Moses
having very largely and fully set before the people their duty, both to God
and one another, in general and in particular instances,--having shown them
plainly what is good, and what the law requires of them,--and having in the
close of the foregoing chapter laid them under the obligation both of the
command and the covenant, he comes in this chapter to prescribe outward
means, I. For the helping of their memories, that they might not forget the
law as a strange thing. They must write all the words of this law upon
stones, ver. 1-10. II. For the moving of their affections, that they might
not be indifferent to the law as a light thing. Whey they came into Canaan,
the blessings and curses which were the sanctions of the law, were to be
solemnly pronounced in the hearing of all Israel, who were to say Amen to
them, ver. 11-26. And if such a solemnity as this would not make a deep
impression upon them, and affect them with the great things of God's law,
nothing would.
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The
Exhibition of the Law.
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B.
C. 1451.
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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 plaster
them with plaster: 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 plaster them with
plaster. 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.
Here is, I. A general charge to the people to keep God's commandments; for
in vain did they know them, unless they would do them. This is pressed upon
them, 1. With all authority. Moses with the elders of Israel, the
rulers of each tribe (v. 1), and again, Moses and the priests the
Levites (v. 9); so that the charge is given by Moses who was king
in Jeshurun, and by their lords, both spiritual and temporal, in concurrence
with him. Lest they should think that it was Moses only, an old and dying
man, that made such ado about religion, or the priests and Levites only,
whose trade it was to attend religion and who had their maintenance out of
it, the elders of Israel, whom God had placed in honour and power over them,
and who were men of business in the world and likely to be so long so when
Moses was gone, they commanded their people to keep God's law.
Moses, having put some of his honour upon them, joins them in commission
with himself, in giving this charge, as Paul sometimes in his epistles joins
with himself Silvanus and Timotheus. Note, All that have any interest in
others, or power over them, should use it for the support and furtherance of
religion among them. Though the supreme power of a nation provide ever so
good laws for this purpose, if inferior magistrates in their places, and
ministers in theirs, and masters of families in theirs, do not execute their
offices, it will all be to little effect. 2. With all importunity. They
press it upon them with the utmost earnestness (v. 9, 10): Take
heed and hearken, O Israel. It is a thing that requires and deserves the
highest degree of caution and attention. They tell them of their privilege
and honour: "This day thou hast become the people of the Lord thy
God, the Lord having avouched thee to be his own, and being now about to
put thee in possession of Canaan which he had long promised as thy God
(Gen. xvii. 7, 8), and which if he had failed to do in due time, he would
have been ashamed to be called thy God, Heb. xi. 16. Now thou art more than
ever his people, therefore obey his voice." Privileges should be
improved as engagements to duty. Should not a people be ruled by their God?
II. A particular direction to them with great solemnity to register the
words of this law, as soon as they came into Canaan. It was to be done
but once, and at their entrance into the land of promise, in token of their
taking possession of it under the several provisos and conditions contained
in this law. There was a solemn ratification of the covenant between God and
Israel at Mount Sinai, when an altar was erected, with twelve pillars, and
the book of the covenant was produced, Exod. xxiv. 4. That which is here
appointed is a somewhat similar solemnity.
1. They must set up a monument on which they must write the words of this
law. (1.) The monument itself was to be very mean, only rough unhewn
stone plastered over; not polished marble or alabaster, nor brass tables,
but common plaster upon stone, v. 2. The command is repeated (v.
4), and orders are given that it be written, not very finely, to be admired
by the curious, but very plainly, that he who runs may read it, Hab. ii. 2.
