The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  28:68 but no one will buy you. Israel would be so abandoned by God that she would not even be able to sell herself into slavery. The curse of God would bring Israel into a seemingly hopeless condition (cf. Hos. 8:13; 9:3). The specific mention of Egypt could be symbolic for any lands where the Jews have been taken into bondage or sold as slaves. But it is true that after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, which was a judgment on the apostasy of Israel and their rejection and execution of the Messiah, this prophecy was actually fulfilled. The Roman general Titus, who conquered Jerusalem and Israel, sent 17,000 adult Jews to Egypt to perform hard labor there and had those who were under 17 years old publicly sold. Under the Roman emperor Hadrian, countless Jews were sold and suffered such bondage and cruelty.

  Deuteronomy 29

  29:1—30:20 These chapters contain the third address of Moses, which is a contrast between the covenant at Sinai and the covenant he envisioned for Israel in the future. Though the past had seen Israel’s failure to keep the covenant and to trust in God, there was hope for the future. It was this hope that Moses emphasized in the content of these chapters focusing clearly on the themes of the New Covenant.

  29:1 These are the words. The Heb. text numbers this verse as 28:69 rather than 29:1, seeing it as the conclusion to the second address of Moses. However, as in 1:1, these words introduce what follows, serving as the introduction to Moses’ third address. the covenant…in the land of Moab. The majority of interpreters view the covenant stated here as a reference to the covenant made at Sinai. According to this view, the covenant that God made with Israel at Sinai (Horeb) was renewed in Moab. However, this verse clearly states that the covenant of which Moses now speaks was “besides,” or “in addition to,” the previous covenant. This was another covenant distinct from the one made at Sinai. This other covenant is viewed by some interpreters as the Palestinian Covenant, which gave Israel the title to the land (see 30:5). However, the emphasis of these two chapters is not on the Land, but on the change of Israel’s heart (see the contrast between 29:4 and 30:6). It was exactly this change of heart which the later prophets would term “The New Covenant” (see Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 36:26, 27). In response to Israel’s certain failure under the provisions of the Sinaitic Covenant (29:23–28), Moses anticipated the New Covenant under which Israel would be obedient to the Lord and finally reap His blessings (30:1–10).

  29:4 the LORD has not given you…eyes to see. In spite of all they had experienced (vv. 2, 3), Israel was spiritually blind to the significance of what the Lord had done for them, lacking spiritual understanding, even as Moses was speaking. This spiritual blindness of Israel continues to the present day (Rom. 11:8), and it will not be reversed until Israel’s future day of salvation (see Rom. 11:25–27). The Lord had not given them an understanding heart, simply because the people had not penitently sought it (cf. 2 Chr. 7:14).

  29:9 keep the words of this covenant. The spiritual experience of God’s faithfulness to Israel should have led to obedience to the stipulations of the Sinaitic Covenant in the future, but could not without a transformed heart (vv. 4, 18) and the true knowledge of God (v. 6).

  29:10, 11 All of you stand today before the LORD your God. All the people were likely stationed in an orderly way before Moses, but this is not a call to outward order, but inward devotion, to make the covenant a matter of the heart and life.

  29:12 enter into covenant…and…oath. “Enter into” expresses entire submission in faith and repentance before God, resulting in heart obedience. The people were to bind themselves in an oath to obey the stipulations of God’s covenant (cf. Gen 26:28).

  29:14, 15 not with you alone. All of Israel, present and future, were to be bound by the stipulations of the covenant to obey God and be blessed. Thus they would be able to lead all nations to the blessedness of salvation (cf. John 17:20, 21; Acts 2:39).

  29:18 a root bearing bitterness or wormwood. The picture was of a root spreading poison and bitterness into the whole tree. The metaphor indicates permeation of idolatry throughout Israel because of the action of an individual family or tribe, precipitating God’s curse and wrath.

  29:19 as though the drunkard…included with the sober. This could be translated “to destroy the watered land along with the dry land.” With either translation, the meaning is that the deceived individual rebel against the Lord follows only his wicked heart and could not hide within the total community. The idolater would stand out and bear the judgment for his idolatry.

  29:20 blot out his name from under heaven. The idolater would have no place among God’s people, because God would curse him and then kill him (cf. 25:19: Ex. 17:14). This very strong language reveals how God feels about idolatry, which is forbidden in the Decalogue (Ex. 20:2–7).

