Each of Us Deserves God's Wrath

What does every sin deserve? Deuteronomy 27:11–26 looks forward to the hearing of God's Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord's Day. In these sixteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that every sin deserves the wrath and curse of God. This passage presents a solemn covenantal ceremony in which the Levites pronounce curses upon individuals who commit specific abominable sins, ranging from secret idolatry and contempt for parents to exploitation of the vulnerable, sexual perversions, and murder. These curses, delivered in a public, communal setting with the people responding 'Amen' to each, underscore the individual guilt of every human before a holy God, revealing that every sin—especially those hidden in the heart—deserves divine wrath. The final curse, which condemns anyone who fails to uphold the entire law, points to the impossibility of human righteousness and the need for a substitute. The devotional emphasizes that only Christ, who knew no sin, became a curse in our place, bearing the full weight of God's wrath so that believers might receive His righteousness—making salvation possible only through faith in Christ.