Monday, February 20, 2023

Deuteronomy 30:11

Deuteronomy 30:11 says, For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.  Moses said God's commandment was not hidden from the people of Israel, nor was it far off.  God's command that we enter into a covenant relationship with Him by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord is not hidden today, nor do we have to search the world to know it.  Verse twelve adds, It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?  Moses said God's commandment were not in heaven so they didn't need to ask who could go up to heaven and bring it down to them.  God first sent His commandments down to Moses and they were written down for the people of Israel, and then Jesus Christ came down from heaven to fulfill God's laws that we were unable to keep so that we might have the death penalty of sin removed and have everlasting life with God.  Verse thirteen continues, Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?  Moses said God's commandment was not beyond the sea so that they would have to ask who was going to go and get it for them.  These were God's chosen people who had received His law, so there was no need to go anywhere else to look for it.  As followers of Christ, He has come to us to bring salvation to us and we do not need to look anywhere else to know what God expects of us. Verse fourteen concludes, But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.  Moses said the word was very close to them, in their heart and mouth, so that they could do it.  We as Christians have God's word written in our heart so that we can speak it to the world, and this is what we need to be doing.  Verse fifteen states, See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;  Moses said he had set before them that day two choices.  Though Moses was the spokesman, the choices were really from God.  They could choose life and good or death and evil.  These are still our only two choices today spiritually.  Verse sixteen adds, In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.  Moses said that he commanded them to choose to love God and then everything would be well with them.  Of course, Moses could not really make the choice for them, and we cannot make the choice to follow Christ for others today.  Verse seventeen continues, But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;  Verse eighteen concludes, I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.  Moses said if their heart turned away from God that they would not have their days prolonged after they crossed over Jordan into the Promised Land.  If we do not accept Jesus Christ alone as our Savior and Lord but turn away to chase other gods, we will not gain everlasting life in heaven.  Verse nineteen declares, I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:  Moses said he called on heaven and earth to be his witness that he had that day set the choices before them and called on them to choose God and life.  We still have the same two choices today, and we must choose life by putting our faith in Jesus Christ if we are to be a part of God's kingdom.  Verse twenty adds, That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.  As Moses said then, we must love God with all our heart if we are to claim His promise of everlasting life, which comes from faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord and not from anything else that we may do or not do.  

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