I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Deuteronomy 27-28.

Moses instructed the Israelites that once they entered into the Promised Land they should assemble in the valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim.  Then the Levites would call out blessings for obedience from Mount Gerizim and curses for disobedience from Mount Ebal.  The people would acknowledge each blessing and each curse the Levites called out.  One can read the things which would lead to a curse and learn important lessons about our behavior.  However, I want to focus on what this exercise meant for the Israelites and for us today.  The things which the Levites called out and of which the people acknowledged acceptance represented a basic set of values which everyone accepted and agreed to live by.  In order for a society to be functional it must have such a set of values by which everyone agrees to abide if they wish to be part of that society.  The idea that a country needed such a set of common values was rejected during my childhood and early adult years, but today I see an attempt to establish a new set of values to which everyone is required to abide.  This new set of values appears to me to be contrary to those laid out for the people of Israel and to be those which will result in the curses described later in this passage.