Confirmation of the Covenant

Transcript

GRS 57
10/09/1988
Confirmation of the Covenant
Deuteronomy 27-30
Gil Rugh

Chapter 26 ended with an exhortation to obedience as the people of God beginning with verse 16, this day the Lord your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. Verse 17; you have today declared the Lord to be your God and that you would walk in his ways and keep his statutes. Verse 18; the Lord has today declared you to be his people, a treasured possession as he promised you that you should keep all his commandments, that connection is crucial. You are the Lord’s people that you should keep his commandments. And because they are God’s people obedience is expected and obedience is required.

Come in to Chapter 27, this Chapter and the following ones will deal with confirmation of the covenant with Israel. God confirms that covenant that he has established with Israel. There will be certain ceremonies to be observed when Israel goes into the land to confirm the covenant with God as they are in the land. Some initial observances that will take place. Then there is going to be a reiteration of the blessings that God promises and the curses that he promises; blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience.

Chapter 27 deals with the covenant ceremonies; specific ceremonies that will be carried out when Israel crosses the Jordan in confirming the covenant that God has made with them. The first eight verses, Israel is to take stones when they get into the land, we’ll talk about where this takes place in a moment, and cover them with plaster or lime. This would enable them then to write on these stones, this was the practice that they were familiar with from Egypt and the law was to be written on the stones which would solidified in their minds and be a way of calling it to memory. They were also to build an altar of uncut stones and this would be part of the covenant confirmation that will take place in Palestine.

Down in verse 4 "So it shall be when you cross the Jordan you shall set up on Mount Ebal, these stones, as I am commanding you today you shall coat them with lime." "Moreover, you shall build there an altar to the Lord, an altar of stones; you shall not wield an iron tool on them." This is to take place at Mount Ebal. Mount Ebal is about thirty-five or forty miles north of Jerusalem in Palestine. So if you look on the Bible map as they crossed Jordan, near Jericho then to the northwest you will see Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim and that’s where the covenant conformation ceremonies are to take place.

Now this is a significant place in Israel’s history. At the base of Mount Ebal is the City of Shechem and Shechem is important in Israel’s history, go back to Genesis Chapter 12. You remember Genesis Chapter 12 gives us the Abrahamic covenant that’s were God enters into a binding agreement with Abraham that promises Abraham Land, seed and a blessing.

Abraham following the call of God comes into the land of Palestine, and note verse 6 and Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. So now Abram has come down into the land of Palestine. He’s arrived at Shechem. In verse 7 and the Lord appeared to Abram, first time we’re told in the Bible that God appears to Abram in the land of Palestine, it’s at Shechem. And he said, "To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him.

So you see what is happening, God is now taking the people back to the spots where he addressed Abraham five hundred years earlier. Where Abraham built an altar in response to the promise of God to give this land to his descendents, here’s Abraham just a family. Now there are perhaps two million people, his descendants coming in to take procession of that land. So a special significance that God appoints Mount Ebal and the area of Shechem as the place where this covenant conformation will take place.

In Genesis Chapter 33 while you are still in the Book of Genesis, Genesis Chapter 33 Jacob also built an alter at Shechem, remember Jacob had to leave the land and go to Paddan-aram and he resided there for some time. Now he returns back to Palestine and in verse 18 Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem which is the land of Canaan when he came to Paddan-aram and camped before the city. He bought the piece of land where he pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for one hundred pieces of money and there he erected an altar, an altar to the mighty God of Israel.

So a significant spot. Now Israel going into take procession of the land promised to their descendents or their ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and that conformation will occur at the exact area in the exact location where Abram and Jacob had offered sacrifice to the Lord. This conformation ceremony will be recorded in Joshua Chapter 8. So that’s where it actually will be carried out.

Back in Deuteronomy Chapter 27 down to verse 9 then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying, "Be silent and listen, O Israel! This day you have become a people for the Lord your God "You shall therefore obey the Lord your God, and do his commandments and his statutes which I command you today." People are reminded again they are the people of God as such they are obligated to obey him.

Now you ought to note here, they are obligated to obey him because they are the people of God, not to become the people of God. They are the people of God by God’s grace. Now as the people of God they must obey him. In that way the people of God in the Old Testament, the people of God in the New Testament parallel one another. The people of God in the Old Testament didn’t become the people of God by good works any more than you and I in the church today become the people of God by good works. But because they were the people of God through the gracious call of God, they were obligated to obey God and that pattern or principle is the same for you and I today.

