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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>If there is a controversy between men, and they come to judgment and the judges judge them, then they must justify the righteous and condemn the wicked-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This coming to judgment suggests the two men walk together to the place of judgment. This was clearly in the Lord's mind when He spoke of such a scenario, and urged that instead of allowing the case to come to the judges, by all means the spiritual person will make peace with his brother. The implication is that we should not assume that because we are innocent, therefore we will find justice. Rather should we seek to make peace with our brother, even if we think we are in the right.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>If the wicked man is worthy to be beaten, the judge shall cause him to lie down and be beaten in his presence according to his wickedness, by number- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"His presence" may refer to "the righteous" who took "the wicked" to court. Or it may refer to the judge. Even if someone is so seriously astray that they require discipline, remember that the judges of Israel had to have the person they judged worthy of stripes lay down before their presence (or that of the injured party) and be beaten in their presence. The principle being taught was that we should be fully aware of the pain and implications of the judgment we inflict upon others. Those who practice exclusion of others through closed communion need to see the tears they are causing, the ruptured marriages, the little children left without a daddy or mummy, the cancer, the stress, the tears every night for life... and unflinchingly look at all that and give a string of Bible verses which says that this is how believers in Christ should treat other believers in Christ. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Forty stripes he may give him. He must not exceed this number. If he should beat him with many more than forty stripes, then your brother may seem vile to you-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>There’s a tendency in us to be harsh in punishing others for their sin. This is psychologically explainable by our conscience for our own sins, and subconsciously realizing we deserve punishment; we then eagerly transfer this guilt and need for punishment onto others. Instead we are to confess our sins and believe that the final judgment for our sin was in Christ upon the cross; and if we believe this to the point of really feeling it, we will never punish anyone more than required, indeed we will be gracious to them as God has been to us. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We should never be abusive, in any form, to or about anyone, even if it is sure that they will never know or feel our abuse. The Law also taught that a man must not be over punished, or else, if you did this, you considered him “light” (<em><a href='B:50 25:3'>Deu 25:3</a></em> Heb.). The weight of persons, the immense meaning attached to them, is not accepted by us if our judgment of them is too harsh or severe.&nbsp;Even a criminal was not to be overly punished, "lest your brother be degraded in <em>your</em> sight" (<em><a href='B:50 25:3'>Deu 25:3</a></em>)- he was still to be treated as a person, and nothing should be done to him which would make the punishers think too lowly of that person. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the grain-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses' sensitivity is shown by the introduction in Deuteronomy (the ‘second law’) of expansions upon existing commandments; e.g. "You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the corn". This is quoted by Paul as being actually part of the Law (<em><a href='B:530 9:9'>1Co 9:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:610 5:18'>1Ti 5:18</a></em>), showing that Moses was so attune with the mind of God that these practical extensions which his sensitivity led him to command Israel were indeed the inspired commandments of God.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>In <em><a href='B:530 9:9'>1Co 9:9</a></em> Paul likens himself to a lowly ox treading out corn, and being allowed to eat a bit of it. The argument seems to be that this commandment was not given because God cares for oxen, but for the sake of teaching us a principle. But often Paul uses a grammatical device whereby he argues 'Not (so much) A, but B'. Such a device is common in several other languages. God is clearly not insensitive to animals, as so many cases in the Old Testament demonstrate. So surely we are to read this as meaning that this command about not muzzling the ox was not primarily for the sake of the oxen, but even more importantly for the sake of teaching us a lesson. The treading out of corn connects with the metaphor of judgment day in <em><a href='B:470 3:12'>Mat 3:12</a></em>, where we read that the "floor", literally 'the treading place' will be winnowed by the Lord Jesus in judgment. The fruit of Paul's labours for Corinth would be tested by the winnowing of what he had trodden out. He saw his work as preparing them for judgment, making them true grain, separating them from the husks. We note the immediate context here in <em><a href='B:50 15:1-3'>Deu 15:1-3</a></em> is of judgment.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The command is also quoted about providing sustenance for church teachers (<em><a href='B:610 5:18'>1Ti 5:18</a></em>). The word for "muzzle" means literally to render speechless. The idea may be that if an elder was not paid, then they would not have time to prepare their talks for the congregation. The Old Testament contains examples of where the Levites failed to teach the people because the tithes for supporting them were not paid. The stress may be on the word "when" in "when he treads out the corn"; the elder must do this if he is to be fed. The treading out of the corn represents the labour in the word which is required before teaching it to the church congregation (see on <em><a href='B:610 5:17'>1Ti 5:17</a></em>). The corn represents God’s word and the treading out the processing of it. And yet in this figure, the ox (cp. the elder) eats some of the corn he processes. This has been a theme of Paul in advising Timothy- that the very process of spiritually feeding others leads to the spiritual benefit of the feeder (see on <em><a href='B:610 4:6'>1Ti 4:6</a></em> <em>Nourished up</em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>If brothers dwell together and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead should not be married outside to a stranger. Her husband’s brother should go in to her and take her to him as wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This tacitly allowed polygamy. Here we have an example where one principle (the one man: one woman ideal of Eden) is in conflict with another (to build up the family name of your childless brother). God could have arranged ethics in a simpler manner; but He has allowed and in this case encouraged the development of such conflicts in order that we think and reason things through, and make whatever decision we do consciously and from our own desire rather than merely in mindless submission to a commandment.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>The firstborn whom she bears shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, so that his name is not blotted out of Israel- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Not only does all this show a concession to human weakness and human inability to live up to the Biblical ideal of marriage; but it should be observed that seeing that most adult men in such societies were married, obeying this command probably involved polygamy. One principle was broken in order to keep another, more important one (in this case "that his name be not put out of Israel"). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>If the man doesn’t want to take his brother’s wife, then she shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, My husband’s brother refuses to raise up to his brother a name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Naomi apparently had only produced two sickly sons who survived to adulthood, and they had both prematurely died; and she felt herself to be barren. There was no legal requirement for a widow to marry the younger brother of a deceased husband, but it could be argued that any future children of Naomi had a duty to marry their late brother's wife and have children by her in his name. But that would be a very strict reading of the Mosaic legislation in this case, if not simply a wrong interpretation of the Levirate law. For the simple intention of the Levirate law was that if a man died, his brother was to marry his widow and have children by her. And it only applied to "brothers dwelling together". But Naomi has clearly thought it through; for all her apparent weakness and even apostacy as noted so far, she was aware of God’s laws. Despite having nobody to teach her there in Moab and no written scripture with her (she was surely illiterate anyway), she remembered the Mosaic law and thought through its implications.&nbsp;However her very strict interpretation of them in this case may suggest she is seeking every reason to discourage the young women to follow her back to Israel. And this makes Ruth's decision the more commendable. But they were to be surprised by the grace of Boaz. For he had no obligation to marry Ruth, neither did the anonymous kinsman. Boaz understood this law as a springboard into a culture of far more extensive grace, rather than a chain which limits human behaviour, to be tolerated and obeyed with reluctance. &nbsp;See on <em><a href='B:50 23:25'>Deu 23:25</a></em>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>&nbsp;