The word of God needs not to be set off by the art of man, nor embellished
with the enticing words of man's wisdom. But, (2.) The inscription
was to be very great: All the words of this law, v. 3, and
again, v. 8. Some understand it only of the covenant between God and
Israel, mentioned ch. xxvi. 17, 18. Let this help be set up for a
witness, like that memorial of the covenant between Laban and Jacob, which
was nothing but a heap of stones thrown hastily together, upon which they
did eat together in token of friendship (Gen. xxxi. 46, 47), and that stone
which Joshua set up, Josh. xxiv. 26. Others think that the curses of the
covenant in this chapter were written upon this monument, the rather because
it was set up in Mount Ebal, v. 4. Others think that the whole book
of Deuteronomy was written upon this monument, or at least the statutes and
judgments from ch. xii. to the end of ch. xxvi. And it is not
improbable that the heap might be so large as, taking in all the sides of
it, to contain so copious an inscription, unless we will suppose (as some
do) that the ten commandments only were here written, as an authentic copy
of the close rolls which were laid up in the ark. They must write this when
they had gone into Canaan, and yet Moses says (v. 3), "Write
it that thou mayest go in," that is, "that thou mayest go in
with comfort, and assurance of success and settlement, otherwise it were
well for thee not to go in at all. Write it as the conditions of thy entry,
and own that thou comest in upon these terms and no other: since Canaan is
given by promise, it must beheld by obedience."
2. They must also set up an altar. By the words of the law which were
written upon the plaster, God spoke to them; by the altar, and the
sacrifices offered upon it, they spoke to God; and thus was communion kept
up between them and God. The word and prayer must go together. Though they
might not, of their own heads, set up any altar besides that at the
tabernacle, yet, but the appointment of God, they might upon a special
occasion. Elijah built a temporary altar of twelve unhewn stones, similar to
this, when he brought Israel back to the covenant which was now made, 1
Kings xviii. 31, 32. Now, (1.) This altar must be made of such stones as
they found ready upon the field, not newly cut out of the rock, much less
squared artificially: Thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them,
v. 5. Christ, our altar, is a stone cut out of the mountain
without hands (Dan. ii. 34, 35), and therefore refused by the
builders, as having no form or comeliness, but accepted of God the
Father, and made the head of the corner. (2.) Burnt-offerings and
peace-offerings must be offered upon this altar (v. 6, 7), that by
them they might give glory to God and obtain favour. Where the law was
written, an altar was set up close by it, to signify that we could not look
with any comfort upon the law, being conscious to ourselves of the violation
of it, if it were not for the great sacrifice by which atonement is made for
sin; and the altar was set up on Mount Ebal, the mount on which those tribes
stood that said Amen to the curses, to intimate that through Christ
we are redeemed from the curse of the law. In the Old Testament the
words of the law are written, with the curse annexed, which would fill us
with horror and amazement if we had not in the New Testament (which is bound
up with it) an altar erected close by it, which gives us everlasting
consolation. (3.) They must eat there, and rejoice before the Lord their
God, v. 7. This signified, [1.] The consent they gave to the
covenant; for the parties to a covenant ratified the covenant by feasting
together. They were partakers of the altar, which was God's table, as his
servants and tenants, and such they acknowledged themselves, and, being put
in possession of this good land, bound themselves to pay the rent and to do
the services reserved by the royal grant. [2.] The comfort they took in the
covenant; they had reason to rejoice in the law, when they had an altar, a
remedial law, so near it. It was a great favour to them, and a token for
good, that God gave them his statutes; and that they were owned as
the people of God, and the children of the promise, was what they had
reason to rejoice in, though, when this solemnity was to be performed, they
were not put in full possession of Canaan; but God has spoken in his
holiness, and then I will rejoice, Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
all my own.
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The
Curses from Ebal.
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B.
C. 1451.
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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.
When the law was written, to be seen and read by all men, the
sanctions of it were to be published, which, to complete the solemnity of
their covenanting with God, they were deliberately to declare their
approbation of. This they were before directed to do (ch. xi. 29,
30), and therefore the appointment here begins somewhat abruptly, v.
12. There were, it seems, in Canaan, that part of it which afterwards fell
to the lot of Ephraim (Joshua's tribe), two mountains that lay near
together, with a valley between, one called Gerizim and the other Ebal.
