Day 81, Chronological Bible Study
Timeline. Map. Go to today’s Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): Deuteronomy 27:1–29:1 Contracts and Commitments—Do We Have Any With God? What is the purpose of a contract? It is to lay out specific responsibilities between two or more parties. It usually contains provisions to fulfill the agreement and penalties if they are not met according to specifications and timetables. A contract is binding; it makes both parties committed to fulfilling it to reap the benefits and not experience loss. Many agreements are private, but some are big, public, government, or corporate affairs. God is big—do we have any contracts with him? Yes, we do. A contract is usually a written covenant but may also be a verbal agreement. The covenant in Deuteronomy was an oral and written agreement between the LORD and his people Israel, patterned after the Suzerainty Treaties of the day (more…). Provisions of the contract (covenant) We observe the general blessings and curses of the covenant in today’s Bible reading. After the Israelites enter the Promised Land, the Levites will proclaim them, and God’s people will make a verbal commitment to keep the covenant, agreeing to its terms (Deuteronomy 27:9-26). As a visual witness, the words will be written on plastered stones. This was a common practice in their day. Soon following Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land, God wants Israel to sacrifice fellowship offerings on an altar built with fieldstones. Afterward, they may share the meal between the people and priests. This will be a time of rejoicing as they begin a new covenant with the LORD. This covenant, with its blessings and curses, is an addition to the covenant he made with them at Mt. Horeb in the Sinai desert. It is not a separate covenant. New contracts with bountiful provisions are exciting, but they carry responsibilities that must be fulfilled. The place of the covenant with Israel is significant; the city of Shechem is at the base of Mt. Ebal. This is where God first appeared to Abraham to give him a promise that his offspring would inherit the land (see Genesis 12:6-7 and The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the O.T., p.309). Now God is keeping his promise. Signing (making a commitment) When the Israelites enter Canaan, just north of Jerusalem, they must take the plastered stone tablets and set them up on Mt. Ebal for all to read. Six tribes will stand at the base of Mt. Gerizim while the Levites proclaim the blessings of keeping the covenant. The other six tribes will then stand at the bottom of Mt. Ebal as the Levites proclaim the curses for not following the covenant. The curses far outweigh the blessings in number and severity, for the LORD, who is among them, is a jealous God (Deuteronomy 6:1-15). He wants their love and devotion, much like a parent or a spouse desires this of his child. God is also jealous to keep our love if we belong to him (more...). In the covenant, there are blessings of children, livestock, good harvests, peace, victory over enemies, and divine favor for obedience to God’s laws. Israel will experience curses, however, if they make false gods, dishonor their parents, cheat, become immoral, or otherwise disobey his laws. They will experience, among other things, curses on their family and livestock, bad harvests, blight, defeat, destruction, and exile from their enemies. Furthermore, God’s hand will be against them for their stubborn refusal to obey him (Deuteronomy 27:15-26 and 28:1-8). What does God require of Christians today? Is there a covenant we are to obey? The Apostle Paul said in a second epistle to the church in Corinth, “You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2Corinthians 3:3, NIV). In a letter to the Galatian church Paul says, Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. You are all [Jews and Gentiles] sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.... If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:25-26, 29, NIV). Do we belong to Christ? Have we accepted his sacrifice on our behalf? Then we have faith in God and a new covenant relationship with him. Now that we are sons and heirs of God, we need to loyal and committed—if we obey God’s Word and submit to his Spirit, he will gladly help us be more like him. We can experience his favor, not his discipline. What if we are just trying to do all the right things but do not belong to Christ? Is that not good enough? The writer of the book of Hebrews says, Anyone who rejected the Law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:28-29, NIV) There are many religions, cults, and philosophies, but there is only one way to God (John 14:6). The New Testament covenant of Christ’s blood is available for all. We need to trust in his sacrifice to cleanse us from our sins and make us righteous (more). After that, to please God and experience his blessings, we must read and obey his Word. Let us make the commitment today to continue reading and following his Word. Endnotes: 1. If Egyptian customs were followed, the whole book of Deuteronomy might have been written on these plaster stones. (see Deuteronomy 27:3 and The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, edited by Walvoord and Zuck, ©1985, p. 309 2. (Deuteronomy 29:1; Mt Horeb in Sinai is where Moses received the moral, societal, and ceremonial laws). Focus Verse Proverbs 3:33 “The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.” (NIV) Do you like these discussion questions so you can come up with your own answers, or do you prefer the Take-Away Lessons? email me with your answer. Discussion Just before Israel entered the land, God added a new covenant to the old. Do we have a new covenant today? With whom? What responsibilities do we have to fulfill because of it? How should we act according to our New Covenant?
A prayer response to today’s Bible study: Sample Prayer: Dear LORD, thank you for your Son’s sacrifice on the cross for me. Thank you for your promise of eternal life now and a home in heaven when I die. While I live, may I daily be committed to read and obey your Word! I want your blessings, not your discipline. Nevertheless, if I stray, fulfill your Word and bring me back to you. I love you. You are my light and life. Through your Spirit, help me to grow more and more like your dear Son, Jesus. In his holy name, I pray. Amen Please send your comments to mtbiblestudies@gmail.com Looking Ahead: It helps to make verbal commitments to the LORD and have them in writing, but then like the Suzerain Treaties of the day, there are witnesses to the covenant. What Witnesses do we have to our Covenant With God? Previous Lesson  |  Next Lesson Back to top of page Return to Chronological Bible Studies main page Go to Scriptures main page Go to Topics main page Go to Home page re-edited 3-22-21

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