Deuteronomy 26

It isn’t enough for a nation to have gifted and godly leaders; it must also have godly citizens who obey the law of the Lord. Confucius said, “The strength of a nation is derived from the integrity of its homes.” But homes are made up of individuals, so it’s the strength of the individual that helps to make the home what it ought to be. “Whatever makes men good Christians,” said Daniel Webster, “makes them good citizens.” The three public confessions recorded in this chapter help us to understand what kind of citizens we ought to be as the followers of Jesus Christ.

Confession of God’s goodness (vv. 1–11). This ceremony was to be used the first time any Jew brought his firstfruits offering to the Lord. It should not be confused with the annual firstfruits offering (16:4; Ex. 23:19; 34:26; Lev. 23:10–17; Num. 15:18–20; 18:12–13). Not only was this special ceremony a confession of God’s goodness to Israel and to this worshipper, but it was also a declaration that the man had now claimed his inheritance in the land. He had worked the land and received a harvest, and he brought the first and the best to give to the Lord. The basket of fruit sitting by the altar was a witness to the faithfulness of the Lord to His people. The entire ceremony was an Old Testament version of Matthew 6:33.

The confession begins with Israel’s entrance into the land of Canaan (Deut. 26:3), and this would remind the worshipper of the miracle of the crossing of the Jordan (Josh. 3). The God who opened the Red Sea for the nation to get out of Egypt also opened the Jordan River so they could go in and claim their inheritance. “He brought us out … that he might bring us in” (Deut. 6:23). The only reason the Jews didn’t enter the land sooner was because the older generation rebelled against the Lord at Kadesh and refused to trust Him for victory (Num. 13—14). The worshipper was reminded that the secret of Israel’s great success was faith in the promises of God. Years later, Joshua would say, “There failed nothing of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass” (Josh. 21:45; see 23:14; 1 Kings 8:56).

Then the worshipper would speak about Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel (Deut. 26:5), who left home and went to Haran in northwest Mesopotamia (Hos. 12:12; Gen. 25:20) to find himself a wife. After twenty years in the household of his father-in-law Laban, Jacob obeyed God’s commandment and returned to his own land and settled down with his twelve sons and their families. Indeed, Jacob had been a “fugitive” and a “pilgrim” all those years, but the Lord had watched over him and blessed him. Jacob’s twelve sons were to become the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel, and through Israel God would bless the whole world (Gen. 12:1–3).

How would God transform one man’s family into a great nation? By taking them down to Egypt where they were put through the “iron furnace” of suffering (Deut. 26:5–7; 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51; Gen. 46). Seventy people traveled to Egypt where Joseph had prepared homes for them, and years later, on Passover night, probably 2 million Jews marched triumphantly out of Egypt. The more the enemy persecuted the Jews, the more the Jews had multiplied (Ex. 1). Suffering and trial are often God’s tools for bringing blessing to His people, though at the time we may not understand it. The more the enemy persecuted the early church, the more they scattered and multiplied (Acts 5:41—6:1; 8:1–4).

The confession mentions nothing about Israel’s complaining on their journey or their failure at Kadesh-Barnea. This is a confession of faith, not unbelief. “So the Lord brought us out of Egypt … He has brought us to this place and has given us this land” (Deut. 26:8–9 nkjv). The man calls Canaan “a land that flows with milk and honey,” which is what God often called it. God gave His people a wonderful land that would meet their every need. During Israel’s years of wandering and rebellion, some of the Jews called Egypt “a land that flows with milk and honey” (Num. 16:13). It’s tragic when people are so unspiritual that the things of the world are more inviting than the things of the Lord.

In response to the goodness and grace of the Lord, the worshipper presented to God the first and the best of his labors, for there would have been no harvest apart from the blessing of the Lord. But in presenting the firstfruits, the worshipper was actually giving the entire harvest to the Lord. Stewardship doesn’t mean that we give God a part and then use the rest as we please. True stewardship means that we give God what belongs to Him as an acknowledgment that all that we have is His. We then use all that is left wisely for His glory. To bring the Lord 10 percent and then waste the 90 percent that remains is not stewardship. It’s foolishness.

