Deuteronomy 26:1-27:26

v. 1 as an inheritance-The land of Canaan, of which they were now on the borders and were about to enter into, would later become known as the land of Israel. The word "inheritance" here reinforces the idea that they were about to receive land not because of any personal merit in and of themselves, but only as a gift from God. However, they would also have responsibilities in keeping the land that God had blessed them with. Therefore, in much of the Law God has been teaching the Israelites how they could not only prosper in that land but more importantly ensure that they would follow Him and remain in a condition where they could be blessed. In this chapter, the ordinances revolve mainly around the practice of giving of their tithes and firstfruits to God in order to ensure that their hearts would remain free from the wealth they were about to inherit, and also so that the poor of the nation would be cared for and the work of the ministry in the Tabernacle would be funded.

v. 2 first of all the produce of the ground-This is the institution of the practice of "first fruits." Whenever there was a harvest in the land of Israel, the people of God were to consider the first portion of their produce as belonging to Him. As Jewish tradition later developed, whenever a man would enter into his field and find for example the first ripened figs, he would bind a cloth around them and preserve them as the first fruits of his harvest, kept aside to be brought to the Tabernacle as an offering. It was important that they consider the very first portion as God- portion, so that they would remember that the land was a gift to them from Him and that everything they had belonged to Him in truth.

chooses to make His name abode-They do not know it at this time, but that place would eventually be the city of Jerusalem, where the Tabernacle and later the Temple would abide.

v. 3 the Lord swore-This declaration of remembrance calls to mind the faithfulness of the Lord in leading the Israelites into the land which God promised to their father, Abraham.

v. 5 my father was a Syrian-A rare reference to the fact that Abraham- grandson Jacob later married Leah and Rachel, who were both Syrians. Jacob would later reside in the land of Canaan for a time in Genesis, but not as a king or even a landowner. He was rather languishing away in a time of famine, seemingly about to lose everything he had including his life, when God called him through his son Joseph to leave Canaan and build a home in Egypt as a safe place for his family to grow into a mighty nation. The following few verses recount the story of their oppression in Egypt, but how God was also faithful to lead them out again in power to become free and inherit the land of Canaan as their own.

v. 9 milk and honey-The usual description of Canaan from God- perspective because of its abundance of natural resources. It is difficult to understand this description today, because the land of Canaan was much different topographically in that day than it is in ours. Much of that is due to the wars and destruction that have laid the land waste over the past 2,500 years, but likely more of it was the result of the backsliding of the nation of Israel and the resulting curses as warned about Deuteronomy 28.

v. 10 worship the Lord your God-The word worship means to bow down or to prostrate one- self before God, honoring Him in humility. Here, the practice of offering tithes and first fruits to God is viewed by Him as part of our worship.

v. 11 rejoice-Again, the act of worshipful giving is to be a joyful time, as it is focused on the goodness of God in giving His people all that they have. This idea is reflected in the 2 Corinthians 9:7 passage which tells us that God loves a cheerful, or literally "hilarious," giver.

v. 12 the third year, the year of tithing-Every year a tithe (ten percent of their produce) would be paid to the Levites for their support. Also, every year a second tithe was brought to Jerusalem and eaten there by the worshipper. Every third year, however, the tithe was to be eaten in their own hometown along with the Levites, poor, and strangers there. That tithe was called "the tithe of the poor."

v. 13 the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow "God has a special place in His heart for those that cannot support themselves, usually categorized in the Old Testament as "the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow." The Levites, also, could not support themselves because they were to be fully set aside for the Lord- work, could not own land, and had no other means to feed their families than to rely on the giving of God- people. Therefore it was very important to God that His people cultivate giving hearts, and thus He ordained that they give in this manner in order to always keep in mind those that depended on them for their charity.

v. 14 I have not eaten any of it in mourning-Deuteronomy 16:11 had instructed the Israelites to eat of their offerings to the Lord only when they are glad in heart. Therefore, if a worshipper was mourning the loss of a family member he would be excluded from eating the tithe that is being described here. Again, God desired to see His people bring offerings before Him with cheerful hearts, and to enjoy their giving.

