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Okay, we're in Deuteronomy chapter 
27. Deuteronomy chapter 27. I'll just read beginning in verse 
1. Now Moses, with the elders of 
Israel, commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments 
which I command you today. And it shall be on the day when 
you cross over the Jordan to the land which the Lord your 
God is giving you, that you shall set up for yourselves large stones 
and whitewash them with lime. You shall write on them all the 
words of this law when you have crossed over, that you may enter 
the land which the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing 
with milk and honey, just as the Lord God of your fathers 
promised you. Therefore it shall be, when you 
have crossed over the Jordan, that on Mount Ebal you shall 
set up these stones, which I command you today, and you shall whitewash 
them with wine. And there you shall build an 
altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. You shall not 
use an iron tool on them. You shall build with whole stones 
the altar of the Lord your God and offer burnt offerings on 
it to the Lord your God. You shall offer peace offerings 
and shall eat there and rejoice before the Lord your God. And 
you shall write very plainly on the stones all the words of 
this law. Then Moses and the priests, the 
Levites, spoke to all Israel, saying, Take heed and listen, 
O Israel. This day you have become the 
people of the Lord your God. Therefore, you shall obey the 
voice of the Lord your God and observe his commandments and 
his statutes, which I command you today. And Moses commanded 
the people on the same day, saying, These shall stand on Mount Gerizim 
to bless the people when you have crossed over the Jordan. 
Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. And these 
shall stand on Mount Ebal to curse Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, 
Dan, and Naphtali. And the Levite shall speak with 
a loud voice and say to all the men of Israel, cursed is the 
one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the 
Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsmen, and sets it up 
in secret. And all the people shall answer 
and say, Amen. Cursed is the one who treats 
his father or his mother with contempt. And all the people 
shall say, Amen. Cursed is the one who moves his 
neighbor's landmark. And all the people shall say, 
Amen. Cursed is the one who makes the 
blind to wander off the road. And all the people shall say, 
Amen. Cursed is the one who perverts 
the justice due the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, 
and all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed is the one who lies 
with his father's wife because he has uncovered his father's 
bed, and all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed is the one 
who lies with any kind of animal, and all the people shall say, 
Amen. Cursed is the one who lies with his sister, the daughter 
of his father, or the daughter of his mother, and all the people 
shall say, Amen. Cursed is the one who lies with 
his mother-in-law, and all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed 
is the one who attacks his neighbor secretly, and all the people 
shall say, Amen. Cursed is the one who takes a 
bribe to slay an innocent person, and all the people shall say, 
Amen. Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of 
this law by observing them. And all the people shall say, 
Amen. Well, as we have had cause to reflect on the book of Deuteronomy, 
it is structured as a covenantal document. It begins with a preamble 
in chapter 1, verses 1 to 4. Then there is a historical prologue, 
which goes from chapter 1, verse 5, to chapter 4, verse 43. And then from 444 all the way 
to 2619 is the stipulation section, or the law section. We have concluded 
that portion. And we move in now to the sanctions 
section, 27.1 to 30.20. And basically how the sanctions 
function in a covenant is simply this. There are blessings for 
obedience and there are cursings for disobedience. The covenant, 
Lord, gives the law, gives the stipulations with his people, 
and this is appended. If they do what he calls them 
to do, they will prosper in the land. If they disobey his word, 
if they transgress his law, then they will be cursed. And then 
the fifth section in this covenantal document is 31.1 to 34.12, and 
that is succession, the passing of the baton from Moses to Joshua, he would 
then be the one that would lead them into the promised land. 
Built into a covenant is the idea of succession, that it continues 
on to posterity. Harmon says, with reference to 
chapter 27 by way of introduction, he says, a new section of the 
book commences at this point. The stipulations having been 
set out in detail, the closing verses of the previous chapter 
have provided a transition from exposition of the law to allegiance 
to the Lord. Remember, we saw that last week 
in 26. 16 to 19, covenant commitment, the people of God swearing their 
allegiance to this particular word. And that's precisely what 
we find here in 27. We see covenant renewal and the 
proclamation of curses. But notice chapter 27 deals with 
a future event. It deals with the time when they 
come into the land of Canaan. So what we find in chapter 27 
is a statement concerning what is necessary when they do cross 
the Jordan and arrive in the land of Canaan. Chapter 28 is 
a general statement concerning the blessings and the cursings. 
