Brian Maloy

I can’t begin to tell you how much I have loved Deuteronomy this last quarter. I’ve read it at least a dozen times before, but slowing down, and seeing how the nuance and details fit into the larger narrative of Scripture is amazing, and a gift to us.

We’re in Deut. 30 this week, nearing the end of our study, and the end of the Wilderness period for the Hebrews. If you have not read it all the way through, please do so!

Read Deut. 30 –> https://nasb.literalword.com/?q=Deuteronomy+30

Of course it’s familiar by now, Yahweh has been reminding His people of the TRUTH, not the lies they will encounter, not the lies they have encountered (and fallen prey too), not their sinful desires leading the astray — but He is reminding them through Moses of what is true, and good, and right. He is directing them once again in His perfect patience, of what obedience will look like, of the life that obedience leads to. And we too should connect this easily to “wow, that’s exactly the life for which we all deeply long”. 

Today we are looking back to that choice just like last week. In this case, the Hebrews have just two simple clear options to choose from. That’s it! 

Gosh, how often I wish I had two options to choose from… I mean this is completely why I prefer Sam’s Club to Walmart. I don’t need 32 choices for yogurt, I need 2, maybe 3. It’s overwhelming to compare options, check labels, do the mental math for “which is best value”, etc. 

But think about how overwhelming choices can be for us finite people. We can get into analysis paralysis, just weighing options endlessly. I personally have been haunted of late by choices for our home rebuild since the fire… so many choices. I also recall vividly the spreadsheet I made before I bought a car back in 2012 — comparing cost to own/drive over 5/10 years, leg room, head room, storage capacity, gas mileage, etc. It was chaos! The best choice according to the chart was a sporty but small Toyota Yaris. Great car, but I am also 6’5” — it might have caused issues eventually. In the end, I didn’t choose the car that made the most sense on paper, but the car that did what I needed, and I fit easily in. 

What I am trying to say is, we tend to swing the pendulum too far one way or another. We over analyze every little decision, or we give too little thought and cause issues later. There is deep wisdom in knowing the choices, and considering how it will play out. We’ll see this vividly in the story of the Hebrews.

Deuteronomy 30:1-10 // Set-Up

In the study, we are really leaning into v.11-20, but the context at the start of Chapter 11 is helpful to understand. In a manner of not promising exile, God is helping them understand that their disobedience would lead to such a result. YET, where we pick up, there is hope and promise — that even if exile were to come, if they would repent and turn back to Yahweh, He would forgive and restore them. 

Furthermore in v. 6-10, Yahweh tells them that He Himself would change their hearts, so that they would love Him with all their heart and soul. What a blessing, and promise. WHICH, if we consider that, and how undeserved it is (when we look at the lives of the Hebrews, and their lack of trust, lack of obedience), makes it all the more amazing. 

Then place yourself in the picture. We have our own disobedience, lack of trust, and need for repentance. Does this moment buried in Deut. 30 not show us a foreshadowing of what is to come through Jesus? It is the gospel, in Deut. 30:6-10, hiding right there!

Think about it:

• Judgment is real, but grace is greater
• Exile is assumed, but restoration is promised
• Obedience is demanded, but God Himself enables it.

This is the God we love, that we follow. Yahweh is good.

Deuteronomy 30:11-14 // Clear Command

In this section (v.11-14) God reveals something we ALL need to hear. This obedience He is asking of them, is not unattainable. It is not out of their reach. It is not too difficult. Remember that, it is not too difficult. We need to remember that — every single follower of Jesus needs to remember that, every day.

Why does it matter for us to know that, to hover on v.11 and remember that daily?

In short –> because we humans over-complicate things. We can’t help ourselves it seems. We struggle to keep the “things of first importance” as the things of first importance.  

God not only wants them to obey, but He doesn’t keep it as some esoteric mystery for only a special few to understand. He purposefully wants them ALL to know and understand. He doesn’t hide the truth, or the direction. He provides a promise in this too — the message, “the truth is VERY close at hand, it is on your lips and on your heart so that you can obey it”. 

Does that remind you of anything we’ve recently studied? Think back 20+ chapters, Deut. 6, in the Shema, called us to remember God’s command, His story, His goodness — and live lives centered around His Word. That it should be on our hearts and minds always. So if we live that kind of life, the truth is not far, the truth is near, and we are actually able to walk within that promise — with the help God gives us. The life we want, the life we aspire to, the life we hope for — is near. 

Having His message on one’s heart means weaving it into every area of our being — so that it transforms us! Having the message in one’s mouth means we’re able to speak of God’s faithfulness, His goodness, His Word to others.

There is another amazingly cool implication of this short chuck of Scripture. If the Hebrews wanted to understand God’s commands, they didn’t need to take extreme measures or long journeys, we see that. But also, they did NOT need to be theological experts. God’s message again, was not unattainable – it was near, accessible, clear, and simple. Yahweh did not hide it, He revealed it and made it abundantly clear. Likewise, we too do not need to be seminary doctorates to understand the wisdom of God. BUT, we do need to be faithful to read, to study, to allow it to shape and form us to be restored in His image. 

So when people complain, or lament, or accuse God’s Word and will as too complicated or difficult — we must be gracious and quick to speak into that moment. We KNOW that humans over-complicate things (particularly things we don’t immediately want to obey), adding complexity to what God has made simple and clear to His people. Then we must be willing to show them, and help them see this in God’s Word — becoming students of the Father who longs for the hearts of His people.

Deuteronomy 30:15-18 // Back to “the Choice”

Consider in your life, of the lives of those you know and love —
How following God has changed us for the better? Or perhaps how straying from Him has caused pain? 

