Deuteronomy 29:1

Deuteronomy 29:1 says, These are the words of the covenant, which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.  Moses had recited the covenant to the people, but it was at God's direction.  The people had entered into this covenant with God at Mount Horeb, but this was a new generation, so Moses repeated it for them, and they were to enter into a new covenant with God personally.  Though the gospel of Christ has not changed, each new generation must accept it personally for it to have effect, and no preacher or anyone else can change it.  Verse two adds, And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land;  Moses said that they had seen what God did to Pharaoh in Egypt, and but most had just heard about it.  Once we have heard the gospel, even if we have not seen the power of God through faith in Christ personally yet, we must see it spiritually by believing it.  Verse three continues, The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles:  Moses said they had seen great temptations, but they had also seen great signs and miracles.  Both will come our way as we follow Christ in our life.  Verse four concludes, Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.  Moses said that God had not given them the ability to understand all this until that day.  Until the day that we come to Jesus Christ by faith and accept Him as our personal Savior and Lord, we will not be able to understand the great salvation that God has already provided for us.  Verse five states, And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.  Moses said that he had led them for forty years in the wilderness, and that during that time, neither their clothes nor their shoes had worn out.  This was a sign of itself that even though God was upset with their lack of faith when they refused to go into the Promised Land the first time that He was still protecting them even in the wilderness.  Once we become a follower of Christ, even when we disappoint God, He is still with us.  Verse six adds, Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.  Moses reminded them that during those forty years that God had provided their food and drink, so that they would know His might.  Sometimes, we may overlook the fact that as Christians God provides daily for our needs if we are living by faith in Jesus Christ, and we begin to think that we are responsible for this instead of giving God the credit.  Verse seven says, And when ye came unto this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us unto battle, and we smote them:  Moses then spoke of what the people there that day had seen for themselves, and that was the defeat of two kings on this side of the Promised Land.  Though our victory through Jesus Christ will not be truly complete until we reach heaven, our Promised Land, we should be able to see many victories over sin along the way.  Verse eight adds, And we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half tribe of Manasseh.  Moses reminded them that this land that they took by the power of God had now been given to the tribe of Rueben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh.  Though not all the tribes of Israel had received their part of the Promised Land yet, they could see proof of God's power to deliver it, so they had no need to be jealous of those who had.  We as Christians never need to be jealous of what other Christians have, because God will always give us what we need if we live by faith.  Verse nine continues, Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.  Moses called on the people there that day to enter into a covenant relationship with God and to keep His covenant that they might prosper.  What other people have done in the past by entering into a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ, or even what those today have done, does us no good until we personally enter into that covenant relationship with Him.