SSL 11 - Deut. 30:1-10, 19-20 - CHOSEN
THIS WEEK: In Deut. 30:1-10, 19-20, we find the Israelites in Moab, east of the Dead Sea. After wandering 40 years in the wilderness under Moses' leadership, they are facing two significant changes: (1) Moses will soon die, without having entered the Promised Land; and (2) they will soon cross the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land. In Chap. 28, Moses promised God would bless them if they obeyed His Commandments but warned them of the consequences of disobedience. In Chap. 29, he called them to a renewal of the covenant with the LORD God and reminded them of the miraculous journey that had taken from Egypt to Moab, however, in the final 13 verses, if they break covenant, Moses forewarns them that they will be driven out of the Promised Land and suffer a judgment similar to that of Sodom and Gomorrah. This is where we come into today's lesson.
Read Deut. 30:1 - WHEN ALL THESE THINGS COME UPON YOU
1 "So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you,
v. 1a: "So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you" - Under the inspiration of God, Moses precisely explained the blessing and curses that would come upon an obedient or disobedient nation. Under this inspiration, ironically and perhaps sadly, Moses knew all these things would come to pass upon Israel. And indeed, as we know from OT history, from the height of blessings during the reigns of David and Solomon to the depth of cursing at the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians, Israel's history has borne witness to a legacy of being either blessed or cursed under the OT (Mosaic) covenant.
v. 1b: "and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you" - God knew that Israel would be scattered and exiled, and here, through Moses, God calls the Children of Israel dispersed among the nations-what scholars call the Diaspora-to remember the promises of the blessing and the curse. That the dispersion of Israel is still in effect today is evidenced by the fact that of approximately 18 million Jews worldwide, only about 4.5 million actually reside in modern Israel, thus, the restoration is still far from complete.
Read Deut. 30:2-5 - GOD'S PROMISE TO REGATHER ISRAEL IN THE PROMISED LAND
2 and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, 3 then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4 If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. 5 The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.
v. 2: "and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons" - Although Israel is dispersed and exiled at this point, Moses calls them to "return to the LORD your God" with a heart of true repentance, because God is not yet finished with them.
TRUTH 1: A restored relationship with God must include faith and repentance. Moses knew "all of these things"-dispersion and exile-would come to pass for Israel as a result of the people's disobedience. But even in their darkest days all the way up to this present age, Moses calls them to return to God with faith and repentance. The LORD is still their God-He isn't finished with them.
v. 3: "then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you" - This regather-ing of Israel was partially fulfilled by the return of the Babylonian exiles during the times of Ezra and Nehemiah. Some commentators see the establishment of the sovereign state of Israel in 1948 as fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant; however, other scholars, namely, our recent study in J. R. Cousins' eschatology series and the published papers of Dr. John F. Walvoord of DTS argue that the ultimate regathering is connected with the time of the visible kingdom of Christ on earth and the fulfillment of the New Covenant with Israel. While establishment of the political state of Israel in Palestine is a positive portent of things to come, the final regathering in still in the future-more about that as we move along.
vv. 4-5: "If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. 5 The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers." - This effectively identifies Palestine as the land area described by the Abrahamic Covenant in Gen. 15:18-21. In the early days of the Zionist movement (really a Jewish political movement rather than a religious movement), Great Britain offered Jews the country of Uganda as a place to establish a Jewish state. If that had happened, it would not have fulfilled the promise of the regathering contemplated by these two verses. The return of the exiles from Babylon obviously didn't "prosper" and "multiply" Israel, but left it as a weak community which was a vassal state to Persia and later Rome. The Israeli state we see today is certainly larger, stronger, and more prosperous that the nation of biblical
history-hold that thought as we continue.
TRUTH 2: The final regathering of Israel is still in the future. Based upon recent history, many modern theologians contend that the ultimate regathering is connected with the time of the visible kingdom of Christ on earth and the fulfillment of the New Covenant with Israel. While establishment of the political state of Israel in Palestine in 1948 forms a positive signal of things to come, the final regathering in still in the future.
Read Deut. 30:6 - THE SPIRITUAL REGATHERING OF ISRAEL
6 "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
v. 6: "circumcise your heart" - This phrase is a key premise in Deuteronomy that looks forward to a true spiritual regeneration of Israel. This spiritual dimension of the regathering of Israel has yet to be accomplished insofar as modern Israel is largely a secular nation. There is respect for the OT Bible-the Law and the Prophets-as a historical document but no true turning to the LORD God as a nation. And even the religious, Orthodox Jews of Israel have not completely turned their hearts back towards the LORD God. Yet, God's promise still stands. And when God withdraws His hand of judgment and His disposition towards Israel changes from wrath to compassion (v. 3), He will by underserved grace "circumcise" their hearts by an act of transformation that will draw them into a relationship with Him, so that they will "love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live." Do you recall this phrase from the "Shema" in Deut. 6:1-9 two weeks ago? In short, the "life" of Israel depends upon such a complete and genuine turning back.
TRUTH 3: The "circumcision of the heart" is a key premise in Deuteronomy that foresees the true spiritual regeneration of Israel. This circumcision of the heart is closely connected with Moses' distinctive call for love and obedience from the "heart." When God withdraws His hand of judgment and His disposition towards Israel changes from wrath to compassion (v. 3), He will by unmerited grace "circumcise" their hearts in an act of transformation that will draw them into a relationship with Him, so that they will "love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul."
