Two mountains rise over the valley of Shechem in central Israel. Mount Gerizim stands to the south, and Mount Ebal stands to the north. When I picture Israel gathered between them, I cannot help asking why God put the altar on the mountain of the curse.
“Now it shall be, when the LORD your God has brought you into the land which you go to possess, that you shall put the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.”Deuteronomy 11:29
The Mountains and the Covenant
Gerizim and Ebal are not random landmarks. They form a natural amphitheater near Shechem, the first place where Abraham built an altar after arriving in Canaan and the place where Jacob later renounced his household’s idols. Shechem became a city of covenants and choices. Here the Lord commanded Israel to rehearse His covenant, engrave His law on stones, and offer sacrifice. The people would hear blessing and curse with their own ears, and they would see God’s written Word with their own eyes.
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil… I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life.”Deuteronomy 30:15, 19
Before Israel crossed the Jordan, God gave Moses detailed instructions for the ceremony. Large stones were to be covered with plaster so that the words of the law could be written clearly upon them. An altar of uncut stones was to be built on Mount Ebal, and Israel was to present offerings there.
“And it shall be, on the day when you cross over the Jordan to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, that you shall set up for yourselves large stones, and whitewash them with lime. You shall write on them all the words of this law… Therefore it shall be, when you have crossed over the Jordan, that on Mount Ebal you shall set up these stones… And there you shall build an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones; you shall not use an iron tool on them. You shall build with whole stones the altar of the LORD your God.”Deuteronomy 27:2-3, 4-6
Why plaster, stones, and uncut rock without iron? The law was made public and lasting. The altar was God’s provision, not a monument to human skill. Even the materials taught Israel that righteousness and atonement come from God rather than from human invention.
The tribes then divided. Half stood before Mount Gerizim for the blessing and half before Mount Ebal for the curse. As the Levites proclaimed the covenant conditions, all the people answered, “Amen.” They were not listening to private advice. They were agreeing that the Lord’s judgment was true.
“These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people… and these shall stand on Mount Ebal to curse… And the Levites shall speak with a loud voice… ‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image…’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen!’”Deuteronomy 27:12-15
I think the final curse reveals an important detail that we should not overlook:
“Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.”Deuteronomy 27:26
Deuteronomy 28 then unfolds the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience. God’s covenant was moral and personal. He promised His presence and favor, but He also warned of judgment when the people turned their hearts away from Him.
“The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand.”Deuteronomy 28:8
“But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God… all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.”Deuteronomy 28:15
After the victories at Jericho and Ai, Joshua obeyed everything Moses had commanded. He built the altar on Mount Ebal, offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, wrote the law on the stones, and read it before the whole assembly.
“Now Joshua built an altar to the LORD God of Israel in Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded… an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool… And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses… Then he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings… There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly.”Joshua 8:30-35
“All Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark… half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal.”Joshua 8:33
The Ark and the priests stood at the center while the people filled the valley. Women, children, and strangers heard the same Word. Israel began life in the land with God’s law written before them, sacrifice offered for them, and the choice between life and death plainly declared.
Why the Altar Stood on Mount Ebal
At first it seems strange that the altar stood on the mountain of the curse. Yet this is the deepest lesson in the entire scene. The law exposes sin and announces a curse upon every transgressor, while the altar answers that curse with sacrifice. God placed the sign of atonement on the mountain of judgment because the way from curse to blessing runs through shed blood. The law condemns the sinner, but God provides the sacrifice.
“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’… Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.”Galatians 3:10, 13
Deuteronomy had already connected the curse with a body hung on a tree:
“He who is hanged is accursed of God.”Deuteronomy 21:23
Paul applies that truth directly to Christ. The altar on Ebal points forward to Calvary. At the cross, where the sinless Christ hung for us and judgment fell, redemption was accomplished. The blessing promised to Abraham could then flow to Jew and Gentile alike.