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he stands and says, I don’t want to take her- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This was nearly always from economic reasons. Most men were married and had children already, and to take another wife and have more children would have been crippling for many. The children would have to have an inheritance in their own names (:6), but that inheritance would have to come from this man who married the widow. So his own inheritance would be reduced, and also that of his existing children. This is why the anonymous relative of <em><a href='B:80 4:6'>Rth 4:6</a></em> didn’t want to spoil his own inheritance. And yet he remains anonymous- his name was the name cut off from Israel, whereas the name of Boaz continued, and he became an ancestor of the Lord Jesus. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Land at that time was organized according to strips of land within a field, rather than owning a field. Even wealthy Boaz only owned part of the field (<em><a href='B:80 2:3'>Rth 2:3</a></em>). Strip farming was very inefficient; upon death, land was split up between the children, and then when they died, the land was split up even further. The anonymous man didn’t want to have any more children because it would mean that what he was leaving as an inheritance would be even more reduced and divided. But because of that, he remains anonymous. He was concerned about what would happen over the next generation or so. By contrast, Boaz wasn’t worried about splitting up yet further the inheritance which he was leaving- and because of that, he left an inheritance which was recorded and stretched right down to the Lord Jesus.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It seems to me that the nameless relative in <em><a href='B:80 4:1-22'>Rth 4:1-22</a></em> was like so many people today. He was interested in getting a bit more land to add to his stack; but he didn’t really care for the redemption of his brother, and pulled out of the whole thing once he learnt he would have to marry another wife and have more children. He said he couldn't do this because he would spoil (AV) or endanger (NIV) his inheritance. We know that at this time, strip farming was being practiced- whereby a field was split up into parts, each of which belonged to a different person (<em><a href='B:80 2:3'>Rth 2:3</a></em>). By having more children, the man would have to split up his land into yet more parts so that each son had his strips. And the son he had by Ruth would be counted as Mahlon's son, in the spirit of the levirate marriage laws. And so his bit of land would then be separate from the land strips the man was intending to give to his existing children. Ultimately this could lead to the man's total inheritance becoming almost worthless if it was just split into tiny strips because he had too many children. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>I like how the NIV has the man speaking of 'endangering' his inheritance. He was like so many people- he had say a 20 year horizon, genuinely concerned about what was best for his children in the short term, rather than thinking about his responsibility to his brother. He saw 'danger' in doing that. It could be argued that the 50 year Jubilee law meant that the land boundaries returned to how they originally were after 50 years... so perhaps (although it's hard to work out how the Jubilee law worked in practice) he was worrying about something which only had meaning for the next few decades (if that). He wasn't a bad man; just one who was fearful and wouldn't look beyond the next 20 years or so. And I suggest the genealogy at the end of <em><a href='B:80 4:1-22'>Rth 4:1-22</a></em> comments upon this- that man is anonymous, his name never went down in history, whereas Boaz who loved his brother and didn’t focus solely on his own immediate family went on to be the ancestor of both David and the Lord Jesus Himself. </p>&nbsp;


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders and loose his shoe from off his foot, spit in his face, and say, So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Such selfish thinking (see on :8) was worthy of the maximum level of contempt. God’s whole work for us His people is about building up a house for His Name (s.w. <em><a href='B:100 7:5'>2Sa 7:5</a></em>). Building up others in faith, that might be a part of that house, is to be a focus which eclipses all temporary material advantage. It means we allow career and personal materialism to be subsumed beneath our passion to build up our brethren. This is where these ancient principles have constant contemporary relevance in the multitude of life decisions we face.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"As one occupied land by treading on it, the shoe became the symbol of taking possession (<em><a href='B:230 60:8'>Psa 60:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 108:9'>Psa 108:9</a></em>); when a man renounced property to another, he drew off and gave him his shoe. So among the ancient Germans the taking off of the shoe was a symbol for giving up property and heritable rights, and with the delivery of the shoe or the throwing of it away goods were conveyed to another". In this case the man was effectively losing a potential inheritance.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>His name shall be called in Israel’, The house of him who had his shoe untied’- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The person in view preferred temporal advantage materially rather than worrying about his long term name in Israel. This is true of so many today, and the anonymous relative of Ruth's remained anonymous in the historical record, whereas Boaz's name will be eternally remembered as an ancestor of the Lord Jesus. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When men strive together one with another- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This appears to connect with the situation in :5, where brothers lived together in peace. It seems these various laws are legal rulings given by Divine inspiration to Moses, from actual cases which arose during the wilderness journeyings. However, the striving together may e a reference to a legal struggle. See on :12.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And the wife of the one draws near to deliver her husband out of the hand of him who strikes him, and puts forth her hand and takes him by the private parts-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The principle from this is that each person has a weakness, an exposed point in their lives or character, which we are aware of. We are not to use that to unfair advantage- because if we were touched in that way, we likewise could not endure. And God saves His weak people and has historically been angry with those who do such things (:18).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>A theme of Deuteronomy is the way in which Moses visualizes commonplace daily incidents which he could foresee occurring in Israel's daily life: the man cutting down the tree and the axe head flying off and hitting someone; finding a dead body in a lonely field; coming across a stray animal on the way home from work; a man with two wives treating one as his favourite; seeing your neighbour struggling to lift up his sick animal; coming across a bird's nest and being tempted to take the mature bird as well as the chicks home for supper; being tempted not to bother building a battlement around the flat roof of your&nbsp; new house; the temptation to take a bag with you and fill it up with your neighbour's grapes; the need to have weapons which could be used for covering excrement (<em><a href='B:50 19:5'>Deu 19:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 21:1'>Deu 21:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 21:15'>Deu 21:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 22:1-2'>Deu 22:1-2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 22:4'>Deu 22:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 22:6'>Deu 22:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 22:8'>Deu 22:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 23:13'>Deu 23:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 23:24-25'>Deu 23:24-25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 24:5-6'>Deu 24:5-6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 24:10'>Deu 24:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 24:15'>Deu 24:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 24:19'>Deu 24:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 25:11'>Deu 25:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 25:13'>Deu 25:13</a></em>). The sensitivity of Moses was just fantastic! His eager imagination of His people in daily life, his understanding of their everyday temptations so superbly typifies that of our Lord!</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>then you shall cut off her hand, your eye shall have no pity- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The striving together of :11 could refer to a legal struggle, which resulted in a striking or beating. The woman's attempt to stop this was therefore effectively her argument with God and His decreed justice; hence the punishment. There is also the teaching here that we should never exploit the obvious weakness of another; and a reminder that all men are very vulnerable and have weak points. See on :18.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must not have in your bag different weights, a great and a small- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Deceitful traders still use balancing weights (Heb. "stones") of different weights, the lighter to sell with, the heavier to buy with. But the reference to the bag suggests that this command strikes at the forethought before the action. Don't go to market having prepared such weights in your bag. Any human legal code would focus just upon the act of using deceitful weights, whereas God foresees the planning and thought process behind the act of sin. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must not have in your house different measures, a great and a small- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>To avoid temptation it’s best to not even possess things which we may be tempted to misuse. See on :13. The act of deceiving at the market was analyzed by God as beginning in the home, and it was there and to that thought that the Divine law struck. Even possessing such "different measures" was a temptation to misuse them, and we take the lesson that we are to remove sources of temptation.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall have a perfect and just weight. You shall have a perfect and just measure, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The repeated promises recorded in Deuteronomy of prolonged days upon the land of Israel would therefore hint at the eternity of the Kingdom rather than this life. Obedience to the law could not give life of itself, but an Israel obedient to the covenant would have been given a Messiah who could have enabled this. And having integrity in apparently minor matters like just weights was one of the issues God looked at, for he who is faithful in the small things is faithful in all. Indeed, <em><a href='B:50 4:40'>Deu 4:40</a></em> says they would prolong their days "for ever". For an individual Israelite might be faithful but not prolong his or her days in the land because the whole people were to be carried away captive for their sins and the land given to a Gentile power. The opposite of 'days being prolonged' was 'utter destruction' (<em><a href='B:50 4:26'>Deu 4:26</a></em>)- which would then speak of condemnation in the second death. This is one of many examples of where eternal life was possible under the Old Covenant- there were multiple different possibilities and plans God could have worked by. Israel could have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Messiah and not killed Him, and so forth. It seems the closer we probe God’s word, the more open He is revealed as being.