Bible Study - Joshua 8
S - And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.
Joshua 8:31–32 ESV
O - Commentary:
Second, Joshua set up some large stones. On their surfaces he wrote a copy of the Law of Moses. How much of the Law was inscribed is not stated. Some suggest only the Ten Commandments were written, while others think the stone inscription included the contents of at least Deuteronomy 5–26. Archeologists have discovered similar inscribed pillars or stelae six to eight feet long in the Middle East. And the Behistun Inscription in Iran is three times the length of Deuteronomy.
8:33–35. Third, Joshua read … the Law to the people. Half of the people were positioned on the slopes of Mount Gerizim to the south, the other half were on the slopes of Mount Ebal to the north, and the ark of the covenant surrounded by priests was in the valley between. As the curses of the Law were read one by one, the tribes on Mount Ebal responded, “Amen!” As the blessings were likewise read the tribes on Mount Gerizim responded “Amen!” (Deut. 11:29; 27:12–26) The huge natural amphitheater which still exists there made it possible for the people to hear every word and with all sincerity Israel affirmed that the Law of the Lord was indeed to be the Law of the land.
Donald K. Campbell, “Joshua,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 347.
A — Joshua didn't invent something new. He followed Moses' instructions and renewed the covenant, stone by stone. Every tribe stood and listened. Every tribe said "Amen." Nobody sat this one out. Why? Because a nation's future gets written on what it remembers, not what it forgets. What are the stones in your life? What foundations do you need to write down again, out loud, in front of the people who need to hear it with you?
R — Heavenly Father, You are the One, True God. We want to know You more — not just about You, but You Yourself. Take us back to the fundamentals. Give us the strength to stand on them, the knowledge to understand them, and the courage to live them out.