I don’t really want to ponder that question too long, because it hurts… but it’s important. We KNOW, even if we don’t want to, how following God leads to a life of blessing (contentment, peace, grace, beauty, and understanding). We’ve seen those who lived that way, and wanted to have faith like them. And we’ve more often probably seen how disobedience temporarily seems great, but in the end leads to more brokenness and pain. It’s the fallen state of our world. 

It will not be so someday. Even now, the Kingdom is coming, and has been revealed through Jesus, but even here in Deut. 30. Glimpses of the beautiful redemption plan are revealed to us when we look, and we get to start walking in the promise.

Yahweh is promising blessing upon blessing for His people, giving them a dream life — but we must know the real meaning of prosperity. In Hebrew thought, prosperity wasn’t just financial like it is today for us. We think of the blessings that money can afford us. It’s so much better, and richer, than that in Scripture.

Prosperity and blessing is really about living joyfully. We MUST reframe this in our lives. Think about it this way, we think about financial things when we consider blessings. Even in our speech we feel like we have to pretext things that, “we don’t have a lot, but we’re so blessed” — that is what blessing SHOULD be. Because our “financial blessing” really is the means of which to get to the blessing we desire. 

Blessings we desire:

• > Contentment
• > Joyful life
• > Needs met
• > Work matters
• > Being able to bless others
• > Creating opportunities 
• > Loving others well
• > Surrounding ourselves with those we love
• > Rest and balance

We get mixed up thinking that the financial is what we need to GET those things, when God is promising those things regardless of finances. We overcomplicate this too. 

I do not NEED vast (or considerable) wealth to have contentment, joy, my needs met, see how my work helps push back on brokenness, and bless others… I can do all those things with much or little. The blessing is having a life full of what money “supposedly” can get us. 

NOTHING wrong with money… money pays my electric bill, and frankly is helping rebuild my family’s home — but it is not the real blessing. And God doesn’t need money to give us the life we long for — which is really beautiful. 

ON THE FLIP SIDE:

v.17 vividly shows us how the alternate choice, to disobey God, leads to an unraveling of the the we long for. It starts out with this warning, “If your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. 

Look at the progression:

• Step 1: In the heart, perhaps unseen by most others
• Step 2: People stop listening to God’s instruction
• Step 3: They are led astray
• Step 4: Destruction

What a heartbreaking progression — but you know, it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s very incremental, and preventable movement. There are many chances to turn back, repent, and right the ship — but we know folks cannot in their own power. 

The result however is devastating — “you will certainly perish”. Oofta, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Oh Lord, help us see, open our eyes, open our hearts — help us understand the little heart movements that set us on that path to destruction. Give us grace to repent and turn back to You. Forgive us — You are good.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 // Choose Life!!

Deut. 30:19-20 are so encouraging. Oh to see such a glimpse of God’s heart!
Read it again, this is the heart of God, this is the life He longs for us to have, for His people. 

That said, God makes it abundantly clear, He is placing the choice before the Hebrews, and before us — the choice between life and death, between a blessed life, or a cursed life. 

I KNOW which one I long for, I want the life Yahweh wants for us too. A rich full life. A life reflecting His beauty and grace to the world around. A life of joy, regardless of circumstance. 

THANKS be to God, even wanting to want that life is a blessing from the Father above. I can only want these good things because He places that desire within me. Praise be to God.

God reiterates through Moses, “You can have this life, you can make this choice — simply obey, Love the Lord your God, commit yourself firmly to Him” — it’s given because He loves us, because He loved us — even here in Deut. 30, He is giving that promise because He loves His people — certainly not because of anything they have done. Oh that we would see His great love, and respond in obedience too. 

I love how plainly (again, not hidden or obscure) God tells us “this is for your life”, or “this is the key to your life”, or “He is your life”.
This is it! Do you see it? Do we get it? Do we understand how beautiful and simple this is? 

This guidance and command (Deut. 30:15), is the key to our lives, Yahweh, His Word — IS our life. Our life should be about these things.

Truly, is your life about these things? Is it?

> What even does it mean in your life, RIGHT NOW, this very day, to say “God is my life”? What does it mean to choose this life day by day? To see Him as our daily bread? To see Him as the manna provided to sustain us? To see Him in every breathe?

Look at this again…. I cannot totally fathom the richness and beauty of our God here:

Deuteronomy 30:20a >>
“by loving Yahweh your God, by listening to His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days”

Do you see it too? 

Obedience and trust is our life.
Holding fast to Yahweh is our life.
Remaining faithful to Him is our life.
Loving the Lord, is our life.
HE IS OUR LIFE. 

I can’t help you understand this if you don’t see it. 
Only the Holy Spirit can open your heart and mind to this. 

Holy Spirit help us — help captivate their heart and mind with this truth. Let us live in You.
Let our hearts be enraptured and held captive in Your immense love and grace.

This can and should encompass every element of our lives. There should be nothing left untouched in our lives, our hearts, our minds — this changes everything. Oh how I pray you feel it. Oh how I long for you to see this too.

Do you see yet? Do you see how this points to Jesus? Do you see how He works this beautiful mystery? Do you see how in Jesus, we have this hope restored? We have the ability to approach the Father through the redemptive work of Jesus. 

Praise be the Father, from whom all blessings flow. 

He is too good to us. We are too broken. We are weary and lost. But He made The Way. He draws us to Himself, He heals us, He loves us when we are unlovable. He who made us, made a way — through Himself, to Himself — amen.

He IS our life. He is OUR life. He is our LIFE.
(Col. 3:4, Deut. 30:20)

Praise the Lord, with every fiber.