Deuteronomy: God's People Challenged 2

Blessings and Curses
Chapters 27 - 30

This ceremony of blessing and cursing was to be performed on Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim overlooking the city of Shechem. From Gerizim, six tribes were to proclaim blessings, whereas from Ebal, the other six tribes were to proclaim curses. The altar for burnt offerings on Mt. Ebal typified Christ redeeming his people from sin.

In these prophetic verses, we get a picture of Israel’s tragic future of sin and unbelief. As we noted in Leviticus 26, these blessings and curses can also be understood as laws of cause and effect.

Moses called for a commitment, challenging Israel to honor the covenant they had made with God. He exhorted the nation to obey God’s Word always.

For Christians today, the lesson is clear: The Bible can sit on your bookshelf gathering dust, or you can make it a vital part of your life by studying it every day. However, knowing God’s Word is still not enough; you must also love and trust God.

Succession and Arrangements
and Public Readings
Chapters 31-34

"Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo.... There the Lord showed him the whole land.... Then the Lord said to him, ‘This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’" (Deuteronomy 34:1-4).

Moses’ life had been a long one — 120 years. He now delivered a few final farewells, along with some counsel and warnings. The law was given to the Levites for safekeeping, and God appointed Joshua as Moses’ successor (verses 14, 23).

Moses again called the people to full obedience. In this song, Moses reviewed the history of Israel. He reminded the people of their past mistakes and warned them of the consequences of repeating those mistakes. But the finale of Moses’ song was positive: To the tribes now poised to take the Promised Land, he offered the hope that comes only from trusting in God (verses 46-47).

Moses blessed the nation from Mt. Nebo. He was called "the man of God," the title of Psalm 90, another song of Moses. Like the patriarch Jacob (Genesis 49), Moses’ testament comprised blessings on each of the 12 tribes.

Although Moses could not enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20:12), God showed him its beauty from Mt. Nebo’s peak. God then took his life. The last chapter of Deuteronomy contains a fitting tribute to a great servant of God: "Since then, no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face" (Deuteronomy 34:10).

To a review of the books of Moses: Bible concepts

To a commentary on Joshua