Back in Deuteronomy Chapter 7 God reminded them that they were his people because of his gracious sovereign choice. Deuteronomy Chapter 7 verse 6 "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples for you were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which he swore to your forefathers, the lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery.

Verse 9 "Know therefore that the lord your God, he is God, the faithful God who keeps his covenant and his loving-kindness to a thousandth generation with those who love him and keep his commandments. God didn’t choose them because what they had done, it was his sovereign gracious choices that made Israel the people of God. Now as the people of God they must obey him. Israel had terrible time with that. It seems simple doesn’t it, you think well we repeat that it keeps coming up and up again. But you and I as the people of God struggled with the same issue today where God’s people by his gracious sovereign choice why is obedience such a struggle. It is the logical obligation that rests upon us and yet we battle with that in many of the same ways that Israel did.

Verse 11 Israel begins to charge the people and there is this ceremony of cursing and blessing. Verse 12 when you cross the Jordan these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people and verse 13 for the curse, these will still stand on Mount Ebal. Between the Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal there is a trade route or a pass and within in that valley where the two mountains come down this ceremony was to be carried out.

Joshua Chapter 8 verses 30 to 35 talks about the Levites taking up residence in that valley may be I have to turn over to Joshua Chapter 8, Joshua and the eighth Chapter verse 30 Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel in Mount Ebal, just as he’d been commanded. Verse 32 he wrote there on the stones a copy of the law as he was instructed, Verse 33 all Israel with their elders and officers their judges were standing on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priest who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord the stranger as well as the native. Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses have command. Then afterward he read all the words of the law the blessing cursing according to all that is written in the book of the law and he read the whole thing nothing was omitted.

That’s the picture here, the certain tribes back in Deuteronomy Chapter 27 verse 12 are to stand on Mount Gerizim or at the base of Mount Gerizim as Joshua seems to imply and certain tribes stand before Mont Ebal. And one set, one half represents the blessing, one half represents the curse. Now these ceremonies carried out, the details aren’t given. Some think well, one group recited the curses; the other group recited the blessings. Others believe that the priest, Levitical priests called out the curses and the people responded Amen called out the blessings and all the people responded Amen or perhaps they called out the curses and the people who represented the curses called out “Amen” to that. The Levitical priest called out the blessing, the people who represented the blessings.

So exactly how they went through it is not as clear as the procedure that was to be followed in arranging the people. Verses 15 to 26, give you the list of the curses and you go through the curses but you don’t go through the blessings interestingly. There is a series of twelve curses that are now given. There is no explanation given why these twelve are selected out of all that could have been said out of all the commandments given these twelve are selected as the curses. Beginning with verse 16, verse 15 rather cursed is the man who makes an idol or a molten image. Verse 16 cursed is he who dishonors his father and mother on down to verse 26.

Now there may be one glimpse of a possible explanation why these are suggested. Some believe that these may be things that could be done in secret and the secret sins are shown to be under the curse of God just like the open sins and God’s curse will come up on someone whether anyone else knows about their sin or not because you’ll note in verse 15 he does talk about the person who sets up an idol or molten image in secret. If they did it in public the response would be clear the nation was responsible to stone them. But some of them could set up this kind of image in their own tent and worship it and no one else might know about it, but that wouldn’t keep the curse of God from coming upon them.

Down in verse 24, cursed is he who strikes his neighbor in secret. Again the emphasis something is done secretly. And all of these things that are cursed here are things that could be done without broad knowledge and involving only a few people. But Israel is reminded there will be secret sins as far as God is concerned and his curse will be on the person who breaks his law whether he breaks it publically or he breaks it secretly he will not escape the curse of God.

Amen is to be the response to each of these curses you noted at the end of these verses beginning with verse 15 the people shall answer “Amen,” and that’s indicated agreement or a sin. We agree the curse should be on the person who does this; we agree the curse should be on the person who is guilty of any of these offences.

Down in verse 16 we won’t go through each of these, cursed is he who disowners his father or mother and all the people shall say Amen. We’ve talked about the responsibility of children to obey their parents, of young people to obey their parents. Now you remember back in Deuteronomy 21 verses 18 to 21 rebellious children were to be executed. Here they are cursed and this is an area that would be difficult.

We just alluded to it when we looked in Deuteronomy 21. Pressure would be on it was apparent. You got a rebellious child to decide this is the time to bring him to the elders for possible execution. And it would be very difficult for a parent to decide to decide this is the time I am ready to make that step its clear there is the responsibility there where the rebellion is settled and open but the parents would obviously struggle with this.

