Sermon - AudioDeut 30-31 - Audio
Deut 30-31 - Daily Reading
Daily Insights - Please Comment
We are nearing the end of the Pentateuch—the Law of Moses, the Torah. In chapter 30, Moses brings the entire Pentateuch to a moment of decision. It comes with Israel on the edge of the promised land. In fact the Pentateuch ends...and Israel is still not in the land. Perhaps the land is not the point. Perhaps its something deeper. This is that scene at the end of the movie we've all been waiting for.
Deuteronomy 30
This chapter is full of God's grace. Even before entering the land, in Chapter 29 Israel is warned that they will fall away and be forced off the land. In chapter 30, we hear that God will be faithful to them even then. God will once again restore his people. Notice all the God active language in this chapter:
God will restore you.
God will gather you and bring you back.
He will bring you to the land.
He will make you prosperous and numerous.
God will circumcise your hearts.
Gad will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you.
God will make you prosperous.
The Lord will delight in you.
Vs 1- 5 All Israel does is come to their senses and “return” (literally “turn back”) to the Lord. Then the God's action kicks in. God “returns” (same verb) them from captivity. The Hebrew carries a visual punch: Israel faces God, and then God faces them in the direction of home.
Vs 6 Exactly a week ago, we read Deuteronomy 10.16 where Moses commands Israel to “Circumcise you hearts and do not be stiff necked any longer.” Now we see that God does for them what they could not do for themselves. “The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts.” The Holy Spirit does this very thing to our hearts. God makes us receptive to himself. Do not resist it.
Vs 9-10 I want to draw attention to this verse: The Lord will again delight in you..if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in the Book of the Law and TURN to the LORD your God with all your heart.”
See Acts 7.51where Stephen says to the Sanhedren in similar language “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: you always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One [Jesus]. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” (this gets Stephen stoned for the sake of Christ)
vs 11-20 After telling of all the things that God will do for them, Moses tells them they have a choice to make. This is a matter of life or death. The stakes are high. Choose life: that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life! This is a call to obedience. The stakes are the same for us today. As we present the gospel to lost people, we are not just offering them a more consistent worldview, we are offering them life. We are not merely asking people to join a club or “feel better” about their sins. Christ has the power to rescue them from death!
Deuteronomy 31
If chapter 30 was the climax, the rest of the book acts as a resolution. We are almost at the end of the Pentateuch. The book is winding down. The rest of the book points towards Moses' death.
Vs 1-8 Joshua is instituted as the new leader of Israel.
Vs 6 This is the first time in the Bible we hear this pairing “strong and courageous.” It occurs three times in this chapter, and is characteristic of Josha. Moses will say it to him twice, then in verse 23 The LORD himself will say it to him directly. We will see Joshua pass these words along to the Israelites in Joshua 1. “Strength and courage would not come from confidence in their own abilities, but from confidence in God, the one marching with you (NICOT).”
vs 9-13 An important passage, this regulates the reading of the entire Torah every 7 years. It's purpose would be educational (vs 12 “so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord.”) In this way, God's law would be passed down from generation to generation. This prescription is ignored in the time of the later kings of Israel.
John Calvin notes in his commentary on this passage: “True faith has its origin in knowledge, and that whatever piety men not instructed by God’s word may appear to have, is mere pretense. “To observe to do,” is equivalent to applying themselves diligently and zealously to obey the precepts of the Law.”
vs 14-29 act as an introduction to the “Song of Moses” which you will read tomorrow. This must have been a somber moment for Moses. He is informed by God that inspire of all God had done for them, they would eventually turn to other gods.
Vs 19 The song of Moses is to be written down and memorized as a warning to Israel for generations to come.
2 comments:
I found verse 9 in chapter 30 to be interesting, Deut. 30:9 "The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, 10 when you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." The Hebrew for abundantly prosperous is one word which means "to remain over". In the Old Testament abundant prosperity is connected with having being full and still having food left over. We see this in Ruth 2.14 "And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until eshe was satisfied, and she had some left over." What a difference between our understanding of abundant prosperity and the picture of the Old Testament. We could bring this idea into the New Testament as well when Paul says, 1Tim. 6:6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
Vs. 19 It's up to us to choose life and it's in the understood to choose blessing as well. If we look at Gen. 12 and the promise given to Abraham. "I will bless those that bless you". If I bless a decendent of Abraham can I, whether I know the promise or not, expect to be blessed according to what God has said he Will do? Eventually would I figure out that if I treat this guy right good things are happening to me. What a great opportunity to say how great my God is.
I wonder if Abraham walked around telling people that if you bless me, my God will bless you? What if we did that today? If someone blesses me is that an activation of their faith?
Then if we look to Jesus he says Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Jesus always chose life and blessing, and sowed life and blessing to the descendents of Abraham.
When he came to the cross, Moses had said,
Deuteronomy 21:23 (New International Version)
23 you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance
So in essence God had to choose life or death blessing or curses and he proved what he would do with the resurrection.
chris p
Post a Comment