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view is now prospective, looking forward to the crossing of Jordan and the entering of the
land.
We now examine the next pair of members, 4: 1 - 5: 33 and 29: 1-17. Both are
said to be retrospective, and associated with Horeb. The second differs from the first in
that it is said to be "plus Horeb". This we must test. Israel are reminded of what took
place at Baal-peor (4: 3), of what happened to Moses (4: 21) and of the manifestation at
Sinai and in Egypt (4: 33, 34). The association with Horeb is found in 4: 15 and 5: 2.
The parallel passage (29: 1-17) is both retrospective and additional to the covenant
terms of Horeb. Moses opens with the retrospective words, "Ye have seen" (29: 2-4);
and this is resumed in verses 16 and 17: "For ye know . . . . . Ye have seen." The words
of 29: 1: "These are the words of the covenant . . . . . beside the covenant which He
made with them in Horeb" speak of an important fact that must be taken into
consideration whenever the "covenant" is mentioned. For the moment, however, we
have to test the structure given on page 235. We turn, therefore, to the next pair of
members, 6: 1 - 11: 25 and 29: 18 - 30: 20:--
Injunctions on entry. Prospective.
Injunctions re dispersion. Prospective.
Chapter 6: opens with the words:--
"Now these are the commandments, the statutes and the judgments which the Lord
your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to
possess it . . . . . thou and thy son, and thy son's son" (6: 1, 2).
Chapter 7: 1 continues in the same strain: "When the Lord thy God shall bring thee
into the land." And so with 8: 1, 9: 1 and 11: 10, 11; the whole passage, however
(29: 18 - 30: 20), has to do with the possibility of the people being deprived of the
land and scattered:--
"The anger of the Lord was kindled against the land . . . . . and the Lord rooted them
out . . . . . and cast them into another land" (29: 27, 28).
"If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven" (30: 4).
The central members of the structure are concerned with blessings and curses,
Gerizim and Ebal, and the laws in the land.
Chapter 11: 26-28 deals with a blessing and a curse:--
"Behold I set before you this day a blessing and a curse" (11: 26).
Chapter 28: 1-68 balances this section, verses 3-14 detailing a series of blessings,
and verses 15-68 a series of curses.
Chapter 27: 11-26 is taken up with the
pronouncement of blessings and curses by specified tribes on either Gerizim or Ebal.
This leaves us with 12: 1 - 27: 10 and 31: 9 - 32: 47:--