Deuteronomy - Lesson 18

In this session. I am moving right to the very end of the first address. We will begin with the last three or four verses of chapter 11, and then we’ll hop, skip, and jump all the way through to 27 which offers us later commentary on what is anticipated here. So, in-between 11:2 to 11:25, Moses has given us a profound theology of land. We touched on this already when we looked at the Ode to the Land, but there’s far more here. For the sake of time, we don’t have time to cover every text. That’s what’s happened beforehand. 

Then when we get to verse 26, you can tell, in this sermon now Moses has reached the altar call. “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you listen to the commands of the Lord your God; and the curse, if you refuse, if you will not listen to the commands of the Lord your God, by turning aside, you turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you haven’t known.” So, choose which one you want. Choose you this day whom you will serve.” This is the 11th chapter, 26 to 28.

This is obviously the conclusion to an address. We will have something similar coming in chapter 30 at the end of the last address and that’s really schluss. But here is the ending to the first address. He sent them home for the night and he’s inviting his audience to reflect on what was said: “Choose life.” Joshua will later say, “Choose you this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” That’s what we’ve got here.

But then in verses 29 to 30, whereas at the end of other addresses there, the narrator inserts a narrative that is not speech. Instead of that, what we have, Moses ends his second farewell on a curious note, alluding in vague terms to an anticipated event on the other (the west side) of the Jordan, on Mounts Gerizim and Ebal and involving depositing the blessing on Mt. Gerizim and the curse on Mt. Ebal – whatever that means! 

Well, let’s have a look at the map here. This is where we are. We are parked on this side. Moses is there. This is the plains of Moab here. Moses will climb the mountain to die up here, Mount Nebo. But they are here. And what he is saying, when you cross the Jordan, the first item on your agenda is go to Mount Gerizim and Ebal up here for a special ceremony. 

This is not what they did under Joshua. After Jericho, which is here, after they defeated, after the Lord knocked down the walls, Jericho was not part of the conquest. Jericho is the gate. This generation hadn’t seen God part the waters of the Red Sea, so the Lord gives them a miniature experience of that big thing by crossing the Jordan. I mean, it’s just a little river actually. But He parts the waters of the Jordan, so this generation gets to experience in microcosm what they saw there. 

But the other side of that one is, in the battle against Jericho, Jericho is the equivalent of the Egyptians. God defeated the Egyptians. We mentioned this yesterday. God defeated the Egyptians without reference to Israelite involvement, except “Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord.” And that’s what happens with Jericho.

And so now, after the gate has been opened, this is the gate into the Promised Land, Jericho is the gate, and so, after the gate has been opened, they are to go up here and land up on Mt. Ebal and Gerizim for a very special ceremony. But what does Joshua do? He takes them here. Bethel and Ai are here, and it’s a disaster. You remember the story? At Ai they are defeated and he weeps before the Lord. What’s going on? And that’s when Achan is exposed. It’s very interesting. The author doesn’t blame Joshua. The author blames Achan explicitly; because of Achan, there’s evil in the camp. They messed up and that’s why they were defeated. The author doesn’t talk about Joshua. 

But the interesting thing is we have no record that Joshua checked in with the Lord, Where do we go now? He didn’t need to check in. He knew what the instructions were, but off on his own, instead of heading this way, they head here. It’s a totally different route than Moses prescribes. And so, I have a feeling that’s the real reason why they were defeated at Ai. God is saying, the conquest isn’t supposed to start yet. You’re not supposed to engage the Canaanites. The first item on the agenda at Ebal and Gerizim, and you are taking things into your own hands. This is not what the Lord had in mind here. So, let’s see how this works. 

The two routes are quite different as you have it there. Again, why Gerizim and Ebal? I suppose we should first have read the text. “When the Lord, your God brings you into the land you’re entering to possess it, you shall place the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal,” whatever that means. “Are they not across the Jordan?” Yeah, they’re across the Jordan “West of the way toward the sunset,” Sunset Boulevard. “In the land of the Canaanites, who live in the Aravah.” Now, the Aravah is not this hill country. The Aravah is this valley, the Jordan River Valley, that runs all the way down here to the Red Sea. So, we’re talking about encountering Canaanites down here. 

