What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 27:15? “Cursed is the man” • Scripture does not treat “curse” as a mere figure of speech; it is a real, divine sentence of judgment (Deuteronomy 28:15; Jeremiah 17:5). • A curse here is the opposite of the blessing promised for covenant faithfulness (Deuteronomy 28:1–2). • Galatians 3:10 reminds us that “all who rely on works of the Law are under a curse,” underscoring our need for Christ to redeem us from the Law’s penalties. “Who makes a carved idol or molten image” • The second commandment explicitly forbids fashioning any image for worship (Exodus 20:4). • Leviticus 26:1 repeats the ban, tying idolatry to covenant breaking. • 1 John 5:21 presses the same truth on believers: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” “An abomination to the LORD” • Deuteronomy 7:25 calls idols “detestable”; God’s moral revulsion has not changed (Malachi 3:6). • Proverbs 6:16–19 lists practices that are “an abomination,” showing that idolatry ranks with the worst sins. • 1 Corinthians 10:14 urges, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry,” treating it as utterly incompatible with fellowship with Christ. “The work of the hands of a craftsman” • Psalm 115:4–8 exposes the absurdity: idols have eyes yet cannot see. • Isaiah 44:12–20 pictures a smith shaping a god out of the same wood he burns for fuel—highlighting human folly. • Acts 17:29 affirms that the true God “is not like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s art and imagination.” “And sets it up in secret” • 2 Kings 17:9 reports that Israel “did secretly against the LORD their God things that were not right,” a direct parallel. • Ezekiel 8:7–12 shows elders worshiping images in hidden chambers—yet God sees it all. • Jesus’ warning in Luke 12:2–3 stands: “Nothing is concealed that will not be disclosed.” “And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’” • “Amen” means, “So be it; it is true.” Nehemiah 8:6 records the people answering “Amen, Amen” to God’s Word. • Corporate affirmation acknowledges communal responsibility; sin tolerated by one member affects the whole (Joshua 7:1–12; 1 Corinthians 5:6). • 2 Corinthians 1:20 points to Christ, “through whom we say the ‘Amen’ to the glory of God,” uniting our agreement with His finished work. summary Deuteronomy 27:15 pronounces a literal, covenantal curse on anyone who manufactures an idol and secretly enthrones it, because such an act violates God’s clear command, demeans His glory, and invites judgment. The verse exposes idolatry’s folly, asserts God’s all-seeing holiness, and calls the covenant community to wholehearted agreement with God’s verdict. |
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