They're amplified, and they're explained, and it's demonstrated 
just what is involved in these blessings and cursings. And then 
in chapter 29, there is a ratification ceremony that takes place in 
their present. In other words, it takes place 
on the plains of Moab. So if you read through this section, 
it's not strictly repetitious, but rather we're seeing different 
events. 27 is what's going to happen when they get to the Promised 
Land, when they get to Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, and 28, 
general statement concerning the blessings and the curses, 
and then 29 deals with their situation there on the plains 
of Moab. So we're going to look at two 
broad categories this evening. First, the future covenant renewal 
in Canaan in verses 1 to 10. And then secondly, the proclamation 
of curses associated with covenant breaking in verses 11 to 26. This was the way that you ratified 
the covenant. You swore, or there was this 
self-maledictory oath. You see that pattern. A statement 
is made and then all of the people shall answer and say, Amen. Essentially what they are doing 
is swearing their faithfulness or swearing their fidelity or 
allegiance to the covenant Lord and to the word that has been 
revealed. But more on that when we get there. But notice first 
of all with reference to this future covenant renewal, the 
command. Verse 1, now Moses with the elders 
of Israel commanded the people, saying." Now, this is interesting, 
because up to this point, all we've seen is Moses. I believe 
what Moses is doing or what the narrative is doing is preparing 
us for that idea of succession. But as well, Moses knows that 
he will not be in the promised land. he has been shown that 
he will die before they enter into the promised land. So these 
elders that are with him more than likely will be those ones 
who actually participate in this ceremony that is at Mount Ebal 
and Mount Gerizim. So they are present, this is 
continuity. Notice the specific direction 
in verse 1, keep all the commandments which I command you today. and 
that deals with what is to follow here in this particular chapter. It deals with this ceremony, 
this covenant ratification or covenant renewal ceremony in 
verses 2 through 8. We notice first the ceremony 
proper. the occasion when they enter 
into on the day when you cross over the Jordan to the land which 
the Lord your God is giving you it's further described again 
in verse three is a land flowing with milk and honey just as the 
Lord God of your fathers promised you so that's the occasion when 
you cross over to the land you will go to Mount Ebal, Mount 
Gerizim in between these two mountains is a place called Shechem 
If you're familiar with biblical archaeology, Shechem is a unique 
place. Shechem is in Genesis 12, 6 and 
7 where Abraham erected an altar and worshipped the Lord. Shechem 
as well is where Jacob erected an altar and worshipped the Lord 
in Genesis 33. It is where Joseph, or the bones 
of Joseph, are buried, according to Joshua chapter 24. So Shechem 
is a key place. It is something of the place 
of promise, and so these mountains on either side of Shechem serve 
well to be the place of blessing and the place of cursing. Notice 
with reference to this ceremony proper, there are these stones 
indicated in verses 2 and 3, and then again in verse 8. and 
it shall be on the day when you cross over the Jordan to the 
land which the Lord your God is giving you that you shall 
set up for yourselves large stones and whitewash them with lime. 
You shall write on them all the words of this law when you have 
crossed over that you may enter the land which the Lord your 
God is giving you." And then there is another statement in 
verse 8, you shall write very plainly on the stones all the 
words of this law. And the commentators say that 
this has affinity with the Egyptians. Mesopotamians would have carved 
in the stone. The Egyptians would write on 
the stone. So this is what Israel is doing. 
Meredith Klein explains it this way. Covenant, consecration. That means devoting ourselves 
to the Lord must be an act of intelligent, informed faith and 
devotion. In other words, these stones 
were the place where you'd write the law of God As a reminder 
of who God is and what his word involves, it would as well function 
as a silent witness to the reality that we've entered into this, 
but it wasn't supposed to be this esoteric or unintelligible 
act. You were supposed to know, and 
it was supposed to be communicated clearly, what the law of God 
says. And there is something Consistent 
with this in New Covenant religion, we've had cause to refer to Romans 
12 before in this vein or in this sort of an analogous situation. Romans 12, 1, I beseech you therefore, 
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies 
a living sacrifice holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable 
service. And do not be conformed to this 
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that 
you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will 
of God." So biblical religion in both the Old and the New Testaments 
indicate that we are to know, we are to understand, we are 
to have theology, that then fuels our obedience and also our worship 
to the true and living God. And that is what was to be envisioned 
when they go into this land of Canaan. Take these stones and 
write the law of God on there. They are living testimonies or 
emblems or representations of God's law to you as a people. So the occasion when they enter 
the land, the stones, and then notice the altar. They were to 
construct an altar for sacrifice according to verses 5 and 6. 
And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an 
altar of stones. You shall not use an iron tool 
on them. This is similar to what we find 
in Exodus 20. Not supposed to use an iron tool. Why was the iron tool condemned? The best I could learn from the 
commentaries is that they would have had to get iron from pagan 
peoples and God didn't want them to have to be dependent upon 
them. So that's kind of a couple of things I saw in the commentaries. 
I don't know if there's a... you know, a bad thing about iron. 
God just says here, He specifies that you're not to use an iron 
tool on this particular altar. But you shall build, rather, 
verse 6, with whole stones, the altar of the Lord your God. So 
you've got these stones in place, you've got an altar, and then 
you are to present sacrifice. We saw this last week. They come 
into the land, this offering of first fruits, this triennial 
tie that was to be a worshipful thing toward the living God. And the same thing is true with 
this particular ratification ceremony. It was an act of public 
worship. So they see these stones, they 
construct this altar, and then they offer up a burnt offering. 
