See, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse
On the edge of the promised land, Moses gathers up all he has been urging on Israel and presses it into one choice. Two roads, two outcomes — and the question is whether a people can secure blessing by their own obedience.
Verse 26 does not open a new subject. It closes a long appeal.
Deuteronomy 11 gives the summing up of the whole matter, the practical conclusion which the lawgiver keeps before their eyes... The rest of the chapter gives the most earnest warnings, as well as bright promises: disobedience or obedience would be the turning point in the land.
Both the blessing and the curse would show up in the land they were about to enter.
The whole of Deuteronomy 11 records the exhortations that Moses gave. On God's behalf he promised a wealth of earthly blessing as the result of their obedience. On the other hand, he warned them of the curse that would rest on them if they disobeyed. The land God had called them to depended for its fruitfulness on rain from heaven in its season. If God withheld that rain, disaster would follow.
The outcome was not fixed in advance. It hung on Israel's own response.
Which would Israel reap? This depended on what they sowed. If obedient they would reap the blessing (v.27); if disobedient, then the curse (v.28). Two mountains in the land were to symbolize these, the blessing put on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal (v.29). Joshua carried this out soon after Israel entered the land (Josh. 8:33-34).
When the day came to pronounce blessing and curse from these hills, only one side spoke.
Mount Gerizim stands over against Mount Ebal — fruitfulness and barrenness. We shall see, when we come to Deuteronomy 27, that Mount Gerizim and its blessings are entirely passed over. The curses of Mount Ebal fall, with awful distinctness, on Israel's ear, while a terrible silence reigns on Mount Gerizim... The blessing of Abraham can only come on those who are on the ground of faith.
The law's place in this scene is Ebal, the hill of the curse. Writers see this placement as the law's own verdict on what it can produce in sinful people.
It is telling, as to the true power of the law, that it was to stand there permanently identified with the curse and not with the blessing! "All who rely on works of the law are under a curse," is here the language of the law itself. The Samaritans long afterward tried to reverse this sentence, and their copy of the Pentateuch puts Gerizim here in place of Ebal... So the power of the law is lost, for its true power is to destroy self-righteousness and humble people to the gospel.
Israel did hear the blessing at those mountains later on. But something had to be built first.
In the above passage cited from Deuteronomy, there is no blessing pronounced from Gerizim — the passage lists only the curses from Mount Ebal. The blessings are pronounced later, under Joshua (whose name means Saviour). But that comes only after he had built an altar on Mount Ebal to the Lord God of Israel — a picture of the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary (Joshua 8:30, 33; see also Deut. 11:29).
The curse had to be dealt with before blessing could flow. Someone had to carry it.
Once the believer fully acknowledges the law's curse because of sin, then through the grace of God he can say, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us." He was not merely made accursed for us; He was made "a curse." What could show more clearly how fully He identified Himself with that whole condition? The consequence is that those He represented in grace are completely delivered from it; and the blessing, once flowing, bursts far beyond the old channel.
- Set — Verse 26 closes Moses' whole appeal. Obedience or disobedience would be the turning point once Israel was in the land.
- Sown — What they reaped depended on what they sowed. The two outcomes were fixed to two mountains, Gerizim and Ebal.
- Soil — The blessing was earthly and real: a land fed by rain from heaven, which God could also withhold.
- Silence — When the day arrived in Deuteronomy 27, only Ebal spoke. The law stands linked to the curse. Its true power is to destroy self-righteousness and humble people to the gospel.
- Substitute — Blessings were heard at Gerizim only after Joshua built an altar. Christ was made a curse for us, and the blessing of Abraham now bursts far beyond its old channel.
a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of Jehovah your God, which I command you this day;
Moses ends his addresses by setting two futures before Israel. Verse 27 names the first: blessing, held out on one condition — that they listen to God. What is that blessing? And can anyone ever claim a promise that hangs on human obedience?
This verse draws Moses' long appeal to a head. One writer links it to what happened later at two mountains in the land:
Here we have the summing up of the whole matter. The blessing is linked to obedience; the curse, to disobedience. Mount Gerizim stands over against Mount Ebal — fruitfulness and barrenness. When we come to Deuteronomy 27, we will find Mount Gerizim and its blessings left out completely. The curses of Mount Ebal fall on Israel's ear with dreadful clarity, while a terrible silence rests on Mount Gerizim. "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse." The blessing of Abraham can only come to those who stand on the ground of faith.
The blessing promised here is concrete. It is rain, harvest, and a land no enemy can take:
The whole of Deuteronomy 11 records the appeals Moses made. On God's behalf he promised a wealth of earthly blessing as the result of their obedience. On the other hand, he warned them of the curse that would rest on them if they disobeyed. For its fruitfulness, the land they were called to depended in a special way on rain from heaven in its season. If God withheld that rain, it would bring disaster on them... If they obeyed, God would be with them in power that none could resist, and every place they set foot on would be theirs.
