Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 27: God pronounces His curse on disobedience

Begin in prayer

Before hearing Israel answer the covenant curses, let us listen with reverence to the holy God. Ask Him to expose our disobedience and show our family the Redeemer who bears the law’s curse.

The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever. Yahweh’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether.

Psalm 19:9

Father in heaven, Your law is righteous and Your judgment is true. Keep us from treating these warnings as empty words. Show us the guilt of our disobedience and lead us to the Savior who redeems sinners from the curse. Please open our eyes as we read Your Word, make us more like Christ, and bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

Moses and the elders command Israel to write the law on plastered stones after crossing the Jordan. On Mount Ebal they must build an altar of uncut stones, offer sacrifices, eat, and rejoice before God. As the LORD’s people, they must hear His voice and obey. Six tribes must stand on Mount Gerizim for blessing and six on Mount Ebal for the curse. The Levites must pronounce curses against hidden idolatry, family dishonor, injustice, sexual wrongdoing, murder, and bribery. Every declaration requires the people’s agreement, ending with a curse on everyone who fails to uphold the law by doing it.

As you read Deuteronomy 27, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

God curses all who break His law, and Christ bore that curse for His people.

Across the Jordan, Israel was to set up great stones covered with plaster and write the whole law on them plainly (verse 8). On Mount Ebal, the mountain of the curse, they also built an altar for sacrifices (verses 4 to 7). God put the altar beside the law, because sinners can face His law only with a sacrifice for sin. Then the Levites called out the curses, and all the people answered, “Amen” (verse 15). Many of the sins named are done in secret, like a hidden idol or a neighbor struck down in secret (verses 15 and 24). The last curse falls on everyone who does not keep the whole law (verse 26). Paul quotes this verse to show that no one is right with God by keeping the law (Galatians 3 verse 10). Then he says Christ became a curse for His people when He hung on the cross (Galatians 3 verse 13).

How does Deuteronomy 27 show us that God curses all who break His law, and that Christ bore that curse for His people?

God’s law must be known and obeyed.

Israel must write all the words of the law plainly on stones. The people must hear the LORD’s voice and do His commands. Knowing the words never removes the duty to obey them.

God sees sins that people conceal.

The curse reaches an idol set up in secret and a neighbor killed secretly. Hidden wrongdoing remains accountable to the holy God. The people must agree with His judgment even when others cannot see the sin.

God’s curse reaches every disobedience.

The last declaration condemns whoever fails to uphold the law by doing it. All the people must answer their agreement. Paul cites this requirement when explaining the curse borne by those who rely on law keeping (Galatians 3 verse 10). Christ became a curse for His people when He hung on the cross.

Memorise

Cursed is he who doesn’t uphold the words of this law by doing them.

Deuteronomy 27:26

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, what hidden disobedience am I excusing before the God who sees it?

Israel must acknowledge, “Cursed is he who doesn’t uphold the words of this law by doing them.” The people’s agreement leaves no room to treat disobedience as harmless. God’s righteous law exposes the guilt we cannot undo.

Paul cites this curse and then announces Christ’s redemption from it (Galatians 3 verses 10 to 13). Jesus carried the curse of the broken law for His people when He died on the cross. God raised Him up, and His completed sacrifice is enough to remove their condemnation.

Turn from hidden sin and from reliance on your own obedience. Come to Christ, and anyone who trusts Him is forgiven. The Savior who bore the curse for His people has set them free.

Parent's note

Tell your children why the people had to agree with God’s judgment on disobedience. Explain the sexual sins with care, keeping their seriousness without unnecessary detail. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Praise God’s righteous judgment, and bring the hidden disobedience in the heart question before Him. Every child can pray, so invite each one to seek forgiveness through Christ.

wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;

Colossians 2:14

Father in heaven, Your righteous law exposes the sins we hide and excuse. Bring us to Christ, who bore the curse for His people. Thank You that His completed sacrifice is sufficient for all who trust Him, and help those who believe to obey with reverence and grateful love. In Jesus' name, Amen.