And the burnt offering indicates consecration to the Lord. It has more of a vertical, between 
us and God, sort of a referent. And then there is a peace offering, 
which indicates that sort of communal element. So we've got 
both the vertical and the horizontal in place, with reference to these 
sacrifices before the Lord. Verse 7 says, you shall offer 
peace offerings and shall eat there. Go back for just a moment 
to Exodus 24 11. This is another ratification 
ceremony. In Exodus chapter 24, just after 
the Sinai event, just after the giving of the law at Sinai and 
then the exposition of the law in chapters 21 to 23, we then 
have ratification in chapter 24. And if you notice there in 
verse 11, but on the nobles of the children of Israel he did 
not lay his hands. So they saw God and they ate 
and drank. This is the sign of communion 
in the presence of the Lord. Eating and drinking is a sign 
of fellowship, it's a sign of intimacy, and the same thing 
is to be conducted when they go into the land. In addition 
to this burnt offering and this peace offering, they were to 
eat there. It was a celebratory meal, it 
was a time of worship, an act of worship, wherein they would 
then rejoice before the Lord your God." This is what Moses 
specifies in Deuteronomy 27.7. You shall offer peace offerings 
and shall eat there and rejoice before the Lord your God. And 
then the law, as I already mentioned, or the writing of the law on 
the stones, was to function as a means of proclamation. It was 
a reminder. It was a constant visual element 
of their status before the living and the true God. As well, it 
would serve as a witness of the binding covenant that they engaged 
in with the Lord. Again, Harmon says, writing the 
law in this way would both be a symbolic demonstration of its 
binding nature on the covenant people and also a reminder of 
its character as a witness against them if they were disobedient. So those stones would certainly 
be a thing or a means by which God would indict the people if 
they were to transgress his holy covenant. And then with reference 
to this whole idea of these stones, it would demonstrate the permanence 
of the law over the covenant community. They were not a people 
governed by their emotions. They were not a people governed 
by their feelings. They were a people, rather, governed 
by the law of the living and true God. And then as well, what 
we find with reference to the law published on these stones 
is that it would be clearly communicated. Notice in verse 8, and you shall 
write very plainly on the stones all the words of this law." The 
verb is used again by Moses in chapter 1 verse 5. On this side of the Jordan in 
the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law saying, So 
you see there, God wants us to understand His Word. God wants 
us to be clear concerning His truth. God wants us to know in 
order that we may be instructed to obey, to love, to serve, and 
to respond to Him in an appropriate manner. You shall write very 
plainly on the stones all the words of this law. And then if 
you want, you can turn to Joshua chapter 8 for just a moment to 
see fulfillment. to see when this actually took 
place in redemptive history. Of course Moses is gone, elders 
would be there, Joshua would be there. It's in Joshua chapter 
8 beginning in verse 30. Now Joshua built an altar to 
the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal as Moses, the servant of 
the Lord, had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in 
the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones over 
which no man has wielded an iron tool. And they offered on it 
burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. And 
there in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote 
on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. 
Then all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood 
on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who 
bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, the stranger as 
well as he who was born among them. Half of them were in front 
of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, 
as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded before that 
they should bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read 
all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according 
to all that is written in the book of the law. 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, the 
little ones, and the strangers who were living among them." 
You see, they took seriously that requirement of Deuteronomy 
27. They didn't go into the land and forget. So we can praise 
God they were obedient that they did, in fact, carry out this 
particular procedure. And the significance of this 
event is found in verses 9 and 10 of Deuteronomy 27. It was 
to affirm their covenantal status before the Lord and to declare 
their loyalty before the Lord. Remember, a covenant is a sworn 
oath. God obviously initiates it, but 
on the part of the people, we are swearing allegiance to the 
Covenant Lord. Verse 9, Moses and the priests, 
the Levites, spoke to all Israel, saying, Take heed and listen, 
O Israel. This day you have become the 
people of the Lord your God. Now they were the people of the 
Lord their God. since they had been brought out 
of the land of Egypt. The idea again is renewal. It is an affirmation of who we 
are before this Covenant Lord. And then in verse 10 there is 
this declaration, Therefore you shall obey the voice of the Lord 
your God, and observe His commandments and His statutes, which I command 
you today." So that would be the future covenant renewal in 
Canaan, verses 1 to 10. Now notice the proclamation of 
the curses associated with covenant breaking in 11 to 26. And I think 
there's something analogous to this in Genesis 15. Remember when God comes to covenant 
with Abraham. And he makes, let's just go back 
there for a moment, I don't want to do it by memory. Notice my 
memory's not as good as it was a few months ago. Hit 46 and 
the memory starts to go already. Yeah, that's what I hear, I'm 
scared. Okay, notice in Genesis chapter 
15. Remember the scene, the Lord God makes a promise to Abraham, 
verse 6, he believed in the Lord and he accounted it to him for 
righteousness. Then he said to him, I am the 
Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you 
this land to inherit it. And he said, Lord God, how shall 
I know that I will inherit it? Abraham asks this question, God, 
how shall I know? In other words, give me a sign, 
Lord, help me to lay hold of something. I understand, I believe 
you. It's already said in verse 6, 
he believed in the Lord, he accounted it to him for righteousness. 