The point of this curse is whether the parents ever bring themselves to bring that disobedient son for execution the curse of God is still on the child because of the rebellion against the parent. So a child might be rebellious against his parents and has kept relatively secret, but he’s not getting away with anything before God. And that reminder that there are no secret sins as far as God is concerned.

That dishonor, he who dishonors his father or his mother, interesting word it means to be light or small despised when something you know you take it lightly or you think of it something little, something despised so if you regard your parents as smaller insignificant well that will effect that way that you treat them that put you under the curse. Attitude that’s often manifest in young people today. They treat their parents as insignificant someone that they don’t have to pay attention to for the Israelites that would bring them under the curse.

Down in verse 26 we have a summary so everything else is included this is just a sampling of the curses but verse 26 cursed is he who does not conform the words of this law by doing them and all the people shall say Amen. So all the law has to be obeyed and the curses on anyone who does not obey the law and these curses that have been mentioned are just representative. So you don’t have to go back through and list the curse on every single law that’s been given all six hundred and some commandments. But here are our representative’s sample but verse 26 then makes it all encompassing. And this verse is used by Paul in the New Testament that shows the impossibility of being saved by keeping the law.

You got to look over there Galatians Chapter 3 in verse 10. Galatians Chapter 3 in verse 10 Galatians were struggling with the law and its relationship to salvation verse 6 of Galatians 3 even so Abraham believed God it was reckoned to him as righteousness. So Abraham is the example of salvation by faith. Down to verse 10 for as many as are the works of the law are under a curse for it is written, and this comes from Deuteronomy Chapter 27 in verse 26. Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of law to perform them.

So you read Deuteronomy 27:26 and you might go by it too quickly. Cursed is he who does not conform the words of this law by doing them. Paul says that means you can never be saved by keeping the law you would have to keep the law perfectly everyday for your entire life, impossibility and you are under the curse if you break any of it. Now, that principle shows the application of the law even in our lives today demonstrates people are sinful that’s what the law could do. It could reveal my sinfulness but it could not save me. That was the problem with the law it wasn’t a shortcoming in the law, it was a shortcoming in the sinner.

The law is perfect and righteous and good, all it requires of me is perfection, but it did not enable me to meet the requirement. That’s the problem with the law but the law is sufficient to demonstrate that I am a sinner, that I am under condemnation; I am under the curse why, because it is everyone who does not continue in every single one of the commandments every single day of his life.

So anyone who thinks he’s going to be saved by keeping the law you say a person you’re going to heaven yes, why, I keep the Ten Commandments. Oh you do but why don’t you tell me what the six hundred plus commandments are. No I said the ten. Yeah, but the ten are just the summary of the over six hundred. Oh I don’t even know what they are, well then how do you know you’ve kept them. You’re probably in serious trouble but you are putting eternity basing your hope for eternity on the fact you haven’t broken any of the laws you don’t even know what they are. So Paul takes that and applies it very directly to our situation.

Chapter 28 talks about the blessings and the curses an really there is a central section here on blessings, a central section on curses and then everything else expounds on the blessings and on the curses. The blessings verses 1 to 14 and curses verses 15 to 68. The two paragraphs verses 3 to 6 give the blessings. Verses 16 to 18 give the curses and the curses are the exact opposites of the blessings. Same things are covered; the opposite of the blessing is the curse. And the rest is an elaboration on these blessings and these curses.

You note the curses section is about four times as long as the blessings section. You know Moses would have never made it in our day of positive thinking and positive approaches, he talked about the blessings and the curses in Chapter 27 he never dig it around to the blessings. He listed the twelve curses with a concluding one being a summary of curses as everyone who doesn’t obey them all and now let’s talk about blessings and curses; he spends four times as long talking about the curses.

And this emphasizes the danger of disobedience that eventually would overtake and bring about the destruction of Israel. The real problem for Israel is the disobedience. The blessings would come if they were obedient, their real problem is going to be with the obedience and their disobedience will bring the curses. First six verses lists the blessings first two verses tell us the blessings are conditioned upon obedience, it shall be if you will diligently obey the Lord your God being careful to do all his commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth and all these blessings shall come up on you and overtake you if you will obey the Lord your God.