  29:21 this Book of the Law. See note on 31:9.

  29:22 the coming generation…and the foreigner. In a future day, both Israel and the nations would see the results of God’s judgment upon the Land of Israel because of Israel’s disobedience, as a witness to the holy standard God has established in His law. Cf. Lev. 26:31, 32.

  29:23 Sodom. The punishment the Lord would bring upon Israel in the future was likened to that of Sodom and her allies whom the Lord buried in fiery brimstone in the time of Abraham and Lot (see Gen. 19:24–29). It should be noted that Sodom and vicinity resembled paradise, the garden of God, before its destruction (cf. Gen. 13:10).

  29:24 This question is answered in vv. 25–28.

  29:29 The secret things … those things which are revealed. That which is revealed included the law with its promises and threats; consequently, that which is hidden only can refer to the specific way in which God will carry out His will in the future, which is revealed in His Word and completed in His great work of salvation, in spite of the apostasy of His people.

  Deuteronomy 30

  30:1–10 The rejection of God by Israel, and of Israel by God and the subsequent dispersion were not the end of the story of God’s people. Having anticipated a time when Israel’s disobedience would lead to her captivity in a foreign land, Moses looked beyond the destruction of that time of judgment to an even more distant time of restoration and redemption for Israel (cf. Lev. 26:40–45). This future restoration and blessing of Israel would take place under the New Covenant (see notes on Jer. 31:31–34; 32:36–41; Ezek. 36:25–27). For a comparison of the New Covenant with the Old Covenant, see notes on 2 Cor. 3:6–18.

  30:1–3 you call them to mind. Moses moved to the future when curses would be over and blessings would come. At some future time, after disobedience to the Lord brought upon Israel the curses of the covenant, the people will remember that the circumstances in which they found themselves were the inevitable consequence of their disobedience, and in repentance they will return to the Lord. This repentance will lead to a wholehearted commitment of obedience to God’s commandments (v. 8) and the consequent end of Israel’s distress (v. 3). This is the ultimate salvation of Israel by faith in Christ, spoken of by Isaiah (54:4–8), Jeremiah (31:31–34; 32:37–42), Ezekiel (36:23–38), Hosea (14:1–9), Joel (3:16–21), Amos (9:11–15), Zephaniah (3:14–20), Zechariah (12:10—13:9), Malachi (3:16–4:4), and Paul (Rom. 11:25–27).

  30:4, 5 The gathering of Jews out of all the countries of the earth will follow Israel’s final redemption. Restoration to the Land will be in fulfillment of the promise of the covenant given to Abraham (see Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 15:18–21; 17:8) and so often reiterated by Moses and the prophets.

  30:6 the LORD…will circumcise your heart. Cf. 10:16. This work of God in the innermost being of the individual is the true salvation that grants a new will to obey Him in place of the former spiritual insensitivity and stubbornness (cf. Jer. 4:4; 9:25; Rom. 2:28, 29). This new heart will allow the Israelite to love the Lord wholeheartedly, and is the essential feature of the New Covenant (see 29:4, 18; 30:10, 17; Jer. 31:31–34; 32:37–42; Ezek. 11:19; 36:26). See note on Jer. 4:4.

  30:7 on your enemies. The curses that had fallen on Israel because of disob
edience will in the future come upon the nations that have enslaved the Jews. The judgment of God would come upon those who cursed the physical seed of Abraham in fulfillment of Gen. 12:3.

  30:8, 9 you will again obey the voice of the LORD. With a new heart under the New Covenant, Israel would obey all the commandments of the Lord. This would result in the Lord’s blessing, which would bring greater prosperity than Israel had ever previously experienced.

  30:10 Here is a renewed enforcement of the indispensable fruit of salvation and another echo of the constant theme of this book.

  30:11–14 After remembering the failures of the past and the prospects for the future, Moses earnestly admonished the people to make the right choice. The issue facing them was to enjoy salvation and blessing by loving God so wholeheartedly that they would willingly live in obedience to His Word. The choice was simple, yet profound. It was stated in simple terms so that they could understand and grasp what God expected of them (v. 11). Although God had spoken from heaven, He had spoken through Moses in words every person could understand (v. 12). They did not have to search at some point beyond the sea (v. 13). The truth was there, through Moses, now in their hearts and minds (v. 14). All the truth necessary for choosing to love and obey God and thus avoid disobedience and cursing, they had heard and known (v. 15). Paul quotes vv. 12–14 in Rom. 10:6–8.

