Deuteronomy 30 - Introduction
_A.M. 2553. B.C. 1451._ Promises upon their repentance, Deuteronomy 30:1. The righteousness of faith set before them, Deuteronomy 30:11. Life and death offered to their choice, Deuteronomy 30:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
_A.M. 2553. B.C. 1451._ Promises upon their repentance, Deuteronomy 30:1. The righteousness of faith set before them, Deuteronomy 30:11. Life and death offered to their choice, Deuteronomy 30:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
_When all these things are come upon thee_ Having been thus large in setting before them the consequences of apostacy from God and his service, Moses now turns his discourse to the great encouragement which such as had been disobedient would have from the mercy of God to return to him in true repent... [ Continue Reading ]
_And shalt return unto the Lord_ Here is a further description of true repentance. It is a _returning unto_ the Lord, in humiliation, shame, and sorrow, and yet with confidence in him, as _our God_, with a fixed purpose of obeying him universally and heartily in future. This the Jews did, as a natio... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord will turn thy captivity_ That is, will bring back thy captives, as the following words imply. Indeed, _captivity_ is often put for _captives, Psalms 14:7_; and Psalms 68:18; Judges 5:12. This was fulfilled in part when they returned from Babylon, and will be more completely fulfilled when... [ Continue Reading ]
_If any of thine be driven out unto the out-most parts of heaven_ This part of the prophecy has been fulfilled; they have been thus driven away. _From thence will the Lord gather thee_ Not the widest and most distant dispersion of any of thy tribes shall cause them to be finally lost. But God, upon... [ Continue Reading ]
_He will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers_ There are in this and several other prophecies concerning the restoration of the Jews, such magnificent descriptions of it as do by no means appear to have been sufficiently fulfilled in any restoration yet past; and therefore are to be acc... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the Lord_ Or, _For the Lord; will circumcise thy heart_ Will by his word and Spirit change and purge thy heart from all thy idolatry and wickedness, and incline thy heart to love him. God will first convert and sanctify thee, the fruit whereof shall be, that thou shalt return and obey God's com... [ Continue Reading ]
_For good_ Whereas thou didst formerly receive these mercies for thy hurt, now thou shalt have them for thy good; thy heart shall be so changed that thou shalt not now abuse them, but employ them to the glory of God the giver. _Over thee for good_ To do thee good; as he did rejoice to destroy thee.... [ Continue Reading ]
_If thou wilt hearken_ This is added to warn them that they should not receive the grace of God in vain, and to teach them that the grace of God doth not discharge man's obligation to his duty, nor excuse him for the neglect of it. It is observable, that Moses calls God, _the Lord thy God_, twelve t... [ Continue Reading ]
_This commandment_ The great command of loving and obeying God, which is the sum of the law, of which yet he doth not here speak as it is in itself, but as it is mollified and accompanied with the grace of the gospel. The meaning is, that though the practice of God's laws be now far from us, and abo... [ Continue Reading ]
_In heaven_ Shut up there, but it hath been thence delivered and published in thy hearing. _Neither beyond the sea_ The knowledge of this commandment is not to be fetched from far distant places, to which divers of the wise heathen travelled for their wisdom; but it was brought to thy very doors and... [ Continue Reading ]
_Choose life_ They shall have life that choose it: they that choose the favour of God, and communion with him, shall have what they choose. They that come short of life and happiness, must thank themselves only. They would have had them, if they had chosen them, when they were put to their choice: b... [ Continue Reading ]
_That thou mayest love the Lord thy God_ Here he shows them in short what their duty is; _to love_ God as _the Lord_, a being most amiable, and as _their God_, a God in covenant with them: as an evidence of their love, to _obey his voice_ in every thing, and by constancy in this love and obedience,... [ Continue Reading ]