DCLM Daily Manna 2025: DCLM Daily Manna 31 June 2025: Ebal and Gerizim
Text: Deuteronomy 27:11-26 (KJV)
And Moses commanded the people on the same day, saying, 12 “These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you have crossed over the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin; 13 and these shall stand on Mount Ebal to curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
14 “And the Levites shall speak with a loud voice and say to all the men of Israel: 15 ‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, [a]an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’
“And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen!’
16 ‘Cursed is the one who treats his father or his mother with contempt.’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
17 ‘Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
18 ‘Cursed is the one who makes the blind to wander off the road.’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
19 ‘Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the stranger, the fatherless, and widow.’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
20 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s bed.’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
21 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with any kind of animal.’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
22 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
23 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with his mother-in-law.’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
24 ‘Cursed is the one who attacks his neighbor secretly.’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
25 ‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person.’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
26 ‘Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ ”
KEY VERSE: Deuteronomy 27:12,13 These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people… And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse…
Some people distaste dos and don’ts. In particular, they frown at anything that looks like a negative command. What such people do not realise is that the so-called positive and negative commands are like the two wings of a bird that enables it to fly. From time, God’s instructions have always been stated in both positive and negative modes – dos and don’ts. This helps to make the issue more pointed and reduces doubts about what is required of us.
The event that took place in the mountains of Gerizim and Ebal concerning the Israelites as captured in today’s text is a classic example of the dos and don’ts concept. Just before the Jews entered Canaan, Moses had prepared them by giving them God’s laws that should guide every aspect of their lives, including personal conduct, relationships, and worship. They were summoned to Gerizim and Ebal, two mountains that were side by side in Ephraim between which lay the city of Schechem. There, they were to give full expression of their commitment to the commandments of God by binding themselves to the blessings pronounced on the obedient as well as curses declared on the disobedient. The twelve tribes were divided into two with six standing on mount Gerizim from where the blessings would be pronounced and the other six on mount Ebal from where the curses would be uttered. The people agreed to these with a unanimous ‘amen’.
The Gerizim and Ebal experience in Canaan land aimed to strengthen the people’s obedience to divine laws. Blessings were offered as a reward for compliance, while curses acted as a deterrent for disobedience. In today’s era, God’s word still guides us on how to stay in His favour and avoid His wrath. The gospel encompasses both blessings and warnings about God’s judgment for those who remain unrepentant and disobedient.
We should be grateful for God’s double-layered arrangement of promises and warnings. These blessings should inspire us to follow God’s will, while the warnings should deter us from straying. Both aspects are meant to guide us in our Christian walk and help us stay on the righteous path set by God.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: He who will be reformed neither by God’s blessings nor His chastising rod is doomed.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 23-24
Daily Manna 1 June 2025
