Chapter Thirty
Restoration Promised
30:1 “And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, 2 and return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4 If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. 5 And the LORD your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers.
After presenting the grim list of curses and the inevitable expulsion from the land, even before entering, Moses offers hope. While probably being cautious not to counter the serious nature and the somber warning of the curses, Moses tells them that they can still be forgiven if they return to YHWH. After receiving both the blessings and the curses (see Deuteronomy chapter 28), after being scattered around the world, they can be restored if they remember God and return to Him and, once again, obey His voice with all their heart and soul. At that time, He will gather them from wherever they are and bring them back to the land. Making them more prosperous and numerous than before.
30:6 And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. 7 And the LORD your God will put all these curses on your foes and enemies who persecuted you.
In contrast to earlier when Moses called the people of Israel to circumcise their own hearts, to remove any barrier from following God[1], here he states that YHWH will do the “cutting back,” as He will, at that time, remove those things that would prevent a relationship with Him, so that they can love YHWH with all their heart and soul. God will then place all the curses on their enemies that persecuted them.
30:8 And you shall again obey the voice of the LORD and keep all his commandments that I command you today. 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.
They shall once again obey and keep all of YHWH’s commandments. He will once again make them prosperous in everything they do, including having abundant number of offspring and abundant production of crops and cattle. God will again take delight in prospering them, as they obey YHWH and keep His commandments and regulations as written in the Torah, turning back to YHWH with all their heart and soul.
Love God and Choose Life
30:11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.
After listening to Moses describe the law with all the lavish blessings and horrific curses, the people may have needed to be encouraged with a, “You can do this!” pep talk. Here Moses tells them that keeping the law would not be beyond their abilities or too extraordinary to comprehend. Plus, all the instruction is within grasp, there is no need to go searching for it in heaven, across the ocean, or in any other inaccessible location. The instruction from God is very near to them, they can speak it, they know it by heart, they can do it!
30:15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.
Even though the covenant was already made at Mount Sinai (Horeb) the time was near when they would be required to fully obey (as most of the rules would become effective after they cross into the land). Moses concludes his appeal for the people of Israel to obey by offering them comparative contrasts. First, he points out that life and good are related and that death and evil are related. If they obey the law as presented and show that they love YHWH by walking in His ways and keep all of commandments, statutes and rules, then they shall live and receive God’s blessings. But, if the decide to turn away from God and not listen or obey, resulting in them serving other gods, then they will die and not live long in the Promised Land.
30:19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
Moses calls heaven and earth (all that exists physically and spiritually) to be witness of their decision. Which will it be? Life with blessings or death with curses? Moses pleads for them to choose life, so that they and their descendants may live as they love YHWH, holding fast to Him. Allowing them to live a long life in the land that was promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was now time to decide.
⇐Previous Chapter (Introduction/Index) Next Chapter⇒
[1] See commentary under Deuteronomy 10:16-22.