PM March 13th Deuteronomy 26

March 13^th Deuteronomy 26

Offerings from the harvest

1: And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein; 2: That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there. 3: And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the country which the LORD sware unto our fathers for to give us. 4: And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God. 5: And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous: 6: And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: 7: And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression: 8: And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders: 9: And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey. 10: And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God: 11: And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you. 12: When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled; 13: Then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them: 14: I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me. 15: Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

Be a Holy People

16: This day the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. 17: Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: 18: And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments; 19: And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he hath spoken.

Deuteronomy 27 C. Regarding the future - blessings and curses Build stones for the law & altars

1: And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments which I command you this day. 2: And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaister them with plaister: 3: And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee. 4: Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaister them with plaister. 5: And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them. 6: Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God: 7: And thou shalt offer peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the LORD thy God. 8: And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly. 9: And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel, saying, Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the LORD thy God. 10: Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day.

The curses of Israel

11: And Moses charged the people the same day, saying, 12: These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin: 13: And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14: And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice, 15: Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen. 16: Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen. 17: Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen. 18: Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen. 19: Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen. 20: Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife; because he uncovereth his father's skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen. 21: Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen. 22: Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen. 23: Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen. 24: Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen. 25: Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen. 26: Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deuteronomy 28 The blessings of Israel

1: And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 3: Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4: Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. 5: Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. 6: Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. 7: The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. 8: The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 9: The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways. 10: And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee. 11: And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee. 12: The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. 13: And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: 14: And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

Punishment on the disobedient

15: But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: 16: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. 17: Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. 18: Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. 19: Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out. 20: The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me. 21: The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it. 22: The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. 23: And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. 24: The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed. 25: The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. 26: And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away. 27: The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed. 28: The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart: 29: And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee. 30: Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof. 31: Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them. 32: Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand. 33: The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed always: 34: So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. 35: The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head. 36: The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone. 37: And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee. 38: Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it. 39: Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them. 40: Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit. 41: Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity. 42: All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume. 43: The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. 44: He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. 45: Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee: 46: And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever. 47: Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; 48: Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee. 49: The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; 50: A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young: 51: And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee. 52: And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee. 53: And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee: 54: So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave: 55: So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat: because he hath nothing left him in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates. 56: The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter, 57: And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates. 58: If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; 59: Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. 60: Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee. 61: Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed. 62: And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God. 63: And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it. 64: And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. 65: And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: 66: And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life: 67: In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. 68: And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.

In todays Bible reading we have chapter 26 which completes the instructions of the LORD regarding the law. Then in Chapters 27 and 28 we have the blessings and curses of the LORD on the children of Israel who are circumcised being in the old covenant. But first we see offerings for the harvest. The Lord said that the first fruits of the harvest belongs to the LORD. The first fruits were to be put into a basket and brought to the Lord and set beside the altar. And the offerer was to repeat a set prayer/worship which recounted the whole of Israel’s history as if it were a personal and present experience. On the third year – the year of tithing the offering was devoted to the poor. On this occasion another prayer/declaration is made which included the statements that l have not transgressed the commandments, I have not forgotten them, I have fasted in time of mourning, I have removed nothing for unclean use, I have not offered for the dead, But l have done what the Lord required. Look down from heaven and bless your people and the land which you gave us, etc. Then the LORD gave a serious responsibility to Israel to keep the statues and judgments which are the commandments of the LORD. They are to be kept and obeyed with all Israel’s soul. Israel promised with an oath to keep the law, the whole law. The Lord promised to make Israel high above the nations. Israel is to be praiseworthy, to be named before the Lord, to be honoured and to be a holy people unto the LORD their God. Israel had very grave responsibility but also very great honour. Having outlined the whole Law of Moses the LORD next describes both the blessings and the curses of those who live under the law. This was a double covenant. The LORD promised to be their God if they kept the law but warned of judgment if they rebelled. Next Moses called all the elders of Israel and commanded them to keep the commandments of the LORD. And he says we are going to go over the river of Jordan and the children of Israel are to take twelve stones from out of the river bed and plaster them and on them to write the commandments of the LORD. These stones are to be put on Mt Ebal and there they are to build an altar of unhewn stones to the LORD. And they are to offer a burnt offering and a peace offering and they are to write the words of the law and rejoice in the LORD.

