Christians tend to be very interested in the future. We want to know how events will unfold as we near the end times. As part of that quest, we debate the future of the Israelites. Some Christians believe the church has replaced Israel. Others believe Israel is separate from the church. Today’s passage will tell us about some promises which were given to Israel which still need to be fulfilled.
In yesterday’s Scripture reading, we read about a covenant that Yahweh established with Israel in Moab. This covenant was in addition to the covenant which had been established at Mount Horeb. The covenant in Moab was intended to prevent an Israelite from turning away from Yahweh.
In the following verse, the pronoun “he” refers to any man who might serve the false gods of the surrounding nations.
Deut. 29:19 And it will be when he hears the words of this curse, that he will bless himself in his heart, saying, ‘I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart in order to sweep away the watered land with the dry.’
Notice the contrast between the man hearing a curse but blessing himself. Then notice the contrast between the man claiming to have peace even though he had a stubborn heart. Finally, take note of sweeping away watered land as well as dry land. Verse 19 depicts a stubborn man who rebelled against Yahweh, did so knowingly, and congratulated himself on his disobedience.
Deut. 29:20 Yahweh shall not be willing to pardon him, but rather the anger of Yahweh and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this book will rest on him, and Yahweh will blot out his name from under heaven.
Notice the word “jealousy” and “anger”. Many Christians picture God as a benign Being who has endless patience and forgiveness. This verse tells us God gets jealous when people don’t acknowledge Him as God.
The words “blot out his name” tell us that, while God is patient, that doesn’t mean He never acts on His jealousy and anger.
Deut. 29:21 Then Yahweh will separate 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.
Deut. 29:22 ¶ “And the generation to come, your sons who rise up after you and the foreigner who comes from a distant land, shall see the plagues of the land and the diseases with which Yahweh has afflicted it, and they will say,
Deut. 29:23 ‘All its land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and nothing sprouting, and no grass grows in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which Yahweh overthrew in His anger and in His wrath.’
When Moses sent twelve spies to assess the land of Canaan, they came back and described a land flowing with milk and honey (see Numbers 13). The book of Joshua tells us the Promised Land was a forest (see Joshua 17:18), indicating much rainfall.
Verse 23 warned Israel that if they did not keep Yahweh as their God, then He would afflict the land and turn it into an unsown waste. We know from the rest of the Old Testament that Israel had a constant problem with idolatry.
If you visit Israel today, it will feel much more like a desert than a forest. It gives the impression of being a barren land, not a land flowing with milk and honey.
Deut. 29:24 And all the nations will say, ‘Why has Yahweh done thus to this land? Why this great burning anger?’
Deut. 29:25 Then men will say, ‘Because they forsook the covenant of Yahweh, the God of their fathers, which He cut with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.
Deut. 29:26 And they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they have not known and whom He had not apportioned to them.
Deut. 29:27 Therefore, the anger of Yahweh was kindled against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book;
Look at the word “anger”. The common concept of God in the modern world is that God is always forgiving and never gets angry. However, this verse proves that there is a limit to God’s forgiveness. He does get angry.
Deut. 29:28 and Yahweh uprooted them from their land in anger and in fury and in great wrath, and He cast them into another land, as it is this day.’
Notice the words “anger”, “fury”, and “wrath”. This repeats the fact that Yahweh is capable of anger and wrath. This means He is capable of being angry at us if we displease Him.
The books of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles tell us about the Israelites being defeated by Assyria and Babylon and exiled to a foreign land.
Deut. 29:29 ¶ “The secret things belong to Yahweh our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Deut. 30:1 ¶ “So it will be, when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you cause these things to return to your heart in all the nations where Yahweh your God has banished you,
Notice the word “when”. Moses did not say “if” any of these things happen. He said “when” they happen. The word “when” indicates that Israel would rebel against Yahweh and be exiled.
Deut. 30:2 and you return to Yahweh your God and listen to His voice with all your heart and soul according to all that I am commanding you today, you and your sons,
The word “when” in verse 1 also applies to verse 2, meaning at some point in the future, Israel will return to Yahweh.
Deut. 30:3 then Yahweh your God will return you from captivity and return His compassion on you, and He will gather you again from all the peoples where Yahweh your God has scattered you.
Deut. 30:4 If those of you who are banished are at the ends of the sky, from there Yahweh your God will gather you, and from there He will take you back.
Today, Israel is scattered all over the globe. The word “when” in verse 1 applies to verse 4, meaning someday Yahweh will gather all the Israelites back to the land of Israel.
Deut. 30:5 And Yahweh your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.
Deut. 30:6 ¶ “Moreover Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your seed, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
Ponder the phrase “circumcise your heart”. All through history, Yahweh has allowed Israel to choose rebellion and idolatry. At some point in the future, Yahweh will circumcise their heart so that they will love Yahweh with all their heart.
Deut. 30:7 And Yahweh your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.
Deut. 30:8 And you shall return and listen to the voice of Yahweh, and you shall do all His commandments which I am commanding you today.
Christians are fascinated with the end times. There is justification for that. Many passages of Scripture talk about future events. Today’s passage is one of those passages. We know from history that Israel was given the Promised Land, but they rebelled against Yahweh. They engaged in idolatry. Thus, they were conquered and exiled from the land of Israel. Today, the Jews are scattered all over the globe.
Today’s passage assures us that at some point in the future, the Jews will turn back to Yahweh. He will return all of them to the land of Israel and circumcise their heart so that they no longer rebel and pursue idols.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”