The obedience Moses asks for starts with love, and that love has a cause. One writer points back to what God had already done for this people:
This chapter develops further the great teaching that marks the book: obedience that springs from love to Jehovah... Once more it reviews the mighty acts of Jehovah. His miracles and acts in Egypt; what He did at the Red Sea; what He did for them in the wilderness — therefore you shall love the LORD your God... What He had done and what He was going to do for them called for the love and obedience of His people. May we heed the same call.
The outcome lay in Israel's own hands. One writer frames it as sowing and reaping:
In verse 26 Moses speaks of setting before Israel a blessing and a curse. Which would Israel reap? This depended on what they sowed. If obedient they would reap the blessing (v. 27); if disobedient, then the curse (v. 28).
On God's side the promise was sure. One writer traces where a blessing like this breaks down:
Obedience was the appointed means for giving the early and later rain. They needed that rain most, so that their blessing would continue and they could enjoy it... How important, then, to obey in a way that matched the position and privileges God had given them... Such a promise meant that blessing would never fail, if the people lived up to their privileges. He is always faithful to His own word. But the Scriptures testify plainly that the breakdown is always with man. Every blessing that depends on him fails, from Eden onward.
This verse forces a choice. Does a person look for blessing from his own performance, or from God's work in Christ?
It is useless to mix things: you as the one who carries out the law, and God as the One who carries out the promise. If your soul rests on what God is in Christ and nothing else, you get the blessing. If you choose to stand on what you do yourself, how can you escape the curse?
The call to obey still stands. The verse asks two things of Israel: first listen, then act.
"Listen," and "do"; that you may "live" and "possess." This is a universal and abiding principle. It was true for Israel, and it is true for us. The pathway of life is simple obedience to the holy commandments of God. That is also the true secret of possession... God has given us His word, not to speculate about or discuss, but that we may obey it.
- Set before you. Moses sets blessing and curse side by side. Obedience decides which one Israel meets.
- Blessing named. The blessing is earthly and specific: rain in season, a fruitful land, and ground no enemy can hold.
- Blessing sought. The obedience God asks grows out of love. That love came from what He had already done in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness.
- Blessing lost. Any blessing that rests on what man does will fail. It has failed that way from Eden onward.
- Blessing secured. Gerizim falls silent while Ebal speaks. Blessing comes to those who rest on what God is in Christ, not on what they do themselves.
and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of Jehovah your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods which ye have not known.
Moses sets Israel's whole future before them: obedience brings blessing, and turning away brings a curse. This verse spells out the curse. It is not vague misfortune. It falls on those who leave the way God commanded to follow gods they never knew.
The blessing and the curse were not random fates. They were two crops from two kinds of seed, and Moses told the people in advance which was which.
In verse 26 Moses speaks of setting before Israel a blessing and a curse. Which would Israel reap? This depended on what they sowed. If obedient they would reap the blessing (v.27); if disobedient, then the curse (v.28). Two mountains in the land were to symbolize these, the blessing put on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal (v.29). This was carried out by Joshua soon after Israel entered the land (Josh. 8:33-34).
The curse hangs on one act: going after gods Israel did not know. Yet these were people who had heard God speak for themselves.
The sons of Israel of all men had the least excuse for idolatry. They heard His voice out of the fire. They begged for a mediator in case they should die. They saw no form of Him. And they heard Him condemn the pagan practice of representing Him by any likeness of a creature in heaven above, on earth beneath, or in the waters below. He could not be the true God if He tolerated bowing down to another god. Real service must be His alone.
Their blessing in the land depended on rain, and the rain depended on their obedience. That is why a warning about strange gods belongs here.
Obedience therefore was the appointed means for the giving of the early and later rain. That rain was most needful for the continuance and enjoyment of their blessing. The book of Deuteronomy sets out the mind of the Lord as to the people's conduct in the land, and is rightly called the book of obedience. So came the needed word, "Take care lest your heart be deceived." Strange gods, and other things put in the place of Jehovah, His land, and His things, were to have no place with them. Otherwise they would bring judgment. One special form of that judgment shut up the heaven and withheld the rain, so that blessing ceased.
Moses set one mountain for blessing and one for cursing. But the two do not get equal time.
Here we have the summing up of the whole matter. The blessing is linked to obedience; the curse, to disobedience. Mount Gerizim stands opposite Mount Ebal — fruitfulness and barrenness. When we reach Deuteronomy 27, we find that it passes over Mount Gerizim and its blessings altogether. The curses of Mount Ebal fall on Israel's ear with awful clearness. Meanwhile a terrible silence reigns on Mount Gerizim. "All who rely on works of the law are under a curse." The blessing of Abraham can only come to those who are on the ground of faith.
The curse was the side Israel would land on. Yet God commanded an altar on that very mountain of cursing.
Why was the altar not put on Mount Gerizim? Because God knew that Israel would not keep the law, and were thus left under a curse (Gal. 3:10). God would meet them in the place they were, not where they ought to be. The altar tells us that God is able to redeem those under the curse by means of the sacrifice of Christ. This is pure grace.