Read Deut. 30:7-10 - BLESSINGS UPON REPENTANT ISRAEL
7 The LORD your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. 8 And you shall again obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments which I command you today. 9 Then the LORD your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; 10 if you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.
v. 7: "The LORD your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you" - Modern Israel is virtually surrounded on all sides by hostile Islamic nations-Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Iran-that would see them exterminated. This is why U.S. military and diplomatic support is so vital to the continuance of Israel. But one day, perhaps in the Millennium, as God has promised, all of Israel's enemies will be judged and crushed.
vv. 8-9: "And you shall again obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments which I command you today. 9 Then the LORD your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers;" - These two verses are essentially an outline of the blessings that Israel will enjoy once the covenant relationship with the LORD God is restored and repeats the blessing to the cities and the fields enumerated earlier in Deut.. 28:3-7, but ads how God will "rejoice" over them just as He did their "fathers" (i.e., the patriarchs). This phrase represents the hesed, a Hebrew word that denotes God's loving-kindness toward His covenant people. Although this prophecy is worded with reference to ethnic Israelites in the OT context, we need to understand that this future regathering of Israel and the blessings that go with it will be realized in within the sphere of the New Covenant when all ethnic distinctions will be irrelevant and will find its chief fulfillment in the universal NT gathering of saved souls that belong to Jesus Christ and will spend eternity with Him.
v. 10: "if you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul" - While Moses reminds them that they will experience the blessings listed in vv. 7-9 only "if" they obey the LORD God's commandments and statutes, God is seeking more from them than rote compliance with the Law-He wants His people to give Him their entire their hearts and souls, their very essence. From a NT perspective, which Moses didn't have, this means Messianic salvation-faith in the prophet Moses told them to expect in Deut. 18:15-16, who came in the person of Jesus Christ. This foreshadows a new exodus and a new conquest and a renewal of the covenant mediated by Moses and Joshua and now mediated by Jesus Christ-3,400+ years after Moses wrote this-amazing! Yes?
TRUTH 4: God was seeking more from Israel than token (i.e., unthinking) compliance with the Law. God desires His people to give Him their entire their hearts and souls, their very essence. From a NT perspective, this means Messianic salvation-faith in the prophet Moses told them to expect in Deut. 18:15-16, who came in the person of Jesus Christ. This foreshadows a new exodus and a new conquest and a renewal of the covenant mediated by Moses and Joshua and now mediated by Jesus Christ-3,400+ years after Moses wrote this!
Note: The reading skips vv. 11-18; however, much later, in Rom. 10:6-10, Paul quotes Deut. 30:12-14 to prove that salvation is by faith: But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: "DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or 'WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." 8 But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"-that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Thus, we see in this, Moses foreshadows salvation by faith.
Read Deut. 30:19-20 - CHOOSE LIFE
19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."
v.19a: "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse." - By calling witnesses, Moses adds emphasis to what he is saying. Interestingly, Moses invokes heaven and earth-God's creation-to serve as witnesses. This brings to mind Psalm 19, where David declares that God has revealed Himself by His creation and His Word. Moses calls them -the people-to bear witness themselves to the fact that God has offered Israel a clear choice-a choice between life and death, blessings and curses. Therefore, if the Israelites make the wrong choice, no one can say Moses failed to warn them, i.e., accuse him of spiritual malpractice.
v. 19b: "So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants" - Summarizing his call to them in clear and direct language, he says, "choose life." And notice that it's not only their life that's at stake, but the life of all their descendants. And remember that Moses is speaking for God: God cared about what they chose, and Moses' statement reflected God's heart for His people. Even today people are confronted with a similar choice-will I trust Jesus Christ in my position before God? The answer to that question determines our eternal destiny-our life, yes?
v. 20a: "by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days," - We see again, Moses place primary emphasis on loving God, because loving leads to the second imperative: obeying God. Moses promises that this combination-loving and obeying God-will result in "life and the length of your days." These two things-life and days-may seem redundant, but they aren't: in fact, the length of days can be a curse rather than a blessing if a person is miserable, unhappy, or in failing health (or all 3), but a life of faith, no matter the circumstances, will always result in blessing, even in difficult times.
v. 20b: "that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them" - At this interval, the Israelites are poised to enter the Promised Land, and God has promised to give it to them. But the big question is whether they will be allowed to remain there indefinitely. The answer to that question depends on whether or not they will choose life-loving and obeying their LORD God. People today face a similar question: will they choose life by faith alone in Christ or death. As Christians, we o inform them they have a choice, yes?
TRUTH 5: To sum the essence of this whole chapter up, Moses is telling us that obedience to the Word of God brings life. Disobedience brings death. Jesus is the Word of God, and life and death are now found in God's "in the flesh" expression of his word: Jesus Christ. Moses describes "life" as being in harmony with the will and purposes of God. It means living in obedience to the law and will of God, which translates to a life of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. It means living a life filled with meaning, significance, and hope. It is a life that is Spirit-led and "in Christ."
PRAYER: Lord, Almighty Creator of the heavens and the earth and all that we see, we thank You now for Your faithfulness, Your mercy, and Your undeserved grace towards us. We thank You this morning, Lord, for granting us another opportunity to freely assemble together as a class to learn the truths of Your inerrant and holy Word. We ask, God, for Your divine direction in the future of this church today and in the days to come. Especially, Dear Lord, we ask that You will guide our Pastor J.R., our Deacon body, our church staff, and everyone of us, as members, to accomplish our mission of sharing Jesus Christ with the people outside these doors and doing good works that glorify You to the people in this Mountain Home community. Lord, we thank You most of all for allowing us, as Moses taught us today, to choose life-to be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, who died for us-so that we may know You and spend eternity in Your heaven. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN.