  30:15 Here Moses pinpoints the choice—to love and obey God is life and good, to reject God is death and evil. If they chose to love God and obey His Word, they would enjoy all God’s blessings (v. 16). If they refused to love and obey Him, they would be severely and immediately punished (vv. 17, 18). Paul, in speaking about salvation in the NT, makes use of this appeal made by Moses (Rom. 10:1–13). Like Moses, Paul is saying that the message of salvation is plain and understandable.

  30:19 choose life. Moses forces the decision, exhorting Israel on the plains of Moab before God (heaven) and man (earth) to choose by believing in and loving God, the life available through the New Covenant (see v. 6). Sadly, Israel failed to respond to this call to the right choice (see 31:16–18, 27–29). Choosing life or death was also emphasized by Jesus. The one who believed in Him had the promise of eternal life; while the one who refused to believe faced eternal death (cf. John 3:1–36). Every person faces this same choice.

  Deuteronomy 31

  31:1—34:12 Two themes dominate the last 4 chapters of Deuteronomy: 1) the death of Moses (31:1, 2, 14, 16, 26–29; 32:48–52; 33:1; 34:1–8, 10–12) and 2) the succession of Joshua (31:1–8, 14, 23; 32:44; 34:9). These final chapters are centered around two more speeches by Moses: 1) the Song of Moses (32:1–43), and 2) the Blessings of Moses (33:1–29).

  31:1 Moses went and spoke. Though some interpreters view this verse as the conclusion to the foregoing address in chaps. 29, 30, it is better to see these words as an introduction to the words of Moses which follow, based upon the general pattern of Deuteronomy. Verses 2–6 are addressed to every Israelite.

  31:2 one hundred and twenty years old. This was the age of Moses at his death. According to Acts 7:30, Moses spent 40 years in Midian tending sheep. Thus, the life of Moses is broken down into three 40-year periods. His first 40 years were spent in Egypt (Ex. 2:1–15). The second 40 years were spent in Midian (Ex. 2:15—4:19). His final 40 years were spent leading Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness to the Promised Land. The life and ministry of Moses were completed, but God’s work would go on (v. 3a). go out and come in. Here is an idiom for engaging in a normal day’s work and activity. Though still strong for his age (cf. 34:7), Moses admitted that he no longer could provide the daily leadership necessary for Israel. Furthermore, God would not allow him to enter the Land over the Jordan because of his sin at the waters of Meribah (see 32:51).

  31:3 God Himself…Joshua himself crosses over. Though Joshua was to be the new human leader over Israel (see 31:3–7, 23), it was the Lord Himself who was the real leader and power. He would cross over ahead of them to enable them to destroy the nations.

  31:4 Sihon and Og. Israel was assured that the nations of the Land would be destroyed by the Lord in the same way that He had recently defeated the Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, on the E side of the Jordan River (see 2:26—3:11). That was a preview of what was to come (v. 5).

  31:6–8 Be strong and of good courage. The strength and courage of the warriors of Israel would come from their confidence that their God was with them and would not forsake them. In vv. 7, 8, Moses repeated the substance of his exhortation, this time addressing it specifically to Joshua in the presence of the people to encourage him and to remind the people that Joshua’s leadership was being assumed with the full approval of God. This principle for faith and confidence is repeated in 31:23; Josh. 1:5–7; 2 Sam. 10:12; 2 Kin. 2:2; 1 Chr. 22:11–13; 2 Chr. 32:1–8; Ps. 27:14. The writer of Hebrews quotes vv. 6, 8 in 13:5.

  31:9 Moses wrote this law. At the least, Moses, perhaps with the aid of some scribes or elders who assisted him in leading Israel, wrote down the law that he had explained in the first 32 chapters of Deuteronomy (cf. v. 24). However, since the law explained in Deuteronomy had been given in portions of Exodus through Numbers, it seems best to view this written law as all that is presently found in Scripture from Gen. 1 through Deut. 32:47. After Moses’ death, Deut. 32:48—34:12 were added to complete the canonical Torah, perhaps by one of the elders who had served with Moses, even Joshua.