Galatians 3 shows how that rescue works:
In verse 10 we read that we are "under the curse." Then in verse 13 we read, "having become a curse on behalf of us." That wording literally means "over" or "above" us. Think of the curse as a great sword hanging by a thread over my head. It may fall at any moment and destroy me. Christ came above me, between me and the sword. The sword fell on Him; He received the blow that must have taken us down to hell; He took us out from under the curse. That word — "on behalf of," "over," "above" — is the word of substitution. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Substitute.
- Sowing — The curse is never random. Moses tells Israel which seed brings which harvest, and marks it on two mountains.
- Straying — The verse names the disobedience: leaving the commanded path for gods never known. Israel had the least excuse of all, for they had heard God's own voice.
- Stopping — Their blessing hung on rain from heaven, so the call to take care was urgent. Let strange gods in, and the sky closes and blessing stops.
- Silence — Ebal's curses rang out, and Gerizim said nothing. Everyone standing on law-keeping stands under the curse.
- Substitute — Yet God commanded an altar on the cursed mountain. God meets people where they are, and Christ stepped between us and the falling sword.
And it shall come to pass, when Jehovah thy God hath brought thee into the land whither thou enterest in to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.
Moses has just set a blessing and a curse before Israel. Here he fixes them to two real hills the people will one day see. Once they are in the land, which mountain will their own conduct place them under?
Moses' argument in this chapter comes down to these two slopes.
Here we have the summing up of the whole matter. The blessing is linked to obedience; the curse, to disobedience. Mount Gerizim stands facing Mount Ebal — fruitfulness and barrenness.
The layout made the ceremony work: two hills, a valley between them, and the whole nation in earshot.
Both mountains belong to the range of Mount Ephraim; the raised valley of Shechem lies between them. It probably happened like this. Six tribes occupied each mountain. The priests stood below in the valley with the ark of the covenant among them. They turned toward Mount Gerizim and pronounced the words of blessing. Then they looked towards Mount Ebal and repeated the words of cursing. All the people answered each of the words and said, "Amen!" Ebal, the mountain of cursing, is naked and bare. Gerizim, the mountain of blessing, is green and fertile.
The place named here already had a history. It reaches back to Abraham, and the names themselves carry meaning.
The last words point out the site: "beside the oaks of Moreh." For an Israelite the name was full of touching memories. This is the place where Abraham first rested when he entered Canaan. "Moreh" means "teacher," and the oak itself fits the sturdy growth that comes where the Word of God is the teacher. "Shechem" means "shoulder." There Israel as a nation, now brought into the land, were at last to take up the burden of the law... These links show how God would carry His people back to the position of their great ancestor. Abraham was so clearly the man of faith, and God would set Israel where he had been.
The fuller account of the ceremony leaves something out. Gerizim gets tribes to stand on it, but no words to say.
The memorial stones were to be set up on Mount Ebal. On that mountain the curses of the law were to be spoken. The blessings were to be pronounced on Mount Gerizim. Yet on Gerizim there were no stones with the law written on them. How strikingly this shows what the law does! It cannot give blessing; it must curse man... But where are there any words of blessing connected with Gerizim? Not one. Yet the word "cursed" appears twelve times in this chapter.
Ebal is the mountain of the curse. Ebal is also where God had the altar built.
Why was the altar not put on Mount Gerizim? Because God knew that Israel would not keep the law, and so they were left under a curse. God would meet them where they were, not where they ought to be. The altar tells us that God is able to redeem those under the curse by means of the sacrifice of Christ. This is pure grace.
The order matters as much as the place. Blessing came only after a sacrifice.
The blessings come later, under Joshua, whose name means Saviour. Even then they come only after he had built an altar on Mount Ebal to the Lord God of Israel.
The curse announced at Ebal did not simply expire with time. It was answered.
Here the people must stand on Mount Ebal themselves, and there God pronounces the curse upon them. Israel could not escape this terrible outcome of the law. God has brought it to nothing by the cross of Christ. Christ bore on the cross the curse that was pronounced at Ebal on man as a responsible being, to redeem us from it... "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us — for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.'"
That leaves every reader with a choice between the two mountains.
It is useless to mix yourself up as the one who fulfils the law with God as the One who fulfils the promise. If your soul rests on what God is in Christ and nothing else, you get the blessing. If you choose to stand on what you do yourself, how can you escape the curse?
- Two mountains. Gerizim green and fertile, Ebal bare. God gave the blessing and the curse a visible address, with the whole nation standing between them.
- One place. Abraham first rested in the valley of Shechem, beside the oaks of Moreh. On the ground of the man of faith, Israel took up the burden of the law instead.
- One voice. The record of the ceremony gives no words of blessing for Gerizim. The law cannot bless; twelve times the word "cursed" sounds from Ebal.
- One altar. God set it on the cursed mountain. He met the people where they were, not where they ought to be. Blessing came only after the altar stood.
- One answer. The curse pronounced at Ebal fell on Christ at the cross. Rest on what God is in Christ and you get the blessing. Stand on your own doing and the curse remains.