The Choice Is Yours
Deuteronomy 30:11-20 (New Living Translation)
11“This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, and it is not beyond your reach. 12It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?’ 13It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and obey?’ 14No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it.
15“Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. 16For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.
17“But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, 18then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.
19“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
It always never ceases to amaze me that when I read the Bible, at some point, I run across something I never noticed before or that always confused me, but through deeper study, things started to make sense. The Book of Deuteronomy is one of those cases. I do not know if I was not paying attention or what, however I always found myself asking, “Why is everything from Exodus and Leviticus being covered all over again? I just do not get it.” I am glad I decided to go on a cover-to-cover chronological journey this year as there has been some great study guides to go with it.
It was not until I started to dig deeper into Deuteronomy that it finally made sense why what happened in Exodus and Leviticus is being told again. It is because the book is a history lesson and summary of what happened during the exodus and the laws that God put before the nation of Israel that is about to go into the promised land. Because of the Israel’s stubbornness during the Exodus, to include Moses himself, God said that those people who came out of Egypt, would not see the promised land. The younger generation of Israel that came after their Exodus would be the ones allowed into the land promised. The only exception was Joshua and Caleb because they gave a good report of the land, and they trusted what God promised he would do.
When I did some deeper digging and studying, Deuteronomy really came to life for me.
So, the book is broken down into 3 parts:
Chapters 1-11 Is the opening speech Moses gives to the people.
Chapters 1-3 Moses summarizes what has happened so far and he focuses on how rebellious the previous generation contrasted with God’s constant grace and provision in the wilderness. He did bring justice but did not abandon his covenant to the nation of Israel.
4-11 is a series of enthusiastic speeches to the current generation to be more faithful than their parents were to the Covenant.
He reminds them of the 10 commandments.
The centerpiece of these speeches is the Shema which is “The Lord alone is your God, and you shall love the Lord with all your heart, soul and might.” This became an important daily prayer that still carries to this day.
Chapters 12-26 is a recap of the laws that God gave to Moses for the nation of Israel to follow. There were a few new laws add during this time, but it mostly a recap.
The laws were not to control but to separate the nation, or to set a higher standard, than the people of the land they were about to go into.
Chapters 12-16a covered guidance for worshipping God to include caring for the poor.
Chapters 16b-18 covered the character of Israels leaders to include the rules for a king if they feel they need to have a king like the other nations did. Which we know they finally did. These leaders were placed under the authority of laws which God would send prophets to ensure the laws were being enforced.
This made Israel different from the other nations. Other nations, the kings were treated as gods, but the rulers of Israel were subservient to the Lord God and under his authority.
Chapters 19-26 covered civil laws and social justice within the Israel nation. Things such as marriage, family, business and how their legal system was to work. Then the rest of the laws concern worship.
These laws were set Israel apart from the surrounding nations.
Chapters 27-34 is Moses giving his final speech to the people and then covers his death.
He calls the people to listen and obey. If they do, they will be blessed. If they do not, they will be cursed.
Chapter 28 breaks down those blessings and curses.
Blessings are verses, 1-14.
Curses are verses 15-68 (it is scary that more than 2/3 of this chapter are on the curses and some are unbelievably bad).
Several of these curses are discussed in the Gospels as Jesus is describing the fall of Jerusalem.
Chapter 29 is re-affirming of the Covenant that God made with Israel.
That brings me back to the verse at the beginning. This was not the only time this was said though. In fact, this choice was said a few times throughout the book of Deuteronomy. The people were given a choice and as a final plea to the people, Moses told them to make the right choice. Choose to listen and choose the life and blessings that come from following God.
This is one of my favorite verses and reminds me to constantly look to God not to the world. But with this latest information I have read. I really see the passion and pleading, from his own personal experience, that Moses implores them to choose life.
What is interesting though is Moses’ prophetic words to them. After having lived, guided and led the nation of Israel since their exodus from Egypt, he knows that they will fall from God, chose curses, and suffer devastation and exile.
But he does not leave it on a bad note. He says that one day, you will make the choice to turn back to God and He will free you. “He will circumcise your hearts so that you may love him with all your heart and soul and that you will live.
This is a vivid reminder that the heart of Israel it is stubborn and is hard.
It speaks to the rebellious nature of man in the garden by defining good and evil for themselves.
This is the kind of heart of all humanity that we deal with even to this day.
But what makes it impressive is that Moses also shares that one day that God will transform the hearts of his people so that they can truly listen to and love God with all the heart and be led back to true life.
This is what gets picked up by the prophets such as Jeremiah and Ezekiel. But what I think is great here is the picture it paints of one to deliver us from all sin, Jesus Christ.
After reading Deuteronomy knowing this, the choice laid before us becomes even more vivid. And how God loves us. His love is not conditional, but he gives us a fantastic way to receive his love, by following him. Thankfully, we no longer must go through so many steps to be with God, to be forgiven or cleansed by him. He made this choice quite easy by coming to him through the path he has provided through the blood of most pure and blameless lamb. The man, Jesus Christ. The man who tore the veil between us and God.
This song from Christian Rock group Kutless, in the link below, I feel gives a beautiful look as to journey into the presence of God. After understanding the laws and rules for sacrifice and how the tabernacle was laid out, this journey, now made available through our belief in Jesus Christ.
https://youtu.be/JuziDS_4EBI?si=SodvhhBUkPsqK3lh
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