Blessed shall you be in the city, blessed you’ll be in the country, the offspring of your body, the produce of the ground, the beasts, the herds, the flocks, the baskets, the kneading bowls, when you come in, you go out blessings will just pervade the people. All they have to do is obey. Seems relatively simple, they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Verses 7 to 14 give an explanation of the blessings; it’s an elaboration of the blessings that God has promised to them how that God will give them victory over the nations that oppose them. How its’ going to bless them in the land and establish them as a wholly people, all the peoples of the earth will recognize Israel are the people of God. And they’ll have a fear of Israel. They’ll prosper in the land.

Verse 11 "The Lord will make you abound in prosperity.” And in verse 12 "The Lord will open for you his good storehouse, the heavens." Now some of our health, wealth and prosperity preachers’ use these verses and we have to keep them within the framework to God has talking about. He’s talking about the people Israel who are going into the physical land of Palestine and will experience certain physical blessings as God’s physical people in a physical land. Doesn’t mean God will make you rich if you are a faithful believer today.

Well let’s come down to the curses. Since we have four times as much time to spend on them, verses 15 to 19 tell us what the curses are. And I guess I mentioned there the opposite of the blessings in verses 3 to 6. Verse 15 tells us the curses will come for disobedience it shall come about if you will not obey the Lord your God to observe to do all his commandments, his statutes with which I charge you today that all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.

Down in verse 20, verses 20 to 68 gives the explanation of the curses. Verses 45 and 46 reminder, these curses are a result of Israel’s choice. Verse 45 so all these curses shall come on you, pursue you, overtake you until you are destroyed because you would not obey the Lord your God by keeping his commandments, his statutes which he commanded you. No one can accuse God of not clearly setting down the consequences for obedience and disobedience. Why would people choose disobedience? Well, why do people today choose to go to hell? I mean God has made clear that anyone who does not believe in Jesus Christ will spend eternity in the suffering of hell, because people don’t believe it. They are in their stubborn, rebellion, determined to go their own way. Yes that is there.

You think when you read about Israel you say I can’t understand why this would be an issue, but then I look at us today and I say I can understand it’s still an issue. The nation was the chosen people of God they were the chosen nation but the individuals within the nations had to make a personal decision of faith in response to the Revelation that God had given of himself and they were unwilling to do that and the disobedience overtook them.

In verse 46 they shall become a sign and wonder on you and your descendents for ever because you did not serve the Lord your God and so on. Lack of obedience will bring destruction. Verses 47 to 57 talk about the horrors that that Israel would be experiencing because of disobedience. What will happen is four nations will come in and lay siege to their cities, and a siege brought terrible suffering. Would be like if this building were surrounded by an enemy there was no way out and there was no way in.

Well you know the first day it’s all right, especially if you brought your lunch, but you know you get the first weekend, then a month, then two months people start to get hungry and we find in this section that Israel will turn to cannibalism. The parents in Israel will eat their children because of the pressure of the siege that’s what they will be driven to by their own disobedience.

Interesting the way God puts it in verse 47 and 48. Verse 47, because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart for the abundance of all things therefore you shall serve your enemies it’s the choice serve God or serve your enemies because they were not willing to serve God in the midst of their blessings they would serve their enemies. Verses 49 to 52 the foreign power God is going to send and I don’t believe this is limited necessarily to one nation it could include any of the nations that came against Israel. Would definitely be true with the Assyrians, the Babylonians with the Romans and it will be true again with the suffering that is they will go through tribulation times.

Verse 53 you almost don’t like to read this but God tells Israel this is the way it will be. Then you shall eat the offspring of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters whom the Lord your God is given you during the siege and the distress by which your enemy shall oppress you. Now note this, the man who is refined and very delicate among you shall be hostile towards his brother and towards the wife he cherishes and towards the rest of his children who’ll remain.

You know what happen, we look around and see sinners and they seem to get along rather well together, they relate to one another, they can have relative come but the pressure applied and a pressure applied more and more begins to reveal the true ugliness of our character. And here Israel under the pressures of the siege it will reveal the degenerate sinful beings they really are because even the delicate refined man, the gentlemen will be revealed to be totally selfish, he’ll turn against his own family under that kind of pressure – his children which he shall eat.

All he’s going to be looking out for himself. I need this kid to eat for myself, that’s how ugly and gross it will become. You think the men are worst than the women, verse 56; the refined and delicate women here are the ladies among you who would not ventured to set the soul of her foot on the ground for delicateness and refinement. This is a ladies lady she shall be hostile towards the husband she cherishes and toward her son and her daughter. You can see what happens the pressure will reveal her character as well toward her afterbirth which issues from between her legs, toward her children whom she bears for she shall eat them secretly for the lack of anything else.