On the sides of these two mountains, which faced one another, all the tribes
were to be drawn up, six on one side and six on the other, so that in the
valley, at the foot of each mountain, they came pretty near together, so
near as that the priests standing betwixt them might be heard by those that
were next them on both sides; then when silence was proclaimed, and
attention commanded, one of the priests, or perhaps more at some distance
from each other, pronounced with a loud voice one of the curses here
following, and all the people that stood on the side and foot of Mount Ebal
(those that stood further off taking the signal from those that stood nearer
and within hearing) said Amen; then the contrary blessing was
pronounced, "Blessed is he that doth not so or so," and then those
that stood on the side, and at the foot, of Mount Gerizim, said Amen.
This could not but affect them very much with the blessings and curses, the
promises and threatenings, of the law, and not only acquaint all the people
with them, but teach them to apply them to themselves.
I. Something is to be observed, in general, concerning this solemnity, which
was to be done, but once and not repeated, but would be talked of to
posterity,. 1. God appointed which tribes should stand upon Mount Gerizim
and which on Mount Ebal (v. 12, 13), to prevent the disputes that
might have arisen if they had been left to dispose of themselves. The six
tribes that were appointed for blessing were all the children of the free
women, for to such the promise belongs, Gal. iv. 31. Levi is here put among
the rest, to teach ministers to apply to themselves the blessing and curse
which they preach to others, and by faith to set their own Amen to
it. 2. Of those tribes that were to say Amen to the blessings it is
said, They stood to bless the people, but of the other, They stood
to curse, not mentioning the people, as loth to suppose that any of this
people whom God had taken for his own should lay themselves under the curse.
Or, perhaps, the different mode of expression intimates that there was to be
but one blessing pronounced in general upon the people of Israel, as a happy
people, and that should ever be so, if they were obedient; and to
this blessing the tribes on Mount Gerizim were to say Amen--"Happy
art thou, O Israel, and mayest thou ever be so;" but then the curses
come in as exceptions from the general rule, and we know exceptio firmat
regulam--the exception confirms the rule. Israel is a blessed people,
but, if there be any particular persons even among them that do such and
such things as are mentioned, let them know that they have no part nor lot
in the matter, but are under a curse. This shows how ready God is to bestow
the blessing; if any fall under the curse, they may thank themselves, they
bring it upon their own heads. 3. The Levites or priests, such of them as
were appointed for that purpose, were to pronounce the curses as well as the
blessings. They were ordained to bless (ch. x. 8), the priests did it
daily, Num. vi. 23. But they must separate between the precious and the
vile; they must not give that blessing promiscuously, but must declare
it to whom it did not belong, lest those who had no right to it themselves
should think to share in it by being in the crowd. Note, Ministers must
preach the terrors of the law as well as the comforts of the gospel; must
not only allure people to their duty with the promises of a blessing, but
awe them to it with the threatenings of a curse. 4. The curses are here
expressed, but not the blessings; for as many as were under the law were
under the curse, but it was a honour reserved for Christ to bless us, and so
to do that for us which the law could not do, in that it was weak. In
Christ's sermon upon the mount, which was the true Mount Gerizim, we have
blessings only, Matt. v. 3, &c. 5. To each of the curses the people were
to say Amen. It is easy to understand the meaning of Amen to
the blessings. The Jews have a saying to encourage people to say Amen
to the public prayers, Whosoever answereth Amen, after him that
blesseth, he is as he that blesseth. But how could they say Amen
to the curses? (1.) It was a profession of their faith in the truth of them,
that these and the like curses were not bug-bears to frighten children and
fools, but the real declarations of the wrath of God against the ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men, not one iota of which shall fall to the
ground. (2.) It was an acknowledgment of the equity of these curses; when
they said Amen, they did in effect say, not only, It is certain it
shall be so, but, It is just it should be so. Those who do such
things deserve to fall and lie under the curse. (3.) It was such an
imprecation upon themselves as strongly obliged them to have nothing to do
with those evil practices upon which the curse is here entailed. "Let
God's wrath fall upon us if ever we do such things." We read of those
that entered into a curse (and with us that is the usual form of a solemn
oath) to walk in God's law Neh. x. 29. Nay, the Jews say (as the
learned bishop Patrick quotes them), "All the people, by saying this Amen,
became bound for one another, that they would observe God's laws, by which
every man was obliged, as far as he could, to prevent his neighbour from
breaking these laws, and to reprove those that had offended, lest they
should bear sin and the curse for them."