The Lord “gives to us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17), which explains why Moses admonished the Jews to rejoice in every good thing that the Lord gave to them (Deut. 26:11). While at the sanctuary, they could bring a thank offering to the Lord and enjoy a feast of good things, all to the glory of God. But note the mention of the Levite and the stranger, those with whom we need to share the gifts of the Lord (12:12, 18; 16:11, 14). This introduces the second confession.

Confession of honesty and generosity (vv. 12–15). This scene would take place two years later, when the Jews were supposed to bring the extra tithe to the local officers (14:28–29). The previous ceremony occurred only once, after the first harvest in the land, but this ceremony was repeated every third year. The seventh year would be the Sabbath Year, and then the cycle started again. This confession was tantamount to a summary renewal of the covenant that Israel made at Sinai, their promise to obey the Lord and His promise to bless their obedience.

The tithe of the third year was kept in the towns and used locally to feed the Levites, strangers, orphans, and widows. In giving this tithe, the worshipper was to confess to the Lord that he had been honest in setting aside the tithe and using it as the Lord commanded. He was not to take the tithe for his own personal use and certainly not to use it for any sinful purpose. He had been careful not to defile the tithe by touching it while unclean because of a death in the family. In other words, the setting aside of this tithe for others was a serious matter and had to be done with dignity and obedience. The ceremony would end with the prayer of 26:15, asking God to bless the whole nation and not just the individual worshipper.

Both the first and the second confession express appreciation for the land “flowing with milk and honey” (vv. 9, 15). It’s a good thing when God’s people appreciate all that the Lord gives them. During their forty years of wandering, the older generation had frequently wanted to go back to Egypt and enjoy the food they had eaten there, but this backward look only got them into trouble. When it comes to the circumstances of life, we all need to follow Paul’s example: “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Phil. 4:11). One of the best ways to learn contentment is to share with others the blessings God gives to us.

Confession of obedience (vv. 16–19). The first two confessions looked forward to the time when Israel would be settled in their land and reaping the harvests. This confession brings us back to the plains of Moab where Moses was equipping the younger generation to enter the land. “This day” (vv. 16–18) and “today” were words Moses used frequently as he addressed the people (2:25; 4:26, 39; 6:6; 7:11; 8:1, 18; 10:13; etc.). It was indeed a solemn time when Moses reiterated the law and reviewed the nation’s history. The future of the nation depended on the people receiving, understanding, and obeying the Word of God that Moses was sharing with them.

The constant danger was that the people not receive God’s Word into their hearts but only hear it with their ears and then forget it. Like the Jewish people in Jesus’ day, they had ears but could not hear (Matt. 13:13–15). A mere casual acquaintance with the Word isn’t sufficient. If God’s Word is to nurture us and change us so that God can bless us (Ps. 1:1–3), we must devote ourselves to it, heart and soul. God had claimed Israel for His own people and promised to bless them if they obeyed Him (Deut. 26:18), and Israel had declared that Jehovah was their God and that they would obey Him (v. 17). There was no doubt that God would keep His promises, but would Israel keep their promises?

God had great things planned for Israel, just as He has great things planned for each of His children (Eph. 2:10; 1 Cor. 2:6–10). If the people kept their covenant promises to the Lord, He would bless them and make them a blessing, but if they disobeyed Him, He would have to chasten them. “But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn hearts, to walk in their own counsels. Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries.… He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you” (Ps. 81:11–14, 16 nkjv).

God is faithful to us, but how much we miss when we’re not faithful to Him!

Moses completed his exposition of the law in 26: and then began to bring his long farewell message to a close with a personal challenge to obedience. As we’ve seen before, the book of Deuteronomy is patterned after the ancient treaties given by kings to conquered nations. The Lord is the King and Israel is His chosen nation and special people. He took the Jews to Himself by defeating Egypt and setting Israel free to love Him and to serve Him. Moses has reviewed what the Lord did for Israel and said to Israel, and he has spelled out the terms of the covenant. Now he will explain the benefits of obeying the Lord and the disciplines that will come if Israel disobeys.

