Joshua 8:30-35
“Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart” (Psa. 119:2).
The discipline Israel had suffered yielded the peaceable fruits of righteousness; they were earnest to obey God’s Word. This is seen in Joshua’s command to bury the body of Ai’s king before sundown, lest by its remaining upon the tree the land should become defiled (Deut. 21:23). But besides this, they now repaired to Ebal and Gerizim, and set up the stones whereon the law was written.
The Lord had, by Moses, instructed Israel to set up the stones upon their entrance into Canaan; He had pointed out the mountains where they should put the blessing and the curse consequent upon their obedience and disobedience to His Word, and had given them to know that by setting up the words of His law they placed themselves under its authority, and became His willing people. (See Deut. 11:29-30, and Deut. 27:9-10.)
Joshua’s faith is expressed in dedicating the first altar erected by Israel in Canaan to “the Lord God of Israel.” This altar was built of unhewn stones, not “polluted” by iron tool, stones which no human hand had shapen. It was for burnt-offering and for peace-offering, and no mention is made of sin-offerings sacrificed upon it. The sacrifice offered upon it would therefore imply, that Israel hearkened to God’s Word as worshippers, and as in communion with Him. The altar was built upon Mount Ebal, from which the Amens responding to the curses for breaking the law were uttered.
They also set up great stones upon the mount, plastered them with plaster, and wrote thereon the words of the law (Deut. 27:1-2). Having done this the Levites surrounded the ark in the valley between the mountains and read the words of the law, the whole host of Israel filling the hillsides (Josh. 8:33). The elders of Israel, the officers and their judges; “The stranger, as he that was born among them”; the infant and the warrior, men, women, and children; none were absent. All this vast company were gathered together, that, by solemn Amens uttered before God, they might bow to His Word, and take upon them its responsibility.
What a lesson does this assembled multitude teach us in thus manifesting their obedient honoring of God’s Word. Alas! the Word of God is too little revered, too little obeyed by His people now. Human ideas are allowed to stand beside it; it is not always the final appeal as well as the strength and food of God’s people. Their Amen does not always arise heavenwards when its precepts are uttered.
The curses were read with a loud voice by the Levites, and, as each curse for disobedience sounded in Israel’s ears, the hundreds of thousands assembled upon Mount Ebal responded with unanimous Amens. Twelve times they said “Amen” to the twelve times uttered curses, and the twelfth, “Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them,” included every possible neglect or failure. Blessings also were read (Josh. 8:33-34), but where were the Amens sounding from Mount Gerizim? Scripture is silent. It records not one responsive “So be it” to blessings earned by the obedience of fallen man. (Read Deut. 27.) Man may justly assent to “all the judgments” (Ex. 24:3) of God’s law, but they who remain under the law remain under its curse (Gal. 3:10).
The standing of the Christian presents a striking contrast to that of Israel in this scene. Christ has, by His death, made His people free, for they have died to the law in Him. His cross has severed them from the law’s power and dominion, for the law addresses not its demands to men who are dead: “My brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ” (Rom. 7:4).
The covenant inscribed upon the plaster covered stones, Paul said, eighteen hundred years ago, “decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away” (Heb. 8:13), but the covenant of grace is changeless and eternal. “If that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second” (Heb. 8:7). But that of grace is perfect before God. The Lord Jesus is the mediator thereof. His own precious blood has confirmed it.
Our blessings are not entrusted to our own custody, but are in the safe and eternal keeping of God our Father Himself, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings “in Christ.”
Our altar of thanksgiving and worship is, therefore, not set, as was Israel’s, upon an Ebal – a mount of curses – for “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.”
But the contrast reaches to our responsibility as well as to our blessings. God requires holiness of His people in accordance with the revelation which He gives them thus, Israel’s standard of holiness was the law, the Christian’s standard is Christ. Inasmuch as our blessings are greater than were Israel’s, so is our responsibility.
The Christian is beloved in sovereign grace and is bidden obey the truth because he is so beloved, not lest being disobedient he should forfeit the goodness shown him. (Compare Rom. 12:1-2, with Deut. 11:26-28.) Those who say they are Christians are professedly under the authority of the Lord Jesus, and their responsibility is to walk as He walked. “He that saith he abideth in Him ought also so to walk, even as He walked” (1 John 2:6). Such are subject to the precepts of the Word, and if the Christian obeys not the word of God he belies his Christianity. “He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). It is the “reasonable service” of those who are brought into the fullness of God’s blessing to present their “bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” Because their sins are forgiven for His name’s sake, it is for them to seek and to do those things which are pleasing in the sight of God. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3).