And then Abram asks this question, how shall I know that I will 
inherit it? Notice the condescension of God. 
God doesn't say, how dare you question me? You wretch, you 
horrible specimen of a human being, Abram. No, Abram asked 
the question, and then God, in his voluntary condescension, 
goes to this length to demonstrate to him that, in fact, Abram would 
inherit this land. Verse 9, So he said to him, Bring 
me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old 
ram, a turtle dove, and a young pigeon. Then he brought all these 
to him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece 
opposite the other. But he did not cut the birds 
in two. And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram 
drove them away. The significance of this ceremony 
was simply this. You caught the animals, you put 
them in two, and then the parties to the covenant marched between 
those sections of animal, with the implication being that if 
either of the parties were not faithful to the covenant, then 
may what happened to those animals happen to that party. It's a 
malediction. We know the word benediction. Benediction is a good word. It's when the pastor at the end 
of a service pronounces the benediction or the good word. Malediction 
is a bad word. And bad word, not like, you know, 
the bad words you were told as a kid not to say. Malediction 
means when we call down the curse of God upon ourselves. That's 
what's going on in this covenant ceremony with Abram and God Most 
High. Well, as we move through the 
narrative, what is beautiful is that it's only God Most High 
that moves through the pieces. And it's only God Most High who 
is saying that if what I've promised does not happen in terms of this 
covenantal arrangement, then may what happened to these animals 
happen to me. And interestingly enough, when 
we get to the New Testament, it's the Lord Jesus who takes 
our place as the covenant head and mediator, so he becomes recipient. of the curse of God Most High. 
So what happens to those animals actually does happen to the Lord 
Jesus. He is cut off, not because of 
His unfaithfulness, but because of the imputed unfaithfulness 
of us put on Him. But the point is there is malediction 
in this particular passage. That's what's going on at Ebal. We're not given all the blessings 
until the next chapter, and again, that's more of an amplification, 
an explanation of what the blessings and the curses involve. In this 
ratification ceremony, the curse is pronounced and the people 
who hear it say, all the people shall answer and say Amen. You 
see what's happening. They're calling down the wrath 
and curse of God upon them if they do not operate in obedience 
to the covenant law. That's the significance of the 
ceremony. So notice the setting, verses 
11 to 14. We've already mentioned, Gerazim 
is blessing, Ebal is cursing. You've got the sons of Jacob 
who stand on these respective mountains. On Gerasim you've 
got Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin, and on 
Ebal you've got Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. I went to Klein to ask the question, 
why do some on the blessing side and why some on the cursing side? 
I don't think we're supposed to get the idea that, you know, 
these are especially blessed and these are especially cursed. 
Had to be a division somehow. He said this, six tribes descending 
from Jacob's wives, Leah and Rachel, were to stand on the 
slopes of the Mount of Blessing, and two of similar descent. The tribe of Reuben, who forfeited 
the birthright by the sin of incest, and the tribe of Zebulun, 
Leah's youngest son, were to join the four tribes descending 
from the handmaids on the Mount of Cursing." So you've got Rachel 
and Leah's sons on the one side, and then the sons of the handmaid, 
except for Reuben and Zebulun. and Reuben and who else is it, 
Zebulun, on the other side. So you've got the 12 tribes of 
Israel represented in these particular men, already indicated what's 
important here about the mountains in terms of their relationship 
to Shechem. And then this oath-taking ceremony, 
verse 14, the Levites shall speak with a loud voice and say to 
all the men of Israel, So again, this is a solemn assembly. This 
is a big to-do. This is the formal ratification 
and renewal of this ceremony wherein God has promised to be 
their Lord, and they have promised to be his subjects. So the people 
would hear the curse pronounced and respond with an amen. Now, when we move through this 
passage, I hope you appreciate what we have in the New Covenant. I mean, when you read through 
this, it's heavy duty. It's heavy duty stuff. Now, when 
we approach these 12 curses, the 12 curses probably correspond 
to the 12 tribes of Israel. And if we look for a specific 
pattern, it's hard to find one particularly. We do see the First 
and the Second Commandments represented. We see the Fifth Commandment 
represented. We see the Ninth Commandment, 
the Seventh Commandment, and the Sixth Commandment. Harmon 
says, there were 12 curses, and the sins were chosen to reflect 
God's total demands on the people. All the curses relate to sins 
that are condemned elsewhere under the Mosaic law. So all 
these 12 pronouncements, curse it is the one, and then all of 
the people say amen. They're things you find in the 
remainder of God's law that have already been prohibited. But 
if you notice something interesting, verse 15, it says, Cursed is 