“So cross the Jordan, possess the Canaanites who live in the Aravah opposite Gilgal beside the oaks of Moreh.” We’ll come back to that one. But there’s a reference to the oaks of Moreh elsewhere. “For you are about to cross the Jordan to go in and possess the land that the Lord your God is giving you and use shall possess it and live in it. And you shall be careful to do all the statutes and judgments I’m setting before you today.” Well, Moses has set the agenda and the itinerary for the next stage in their life. 

Geographically. Well, let’s talk about why Gerizim and Ebal, which are the two mountains right up here. The oak of Moreh is actually right in the middle between them, that’s Shechem. Right in there. We’ll talk about the significance of that in a moment. But these two mountains are dead center. If you involve the stereotypical dimensions of the land from Dan to Beersheba, New York to L.A., right in the dead center. And so, you come here and that’s where you land up. So, in terms of geography, it is central. 

Also, in terms of geography, these are among the tallest mountains in the region. Gerizim is 2,850 feet above sea level. Ebal is even higher, 3,000. From here, you can see Mount Hermon in the north and you can see the Judean Hills. You can’t see all the way to Beersheba, though, the hills are in the road. But it gives you a good point of view. In the very center of the line drawn from down to Beersheba, the traditional definition. 

But historically, I think it’s even more significant. We would have thought that once they cross the Jordan River, let’s head straight for Zion, because the Lord knows Zion is the place He has chosen for His name to dwell. Let’s go have a ceremony there. Get it going right here. But he didn’t do that. Instead, he takes us way up north. 

Why is this important? First, this was Abraham’s first stopping place in the Promised Land when he came from Haran up north. And again, note the reference to the oak of Moreh. But it’s not only that this was Abraham’s first stopping point where he arrives here and the GPS says, “You’re there, this is the land. And from here, look north, south, east, west; this is the land I’m giving you.” And he offers a sacrifice to God. God has fulfilled His word. 

But this is also Jacob’s first stopping place when he returned from Haran. Remember, he was running away from Esau, and he was gone for two decades? On his way back, doesn’t tell us why, he goes to Shechem. He crosses the Jordan just east there by the river Jabbok. He crosses over and he heads to this place where he builds an altar and he names it El Elohe Israel, El the God of Israel. It’s a significant moment. 

So why are the Israelites doing this? Why didn’t God have the people coming in from the south end? You know, they’re coming in from the east rather than Kadesh Barnea in the south. Apparently, this event was not on the agenda. Or was it? We don’t know. It’s a totally different circumstance now. We’ve come all the way around here and we’re about to cross from the west side. And the first place they’re supposed to go is the same place that Abraham landed and the same place. Significance is obvious. God has kept His promise. We’re there and we have to worship God at this place. 

Student: When they first came in 40 years earlier with the two scouts, where do they come in? 

Dr. Block: They came from Kadesh Barnea south, and they went up to Arad and then to Hebron. They went as far as Hebron. And actually, they went as far, as far north. They took the highway along the ridge, the mountain ridge. Whereas now they’re coming, not along the mountain ridge (that was a disaster last time) but that’s also where some of the big cities are. They’re going up the valley and up the wadi to Gerizim and Ebal. 

Well, now let’s jump to chapter 27. A strange text. This text has been inserted here editorially, it’s obviously out of place. If you read from Deuteronomy 26:19 where it says, “He will set you high above all nations, which He has made for praise, fame and honor. You will be a consecrated people to Yahweh your God as He has spoken.” Then skip all the way to 28. It reads smoothly. “Now, if you diligently listen to the Lord your God and are careful to keep His commands, the Lord will set you high above the nations of the earth,” it’s exactly the same theme, “and all these blessings will come to you and they will overtake you.”

The third address carries over from chapter 26. It’s from 12:1 to 26:19, and then it leapfrogs over 27, which is totally different, it’s extraneous. In geological terms it’s an erratic. An erratic is a rock, a boulder, that a glacier picks up in one part of the continent and as it moves down, it deposits it in another place where it’s not at home. There are some of these in Illinois, very fascinating rocks. They obviously don’t belong here. They’re not like anything else around. 