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For all who do such things, all who do unrighteously, are an abomination to Yahweh your God- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The 'doing' in view is not deceiving customers in the marketplace but the forethought which preceded it- having unjust weights and measures in your bag when you set out to market, or even having them in your home. The Lord Jesus rightly interpreted this teaching as meaning that the thought is counted as the action, the doing. See on :13,14. These forethoughts, planning deceit in order to gain a petty amount of material advantage, were seen by Yahweh as "abomination", the word for idol worship. And such things are our temptation constantly.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Remember what Amalek did to you by the way as you came forth out of Egypt- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>In our world, human history is generally felt to be bunk, irrelevant to this generation, of merely passing cultural fascination to the hurrying man of modern society. And in some ways, that may indeed be a legitimate take on secular history. But Biblical history is to be seen quite otherwise by God’s people. It is a living word spoken to us, and the salvation acts which are there recorded happened to us. We are to learn from history, not as a merely fascinating exercise. But the Bible is history, and yet it is a living word to us. Israel were supposed to reason back from the actions of Amalek towards them, and therefore not exploit the weakness of others in unjust weights, or by a woman exploiting the male weakness of her husband's enemy (:12).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>how he met you by the way and struck the hindmost of you, all who were feeble behind you, when you were faint and weary, and he didn’t fear God- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This explained why the woman of :12 was to be punished for taking a man from behind by his sensitive, private parts. We note the analogy makes a man's reproductive organs his "feeble" part, when it was the boast of men in those times. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Therefore when Yahweh your God has given you rest from all your enemies all around in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Drive out" is s.w. "possess". We must note the difference between the&nbsp; Canaanite peoples and their kings being "struck" and their land "taken" by Joshua-Jesus; and the people of Israel permanently taking possession. This is the difference between the Lord's victory on the cross, and our taking possession of the Kingdom. Even though that possession has been "given" to us. The word used for "possession" is literally 'an inheritance'. The allusion is to the people, like us, being the seed of Abraham. The Kingdom was and is our possession, our inheritance- if we walk in the steps of Abraham. But it is one thing to be the seed of Abraham, another to take possession of the inheritance; and Israel generally did not take possession of all the land (<em><a href='B:60 11:23'>Jos 11:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 13:1'>Jos 13:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 16:10'>Jos 16:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 18:3'>Jos 18:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:4'>Jos 23:4</a></em>). The language of inheritance / possession is applied to us in the New Testament (<em><a href='B:560 1:11'>Eph 1:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:14'>Eph 1:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 3:24'>Col 3:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 20:32'>Act 20:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 26:18'>Act 26:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 1:4'>1Pe 1:4</a></em> etc.). Israel were promised: "You shall possess it" (<em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:23'>Deu 33:23</a></em>). This was more of a command than a prophecy, for sadly they were "given" the land but did not "possess" it. They were constantly encouraged in the wilderness that they were on the path to possessing the land (<em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:18'>Deu 30:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:3'>Deu 31:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:13'>Deu 31:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>), but when they got there they didn’t possess it fully. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must blot out the memory of Amalek from under the sky. Do not forget- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Yahweh's Name, by contrast, was to be an eternal memory (<em><a href='B:20 3:15'>Exo 3:15</a></em>). He was to be remembered for how He had articulated His Name in how He had historically acted in saving the patriarchs, and He would be remembered for how He was going to act to save His people from Egypt. What was to be memorialized was therefore His actions, rather than simply the letters YHWH. It was His wonderful works which were to be remembered (<em><a href='B:230 111:4'>Psa 111:4</a></em>, s.w. "My memorial"). By contrast, the sinful works and persons of the wicked would not be remembered / memorialized, be they Amalek (s.w. <em><a href='B:20 17:14'>Exo 17:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 25:19'>Deu 25:19</a></em>), or God’s apostate people (s.w. <em><a href='B:50 32:26'>Deu 32:26</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When you come into the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, and possess it and dwell in it- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Drive out" is s.w. "possess". We must note the difference between the&nbsp; Canaanite peoples and their kings being "struck" and their land "taken" by Joshua-Jesus; and the people of Israel permanently taking possession. This is the difference between the Lord's victory on the cross, and our taking possession of the Kingdom. Even though that possession has been "given" to us. The word used for "possession" is literally 'an inheritance'. The allusion is to the people, like us, being the seed of Abraham. The Kingdom was and is our possession, our inheritance- if we walk in the steps of Abraham. But it is one thing to be the seed of Abraham, another to take possession of the inheritance; and Israel generally did not take possession of all the land (<em><a href='B:60 11:23'>Jos 11:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 13:1'>Jos 13:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 16:10'>Jos 16:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 18:3'>Jos 18:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:4'>Jos 23:4</a></em>). The language of inheritance / possession is applied to us in the New Testament (<em><a href='B:560 1:11'>Eph 1:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:14'>Eph 1:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 3:24'>Col 3:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 20:32'>Act 20:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 26:18'>Act 26:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 1:4'>1Pe 1:4</a></em> etc.). Israel were promised: "You shall possess it" (<em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:23'>Deu 33:23</a></em>). This was more of a command than a prophecy, for sadly they were "given" the land but did not "possess" it. They were constantly encouraged in the wilderness that they were on the path to possessing the land (<em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:18'>Deu 30:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:3'>Deu 31:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:13'>Deu 31:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>), but when they got there they didn’t possess it fully. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>take of the first of all the fruit of the ground which you bring in from your land that Yahweh your God gives you, and put it in a basket and go to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It was therefore not impossible for God to accept non-blood sacrifices (<em><a href='B:40 15:17-21'>Num 15:17-21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 18:12-13'>Num 18:12-13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 26:1-4'>Deu 26:1-4</a></em>). Cain, the epitome of 'the devil' (<em><a href='B:500 8:44'>Joh 8:44</a></em>), was characterized by the attitude that he was not his brother's keeper (<em><a href='B:10 4:9'>Gen 4:9</a></em>). But the Lord Jesus perhaps offered a commentary on the incident when he said that our offering can only be accepted if we are first reconciled to our brother (<em><a href='B:470 5:24'>Mat 5:24</a></em>). Cain's insistent lack of responsibility for his brother was the real sin, and therefore his sacrifice wasn't accepted by God. He wanted to serve God his own way, disregard his brother, justify his disagreement with him... to be a private person. But this was the basis of his rejection. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall come to the priest who will be in those days and tell him, I declare this day to Yahweh your God that I have come to the land which Yahweh swore to our fathers to give us- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>There is both a collective and personal dimension to salvation. We are saved in the body of Christ, as Israel were saved in the body of Moses (<em><a href='B:530 10:1-2'>1Co 10:1-2</a></em>). But each individual was to respond to this by personally visiting the sanctuary and declaring that the promises to Abraham were to him personally. And had been fulfilled. There is no evidence Israel ever did this. Whilst church membership and attendance is all good, the problem with membership of a denomination can lead to this vital individual dimension of salvation being overlooked. When it is of the essence. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>The priest shall take the basket out of your hand and set it down before the altar of Yahweh your God- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The cameraman of Divine inspiration is as it were zoomed in upon the individual setting down the basket out of his hand. This was to be a highly significant act; and yet there is no record Israel ever did so.