And now we have to say if Moses stood or prophet of God stood and said that to us today we would sit and say no way. I would never come to that. You can be sure that Israel heard this and as they heard it they probably thought some people might be like that not me. No matter what would happen I would never. Look over in Second Kings Chapter 6; Second Kings Chapter 6 this literally happened when the Arameans besieged the city of Samaria in Second Kings Chapter 6 verse 24 it came about after this Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his army went up and besieged Samaria and there was a great famine in Samaria. They went up; they surrounded the city everybody retreated into the city when a foreign army invaded.

They build up supplies in the city and so on but the army just camped out there and waited them out. And the kings walking along he got so bad, you’ve paid eighty shekels for a donkeys head and anything that was possibility for food. The kind of Israel verse 26 was passing by on the wall, a women cried out to him saying "Help, my Lord, O King" he said "If the Lord does not help you from where shall I help you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?" He didn’t have anything to give her.

The king said to her "What’s the matter with you "she answered, "This women said to me 'Give me your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow'. So we boiled my son and ate him." I gave her, I said to her on the next day, 'Give me your son that we may eat him,' but she hid her son." Now she wants the king decide with her. You see how degenerative it’s become, it’s obviously is unfair we ate my son now we should eat her son. Siege of Samaria, disobedience brought it upon them. You can jot down we don’t read this anymore.

Lamentations Chapter 2 verse 20, Chapter 4 verse 10 when the Babylonians came and besieged Jerusalem the people in the city of Jerusalem became cannibals again eating their own children for their own survival. Back in Deuteronomy 28 verses 58 to the end of the Chapter 68 a summary of the curses. One thing you have to know just jot down Hebrews Chapter 10 verse 31 it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Even we as believers don’t take seriously enough the issue of obedience and disobedience to God. When God says something he means it. We somehow develop the mentality that sin isn’t all that bad and obedience ought not to be that big an issue but it is with God. And Israel didn’t take it seriously and you know you don’t start off with one big step in rebellion, it’s the little things. I ignore what God says here, I fail to be obedient to what God says here and what happened to Israel over time is they ended up way out here. And they found out how serious disobedience is before God. He expects, he requires, he demands obedience from his people. That is no different for us today.

Israel is still the chosen nation of God that cannot change for all eternity but they have born awful suffering for their disobedience. I as a believer and the child of God by his sovereign choice for all eternity but I ought not to think that sin is not a major issue, that it doesn’t matter. You know Christians say, look I am going to heaven what else can I want, if I sin or I don’t sin and we think that we can deal with God in that way? We fail to appreciate the seriousness of sin in this issue of obedience.

We come to Chapter 29. The past and the future is basically what Chapter 29 deals with verses 1 to 9 talk about Israel’s history and verses 10 to 29 talk about Israel’s future. Verse 1 there’s some discussion about verse 1 whether it is the last verse of Chapter 28 or the first verse of Chapter 29 and the Hebrew Bible it’s the last verse of Chapter 28, its verse 69 of Chapter 28. In our English bibles it’s verse 1 of Chapter 29. If it goes with Chapter 28 it’s summarizing the law as it’s been set down in chapters 5 through 28. If it goes with Chapter 29, and 30 then it’s speaking about the covenant that is being established.

Some say that there is a new covenant addressed here, you note in verse 1 these are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the son’s Israel in the land of Moab besides the covenant which he made with them at Horeb and some say this an additional covenant it’s the Palestinian covenant. Some of you using study Bible like The New Scofield Reference Bible or The Ryrie Study Bible; they title this The Palestinian Covenant. Ryrie Study Bible titles Chapter 29 the Palestinian Covenant some of your study Bibles do it with Chapter 30. Issue is, is there a different covenant here. We’ll talk about that, we’re fully in connection with Chapter 30 but the point is that the covenant is being established I think in all probability we’re talking about the same covenant here and it is being reestablished and re-emphasized, and there doesn’t have to be a new covenant here although there is no problem if there is as we’ll see when we look at the details of Chapter 30. So just be aware of that question and we’ll address it in connection with Chapter 30 in a moment.

The first nine verses review Israel’s history and just an overview of the history. But you’ll note in verse 4 a key verse yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear. Israel was blinded by their sin and you know would take the gracious intervention of God to give them eyes to see. In spite of all that Israel had experienced, the gracious deliverance that God had brought, they still did not understand. They still did not really grasp what was happening and what was taking place.

