A Hedge of Curses: Deuteronomy 27 (2)

Opening Prayer: Psalm 19.12-14
Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19.12-14
(St. Christopher: Beneath the Cross of Jesus)
Who, Lord, can know his errors? O keep sin far from me!
Let evil rule not in my soul that I may blameless be.
O let my thoughts, let all my words, before Your glorious sight
be pleasing to You, gracious Lord, acceptable and right!

Today’s Text: Deuteronomy 27.9, 10

Preparation
1. How would Israel know they were the people of God?

2. How did God “speak” to His people?

Mediation
The voice of the Lord God is in His Law, as in all His Word (v. 10). We do not look for private revelations from God, or still, small voices to guide us in times of uncertainty. God has spoken to us in His Word. The more familiar and at home we are in that Word, the more we will know the voice of the Lord with us throughout the day.

The defining characteristic of those who are God’s special people is that they take heed, listen to, and obey the voice of the Lord, speaking in His Word (vv. 9, 10). If we claim to be one of His people, we must demonstrate that by our obedience to His Word.

We cannot obey what we will not hear. And in fact, in the Hebrew mindset, hearing and obeying are two aspects of the same idea. Hebrew uses the same verb for each. The assumption is that we have only ever really heard the Lord to the extent that hearing Him issues in our obeying Him in whatever He says.

Thus we must receive the Word, as the people of Israel did from Moses, by daily going to it, where we expect to hear the voice of the Lord, especially as He speaks to us about Jesus and our calling as His disciples. Then, if we have truly heard God speaking Jesus to us, we will go out ready to obey whatever the Lord has spoken to us concerning Him. And we may expect that all our obedience to what we have heard will line up perfectly with whatever is in the Law of God, given beforehand to guide us in good works (Eph. 2.10).

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Conditional sentences are sentences that express one thing as contingent on something else. Complete conditional sentences contain a conditional clause and the consequence: If “This day you have become the people of the LORD your God,” then 1) You will obey the voice of the LORD your God; 2) Observe His commandments and His statutes (Deut. 27.9, 10). Jesus says the same thing to us: “If you love Me,” then “keep My commandments” (Jn. 14.15). “If you do whatever I command you,” then “you are My friends (Jn. 15.14). Clearly there are parameters and conditions set for our life in the Kingdom. What kingdom would thrive or survive without them? But if we hear them and do them, then the consequence is true love and life. “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to Him” (Jn. 14.21). 

Reflection
1. What are the conditions (if, then) for someone to become a Christian?

2. What are the conditions (if, then) for growing as the special people of the Lord?

3. How would you explain what it means to be one of the special people of God?

Since Moses was the mediator of the covenant, the commands he gave the people were actually God’s commandments. Earl Radmacher (1931-2014), NKJV Study Bible Note on Deuteronomy 27.9

Help me, Lord, to fulfill my calling as one of Your people today by…

Closing Prayer: Psalm 19.7-11
Ask the Lord to show you how His commandments apply to the day ahead. How will you obey Him, and thus show that you are truly one of His people?

Psalm 19.7-11
(St. Christopher: Beneath the Cross of Jesus)
The Law of God is perfect, His testimony sure;
the simple man God’s wisdom learns, the soul receives its cure.
God’s Word is right, and His command is pure, and truth imparts;
He makes our eyes to understand; with joy He fills our hearts.

The fear of God is cleansing, forever shall it last.
His judgments all are true and just, by righteousness held fast.
O seek them more than gold most fine, than honey find them sweet;
Be warned by every word and line; be blessed with joy complete.

T. M. and Susie Moore

Listen to our summary of last week’s study in Deuteronomy by clicking here. You can download all the studies in the series by clicking here. And check out our current ReVision series on encouragement.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All quotations from Church Fathers from Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy: Ancient Christian Commentary Series III, Joseph T. Lienhard, S. J. ed. in collaboration with Ronnie J. Rombs, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2001). All quotations from John Calvin from John Calvin, Commentaries on The Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Order of A Harmony, Rev. Charles William Bingham M. A., tr. and ed. (Edinburgh: The Calvin Translation Society, 1863. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).