And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly.
After crossing the Jordan into the promised land, Israel was to set up great stones, plaster them with plaster, and write upon them all the words of the law very plainly, so that the law would be clearly visible, readable by all, and kept before the people as they entered their inheritance. On the day they passed over Jordan into the land the Lord gave them, the stones were to be set up on Mount Ebal as Moses with the elders commanded, as part of Israel gathering at Mounts Ebal and Gerizim to solemnly recognize God's law before taking possession and to renew covenant loyalty. Moses and the Levitical priests joined the command with the declaration that Israel had that day become the people of the Lord and must therefore obey His voice and do His commandments and His statutes. Beside the inscribed stones Israel was to build an altar to the Lord of whole stones on which no iron tool was lifted, and offer burnt offerings and peace offerings upon it, and eat there and rejoice before Him.
The inscription included both the Ten Commandments spoken at Sinai and the laws God communicated to Moses that Moses recorded in a book. The altar beside the stones showed that Israel had incurred the curse through breaking the law and that the curse would be visited except for Christ's atonement, represented by the sacrifices. The plain writing was God's particular, careful provision for forgetful Israel, telling them just what to do in plain form so they would remember. The law was also proclaimed and repeated at their stopping places, keeping it familiar and reminding them of its commands and of the consequences of disobedience.
The verse presents God's law as directions to be set out plainly with principles and specific directions expressing the principles of God's kingdom for the people's present and future good, so they could understand what obedience requires and be left with no ignorance or uncertainty. The public writing let all Israel see the covenant's conditions for possessing Canaan and required them to accept its terms, with blessings for obedience and curses and consequences for disobedience and neglect. That plain writing was joined to a public repetition from two prominent positions, the mount of blessings and the mount of curses, pronouncing the advantages of obedience and the disadvantages of disobedience. The law, already preserved in the ark, was also read aloud by Joshua to all Israel.
The land Israel entered was the land the Lord gave them, a land flowing with milk and honey as promised to their fathers. The chapter plainly states the blessings of obedience and is to be read carefully together with Deuteronomy 26 and Deuteronomy 28.
After crossing the Jordan into the promised land, Israel was to set up great stones, plaster them with plaster, and write upon them all the words of the law very plainly, so that the law would be clearly visible, readable by all, and kept before the people as they entered their inheritance. On the day they passed over Jordan into the land the Lord gave them, the stones were to be set up on Mount Ebal as Moses with the elders commanded, as part of Israel gathering at Mounts Ebal and Gerizim to solemnly recognize God's law before taking possession and to renew covenant loyalty. Moses and the Levitical priests joined the command with the declaration that Israel had that day become the people of the Lord and must therefore obey His voice and do His commandments and His statutes. Beside the inscribed stones Israel was to build an altar to the Lord of whole stones on which no iron tool was lifted, and offer burnt offerings and peace offerings upon it, and eat there and rejoice before Him.
The inscription included both the Ten Commandments spoken at Sinai and the laws God communicated to Moses that Moses recorded in a book. The altar beside the stones showed that Israel had incurred the curse through breaking the law and that the curse would be visited except for Christ's atonement, represented by the sacrifices. The plain writing was God's particular, careful provision for forgetful Israel, telling them just what to do in plain form so they would remember. The law was also proclaimed and repeated at their stopping places, keeping it familiar and reminding them of its commands and of the consequences of disobedience.
The verse presents God's law as directions to be set out plainly with principles and specific directions expressing the principles of God's kingdom for the people's present and future good, so they could understand what obedience requires and be left with no ignorance or uncertainty. The public writing let all Israel see the covenant's conditions for possessing Canaan and required them to accept its terms, with blessings for obedience and curses and consequences for disobedience and neglect. That plain writing was joined to a public repetition from two prominent positions, the mount of blessings and the mount of curses, pronouncing the advantages of obedience and the disadvantages of disobedience. The law, already preserved in the ark, was also read aloud by Joshua to all Israel.
The land Israel entered was the land the Lord gave them, a land flowing with milk and honey as promised to their fathers. The chapter plainly states the blessings of obedience and is to be read carefully together with Deuteronomy 26 and Deuteronomy 28.