Blessings and the Curses
445
The spot chosen was one of the most beautiful in all Palestine,
and worthy to be the theater where this grand and impressive scene
was to be enacted. The lovely valley, its green fields dotted with olive
groves, watered with brooks from living fountains, and gemmed with
wild flowers, spread out invitingly between the barren hills. Ebal and
Gerizim, upon opposite sides of the valley, nearly approach each other,
their lower spurs seeming to form a natural pulpit, every word spoken
on one being distinctly audible on the other, while the mountainsides,
receding, afford space for a vast assemblage.
According to the directions given by Moses, a monument of great
stones was erected upon Mount Ebal. Upon these stones, previously
prepared by a covering of plaster, the law was inscribed—not only the
ten precepts spoken from Sinai and engraved on the tables of stone,
but the laws communicated to Moses, and by him written in a book.
Beside this monument was built an altar of unhewn stone, upon which
sacrifices were offered unto the Lord. The fact that the altar was set
up on Mount Ebal, the mountain upon which the curse was put, was
significant, denoting that because of their transgressions of God’s law,
Israel had justly incurred His wrath, and that it would be at once visited,
but for the atonement of Christ, represented by the altar of sacrifice.
Six of the tribes—all descended from Leah and Rachel—were
stationed upon Mount Gerizim; while those that descended from the
handmaids, together with Reuben and Zebulun, took their position
on Ebal, the priests with the ark occupying the valley between them.
Silence was proclaimed by the sound of the signal trumpet; and then
in the deep stillness, and in the presence of this vast assembly, Joshua,
standing beside the sacred ark, read the blessings that were to follow
obedience to God’s law. All the tribes on Gerizim responded by an
Amen. He then read the curses, and the tribes on Ebal in like manner
gave their assent, thousands upon thousands of voices uniting as the
voice of one man in the solemn response. Following this came the
reading of the law of God, together with the statutes and judgments
that had been delivered to them by Moses.
Israel had received the law directly from the mouth of God at Sinai;
and its sacred precepts, written by His own hand, were still preserved
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in the ark. Now it had been again written where all could read it.
All had the privilege of seeing for themselves the conditions of the
covenant under which they were to hold possession of Canaan. All