Promised Land Living: Blessing and Cursings: Josh. 8:30-35

I. Obedience Brings Great Blessings vs. 30-33

A. Moses had told Joshua to do this, in order to keep these principles in mind. The way we fight our battles, is to keep Yahweh’s word at the center of everything we do. Deut. 27:4-8

Deuteronomy 27:4–8 NASB95

“So it shall be when you cross the Jordan, you shall set up on Mount Ebal, these stones, as I am commanding you today, and you shall coat them with lime. “Moreover, you shall build there an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones; you shall not wield an iron tool on them. “You shall build the altar of the Lord your God of uncut stones, and you shall offer on it burnt offerings to the Lord your God; and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and eat there, and rejoice before the Lord your God. “You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very distinctly.”

B. They hiked 20 miles for this retreat/ceremony. This shows us the importance of getting away for spiritual nourishment.

C. It wasn’t uncommon for leaders to build monuments to themselves when they conquered a city/nation.

D. The recounted all of the blessings that obedience brings. The failure and then success at Ai is a stark reminder. There is no way around obedience and the blessings that it brings.

II. Disobedience Brings Great Problems vs. 34-45

A. They recounted the curses that disobediences brings. We can see this in our lives, in other people’s lives , and scripture. I Cor. 10:11

1 Corinthians 10:11 NASB95

Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

B. They read all of it. Why? So there was no warning left out (Expository preaching ex)

C. The alter/monument was built on the mount of cursing, so they could see the forgiveness repentance brings.