  31:11 you shall read this law before all Israel. The law that Moses wrote down was given to the priests who were required to be its custodians and protectors and to read it in the hearing of all Israel at the Feast of Tabernacles during each sabbatical year. This reading of the law every 7 years was to remind the people to live in submission to their awe-inspiring God.

  31:14 the tabernacle of meeting. The Lord told Moses to summon Joshua to the tent where He met Israel, and the presence of the Lord appeared in the pillar of cloud standing at the door of the Holy Place (v. 15). This signaled God’s confirmation of Joshua, the former military captain (see Ex. 17:9–14) and spy (see Num. 13:16), as Israel’s new leader. God’s message to Joshua is summed up in vv. 16–22.

  31:16–21 they will forsake Me and break My covenant. After Moses’ death, the Lord Himself predicts that in spite of what He has commanded (30:11, 20), the Israelites would forsake Him by turning to worship other gods and thereby break the Sinaitic Covenant. Having forsaken God, the people would then be forsaken by God with the inevitable result that disaster would fall upon them at every turn. This is one of the saddest texts in the OT. After all God had done, He knew they would forsake Him.

  31:19, 22 write down this song. The song that the Lord gave Moses to teach the Israelites would be a constant reminder of their disobedience to the Lord and the results of that disobedience. The song was written that same day and is recorded in 32:1–43.

  31:23 I will be with you. Joshua was to assume his lonely role of leadership over Israel with an assurance of the companionship and strength of the Lord. God’s presence with him was sufficient to enable him to meet boldly every obstacle that the future could bring (see Josh. 1:5; 3:7).

  31:24 in a book. The words that Moses had spoken were written down in a book that was placed beside the ark of the covenant (v. 26). Only the Ten Commandments were placed in the ark itself (Ex. 25:16; 31:18). The “Book of the Law” (v. 26) was one of the titles for the Pentateuch in the rest of Scripture (Josh. 1:8; 8:34).

  31:27 your rebellion and your stiff neck. See 9:6, 13; 10:16. Moses was well acquainted with Israel’s obstinate ways even in the most gracious of divine provision.

  31:29 you will become utterly corrupt. Dominated by the practice of idolatry (see 4:16, 25; 9:12), the people would become wicked. evil will befall you in the latter days. “The latter days” (lit. “at the end of the days”) referred to the far distant future. This was the time when the king would come from Judah (Gen. 49:8–12) to defeat Israel’s enemies (Num. 24:17–19). Here it is revealed that it would also be a time when disaster would
fall upon Israel because of evil done, thus bringing the Lord’s wrath. The description of God’s judgment on Israel and the nations in this song can’t be limited to the immediate future of the people as they entered the Land, but extends to issues which are eschatological in time and global in extent, as the song indicates (32:1–43).

  31:30—32:43 This prophetic, poetic song has as its central theme Israel’s apostasy, which brings God’s certain judgment. The song begins with a short introduction emphasizing the steadfast God and the fickle nation (vv. 1–6). The song describes God’s election of Israel (vv. 8, 9) and His care for them from the time of the wilderness wanderings (vv. 10–12) to their possession and initial enjoyment of the blessings in the Land (vv. 13, 14). However, Israel’s neglect of God’s goodness and her apostasy (vv. 15–18) would bring God’s future outpouring of wrath on His people (vv. 19–27) and Israel’s continuing blindness in the face of God’s wrath (vv. 28–33). Ultimately, God’s vengeance would strip Israel of all power and turn the nation from idolatry (vv. 34–38). Then, God would bring His judgment upon the nations, both His enemies and Israel’s (vv. 39–42). The song ends with a call to the nations to rejoice with Israel because God would punish His enemies and spiritually heal both Israel and her Land (v. 43). Ezekiel 16 should be studied as a comparison to this chapter. It recites similar matters in graphic and picturesque language.

  Deuteronomy 32

  32:1 Give ear, O heavens…And hear, O earth. All of creation was called to be an audience to hear the message to Israel as in 30:19 because the truth Moses was about to proclaim concerned the whole universe. It did so because it involved the honor of God the Creator so disregarded by sinners, the justification of God so righteous in all His ways, and the manifestation in heaven and earth of God’s judgment and salvation (v. 43).