Deuteronomy 27:15-26
WE WERE noticing last week that six of the tribes of Israel were to stand on mount Gerizim to bless the people, and the other six on mount Ebal were to curse. The Levites were to speak and say with a loud voice, “Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord,... and putteth it in a secret place.” And all the people were to answer and say, Amen. There were twelve curses, and the people were to say, Amen to them all.
Israel had put themselves under law and God would have them know (and us too) that every one who did not continue in the law of the Lord was cursed. We look in vain for the blessings in this chapter. There are none. It is all curses. Then why are there no blessings? we might ask. The answer is a solemn one. Man is a sinner, he has broken the holy commandments and all hope of finding blessing from the law is gone.
The law is good; it is we who are bad. So all is ruin on that ground. “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” Gal. 3:10. We cannot keep it so as to be saved.
God wrote the holy Commandments on tables of stone. When broken those stones could never be restored. And a poor sinner who hopes he can be saved by keeping those Commandments only finds out the strength of sin working in him. He sins not just once but times without number. The law does not know how to forgive. Indeed it cannot, so all hope of his being saved on that ground is gone.
But how wonderful and precious it is to find that the One who gave that law is Himself a forgiving God. He gives us Himself this sweet assurance in His Word: “If Thou, LORD, shouldst mark iniquity, O LORD, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee.” Psalm 130:3. Again, “Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity,” who “delighteth in mercy” and who will cast all our sins “into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:18,19.)
God has found a way whereby He can bless poor ruined sinners when they have no other hope. And as always, Christ is His answer. Jesus has died. On the cross He took our place in the judgment we deserved. He has “redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.” Gal. 3:13. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Eph. 1:7.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.
Surely we ought to be overwhelmed at such a display of grace! Certainly we do well to be bowed low in the presence of such goodness, but at the same time our souls should be in perfect peace with God.
Memory Verse: “IF THOU SEEK HIM, HE WILL BE FOUND OF THEE.” 1 Chron. 28:9.
ML-01/18/1976