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Like Paul in his time of dying, Moses in Deuteronomy saw the importance of obedience, the harder side of God; yet he also saw in real depth the surpassing love of God, and the grace that was to come, beyond Law. This appreciation reflected Moses' mature grasp of the Name / characteristics of God. He uses the name "Yahweh" in Deuteronomy over 530 times, often with some possessive adjective, e.g. "Yahweh thy God" (AV- i.e. you singular), or "Yahweh our God". He saw the personal relationship between a man and his God. Jacob reached a like realization at his peak. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall answer and say before Yahweh your God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father and he went down into Egypt and lived there, few in number, and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The reference is to <em><a href='B:10 20:13'>Gen 20:13</a></em>. Abraham's comment that God caused him to go astray from his father’s house would likely have been understood by those who first heard it as a negative reference to God- for the word "gone astray" is used of a lost sheep (<em><a href='B:300 50:6'>Jer 50:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 34:4'>Eze 34:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 34:16'>Eze 34:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 119:176'>Psa 119:176</a></em>); and it was understood that "A bad shepherd causes a sheep to go astray from the flock because he is careless". Perhaps God recognized Abraham's failure by instructing His people to confess every year that "An Aramean gone astray was my father" (<em><a href='B:50 26:5'>Deu 26:5</a></em>). I take this to be a reference to Abraham more than Jacob; for it seems that the people of Aram migrated to Ur, and that Abraham having settled in Padan Aram, Abraham could also for that reason be called an Aramean. So Israel were asked to remember that their forefather Abraham had gone astray both literally and spiritually; and thus Abraham's God was a God of grace, and was thereby their God too.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel were to recognize that their Arab brethren were in fact their cousins, and Abraham and Jacob their ancestors were at&nbsp; times no more than starving, desperate, homeless, wandering Arabs. That they had been given a fruitful land was therefore a great grace to them.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The closer we look at the Pentateuch, the more we see the huge emphasis placed by Moses upon deconstructing the wrong views about Satan and presenting Yahweh as omnipotent, and the ultimate source of both good and evil in the lives of His people. Thus in the prayer of the first fruits recorded in <em><a href='B:50 26:5-11'>Deu 26:5-11</a></em> we have the Hebrew verb "to give" repeated seven times. The first and last three usages of it refer to what God has 'given' to Israel; but the centerpiece reference is to Israel being <em>'given</em> hard bondage' in Egypt (<em><a href='B:50 26:6'>Deu 26:6</a></em>). Thus Yahweh is presented as the ultimate giver- of both good and evil. </p>&nbsp;<p style='margin-left:1em'><em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>The Egyptians behaved badly with us, afflicted us and laid on us hard bondage-</em><em></em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Literally, 'gave us hard bondage'. The closer we look at the Pentateuch, the more we see the huge emphasis placed by Moses upon deconstructing the wrong views about Satan and presenting Yahweh as omnipotent, and the ultimate source of both good and evil in the lives of His people. Thus in the prayer of the first fruits recorded in <em><a href='B:50 26:5-11'>Deu 26:5-11</a></em> we have the Hebrew verb "to give" repeated seven times. The first and last three usages of it refer to what God has 'given' to Israel; but the centerpiece reference is to Israel being <em>'given</em> hard bondage' in Egypt (<em><a href='B:50 26:6'>Deu 26:6</a></em>). Thus Yahweh is presented as the ultimate giver- of both good and evil. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and we cried to Yahweh, the God of our fathers and Yahweh heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil and our oppression- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The individual Israelite was to perceive his absolute connection with God’s historical deliverance of His people from Egypt. And to be appropriately awed by all the grace shown in that. In our world, human history is generally felt to be bunk, irrelevant to this generation, of merely passing cultural fascination to the hurrying man of modern society. And in some ways, that may indeed be a legitimate take on secular history. But Biblical history is to be seen quite otherwise by God’s people. It is a living word spoken to us, and the salvation acts which are there recorded happened to us. We are to learn from history, not as a merely fascinating exercise. But the Bible is history, and yet it is a living word to us. Israel were supposed to reason back from the actions of Egypt towards them, and their weakness spiritually at that time. And to respond personally to that grace. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and Yahweh brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm and with great terror, with signs and wonders- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The might of Yahweh's hand was shown through His grace in as it were forcing Israel out of Egypt, when they actually wanted to remain there and He wished to destroy them (<em><a href='B:330 20:8'>Eze 20:8</a></em>). They were idolatrous and had told Moses to leave them alone and let them serve the Egyptians. Yahweh's strength therefore refers to the power of His grace in continuing His program with them.&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses was to stretch forth his hand to cause the waters of the Red Sea to part and return, not his rod; because he was manifesting the hand of Yahweh which was to deliver Israel (s.w. <em><a href='B:20 7:5'>Exo 7:5</a></em>). The repeated references to the stretched our arm or hand of Yahweh to save His people invite us to recall this incident, and to perceive that Yahweh's hand had been manifest through the hand of Moses (<em><a href='B:50 4:34'>Deu 4:34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:15'>Deu 5:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:19'>Deu 7:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:2'>Deu 11:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 26:8'>Deu 26:8</a></em>). That stretched out, saving arm and hand of Yahweh was and is stretched out still, to save His people (<em><a href='B:110 8:42'>1Ki 8:42</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 20:34'>Eze 20:34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 9:15'>Dan 9:15</a></em> "as at this day") and bring about a new creation in human lives (<em><a href='B:290 45:12'>Isa 45:12</a></em>). For the deliverance through the Red Sea is intended to be experienced by all God’s people, and is now seen through His saving grace at baptism (<em><a href='B:530 10:1-2'>1Co 10:1-2</a></em>). What happened there was but the beginning of the work of God’s outstretched arm (<em><a href='B:50 3:24'>Deu 3:24</a></em>). Yet the stretched out arm / hand of God is also a figure for His judgment (<em><a href='B:130 21:16'>1Ch 21:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 9:12'>Isa 9:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 10:4'>Isa 10:4</a></em>). His hand is at work in our lives- either to our condemnation or our salvation. And it is for us therefore to humble ourselves beneath that mighty hand (<em><a href='B:670 5:6'>1Pe 5:6</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and He has brought us into this place and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel came to describe the Egypt they had been called out from as the land flowing with milk and honey (<em><a href='B:40 16:12'>Num 16:12</a></em>), and denied that the Kingdom was in fact like that. And so we have the same tendency to be deceived into thinking that the kingdoms of this world, the world around us, is effectively the Kingdom of God, the only thing worth striving after.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground which You, Yahweh, have given me. You shall set it down before Yahweh your God, and worship before Yahweh your God- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Again we lament that there was no record of their ever doing this. It was a redemption which went largely unappreciated by them. As noted on :4, the language is zoomed in upon the individual setting down the produce out of the basket in his hand.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall rejoice in all the good which Yahweh your God has given to you and to your house; you and the Levite and the foreigner who is in the midst of you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>So often, the Mosaic law associates rejoicing with giving, for truly it is more blessed or happy to give than to receive. The Lord's teaching about this was clearly reflective of this major Mosaic theme (<em><a href='B:510 20:35'>Act 20:35</a></em>). <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When you have made an end of tithing all your increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the foreigner, to the fatherless and to the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel were given manna in the wilderness, and they ate it and were full (<em><a href='B:20 16:8'>Exo 16:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 16:12'>Exo 16:12</a></em>). But they were promised that in the promised land of the Kingdom, they would likewise eat and be full, again from blessing given by God (s.w. <em><a href='B:50 8:10'>Deu 8:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:15'>Deu 11:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 14:29'>Deu 14:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 26:12'>Deu 26:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:20'>Deu 31:20</a></em>). After our Red Sea baptism, we are now in the wilderness; but by feeding on the manna, the word of God in the Lord Jesus, we have a foretaste of the Kingdom experience. But the curse for disobedience was that they would eat and not be full / satisfied (<em><a href='B:30 26:26'>Lev 26:26</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "And when thou shalt have completed all the tithings of thy fruits in the third year, thou shalt give the second tenth to the Levite, and stranger, and fatherless, and widow; and they shall eat it in thy cities, and be merry". The stranger / foreigner may refer to those of the "mixed multitude" which were with them, or to those Canaanites who had accepted the message of Yahweh's Kingdom. