Stones, mountains and curses

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NoticesDeuteronomy

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Main Prayer

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Reading

Deuteronomy 27 ESV

Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep the whole commandment that I command you today. And on the day you cross over the Jordan to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster. And you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over to enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you. And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster. And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. You shall wield no iron tool on them; you shall build an altar to the Lord your God of uncut stones. And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God, and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and shall eat there, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God. And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.” 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.’

Sermon

Chapters 27-30: Curses for Disobedience & Blessing for Obedience

Signs of the Law (v1-8)

Deuteronomy 27:1–8 ESV

Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep the whole commandment that I command you today. And on the day you cross over the Jordan to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster. And you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over to enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you. And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster. And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. You shall wield no iron tool on them; you shall build an altar to the Lord your God of uncut stones. And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God, and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and shall eat there, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God. And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.”

The elders, especially the priests and levites would be responsible for teaching the law and reminding the people of their need to obey it

Visual Aids

Large Stones

Two Mountains

Large Stones (uncut) with the law written painly/distinct on them

churches used to put the 10 commandments prominently

Build an altar of uncut stones

Burnt over to God, in which atonement was made for sin

Peace Offerings

the people ate together and rejoiced together that their sins were covered

and that the Lord was their God who had given them his holy law

The law

was not in negative terms involving legalism

it was given for the good of God’s people

directed them into the paths of righteousness, which are paths of peace and joy

not to earn God’s favour but an appropriate response for those who had been saved by God’s Grace

Keeping the laws was a response of faith, and outflow of love and faithfulness to their sovereign Lord

Mountains that Speak (v9-13)

Deuteronomy 27:9–13 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.

Mount Ebal is 940m (3084 feet) hiugh

Mount Geruzim is 881m (2890 feet) high

Situated near the centre of the land of Israel, not far from Shechem

To the eat is a small fertile plain, and the mountains rise above it

A road passed between the mountains to leading to the Mediterranean Coast

In pagan religions mountains are seen as having “spiritual” power.

But these mountains bore witness to God’s law, and to the promise of blessing and the warning of judgement, depending on whether that law was obeyed or not

Curses were proclaimed from Ebal

Blessings were proclaimed from Gerizim

The stones and the mountains more witness to words spoken plainly and to be received, understood and obeyed

“Moses charged the people” - a particularly important instruction - caused to enact

6 tribes on each mountain

‘Amen’ to the curses (v14-26)

Deuteronomy 27:14–26 ESV

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.’

We must not think of a curse in terms of magic

Curse means to come under the judgement of God, for disobedience to His Commands

The consequences are spelled out in Deut 28

The levites were to call out the curse, and the people to respond with “Amen”

The list are acts which would most likely be done in private and not be brought to the attention of the authorities

God sees what is done in secret

Complete faithfulness to God in private as well as in worship and appearance.

15 “ ‘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.’

After faithfullness to God comes respect for parents

16 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

welfare of the whole family, and for society as a whole

17 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

protection of the needy and vulnerable

18 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

19 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

sexual behaviour

can lead to consequences of jealousy, hatred and violence

20 “ ‘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.’

21 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

22 “ ‘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.’

23 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

violence

24 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

25 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

26 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

1 Corinthians 16:22 ESV

If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed.

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Closing Prayer

Doxology