the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination 
to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsmen, and sets 
it up, notice, in secret. He does this in secret. He's 
not engaged in a public act of apostasy. And then drop down 
to verse 24 for just a moment. Cursed is the one who attacks 
his neighbor secretly. And then if you notice, many 
of the other sins are sins or crimes that would be done in 
secret. Generally, sexual sin, infidelity, 
is done in secret. Men don't normally engage in 
incest on the corner. Men certainly don't engage in 
bestiality in people's backyards. They probably seek out a place 
for privacy. So it might be the fact, or the 
implication might be that those things that are secret, those 
things that are unknown to the rank and file of Israel, are 
certainly seen by the living and true God. The idea might 
be that those stones, with the law of God, not only regulate 
external conduct in the society, but the law of God speaks to 
the heart of man. The law of God penetrates to 
the private place. The law of God affects every 
area of life. In fact, Christopher Wright says 
the list speaks primarily of offenses that have an air of 
secrecy, either exquisitely, we've seen that in verses 15 
to 24, or in the obvious nature of the offense. By their nature, 
therefore, they're not likely to come into open court for trial 
and judgment. The purpose of the curses, therefore, 
is to remind Israel that Yahweh sees and knows what happens in 
secret. So it's not just these stones. 
And so when we get to the Sermon on the Mount, for instance, and 
Jesus says, you have heard that it was said, but I say to you, 
Jesus is not correcting Moses because Moses always spoke to 
the internality of God's law. The law of God always penetrated 
beyond external society to the heart of man. When Jesus says, 
you have heard that it was said, but I say to you, he's correcting 
the Pharisees. He's correcting the scribes. 
He is correcting those who made the law of God only pertain to 
that which was external. We see in our study here the 
law of God always pertain to not only the external, but the 
internal as well. Wright goes on to say the criminal 
who escapes the wrath of the civil community will not escape 
the wrath of God. And that's probably the significance 
of these 12 crimes or these 12 sins that are indicated here. So yeah, in a sense, they're 
comprehensive and representative of the breach of the entirety 
of God's law, but they do speak to those inward things, those 
internal risings up of the heart that God the Lord most certainly 
sees. And so what we have, I think, 
are six categories, six specific categories, violations of laws 
with respect first to God himself. Notice the pattern as well. There 
is a conspicuous theological pattern that we find in the scripture. If our relationship with God 
is messed up, then everything else is messed up from thence 
on. Remember the Decalogue itself. 
How does it begin? It begins with our duty and our 
responsibility to God, and then it turns toward our responsibility 
to man. When Jesus teaches us how to 
pray, how does he teach us to pray? First, with respect to 
God, and then with respect to ourselves. In the book of Romans, 
when Paul, or even before Paul, gets to his vice list, before 
Paul gets to that list of sins and acts of wickedness, he first 
states the real issue. They knew God exists, but they 
didn't glorify God as God. nor were they thankful. So theology 
precedes our interaction with other people. And here the first 
curse is pronounced on the breach of the first and second commandments. 
Verse 15, cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, 
an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, 
and sets it up in secret. So cursed is the one who makes 
a carved or a molded image. He might have one of another 
god, which is the violation of the first commandment. He might 
have a molded image of the true and living God, which then is 
a violation of the second commandment. Remember, the First Commandment 
says we must worship God and him alone. The Second Commandment 
says we must worship God and him alone in the manner in which 
he prescribes. He doesn't give us freedom with 
reference to our approach. He dictates for us in the Second 
Commandment that we are to approach him as he says is fit, as he 
says is acceptable. So of course, this reflects the 
First Commandment found in Exodus 20. and in Deuteronomy chapter 
5, and scattered throughout the Old Testament law. Obviously, 
God has a problem with idolatry. Obviously, God has a problem 
with people seeking out other gods. Notice the response, and 
all the people shall answer and say, Amen. Were they faithful? No, they were not. So what happens? They are invoking the curse of 
God when they make this particular statement. There's an interesting 
malediction in the book of Matthew as well. It's when Jesus is on 
trial before Pontius Pilate. And the people say, may his blood 
be on us and our children. That is a maledictory oath that 
the nation of Israel brings upon its own head that I believe God 
delivered on very specifically in the first century through 
the Roman armies when they destroyed Jerusalem." So we see here this 
maledictory oath pronounced for a breach of the first and second 
words. When we get to the prophets, 
when we get to the exile, I hope you don't scratch your head and 
say, I wonder why the Lord is treating his people this way? 