an unclean use-the word "unclean" can also be understood as "common" or "apart from its intended use." As the system of tithes and first fruits depended upon the honesty of the giver, he is expressing here his sincere commitment to bringing to the Lord all that was required of him by God- Law. Also, he was declaring that none of his offering was going to be used to support a practice that was condemned as "unclean" in the Old Testament Law.

nor given any of it for the dead-This is a difficult passage, and the interpretations are varied. Some commentators suggest that the offerer is here expressing that none of the offering he has brought to the Lord will be used to provide for expenses surrounding anyone- death (i.e. funeral expenses or grave clothes). This would relate, again, to the desire of God to see the offerings of His people used in joyous occasions. Others suggest the intention that no part of the offering would be used in honor of idols, which are the object of worship for those that are "spiritually dead."

A Special People of God

v. 16 all your heart and all your soul-God has always desired for us as His people to serve and obey Him from our hearts and our minds, not merely with our outward actions. It would not be enough for the children of Israel to go through the motions of obeying God- Law on the outside, if their hearts were not moved in accordance with love and devotion to the Lord. This concords with what God said to them in Deuteronomy 6:5, that they were to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." Jesus picked up on this in Matthew 22:37, when asked by a scribe about what He saw as the most important commandment in the Law. It is worthy of remembering that God wants us to, above all, walk with Him in a loving relationship.

v. 18 claimed you to be His own special people-The Lord is proclaiming His people here to be "special," a word which denotes ownership and possession, or even the idea of being owned as a prized treasure. The word occurs eight times in the Old Testament, five of which declare Israel to be God- own special people, and the other three speak of the prized treasure belonging to kings. The last reference is in Malachi 3:17, in which God describes His people as His "jewels." This is the relationship God is promising to those that would walk in His ways and love Him with all of their heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Chapter 27

The Law Inscribed On Stones

v. 1 Moses, with the elders of Israel-Moses and the 70 elders whom he had appointed were the first version of what would later become known as Israel- "Sanhedrin," or ruling council. This was an unusual address, as Moses typically spoke to the people by himself. However, he was about to die and pass the leadership responsibilities to these others, and he desired to impress upon the elders their responsibility as the leaders of God- people.

v. 2 large stones whitewashed with lime-They were to cover the stones with lime in order to make them easier to write on, and to make the writing legible for future generations. These stones would serve as both a reminder to the nation of the faithfulness of God in leading them into the Promised Land, and of the glorious Law that the Lord had given them to obey.

v. 3 write on them all the words of this law-Commentators vary on their interpretations of this verse. The entire book of Deuteronomy was not to be written on those stones, and so it was most likely either a summary of God- Law or simply the Ten Commandments that were written on them.

milk and honey-Again, the frequently used description of the beauty and fruitfulness of the Promised Land. This term is so often used as a reminder to them of the goodness of God in leading them into a Land they could not deserve on their own.

v. 4 upon Mount Ebal-Ebal is a name meaning "bald or bare," given to this mountain because it was completely devoid of trees. Mount Ebal was located about 30 miles from Jerusalem, and was significant to the Israelites because there Abraham built an altar and worshiped the Lord, and there God gave him a promise that his descendants would inherit and dwell in the Promised Land. Here in this visible place, they were to set up the stones as a memorial for all the nation to see and remember.

v. 5 an altar of stones - Exodus 20:25 expresses God- desire that Israel build Him altars made of whole, uncut stones that have not been shaped by the efforts of man. The effect of this ordinance would be that they would not imitate the ornate altars of the pagans in Canaan, and that their focus when worshiping would not be upon the beauty of the altar, but rather upon the beauty of the Lord and of the sacrifice.

