Deuteronomy 29

Deuteronomy 29 recounts Moses renewing the covenant between God and the Israelites. As the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land, Moses reminds them of their history with God, the blessings of obedience, and the curses of disobedience. The chapter emphasizes the seriousness of the covenant and the consequences of turning away from God.

Deuteronomy 29:1 (NKJV)
1 These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb.

This verse marks the beginning of the covenant renewal. The Israelites are reminded that this covenant is in addition to the one made at Mount Horeb (Sinai). God is reaffirming His relationship with them, emphasizing His continued guidance and promises as they are on the verge of entering the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 29:2-3 (NKJV)
2 Now Moses called all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land—
3 the great trials which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great wonders.

Moses begins by reminding the Israelites of God's mighty acts during their exodus from Egypt. The miraculous signs, wonders, and trials they witnessed, including the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea, serve as evidence of God's power and faithfulness. These events laid the foundation for their relationship with God.

Deuteronomy 29:4 (NKJV)
4 Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day.

Moses acknowledges that, despite witnessing God’s works, the people still lack true spiritual understanding. They have seen miracles, but their hearts have not fully grasped God's ways. This suggests that knowing about God and His works requires more than just physical sight—it requires a changed heart.

Deuteronomy 29:5-6 (NKJV)
5 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet.
6 You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or similar drink, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.

Here, Moses reminds the people of God's provision during their forty years in the wilderness. Even though they lacked typical food and drink, God miraculously sustained them, ensuring their clothing and sandals did not wear out. This daily care was a sign that God was their true provider and sustainer.

Deuteronomy 29:7-8 (NKJV)
7 And when you came to this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us to battle, and we conquered them.
8 We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh.

Moses recalls their victories over the kings Sihon and Og, which occurred as they approached the Promised Land. These victories were clear signs of God's favor and the fulfillment of His promises to give the Israelites the land. The division of the conquered land among the tribes emphasizes God’s faithfulness to His covenant.

Deuteronomy 29:9 (NKJV)
9 Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.

Moses encourages the Israelites to obey the covenant to ensure their prosperity. Obedience is not only a sign of loyalty to God but is also the key to receiving His blessings. The call to follow the covenant is central to maintaining a successful and blessed life in the land.

Deuteronomy 29:10-12 (NKJV)
10 All of you stand today before the Lord your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel,
11 your little ones and your wives—also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water—
12 that you may enter into covenant with the Lord your God, and into His oath, which the Lord your God makes with you today,

Moses highlights that everyone, from leaders to children and even foreigners, stands before God to enter the covenant. This underscores that the covenant is for all who are part of the community. God’s covenant encompasses every aspect of society, demonstrating His desire for a relationship with everyone, regardless of status.

Deuteronomy 29:13 (NKJV)
13 that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The covenant is a reaffirmation of God’s promise to establish Israel as His chosen people, fulfilling the promises made to their ancestors. By keeping the covenant, the Israelites maintain their special relationship with God, continuing the legacy of the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Deuteronomy 29:14-15 (NKJV)
14 I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone,
15 but with him who stands here with us today before the Lord our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today.

Moses emphasizes that this covenant is binding not only for those present but also for future generations. This shows the enduring nature of the covenant, ensuring that all descendants of Israel will be accountable to it, even those not physically present at the time.

Deuteronomy 29:16-18 (NKJV)
16 (for you know that we dwelt in the land of Egypt and that we came through the nations which you passed by,
17 and you saw their abominations and their idols which were among them—wood and stone and silver and gold);
18 so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood;

Moses warns the Israelites against idolatry, reminding them of the idols they encountered in Egypt and in the lands they passed through. He urges them not to let any individual or group be tempted to follow these false gods, as this would lead to bitterness and corruption in the community, poisoning their relationship with God.

Deuteronomy 29:19 (NKJV)
19 and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart'—as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.

Moses cautions against self-deception, where someone might hear the warnings of the covenant but still believe they can follow their own path without consequence. This arrogance, thinking one can find peace outside of God’s commands, is likened to mixing sobriety with drunkenness—an impossible blend.

Deuteronomy 29:20-21 (NKJV)
20 The Lord would not spare him; for then the anger of the Lord and His jealousy would burn against that man, and every curse that is written in this book would settle on him, and the Lord would blot out his name from under heaven.
21 And the Lord would separate him from all the tribes of Israel for adversity, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this Book of the Law.

The consequences of such rebellion are severe. God’s judgment would fall on anyone who disobeys the covenant, leading to destruction and separation from the community. This serves as a solemn reminder of the seriousness of the covenant and the dire consequences of breaking it.

Deuteronomy 29:22-23 (NKJV)
22 So that the coming generation of your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, would say, when they see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses which the Lord has laid on it:
23 'The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and His wrath.'

Future generations and foreigners will witness the devastation of the land if Israel forsakes the covenant. The comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction serves as a stark warning, illustrating how the land will become barren and desolate as a result of God’s judgment on disobedience.

Deuteronomy 29:24-25 (NKJV)
24 All nations would say, 'Why has the Lord done so to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?'
25 Then people would say: 'Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt;

The devastation will be so great that other nations will question why God brought such destruction upon the land. The answer will be clear: the people abandoned the covenant God made with their ancestors. This reflects the public nature of Israel’s covenant with God, with its obedience or disobedience having visible consequences.

Deuteronomy 29:26-28 (NKJV)
26 for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them.
27 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book.
28 And the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.’

The people’s idolatry will provoke God’s anger, leading to their exile from the land. God’s wrath is described as uprooting them from the very place He had promised to their ancestors. This passage highlights the seriousness of idolatry and the consequences of forsaking God for false gods.

Deuteronomy 29:29 (NKJV)
29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Moses concludes with a powerful statement: some mysteries belong to God alone, but the laws He has revealed are for His people to obey. This underscores the responsibility of the Israelites to follow what God has made known to them, trusting in His wisdom even when they do not understand everything.