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Deuteronomy 30 (ESV)

The Choice of Life and Death

11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns 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. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

 

REFLECTION:

  • The commitment God asks us to make to Him is like the wedding ceremony. Wedding comes after months or years of gradually coming to know, to appreciate, to love each other and to want to spend lives together.   Then the two plan a wedding to announce to all that they have decided to cleave only to each other, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do them part.  However, this is only the beginning of a lifetime of making choices shaped by the fact that two people stood side by side and committed themselves to one another.  For then.  And forever.  It’s this kind of ceremony that is in view in this chapter. 
  • Moses, in this chapter, calls upon the new generation to make a life-or-death decision: to choose to obey God and live, or to choose to reject God and die. Moses says, “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off (v11)… But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it (v14)… then you shall live and multiply.(v16)” Moses earnestly and passionately exhorts the Israelites to wholeheartedly love the Lord and live according to His word (vv19-20).
  • We need to realize that our initial relationship with Jesus is intended to grow and deepen to the point at which we too realize, “I want to commit my life to this person who loves me.”
  • Will I commit myself fully to God, realizing that this decision will shape my choices for the rest of my life?

 

PRAYER:

Merciful Heavenly Father, I thank You for revealing to me through today’s scripture the blessings and curses of life and death: those who love You, follow Your ways, and keep Your commandments, statutes, and ordinances will live, but those who rebel, deceive, practice immorality, and worship idols will perish! Heavenly Father, please make me gentle and yet strong, humble and yet passionate, using Your grace as my chariot and Your promises as my horse, striving to walk in Your ways throughout my life until the day I see Your face and receive eternal life and glory in heaven. Please give me wisdom and courage every day, so that I may see beyond the illusions of poverty, wealth, honor, and shame, and even beyond the boundaries of blessings and curses, life and death, to understand the mysteries of life that lead to sweetness through hardship and to see the beauty of it all. Heavenly Father, You have the way to eternal life, who else can I turn to? In heaven, besides You, who else do I have? On earth, there is nothing I desire besides You. Though my body and my heart may fail, You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever. I will take refuge in You, and I will proclaim all Your deeds. Amen!

 

HYMN:

Deeper In Love – www.youtube.com/watch?v=IppBI3sGLGU