Joshua 8:30-35
Near the center of Canaan is a bare, rocky mountain, called Ebal, and about half a mile south, another mountain rises, not as high, but much like it.
God had said that when the people of Israel got into Canaan, the words of the law should be written on big stones on Mt. Ebal, and the people should come there to hear them read. Joshua did not forget to do thin He brought all the people, and also the ark, which held the law written at Mt. Sinai, to the valley between the two mountains.
The big stones were first plastered so the writing would show well; then the words of the law were written plainly on them, and read to the people. This law was what we call the “Ten Commandments,” given first at Mt. Sinai to the people of Israel, and repeated to their children here at Mt. Ebal (Ex. 20:1-18). It was the agreement between God and Israel, also called, “the covenant”, and spoken of many times in the Bible.
If the people kept the words of the law, God had told the good things He would do for them; those promises were called blessings: if the people worshiped idols, and did not keep His law, God had told the sorrows they should have; those were called, the curses.
After the law was read from Mt. Ebal, the blessings were loudly read by men on Mt. Gerizim, while men from six of the tribes stood there; then, the curses were loudly read by men on Mt. Ebal, while men from the six other tribes stood there. Each time all the people said, “Amen”, that meant they agreed God’s words were true (Deut. 27).
What a loud answer it must have been from all those people! Even the little children were there. Perhaps many of the children did not understand all the reading from the mountains, yet God wished them to listen. And we may be sure He wishes all now to listen to His words. We hear a more wonderful message than they. We hear of One, the Lord Jesus, Who took the curse of that law, that all who trust Him may be blessed forever.
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” Galatians 3:13.
ML 04/10/1938