Deuteronomy 30:1-101And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, 2And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; 3That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. 4If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: 5And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. 6And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. 7And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee. 8And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day. 9And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers: 10If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. (Deuteronomy 30:1‑10)
IN CHAPTER 29 we read that “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God....” Here the Lord reveals some of those “secret things” treasured up in His heart. They have to do with His chosen people Israel, when having utterly failed, suffering under the curse and scattered among the nations, He in His grace will gather them again, bring them back to their homeland and bless them there.
God will yet be glorified in His people, in spite of all their disobedience and their unfaithfulness to Him. In this chapter they are seen where they are today, driven out of every land under heaven, yet not beyond the reach of His love and compassion. “If any of thine be driven out unto the utmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence He will fetch thee.” O what a God we have, for “Israel’s God is ours"!
But it will be a broken and humbled Israel that will return instead of the proud haughty people that went out and were scattered over the face of the earth. For their sorrows and sufferings in the far-off lands of their enemies will have worked repentance. We read that “the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” (Rom. 2:44Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Romans 2:4).)
There will be a deep inward work in their hearts as well as a great outward change in their circumstances; for “the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.” v. 6.
In that day God will remove the curse from His people, in virtue of the work of Christ for them upon the cross. “And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.”
“For there shall be a day, that the watchman upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God. For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.
“Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.
“They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of water in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
O what mercies and blessinge lie in store for God’s earthly people, all because of Christ and because of His grace and compassion for them. Later we shall see how the Apostle in Romans 10 applies these precious scriptures to us in the gospel now.
Memory Verse: “BEHOLD, I STAND AT THE DOOR, AND KNOCK: IF ANY MAN HEAR MY VOICE, AND OPEN THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN TO HIM, AND WILL SUP WITH HIM, AND HE WITH ME.” Rev. 3:2020Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20)
ML-02/15/1976