May 24, 2019: Day 27 – Deuteronomy 27

As you read this chapter keep in mind that there are two mountains: one for a blessing and one for a cursing.  In this chapter we get the cursings, in the next chapter we get the blessings.  We begin as we should with the certainty that the people of God only worship the people of God.  No other gods are to be worshiped.   That makes sense because that is also what we have in the Ten Commandments.  Or simplistically, as I say to the preschool class: “No idols!”

We have another one of the 10 in making sure you honor your mom and dad, but then we go on a bit of a…shall  we say tangent?  Don’t move a boundary marker, don’t mislead a blind person.  Listen to this next one carefully: Cursed is anyone who deprives the alien…of justice.  There was such a high respect for the alien, for those seeking refuge, for those who came from foreign lands into the land of Israel, because who knows, just like Abraham, we could be found to be hosting angels.  Look at Hebrews 13:2 and catch your breath when you do.  It says very clearly…”do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers…”  I’m not sure we are the most hospitable people.  

And then we have a list of those we are not to lie down with: father’s wife, animal, sister, mother-in-law etc.  Pretty specific directives on a topic we would rather avoid.  The last one, vs.26, is so general that it seems as if the people are condemning themselves without knowing it.  “Cursed be anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by observing them.”  Everyone agrees, but I am not sure if we are talking just about the laws in these last few verses, but the law as handed down from Moses.  You know, the law that they broke the moment he stepped down from the mountain and saw the golden calf that they were worshiping.  We worship a God of grace.  Thanks be to God!!