v. 6 burnt offerings-Leviticus Chapters 1-7 describe five different types of offerings that were available to God- people in order to express their hearts' desire to the Lord. The burnt offering, described in chapter one, was an offering that communicated to God the desire of the offerer to be wholeheartedly dedicated to the Lord. The entire sacrifice was burned up, leaving nothing left over for the offerer to consume. Romans 12:1 picks up on that theme and reminds us today that we may still offer ourselves to God wholeheartedly, but as living sacrifices, entirely devoted to Him.

v. 7 peace offering-Described in Leviticus 3, this was a voluntary offering given to the Lord to express a heart that desired to experience deeper fellowship with God. Part would be offered to the Lord, part would be eaten by the priests, and the rest would be eaten by the offerer, symbolizing the deep fellowship we can have with God and with His people. It is specifically mentioned in Leviticus as being a "sweet smelling aroma to the Lord."

v. 9 people of the Lord-God had already chosen them as His people and set them apart, as evidenced by His deliverance of Israel from Egypt. However, on this day there was a very solemn and formal ceremony meant to remind them of their special status with God. They would hear from God that He had chosen them, and they would vow to God that they would follow Him as their God and their King, and thus they were entering into a covenant with Him.

v. 12 Mount Gerazim-A mountain opposite Mount Ebal, its name means "rocky." Those two mountains would become significant in Israel- typology, standing for either blessing or cursing. In the following verses, God will order some of the tribes of Israel to stand upon Mount Ebal and pronounce the curses that would result if His people were to disobey and forsake His Word. Others would stand on Mount Gerazim and pronounce the promised blessings that would result from obedience to the Word. This mountain, Gerazim, was located within the territory of what would later become Samaria, and because of the blessings pronounced from there, the Samaritans would change the wording of the Law to attempt to elevate Gerazim above all other mountains in Israel, thus adding to the enmity between Israel and Samaria.

Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin-All tribes descending from Jacob- relations with his two wives Rachel and Leah, rather than of the bondwomen as were the others. They would be the tribes to stand upon Mount Gerazim and pronounce blessings. The symbolism there points to the freedom and bondage that are both potential in each one of our lives, depending upon how closely we obey God- Word.

v. 15 a carved or a molded image-The second of the Ten Commandments prohibited Israel from carving out an image of a god, even of the true and living God, in order to aid in worship. The pagans around them all had visible, tangible images of their gods, but Jehovah desired and still desires for His people to worship Him by faith and not by sight. Here, God prohibits even the secret worship of such idols.

Amen-a word of agreement, meaning, "I agree to what is being spoken, that it is true, and that I desire for it to be applied to my life."

v. 16 treats his father or his mother with contempt-Another of the Ten Commandments, the fifth, states that children should always honor their father and mother, so that their days may be long on the earth. God- desire in this is reflected in the New Testament, as well, in passages such as Matthew 15:3-6, Ephesians 6:1-3 and 1 Timothy 5:8-16.

v. 17 the one who moves his neighbor- landmark-This was a marker which designated the boundaries of a person- property. Moving it backward would be the equivalent of stealing a person- land (Prov. 22:28).

v. 20 lies with his father- wife-To lie sexually with one- mother or step-mother. See 1 Corinthians 5:1-8 for a New Testament reflection of this commandment.

v. 22 lies with his sister-Leviticus 18 is the first extensive list of physical relations which were prohibited among God- people. In the days of Genesis it was acceptable for one to mate with close family, out of necessity at the beginning, but also probably due to the purity of the gene pool in the early history of humanity. However, by this point in our development as a race it was not only unnecessary but had become a dangerous practice due to the resulting birth defects.

v. 24 who attacks his neighbor secretly-The one that murders his neighbor in secret, where there are no witnesses. He may believe that he has escaped justice, but God sees everything done in secret and reveals that the curse of the Law will follow and eventually overtake the murderer. This is reminiscent of Numbers 32:23, "¦be sure your sin will find you out."

v. 25 who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person-an assassin, mercenary or any other hired killer. Also, this could refer to a judge who accepts a bribe to condemn an innocent person to death.