Journal Through the Bible: Week 30 Tuesday

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Deuteronomy 30:11-31:13

For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.  Deuteronomy 30:11-14

Does God issue any commands in this passage?

• (30:16) Through Moses God commanded the people to love the LORD their God and walk in His ways.
• (31:10-13) They were to observe a year of release every 7th year and they were to read the commandment aloud so that everyone who had heard it previously would be reminded of the conditions of the covenant and any children or foreigners might hear it for the first time and follow it.

Does God make any promises?

• (30:16) If the people would love the LORD and walk in His ways they would experience life, parenthood, and other blessings.
• (30:17-18) If the people would not love the LORD and walk in His ways they would perish and not prolong their days on the land. 
• (31:3-8) In his charge to the people and to Joshua, Moses told them that God would go before them into battle to destroy the wicked nations so they had no reason to fear.

Does this passage teach anything about Jesus?

• No man could ascend into Heaven to obtain a copy of the covenant, but just as Moses ascended into Mount Sinai and received the commandments that make up the covenant and then descended the mount to give the covenant agreement to the people, so did Jesus come down to ratify the covenant with His blood. (See John 3:13 and Romans 10:4-10)
• It is not God's will that any should perish so He sent His Son into the world so that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life. (See John 3:15-17)
• (31:3, 8) The one who was to go before them over the Jordan River was the Angel of the LORD (not specified by name in this passage but previously introduced to them). This was most likely a pre-incarnate Jesus who would resume command as Captain of the Host following the years of wilderness wanderings.

Does this passage teach anything about yet-future events?

• The "big picture" of the future can be partly understood, but the day-by-day details are hidden from us. Just as Moses told Joshua and the people to walk without fear and by faith until they reached the destination promised to them, so must God's people today leave the details to God and walk without fear and by faith until they reach their destination. We have the same LORD God that they had because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He will get us safely to our future home.