Now Paul uses this verse in the New Testament in Romans Chapter 11 and verse 8. Romans Chapter 11 in verse 8 what then, that which Israel is seeking for it is not obtained but those who are chosen obtained it the rest were hardened just as it is written. "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not ears to hear not down to this very day." Only by the gracious sovereign intervention of God into a life can the blindness be removed. Here is hallucination experiencing all the marvelous Acts of God in bringing them to this point verse 4 tells us yet to this day they don’t understand, they don’t have the spiritual perception.

Paul applies that in Romans Chapter 11 in verse 8. The purpose of this review in verse 9 is to exhort them to obedience. It is repetitious almost to boredom. How often this is driven home, it’s one of the problem’s we have studying the Scripture isn’t it, we have things and says well, that’s so repetitious and say it again, and again, and again but why do you think God did that, do you think he didn’t realize? Boy, I didn’t realize I said that so many times. Gabriel, count that up, did you realize that, why don’t you pay attention no, God doesn’t have lapses of memory like we do. He said it why, what was going to be the basic issue with the people, they were going to remember. It’s like you and I, yes I know it says that, I know it says that but the issue is are we doing it?

So it’s a call to obedience. Verses 10 to 13 it really a challenge to the present generation, that stands there and are experiencing this and then you come to verse 14 verses 14 to 29 challenged them for the future. We’re back to the issue disobedience will bring a curse and of the bringing curse of God up on the land and on the people. Verse 14 now not with you alone am I making this covenant, this oath, but both with those who stand here with us this day in the presence of the Lord our God and with those who are not with us today. Another word with this generation and with generations to come this covenant is binding with its blessings and with its curses.

A word here, verse 18 that is carried over in the New Testament as well. Lest there be among you a man or a women or family or tribe whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God to go and serve the God’s whose nation, the God’s of those nations; lest there be among you a route bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood. This verse speaks of the permeating effect of evil through the nation because of the action of an individual, a family, a tribe. So the warnings here; lest anyone in Israel, any individual, any family, any group would be led into false worship that would have a permeating evil effect in the nation that’s why it has to be dealt with.

When a man or group sinned by serving other god that was like a poison branch with bitter fruit that by its nature spoil the whole tree that’s the concern for Israel. If this kind of idolatrous worship, adulterous worship takes hold in the land it will have a permeating effect throughout the nation and Israel’s subsequent history demonstrated that, that’s exactly what happened. So they are warned here about it. Lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood, wormwood is something bitter, poisonous used in the Bible several time that which causes distress.

Now this verse the end of the verse is used in the New Testament. Book of Hebrews Chapter 12 and there we are warned lest there be any route of bitterness among you. Hebrews Chapter 12 verse 15 see to it that no one come short of the grace of God that no root of bitterness, here’s the wormwood springing up causes trouble by it may be defiled. There will be no immoral or godless person like Esau. You see the framework of that we’re talking about persistent apostasy. Godlessness being tolerated which will take hold and spread among the people that was the concern here for the nation Israel that’s stubborn apostasy which takes hold and spreads through the nation.

Verses 19 and 20 I think give important warning back in Deuteronomy verse Chapter 29 verse 19 it shall be when he hears the words of this curse that he will boast saying I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart in order to destroy the watered land with the dry. A man might deceive himself into thinking he was getting away with his sin why, God’s blessing is still coming why, because God was still blessing the nation it was easy for him to deceive himself into thinking I am getting away with my sin God still blessing me. But God wasn’t blessing him because of or in spite of his sin, he was blessing the nation and he was just privileged to partake of it that becomes a subtle deceptive trap but his sin is a threat to the well being of the people of God and there’s a strong warning verses 20 and 21 "The Lord shall never be willing to forgive him but rather the anger of the Lord and his jealousy will burn against that man and every curse which is written in this book will rest on him, the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven."

"Then the Lord will single him out for adversity from all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant which are written in this book of the law." Serious matter secret hidden thing didn’t get away with anything, we delude ourselves into that. You talk to about Christian in sin, you pointed out they says well, God continues to bless me I got a promotion in my job, financially we’re doing well, my health is good you know we take that to mean God is not too concerned about my sin.

