Dt. 11: The Rainmaker

Deuteronomy 11:11 "But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven."

Again, its more review here. But there are some interesting new observations. Outside of the typical "obey my commands or else," type of things, there's actually a lot going on in chapter 11.

There is a reminder that it was this group of people on the threshold of the promised land that it was they who saw all these miracles that God did for them. They witnessed it personally, it wasn't passed down to them. What's the point though? They have also seen what happened when they screwed up. God's punishment and blessings are visual. Very sensational. Obvious, one might say. They weren't relying on secondhand knowledge for what happened. They couldn't sit there and say, "Whatever, that's what you say."

I also love the contrast drawn between Egypt and the Promised Land. Egypt was a land of toil, of labor...of effort. It was the Israelites themselves that were responsible for watering the land, and creating bricks out of the mud. In the Promised Land, that will be a land of relative rest. God will send the rain in season, and Israelites and cattle will be satisfied by what comes from the land. Another chapter in showing the health and vitality of the land is almost entirely contingent on the behavior of the Israelites, although it is God who watches over it. But what is the connection? Why is that so?

Also, upon possession of the Promised Land, two mountains come to prominence. The first, Gerizim, will be the one upon which the blessings of God are proclaimed. The second, Ebal, will be the base for which God's curses will be complained. Gerizim will be the symbol for obedience, while Ebal will represent disobedience. But why? These high places will be prominent. Everyone will be aware of the blessings and the curses, apparently. I wonder what has become of these mountains today, if the curses and blessings stand.