Deuteronomy 27:11 – 26 “On that day Moses commanded the people: “When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to deliver the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
Then the Levites shall proclaim in a loud voice to every Israelite:
‘Cursed is the man who makes a carved idol or molten image—an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of a craftsman—and sets it up in secret.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
‘Cursed is he who moves his neighbor’s boundary stone.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
‘Cursed is he who lets a blind man wander in the road.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.’
And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
‘Cursed is he who sleeps with his father’s wife, for he has violated his father’s marriage bed.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
‘Cursed is he who lies with any animal.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
‘Cursed is he who sleeps with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
‘Cursed is he who sleeps with his mother-in-law.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ ‘Cursed is he who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’
And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
‘Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
‘Cursed is he who does not put the words of this law into practice.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’”
At first this whole process seems very confusing. Unless you actually see a photo of the two mountains with the valley between them, you might think it impossible that anything said on one mountain would necessarily be heard on the other side. But the day God designed Israel, He was already making provision for the time when six tribes would stand on one mountain while the other six tribes would stand on the other side. The question now is this: Why Mount Ebal for curses? Why the selection of the particular tribes to pronounce these curses?
For the answers to these questions, we can refer to an excellent article entitled “The Stones Moses Prophesied To on Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim.” (MAMATHA, Oct. 9, 2018, https://livingroomtheaology.com)
This writer explains, “Ebal means bulky or stout. Something that is bulky or stout is hard to carry. Ebal possibly has the meaning of bald or bare too. Baldness throughout the Bible is a sign of mourning. Finally, Ebal comes from the same root word, awa, as Ai. So, the name Ebal carries the connotation of twisting, doing wrong, being bent, irritated, or confused.”
“The tribes that stood on Mt. Ebal for the curse were Rueben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. This is an interesting collection of tribes. Reuben was the first born while Zebulun was the sixth, the last, of Leah’s sons. All of the other tribes on Mt. Ebal came from Zilpah and Bilhah, Leah’s and Rachel’s maidservants.
It’s interesting that Leah’s firstborn was on Mt. Ebal. Throughout the Bible, the firstborn is typically passed over so that the second born (or later) son receives the blessing of the father. A few examples are Cain and Abel, Esau and Jacob, and Manasseh and Ephraim… Also, it’s interesting that Leah’s sixth son is on Mt. Ebal. The number six symbolizes work in the Bible. God finished his work of creation in six days and rested on the seventh day. In the law, Israel was told that six days they should labor, but the seventh day was a sabbath, a day of rest. So. Mt Ebal is the mount of work.”
The common threads that run through all the curses are those of the need for holiness, sexual purity, and protection of the weak, the innocent, and the vulnerable. These curses are to be pronounced by the six tribes standing on Mount Ebal; however, all the tribes are to echo the “Amen!” God wants to impress on His people in as many different ways as possible that they are to be separate and holy.
APPLICATION: Romans 12:1-2 tells us, “Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
Nobody wakes up one morning and says, “I think I feel like copying someone selfish today!” What we actually do is to look at social media and videos and listen to podcasts. Just this morning I saw a post in which the writer was advising everyone that 2022 was going to be the year that she would be kind to herself above everything else, indulging herself, and focusing on herself. What was shocking and sad was the number of people who were agreeing with her completely. Admittedly, 2021 was a very tough year for a great number of people; yet, the poor, the vulnerable, and the disadvantaged are still out there and still need help. Those choosing to focus on themselves and their comfort will have little time or inclination to help anybody else.
When kids want to do something risky, good parents are not swayed by the argument that “everybody is doing it.” God wanted those six tribes to stand on Mount Ebal shouting out His commands so that those commands would echo down that valley and onto the slopes of Mount Gerizim where the other six tribes were standing. And God wanted ALL of the tribes to shout the “Amen!” indicating that they agreed and would obey. God wanted His people to be different from all the other tribes around them. Are we willing to be different as well?
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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