Day 456: What God has cursed - Deuteronomy 27 vs 11 – 26

11-14 On that day Moses commanded the people: “When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes will stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. And these tribes will stand on Mount Ebal to deliver the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. The Levites will proclaim in a loud voice to every Israelite:

15 ‘The person who makes a carved idol or cast image, which is detestable to the  Lord, the work of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret is cursed. And all the people will reply, ‘Amen!

16-19 ‘The one who dishonours his father or mother is cursed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’  ‘The one who moves his neighbour’s boundary marker is cursed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’  ‘The one who leads a blind person astray on the road is cursed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’  ‘The one who denies justice to a resident alien, a fatherless child, or a widow is cursed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

20-23 ‘The one who sleeps with his father’s wife is cursed, for he has violated his father’s marriage bed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ ‘ The one who has sexual intercourse with any animal is cursed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ ‘The one who sleeps with his sister, whether his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter is cursed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ ‘The one who sleeps with his mother-in-law is cursed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

24-25 ‘The one who secretly kills his neighbour is cursed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’  ‘The one who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person is cursed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 26 ‘Anyone who does not put the words of this law into practice is cursed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ Deuteronomy 27:11-26 Christian Standard Bible

Many today who hear the word 'curse' will think of Black Magic and books like Harry Potter. But in the Bible a curse was more the pronouncement of God's extreme displeasure with wickedness and the judgement that it would bring such people under. God gave the Israelites a symbolic ceremony where six tribes would stand on one mountain to pronounce His blessing, and six tribes would stand on another mountain to proclaim His curse on those who do disgusting things. The first of the disgusting things that would lead to God's judgment was that of building an idol. What sort of things were then condemned in vs 16-19?

These were social issues. Dishonouring one's parents, stealing the property of another person, exploiting those who are handicapped and denying justice to those who needed it. Verses 20-23 then listed the sort of sexual behaviour that disgusts God. Verses 24-25 dealt with the terrible crime of murder. But what is the surprising and alarming thing about vs 26?

God's curse would rest upon anyone who didn’t fulfil and keep ALL the words of His holy commandments? Where would that leave people? Where would it have left you and me? I suggest it would have left us in desperate need of a saviour. Someone who could make atonement for the many times we would fail to keep all of God's commandments.

This is why the apostle Paul's words in his letter to the Galatians are so wonderful. He says to those who had become Christians: “The way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, 'It is through obeying the law that a person has life'. But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When He was hung on the cross, He took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it’s written in the Scriptures, 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.'” (Galatians 3:12-13) Jesus bore the curse that condemned sinners.

This doesn't mean, of course, that we can now go about doing all the things that disgust God. Christians have been set free from sin and impurity so as to live lives of righteousness. Sin will always bring shame. And if people don't repent of sin they will always be under the curse that God pronounced on sin. The Bible teaches that 'the wages of sin is death.' The good news of the gospel is that “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:17-23) He bore the curse for all who come to faith in Him.