The special ceremony at Mt Ebal and Mt Gerizim described in Deuteronomy 27 would give a vivid picture of the two ways that the Israelites could follow in the Promised Land.
Similar lessons were communicated by the covenant renewal ceremony in which the Israelites were participating just weeks before crossing the Jordan. Moses described for the people the potential consequences of their choices.
If the Israelites were loyal to God, they would be able to fulfill their potential as representatives of God in the world. This ideal picture is described in verses 2-14.
On the other hand, if they were not loyal to God, they would suffer trials designed to lead them to repentance. If they failed to repent, the trials would intensify and escalate until they lost the land and went into exile.
The description of the curses is much longer than the description of the blessings. This emphasis reflects the fact that Moses was delivering a sermon designed to motivate the Israelites to follow God. The curses describe a kind of undoing or reversal of the Exodus.
Deuteronomy 28 is much like Leviticus 26, which communicates the same message. One Jewish tradition proposes that Leviticus 26 pertains specifically to the events leading to the destruction of the first temple and the Babylonian exile; while Deuteronomy 28 is especially about the events leading up to the Jewish revolt and the destruction of the second temple. Certainly the vivid description of cannibalism in verses 52-57 reminds us of Josephus' account of the Roman siege of Jerusalem.
In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on August 19, 2023, Kyle Kettering emphasized the importance of our words and the positive effects of speaking words of blessing. He urged us to take every opportunity to bless our children and others.
No comments:
Post a Comment