|
Click a verse to see commentary
|
Select a resource above
|
God’s Fidelity Assured30 When all these things have happened to you, the blessings and the curses that I have set before you, if you call them to mind among all the nations where the L ord your God has driven you, 2and return to the L ord your God, and you and your children obey him with all your heart and with all your soul, just as I am commanding you today, 3then the L ord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you, gathering you again from all the peoples among whom the L ord your God has scattered you. 4Even if you are exiled to the ends of the world, from there the L ord your God will gather you, and from there he will bring you back. 5The L ord your God will bring you into the land that your ancestors possessed, and you will possess it; he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors. 6 Moreover, the L ord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, so that you will love the L ord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live. 7The L ord your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on the adversaries who took advantage of you. 8Then you shall again obey the L ord, observing all his commandments that I am commanding you today, 9and the L ord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all your undertakings, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil. For the L ord will again take delight in prospering you, just as he delighted in prospering your ancestors, 10when you obey the L ord your God by observing his commandments and decrees that are written in this book of the law, because you turn to the L ord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Exhortation to Choose Life11 Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. 12It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?” 13Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?” 14No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe. 15 See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. 16If you obey the commandments of the L ord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the L ord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the L ord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. 17But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, 18I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20loving the L ord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the L ord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
|
19. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you. Though the verb is in the past tense, it indicates a present act. It is in order to deal with them with greater urgency that he calls heaven and earth to witness the vengeance of God. In these words he does not address men and angels, as some tamely expound it, but in amplification attributes sense to things inanimate. I pass this over briefly, because I have 288288 See ante on Deuteronomy 4:26, p. 270. treated it more fully before; as also what soon afterwards follows about life and death. For the Law, as respects its doctrine, contains in it life and death; for the reward of eternal life is not promised in it in vain; but since no one is found worthy of the promised reward, Paul justly teaches that the Law ministers death. Still this is accidental, and proceeds not from any fault in the doctrine, but from the corruption of men. Nevertheless, it is asked how, if the corruption of our nature causes that the Law should engender nothing but death, Moses commands us to “choose life,” which the sinner cannot attain to by it? Thence the Papists uplift their crests, both to extol free-will and to boast of merits; as if Moses did not also testify and proclaim the gratuitous mercy of God, and direct his disciples to Christ in order to seek salvation from Him. When, therefore, he speaks of keeping the Commandments, he does not exclude the two-fold grace of Christ, that believers, being regenerated by the Spirit, 289289 “S’adonnent a observer la Loy, et pource qu’ils n’en peuvent venir a bout, qu’ils ne soyent toujours redevables, que leur fautes leurs soyent gratuitement pardonnees;” should devote themselves to the keeping of the Law; and because they could never attain its end, so as not to be always indebted to it, that their faults should be gratuitously pardoned. — Fr. should aspire to the obedience of righteousness, and at the same time should be reconciled freely to God through the forgiveness of their sins. And assuredly, since the same covenant is common to us and to the ancient people, it is not to be doubted but that they “chose life” who of old embraced the doctrine of Moses. At the same time, in so far as his legation was different from the Gospel, he rather insists on the office peculiarly entrusted to him, so that the distinction between Christ and himself might more clearly appear. This is the reason why he more sparingly touches upon justification by faith, whilst he enlarges fully on loving and serving God and fulfilling His Commandments. |