v. 2 - 8 The injunction to raise up the stones and write on them is the basis for the words of Habakkuk. Habakkuk 2:2

v.12,13 Maybe you can remember the mothers of all the sons - I never can so here is the family tree

The different curses to which the people are to say 'amen' summarise and represent elements of the law which have all previously been given. Now, rather than just hearing the words they have to acknowledge that they are true and that they accept them as applying to them. (Jeremiah 11:15) Is one other occasion where this area of Deuteronomy is quoted. The Authorised Version is a bad translation.

V.9  Note the clause this day thou art become the people of the LORD thy God. Israel, as a son of God had been regenerated from the death of the old sinful nation which fell in the wilderness.  As such they were about to be elevated to enter God's rest in the Promised Land. This foreshadows the Lord Jesus, as the Son of God, who was begotten (regenerated) from the death state to immortality to enter God's rest (Psa 2:7; Acts 13:33; Heb 1:5).

Vs.2-5 The stones to be used for the altar had to be un-hewn (as Yahweh had made).  They were to be plastered (whited) and the Law written upon them.  Members of Spiritual Israel will each receive a white stone from Yahweh with a new name written upon it when they enter their Promised Land (Rev 2:17).

The community of Israel voiced its agreement to prayer (And all the people shall answer and say, Amen).  I think we should follow the same pattern and assent to a communal prayer by all saying Amen at the end of it.

27:9-10  ‘Therefore’ marks a logical relationship between becoming the people of God and obeying His voice.  The issue is simple. If we are to be His people then we have to obey His voice. There are no half measures.

27:1 In the days of Josiah a copy of the law was found - 2Kin 22:8– Jeremiah reproved the people, telling them to keep that law – Jer 11. The phrase ‘which I command you’ is quoted in Jer 11:8

Vs.4-8 There were twelve curses which applied to the twelve tribes of Israel.  Notice that the altar and the stones on which these curses were written were placed on Mt. Ebal (the mount of cursing) and not Mt. Gerizim (the mount of blessing).  Perhaps Yahweh wished to emphasize the sinfulness of human nature and its need to be forgiven (through sacrifice).

28:19 These is a certain poignancy of the injunction about the ‘fatherless’ and ‘widow’ as the vast majority of the people who would stand to assent to the curses would be ‘fatherless’ and there would be a great number of widows as it was  the ‘men of war’ who perished in the wilderness. Deut 2:14

Vs.12,13 Mount Gerazim and Mount Ebal were near Shechem.  They were only separated by about 1500 feet.  In between them was a lush valley.  The two mountains rose very steeply to about 800 feet from the floor of the valley.  The sound would have resonated within that enclosure.

The blessings were to be said by the sons of Leah and Rachel, the two primary wives of Jacob.  The curses were to be administered by the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah, Jacob’s secondary wives; and Reuben who had fallen from grace (Gen 49:3,4); plus Zebulun the youngest son of Leah.

Why these particular curses (v15-26), and why this particular place? These mountains were nowhere near Jericho where Israel crossed the Jordan. They would have had to make a specific trip.

When we look at the history of the area we get the answers. Shechem is situated in-between the Mountains of Ebal and Gerizim. Shechem was the place where Jacob had bought land he later fled from (v17). It was where Dinah wandered off the path to see the daughters of the land (v18). It was where Jacob was despised by his sons when they sold his favourite son into slavery (v16). It was where Levi and Simeon had suddenly and without warning attacked their neighbour, Shechem (v24). It was where their foreign idols and pendants were burried (v15, Gen 35:4) The rest can only be supposed, but we know that at the very least Rueben had slept with his father's concubine, Bilhah (v20, Gen 35:22). These warnings were very necessary.

After Joshua's leadership he again felt it necessary to warn Israel at Shechem (Josh 24) but in 1Kin 12:25-33 we see that eventually it became the seat of idolatry for Israel under the reign of Jereboam - and Israel never recovered.

V.10  TESHUWOAH (8669) is the Hebrew word for "desire" which means a stretching out after, a longing to run after. Christ's desire to His Bride was shown when He met in the upper room with the twelve. "With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer."  

7:1 In speaking of the bride as having items made by a ‘cunning workman’ we learn that the bride has not made her own beauty. Rather it is ‘of God’ rather like the tabernacle which was made by ‘cunning’ men – Exo 35:35

7:2 Whilst we might not think describing a woman’s #belly’ as ‘a heap of wheat’ when we think about the blessings of God upon the land we may be more willing to consider the description as flattering.

7:9     Those who are ‘asleep’ are the dead saints. The ability of the bridegroom is to bring them back from the dead.

7:3 The ‘young roses’ answer to faithful believers as can be seen in the way the word for Roe <06646> passes into New Testament Greek as <5000> ‘Tabitha’, for example in Acts Acts 9:40

The bride’s body parts are described passionately in this chapter.  Twelve body parts are mentioned. They are: feet; thighs; hands; navel; belly; breasts (one set); neck; eyes; nose; head; mouth; lips (one set).  

True followers of Jesus are His bride. They also make up His body.  Each body part has a function which is just as important as any other part. Together they comprise one magnificent whole (1Cor 12:12-24). 

Twelve of the bride’s body parts are named. The significance of the number twelve is plain to see with regard to Natural Israel (e.g. twelve tribes).  But twelve is also significant to Spiritual Israel. The bride of Christ is described as the Spiritual Jerusalem in the New Testament.  Here, dimensions using twelve or a multiple of twelve are described (Heb 12:22; Rev 3:12, 21:10-16).  

