Matthew Henry Commentary Deuteronomy 27
Matthew Henry Commentary
Deuteronomy 27
Matthew Henry Commentary
Deuteronomy 27
"And Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandment which I command you this day. And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over the Jordan unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaster them with plaster: and thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over; that thou mayest go in unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, as Jehovah, the God of thy fathers, hath promised thee. And it shall be, when ye are passed over the Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaster them with plaster. And there shalt thou build an altar unto Jehovah thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt lift up no iron [tool] upon them. Thou shalt build the altar of Jehovah thy God of unhewn stones; and thou shalt offer burnt-offerings thereon unto Jehovah thy God: and thou shalt sacrifice peace-offerings, and shalt eat there; and thou shalt rejoice before Jehovah thy God. And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly. And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel, saying, Keep silence, and hearken, O Israel: this day thou art become the people of Jehovah thy God. Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of Jehovah thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day." — Deuteronomy 27:1-10 (ASV)
As soon as they had come into Canaan, they were to set up a monument, on which they were to write the words of this law. They were to set up an altar. The word and prayer must go together. Although they were not allowed, on their own initiative, to set up any altar besides the one at the tabernacle, yet, by God's appointment, they could do so on special occasions.
This altar was to be made of unhewn stones, such as they found in the field. Christ, our Altar, is a stone cut out of the mountain without hands, refused by the builders, as having no form or comeliness, but accepted by God the Father, and made the Head of the corner. In the Old Testament, the words of the law are written with the accompanying curse, which would overcome us with horror if we did not have, in the New Testament, an altar erected close by that gives consolation.
Blessed be God, the printed copies of the Scriptures among us remove the necessity for such methods as were prescribed for Israel. The purpose of the gospel ministry is, and the purpose of preachers ought to be, to make the word of God as plain as possible. Yet, unless the Spirit of God prosper such labors with Divine power, we will not, even by these means, be made wise for salvation. Therefore, we should daily and earnestly pray for this blessing.
"And Moses charged the people the same day, saying, These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are passed over the Jordan: Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin. And these shall stand upon mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. And the Levites shall answer, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice, Cursed be the man that maketh a graven or molten image, an abomination unto Jehovah, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and setteth it up in secret. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen. Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor`s landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that wresteth the justice [due] to the sojourner, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that lieth with his father`s wife, because he hath uncovered his father`s skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that lieth with his mother-in-law. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbor in secret. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that taketh a bribe to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen." — Deuteronomy 27:11-26 (ASV)
The six tribes appointed for blessing were all children of the free women, for the promise belongs to such (Galatians 4:31). Levi is here among the rest. Ministers should apply to themselves the blessing and curse they preach to others, and by faith set their own Amen to it. And they must not only allure people to their duty with the promises of a blessing, but also awe them with the threats of a curse, by declaring that a curse would be upon those who do such things. To each of the curses the people were to say, Amen.
It professed their faith that these, and similar curses, were real declarations of the wrath of God against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, not one jot of which shall fall to the ground. This acknowledged the equity of these curses. Those who do such things deserve to fall and lie under the curse. Lest those who were guilty of other sins, not mentioned here, should think themselves safe from the curse, the final one reaches all.
This curse includes not only those who do the evil which the law forbids, but also those who omit the good which the law requires. Without the atoning blood of Christ, sinners can neither have communion with a holy God nor do anything acceptable to him; his righteous law condemns everyone who, at any time or in anything, transgresses it. Under its awful curse we remain as transgressors, until the redemption of Christ is applied to our hearts.
Wherever the grace of God brings salvation, it teaches the believer to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, consenting to and delighting in the words of God's law, according to the inward man. In this holy walk, true peace and solid joy are to be found.
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