They were not multiplied above their fathers ( Deuteronomy 30:5 ), nor were their hearts and those of their children circumcised to love the Lord ( Deuteronomy 30:6 ). ©2018 David Guzik – No distribution beyond personal use without permission. If this Old Covenant is inferior to the New Covenant, and if there was a high price to pay for rejecting the Old Covenant, should we not know there is an even greater penalty for rejecting an even greater covenant? c. That you may love the LORD your God: To love God this way, to really trust Him, is explained well in Deuteronomy 30:20. i. Adam Clarke, writing in 1811, recognized that this regathering had to be fulfilled in a future time: “As this promise refers to a return from captivity in which they had been scattered among all nations, consequently it is not the Babylonish captivity which is intended; and the repossession of their land must be different from that which was consequent on their return from Chaldea.”. If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. Israel, as a nation, is larger, stronger, and richer than at any time in Biblical history. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. And 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, that you may live. How God glorified Himself through Israel was up to them, but it was obviously God’s preference that He glorify Himself through an obedient, blessed Israel. iii. They were not under a necessity of undertaking long journeys or distant voyages, as many ancient sages did in quest of knowledge. Remember that the law was only one aspect of the Old Covenant. (Hebrews 10:28-29). Israel could indeed keep this covenant. Article Images Copyright © 2020 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. This is an idea repeated in the promises of the New Covenant, in passages like Ezekiel 36:26-27: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. When Moses pled with Israel, crying out choose life, we know he reflected the heart of God toward Israel. . 15-20. Deuteronomy 30:1-10 . We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Matthew Henry's Commentary Deuteronomy 30:1 And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, At one time, in the early days of the Zionist movement, the British offered the country of Uganda to the Jews as a place to establish a Jewish state. And you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you: God knew that Israel would be scattered and exiled, and here through Moses, God calls the Diaspora (Israel dispersed among the nations) to remember the promises of the blessing and the curse. a. Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, And you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, From all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you, If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD God will gather you, Then the LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it, He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers, And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart… to love the LORD your God with all your heart, Also the LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies… The LORD your God will make you abound, For this commandment which I command you today, too mysterious for you, nor is it far off, But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it, See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, The LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess, I call heaven and earth as witness today against you, © Copyright - Enduring Word | . Jesus said, He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. The choice was left to them, and in urging upon them the inducements to a wise choice, Moses warmed as he proceeded into a tone of solemn and impressive earnestness similar to that of Paul to the elders of Ephesus ( Acts 20:26 Acts 20:27 ). There were also the aspects of sacrifice and the choice. b. It is essential for us to understand that we, in Jesus Christ, do not relate to God on the terms of the Old Covenant, but on the terms of a better covenant: The New Covenant. GREAT MERCIES PROMISED UNTO THE PENITENT. They will be converted to the faith of Jesus Christ as their Messiah--a spiritual deliverer, and the effect of their conversion will be that they will return and obey the voice (the Gospel, the evangelical law) of the Lord. But the choice focuses first not on “Will I obey God or not?” but on “Will I trust in Jesus for my standing before God?” Jesus said, He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. But undoubtedly it will receive its full and complete accomplishment in the conversion of the Jews to the Gospel of Christ. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them. Also the LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies… The LORD your God will make you abound: In part, these prophecies are fulfilled now in the modern restoration of Israel. Biblical Commentary Deuteronomy 30:15-20 COMMENTARY: THE CONTEXT: The Israelites are in Moab, east of the Dead Sea. The modern restoration of Israel more accurately fulfills this promise than the return from the Babylonian exile. a. is not hidden . See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil--the alternative of a good and happy, or a disobedient and miserable life. We may request cookies to be set on your device. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. At the restoration from the Babylonish captivity, that people were changed in many respects for the better. The mercies and favors of a bountiful Providence will not then be abused as formerly ( Deuteronomy 31:20 , 32:15 ). See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. They could not plead ignorance of its existence and requirements.