And you shall write very plainly on the stones all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 27:8)
As mentioned in a previous devotion, the words of the Law were to be written on large stones that had been whitewashed with lime, obviously intended to accentuate the letters that formed the words. This was in keeping with the directive to write the words “very plainly.” In Judaism, it is believed that the words were to be so dominant that no one could claim ignorance, not even those of the other nations. In fact, some rabbis suggest the wording, “very plainly” implies that any one of any language could see them and inquire.
The Hebrew words translated as “very plainly” — באר היטב baer ha’tev — suggest “skillfully” or “beautifully written.” “Skillfully written” hints that the words were inscribed in a such a fashion that every concept would be discernible as black is from white, further hinting that there are no gray areas when it comes to God’s instructions. That the words were “beautifully written” implies that the words were intended to draw men to God’s instructions and see the value and benefit of obeying His Word. By the way, this concept gave birth to the school of ספרים soferim or “scribes.” These were the men who read, studied and copied the words of the Torah onto parchment. Their faithfulness to do the work “skillfully and beautifully” was made evident with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
So what does all of this mean for you and me today? As followers of the Messiah, His Word should be evident in all of us — it should influence what we say and how we say it. It should affect our attitude, how we behave and interact with our fellow man. As Paul said, we are living epistles and as such we should exhibit the Word of God in our lives in such a way that others clearly see it. As His Spirit guides us, the Word of God in us should provoke others to be drawn to His ways and see the beauty of His Holiness. May His Word be continually impressed upon our minds and written in our hearts that it may be “revealed to and read by all men” (2 Corinthians 3:2).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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