The Two Mountains (Deut. 27:1-13)

7/2/2009 10:11 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  The two mountains

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Deuteronomy 27:1-13

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  Then Moses and the elders of Israel charged the people, saying, "Keep all the commandments which I command you today. 2  "So it shall be on the day when you cross the Jordan to the land which the LORD your God gives you, that you shall set up for yourself large stones and coat them with lime 3  and write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over, so that you may enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you. 4  "So it shall be when you cross the Jordan, you shall set up on Mount Ebal, these stones, as I am commanding you today, and you shall coat them with lime. 5  "Moreover, you shall build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones; you shall not wield an iron tool on them. 6  "You shall build the altar of the LORD your God of uncut stones, and you shall offer on it burnt offerings to the LORD your God; 7  and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and eat there, and rejoice before the LORD your God. 8  "You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very distinctly." 9  Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying, "Be silent and listen, O Israel! This day you have become a people for the LORD your God. 10  "You shall therefore obey the LORD your God, and do His commandments and His statutes which I command you today."

    11 ¶  Moses also charged the people on that day, saying, 12  "When you cross the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13  "For the curse, these shall stand on Mount Ebal: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.”

            This SD begins a new chapter in Dr. Wiersbe’s book “Be Equipped,” his commentary on Deuteronomy.  He has entitled this chapter “Obedience And Disobedience, Blessings And Curses.”  The first section is “The Choice Presented,” and this is the first sub-section in this chapter.

            Moses is finishing his talk with the children of Israel and he will begin in chapter twenty-seven with instructions for the children of Israel to follow when they first crossed the Jordan River.  The elders of the tribes were to split up and part of them were to go on the top of Mount Ebal and the other part on top of Mount Gerizim with the rest of the children of Israel in the valley between these two mountains, for this is a natural amphitheater.  They were to build an altar of uncut stones and offer burnt offerings (total dedications to God), and peace offerings (joyful celebration of God’s blessing).  They were to take some stones and whitewash them and then write the Law of God on them, (it is not known how much of the law that would be written on these stones).  Verses twelve and thirteen tell who should go on which mountain and which mountain would have the blessings and which mountain would have the curses and they were to speak of these blessings and curses from the top of these mountains so that the children of Israel would be able to hear them.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  In Jeremiah 31:31 and following God says that in the New Covenant He would write the laws on His children’s heart so that they would know the laws and follow them.  God has written these laws on my heart and it is up to me to follow them, and there are far too many times when I have failed to follow them and thus displease my Lord.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.
2. Put on the Spiritual Armor:  the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.
3. Learn contentment.
4. Trust the Lord to guide my paths.
5. Keep a short list with the Lord of my sins and ask Him to search my heart for unconfessed sin.

 

Memory verses for the week:                                  Ephesians 3:16-19

 

16.  that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,

17.  so that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18.  may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

19.  and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, and you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

 

7/2/2009 10:41 AM