Deuteronomy 30

This chapter follows the blessings and curses outlined earlier, with Moses encouraging Israel to turn back to God after experiencing the consequences of disobedience. It promises that if the people repent and return to God, He will restore them and bless them once more, giving them life and prosperity.

Deuteronomy 30:1-3 (NKJV)
1 "Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you,
2 and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul,
3 that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you."

God anticipates Israel’s disobedience and exile, but He also promises restoration if they repent wholeheartedly. This restoration includes being gathered back from the nations where they were scattered. It’s a reassurance of God’s mercy and readiness to forgive when His people genuinely turn back to Him, demonstrating His compassion and commitment to His covenant with Israel.

Deuteronomy 30:4-5 (NKJV)
4 "If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you.
5 Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers."

Even if the Israelites are scattered to the most distant lands, God’s promise to restore them remains. He will bring them back to their homeland, where they will not only return but also thrive. This restoration surpasses the blessings of their ancestors, showing the depth of God’s grace and His desire to see His people flourish despite past disobedience.

Deuteronomy 30:6 (NKJV)
6 "And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live."

God will transform the hearts of His people, enabling them to love Him fully. This inner transformation is a spiritual circumcision, symbolizing a deep renewal of their commitment and love for God. It's not just an outward return to the land but an inward transformation, leading to a true, wholehearted devotion that results in life.

Deuteronomy 30:7-8 (NKJV)
7 "Also the Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.
8 And you will again obey the voice of the Lord and do all His commandments which I command you today."

God promises to reverse the curses, placing them on Israel's enemies instead. As the people return to Him, they will once again live in obedience, restoring their covenant relationship with God. This obedience brings protection and justice as God turns His focus from disciplining His people to dealing with their adversaries.

Deuteronomy 30:9-10 (NKJV)
9 "The Lord your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your land for good. For the Lord will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers,
10 if you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

God's blessings will return in full abundance, affecting every aspect of life—work, family, and harvest. God’s delight in His people’s obedience mirrors the joy He felt in their ancestors' faithfulness. However, these blessings are contingent on their complete devotion and obedience to His laws. This shows the mutual relationship of love and obedience that leads to prosperity.

Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (NKJV)
11 "For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.
12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’
13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’
14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it."

Moses emphasizes that God's commandments are not beyond reach or too difficult to understand. They are accessible and practical, residing within the people’s hearts and minds. This means that obedience is entirely possible if the people choose it. God’s law is not a distant mystery, but something meant to be lived out daily.

Deuteronomy 30:15-16 (NKJV)
15 "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,
16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess."

Moses presents a clear choice between life and death, good and evil. Loving and obeying God leads to life, prosperity, and blessing in the promised land. Disobedience, on the other hand, leads to the opposite. The choice is straightforward, but it requires a commitment to follow God’s ways completely.

Deuteronomy 30:17-18 (NKJV)
17 "But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them,
18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess."

If the people turn away from God and follow other gods, the consequences are clear: they will perish and lose the blessings of the land. God’s warning is serious—disobedience and idolatry will lead to destruction. It underscores the conditional nature of their blessings, tied directly to their faithfulness to God.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NKJV)
19 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."

Moses concludes by calling heaven and earth as witnesses to the choice before Israel—life or death, blessing or curse. He urges them to choose life by loving and obeying God, as their very existence depends on Him. The future of their descendants is also at stake. Their connection to the promised land is tied to their covenant relationship with God, passed down from their ancestors.