James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary
Deuteronomy 11:32
OBSERVE TO DO
Observe to do all the statutes.’
The twin-secret of success is here disclosed—Live for God; and, in order to that, Live in His Word.
I. Absolute surrender to all the will of God.—Their part was to ‘diligently keep all the commandments,’ etc. (v. 23). Weakness was no hindrance whatever. So long as they kept right with God, it simply did not enter into the problem, for He was then responsible to give them the victory. Simple obedience pledged His omnipotence, and so made success a certainty. Why cannot we see this always? Why are we not wholly set on keeping step with God, instead of being, as we so often are, absorbed with questions of our strength or weakness? When we are fully obedient, no such question remains: We have GOD.
II. Life in the Word of God.—Absolute surrender can never be maintained apart from the diligent use of Scripture. ‘Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart, and in your soul.’ Can a man work well if he eat little, or nothing? How can a soul unfed, or ill-fed, do God’s work steadily or well? Meditation on the Word is the fundamental means of grace; it leads to every other. Therefore, as you love your life, guard well your morning watch. When the glory pales from off the Book—beware.
Illustration
(1) ‘With this chapter closes the introduction to the enumeration of statutes and judgments, which follows in the next Chapter s. One further plea for obedience backed by many arguments.
A recapitulation of the wondrous past (2–7). Do we often enough stir our hearts by recalling what God has done?
Again the people are exhorted to con the holy words of God (18–25). They were to be their incessant meditation; and it was on this condition being fulfilled that God undertook to drive out their foes. Then (23): we must be saturated with the word of God, if we would live an over-coming life.
One final appeal is made (26–32); as the blessing and the curse are set clearly before the people. This choice was to be repeated to them in the Land of Promise. Further particulars were given afterwards (Deuteronomy 27:11; comp. Joshua 8:33). We are constantly passing beneath these mountains. Be it ours to know the Gerizim of Matthew 5:1. Blessing and blessedness come from the outstretched hands of the ascending Lord (Luke 24:51).’
(2) ‘One day we shall be released and have liberty and clearer vision and greater joy. Now you, who are over fifty years old, close your eyes a moment and think of the people who used to be round about you forty years ago. Dead! dead! dead! Where are they? Are they not on the other side Jordan?’