That blessing is not generic happiness, national pride, or a reward we earn. Paul says Scripture preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham when God promised that all nations would be blessed in him. The promise reaches its fulfillment in Christ, the promised Seed. The mountains taught Israel to hear blessing and curse under the law. The gospel announces that sinners from every nation may receive Abraham’s blessing through faith in Christ.
“That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”Galatians 3:14
Shechem, the City of Choices
Shechem was already rich with the history of God’s promises. When Abraham entered the land, the Lord appeared to him there and promised the land to his descendants. Abraham responded by building an altar.
“Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem… Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ And there he built an altar to the LORD.”Genesis 12:6-7
Jacob later called his household to put away their foreign gods. He buried those idols under the terebinth near Shechem and built an altar to the God of Israel.
“So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods… and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.”Genesis 35:4
“Then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.”Genesis 33:20
At the end of Joshua’s life, Shechem hosted another covenant gathering. Joshua recounted the Lord’s mercies and placed a clear decision before the people.
“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”Joshua 24:15
He wrote the words in the Book of the Law and set up a great stone as a witness.
“Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.”Joshua 24:26
Shechem is where idols are buried, altars are built, covenants are renewed, and choices are made. The mountains frame the moment. Blessing and curse are not vague ideas. Life and death stand, as it were, on either side of every soul.
The book of Judges shows how quickly Israel forgot. Abimelech seized power at Shechem and brought treachery into the region. Jotham climbed Mount Gerizim and cried out a parable of trees to warn the city.
“Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and cried out… ‘Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you!’”Judges 9:7
The mountain appointed for blessing became the place from which Israel’s failure was exposed. The history shows our need for a better Mediator and a better covenant. The mountains remained, the choice remained, and the human heart remained unchanged apart from God’s grace.
From the Curse to the Cross
The New Testament places the themes of Ebal and Gerizim in the proper relationship between law and gospel. The law reveals sin and pronounces condemnation. The gospel reveals Christ and proclaims justification by faith. The choice between blessing and curse still presses upon every hearer, but the way of blessing has now been revealed in full. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, and His blessing comes to those who believe.
I want to say this carefully. Galatians does not give us permission to claim that the Father hated, abandoned, or personally abused the Son. Jesus offered Himself willingly. Wicked men physically tortured, punished, and killed Him. He willingly bore that real punishment for our sins in His innocent body through real suffering, the shedding of His blood, and death. He was buried and rose bodily. The Father was pleased with the obedient Son, and through Christ the blessing promised to Abraham comes to everyone who believes.
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”2 Corinthians 5:21
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Romans 6:23
John’s Gospel describes the same decision as a verdict:
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already.”John 3:18
These mountains help me see the condition of every soul. In Christ, blessing is received as a gift. Apart from Christ, the curse remains. The law instructs us and exposes our guilt, while the cross provides the salvation we could never provide for ourselves.
This pattern of two ways runs from Genesis to Revelation. Psalm 1 opens with the blessed man who delights in the law of the LORD, while the wicked are like chaff. The wisdom books describe paths and doors. The prophets call God’s people to return to Him. Jesus speaks of two gates and two roads.
“Enter by the narrow gate… Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”Matthew 7:13-14
The Gospels call us to believe in Christ, and the epistles contrast flesh with Spirit and condemnation with justification. In every picture, the truth remains the same. Blessing belongs to those who hear and believe. The curse remains upon those who refuse the Son.
At Shechem, Israel began to taste in the land the blessing promised to Abraham. In Christ, that same blessing extends through the gospel to the nations.
“And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’”Galatians 3:8
Mount Ebal exposes our need, while Mount Gerizim announces God’s good will. Calvary then shows where the blessing was secured. God gives the promised Spirit, and the family of Abraham grows into a people from every tribe and tongue who rest in the grace of Christ’s finished salvation.
