Deuteronomy 30:11-20 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 30:11-20. Let’s go!
Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (NIV)
11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.
12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”
13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”
14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
On verses 11-14: Moses recognized that in each of our hearts is both the ability to obey (v14) as well as the ability to turn away and go astray (v17). God knew this as well but He went one step further. Knowing our propensity to turn away and go astray, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth to perfectly obey His commandments on our behalf and then die on the cross for our sins. So whereas we could never reach God on our own, through Jesus, God is now within our reach.
Because of Jesus, we can say “AMEN” to verse 11, since we now can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Because of Jesus, we can say “AMEN” to verse 12. For instead of demanding that we step up to His level and somehow ascend to heaven, God in the form of Jesus the Son descended to earth and proclaimed God’s Word to us.
Because of Jesus, we can say “AMEN” to verse 13. For when our sin was like an ocean separating us from God, God didn’t demand that we somehow cross over to where He is. Instead, Jesus Himself crossed over to where we are.
Because of Jesus, we can say “AMEN” to verse 14. For Jesus, who is also called the Word of God, by faith now lives in our heart and His Word is on our lips. Once we were far away and separated from God. But now through Jesus we are always able to reach Him, with 24/7 access and never a busy signal.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (NIV)
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.
16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them,
18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
On verse 15-20: Here Moses tells the Israelites that they have two choices: they can choose life and blessings if they obey God’s Word, or they can choose death and curses if they disobey God’s Word. Why does God give us the freedom to choose? If God loves us and wants us to be blessed, why doesn’t He make it so that we automatically obey Him? It’s because if God made us like robots or machines who had no choice but to obey Him, there would be no relationship. God wanted a world where loving relationships are possible. Without the freedom to choose between love and hate, good and evil, life and death, love would not be possible. So God created us so that we have the freedom and ability to make our own choices, hoping that we will choose to love Him in return. God of course knew there would always be a risk that we would not choose Him and turn away from Him, but because God valued love so much, He was willing to take the risk.
Heavenly Father, thank You that because of Jesus I can always reach You, that You are always very near me. Thank You for making me with the freedom to choose whether to reach for You or not. Today I choose to reach for You, to love and obey You. I pray that I would make that right choice every day. I proclaim that Your blessing will follow me when I make that right choice. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN!
