treaty between Suppiluliumas (the suzerain) and Mattiwaza (the vassal), the king promises the prince the following blessings if he keeps his side of the pact: ‘If [on the other hand] you, Mattiwaza, the prince, and [you], the Hurrians, fulfil this treaty and [this] oath, may these gods protect you, Mattiwaza, together with your wife, the daughter of the Hatti land, her children and her children’s children, and also [you], the Hurrians, together with your wives, your children, and your children’s children and together with your country. May the Mitanni country return to the place which it occupied before, may it thrive and expand. May you, from the daughter of the Great King of the Hatti land, and [you], the Hurrians, exercise kingship for ever. May the throne of your father persist, may the Mitanni country persist.’
YHWH is the suzerain
Israel is the vassal
Blessing for Israel from YHWH if Israel obeys the Covenant
28:1-2
OVERTAKE - verb used of someone running down the object he is pursuing; the blessings will pursue and track down the obedient!
28:3-6
‘blessed’ repeated six times; these blessings will be overwhelming!
“city/field” and “entering/exiting” communicate that Israel will be blessed in everything everywhere
these six blessings contrast with the six curses upcoming in vv. 16-19
28:7-8
blessings in external relations/ internal conditions
7 denotes fullness, completion
barns (grainaries) filled
28:9-10
God’s choosing of Israel is what makes Israel holy, set apart to Him in terms of the covenant
“as he swore to you” - God fulfilling His promise
“name of YHWH proclaimed over you” - Israelites will be literally be called by His name
28:11-12
Caananite pagans attempted to manipulate their idols into providing fertility—fertile womb, fertile animals, fertile land. Their child sacrifices and temple prostitution were an attempt to manipulate the goodwill of false gods.
Israel isn’t to do such things in their worship of YHWH. They are only to obey His word.
YHWH cannot be manipulated.
28:13-14
“the head and not the tail/top and not the bottom” - idiom used in Isaiah 9:15 to differentiate a honorable leader from a false one
Israel will be
prince of nations
leader of peopls
crown of the earth
But Israel must obey
the greatest danger to the covenant by which all these blessings comes is idolatry, which will be reflected in Israel’s disobedience.
application of Deuteronomy 28:1-14…
A Study Commentary on Deuteronomy Application
A story is told of an officer in the army of Wellington. He received his orders directly from Wellington, but he complained to the commander saying that the orders were impossible to execute. Wellington replied, ‘I did not ask your opinion; I gave you my orders, and expect them to be obeyed.’ Implicit obedience is required of every soldier of Jesus Christ. And, indeed, we have been given God’s Word, and we must obey it.
If we obey, we will be blessed
perhaps not materially
but by becoming more like Christ
but by causing others to consider the way of Christ
but by living for the glory of God
Are these not the better blessings?
Better than fruitful wombs and animals and lands?
Better than riches and renown?
Yes, these are the better blessings!