Scripture: At that time Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings. And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.
Joshua 8:30-35 ESV
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Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Yahweh speaks reassuringly to Joshua and spells out the battle strategy to defeat Ai this second time. So Joshua chooses 30,000 mighty men of valor and details the ambush strategy. Overconfident from their previous victory, the king of Ai takes the bait, and his troops chase Joshua and his soldiers, leaving the city defenseless. At this juncture, the Lord commands Joshua to stretch out his sword, signaling the mighty men of valor to charge the city and immediately set it afire to garner the attention and dismay of Ai’s army. Discouraged by the sight of their city ablaze and Israel’s ambush division charging toward them, the soldiers of Ai lose their will to fight and go down in utter defeat. Then, Israel claims the livestock and spoils that are essential for the nation’s survival and mound the charred ruins. Meanwhile, Joshua hangs the king of Ai on a tree until sunset and then commands a unit to take the body and place it at the ruins of the city gate and heap stones over it as a memorial.
Today’s reading continues the storyline of this second resounding victory over Canaanite enemies. Joshua follows Moses’ directive to build an altar of large, uncut stones, plaster them, write the law on them, and renew the covenant (confer Deuteronomy 27-28). Thus, Joshua reads the entire law (blessings and curses) before all the people (Israel and their company of god-fearing sojourners and native-born), with half standing to each side of the ark in the presence of the Levitical priests.
Takeaway: As mentioned in an earlier Daily Focus devotion, uncut stones distinguished Israel from the pagan nations who fashioned stones into idols. Engraving the stones memorialized the permanence of the covenant. And the participation of alien residents affirmed the Abrahamic covenant: God would bless all the nations through his seed (Genesis 22:15-18). Lastly, as noted throughout our study of the Pentateuch, the ark symbolized God’s presence.
Our takeaway? Joshua adds that the purpose of covenant renewal is to bless the people of Israel—including its Gentile converts (v.33). Given that this solemn occasion required reading horrific curses incurred through disobedience to the law, the ceremony would not likely seem a blessing to our modern-day audience. But God’s curses aim to provide accountability. If we lose sight of the consequences, we will also lose sight of the gifts of confession, repentance, and restoration.
The Bible provides us with an illustration from the book of Nehemiah. Having strayed from God and adopted the pagan culture’s abominable cultic worship of sacrificing children, ritual prostitution, and other selfish and destructive behaviors, Israel faced the curses of exile and slavery at the hands of their enemies. Over time, Israel came to their senses, but only because of the consequences. So God moved in King Artaxerxes’ heart to grant Ezra and Nehemiah permission to return to Jerusalem and begin a restoration process. The first stage involved rebuilding the wall around the city’s ruins. The second addressed rebuilding the people’s hearts through the entire reading of the law with its blessings and curses, similar to our story. The people came under conviction and grieved over their sins in its hearing. Thus, Nehemiah declared, “This day is holy to the Lord your God, do not mourn or weep” (Nehemiah 8:9 ESV). Instead, he commanded them to go and celebrate with the understanding the “joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10 ESV).
Our part? We must immerse ourselves in the entire breadth of Scripture, which reveals a full-orbed view of our God and his desires and expectations for us. Otherwise, if we skip the uncomfortable parts and focus solely on blessings, we will miss the warning signs that help us avoid drifting away from our just and merciful Creator into enemy territory, where we face inevitable and dire consequences. Moreover, we will miss out on taking our faith to a deeper understanding of our Lord’s grace and love for us. But if we see the curses as a loving warning, as a plea to follow the way of our Lord and Savior, then they will prove to be a blessing, and the joy of the Lord will be our strength.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for revealing the extent of your love for us through the life, death, and resurrection of your Son. And we thank you for the resulting reconciliation, restoration, and renewal blessings. So, please help us read and reflect on your promises and the warning signs that help us stay on track in our faith journeys. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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