But that’s what we got in chapter 27. It’s an erratic. For some reason, the editor of the book inserted that high point, “The Lord has set you high above the nations,” he separated it from the chapter of the blessings and the curses, as if he wants us to catch our breath first before we get there. And then at the end of the curses, that’s the end of the third address. So that’s what we’re happening here. 

This chapter 27 divides into three parts: 

One to eight is a ceremony involving setting up of pillars, plural, inscribing on the pillars all the words of this Torah, and then sacrifices. 

Then there’s a short part, verses 9 and 10. 

The first 8 verses are about a future event, “He charges the Israelites saying keep the commands. So it’ll be on the day when you cross the Jordan to the land the Lord is giving you, then you shall set up for yourselves large stones,” and he prescribes the event. That’s tomorrow. 

In verses 9 and 10, we’re at today. “Today be silent, O Israel. Today you have become the people of the Lord your God. You shall therefore obey the Lord your God.” So now he’s the preacher again. “Today this is what’s happened.”

Then in verses 11 to the end of the chapter, it’s tomorrow. “When you cross the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim and bless the people,” and then he named six tribes. “And these shall stand on Mount Ebal.” And the curse shall stand and the Levites shall answer. You’ve got another verbal ritual. You’ve got two things happening here. 

But the meat in the sandwich is, “Today you have become the people of Yahweh.”

But what’s the significance of those two other parts on each side of that little slice of meat? What is that? Well, the center fragment summarizes the significance of the rituals underlying the whole book of Deuteronomy. This is a covenant moment, “Today, you, this generation, have become the people of God.” 

And we can depict it in color something like this. 

The future performative ritual, verses 1 - 8, 

The present challenge, 

And then a future verbal ritual. 

And Moses must have been really, shall we say, in a somber mood when he says all this, because he says, “Tomorrow you’re crossing over the Jordan, but I’m not going to be around tomorrow. This is the part of the ceremony that he can’t participate in. One final act which will sign, seal, and deliver the land into their hands legally. That’s what’s about to happen. 

Well, verses 9 to 10 relate to the present covenant renewals. The outer two speeches call for covenantal rituals to be performed beyond the Jordan at Gerizim and Ebal with Shechem in-between. Doesn’t mention Shechem here, but we know of its significance. The first involves actions, the second involves speech, verbal actions. In any case, the voice. 

The first is a silent one. They go through the motions. In fact, when they build these, all this altar there, to make the altar of uncut stone so you don’t hear the sound of a chisel. And when they write, inscribe the text on the pillars that they raise up, you are to coat it with lime and then write it in ink, or whatever, on it, that makes no noise. Rather than chiseling. It’s a quiet moment. It’s a sacred moment. 

“But today you have become the people of Yahweh,” listen to the voice of God and keep your ears open and your mouth shut that there will be a time for opening your mouth. 

Well, all three sections involve instructions by Moses and others. Moses is talking here, but the first part, verses 1 to 8, “Then Moses and the elders of Israel charge the people saying.” Who’s talking? Now, Moses is not an independent prophetic figure. He is working as chairman of the board of elders. And on behalf of them, they say. When you get to verse 9, Moses and Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, “Be silent and listen.” So, Moses has his assistants here. And then in verse 11, then it becomes Moses alone again, “Moses charged the people on that day saying.” So, this is what’s happening here. 

Let’s go then to the first part of this, verses 1 to 8. It has Moses’ and the elders’ instructions. They appear as two panels. It’s quite redundant. If my students were writing a term paper like this, I say you’re being wordy. You’re saying the same thing twice. Let’s put it all into one. But for some reason or other, this is what we have. There are two panels. On the one hand, verses 2 to 3, and on the other hand, verses 4 to 8. They are doing the same thing. 

“When you cross over the Jordan River to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones,” plural. We don’t know how many. “You shall plaster them with plaster, you shall write on them all the words of this Torah, when you cross over to enter the land and the Lord your God is giving you a land flowing with milk and honey, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised you.” That’s verses 2 and 3. 

