CHAPTER 29:
Covenant. Inheritance. Obey. Blessings. Curses. All of these words have been swirling together throughout the book of Deuteronomy. But the most important thing the Israelites needed to do was love the LORD with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Love is what makes it all possible. Love is part of the image of God we hold in our design. It is the part that will help us choose to obey the LORD, for when you love the LORD more than the world, you will choose Him.
Read Deuteronomy 29:1-4.
Who is listening to the words of Moses in this chapter?
In spite of all they had experienced, what were they still lacking?
The Israelites were still lacking a heart to know the LORD, eyes to see and ears to hear. They were spiritually blind to see what the LORD had done for them. We are on the other side of the cross and have the gift of the revelation of Christ. How much more have we been given in this knowledge! How much easier it should be for us to understand in our hearts our position before the Holy God and our need for redemption. In return for our repentance and our heart to follow Jesus, we are given a deposit guaranteeing what is to come, a pledge of our heavenly inheritance. We are given the Holy Spirit.
Read Ephesians 1:13-14.
What encouragement do you get from these verses?
We’ve read these verses before, but please read them again. Read Ezekiel 36:26-27.
Where does our new heart come from?
Whose spirit do we receive?
Why is it important that these things - our new heart and spirit – come from Him and not ourselves?
How does this make you more able to follow Him?
Read Deuteronomy 29:5-9.
What supernatural things sustained them in the wilderness?
What made them able to defeat their enemies?
Read Deuteronomy 29:10-15.
Who is making this covenant with the LORD?
Was anyone excluded? Why not, do you think?
What is God establishing on this important day?
Their identity was to be the people of God. The LORD would be their God and they would be His people. He was establishing a promise with them to protect them and provided for them beyond measure – IF they would follow Him and be His people. God was making the promise to the current generation as well as those in the future, for God is faithful and always upholds His promises.
Read Deuteronomy 29:16-21.
Were the Israelites ignorant of the dangers of idol worship practiced by the neighboring nations? Why or why not?
The assumption here is that if they know the dangers, then they will not participate. What do you know is dangerous, but still participate in?
Does participating in this pull you away from God, distract you from His truth? In what way?
What was the promise given to the Israelite who decided their peace came from other places, not the LORD?
Have you tried to find your peace in other places? If so, where? How successful were you?
Read Deuteronomy 29:22-29.
Moses knew the Israelites would not be able to follow the LORD without fault, so he assumed the curses would occur. Would the Israelites know why they were being cursed? How do you know?
Moses ends with some amazing wisdom: “The secret things belong to the LORD, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law” (v. 29). God does not always give us the specifics we sometimes want. What should I do? How do I serve? What is my answer? What will happen? But He does give us exactly what we need to find and follow Him. He gives us enough light for the step we are on. And more than that, He promises He is with us and for us.
I’ll have to be honest, as a writer, I have been worried about all the negativity in this book. The more I wrote, the more I repeated the downfalls and sins of the Israelites, the more I repeated the curses, the more I worried that you would become uninterested. Who wants to hear about curses over and over?
I marinated on Chapter 29 for a while because I didn’t know what to say that might encourage you because the truth is we are sinners – all the time. We are just like the Israelites turning away doing our own things, find our satisfaction, provision, and promises in other things. Even after we are saved, we still turn away. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized this whole thing isn’t all about the sins and faults of the Israelites; it’s about God’s long-suffering love for His people. Can you imagine His frustration? Just when the hearts of one sinful generation get it right, the next one comes along and goofs it up. And who is still there – hand out-reached, heart full of love, inviting His people into His promises? Our heavenly Father! Year after year. Generation after generation. Millennium after millennium. Steadfast. True. Merciful. Ever-loving. Our God!
I cannot resist His faithfulness. Oh, how sweet He is! In the midst of my own sin, His love and mercy call to me. I want to run to Him, be pulled into His sweet presence, and dwell there forever. After all He has done on my behalf and all He wants to do in the future, my heart is the least I can offer Him.
If you have been feeling disenchanted with the sin cycle of the Israelites and the curses brought about by it, know this: our God is a master at restoration. The sin cycle, with all of its curses, brings His people back to Him. Like the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son, our father is waiting there for our return, ready to place a robe around our shoulders, a ring on our finger, and embrace us with a hug. And even though we’ve been disobedient, he says in his long-suffering love, “I’ll always take you back. Welcome home.”
Lesson to Remember: God is long-suffering.
A Way to Walk: Work to love God with all your heart. When you goof up, repent and try again, but just because we are forgiven and God is long-suffering does not give us the right to abuse His forgiveness or patience with us. In fact, continual purposeful sinning may be a sign that you are not saved and do not have the Holy Spirit in you to help and guide you. If that is the case, then you need to go back to the beginning and reconsider salvation and what it means to have faith, then repent and follow Jesus. Ask the Lord. Ask a Christian friend. They will help you.
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