30:20) In his brief introduction to this final section (26:16–19), Moses reminded the people that he had given them the Word of the Lord, the commandments of the true and living God. He also reminded them that at Sinai the nation had vowed to obey all that God said to them (Ex. 19:7–8; 24:3–8), and that the Lord had promised to bless them if they obeyed Him from the heart (Deut. 7:6–16). There on the plains of Moab, the Israelites would accept this solemn commitment a second time, and then they would affirm it a third time when they entered the Promised Land (Josh. 8:30–35). It isn’t enough for God’s people to enjoy the blessings and privileges of the covenant; they must also accept the responsibilities that are involved. Moses explained these responsibilities and called for the people to commit themselves wholly to the Lord.

The two mountains (27:1–13). Note that Moses joined with the elders (v. 1) and the priests (v. 9) in announcing the covenant to the people. Moses would soon leave the scene, but the nation would continue and the Lord’s authority would operate through their civil and religious leaders. The people weren’t committing themselves to Moses; they were committing themselves to the Lord to “keep all the commandments” (26:18).

Once Joshua had led the nation into the Promised Land, they were to interrupt their conquest and engage in a ceremony of reaffirming the covenant. It would take place near Shechem, with Mount Ebal to the north and Mount Gerizim to the south. The valley between the two mountains formed a natural amphitheater where the priests and Levites could assemble and declare God’s Word. The six tribes that assembled at Mount Gerizim, the mount of blessing, were Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh), and Benjamin, all Jacob’s sons by his two wives Rachel and Leah. Assembled at Mount Ebal, the mount of curses, were Reuben and Zebulun (both sons of Leah) and the sons of the maidservants, Gad, Asher, Dan, and Naphtali.

Joshua was commanded to plaster some large stones on Mount Ebal and write on them the laws that God gave His people. This wasn’t a symbolic gesture, for the words were to be written clearly for the people to read (27:8). He was also to build an altar at the base of Mount Ebal where the priests would offer burnt offerings (total dedication to God) and peace offerings (joyful celebration of God’s blessing). To have God’s law without having a sacrifice for sins would be to bring condemnation and not consecration, for “by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20). The location held sacred memories for the Jewish people, for Abraham had built an altar near Shechem (Gen. 12:6–7) and so had Jacob (33:17–20).

The curses (27:14–26). As the spiritual leaders read these curses, they weren’t predicting what would happen if the people disobeyed God. They were calling upon the Lord to send these curses on His people if they turned away from Him. And when the people said “Amen” after each statement (“so be it”), they were telling God that they were willing to be chastened if they disobeyed Him. Their “Amen” wasn’t just their agreement with the words spoken; it was their acceptance of the terms of the covenant. These curses were closely related to the law Moses had delivered and explained, especially the Ten Commandments.

The first curse (v. 15) condemned idolatry and the violation of the first and second commandments (Ex. 20:1–6). To carve or cast an idol and worship it was to deny that Jehovah was the one true and living God, and it was this sin that finally brought the wrath of God on Israel. Even if a Jew worshipped an idol in secret and didn’t try to persuade anybody to join him, it was still a great sin and had to be punished (Deut. 13). The second curse related to the family and the home (27:16; Ex. 20:12), and the third to property (Deut. 27:17; 19:14; Ex. 20:15). The fourth curse (Deut. 27:18) revealed God’s special concern for people with disabilities. Leviticus 19: mentions both the deaf and the blind.

In the fifth curse (Deut. 27:19), the focus is on treating with kindness and justice the helpless and unfortunate in the land. Widows, orphans, and aliens were often abused and exploited in Israel and God called on His people to champion their cause and see that they received justice (24:17–18; Ex. 22:21–24; Luke 18:1–8). The Jews had been aliens in Egypt for many years and the Lord cared for them and judged the people who abused them. If Israel didn’t care for the needy, God would also judge them. Among other things, this meant bringing their special tithes to the Lord every third year so the needy would have food to eat (Deut. 14:28–29).