Verses 4-8. “It shall be when you cross the Jordan River,” it’s a ditto, “You shall set up these stones,” oh, these stones, “concerning which I command you today on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them.” Oh, this ceremony is on Ebal, not Gerizim, Ebal. Interesting in the Samaritan Pentateuch this is on Mount Gerizim. Instead of Ebal, the Samaritan Pentateuch has Gerizim. Hmm. Interesting. 

“You shall plaster them with plaster, you shall build an altar to the Lord your God and the altar of stones you shall wield no iron tool on them. You shall build an altar to Yahweh your God of uncut stones. You shall offer burnt offerings on it to Yahweh your God. You shall sacrifice peace offerings. You shall eat there and you shall rejoice.” 

I just show the change; I hate the word, ‘rejoice.’ We never use that in everyday speech. Have you ever heard anybody say at graduation, “We were so happy.” We say, “We were so happy; we were so excited, we rejoiced.” No, you didn’t. They’d say, “What planet are you from?” I think it means ‘we celebrated.’ And that’s how I am translating it these days. “You shall celebrate before Yahweh, your God, and write on the stones all the words of this Torah very plainly.” I obviously cut and pasted because that ain’t what it says. Anyhow. 

What ritual actions have we got? We’ve got a series of things happening. We can collapse these two instructions into one now. 

First, erect large stones, pillars. I mean, they’re tall stones. Ancient Near Easterners erected commemorative monuments for a variety of reasons: as memorials to military conquests, political accomplishments. You make a treaty, you set up a pillar. Jacob and Laban built a mound of stones to celebrate their treaty. Sometimes judicial achievements. Hammurabi’s pillar in the Louvre and/or religious devotion. 

Here’s a victory stele of Naram-Sin from the third millennium, B.C. It’s one of the earliest we have like this. And notice how big he is in comparison to all the people he has defeated. The artistic rendering of this, it’s obviously not a photograph, but it’s an impressionist art here. But he’s the victor. 

Here’s a stele of Hammurabi, which contains the famous law code. That’s what they did. 

So, the first thing here is “Set up pillars,” plural. Why plural? We’ll come back and talk about that. 

Second: “Plaster the stone with plaster.” Well, I guess that’s what you do with plaster, you plaster it. We overlay it with plaster or smear it with plaster. Hebrew loves to use verbs and nouns from the same root. In English that’s bad style, but in Hebrew it’s good style. Plaster them. This was white alkaline compound consisting of water and calcium oxide. It’s all over here, limestone here readily. You do it so that you have a smooth surface on the stone. You can write easily with ink and with a feather or a pen or whatever else.

Then construct an altar of unhewn stones, natural stones, not fixed by human hands. There are a couple of reasons for this. “Let God be the One in charge of the stones that you use for this.” The stones He made are good enough. But I think the bigger factor here is this is a solemn moment. We don’t want you going and chiseling away at rocks, making all sorts of noise, building this altar. There will be a time for noise, but this ain’t it. By the end of it, with a loud voice, you’ve got this antiphonal thing happening. You hear all the curses and the blessings with a loud voice. But the first eight verses, this is supposed to be a quiet moment. 

“If you make a stone altar for Me, you must not build it out of cut stones. If you use your chisel on it, you would defile it.” Exodus 20, verse 25 after the Decalogue, where he’s anticipating the covenant sealing ceremony, Unhewn stones. So, we’ve got the three parts, 

Then, celebrate with fellowship and peace, that is, peace offerings and whole burnt offerings. The peace offerings. This is the privilege of those who are in covenant relationship: shalom. We’re celebrating shalom and whole burnt offerings. The peace offerings would have been eaten by the worshipers. Most sacrifices were actually eaten by the people. Whole burnt offerings were totally consumed. So, God gets His fill of the whole burnt offerings and the people eat in His presence. “Offer whole burnt offerings to Yahweh your God; sacrifice, eat, and celebrate in the presence of God.” 

Then, put in force the covenant by transcribing the Torah on plastered stones. Now I have fixed what you saw on that screen. “Write on it very plainly.” I think that’s what NAS has, it could also be…yeah, NAS has “very distinctly.” Could be NIV. I got that from NIV. “Very plainly.” 

