Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the greatest composers of all time. While he was regionally famous as an organist and technician in his lifetime, he was not well known for his work as a composer. But about one hundred years later, his music was rediscovered by Felix Mendelssohn. After this, Bach achieved worldwide fame and acclamation.

Moses’ life goal since he met God at the burning bush had been to lead Israel to the Promised Land. He had spent forty years wandering in the desert and led the people right to the cusp of a land that he would never get to experience himself. As an act of grace, God allowed Moses to glimpse the Promised Land before his death (v. 4).

In some ways, much of the Pentateuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy) can be viewed as a biography of Moses. We are first introduced to him in the account of his miraculous deliverance at birth (Exodus 2). He has been the main human character throughout the rest of Exodus–Deuteronomy. We have seen him learn and grow into his role. As D. L. Moody memorably put it, “Moses spent forty years thinking he was a somebody; forty years learning he was a nobody, and forty years discovering what God can do with a nobody.” Certainly, after he killed an Egyptian and fled for his life, it did not look like he would amount to much (Ex. 2:11–24). Yet, God called him to lead His people out of Egypt.

Throughout it all, Moses was a faithful servant (v. 5). He was not perfect, but he led Israel, revealed the Law, and pointed people away from himself and to the Lord. His life pointed beyond himself to a future Prophet and Redeemer who would do for Israel and the rest of the world what Moses could not—provide forgiveness of sin and new life in the Spirit (Acts 7:37).

Ceremonies often mark important transitions in life. High school graduation marks a transition toward adulthood. Marriage celebrates the start of a lifelong union between a man and woman. In Deuteronomy 27, Moses looks forward to a significant transition for Israel—they would cease to wander in the desert and take up residence in the Promised Land.

To mark this occasion, Moses outlined a dramatic ceremony. After writing out the Law publicly on stones coated in plaster, half of the tribes would ascend Mount Ebal and half would ascend Mount Gerizim (vv. 12–13). From Mount Ebal, the tribes and Levites would recite the curses of the covenant if Israel was unfaithful. From Mount Gerizim, the tribes and Levites would pronounce the blessings of obedience. In Deuteronomy 27, the focus is on the curses.

Curses were pronounced against those who violated clear standards the Lord had established. The curse was not operated by magic. Rather, it was a pronouncement with which God would judge. A common thread here is that these were all actions that could be done in secret: worshiping an idol in one’s home (v. 15); moving boundary stones (v. 17); misleading a blind person (v. 18); oppressing the foreigner, widow, or orphan (v. 19); various sexual sins (vv. 20–23); murder (v. 24); and bribery (v. 25).

The Lord desires His people to live holy lives, not just in public when everyone notices but also in private when only the individual and the Lord might know about it. Ultimately, Israel failed to keep the covenant. As Scripture clearly teaches, “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23). The message of the gospel is that what Israel could not do—and what we cannot do—the Lord has done for us: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13).

Did you know that in Alabama it is illegal to make a person in church laugh by wearing a fake mustache on Sunday? In North Carolina, it is illegal for a bingo session to last more than five hours! This is a sample of laws that are technically still on the books, but no longer enforced.

Deuteronomy 22:1–12 contains a series of laws that may seem irrelevant to believers today. Are Christians supposed to obey these laws? If, as followers of Christ, we are not under the Mosaic Law, why are they still in the Bible? These laws reveal God’s character. They describe how God wanted Israel to live within their cultural context. They are authoritative to us as God’s revelation. They are a source of wisdom as we reflect on the values on which these laws were founded.

Some laws in this section were given to remind Israel that they were to be a separate and distinct people. They were not to wear clothing of two different kinds of cloth (v. 11) or plant fields with different kinds of seeds (v. 9). These are not moral issues, but they would be a physical reminder of Israel’s call to be holy.

Many laws describe how they should treat others. If you saw an ox or goat wandering, you were to care for it until its owner came looking for it (vv. 1–3). If you saw an animal that had fallen and the owner was struggling to help the animal back to its feet, you were to help (v. 4). There is even a law related to having compassion for wild birds (vv. 6–7).

Jesus summarized the Law in this way to His disciples: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 7:12).

Did you know that in Alabama it is illegal to make a person in church laugh by wearing a fake mustache on Sunday? In North Carolina, it is illegal for a bingo session to last more than five hours! This is a sample of laws that are technically still on the books, but no longer enforced.

Deuteronomy 22:1–12 contains a series of laws that may seem irrelevant to believers today. Are Christians supposed to obey these laws? If, as followers of Christ, we are not under the Mosaic Law, why are they still in the Bible? These laws reveal God’s character. They describe how God wanted Israel to live within their cultural context. They are authoritative to us as God’s revelation. They are a source of wisdom as we reflect on the values on which these laws were founded.

Some laws in this section were given to remind Israel that they were to be a separate and distinct people. They were not to wear clothing of two different kinds of cloth (v. 11) or plant fields with different kinds of seeds (v. 9). These are not moral issues, but they would be a physical reminder of Israel’s call to be holy.

Many laws describe how they should treat others. If you saw an ox or goat wandering, you were to care for it until its owner came looking for it (vv. 1–3). If you saw an animal that had fallen and the owner was struggling to help the animal back to its feet, you were to help (v. 4). There is even a law related to having compassion for wild birds (vv. 6–7).

Jesus summarized the Law in this way to His disciples: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 7:12).

Recently, my wife learned that one of her high school classmates was murdered by the classmate’s husband. Even though she had not seen her classmate for years, the news was jarring. In our world, violence and disregard for human life is rampant. But it has been that way since the day Cain killed his brother. History is filled with a trail of blood (Genesis 4).

That is not the way it was meant to be. God places a high value on human life. Because humans embody the image of God, murder is an attack on God Himself. For the crime of murder, God instituted capital punishment (Gen. 9:6). Since there was no police force in Israel if a crime was committed, it was the job of the kinsman-redeemer—called here an “avenger of blood” (v. 6)—to investigate the crime and hold the guilty person accountable.

But what if a killing was accidental and the kinsman-redeemer was bent on revenge? (vv. 4–5). In this situation, God provided cities of refuge (vv. 2, 9). The elders of the cities would add a layer of protection to ensure justice. They could investigate to discern if the person committed intentional murder or unintentional manslaughter.

Passages like these remind us of two key truths. First, God places high value on human life. We are to treat others with dignity and respect and work to protect all life, especially those most vulnerable—the unborn, those suffering from mental or physical impairments, or the elderly. Second, God is deeply concerned for justice. The Law recognizes both the reality of human sin and the fact that a longing for justice can be warped into a thirst for revenge.

These realities should make us long for the return of the Lord Jesus and the coming of His kingdom when there will be no more “death or mourning or crying or pain” (Rev. 21:4).