7:5 Carmel is a place of fruitful feeding according to the way in which the prophet Mic 7:14 speaks of Carmel.

23 v.6 Paul, by seeing the divisions amongst his detractors masterfully deflected attention from his own position to their disagreement amongst themselves. This was not simply clever evasive tactics. Rather, as he stood little chance of furthering the Gospel at this point, he avoided being dragged into pointless discussion.We can learn from the way in which Paul responded here.

24 v.2-9 gives us the flattering words of Tertullus whereas Paul’s response [Acts 24:10-21] is of a different nature to Tertullus’s comments. He is direct and to the point. Factually correct and concise. So should our dealings be with all men. We should not use flattering lips [Psalm 12:2,3] to support our cause. Rather we should always ‘speak the truth with our neighbour [Ephesians 4:25].

23:13-21 We might have thought that because Paul did not heed the warning that he should not go to Jerusalem that God would no longer take care of him. The narrative in this section outlines that God did indeed take care of him.

24:15 Even though Paul is here being tried for causing an affray he uses the opportunity to emphasise the gospel - he speaks about his belief in the resurrection from the dead.

23:5 In quoting Exodus 22:28 to show he understood the way that the high priest should be respected one is left wondering whether Paul regarded the 'high priest' as a man with no greater status than any other man because he was not the rightful high priest anyway.

24:15 The bold assertion that both just and unjust reflects the language of Daniel 12:1-3 and is an important part of Paul's message. Not only is there going to be a resurrection, there is also going to be a judgement - a relevant point to make in this context. It is not simply a case of law that Paul is involved in. It is a matter of life and death.

Acts 23:1. This is the 5th trial of a teacher of the gospel that we are aware of to appear before the Sanhedrin council.   The others recorded for us are:
                     Christ:  Luke 22:66-71. 
                     Peter and John:  Acts 4:5-22.
                     The disciples:  Acts 5:21-40.
                     Stephen:  Acts 6:12-7:60.

Acts 24:25: It appears that Paul during this meeting with Felix and Drusilla did not preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, but gave a discourse against their loose morals. He discussed that which is right in the sight of God, and self control. It could possibly be compared with the comments of John to Herod (Matt 14:3-4).

23:16 This is the only mention of any other of Paul's family. The nephew must have had a high regard for Paul as he risked his own life to advertise what was going on. Maybe he also was a believer.

24:1 It is not a five day journey from Jerusalem to Caesarea even allowing for the time it would take to send the message to the high priest to come down to Caesarea. Clearly he was in no hurry to stand before the  Roman authorities to accuse Paul. Paul and the Christians were a trouble to the Jewish authorities but the high priest knew that they were doing nothing that would offend Rome.

23:2-5 Contrast Paul's reaction to being struck with that of Christ's in a similar situation (John 18:22,23). Christ did not react, even though He could have made the legitimate argument that He was the true High Priest.  Paul had not yet learned how to react like his Lord (1Pet 2:21-23).  How would we react?

23:12-14  If these forty men were true to their vow they would have starved to death.  This episode illustrates that when Yahweh plans something, nothing or nobody can frustrate its completion.  Paul was destined to go to Rome (23:11).  Look at all the twists and turns that took place, and yet the end result was that Paul went to Rome. 

As we look at the events happening around us in the geo-political world, we sometimes might be caught up with the twists and turns that occur.  Nevertheless, we can be absolutely assured that Yahweh will bring about the things that He has prophesied in His Word, even though they seem unlikely in the short term (Psa 33:4; 119:160).

23:3 To call someone a whited wall meant calling that person a hypocrite.  Jesus said the same thing of the Jewish leadership (Matt 23:27). Today, the term whitewash is used to describe a means of glossing over mistakes. White associated with the redeemed saints, on the other hand, is a token of purity and acceptance (Rev 2:17; 3:5; 19:8).

23:10 This discourse took place on temple mount. When Paul was brought into the ‘castle’ he was taken into the Antonio fort on the North West corner of temple mount up the steps – hence ‘go down’ the soldiers, looking from the fort went down the stairs onto the plaza and took Paul. A similar situation is found in Acts 21:32.

24:25 In speaking of a ‘convenient season’ Felix demonstrates that the Roman legal system could not convict Paul of any crime but Felix did not want to free Paul nor respond to the gospel message.

24:15  The resurrection of Jesus is fundamental to the gospel. However it was also one point which divided the Pharisees and Sadducees. So Paul’s comment would engender tension amongst his opponents. Maybe some would think about the way that Paul had changed and respond in like manner because of his message.

23:1   In saying that he had lived ‘in all good conscience’ Paul is contrasting his approach to pleasing God with that of the Jewish leaders who could appeal to their adherence to a set of rules.

23:15 Paul had been carried up into the castle – Acts 21:37 – and now the Jews sought for him to be brought out into the open – probably on the temple mount – so he was no longer so closely protected by the Romans.

23:16 Here we are introduced to some of Paul's natural family - his sister and nephew. I wonder whether they were also believers.  In any event, they obviously kept apprised of Paul's situation.  His nephew's warning to him gives witness to their concern. 

The nephew, a young man, was allowed to enter the barracks.  This could have been allowed on a personal basis alone, but we should also remember that the nephew was a Roman citizen.  This status held much sway at this time.

24:6 It is clear that the Jews were not going to judge Paul according to the Jewish law for they had already acknowledged that they were unable to put any man to death - John 18:31– but they were seeking to kill him – Acts 23:15