EU 26-29{Mamma. In this chapter Moses tells them, that when they had possessed the land, and were dwelling in it, and enjoying its good things, they should come with their firstfruits to God. They were to put all in a basket, and take it to the priest, and my: I profess this day to the Lord thy God, that I am come into the country which the Lord promised our fathers to give us. And the priest was to take the basket and set it down before the altar of the Lord. Then the worshipper was to say before the Lord his God: A Syrian, ready to perish, was my father, and he went down into Egypt with a few, and became a great nation; but the Egyptians laid upon us hard bondage, and we cried to the Lord God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with great signs and wonders; and He has brought us here and given us this land, flowing with milk and honey; and now I have brought there firstfruits of the land which thou, O Lord, hast given me.
Sophy. Was that a prayer, mamma?
M. It was worship. It was telling God what He had done for one who was ready to perish. He came with the firstfruits in his hands, and his heart told out his joy and thanksgiving in the presence of God, and this was worship that God would, accept—just as any poor sinner now might come to God and say: I was a sinner perishing in My sins; I was trying hard to do right, but it was like the hard bondage of Egypt. But Jesus sent a message to me, that He had died for me, and I believed His message, because I knew that no one else but God could have thought of such a thing, and I told Him so, and He heard me; for He took away the pain and hard bondage that was in my heart, and He brought me into a large and wealthy place, where I knew that I was washed quite clean in His precious blood, and that God loved me. And I profess to-day that I am in that happy place with God, that I have Jesus for my Savior, and that Jesus' Father is my Father, and His God is my God. This would be the sinner's sacrifice of praise and worship.
S. Then we have to praise God for Jesus now, as the children of Israel used to praise Him for the good land?
M. Yes; in both it is praise for redemption. They were a people redeemed out of Egypt into Canaan. We are a people redeemed out of a world, which crucified God's Son, into heaven which has received God's Son. If we love Him we are glad to have our home in the only place where He has one. They could not bring their firstfruits unless they were living in the land; and so we cannot worship God in the name of Jesus unless we are really enjoying what God has given us in Him. They were to confess that day that the Lord was their God, and He would own that they were His peculiar people.
S. Why did Moses talk to them so much about the land when they had not gone over Jordan yet?
M. That they might desire the good land, and that they might love God, and honor Him in their hearts. In the Book of Numbers we read that he taught them how to behave in the wilderness; but in this Book Moses taught them how to behave in the lands, and he earnestly, desired that their hearts should be true to God, not only that they should obey the Ten Commandments, which told them what they must not do, but that they might think of the good ways of God to them, and delight in them as obedient children; that the law, instead of been hidden in the ark, was to be in their hearts and in their mouths. For in this Book God called His people His children, which He had never done before, And He wished them to be like children to Him.
And Moses raid: On the day that you pass over Jordan into the land, you shall take large stones, and plaster them with plaster upon Mount Ebal, and write the words of this law upon the stones. And you shall build an altar upon Mount Ebal—that was the mountain on which they were to put the curses—and you shall offer burnt-offerings and peace-offerings there; and you must write the law mi the stones very plainly.
And Moses said they should divide the people into two divisions; and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin should stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people; and Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali should stand upon Mount Ebal to curse. And the Levites should speak and say with a loud voice to all the men of Israel: Cursed shall be the man who makes any image and hides it away secretly. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen. And there were twelve curses, and as the Levites spoke them, all the people were to say, Amen.
S. Why were the Levites to say all those curses before the children of Israel?
M. Because every one who did not continua in all things that were written in the law of the Lord was cursed. But any one who did keep the commandments of the Lord was blessed; his land, his children, and his cattle, and all that belonged to him were blessed. And all nations should be afraid of them if they kept God's commandments, and they were to be the greatest of all nations, so that they might lend to other nations, but they must never borrow from them. And Moses prophesied what would happen to them if they turned away from God. Then all their blessings should become curses, because they had forsaken their God who had loved them so much. Moses told them all these things, besides the law he gave them on Mount Sinai, that they might remember and do the commandments of the Lord, for they were given to them and to their children forever. But the Lord had secret purposes of His own besides, as we shall see by and by.