Read Deuteronomy 27-28 at Bible Gateway.
Deu 27:1 begins a new speech, which ends with Deu 28:68 at the close quote. Israel is to write all the words of this Law on whitewashed stones at the entrance to the land, on the day they enter the land. This puts me in mind of Deu 6:9, where Israel is to write the words of this Law on their doorposts and gates. Doorposts are at the entrance to the house. Gates are at the entrance to the city. And whitewashed stones are at the entrance to the land.
Why this command to write the Law at entrances? I believe it is to say, that this Law and this conduct applies to all who enter here, whether to those entering the land, those entering the cities, or those entering the home.
The admonition to remember this Law that has now been explained, continues with a repeat of take heed, listen, and observe (Deu 27:9-10), which we saw also in Deu 4, Deu 5:22-6:3, and Deu 6:4-9 (listen), Deu 6:10-15 (take heed), and Deu 6:16-19 (observe). And then the blessings which follow obedience are wrapped in curses which follow disobedience. We will have to see in tomorrow’s reading whether the blessings form the central axis of a chiastic structure.
The topic of this speech is the admonition to obey. God is serious about being obeyed. I know it has been taught by men that obedience to the Law has passed away. I do not believe it. Moses does not teach that. David does not teach that (Psa 119, for starters). Solomon does not teach that (Ecc 12:13). You will find no prophet of the Old Testament who teaches that (Mal 4:4, for example). You will not find Jesus teaching that:
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Mat 5:17-19
You will not find Paul teaching that:
“Do we then make void the Law through faith [i.e., because we have been justified by faith apart from works of the Law, vs. 20-30]? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the Law.” Rom 3:31
You will not find the apostles teaching that:
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves, for if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect Law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” Jam 1:22-25
It is man who has assumed that God’s Law is not the Law of liberty that James was talking about, but some other law. James is in fact repeating today’s admonition in this brief paragraph (hear, take heed, and observe, to be blessed in your observing!)
“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 Joh 2:3-4
“Blessed are they who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates of into the city.” Rev 22:14
Do you see? God’s message has been unchanging from the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation. He who does His commandments will be blessed.
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