You know the first time you did that sin what happened, you wrote over and you got a pain you thought oh no the Lord’s given me a heart attack. He’s punishing me for my sin but you woke up and found out you just had gas well that’s a relief you know what, over time you did it again and nothing happened you know I didn’t have any more trouble at work that they seem to treat me nicer and I go on and you know what we begin to think just like Israel. God’s still blessing me. I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart. One of the subtle deceptive trap and if you’ve been a believer very long you know what it’s like.

I was reading an account of a preacher that got into immorality and he was asked how did you continue in that. He says well, my ministry seem to continue to prosper. So I really didn’t think it was that serous. Should have read Deuteronomy 29 verses 19 to 21 better be careful, you can be hear and have secret sin and say I am doing alright and it seems the prosperity and the blessing of God still on my life I am getting by with it. And we get the idea that God is overlooking our sin. That this isn’t too bad that somehow God has changed character in this particular case and my sin is okay. We’ve deluded ourselves. Our sin always has serious consequences not only for us personally, but for others around us.

Read Joshua 7 in the sin of Achan, he took the destruction his whole family, by his secret sin only he knew about it and he thought he got away with it till God stepped in to bring judgments. As you go on through this section we have to jump down to verse 29. The secret things belong to the Lord our God but those things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever that we may observe all the words of this law.

Important principle set down in Scripture, man is held accountable for what God has revealed. The things he hasn’t revealed are not accountable for him. The secret things belong to the Lord our God. He doesn’t expect me to know and to obey what he’s not revealed but the things revealed belong to us and our sons that we may observe this revelation, all the worlds of this law. So principle there and we say well, God hasn’t spoken about this. We often talk about and give our hypothesis about babies, the salvation of babies we have to always profess and say God hasn’t spoken to us so here’s a guess. So in fact I am not accountable for that, I am not responsible for to that. People say I am going to baptize that baby why, where did God say do that? Well, I just think it would be a good idea. Well, good idea to give him a bath too but has nothing to do with getting to heaven. God just says and address that as one of the secret things going to happen to babies, I have got ideas about it, you’ve got ideas about it, but the fact is you can’t turn to a verse that says here’s what happens to babies and other questions like that. So I am not responsible for it. And God is, and there’s certain things he’s kept for himself but I am responsible for everything that he has said. He holds me accountable for that.

Why are we studying Deuteronomy, God holds me accountable for it. Why does Christians don’t have the foggiest idea what’s in Deuteronomy, but God holds them accountable for any why, he’s revealed it; the fact that I chose to remain ignorant of his Revelation doesn’t make me any less accountable. The principle of verse 29 is important, I am held accountable for everything that God has revealed that’s why I must know the word so that I can obey the word. I’ll say Lord I never knew that was there, but you were responsible to know it was there.

If I leave a note for my children; we’re going away and I leave a note with a series of things there to do and tell them you read the note and do what it says and I come home and haven’t done any of it and say well I didn’t know you wanted me to do that. I’ll say what do you mean you didn’t knew I wanted you to do that, didn’t you read the note, no. Well the educated hold me accountable for what I didn’t know right, wrong, why, should have read the note, that’s the way we as believers are. I am going to stand before the Lord and say well, Lord I never got around to reading Deuteronomy, you know that’s a long book, I think you will little wordy there. You think we’ll say that, I don’t think so. Think I ever told my dad that, Dad you were little wordy, not on your life. And obviously not on that day when it will be much more serious.

Chapter 30 and I’ve called this the Palestinian covenant, even though there is question over whether it is a separate covenant or not. First ten verses really deal with what is called often the Palestinian covenant and it talks about God’s promise of the land for the nation Israel. If it is a separate covenant, the Palestinian covenant then it is an elaboration of the Abrahamic Covenants promise to give the land of Palestine to the descendents of Abraham.

Genesis Chapter 12 verse 7 for example where we read that God promised this land to Abraham. Now here this is elaborated. Some say there is not a separate covenant in view and we’re still talking about the Mosaic Covenant but different promises within that framework to the people of God and have no problem with that because the principle is still the same. God has promised the land of Palestine to the Jews, he’s reiterating that promise here whether it’s a separate covenant or a continuing development and elaboration of the Abrahamic Covenant, the point doesn’t change Palestine belongs to Israel and will be possessed by the land of Israel.

