◄ Deuteronomy 27:7 ►
There you are to sacrifice your peace offerings, eating them and rejoicing in the presence of the LORD your God.
Study Bible
There you are to sacrifice your peace offerings
In the context of Deuteronomy, the Israelites are instructed to offer sacrifices as part of their covenant relationship with God. Peace offerings, also known as fellowship offerings, were a type of sacrifice that symbolized reconciliation and communion with God. These offerings were distinct from sin offerings, as they were not primarily for atonement but for thanksgiving and fellowship. The location "there" refers to Mount Ebal, where the Israelites were to set up stones with the law written on them, signifying the establishment of God's law in the Promised Land. This act of sacrifice underscores the importance of obedience and worship in the life of the covenant community.

eating them and rejoicing
The act of eating the peace offerings was a communal event, symbolizing fellowship not only with God but also among the people. It was a time of celebration and gratitude, reflecting the joy of being in right relationship with God. This communal meal prefigures the Lord's Supper in the New Testament, where believers partake in communion, celebrating the peace and reconciliation brought through Jesus Christ. The emphasis on rejoicing highlights the joy that comes from obedience and the blessings of God's covenant.

in the presence of the LORD your God
The phrase "in the presence of the LORD your God" signifies the sacredness of the act. The Israelites were to recognize that their worship and sacrifices were not merely ritualistic but were performed before the living God who dwelt among them. This presence was a reminder of God's holiness and the need for the people to approach Him with reverence and sincerity. It also points to the future reality of God's presence with His people through the Holy Spirit, as promised in the New Covenant. The presence of God is a central theme throughout Scripture, from the Garden of Eden to the tabernacle, the temple, and ultimately in the person of Jesus Christ, Immanuel, "God with us."

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites who is delivering God's commandments to the people. He is the primary speaker in Deuteronomy, conveying God's laws and instructions.

2. The Israelites
The chosen people of God, who are receiving these instructions as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.

3. Mount Ebal
The location where the Israelites are instructed to set up stones with the law written on them and to build an altar for sacrifices.

4. Peace Offerings
A type of sacrifice in the Old Testament that symbolizes fellowship and thanksgiving to God. It is a communal meal shared in the presence of the Lord.

5. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who is to be worshiped and obeyed. His presence is central to the worship and sacrifices of the Israelites.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Worship
Worship is central to the life of a believer. The peace offerings symbolize a heart of gratitude and fellowship with God. We are called to worship God with joy and thanksgiving.

Community and Fellowship
The act of eating the peace offerings together highlights the importance of community in worship. As believers, we are encouraged to gather together, share in fellowship, and rejoice in God's presence.

Rejoicing in God's Presence
The command to rejoice in the presence of the Lord is a reminder that our relationship with God should be marked by joy. This joy is not dependent on circumstances but on the assurance of God's presence and faithfulness.

Obedience to God's Commands
The Israelites were instructed to follow God's commands precisely. This teaches us the importance of obedience in our walk with God, as it leads to blessings and deeper fellowship with Him.

Symbolism of Sacrifices
The peace offerings point to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who made peace between God and humanity. Our response should be one of gratitude and a life lived in worship and service to Him.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the practice of peace offerings in Deuteronomy 27:7 reflect the importance of community in worship? Can you think of ways to foster community in your own worship practices?

2. In what ways can we "rejoice in the presence of the LORD" in our daily lives, as instructed in Deuteronomy 27:7? How does Philippians 4:4 reinforce this idea?

3. How does the concept of peace offerings in the Old Testament connect to the New Testament understanding of Jesus as our peace? Consider the teachings in Hebrews 13:15.

4. What are some practical ways we can demonstrate obedience to God's commands in our lives today, as the Israelites were instructed to do?

5. Reflect on a time when you experienced joy in God's presence. How can you cultivate a heart of gratitude and worship in your current circumstances?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 3
Provides detailed instructions on how peace offerings are to be made, emphasizing the communal and celebratory nature of these sacrifices.

Hebrews 13:15
Encourages believers to offer a sacrifice of praise, connecting the Old Testament practice of peace offerings to the New Testament call for spiritual sacrifices.