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>There were three separate tithes commanded under the Law of Moses. Yet the tithing churches have simply said: ‘There’s something about tithing in the Old Testament. So, hey, give us 10% of your money!’. The first was the Levitical tithe of 10% on 100% of the produce for the first six years and was destined for the Levites and priests (see too <em><a href='B:50 12:19'>Deu 12:19</a></em>). The second tithe was the Festival tithe of 10% on the 90% remaining produce after the Levitical tithe. This tithe had to be eaten in the presence of the Lord and was collected on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th years only. The third tithe was the tithe of the poor to be collected on the 3rd and 6th years only (<em><a href='B:50 14:22-29'>Deu 14:22-29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 26:12-15'>Deu 26:12-15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:370 4:4-5'>Amo 4:4-5</a></em>). No tithe was collected on the 7th year or Sabbatical year. The farmers were to let the land rest in that year. The tithe consisted of fruit, grain, wine and later animals that are treated as produce from the land. It never consisted of money. Tithes were conducted annually and were based upon one’s produce increase for the year. This just isn’t talking about putting paper money or cheques on an offering plate each week as demanded by the tithing churches.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall say before Yahweh your God, I have put away the holy things out of my house and have given them to the Levite and to the foreigner, to the fatherless and to the widow, according to all Your commandment which You have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of Your commandments, neither have I forgotten them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>So often the Mosaic law was designed to elicit introspection, and to convict of sin. For who could truly say "I have not transgressed any of Your commandments". These very words are placed by the Lord Jesus in the mouth of the hypocritical elder brother. and it is he who remains outside of the Father's fellowship, whereas the disobedient younger son is the one finally accepted. Likewise in the parable of the two sons, the one who says he will be totally obedient actually isn't. The whole structure of the law was to lead the spiritually minded Israelite to a conviction of sin, and a longing for a way to permanently resolve this. And that was to ultimately be in the Lord Jesus.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I have not eaten of it in mourning, neither have I put away any of it while unclean, nor given any of it for the dead. I have listened to the voice of Yahweh my God. I have done according to all that You have commanded me- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on :13; these protestations of total obedience would have elicited a sense of sin and self examination in all spiritually minded people. GNB "I have not given any of it as an offering for the dead" suggests that there was in Israel the existence of false understandings of the death state. Yet still God loved His people and accepted them in covenant with Him. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The "holy habitation" alludes to the most holy place, which is here presented as a figure of "heaven", just as <em><a href='B:650 9:24'>Heb 9:24</a></em>&nbsp; makes clear The temple and ark are sometimes referred to as the heavens (<em><a href='B:100 15:25'>2Sa 15:25</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:110 8:30'>1Ki 8:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 20:2'>Psa 20:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 20:6'>Psa 20:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 11:4'>Psa 11:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:650 7:26'>Heb 7:26</a></em>). The church is the new temple, and is therefore at times referred to as the heavenlies in the New Testament. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And the ground which You have given us, as You swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The land was only potentially one flowing with milk and honey; it required God’s blessing upon the ground. And that blessing was predicated upon Israel's obedience, as <em><a href='B:50 28:1-68'>Deu 28:1-68</a></em> makes clear. And so it is with the promise of the Kingdom of God to us. It is not without any conditions, although the word of promise is absolutely certain. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>This day Yahweh your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore keep and do them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Because God saved them from Egypt by grace (cp. baptism- <em><a href='B:530 10:1-2'>1Co 10:1-2</a></em>), with they themselves so spiritually weak at the time, still taking idols of Egypt through the Red Sea with them- <em>therefore</em> they were to keep the law (<em><a href='B:50 11:7-8'>Deu 11:7-8</a></em>). Because God gave them the land of Canaan, a land for which they did not labour, didn’t do any 'work' to receive, but were given because "You did a favour unto them" (<em><a href='B:230 44:3'>Psa 44:3</a></em>)- <em>therefore </em>they were to keep the law (<em><a href='B:50 26:15-16'>Deu 26:15-16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 29:8-9'>Deu 29:8-9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:5-6'>Jos 23:5-6</a></em>). David said that he loved keeping the law <em>because</em> God’s testimony to him was so miraculous (<em><a href='B:230 119:129'>Psa 119:129</a></em> Heb.). There is an awesomeness to God’s grace in all this. Hence the paradox of <em><a href='B:20 20:20'>Exo 20:20</a></em>: "Fear not... that the fear of God may be before your faces". We are not to fear Him, for such perfect love casts out fear... yet it is exactly because of the wonder of all this that we live life in some fear / awe of misusing and abusing that grace. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>With all your heart and with all your soul- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Time and again, Moses speaks of the state of their heart. He warns them against allowing a bad state of heart to develop, he speaks often of how apostasy starts in the heart. Moses makes a total of 49 references to the heart / mind of Israel in Deuteronomy, compared to only 13 in the whole of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. This indicates the paramount importance which our Lord attaches to the state of our mind. This was perhaps his greatest wish as He faced death; that we should develop a spiritual mind and thereby manifest the Father and come to salvation. Moses likewise saw the state of our mind as the key to spiritual success. But do we share this perspective? Do we guard our minds against the media and influence of a mind-corrupting world? It's been observed that the phrase "The God of (somebody)", or similar, occurs 614 times in the Old Testament, of which 306 are in Deuteronomy. Our very personal relationship with God was therefore something else which Moses came to grasp in his spiritual maturity. Statistical analysis of the word "love" in the Pentateuch likewise reveals that "love" was a great theme of Moses at the end of his life (Moses uses it 16 times in Deuteronomy, and only four times in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You have undertaken Yahweh this day to be your God and that you will walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances and listen to His voice- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on :16. The Hebrew <em>mishpat</em>, "ordinances", has a wide range of meaning. The idea is of judgment, as if God and His Angels gave these laws as their considered judgment after considering the human condition, and Israel were to abide by them. But the word also the idea of a right or privilege; and that is how we should see God’s laws. They are only felt as a burden because of human hardness of neck towards God’s ways. His laws are not of themselves burdensome, but rather a privilege and blessing. The law was indeed "holy, just and good" (<em><a href='B:520 7:12'>Rom 7:12</a></em>), designed to inculcate a holy, just and good life (<em><a href='B:630 1:8'>Tit 1:8</a></em>), a way in which a man should "walk" in daily life (<em><a href='B:30 18:4'>Lev 18:4</a></em>), a culture of kindness and grace to others which reflected God’s grace to man. If we dwell upon the idea of "rights" carried within the word <em>mishpat</em>, we note that the law begins in <em><a href='B:20 21:1-2'>Exo 21:1-2</a></em> (also <em><a href='B:50 15:12-18'>Deu 15:12-18</a></em>) with the rights of a slave- those considered to have no rights in the society of that day. The "rights" to be afforded by us to others are the essence of God’s rightness / justice.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>A covenant is a two way thing. This tie that binds applies to God too (:18); hence the wonderful, oft-repeated idea of His <em>chesed</em>, His covenant faithfulness to us His people. He likewise carries a kind of responsibility to us. The entry of Israel into covenant with God was a pattern of what we undertake at baptism. And afterwards there is a wonderful mutuality between God and man within that covenant.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And Yahweh has undertaken to you this day that you shall be a people for His own possession, as He has promised you, in order that you should keep all His commandments-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We are to live out in practice what we have been made in status by our gracious Father. The very fact He counts us as in Christ, as the spotless bride of His Son, must be both felt and lived up to by us. The way He counts us like this is a wonderful motivation to rise up to it all. Consider how God told Israel that <em>if</em> they kept His commandments, <em>then</em> they would be His “peculiar treasure” (<em><a href='B:20 19:5'>Exo 19:5</a></em>). This conditional promise is then referred to by Moses as having been fulfilled- Israel became His “peculiar treasure” by status even though they did <em>not</em> keep His commandments (<em><a href='B:50 7:6'>Deu 7:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 14:2'>Deu 14:2</a></em> s.w.; <em><a href='B:230 135:4'>Psa 135:4</a></em>). Moses concludes by saying that “the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people (s.w.)