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”Romans 10:4
True Worship and the Better Mountain
By the time Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman, the Samaritans had made Mount Gerizim their place of worship. At Jacob’s well near Shechem, she raised the old dispute about which mountain was right. Jesus lifted her eyes beyond sacred geography to the Father and to the truth revealed in the Son.
“Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father… the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”John 4:20-23
As I read Jesus’ answer, the debate about Gerizim and Jerusalem gives way to the revelation of Christ. He is the true Temple, the true Priest, and the true Altar.
“We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.”Hebrews 13:10
The altar of uncut stones on Ebal stood where the curse was announced. It pointed ahead to the cross, where Christ accomplished redemption through His blood and death. Worship is no longer bound to Ebal, Gerizim, or Jerusalem. It is bound to faith in the Son of God and the truth of His finished work.
Hebrews uses two other mountains to teach the nature of the new covenant. Sinai represents fear, distance, and the law that condemns. Zion represents joy, access to God, and the Mediator whose sprinkled blood speaks better things.
“For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire… But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God… to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.”Hebrews 12:18, 22, 24
Hebrews does not erase the fear of God. It shows us where access is found. We do not come by weakening the law’s holy demand or pretending the curse was imaginary. We come through Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, and through His blood. Abel’s blood cried from the ground after murder. Christ’s blood declares completed redemption for everyone who belongs to Him.
I believe Ebal and Gerizim still speak with remarkable clarity. They teach me to take God’s Word seriously, to say Amen when He exposes sin, and to flee to the sacrifice He has provided. A believer does not stand proudly on Gerizim as though personal obedience earned the blessing. We come to Christ, receive the blessing through faith, and obey because grace has made us alive.
Ebal and Gerizim are not named in Hebrews, but their message stands behind this contrast. The law confronts us with the curse; the gospel brings us to blessing. Sinai speaks of demands we could not meet. Zion speaks of the Savior who met them for us. Israel once stood between the two mountains, and every soul still stands before the choice between condemnation and justification. We must choose life by trusting the Son.
When I follow the story, I can see one line running through it. Deuteronomy 11 appoints the two mountains, and Deuteronomy 27-28 explains the written law, the altar on Ebal, and the public reading. Joshua 8 records the nation’s obedience, but Judges 9 shows the covenant failure that followed. Then John 4 moves the question beyond sacred places to worship in spirit and truth. Galatians 3 shows Christ redeeming us from the curse, while Hebrews 12 brings believers from the fear of Sinai to the joy and access of Zion.
What should we do with this? We should make the Word public in our homes. At Ebal it was read to adults, children, and strangers, so families today should read Scripture aloud and explain its meaning. As we bring the Bible before our eyes and speak it with our lips, we ask the Lord to write it on our hearts.
We should also bury our idols as Jacob did. Repentance is more than an idea; it means putting away the loyalties and counterfeit trusts that compete with Christ. We should not carry those rivals quietly or keep anything hidden in the tent. The things that promise security apart from Jesus must be brought into the light and laid down.
We must remember that blessing comes through the sacrifice Christ willingly offered, not through our performance. Grace does not remove the need to choose whom we will serve; it gives us strength to obey. And we must worship in spirit and truth, tying our devotion to Christ rather than to a place, tradition, or feeling.
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly… His delight is in the law of the LORD.”Psalm 1:1-2
“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”John 3:36
“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night… do not keep silent.”Isaiah 62:6
“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”Joshua 24:15
If you want to follow these themes further, read Blessings and Curses, The Mosaic Covenant, and The Abrahamic Covenant. The studies on the Book of Galatians, the Woman at the Well, and the Gospel develop the New Testament fulfillment in greater detail.
My Final Thoughts
Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim are the Lord’s classroom, and I do not want to miss what He placed there. His law tells the truth about our sin, but the altar on the mountain of the curse shows that He also provided the way to blessing. That way leads us to Christ, who willingly shed His blood, died, and rose bodily for us. So bury the idols, hear God’s Word, trust the Son rather than your own performance, and then walk in the obedience His grace produces.