The point, Israel will be removed from the land because of disobedience, Deuteronomy 28 verse 63 to 68 talked about that but they are destined in the gracious plan of God to be restored to the land at a future time. And verses 1 to 10 talk about that restoration and we don’t have time to read it but note verse 1 says "So it shall be when, and you have to underline that it doesn’t say so it shall be if, but when, there is inevitability about this. When all these things have come up on you the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, you call them to mind in all nations where the Lord your God has banished you and you returned to the Lord your God and obey him with all your hearts, soul according to all I have commanded you, then the Lord your God will restore you."

That’s the point. Israel is going to be banished from the land, we’ll wonder in the nations ultimately they will be driven to their needs and be restored to God. This message of restoration becomes a theme of the coming prophets. In verse 6 "Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart, the heart of your descendents to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul in order that you may live."

In connection with this final restoration to the land, there will be a transforming of the heart of the nation Israel. This is the new covenant that has talked about in Jeremiah Chapter 31 verse 31 to 34; Ezekiel 36 verses 24 to 32. Days are coming when I make a new covenant, that new covenant involves giving them a new heart, new spirit circumcising their heart, this is when Romans Chapter 11 verses 25 to 29 will be fulfilled and then all Israel shall be saved because the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Now God is a covenant relationship with the nation Israel that promises them the land of Palestine, the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable, he cannot go back on that not because Israel doesn’t deserve to be isolated, because God has promised that he would, and he always keeps his word; he doesn’t go back. That’s why you and I are going to spend eternity in his presence not because we’re faithful but because his gifts and calling are irrevocable. He’s promised it.

So verse 6 is the key verse for Israel’s future. They are destined to be the people that worship God. What will happen is they will be dispersed. Now we see them coming back into the land and now established as a nation that’s not the fulfillment of this because we know through the tribulation there’s going to be persecution and suffering again but what happens as the tribulation grinds to the climax of that seven year period. Israel will, according to verses 1, 2, and 3 turn and obey God. The climax of that seven year period there will be a recognition that indeed Jesus is the Messiah and there will be a turning to Christ as Messiah on behalf of the nation Israel and then Christ will intervene.

Matthew 24:31 says gather his elect from the four corners of the earth and come to establish his kingdom over which he will rule. So these first ten verses, the final restoration of Israel looks forward to the time of the second coming of Christ to earth and verse 6 helps to make that very clear, that’s when the circumcised are. So Israel’s dwelling as a nation today by and large in the land of Palestine, but they don’t have a circumcised heart, they haven’t turned to the Lord in obedience, they are a stubborn, proud rebellious arrogant people still resisting their Messiah and his salvation.

Verses 11 to 14 talk about the accessibility of this covenant. "This commandment which I commands you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach, it’s not in heaven that you should say who will go up to heaven for us to get it that we may hear it, that we may observe it nor is it beyond the sea that you should say who will cross the sea to get it for us, make us see it that we may observe it but the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart that you may observe it."

Point here is there is no excuse for misunderstanding or confusion regarding the will of God for them. It wasn’t too hard, it wasn’t too distant, it had been revealed by God there is no excuse for failure to obey. You see how accountable God holds them and you ought to note this passage is quoted in the New Testament in the Book of Romans Chapter 10 verses 6 to 10 in relationship to Jesus Christ that the truth concerning him, the Son of God has come, salvation is in him, there is no excuse acceptable before God. It’s not too hard, it’s not too distance the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart that you may observe it. It’s right there, you’ve heard it, you’ve seen it. There is excuse.

You might expect the Chapter closes out n verse 15 to 20 with a call the decision; what he in fact said is here is the word of God it’s within your grasp. Now you are called to make a decision I’ve set before you the way of life and the way of death. Verse 19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse so choose life in order that you may live Israel chose death. Could God have been any clear? All the sufferings of the thousands of the years of Israel’s history tied back to unbelief, rebellion disobedience. All so unnecessary if they would have believed and obeyed in all part of God’s plan but all the result of their own stubborn disobedience.

Same thing today Romans Chapter 10, we have the message of Christ, we present it to people that’s our responsibility, the word is here. They hear the Christ died for them. No excuse will be acceptable before God. It simply is called the decision, make your decision in light of the revelation that God has given. It’s just that clear. When we talk to people it ought to be present to them the facts of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and called them the decision. That’s all you need to know, that’s all you need to hear for time and eternity, there’s no other search to go on. There’s no other mission to look for an answer God has revealed it.

Now has set before you the way of life and the way of death; like call you to believe in Jesus Christ and choose life. We as believers need to live out what God has given, do we really believe, this is it; we have it here, and we can present that challenge to the people that we come in contact with.