Curses six through nine (27:20–23) have to do with sexual purity and relate to the seventh commandment (Ex. 20:14). These sins were prevalent among the nations in Canaan and Israel wasn’t to imitate their neighbors. Incest (Deut. 27:20, 22–23) was especially condemned in Israel (22:30; Lev. 18:8–9, 17; 20:11). Reuben lost his rights as the firstborn because he violated this law (Gen. 35:22; 49:3–4). Bestiality (Deut. 27:21; Lev. 18:23) was practiced in some pagan religions and “sacred animals” were used in the worship of their false gods. The perversion of sex is not only the abuse of a gift from God, but it threatens marriage and the family, which are foundational to the success of the nation.

The tenth and eleventh curses (Deut. 27:24–25) are an echo of the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill” (Ex. 20:13). This command speaks of a deliberate deed (murder) and not accidental death (manslaughter; 21:12–14). Murder is the ultimate crime because its consequences can’t be reversed, but to murder one’s neighbor makes that crime even worse. The only thing more heinous would be to be paid to murder somebody! The law of Moses condemned those who accepted bribes to break the law, for making money is not more important that maintaining justice (16:19; Ex. 23:8). The law taught the people of Israel to love their neighbors and do them good (Lev. 19:18; Deut. 22:1–4). But whether a neighbor or a total stranger is the victim, murder is wrong and murderers must be punished.

The twelfth curse (27:26) obligated the Jews to obey every law that God gave them, whether it was named in this list or not. Paul quoted this verse in Galatians 3: to prove that there could be no salvation by obeying the law since nobody could obey everything God commanded. But the purpose of the law was not salvation but condemnation, the indictment of all people as sinners, and therefore the need of all people to trust Christ, “for the just shall live by faith” (Gal. 3:11). There can be no true conversion without conviction, and conviction comes when we see the holiness of God in His law and the sinfulness of our own hearts. To say that we’ve kept some of God’s laws doesn’t excuse us, for to break one is to break them all (James 2:10–11). If you were hanging over a chasm holding to a chain of ten links, how many links would have to break for you to fall?

When the Israelites in the Promised Land said their “Amen” to these twelve curses, they would be assenting to the law of God, promising to obey it, and agreeing that they deserved judgment if they disobeyed it. This would be a solemn hour in the history of Israel. At Sinai, Israel had agreed to obey God’s law (Ex. 19:7–8; 24:3–8), and not long after, they made a golden calf and worshipped it! It takes more than pious words and good intentions to be a devoted and obedient child of God (Matt. 7:21–23).

The blessings (28:1–14). We don’t read that the people were to say “Amen” to these blessings as they said “Amen” to the curses. The curses were not prophetic while this list of blessings is God’s prophetic promise of what He would do for His people if they kept their commitment to Him. God’s blessings are wholly of grace, whether or not His people assent to them or even appreciate them. These blessings would lift Israel far above all the other nations (26:19) and make Israel “a light to the Gentiles” (Isa. 49:6). This would give the Jews opportunities to tell the other nations about the true and living God (Deut. 28:10).

God promised to bless His people in all places—the city, the field, and the home—with all that they needed. As they went in and out in their daily work (v. 6; 8:17–18), He would care for them and prosper their efforts. He would give them victory over their enemies so that they could maintain possession of the land. He would supply rain for the fields, for water is a precious commodity in the East. God would send the “former rain” in October and November, the “winter rain” from December to February, and the “latter rain” in April, and Israel’s crops would grow abundantly. They would sell their surplus harvests to other nations but wouldn’t have to buy from anybody.

We must keep in mind why the Lord promised these marvelous blessings. For one thing, the nation of Israel was still in its spiritual infancy (Gal. 4:1–7), and one way to teach children is by means of rewards and punishments. These material blessings were God’s way of reminding His children that obedience brings blessing but disobedience brings chastening. However, it wasn’t long before thinking Israelites discovered that wicked people were also receiving blessings, so there was something more to faith than just being rewarded. (See Ps. 73; Jer. 12:1–4; Job 21:7–15.) Gradually God taught His people that their obedience was a witness to the other nations (Deut. 28:12) and brought glory to His name. Obedience also built godly character in the people so that they were indeed a holy nation and a kingdom of priests.