It’s as if it is an injunction to be careful how you write it. It has to do with the style of writing when I don’t think it has to do with a style of writing. I think it has to do with the function of the writing. This is using Speech Act Theory: locution, illocution, perlocution. The action is writing the thing on the plaster. But what’s happening here is something beyond writing on the plaster. Something else is happening. It’s the same verb we had at the beginning. Moses, “he began to declare, put into force, this Torah by saying…” Through the oral proclamation of the Torah, Israel has become the people of God. Through the writing of this text on the pillars, something covenantal happens. What is that? 

Put in force the covenant by transcribing. We talked about this before. Hebrew bā’ēr hêțēb, literally usually translated ‘write very plainly.’ This verb bā’ēr I’ve mentioned before is used only three times in Scripture, here, 1:5 and Habakkuk 2:2. It has to do with an action whereby something, a legal document, is put into force, related to an Akkadian word, burru, a cousin language. 

Inscribing this text on the pillars doesn’t merely transform the Torah of Moses into a monument. It represents an important phase of the ritual started at the beginning of Deuteronomy where Moses declares the word that sets in motion a ritual whereby the covenant is signed, sealed, and delivered. Now that ritual carries on in a different form, but it is completing the whole business. It represents an important phase of the ritual by which the covenant relationship, as presented in Moses’ speeches and involving Yahweh, the people, and the land, is made legally binding. 

Once the ceremonies envisioned in this chapter are over, the tripartite relationship is functioning. Remember our triangle: Yahweh, the land, and the people? So far, I mean, in verses 9 to 10, “Today, you have become the people of Yahweh.” Well, that’s bilateral. Something is missing. We’ve got to complete the triangle. So, my interpretation is that the function of this ceremony is formally to put the land into the picture, which is why the conquest doesn’t start until after they’ve done this. This is claiming the title deed. This is the act whereby the land becomes part of the covenant picture; the triangle is complete. They are claiming the land. 

And it’s very interesting in the book of Joshua, when they finally get to this place after the fiasco at Ai and Bethel, when they finally get there, what happens? Chapter 8 at the end, “Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel at Mt. Ebal, as Moses had commanded.” Now they perform this ceremony. Then look at verse 9 [recte chapter 9], “When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country, and in the lowland on the great sea there when they heard.” My translation (NAS), ‘when they heard of it.’ No. I think ‘when they heard!’ I mean, this mass of people have arrived in our land and they’ve had a noisy ceremony. 

Look at verse 11:12 [recte Deuteronomy 27:12], “When you cross over the Jordan, you shall stand.” Verse 14, “The Levites shall then answer and say to all the men of Israel with a loud voice, ‘Cursed is everybody.’” And I think by now representatives of the Canaanite tribes have arrived and they’re watching this and they’re hearing this and they’re wondering what in the world is going on. [Editor’s note: Joshua 9:2] “And they gather together with one accord to fight with Joshua and with Israel.” And now the conquest can start. 

And the interesting thing is Joshua doesn’t initiate the conflict. The Canaanites start it, and it’s an alliance of the Northern Canaanites. They come and they say, Whoa, what’s going on here? And it’s the noise of the place. Well, it’s probably they saw the size of it, “Who are these people that just moved in from the east that are taking over the land?” Well, yeah, they’re taking over. The point of this text is: “We’re taking over. We have the title deed to this place,” and that becomes the signal in Joshua. Now the campaigns can start and after this, there are no defeats in Joshua. Ai is behind us. That was a fiasco. That was a disaster. I think Joshua was out of step. He wasn’t following the directions. Moses would not have been pleased with what Joshua did. 

The significance of this ritual. In the present context, the people, not only have the people become the people of God, but the land is now part of the covenant. 

What problem does this ritual address? The fact that the earlier ratification ceremonies transpired away from the Promised Land. Remember? At Sinai God married Israel on the plains of Moab. Why doesn’t He wait until they’ve crossed the Jordan? On the plains? Because Moses can’t go in. Moses has the privilege of leading them through the first part of the final covenant rituals. But the land section of this, that’s not yours. That we do, we cross the Jordan as the people of Yahweh. But we’re in alien territory now until we claim it formally and that Moses is not a part of.

