Joshua 8:30-35

Joshua 8:30-35

[30] Then Joshua  built  an altar  unto the LORD  God  of Israel  in mount  Ebal,  [31] As Moses  the servant  of the LORD  commanded  the children  of Israel,  as it is written  in the book  of the law  of Moses,  an altar  of whole  stones,  over which no man hath lift up  any iron:  and they offered  thereon burnt offerings  unto the LORD,  and sacrificed  peace offerings.  [32] And he wrote  there upon the stones  a copy  of the law  of Moses,  which he wrote  in the presence  of the children  of Israel.  [33] And all Israel,  and their elders,  and officers,  and their judges,  stood  on this side the ark  and on that side before the priests  the Levites,  which bare  the ark  of the covenant  of the LORD,  as well the stranger,  as he that was born  among them; half  of them over  against  mount  Gerizim,  and half  of them over against  mount  Ebal;  as Moses  the servant  of the LORD  had commanded  before,  that they should bless  the people  of Israel.  [34] And afterward  he read  all the words  of the law,  the blessings  and cursings,  according to all that is written  in the book  of the law.  [35] There was not a word  of all that Moses  commanded,  which Joshua  read  not before all the congregation  of Israel,  with the women,  and the little ones,  and the strangers  that were conversant  among  them.

What does Joshua 8:30-35 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Israel had now obtained a substantial enough foothold in the land to journey north to Shechem to carry out God"s instructions concerning the renewal of the covenant in the land ( Deuteronomy 27). Shechem stood about30 miles north of Ai. It was a significant place for this ceremony because it was there that God first told Abraham that He would give him the land of Canaan ( Genesis 12:7). Also, Jacob had buried his idols there ( Genesis 35:2). Moreover Shechem had always been a busy site because of its geographical situation at a crossroads in northern Palestine.
"The story of the building of an altar on Mount Ebal and of the solemn reading of the blessings and curses of the covenant at that site is strategically important for understanding the message of the Book of Joshua. ... In unmistakably clear symbolism the reader is told that the right of possessing the promised land is tied to the proclamation of, and subjection to, God"s covenant claims upon his people (and upon the world)." [1]
Mt. Ebal is the northern of the two mountains with an elevation of about3 ,085 feet, and Mt. Gerizim is the southern at2 ,890 feet. The order of events the writer recorded here varies slightly from the order Moses gave in Deuteronomy. Probably the order here represents what actually took place. This ceremony established Yahweh as "the God of Israel" ( Joshua 8:30) in the sight of the Canaanites as well as the Israelites. It amounted to Israel"s declaration of dependence. The people offered burnt and peace offerings on Mt. Sinai when God first gave the Law to Israel. Their offering again here recalled the former incident and shows that this ceremony constituted a covenant renewal. [2]
"The method of plastering stones and then printing on them came originally from Egypt; thus, the letters were probably painted in red. So we can imagine large whitewashed monoliths with red Hebrew characters spelling out the Ten Commandments, and possibly the blessings and curses of the Law as well (cf. Deuteronomy 28). This structure was the first public display of the Law." [1]8
"This made it palpable even to strangers entering the land what God was worshipped in it, and all excuse for error was taken away." [4]
"The religion of Israel at its best has always been a missionary religion." [5]
The extent of the passages from the Mosaic Law that the people copied on the stone monuments is not clear from this passage. Deuteronomy 27 seems to imply the Ten Commandments. "The blessing and the curse" ( Joshua 8:34) may be a synonym for "all the words of the law" (i.e, the Ten Commandments), rather than a reference to the specific blessings and curses listed previously and recited here ( Deuteronomy 28). However, another possibility is that "the blessing and the curse" may refer to Deuteronomy 28. Some scholars believe the Israelites inscribed the whole Book of Deuteronomy on a stone. This is possible since the Behistun Inscription, also written on a stone monolith in Iran, is three times the length of Deuteronomy.
This ceremony confronted all the Israelites-men, women, and children-with the demands of their covenant God as they began this new phase of their national history. Obedient response would guarantee future rest, prosperity, and happiness in the land.
It is important for God"s people to declare their allegiance to His revealed will publicly among the unbelievers with whom we live (cf. Acts 1:8). This helps them understand why we live as we do, and it brings glory to God when His people then proceed to live upright lives and demonstrate His supernatural power (cf. Matthew 5:16).