II. Let us now observe what are the particular sins against which the curses
are here denounced.
1. Sins against the second commandment. This flaming sword is set to keep
that commandment first, v. 15. Those are here cursed, not only that
worship images, but that make them or keep them, if they be such (or like
such) as idolaters used in the service of their gods. Whether it be a graven
image or a molten image, it comes all to one, it is an abomination to the
Lord, even though it be not set up in public, but in a secret
place,--though it be not actually worshipped, nor is it said to be designed
for worship, but reserved there with respect and a constant temptation. He
that does this may perhaps escape punishment from men, but he cannot escape
the curse of God.
2. Against the fifth commandment, v. 16. The contempt of parents is a
sin so heinous that it is put next to the contempt of God himself. If a man
abused his parents, either in word or deed, he fell under the sentence of
the magistrate, and must be put to death, Exod. xxi. 15, 17. But to
set light by them in his heart was a thing which the magistrate could not
take cognizance of, and therefore it is here laid under the curse of God,
who knows the heart. Those are cursed children that carry themselves
scornfully and insolently towards their parents.
3. Against the eighth commandment. The curse of God is here fastened, (1.)
Upon an unjust neighbour that removes the land-marks, v. 17.
See ch. xix. 14. Upon an unjust counsellor, who, when his advice is
asked, maliciously directs his friend to that which he knows will be to his
prejudice, which is making the blind to wander out of the way, under
pretence of directing him in the way, than which nothing can be either more
barbarous or more treacherous, v. 18. Those that seduce others from
the way of God's commandments, and entice them to sin, bring this curse upon
themselves, which our Saviour has explained, Matt. xv. 14, The blind lead
the blind, and both shall fall into the ditch. (3.) Upon an unjust
judge, that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and
widow, whom he should protect and vindicate, v. 19. These are
supposed to be poor and friendless (nothing to be got by doing them a
kindness, nor any thing lost by disobliging them), and therefore judges may
be tempted to side with their adversaries against right and equity; but
cursed are such judges.
4. Against the seventh commandment. Incest is a cursed sin, with a sister,
a father's wife, or a mother-in-law, v. 20, 22, 23. These crimes
not only exposed men to the sword of the magistrate (Lev. xx. 11), but,
which is more dreadful, to the wrath of God; bestiality likewise, v.
21.
5. Against the sixth commandment. Two of the worst kinds of murder are here
specified:-- (1.) Murder unseen, when a man does not set upon his neighbour
as a fair adversary, giving him an opportunity to defend himself, but smites
him secretly (v. 24), as by poison or otherwise, when he sees not
who hurts him. See Ps. x. 8, 9. Though such secret murders may go
undiscovered and unpunished, yet the curse of God will follow them. (2.)
Murder under colour of law, which is the greatest affront to God, for it
makes an ordinance of his to patronise the worst of villains, and the
greatest wrong to our neighbour, for it ruins his honour as well as his
life: cursed therefore is he that will be hired, or bribed, to accuse, or to
convict, or to condemn, and so to slay, an innocent person, v.
25. See Ps. xv. 5.
6. The solemnity concludes with a general curse upon him that confirmeth
not, or, as it might be read, that performeth not, all the words of
this law to do them, v. 26. By our obedience to the law we set
our seal to it, and so confirm it, as by our disobedience we do what lies in
us to disannul it, Ps. cxix. 126. The apostle, following all the ancient
versions, reads it, Cursed is every one that continues not, Gal. iii.
10. Lest those who were guilty of other sins, not mentioned in this
commination, should think themselves safe from the curse, this last reaches
all; not only those who do the evil which the law forbids, but those also
who omit the good which the law requires: to this we must all say Amen,
owning ourselves under the curse, justly to have deserved it, and that we
must certainly have perished for ever under it, if Christ had not redeemed
us from the curse of the law, by being made a curse for us.
