Josh 8:34, Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. 
    	This morning’s reading showcases the ambush and conquering of the city of Ai. If you will remember from our previous time in this Book of Joshua, this was the city that had defeated the Israelites and caused them to flee in terror of their lives because of the sin of Achan. He had lusted after the detestable wealth of this world and that caused the Lord to remove His protective hand from the whole of the nation. It was only after that sin was fully dealt with, that Joshua could then lead the nation forward into battle with the Lord going before them. They had expunged the one who had thus brought the separation from God and removed the detestable things from the encampment. 
	Because of the contriteness of the people’s heart and their obedience again unto the Lord, the plan of attack against the city of Ai was laid before Joshua by Jehovah. It was carried out in complete obedience to the command of the Lord; therefore the victory was utterly by the Hands of God. The city and all its defilement against The Lord was absolutely destroyed per the dictates of the Most Holy Lord God Almighty, Yahweh!
	What followed this victory is the account of this morning’s passage in which Joshua made the altar unto the Lord with stones that had not been cut by human instrumentation. The sacrifices were offered in thanksgiving to the Lord and the peace offerings were put before the Lord as witnessed by the people. Joshua even wrote the 10 Commandments on the stones that were placed before the altar. Then, because that was not sufficient enough to honor the Lord, Joshua gathered the nation together with the women and the children and even the strangers that were in their midst and he read every word of the Law which had been given by the Lord through Moses.
	We should be struck by the word picture of the nation, after such an overwhelming victory, being gathered together for a complete reading of the Word of God that had been given to them. They were not running amok and going crazy over the tremendous victory in battle which had been theirs. They were gathered and hushed before the altar and listening to Joshua as he read the full manuscript of the Law of God. It is a depiction of tranquility and enjoyment in having the Lord’s Words offered unto the people as part of their celebration of the Lord’s plan of battle being so successful. 
We need to search out our hearts as to how often we read the Word of God as our means of the celebration of His victory over this life? We will pray and we will rejoice and we will sing songs of praises, but do we take such extreme pleasure in going to the Word as the focal aspect of our celebration? Do we take such joy and pleasure and heart-felt delight in the Word as it is proclaimed in this time of honoring the Lord for the great victory which He orchestrated on the behalf of His people?
This is to be the case with us as was so indicated in Deut 31:10-13. Moses made known that it was vital that the people continually read the Law at the every occasion when the nation came together to celebrate the goodness of the Lord. This was to be something that was done with the joy that the Lord had so loved the people that He had given them His Word to be treasured and valued and enjoyed. The very reading of God’s Word together was the commemoration aspect of the feasts and the festivals and the rejoicing in the forgiveness of sins and all the goodness of the Lord.
Deut 31:10-13, Then Moses commanded them, saying, "At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, in order that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. And their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess." 
	This love of hearing the Word of God read aloud was especially evident after the people returned to the Promised Land after their many years of exile. We see this in Neh 8:1-3. Following so many decades of not having the Law read, the people were thirsting and even begging to hear the Word of the Lord once again. They wanted it to be openly shared among them in celebration of the return to their homeland. They requested that the Law would be read again out loud for all to hear.
	Neh 8:1-3, And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had given to Israel. Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law. 
    	This had a tremendous effect upon them as we have recorded for us in Neh 9:2+3. It caused them to set themselves apart from their sinful activities. As a result of hearing the Word, they began to seek for the forgiveness of the Lord for that which they had committed which had brought about their removal from the land. They realized that it had been their sinfulness and the sins of their fathers which had wracked such utter devastation to the people of God. In hearing and obeying the Word, they wanted to have that wickedness cleansed away from this remnant of the Lord’s people.
	Neh 9:2+3, And the descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God. 
    	The next item that we want to consider is that which was read to the people. Of course it included the Ten Commandments which we know was written by the Hand of God on the tablets of stone. In this morning’s reading, that Law was written on the stones at the altar that was built by Joshua. But the readings to the people included, as well, the other writings that we have read in Leviticus, and Numbers, and Deuteronomy. There would have been some from Exodus rounding out the Pentatuch. Definitely included would be the blessings and the curses that the people needed to hear in order to keep them fully aware of what was expected of them by the Lord. They needed to be reminded of what would happen if they refused to honor and obey the Lord God Jehovah.
	We begin the reading of some of these excerpts together in our celebration of all that God is doing for and in us, His people. Please open to Ex 20:17. Ex 20:1-17, Then God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you. "You shall not murder. "You shall not commit adultery. "You shall not steal. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor." 