Because on Mount Ebal they stood in public, they stood before 
the Lord, they stood looking upon his law written on these 
stones, they had offered up burnt offering, they had offered up 
a peace offering, they had eaten before the Lord, they had rejoiced 
before the Lord, they had heard the Levites read this law, and 
they said, Amen. So that when they go into the 
land and they bow before Baal, they bow before the Canaanite 
deities, and God brings judgment upon them, there is not to be 
any surprise whatsoever. So the first is a violation with 
respect to God himself. Secondly, it is a violation with 
respect to lawful authority. Verse 6. Cursed is the one who 
treats his father or his mother with contempt. Powerful verse, 
parents. Take that one home. Tell your 
children. On Mount Ebal. On Mount Ebal, 
they had to swear fidelity before the Covenant Lord, and the Fifth 
Commandment was primary. The Fifth Commandment was right 
there among the twelve. The Lord God does not take lightly 
those who treat father or mother with contempt. And again, this 
could be some of that secret stuff going on. Remember back 
in Deuteronomy 21, we have the case of the rebellious son in 
verses 18 to 21. It probably took a long time 
and perhaps never got to the place where the parents actually 
turned the son over to the magistrate so that he could be stoned to 
death. More than likely, sons would needle their parents in 
a private way. And so on e-ball, they were to 
think about this. Cursed is the one who treats 
his father or his mother with contempt. Again, this is riddled 
throughout the Old Testament law. The law of God specifies 
that we are to submit to lawful authority, whether it be parental, 
civil, whatever the particular case may be. So, violation of 
law with respect to God Himself. Secondly, to lawful authority, 
verse 16. Third is to truth. I think the 
next three speak to the truth, or to deception. Notice in verse 
17, Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor's landmark. Now 
that would be property theft to be sure, but there is deceit 
involved. If I move my neighbor's landmark, 
what is happening there? I am deceiving my neighbor. I 
am defrauding my neighbor. I am keeping him from getting 
what is legitimately and rightfully his. Now, I think the property 
crime there is corollary, to be sure. But I think the thing 
that unites these next three is a violation with respect to 
the truth. So with reference to the truth 
in verse 17, it is the one who moves his neighbor's landmark. 
All the people shall say, Amen." And you get to Micah the prophet, 
this is a big crime. You get to the prophet Isaiah, 
this is a big crime. They are moving the landmark. 
They are taking and oppressing from others. They are collecting 
unto themselves all this stuff. Trace it all back to Ebal. You 
all shouldn't have said, Amen, if you were going to go into 
the land and carry on like the heathen. And then notice, secondly, 
with reference to truth, the blind man. Leviticus 19.14 tells 
us the same thing. Cursed is the one who makes the 
blind to wander off the road. Now, that could have sixth commandment 
application, he could wander off the road and die. The idea 
is probably one of deception, frauding this particular blind 
man. Again, Harmon says, not only 
could there easily be deceitful dealing with such a person, I 
mean, come on, you could take advantage of a blind man if you 
were so inclined. I mean, that's pretty wretched, 
isn't it? It's pretty ungodly, but people 
do take advantage of the of the handicapped or people that are 
limited in some way. He says, not only could there 
easily be deceitful dealing with such a person, but because of 
his blindness, there would be no possibility of identifying 
the offender. You see, the blind man couldn't 
go to the police and say, hey, that guy there made me fall off 
the road. No, these people were supposed 
to maintain fidelity and equity toward the people around them. 
Harmon goes on to say, the covenant encouraged justice to all. And 
therefore, there is a curse on those who act deceitfully to 
defraud one of the most vulnerable groups in society. It is deception 
that is involved here. And God says, this is to bring 
a curse upon your head if you violate this law. Of course, 
all of the people say, Amen. And then verse 19 is a violation 
of law with respect to the truth. Cursed is the one who perverts 
the justice due the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 
Again, a recurring theme in the book of Deuteronomy, in the book 
of Exodus, in Leviticus as well. You are not to have two standards 
of judgment. You are not to judge the the alien or the stranger in 
a way that was unrighteous or ungodly. You are not to be bigoted 
or racist or anything of the nature. You are not to pervert 
the justice due the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 
Those people in society that were vulnerable were not to be 
taken advantage of. It is simply incomprehensible 
with the living God. The covenant community is not 
to function in such a way as that its most vulnerable are 
the ones that are taken advantage of. It ought to be the opposite. 
