This week's scriptures: Deuteronomy 26:1-29:9; Isaiah 60:1-22; Ephesians 1:3-6; Revelation 21:10-27

As we approach the end of Deuteronomy and the entire Torah, it is good to step back for a little perspective. Deuteronomy comprises a series of farewell sermons given by Moses at the end of Israel's 40-year wanderings in the desert.

He was stepping down as their leader, handing this role on to Joshua, and also stepping down as mediator between the people and God, handing this responsibility on to the Levites. Moses was coming to the end of his life on earth – and one gets the sense reading his final speeches that he knew this, and was going out all guns blazing.

Moses' Swansong

Meanwhile, Israel were poised on the cusp of something entirely new – entry into the Promised Land of milk and honey, which they had been anticipating for generations. And yet, Moses warned them persistently to not detach this new season from their past. They were to never, ever forget where they had come from, nor how God had faithfully and lovingly brought them through to this point.

As Moses led the people through a reminder of their history and their covenant agreement to be the people of God, striking about this week's portion of Scripture is its resemblance to a marriage ceremony. Israel declared their fidelity to God, He declared His fidelity to them (see Deut 26:16-19; 27:9-10), and their mutual devotion was ratified. Then followed the famous blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, which were to be proclaimed from two separate, opposing mountains once Israel had entered the Land (Deut 27:12-13).

As far as Moses went, these messages about obedience were his swansong. What message would you leave with your loved ones if it were your last days on earth? For Moses, it was the injunction to love the Lord, to forget not His benefits and to follow always in His ways.

Why Must We Obey?

Despite the lengths to which some theologians and church leaders have gone to dismiss 'the Law' as irrelevant to Christians today (out with the Old, in with the New), the fact remains that obedience to the Lord's ways always brings blessing – and disobedience always brings consequences that are bad for us and for others, whether these work out in obvious practical ways, or as inner brokenness, or as an open door to the influence of the enemy.

It is simply the way God has ordered creation – that His ways are good and abound in goodness, and that choosing to seek 'the good life' some other way is ultimately futile, since goodness and life reside in God alone. Obedience brings life, allowing God's people to enter into the full inheritance He has for them, and (crucially) to retain permanent hold of it once they enter in. Rebellion can only ever bring pain and death, for there is no other go(o)d besides our awesome and amazing Father.

Deep down, all of us have a gut reaction against obedience, as if it signifies some sort of vindictive slavery. The realisation many of us fail to reach is that every human is a slave to something – if not God and righteousness, then to the power of sin. The goal of our salvation is not to be liberated from slavery – but to see our bondage fully transferred from subservience to the power of sin and death to service in the blessed and glorious Kingdom of God (just read Romans 5:15-23!).

In this, we discover the glorious paradox that God, in His incredible grace, grants us true freedom even as we submit ourselves to His loving rule and reign – He no longer calls us servants, but friends!

Sin Anticipated

Sadly, the bulk of Deuteronomy 28 is given over to curses for disobedience, in ominous and heart-breaking anticipation that Israel would ultimately fail to keep their side of the covenant.

Indeed, we all know that Israel failed time and again to keep their agreement with the Lord (and deep down, we also know that had it been us, we would have likely done the same). But we also know the efforts to which God has gone to restore them (and every single one of us) to His heart, His ways, blessing and abundant life, not through our own attempts at righteousness, but through His "abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness" (Rom 5:17) conferred upon us, through faith, to the praise of His glory.

Though often we must suffer them, God does not abandon us to the consequences of our actions – but uses them to draw us back to Him, with the ultimate goal of total restoration and even more glory brought to His name.

Entering into Salvation

On the cusp of 'life abundant', promised through Jesus Messiah, can we hope to fare any better than Israel did? Only through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit can we ever hope to walk as God sets out for us. Jesus Messiah fulfils the Law entirely so that we might be enabled to do the same, not in our own strength but in His! And that enabling brings us back round full circle, for in following in God's ways, we come to know Jesus Himself more and more (Rom 10:4).

Just as Israel 'entered in' to the Promised Land, so we today can enter in to that promised rest from our own attempts to save (and nourish, and provide for, and protect) ourselves. In so doing, we can be assured of every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph 1:3) as we work out the eternal salvation of our souls.

Choose Today Whom You Will Serve

Ultimately, the 'now but not yet' dynamic of salvation will be fulfilled in far more than an earth populated with weak, fallible Christians who constantly fall short of God's standards and see only 'through a glass darkly'. We are moving towards the consummation of history: the marriage of the Messiah to His Bride, a holy people called by His name and prepared in advance for glory (Rev 21). We are still in the preparation stage!

Deuteronomy 28 – indeed the entire Torah – builds up to this eternal choice: life abundant, forever, in intimate love and fellowship with our Creator, or eternal darkness and curse. Today that choice, which Moses presented to the Israelites thousands of years ago, is still as relevant as ever. 

Author: Frances Rabbitts