…<em> that</em> thou shouldest keep all his commandments” (<em><a href='B:50 26:18'>Deu 26:18</a></em>). See what’s happening here. God said that <em>if</em> they were obedient, <em>then</em> they would be His special people. Yet He counted them as His special people even though they were not obedient. And He did this so that they would be so touched by this grace that they <em>would</em> be obedient. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The word so often used for "keeping" / "diligently observing" Yahweh's commandments is from the word meaning a thorn hedge; the idea originally was to hedge in. Taking this too literally led Judaism to all their endless fences around the law, i.e. forbidding this or that because it might lead to doing that or this, which in turn would then lead to breaking an actual commandment. And those various fences become elevated to the level of commandments. But this is not the idea. We are indeed to hedge ourselves in ("take heed to yourself", <em><a href='B:50 11:16'>Deu 11:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:13'>Deu 12:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:19'>Deu 12:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:30'>Deu 12:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:32'>Deu 12:32</a></em> s.w.), so that we may keep / hedge ourselves in to keep the commandments of God (<em><a href='B:30 18:4-5'>Lev 18:4-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:26'>Lev 18:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:30'>Lev 18:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:19'>Lev 19:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:37'>Lev 19:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:8'>Lev 20:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:22'>Lev 20:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:9'>Lev 22:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:31'>Lev 22:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 25:18'>Lev 25:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:3'>Lev 26:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 28:2'>Num 28:2</a></em>;&nbsp;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:50 7:11-12'>Deu 7:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:1'>Deu 8:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:11'>Deu 8:11</a></em> (s.w. "beware"); 10:13; 11:1,8,22,32; 12:1; 13:4,18; 15:5,9 ("beware"); 17:19; 19:9; 23:9 ("keep yourself"); 24:8; 26:16-18; 27:1; 28:1,9,13; 29:9; 30:10,16; 31:12; 32:46). And without falling into the legalism of Judaism, self discipline does require a degree of fencing ourselves in to the one way. Thus the man struggling with alcoholism avoids the supermarket where alcohol is pushed in front of the eyes of the shoppers; the married woman struggling with attraction to another man makes little laws for herself about avoiding his company. And if we do this, then the Lord will "keep" us, will hedge us in to keeping His way (s.w. <em><a href='B:40 6:24'>Num 6:24</a></em>).</p><p>The Hebrew can mean "Today Yahweh has obtained your agreement". We see His efforts to win Israel and His joy that they gave even half hearted assent to the covenant.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>so as to make you high above all nations that He has made, in praise, in name and in honour, and that you might be a holy people to Yahweh your God, as He has spoken-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The allusion is to the glory and beauty (s.w. "honour") of the priestly garments, which were all holy to Yahweh (<em><a href='B:20 28:2'>Exo 28:2</a></em>). The idea is not that the clothes should be beautiful and glorious; they were "for" the manifestation of the glory and beauty of God’s saving ways, once their significance was perceived. The naked flesh of man was to be covered over with a glory and beauty which was to come from God, looking forward to the idea of imputed righteousness which Paul explains in Romans. Glory and beauty were to be the features of all Israel in their role as priests / teachers of the Gentile world. Again we see repeated the ideal intention that all Israel were to be a nation of priests, and not just resign the work of witness to the priestly tribe.&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people saying, Keep all the commandments which I command you this day-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The word so often used for "keeping" / "diligently observing" Yahweh's commandments is from the word meaning a thorn hedge; the idea originally was to hedge in. Taking this too literally led Judaism to all their endless fences around the law, i.e. forbidding this or that because it might lead to doing that or this, which in turn would then lead to breaking an actual commandment. And those various fences become elevated to the level of commandments. But this is not the idea. We are indeed to hedge ourselves in ("take heed to yourself", <em><a href='B:50 11:16'>Deu 11:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:13'>Deu 12:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:19'>Deu 12:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:30'>Deu 12:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:32'>Deu 12:32</a></em> s.w.), so that we may keep / hedge ourselves in to keep the commandments of God (<em><a href='B:30 18:4-5'>Lev 18:4-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:26'>Lev 18:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:30'>Lev 18:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:19'>Lev 19:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:37'>Lev 19:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:8'>Lev 20:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:22'>Lev 20:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:9'>Lev 22:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:31'>Lev 22:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 25:18'>Lev 25:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:3'>Lev 26:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 28:2'>Num 28:2</a></em>;&nbsp;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:50 7:11-12'>Deu 7:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:1'>Deu 8:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:11'>Deu 8:11</a></em> (s.w. "beware"); 10:13; 11:1,8,22,32; 12:1; 13:4,18; 15:5,9 ("beware"); 17:19; 19:9; 23:9 ("keep yourself"); 24:8; 26:16-18; 27:1; 28:1,9,13; 29:9; 30:10,16; 31:12; 32:46). And without falling into the legalism of Judaism, self discipline does require a degree of fencing ourselves in to the one way. Thus the man struggling with alcoholism avoids the supermarket where alcohol is pushed in front of the eyes of the shoppers; the married woman struggling with attraction to another man makes little laws for herself about avoiding his company. And if we do this, then the Lord will "keep" us, will hedge us in to keeping His way (s.w. <em><a href='B:40 6:24'>Num 6:24</a></em>).<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>On the day when you pass over the Jordan to the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you must set up great stones and plaster them with plaster- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:50 27:2-8'>Deu 27:2-8</a></em> commanded that "in the day" Israel passed over Jordan, they were to set up plastered stones with the law written upon them (perhaps just the ten commandments), and put them "in mount Ebal". But when Joshua fulfilled it in <em><a href='B:60 8:30'>Jos 8:30</a></em>, this was not "in the day" that Israel passed over Jordan. They had indeed taken stones with them from the Jordan, but had not used them as intended. They didn’t plaster them nor write the law upon them. And so perhaps God ammended His intention- which was initially that they would set those stones up in mount Ebal immediately. Instead, He sent the people against Jericho, and then against Ai. Perhaps an instant conquest of Jericho had been originally intended, so that they could proceed to mount Ebal immediately. For later in Joshua we will read of God giving His people unnaturally speedy progress against their enemies, all in the same day. Or maybe His intention was that firstly they ought to have gone to mount Ebal with the plastered stones, and only then attacked Jericho. But they didn’t plaster the stones nor wish to proceed immediately to Ebal. And so He arranged the campaign against Jericho and then Ai. We see how God is so eager to accommodate His programs to the weakness of men.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and write on them all the words of this law, when you have passed over, that you may go in to the land which Yahweh your God gives you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers has promised you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel came to describe the Egypt they had been called out from as the land flowing with milk and honey (<em><a href='B:40 16:12'>Num 16:12</a></em>), and denied that the Kingdom was in fact like that. And so we have the same tendency to be deceived into thinking that the kingdoms of this world, the world around us, is effectively the Kingdom of God, the only thing worth striving after.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When you have passed over the Jordan, I command you this day that you shall set up these stones, in Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The word "commandments" occurs 43 times in Deuteronomy, and only 19 times in the other three records; "remember" occurs 16 times compared to 8 times in the other three. And yet Moses commanded Israel specifically to engrave the law on tables of plaster, not stone, knowing that they would soon be washed away; thus he wished to teach Israel (or try to) the temporary nature of the Law (<em><a href='B:50 27:4-8'>Deu 27:4-8</a></em>). Like Paul in his time of dying, Moses saw the importance of obedience, the harder side of God; yet he also saw in real depth the surpassing <em>love</em> of God, and the grace that was to come, beyond Law.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>There you shall build an altar to Yahweh your God, an altar of stones. You shall lift up no iron on them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:20 20:25'>Exo 20:25</a></em> says that the use of any tool upon an altar would defile it (also see <em><a href='B:50 27:5'>Deu 27:5</a></em>). This is how strongly God despises chic externality, and wants us to offer to Him as we are, uncut stones. He wants us, as we are, and not covered by cosmetics. In this we see the deep unspirituality of the altars in the temple, as designed by David and Solomon. I have suggested that although Solomon claims all this was commanded by God, in fact that was merely His assumption. Solomon attempted to get around this law by ensuring that the stones were cut away from the temple construction site (<em><a href='B:110 6:7'>1Ki 6:7</a></em>). But this surely was breaking the spirit of the law. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall build the altar of Yahweh your God of uncut stones and you shall offer burnt offerings thereon to Yahweh your God-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God wants us to serve Him in simplicity without trying to make our altars externally beautiful as if to impress a human eye. Israel had lived generations in Egypt, and had taken the idols of Egypt with them through the Red Sea (<em><a href='B:330 20:7-8'>Eze 20:7-8</a></em>). The Egyptian altars were all of hewed stones, with images of their gods engraved upon them. Perhaps the insistence that "cut stones" must not be used was in order to strengthen them against the temptation to engrave images upon the sides of the altar, as they had seen in Egypt. We see how God’s laws are designed not as a burden, but to ease our overall obedience to His ways</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall sacrifice peace offerings and shall eat there and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Eating upon a heap of unhewn stones was understood as a sign of having made a covenant on mutually agreed terms and being at peace with each other (<em><a href='B:10 31:46-47'>Gen 31:46-47</a></em>). Our eating before God at the breaking of bread meeting is something similar. Again we note how the Mosaic law associates rejoicing with giving, for truly it is more blessed or happy to give than to receive. The Lord's teaching about this was clearly reflective of this major Mosaic theme (<em><a href='B:510 20:35'>Act 20:35</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"All the words" may be used as in <em><a href='B:20 15:22'>Exo 15:22</a></em>, and might refer just to <em><a href='B:50 26:16-19'>Deu 26:16-19</a></em>. "Plainly" is literally 'dug' or 'engraved'. As the old covenant was engraved upon stones, both on the tables of the covenant and here again, so Paul draws the contrast with how under the new covenant, God’s law is engraved or dug in to our heart: "written... with the Spirit of the living God. Not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh" (<em><a href='B:540 3:3'>2Co 3:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 2:15'>Rom 2:15</a></em>). There is implied here a direct working of God upon the human heart, in order to dig in or engrave His law there, just as He will do to latter day Israel when they too enter the new covenant (<em><a href='B:300 31:33'>Jer 31:33</a></em>). He instills His word and ways into the hearts or minds of His people. This is all part of blessing under the new covenant, the gift of the holy Spirit within our human spirit or mind. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Moses and the priests and Levites spoke to all Israel, saying, Keep silence and listen, Israel- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Keep silence" is AV "take heed". Paul warned the new Israel that after his death ("after my departing", <em><a href='B:510 20:29'>Act 20:29</a></em>) there would be serious apostasy. This is the spirit of his very last words, in <em><a href='B:620 4:1-22'>2Ti 4:1-22</a></em>. it is exactly the spirit of Moses' farewell speech throughout the book of Deuteronomy, and throughout his final song (<em><a href='B:50 32:1-52'>Deu 32:1-52</a></em>) and <em><a href='B:50 31:29'>Deu 31:29</a></em>: "After my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves". Paul's "Take heed therefore unto yourselves" (<em><a href='B:510 20:28'>Act 20:28</a></em>) is quoted from many places in Deuteronomy (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 2:4'>Deu 2:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:9'>Deu 4:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:15'>Deu 4:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:23'>Deu 4:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:16'>Deu 11:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:13'>Deu 12:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:19'>Deu 12:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:30'>Deu 12:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 24:8'>Deu 24:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 27:9'>Deu 27:9</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>This day you have become the people of Yahweh your God- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>At this time, God saw no iniquity in Israel (<em><a href='B:40 23:21'>Num 23:21</a></em>). He fulfilled His promise at Sinai that if they were obedient, He would make them His people; and He did, counting them as obedient. Yet the events of the intervening forty years hardly sound like Israel being obedient; He "suffered their manners" forty years (<em><a href='B:230 95:10'>Psa 95:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 13:18'>Act 13:18</a></em>). And yet at the end of that period, they were counted as having been sufficiently obedient to be made God’s people (<em><a href='B:20 19:5'>Exo 19:5</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:50 27:9'>Deu 27:9</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must therefore obey the voice of Yahweh your God and do His commandments and His statutes which I command you this day-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>As noted on :9, they were to become God’s people if they were obedient (<em><a href='B:20 19:5'>Exo 19:5</a></em>). They had been disobedient, but still they were counted as His people (:9). But the response to such grace was that they should therefore be obedient- not in order to gain God’s acceptance as His people, for He had already given them that, by grace. But instead their obedience was to be a sign of their gratitude for that grace. And so the commandments given them were a channel, an opportunity, through which to express gratitude for God’s salvation by grace rather than legal obedience.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Moses commanded the people the same day saying- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"The same day... this day" runs as a refrain throughout Deuteronomy. Although "I tell you this day" can be read as merely a way of making a solemn statement, verses like this ("the same day") suggest we would be justified in reading them literally. Thus Deuteronomy would be a transcript of Moses' final address to Israel on the last day of his life.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people when you have passed over the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:60 8:33'>Jos 8:33</a></em> says that "All Israel, their elders and officers and their judges, stood on both sides of the ark before the priests the Levites who carried the ark of Yahweh’s covenant". So we can assume that the ark remained in the very narrow valley between the two mountains, with Israel as it were like the wings of the cherubim on both sides of it. Ezekiel's visions likewise use the cherubim to represent Israel. The departure and return of the cherubim spoke of Israel with their representative Angels leaving and then returning to the land and temple.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We note that generally the sons of Rachel and Leah said <em>"</em>Amen" to the blessings, whilst the cursed Reuben and the sons of the concubines said "Amen" to the curses (:13). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>These shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Reuben had been the firstborn but had been demoted from that for sleeping with his father’s wife, which was one of the curses (:20). This was a reminder to the people that their own honoured ancestors had done the very things they were now cursing (see on :18,22). They were a people who stood before God blessed by grace, rather than because of their obedience.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>The Levites shall answer and tell all the men of Israel with a loud voice- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Levites were in the narrow valley in between the two mountains (see on :12). They would turn to Ebal and pronounce the curses, and the tribes standing there would shout "Amen". Just as they had turned to Gerazim and pronounced the blessings, and the tribes there had shouted "Amen". <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>‘Cursed is the man who makes an engraved or molten image, an abomination to Yahweh, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and secretly sets it up’. All the people shall answer and say ‘Amen’- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The list of sins which follow in :15-25 are all matters of the heart or things which are not seen by others. The people were confirming their acceptance of the fact that God sees and knows all things, and there really would be a judgment for them.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>‘Cursed is he who dishonours his father or his mother’. All the people shall say ‘Amen’- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>As noted on :15,23, the context here is of things done in the heart, or unperceived by others. This "dishonour" of parents may therefore refer to hidden mental attitudes and curses of parents, which (unrepented of) we will be held culpable for in the last day.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>‘Cursed is he who removes his neighbour’s landmark’. All the people shall say ‘Amen’- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This again was likely to be done secretly, bit by bit grabbing small parcels of extra land from your neighbour. Why this was so abhorrent was because each family of Israel had a specific inheritance which was not to be sold or moved outside the family. Hence the sin of Ahab in obtaining Naboth's vineyard. It would seem that there was some unrecorded list made of each family and which land they were to be given. This looks forward to our very personal and unique inheritance in God’s Kingdom, possibly based around spiritual family units. This was "The inheritance of fathers", "your possession" (<em><a href='B:30 25:27-28'>Lev 25:27-28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 36:7-8'>Num 36:7-8</a></em>). God had given specific inheritances to His people, that this was not to be sold or traded. The division by lot in <em><a href='B:60 15:1'>Jos 15:1</a></em> presumably meant that the tribal areas were defined and then distributed by lot. And then within those areas, each family was given a specific inheritance. So to try to remove another's inheritance was tantamount to removing the inheritance of another in God’s Kingdom. Anything which edges another out of their eternal inheritance is abhorrent to God. It is reflected in the Lord's condemnation of any who make their brother stumble from the path to the Kingdom.