We ought to do everything we can to protect them. We ought 
to do everything we can to help them and not to defraud them. So violation of law with respect 
to God, verse 15. Lawful authority, verse 16. Truth, 
verses 17 and 19. And then violation of law with 
respect to family in verses 20 to 23. The seventh commandment 
is that word that protects the family. Incest with your father's 
wife. prohibited in Leviticus 18, Leviticus 
20, Deuteronomy 22, 30. You are not to do this. 1 Corinthians 
chapter 5, the apostle Paul indicts the Corinthian church for this 
very situation. What is in the mind of the apostle 
when he's speaking of sexual immorality? He's thinking of 
the law of God that informs his new covenant ethic with reference 
to the church at Corinth. Now, I don't know if you've been 
watching the news over the week, but they caught this man, Christopher 
Dorner, last night. But if you had been seeing the 
news over the past week, you'll note that there were people that 
were rooting for Christopher Dorner. There was a Team Dorner 
on Twitter. Now, this was a man who murdered 
three people, and another one, four total. He murdered people. There were actually people rooting 
for him. to win, OK? This past week, as 
I've reflected upon that, I'm ashamed to be a part of this 
society. That's a very sad thing, when 
there's people rooting for a murderer. When there's people saying, well, 
you know, he was treated poorly at LAPD. I don't care how poorly 
you were treated. You don't go and murder people. 
And then throw your manifesto on Facebook. Whoa, some kind 
of a hero there. But I think that that feeling 
of revulsion that I think many of us had when we saw this Team 
Dorner is the same sort of feeling of revulsion that we all ought 
to have when we see this next law. It's not only Cursed is 
the one who lies with his father's wife, but verse 21 says Cursed 
is the one who lies with any kind of an animal. I mean, that 
we live in the race of man where such a law has to even be given 
ought to make us hang our heads in shame. We are certainly not 
engaged in the sort of things that God has made us for. We are image bearers of the living 
and the true God. We are not to lie with animals. This is prohibited by the law 
of God. And if one stood on e-ball and 
said, amen, and then went into Canaan and lay with animals, 
they would be executed, they would indeed be put to death. 
We've got incest with a father's wife, bestiality, incest with 
a sister, incest with a sister. That should make us hang our 
heads in shame. Not that the bestiality is... 
I mean, bestiality is terrible, so are all these sexual sins. 
Sexual perversion is wrong. God doesn't say it's okay to 
have same-sex marriage. It is a sin against God. It is 
against nature. It is wrong. It is vile. And the Lord says, don't do it. It's just that clear. We are 
not to misuse our organs. We are not to use our sexuality 
in a way that the Lord God condemns. And in verse 22, cursed is the 
one who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father, or 
the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, 
Amen. You see, this is the attack on 
the family. The seventh word is to protect 
that covenantal arrangement wherein marriage is held in high esteem 
under God within the community itself. And then verse 23, Cursed 
is the one who lies with his mother-in-law, and all the people 
shall say, Amen. We have violation of laws with 
respect to God, lawful authority, truth, family, fifth category 
to human life, verses 24 and 25. Cursed is the one who attacks 
his neighbor secretly. Probably murder is in view. premeditation, malice aforethought, 
a desire to take our neighbor out, we do it in secret, we dispose 
of his body so that we will not be found out. You're not supposed 
to murder in the covenant community. And all the people sad Amen. When they get into the land, 
do they live consistently with that pronouncement? Absolutely 
not. All of these things, all of these 
sins, all of these categories are fleshed out in the history 
of Israel. It is no accident, it is not 
a mystery as to why they were ultimately exiled and the land 
vomited them out of its mouth. and then notice this bribe to 
assassinate an innocent person. That's another one that's just 
a humdinger in a society. Really? We have to be told that 
we can't take a bribe to slay an innocent person? Yes. You know, the law of God is not 
superfluous. The Lord speaks to genuine transgression. The Lord doesn't make things 
up. When the law of God prohibits bestiality, it's because somebody 
out there is going to do it. When the law of God prohibits 
a bribe to assassinate an innocent person, it's because somebody 
is going to do it. And on Mount Ebal, they were 
to affirm, they were to say before the living and the true God that 
they were not to engage or they were not going to engage in this 
sort of activity. And then the sixth major category 
is to God's covenant as a whole. Verse 26. Cursed is the one who 
does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them. And all the people shall say, 
Amen. I wonder if as they were saying, 
Amen, they knew that they were cursed. Have you ever sang a 
hymn in church and thought, man, I don't really love Jesus the 
way I'm singing? Have you ever sang a hymn or 
a psalm and said, Lord God, help this to be true of me? You know, 
some of these hymns where we talk about how wonderful the 
Lord Jesus is, sometimes we're as sluggish as a dead fish. Can 
we honestly and earnestly affirm everything we sing and everything 
we hear in the Word of God? I wonder if on Ebal, when they 
sat or they heard the Levites say, Cursed is the one who does 
not confirm all the words of this law by observing them. All the people shall say, Amen. Now our confession of faith stipulates 
that the obedience that man is to render to the law of God is 