Philippians 4:4
Calls believers to rejoice in the Lord always, echoing the command to rejoice in God's presence found in Deuteronomy 27:7.
Sermons
The Stones on EbalJ. Orr Deuteronomy 27:1-8
Law-Abiding PeopleR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 27:1-10
Safeguards for ObedienceD. Davies Deuteronomy 27:1-10
People
Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Gad, Issachar, Joseph, Levi, Levites, Moses, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun
Places
Beth-baal-peor, Jordan River, Mount Ebal, Mount Gerizim
Topics
Eat, Eaten, Eating, Feasting, Fellowship, Joy, Offer, Offerings, Peace, Peace-offerings, Presence, Rejoice, Rejoiced, Rejoicing, Sacrifice, Sacrificed
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 27:7

     7364   fellowship offering

Deuteronomy 27:1-8

     4366   stones

Deuteronomy 27:1-26

     7797   teaching

Deuteronomy 27:2-8

     5574   tablet

Deuteronomy 27:6-7

     8288   joy, of Israel

Library
Obedience
Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and do his commandments.' Deut 27: 9, 10. What is the duty which God requireth of man? Obedience to his revealed will. It is not enough to hear God's voice, but we must obey. Obedience is a part of the honour we owe to God. If then I be a Father, where is my honour?' Mal 1: 6. Obedience carries in it the life-blood of religion. Obey the voice of the Lord …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

In Judæa and through Samaria - a Sketch of Samaritan History and Theology - Jews and Samaritans.
We have no means of determining how long Jesus may have tarried in Jerusalem after the events recorded in the previous two chapters. The Evangelic narrative [1850] only marks an indefinite period of time, which, as we judge from internal probability, cannot have been protracted. From the city He retired with His disciples to the country,' which formed the province of Judæa. There He taught and His disciples baptized. [1851] [1852] From what had been so lately witnessed in Jerusalem, as well …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

How Christ is Made Use of for Justification as a Way.
What Christ hath done to purchase, procure, and bring about our justification before God, is mentioned already, viz. That he stood in the room of sinners, engaging for them as their cautioner, undertaking, and at length paying down the ransom; becoming sin, or a sacrifice for sin, and a curse for them, and so laying down his life a ransom to satisfy divine justice; and this he hath made known in the gospel, calling sinners to an accepting of him as their only Mediator, and to a resting upon him for …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Gilgal, in Deuteronomy 11:30 what the Place Was.
That which is said by Moses, that "Gerizim and Ebal were over-against Gilgal," Deuteronomy 11:30, is so obscure, that it is rendered into contrary significations by interpreters. Some take it in that sense, as if it were near to Gilgal: some far off from Gilgal: the Targumists read, "before Gilgal": while, as I think, they do not touch the difficulty; which lies not so much in the signification of the word Mul, as in the ambiguity of the word Gilgal. These do all seem to understand that Gilgal which …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

In Galilee at the Time of Our Lord
"If any one wishes to be rich, let him go north; if he wants to be wise, let him come south." Such was the saying, by which Rabbinical pride distinguished between the material wealth of Galilee and the supremacy in traditional lore claimed for the academies of Judaea proper. Alas, it was not long before Judaea lost even this doubtful distinction, and its colleges wandered northwards, ending at last by the Lake of Gennesaret, and in that very city of Tiberias which at one time had been reputed unclean! …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Meditations of the Misery of a Man not Reconciled to God in Christ.
O wretched Man! where shall I begin to describe thine endless misery, who art condemned as soon as conceived; and adjudged to eternal death, before thou wast born to a temporal life? A beginning indeed, I find, but no end of thy miseries. For when Adam and Eve, being created after God's own image, and placed in Paradise, that they and their posterity might live in a blessed state of life immortal, having dominion over all earthly creatures, and only restrained from the fruit of one tree, as a sign …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Differences in Judgment About Water Baptism, no Bar to Communion: Or, to Communicate with Saints, as Saints, Proved Lawful.
IN ANSWER TO A BOOK WRITTEN BY THE BAPTISTS, AND PUBLISHED BY MR. T. PAUL AND MR. W. KIFFIN, ENTITLED, 'SOME SERIOUS REFLECTIONS ON THAT PART OF MR BUNYAN'S CONFESSION OF FAITH, TOUCHING CHURCH COMMUNION WITH UNBAPTIZED BELIEVERS.' WHEREIN THEIR OBJECTIONS AND ARGUMENTS ARE ANSWERED, AND THE DOCTRINE OF COMMUNION STILL ASSERTED AND VINDICATED. HERE IS ALSO MR. HENRY JESSE'S JUDGMENT IN THE CASE, FULLY DECLARING THE DOCTRINE I HAVE ASSERTED. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'Should not the multitude of words be answered? …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Deuteronomy 27:7 NIV
Deuteronomy 27:7 NLT
Deuteronomy 27:7 ESV
Deuteronomy 27:7 NASB
Deuteronomy 27:7 KJV

Deuteronomy 27:7 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Deuteronomy 27:6
Top of Page
Top of Page