Deuteronomy 30:15-20

5. FINAL ENCOURAGEMENT TO CHOOSE THE PATH OF BLESSING RATHER THAN THE CURSE (Deuteronomy 30:15-20)

15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; 16 in that I command thee this day to love Jehovah thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, that thou mayest live and multiply, and that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in the land whither thou goest in to possess it. 17 But if thy heart turn away, and thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; 18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish; ye shall not prolong your days in the land, whither thou passest over the Jordan to go in to possess it. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed; 20 to love Jehovah thy God, to obey his voice, and to cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days; that thou mayest dwell in the land which Jehovah sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 30:15-20

530.

It hardly seems possible that anyone would knowingly choose death and evil. There must be another factor, What is it?

531.

How much of life is suspended on the one word obedience. And yet another factor must be present before we are willing to obey. What is it?

532.

Could the Israelites have said, for me to live is Jehovah? Specifically how was this true?

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 30:15-20

15 See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil.
16 [If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which] I command you today, to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, then you shall live and multiply and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.
17 But if your [mind and] heart turn 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, and you shall not live long in the land which you pass over the Jordan to enter and possess.
19 I call Heaven and earth to witness this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live;
20 To love the Lord your God, to obey His voice, and to cling to Him; for He is your life, and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

COMMENT 30:15-20

Do not these verses practically summarize the whole story of Deuteronomy? Again and again Moses has made these points: Blessings when you love, obey and observeinnumerable, excruciating hardships and curses if you do not. And as we have seen in exhortation after exhortation, this life meant their very existence as a nation. Prosperity, strength, health, hopeall gained or lost depending on their obedience or disobedience.

Very literally for them and for us God. is thy lifethe source of all life, physical and spiritual. If, then they would have life, the Lifesource must be heeded, Deuteronomy 30:19. And so it is with our Lifesource, John 1:4; John 11:25-26; John 14:6, 1 John 5:20.