	Then the reading would certainly have included the blessing and the curses as directed by the Spirit of the Lord unto His people, as in Deut 27:14-26. This passage lists the manner in which the people, who were the direct recipients of this writing of the Law, heard and responded to the curses that were set before them. It was an acceptance with respect to voicing their full agreement that these defilements were not to be a part of their walk on this earth before the Lord. 
They acknowledged that what was put before them was, in fact, the correct way that these elements would be dealt with. They are the way of the Lord that was handed down to His people because they reflected His Holiness. The people agreed that they were to be Holy as He is Holy. 
As well, there was established a concerned care for those who needed protection from the abuses of the more powerful of society. Accordingly, these blessing and curses would have been read whenever the people gathered together to celebrate the Goodness of God. This was, as we have recounted this morning, in their rejoicing in the glory and the holiness and the Sovereignty and the Victory of God.
	We will read them accordingly this morning if you would please turn to them. Deut 27:14-26, The Levites shall then answer and say to all the men of Israel with a loud voice, 'Cursed is the man who makes an idol or a molten image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.' And all the people shall answer and say,' Amen.' 'Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.' And all the people shall say,' Amen.' 'Cursed is he who moves his neighbor's boundary mark.' And all the people shall say,' Amen.' 'Cursed is he who misleads a blind person on the road.' And all the people shall say,' Amen.' 'Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow.' And all the people shall say,' Amen.' 'Cursed is he who lies with his father's wife, because he has uncovered his father's skirt.' And all the people shall say,' Amen.' 'Cursed is he who lies with any animal.' And all the people shall say,' Amen.' 'Cursed is he who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or of his mother.' And all the people shall say,' Amen.' 'Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law.' And all the people shall say,' Amen.' 'Cursed is he who strikes his neighbor in secret.' And all the people shall say,' Amen.' 'Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to strike down an innocent person.' And all the people shall say,' Amen.' 'Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.' And all the people shall say,' Amen.' 
    	Then, in Deut 28:1-14, we have the blessings detailed, which are easier to read with that sense of joy in the Lord as we proclaim our obedient reverence unto Him. Within it is the detailed reality that the Lord will bring upon His people and Himself that fullness of joy in the fact that these listeners are receiving all these blessings because they do belong to the Lord. As they honor Him, He will manifestly supply all that will show the difference that this relationship as His people makes on this earth, to His glory Alone!
Deut 28:1-14, "Now it shall be, if you will diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. "The Lord will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they shall come out against you one way and shall flee before you seven ways. The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you. The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you will keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and walk in His ways. So all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord shall make you the head and not the tail, and you only shall be above, and you shall not be underneath, if you will listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. 
    	Because this covenant with the Lord was so wonderful and to be so highly prized by the nation for the goodness and the majesty of the Lord, it was further detailed, as in Deut 29:14-21, what would happen if any man, or woman, or family, or tribe would so besmirch the goodness and the holiness of the Lord. If any would wantonly go after the gods of the nations surrounding them, they would suffer the just judgment of the Lord. 
Again, this passage would be read at every opportunity in celebration of Who God is. This would be in order to maintain, within the conscious reasoning of the people, the fact that they were to hold true and be utterly loyal to their Lord God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth. Reading then together Deut 29:14-21.
	Deut 29:14-21, "Now not with you alone am I making this covenant and this oath, but both with those who stand here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God and with those who are not with us here today (for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed. Moreover, you have seen their abominations and their idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold, which they had with them); lest there shall be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of those nations; lest there shall be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood. And it shall be when he hears the words of this curse, that he will boast, saying, 'I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart in order to destroy the watered land with the dry.' "The Lord shall never be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this book will rest on him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven. Then the Lord will single him out for adversity from all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant which are written in this book of the law. 
    	We close with Deut 30:15-20, the encouragement, directly from the Lord through the mouth of Moses, to the people. This was to be read and read and read over and over and over again. It details what would happen if the people let their hearts stray from their love of the Lord. This further proclaimed the means of celebrating His goodness and His faithfulness and His promise of all that they would ever need as it was to be received with joy. It fulfills the commitment that the people were hearing the Word of God expressly for their ears and their hearts, as it is for our ears and our hearts.
	Deut 30:15-20, "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You shall not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." So be it.
	Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. Amen.

This morning’s benediction is Num 6:24-26, which surely would have been read to the people, The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.' Amen.