And it shall come to pass, when the LORD thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal. Deuteronomy 11:29 In Joshua 8, we see half of the tribes of the children of Israel on Mount Gerizim, the other half on Mount Ebal with Joshua, and the priests and Levites in the valley between. Joshua will say a certain commandment to which was attached a blessing, and all the tribes on Mount Gerizim will say, “Amen!” Then he will give a command with a curse - something which they’re not to do - and those on Mount Ebal will also say, “Amen!” In so doing, the nation of Israel will acknowledge that if they obey God, they will be blessed. If not, they will be cursed. It was on Mount Ebal that sacrifice was to be made. I love this because where there are curses, an altar is available to make provision. I’m so glad about that because I’ve been on both sides of the valley. I’ve experienced the blessings of Gerizim. But I’ve also wandered over to Ebal. Thus, I am so grateful for the altar, the provision for my sin and stupidity. Joshua is, of course, a picture of Jesus. Where is Jesus right now? He is between two mountains. He’s already been on the mountain of cursing, where He who knew no sin was made sin for us as He hung on the Cross of Calvary (2 Corinthians 5:21). But He’s coming back to another mountain - the Mount of Olives, which will split in two when He returns as the Prince of Peace (Zechariah 14:4). “I’ve heard you talk about being blessed if we obey the commandments,” you might say. “I’ve done my best, tried my hardest. But I’m not being blessed like I thought I would be. You talk about taking territory, but it hasn’t happened for me.” Wait. You’re in the valley. Wait until Jesus gets back. Oh, we’re blessed right now without question, but the Mount of Olives tells me the best is yet to come. When you read these blessings and promises, realize that, although they apply to you, to your marriage, to your family, and to your ministry, the best is yet to come. And I’m so looking forward to that. Obey the Lord. Keep His commandments. Bind His Word before your eyes. Keep it close at hand. Teach your children. And God will bless you, yes in this life; but especially, most importantly, most fully in the age of the Kingdom, throughout eternity, in Heaven.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 10:02:35 +0000