Well, by eating the covenant meal in the presence of Yahweh in the land He has given them, the Israelites celebrate the completion of the triangle, chapter 27:27 [recte chapter 7:27]. 

Covenantal significance of this chapter. Let’s just summarize. Oh, here it is. I thought I had the triangle here somewhere. The Israelite Covenant Triangle: Yahweh, Israel, and the land of Canaan. To this point this is where we’ve been. Yahweh and Israel are in a covenant relationship, but the land is still in the shadows there. It’s just a promise. What’s happened here is that the land…and now the covenant relationship becomes 3D, three-dimensional. It is complete. 

And after this, the land acts. It’s very interesting how Moses talks about the land as if it’s a person. He often talks that way. It is doing its thing in this relationship. Of course, you know, that’s all rhetoric. 

Well, the ritual involves, after verses 9 and 10, we have a verbal ritual in two parts, “You shall deposit the blessing,” baraka, “on Mount Gerizim and the curses on Mount Ebal.” I don’t know the significance of that. 

Now the blessings and the curses, these are the words that will be used in chapter 28 for the covenant blessings and curses. So, we know that this is part of, these two events are linked in that sense. These events happen after Chapter 28. So that’s what happens. 

But here is a picture of how it might have looked. Mount Gerizim is to the south and Shechem in here. This is a modern photograph obviously. We don’t see the oak of Mount Moreh here. Somewhere in here, though, if you go there, you can’t actually go there. We’ve been here half a dozen times with tour groups. We can’t go to Jacob’s Well, it’s verboten. That’s in Palestinian West Bank. Unsafe territory. We can go to Mount Gerizim, we go there every time. And we have a wonderful conversation about this event and about Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well. 

But anyhow, on Mount Ebal, the higher one, they build the altar. But now for this ceremony, half of the tribes are on this side of the mountain, of the valley, and the other half are on this side. I doubt whether there’s any significance in the fact that curses are on this side. That means this side is blessed, and the blessings are on that side. I think it’s just you got to do it some way, and this is antiphonal service. But in any case, you’ve got the depositing of the blessings. In any case, the blessings, if you were here blessing, you would be blessing your audience on this side. So, it works both ways. They’re shouting out the blessing to the tribes on the other side. 

So that’s phase one of this. He doesn’t say much about this other than when you cross the Jordan to bless, these are the way the tribes are divided. “Then though the Levites shall answer and say to all the men of Israel with a loud voice.” And now a new phase in the ritual happens. 

The new phase begins in verse 15, “‘Cursed is the man who makes an idol or a molten image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer, ‘Amen.’” It turns out now to be a Pentecostal service. 

The Levites will be shouting out 12 curses. Why 12? Presumably the number derives from the 12 tribes. One curse and don’t link any tribe with any given curse. Unlike the curses in 28, these are all individual. It’s all cursed is the man, the person. So that with this ceremony, individual Israelites are signing on to this covenant. It is the oath verbally declared; cursed is the man. 

And so, when the Levites shout out the curse, all the people say “Amen.” And that’s what will have reverberated through the valleys there. And the Canaanites will have got very confused. 

The interesting thing now— 

Student: I’m sorry, are those things close enough that they could actually hear? 

Dr. Block: Oh, sure. Oh, sure. And there have been people, before the cities were built in there, people who have talked about the acoustics of the valley that before all the buildings to muffle everything, the acoustics are actually such that it could work, that when people on one side together shout out, the people on the other side would hear it. Oh, yeah. No, this is a very deliberate verbal. 

But notice the building of the altar and the pillars. That was quiet. It’s not about the people there. Something else is happening. This one is the people. And here the land hears the people invoke the curse upon themselves so that “Should they break the covenant; the land is the witness.” The land is a witness. You signed on. “Hear O mountains. Give ear O land.” (Earth and land are the same word.) 

Well, for the first time, the deity, (Yahweh), the people (Israel), and the land (Canaan) are together. The first moment. The promise to the ancestors had finally been fulfilled. Israel’s long journey is over and Moses missed it. That had to hurt. 

