Many years ago, when I was at school, I had some talent when it came to long distance running. Consequently, I occasionally represented the school at various athletic events. I took my training very seriously, but I was aware that the training was not ‘the main event’ but important preparation for that event. As such this prelude to the blessings and curses is to prepare the people so that they would be alert to what is being taught when it comes to this important subject.

Verses 9-10 form a declaration by Moses and the priests to the people that they ‘have become the people of the LORD your God’ (v9).  At the end of chapter 26 in verse 17 the people had, metaphorically, put their signature on this covenant with God. Moses acknowledges this by reinstating that they are to obey and follow these commands.  The command to: ‘Keep silence’ before this declaration alerts us: ‘that a message of grave importance is about to be declared.’[1] The inclusion of the leaders in this announcement is interesting as it gives us the impression that those who represent the people confirmed this agreement with the people, whereas before Moses had been speaking to the people on behalf of God, giving them the status of God’s people.  In other words, the whole thing becomes inclusive to the whole nation because God has redeemed them as a nation.  Craigie sums this up nicely with this comment: ‘they were already the people of God, of course, but the ceremony on the plains of Moab reminded them of that status and renewed its reality.’[2]

This is useful to reminder today. We do not cease to be the people of God when we walk out of church; we are the Lord’s all the time.  We are neither more of or of less the Lord’s at home, work, school or college as we are always the Lords!  Just as Israel were to always be the Lord’s people and to conduct themselves accordingly, we are to live and act as His people each day whatever the situation, be it good or bad, peaceful or stressful, wherever we are and whoever we are with.

As mentioned in chapter 11:26-32 the ceremony was to take place on Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim.  In verses 12-14 instructions are given as to the role of each of the tribes in the ceremony.  The tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin were to stand on Mount Gerizim: ‘to bless the people’ (v12).  Those of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali were to stand on Mount Ebal and pronounce the curses that follow at the end of the chapter.

Why are these particular tribes on each particular mountain?  The most likely basis for the division is that it partly follows the marital relationships between Jacob and his wives Leah and Rachel.  Those who are descended from Leah and Rachel make up the six tribes on Mount Gerizim.  The six tribes mentioned on Mount Ebal are descended from the four sons of Leah’s and Rachel’s handmaidens as well as the first and last born to Leah.  It could be argued that Reuben is allotted to Ebal as he forfeited his birth-right because of incest (Genesis 49:3-4).  What was to follow in this ceremony, which was finally carried out when they entered the land (Joshua 8:30-35), was that the Levites would teach the people the consequences of either breaking or keeping God’s Law. Whether this was a ceremony that was carried out once or was intended to be repeated as an annual event, we do not know.

In many churches today there is a tendency to focus on the benefits and blessings that we have in Christ.  But here we see that the Levite’s are to teach both the benefits of following the Lord and also the terrible consequences of ignoring his Word. As such this passage acts as a warning to Preachers to preach the whole council of scripture and nothing more and nothing less and for Christians to live by it!

[1] John D Currid, Deuteronomy, an EP study commentary (Evangelical Press, Darlington, 2006) 425.
[2] Peter C. Craigie, The Book of Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976) 329.