Moses was inspired by The LORD, to tell the people that they would experience the blessings and the curses, and it would all come to pass. Blessings would come through David and curses at the fall of Jerusalem. God knew that they would be scattered, and they must remember the promises of blessings and curses when they came to pass, as they certainly would (v1).
Not only would they be scattered but God would also bring them back and they would return to The LORD and obey His voice (v2-5). He would have compassion on them and gather them from the nations where they had been scattered, even from the farthest parts. His promise still stood that they would possess the land which He had promised them.
This was partially fulfilled when they returned from exile in Babylon (See the books of Ezra and Nehemiah) but some of it is still happening in our day and Israel is probably stronger, larger and more prosperous than ever before.
Not only would Israel be restored to the land God promised them, but they would be restored spiritually. God said that He would change their hearts to love The LORD their God and give them life. (v6). This restoration is not yet complete. They have not yet fully turned to The LORD for they reject Jesus as the Messiah God.
Note the order here in Deuteronomy – the return to the land and then spiritual restoration. We have and are seeing the return to the land, particularly since 1947, but not the spiritual, although there are some small signs. God’s promise still stands, and it will come to pass. He promises to put the curses on those who hate them, and the blessings will be on Israel if they obey Him, keep His commandments and turn to The LORD their God will all their heart and soul (v7-10).
Moses urges them to keep God’s covenant (v11-14). He tells them that it is not a mystery to them, nor is too far off, in heaven even, but it is very near them, in their mouth and in their heart. The covenant was known to them, and they could keep it, the law and sacrifice. They had a choice to make and in verses 15-18, he set it out plainly – life and good, death and evil, to walk in God’s ways and keep His commandments, statutes and judgments. If they did, they would live and multiply, and The LORD would bless them in the land they were going to. If they did not and turned their hearts away, shut their ears and worshiped other gods and served them, they would surely perish and not last very long in the land.
Moses pleaded with them to choose life, that they may love The LORD God, obey His voice and cling to Him. God is their life, length of days and dwelling prosperously in the land He was giving to them (v19,20).
We are privileged to have a new covenant, in and through The Lord Jesus Christ, which is a better covenant. It is not based on what I do, but on what He has done, the final, perfect sacrifice for sin in His death, resurrection and ascension. We reject Him at our peril – “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.” (Hebrews 2:3). The writer also reminds us that those who rejected Moses died on the testimony of two or three witnesses, and how much worse is the punishment for those who reject The Son of God (see Hebrews 10:28,29).
We have a choice and the choice we make determines our lives and our eternal destiny. Choose life! However, it does not stop at the choice we make, but we must come in true repentance, love and trust Him, which means obeying Him and living for Him.
