Deuteronomy 27:1-3 "And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments which I command you this day. (2) And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaister them with plaister: (3) And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee."
The people of Israel were very close to entering the land of Canaan. The
Lord had provided every need and led them to this place. When they entered the
new land, they would see the various idols and styles of worship that the
nations had established in that land. Human nature is such that we can be
easily swayed, if not careful to maintain our stance in the Lord. We are influenced
by those around us in ways we do not even recognize until their habits and
lifestyles have taken hold of us. "Like as a father pitieth his
children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. (14) For he
knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." (Psalm 103:13-14)
I have used this passage before from the Psalms and I have to go back to
it often to remind myself of who I am and what I am capable of doing In, and
of, my own ability.
God instructed the people to set up "great stones" that could easily
be seen and would serve as a constant reminder to them. They were to cover the
stones with plaister which was a mixture with limestone. They were then to
inscribe the law upon those stones. It is thought the plaister was to be
used in order for the words to be easily seen and read. This would serve as a
reminder to the people that they were not to get caught up with the religions
of the land. God had avouched (promised) the people and they had avouched
(promised) to Him that the LORD would indeed be their God.
In addition to the stones with the law inscribed, they were to build an altar
unto the Lord. This seemed to be an altar that was in addition to the one
that was maintained within the walls of the tabernacle. They were to
build this altar from the rocks that would be gathered out of the new
land. Upon that altar, they were to offer burnt sacrifices and also make
a peace offering unto the Lord. The brazen altar inside the tabernacle
was a personal time of reflection unto the Lord for the daily sins of the
people. This altar, which was to be built, was a public national declaration
that their dependence was upon the Lord God Almighty, the only true and living
God. The peace offering was a public declaration that their complete
trust and confidence was in the Lord rather than man.
This morning as I reflect upon these verses, I am made to realize there are
times of private, personal worship, confession, and declaration unto the Lord
that my complete trust and confidence is in Him. But also, there are
times when I need to be very vocal and intentional in my public declaration of
love, confidence, and relationship with my Lord. We live in a time when,
in my opinion, we desperately need to be vocal in our faith and love for the Lord
Jesus Christ. May we think upon these things.