But now, with the pillars in sight, the ritual prescribed in 11 to 13 functions as the verbal equivalent to the sprinkling of the blood on the people in Exodus 24:8, remember, where they are bound to the covenant? He sprinkles the altar, that binds God. Then he sprinkles the people, that binds Israel to it, “May I give my life if I violate this.” And here it is, “Cursed is the one who dishonors.” In these events, Ebal and Gerizim are symbols of the land as a whole, witnesses to the blessings and the curses that the Israelites invoke on themselves. And they also become a repository of the Torah, the inscribed pillars and uncut stones from the region. 

Now, let’s go back to that inscription. What is written on that text, on the pillars, “You shall write on the stones, all the words of this Torah,” putting into force the covenant. 

Well, we don’t know how many pillars, could be one, two or three, but it is plural. I think it’s 12. Why? 

Student: 12 tribes. 

Dr. Block: Twelve tribes. Why else? There’s a concrete reason. I should say, a rock-solid reason. Exodus 24, remember the ceremony at Mt. Sinai, Horeb, where there’s the altar and he erected 12 pillars? And it says, “One representing every one of the tribes.” He doesn’t say that here. He just says ‘pillars,’ plural. And he leaves it to you. And my sense is this is a ditto of that experience for this generation. Only that was at the mountain, never to be repeated. This one is here and this ceremony will never be repeated. Oh, Joshua will bring them back here for covenant renewal, twice he does it; covenant renewal here after this, after the land has been taken. But this is a once in a history moment. You don’t need to repeat this over and over again. 

But what happens is you write the text on plaster, exposed to the elements, in ink. What happens? It doesn’t take very long; it depends what kind of ink they’re using. But it doesn’t take very long where you’ll lose the text. Rain. Well, what happens when the rain washes the text off and it drains into the ground? I mean, this is just my imagination now. The ground absorbs the Torah. And it becomes an intricate—the Torah is that which binds Yahweh, Israel, and the land together in a very concrete sort of way. 

It doesn’t say this. But we’ve got to wrestle with what is the significance of what’s happening here. This is such a physical experience compared to the book of Deuteronomy, Moses’ addresses. He’s been talking the whole time. We’ve had some rituals, but we don’t know much. But here’s this curious, quiet ritual. First, binding the land and after the land is part, then you’ve got this loud oral by which the land hears the people say, We’ve signed on. And they invoked the curses on individuals who will break the covenant. It is an amazing moment in my mind. 

And I read the commentaries, and I’m probably wrong in my interpretation, because you don’t find this anywhere else. What’s wrong with me that I see this action here, this significance? In these events Mounts Ebal and Gerizim are symbols of the land as a whole. They’re witnesses to the blessings and the curses, and they hear the Israelites invoke upon themselves a curse. And they absorb the Torah. And long after the ink is gone, the pillars are still there as memorials to the moment when this thing happened. 

Well, we’ve got an amazing, an amazing story, I think. I mean, we could talk more about this, but the mountain’s role in this whole business, I think they are intentionally presented here as observers with ears to hear what the Israelites are saying, because in the future, prophets will appeal to texts like this, “Give ear O heavens, listen O earth, the Lord has a case against His people.” And guess what? The land knows the Torah and the land presents the evidence of the Israelites infidelity. Well, I think that is about as much as we need to say. To me, this text is a riddle. 

I had a student to do his dissertation on this passage, Daniel Lentz. Brilliant student. One of the finest students I’ve had. He’s in Pakistan now. He’s teaching over there. Wonderful guy from Germany, but he did his dissertation. I challenged him to test my hypothesis and my interpretation. And it’s a magnificent piece, not only because in the end it reinforces what I have proposed, but because it makes the text come alive. 

To the commentators this is always a riddle. Why is this stuck in here? I always wondered until I got this far in writing my commentary. I had no idea what was going on. And so, you have to start thinking outside the box because the box doesn’t solve, doesn’t answer the questions. And this is the conclusion to which I came. This is a brilliant monument to a great theological idea that began with Abraham. The Lord has been faithful. The promises are fulfilled. We are in the land. God has kept His promise. 

Of course, the end of the second address ends with just a shadow anticipation of this whole thing. But 27, in a sense, solves the riddle, even as it raises lots of other questions.