to be personal, entire. exact and perpetual. In other words, if you're going 
to live by the law or get your acceptance with God by the law, 
then it must be personal, entire, exact, and perpetual. If you remember, Paul cites this 
particular verse in Galatians 3. For as many as are of the 
works of the law are under the curse. For it is written, cursed 
is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written 
in the book of the law to do that." So when we go back to 
Ebal at Deuteronomy 27, God knew very well that the people of 
Israel were not going to engage in personal, entire, exact, and 
perpetual obedience. Much of what we read in this 
arrangement has to do with their standing in the land. But in 
terms of its spiritual nature, there is one emphasis that this 
law was to produce among the people. It was to cause them 
to look outside themselves to another. That's Paul's point, 
Galatians 3. If you affirm obedience to the 
law, then it must be perpetual. It must be exact. It must be 
entire. On Mount Ebal, the faithful hopefully 
would have thought, there is no way we can continue in this 
law. We must have a Redeemer. We must 
have the Christ. We must have the Lord Jesus Himself. who will come and engage in this 
work on our behalf. One of the functions of the Mosaic 
Law, one of the functions of the Old Covenant, was yes, to 
hedge the people in, yes, to preserve them until the promised 
seed Christ would come, yes, it was to define for them terms 
for life in the land, but it was to drive them, it was to 
show them, it was to indicate to them their sinfulness and 
their waywardness and their great need for redemption. In other 
words, part of this covenant was to show the people their 
sinfulness and their need for the Redeemer. The old covenant 
was therefore not only necessary to lead to Christ, But it was 
also necessary that Christ fulfill it. When Christ comes to live, 
what law do you think he is fulfilling? He's fulfilling what they were 
told to do. He's fulfilling that obedience. He's fulfilling that personal, 
entire, exact, and perpetual obedience. This is the significant 
contribution of Samuel Petto in the realm of covenant theology. 
The Sinai covenant had specific ends for the nation of Israel. 
It defined for them life in the land. It defined for them blessings 
in terms of national benefit. But he also says that the Sinai 
Covenant functioned as the covenant of works for the Lord Jesus, 
so that when he comes and he lives, he fulfills the law of 
God as it was spoken. He does what man could not do. He does it in our place. He does 
it in our stead, so that we have not only forgiveness through 
his blood, but we have righteousness through his life. We have the 
imputation of the active obedience of Christ that answers to the 
demands of God for perfect obedience to his law. It's a beautiful 
thing. So on Ebal, the faithful, would have seen, yes, we're doomed, 
yes, we're going to have trouble in the land, but yes, there's 
going to be one who comes to save us from our sins and to 
redeem us unto himself. This is Paul's point in Galatians 
3 and 4 when he compares, when he parallels the Old and the 
New Testaments. The Old Testament brings bondage, 
it brings death, it brings pain, it brings all of the things associated 
with the wrath and curse of God in terms of the spirituality. Now with reference to Christ, 
he comes, he fulfills that particular law, and he brings benefit to 
his people. So as you read through these 
curses on Ebal, and as you think through them, probably you're 
going to conclude, I don't do these things, I'm not going to 
be faithful, I'm not, you know, perfect, exact, entire, perpetually 
obedient as well. So when you get to the end of 
Ebal, praise God for the Lord Jesus, that he is the one who 
fulfills the righteousness of God by having obeyed the law 
perfectly. See, Jesus is the only one who 
could say amen with reference to God, amen with reference to 
lawful authority, amen with reference to truth, amen with reference 
to the seventh commandment, amen with reference to human life, 
and amen with reference to God's covenant. It's only Christ who 
fulfills the demands of his father. That's why he's the surety of 
a better covenant. That's why the new covenant is 
a better covenant, founded on better promises, and it contains 
a better hope because of its head and mediator, the Lord Jesus, 
in whom we have redemption. So the law of God ought to define 
for us the parameters of faithfulness and holiness and righteousness 
in terms of our life, but it also should drive us continually 
back to our Lord Jesus Christ in humble appreciation for what 
he did on our behalf, that we have one who could have stand 
at Ebal and said amen to all these things and entered in by 
his own virtue. It's a beautiful thing what we 
have in the Lord Jesus Christ, because we all, standing there 
with these fellows at Ebal, would have been saying amen to our 
own malediction. And it's Christ alone who brings 
forgiveness and righteousness that we desperately need. Well, 
let us close in prayer. Our Father, we thank you for 
this, your word. We thank you for your loving 
kindness in providing Jesus as the mediator of the new covenant, 
the surety of the better covenant. How we thank you, God, that he 
has fulfilled the law on our behalf, that he has died as a 
sacrifice and a substitute on our behalf, and that he has risen 
again. We praise you for his current 
session. We look forward to his return again in glory when he 
will judge the living and the dead. And we praise you that 
by your grace and for your glory you've hidden us in him. Do forgive 
us though, Father, when we sin. Forgive us and cleanse us and 
help us to take the law as a rule, as a pattern for our life. We 
pray that you'd fill us with your spirit and cause us to walk 
in obedience. And we pray through Christ our 
Lord. Amen.