Deuteronomy 27

By the time that the Lord inspired Moses to preach these messages to Israel, the nation had been traveling through the wilderness for forty years. One period of their life was about to end. Another was beginning. Would they seek the Lord and follow Him in the land that He was giving to them?

These words that Moses proclaimed were to be carved in stone, “all the words of this Law.” On the very place where the Law was written, on a plastered altar of uncut stone, animals would be killed. In this celebration of a blood-bought peace offering, the just demands of God's Law would touch the mercy of God flowing from the blood of the sacrifice.

What followed was a solemn ceremony marking the sanctions of the Law, with six tribes standing on one mountain for the blessing and six tribes standing on another for the curse. The Levites would pronounce from their place on one mountain twelve specific curses of God for disobedience, and the tribes would reply together, “Amen!”

The sanctions for disobedience were not the civil punishments that allowed for penalties that were lesser or greater to fit the offense. They were all the ultimate curse by God for disobedience to His commandments. “Cursed be the man...” or “Cursed be anyone...” twelve times.

The man who made an idol like Aaron had in the wilderness was cursed by God. By this point Aaron had died. Was he cursed? What about those who kept their idolatry private, confined to their secret thoughts? Would they be safe?

The person who dishonored his mother or father was cursed by God. How much dishonoring was God talking about? What about the thoughts and actions that were unknown to the community but known by God? What about the justifications that people use to explain away what they did when they were young and foolish. Would those count for anything?

The one who took some of his neighbor's land by moving a landmark, or who took advantage of a blind person, or denied justice to the weak in the community, that person was cursed by God. What if you recognized your error years later and said that you were sorry? Would the curse be lifted?

Four kinds of sexual sins were specifically mentioned. The ones who did these things were cursed by God. No exception was given.

Two types of murderous action were next. Cursed.

Then these final words, the twelfth curse, that should have answered every question that Israel could have asked in any attempt to evade the justice of God by excuses. “Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.”

Every curse was to be heard by the congregation and affirmed by a resounding “Amen!” There could be no claim that Israel did not know the seriousness of the Law. This conquest generation had seen what had happened to those who died in the wilderness. Now they had heard the words that could only confirm their own desperate condition.

How could there be blessing for anyone who had not perfectly obeyed the Law? The specific answer to this question was covered in some measure of mystery for Israel at that hour. But the seriousness of the Law was fully revealed.

It would only be through the blood-bought mercy of God that there could be any hope for any of them or for any of us. The only honest way to rejoice on a day like this would be by faith in a law-keeping Substitute who would give His blood for His people.

We live after the death of the Jewish Messiah. For us, the answer to our need for grace need not be unknown.

The Law-Keeper has come, and He has made peace with God for us through His death, His resurrection life and His Holy Spirit have brought us a new and living hope, He is the only credible answer to the tremendous danger of the justice of God. We have been rescued from the curse of the Almighty.