Deuteronomy 29:14-21

F. SOLEMN WARNINGS AND REMINDERS (Deuteronomy 29:14 to Deuteronomy 30:20)

1.

COVENANT ALL-INCLUSIVE (Deuteronomy 29:14-21)

14 Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath, 15 but with him that standeth here with us this day before Jehovah our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day; 16 (for ye know how we dwelt in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which ye passed; 17 and ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them;) 18 lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from Jehovah our God, to go to serve the gods of those nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood; 19 and it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart, to destroy the moist with the dry. 20 Jehovah will not pardon him, but then the anger of Jehovah and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and all the curse that is written in this book shall lie upon him, and Jehovah will blot out his name from under heaven. 21 And Jehovah will set him apart unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that is written in this book of the law.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 29:14-21

518.

Who could be identified under the phrase with him that is not here with us this day?

519.

Jehovah's wrath is especially kindled against some people. Who are they?

520.

Give three characteristics of the person of question 519.

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 29:14-21

14 It is not with you only that I make this sworn covenant.
15 But with future Israelites who do not stand here with us today before the Lord our God, as well as with those who are here with us this day.
16 You know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations you crossed;
17 And you have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them.
18 Beware lest there should be among you a man or woman or family or tribe, whose [mind and] heart turns away this day from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a [poisonous] root that bears gall and wormwood;
19 and lest, when he hears the words of this curse and oath, he flatter and congratulate himself in his [mind and] heart, saying, I shall have peace and safety, [56] though I walk in the stubbornness of my [mind and] heart [bringing down a hurricane of destruction] and sweep away the watered land with the dry.

[56] It is on the strength of the Lord's oath to be Israel's God and also to protect them, that this Israelite flatters himself he is secure, no matter how he may behave. In the history of religion such a delusion has been lamentably frequent, and persons depending upon the unlimited protection of election have presumed on this and recklessly indulged in evil (Cambridge Bible, condensed), The Bible emphasizes the security of the saints, but it is equally emphatic concerning the insecurity of those in conscious and continued indifference to God, [Ezek. 3:29; Ezekiel 18:24; Ezekiel 18:26; Revelation 22:14; James 1:21; Galatians 6:8; 2 Peter 1:10-11,]

20 The Lord will not pardon him, but then the anger of the Lord and His jealousy will smoke against that man, and all the curse that is written in this book shall settle on him; the Lord will blot out his very name from under the heavens;
21 And the Lord will single him out for ruin and destruction from all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law.

COMMENT 29:14-21

NEITHER WITH YOU ONLY DO I MAKE THIS COVENANT (Deuteronomy 29:14)The covenant extended to all who were within the country of Israel as a nationor who would be (Deuteronomy 29:15; Deuteronomy 29:22). Thus strangers and sojourners who made Israel their home were also included, Leviticus 24:22, Numbers 9:14; Numbers 15:14-16; Numbers 15:29.

Israel was to be a land within whose confines God was to be worshipped according to His wordregardless of the nationality of the resident. So it was with such well-known sojourners as Rahab and Ruth (Ruth 1:16).

LEST THERE SHOULD BE AMONG YOU MAN. TO GO TO SERVE THE GODS OF THOSE NATIONS (Deuteronomy 29:18)referring back to the neighboring nations of Deuteronomy 29:16, a fact that lends weight to the argument of modern translators that the parentheses enclosing Deuteronomy 29:16-17 should be omitted.

LEST THERE SHOULD BE AMONG YOU A ROOT THAT BEARETH GALL AND WORMWOOD (Deuteronomy 29:18)descriptive terms of one who was rebellious, stubborn, and disobedient towards God and his word, as the following verses show. And the factor of others being defiled by this man's influence may well be implied here, as in Hebrews 12:14-15.

GALL (Heb. rosh) is the name of a poisonous plant or herb. It grows quickly and luxuriantly (Hosea 10:14, hemlock), but is of bitter taste (Psalms 69:21, Lamentations 3:5) and on this account is, as here and in Lamentations 3:19, connected with wormwood.

On the other hand, What the Heb. laanah [wormwood] may have been is obscure; it is clear it was a bitter substance and it is usually associated with -gall-'. The genus Artemisis. has five species of shrubs or herbs found in Palestine, any one of which may furnish a bitter taste (I.S.B.E.). Thus this man's influence would be poisonous, hurtful, and distasteful both to God and his people.

TO DESTROY THE MOIST WITH THE DRY (Deuteronomy 29:19)The margin reads to add drunkenness to thirst.

Note that in the former part of the verse this man is blessing himself in his hearti.e., congratulating or complimenting himself, saying I shall have peacei.e. all shall be well with me, everything is fine. And this, though he realizes he is stubborn of heart, and intends To destroy the well-watered [land] with the dry (Pulpit). His hardness of heart would influence him to destroy one and all. His very nature is destructive and ruinous. This interpretation suits the context, describing one whose influence is pernicious and devastating to God's people. Such a person imprecates the wrath of God (Deuteronomy 29:20-21).