Deuteronomy 27

CHAPTER 27THEME: The future of the land: curses for disobedienceWe come now to one of the most vital sections of the Book of Deuteronomy. This is now Moses’ third oration. It belongs to the next major section of the book which is regarding the future in the land. This is the third main section of the book and extends from chapter 27-30. In it we find the so-called Palestinian covenant which God made with the nation Israel. I have called Deuteronomy 28-30 the pre-written history of Israel in the land before they enter the land. The section from Deuteronomy 29-30:10 is the Palestinian covenant. As we begin this new section, I think we ought to say something about a covenant. That word has occurred several times already. There are different kinds of covenants. We find that individuals make covenants with each other. There are covenants of this kind mentioned in the Bible. Then there are nations that make covenants, and some of them are mentioned in the Bible. Then there are the covenants which God made with His people and with all humanity in the Old Testament. We have already studied the Adamic covenant, the Noahic covenant, the Abrahamic covenant, and the Mosaic covenant. Now we have come to the Palestinian covenant. The covenants which God makes are divided into two different classifications: conditional and unconditional. We could call them eternal covenants and temporary covenants. The eternal covenant is a permanent covenant and it is unconditional. The temporary covenant is a conditional covenant. It is important to distinguish between the two. The covenant which God made with Abraham was an unconditional covenant. The covenant God made with Moses, the Ten Commandments, was a conditional covenant"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then …" (Exo_19:5). The Palestinian covenant which God made in the chapters we are about to study is an unconditional covenant. This covenant has to do with Israel’s future. We understand that these people are now standing on the east bank of the Jordan River. They are preparing to enter the land. This is the new generation; the old generation has died in the wilderness. Moses himself will not enter into the land. We shall see that this book closes with a requiem to Moses. He dies, but the people enter the land under a new leader. Now this particular section is prophetic and has to do with their future in the land which they are about to enter. We find here some of the most remarkable prophecies in the entire Word of God.

Deuteronomy 27:1

They were told that when they crossed over into the land, the Ten Commandments were to be written in stone and displayed. Their tenure in the land, their dwelling there, would be determined by their obedience to God. That was a conditional arrangement. But the land was given to them with no conditions attached whatsoever. God has given that land to Israel, and that is an unconditional covenant. God will bring Israel back into that land because it belongs to them. That is something very important for us to realize at the present time.

Deuteronomy 27:4

God’s Law was to be prominently displayed. In fact, it was to be put in front of them wherever they wenteven on the doorposts of their homes.

Deuteronomy 27:9

When they get into the Promised Land, the blessing of the people is to be declared from Mount Gerizim. He mentions the tribes who will do the blessing.

Deuteronomy 27:13

The tribes who are to declare the curses are to go over to Mount Ebal. These mountains are in the area where the Samaritan woman was at the well. That well is still there today. The blessings were from Mount Gerizim and the curses from Mount Ebal. Now a list of the curses is given. After they are in the land, their tenure there is on a condition. We might say that each generation is a tenant and it is to pay rent. God is the land owner, and that rent is obedience to God. Actually, the nation is more than a tenant because God has given Israel that land as an eternal possession. However, when a generation would not obey God, that generation would be put out of the land, even though the land remained theirs as an eternal inheritance. This is the reason that that piece of real estate is the most sensitive spot on the topside of this globe. It is the belief of a great many people that right now a world war could be triggered by what takes place in that land, and certainly this is true. There are twelve curses given here, and I am not going into detail about them as they are self-explanatory.

Deuteronomy 27:15

This has to do with the first two of the Ten Commandments.

Deuteronomy 27:16

This deals with the fifth of the Ten Commandments.

Deuteronomy 27:26

As you read all the verses in this chapter, you will see that they all deal with the breaking of the Ten Commandments.