Then the LORD said that Half of Israel will stand on MT Ebal and half on Mt Gerizim to speak to the people. In the valley between them Israel will be encamped. Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, Benjamin will stand on Mt Gerizim bless Israel and Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali will stand on Ebal to curse Israel. The Levites will declare in a loud voice the curses. Every curse is spoken and the people answer Amen each time.

1. Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image,
2. Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother.
3. Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmark.
4. Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way.
5. Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow.
6. Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife.
7. Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast.
8. Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother.
9. Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law.
10. Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly.
11. Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person.
12. Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them.

Next come the blessings on Israel. If Israel hears the voice of the LORD to observe and do the commandments then the LORD will do certain things…

He will set Israel high above all nations of the earth (We see three couplets)

A Blessed in the city,

A Blessed in the field.

B Blessed your children and the crops, cattle, kine, sheep.

B Blessed your basket and thy store.

C Blessed when thou comest in,

C Blessed when thou goest out.

A International relations - Your enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face.

B Israel’s reserves - blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto;

C Israel’s land - bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

D Israel’s standing before the Lord – holy - establish thee an holy people unto himself,

E Israel’s testimony - all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD;

E Israel’s testimony - they shall be afraid of thee.

D Israel’s standing before the Lord – fruitful - plenteous in goods, in children, cattle, crops,

C Israel’s land - the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season,

B Israel’s reserves - you will lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

A International relations - You will be the head, and not the tail;

However well intentioned Israel were in promising to be faithful to the Lord the Lord outlines the curses on rebellion to his commandments.

Again we see three couplets

A Cursed in the city

A Cursed in the field.

B Cursed your basket and store.

B Cursed your children, crops, kine, sheep.

C Cursed when thou comest in,

C Cursed when thou goest out.

Then the Lord expands the curses further.

cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all you do, until you are destroyed, you will perish quickly;

pestilence will stick to you, until you are consumed thee from off the land,

consumption, fever, inflammation, extreme burning, the sword, blasting, mildew;

heaven that is over your head shall be brass,

earth that is under thee shall be iron.

rain will be like powder and dust

smitten before thine enemies:

removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

You will be meat for carrion, and wild dogs, no man shall case them away.

the botch of Egypt, emerods, the scab, the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.

madness, blindness, astonishment of heart: you will grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness,

not prosper in thy ways:

oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.

• You will betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her:
• You will build an house, and you will not live in it:
• You will plant a vineyard, and you will not gather the grapes of it.
• Your ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and you will not eat of it:
• Your ass shall be violently taken away from before your face, and shall not be restored to thee:
• Your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.
• Your sons and daughters will be taken as slaves and you will look and fail to see them
• Your crops will be taken and eaten by another nation and you will be oppressed and crushed always
• The Lord will smite you in the knees, legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.

You will be deported to a strange land and there you will serve other gods

• You will be an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations
• You will plant a lot of seed but reap little seed – the locust will eat it all.
• You will plant vineyards but never drink the wine or even gather the grapes – works will eat them
• You will have olives but never have the oil – the olives will fall early
• You will have children but they will be taken away captives

All your trees and crops will be destroyed by locusts

The strangers among you will rule over you He will lend to you He will be your head and you the tail

These things will come on you if you do not serve the lord with joy and gladness

You will serve your enemies, in hunger, thirst, nakedness, and in want:

he shall put a yoke of iron upon your neck, until he has destroyed you

The LORD shall bring a nation against you from far,

• from the end of the earth,
• whose language you will not understand;
• fierce countenance,
• Which has no respect for the old, or the young:
• They will eat and destroy everything
• They will besiege the cities until every high and fenced walls come down,
• You will eat your own children to live
• Brother will eat brother and husband wife and father his only heir
• Even the most delicate and cultured woman will wish to eat her family

Even at this time if Israel does not hear the Lord he will send

• Plagues – wonderful. Great and long and very sore
• All the diseases of Egypt until you are destroyed.
• You will be few in number because you would not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.
• The LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you,
• The LORD shall scatter thee among all people,
• You will find to place of rest but a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind
• Your life shall hang in doubt before you and you will fear day and night, and have none assurance of thy life
• You will be taken back to Egypt in ships and you will be so worthless that non will want to buy you.

If this speech did not cause the fear of the Lord to fall on Israel then nothing would.

• What were the curses?
• What were the blessings?
• What secured the blessings for Israel?