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>‘Cursed is he who makes the blind wander out of the way’. All the people shall say ‘Amen’- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It was Aaron, their revered leader, who had made Israel wander "out of the way" through the golden calf apostacy (<em><a href='B:20 32:8'>Exo 32:8</a></em>). Likewise :22 is a clear reference to the wrong behaviour of Abraham. The people surely could not have repeated these words without thinking of Aaron. It was intended, therefore, as a reminder to them of how their very standing with God was by grace alone; and they were not from any wonderful spiritual pedigree, but instead were God’s people by grace through faith.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>‘Cursed is he who deprives the foreigner, fatherless and widow of justice’. All the people shall say ‘Amen’- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This is in the context of a list of things which were done in secret and would not be judged by men. So the lack of justice in view would mean having a biased, discriminatory attitude, deep within the heart, unseen by men. And this is so easy for us all to slip in to. When our own experience before baptism was like Israel's in Egypt. We were foreigners, the excluded and marginal, who were saved by grace. And this is to affect our mental attitudes to others like that.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>‘Cursed is he who lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s skirt’. All the people shall say ‘Amen’- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Nakedness should only be uncovered before your wife or husband. Uncovering nakedness is an idiom for the sexual act. The allusion is to Adam and Eve having their nakedness uncovered; we have to accept the situation we are in as a result of the curse, rather than having sexual relations with who we like, as if uncovering nakedness is nothing shameful. Our hope is for the curse put on us in Eden to be lifted at Christ’s return; we can’t lift it in this life, as our own ever insistent mortality reminds us. See on :13.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>‘Cursed is he who lies with any kind of animal’. All the people shall say ‘Amen’- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Such was God’s desire to teach that we are made in His image, and must not act as animals, bringing ourselves down to their level as if we are equal only to them. So the message for us is that we are to respect ourselves as made in God’s image, and not act on a purely animal level. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>‘Cursed is he who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother’. All the people shall say ‘Amen’- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This is phrased in such language as to allude to the way that Abraham says of Sarah his wife: "She is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife" (<em><a href='B:10 20:12'>Gen 20:12</a></em>). The people surely could not have repeated these words without thinking of their forefather Abraham, whose children they were, originating from a legally cursed relationship. It was intended, therefore, as a reminder to them of how their very standing with God was by grace alone; and they were not from any wonderful spiritual pedigree, but instead were God’s people by grace through faith. See on :18.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>‘Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law’. All the people shall say ‘Amen’- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The implication seems to be, 'And doesn't get caught doing so'. For this kind of inappropriate bonding would have been done in secret. So many of these curses are for sins committed which would never be found out by man, such as taking a bribe (:25). The idea of the curses therefore is that Israel were recognizing that who we are when nobody is watching is significant to God, because He does watch and judge, all the time. And He is therefore invited to "curse" our secret sins, at the last day. No other legal code was like this- criminalizing things which were unseen and would never be discovered by anyone else. Because God is the judge of all, and sees all things and will judge them in His own time. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>‘Cursed is he who strikes his neighbour in secret’. All the people shall say ‘Amen’- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This may refer to a man striking his neighbour in his "secrets", i.e. his most vulnerable part, the testicles. In which case we deduce the principle that inappropriate exploitation of another's weakness is as it were a mortal sin. Or the idea may be that if you strike a person secretly with no witness, even though you will not be judged for it by men, you will be by God, and are pronounced "cursed". But the meaning may simply be "in secret". See on :23.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>‘Cursed is he who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person’. All the people shall say ‘Amen’-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The idea of a bribe suggests that this doesn't refer to a contract killer, but to someone taking a bribe to make a false legal statement. But indirect consequence of wrong action is here understood as having performed the action, of murder in this case. For the death penalty would come because of the false statement which was made in return for a bribe. And this is an abiding principle.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>‘Cursed is he who doesn’t confirm the words of this law to do them’. All the people shall say ‘Amen’- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>When the people ratified their covenant with Yahweh (cp. the breaking of bread), they had to confirm their agreement that they would be cursed for disobedience to it; and “cursed is who doesn't confirm the words...". They couldn’t opt out of bringing this curse upon themselves for disobedience- if they did, they were cursed. Israel were told that <em>because</em> they were the people of God, in covenant with Him, <em>therefore</em> they <em>had</em> to be obedient. If they were disobedient, they would be cursed. And if they backed out of being God’s people, they were also cursed (<em><a href='B:50 27:9'>Deu 27:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 27:19'>Deu 27:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 27:26'>Deu 27:26</a></em>). There was no way back: total devotion to obedience. God would either rejoice over them to bless them, or rejoice over them to curse them (<em><a href='B:50 28:63'>Deu 28:63</a></em>). He isn’t passive; His energy will be expended upon us one way or the other. There are only two types of builder, the wise and the foolish; two types of tree, yielding either good or bad fruit. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>If you will listen diligently to the voice of Yahweh your God, to observe all His commandments which I command you this day, Yahweh your God will set you on high above all the nations of the earth-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"The earth" specifically and initially refers to the territory promised to Abraham; see on :10. The long list of blessings in <em><a href='B:50 28:1-68'>Deu 28:1-68</a></em> were given by God perhaps knowing at the start that they would never be realized- "It shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord" (<em><a href='B:50 28:1'>Deu 28:1</a></em>). God gave such detailed blessings for obedience even though they would never be realized by Israel. Likewise He gave such detailed plans for the temple in <em><a href='B:330 40:1-49'>Eze 40:1-49</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 41:1-26'>Eze 41:1-26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 42:1-20'>Eze 42:1-20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 43:1-27'>Eze 43:1-27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 44:1-31'>Eze 44:1-31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 45:1-25'>Eze 45:1-25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 46:1-24'>Eze 46:1-24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 47:1-23'>Eze 47:1-23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 48:1-35'>Eze 48:1-35</a></em> - even though the envisaged, possible scenario never came about because Israel chose to be disobedient.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>All these blessings shall come on you and be with you, if you will listen to the voice of Yahweh your God- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Like Paul in his time of dying, Moses in Deuteronomy saw the importance of obedience, the harder side of God; yet he also saw in real depth the surpassing love of God, and the grace that was to come, beyond Law. This appreciation reflected Moses' mature grasp of the Name / characteristics of God. He uses the name "Yahweh" in Deuteronomy over 530 times, often with some possessive adjective, e.g. "Yahweh thy God" (AV- i.e. you singular), or "Yahweh our God". He saw the personal relationship between a man and his God. Jacob reached a like realization at his peak. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall be blessed in the city and you shall be blessed in the field-</em></p>&nbsp;<p style='margin-left:1em'>The love of God for Israel isn’t just something in the past. You may have noticed how the blessings for Israel’s obedience are actually in a strange way somehow still given to them even in their disobedience. The blessings of many children and general prosperity have somehow been fulfilled to the Jewish people; they have somehow prospered “in all that thou settest thine hand unto…and all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord… and the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods…and thou shalt lend unto many nations…thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath” (<em><a href='B:50 28:3-13'>Deu 28:3-13</a></em>). This has all come true for the Jewish people in their unbelief, from the Jewish taxi driver in Vilnius who somehow makes more than the other guys, to the Jewish bankers of New York- and all achieved despite every man’s hand against them. Here we see the grace and love of God for Israel. And thus finally He shall give them the valley of Achor, symbol of their shameful disobedience, for a door of hope. The ineffable love of God for Israel continues. And we, as God’s children, should show forth that same love, expressed supremely in seeking to turn them to Messiah.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall be blessed in the fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the fruit of your animals, the increase of your livestock and the young of your flock-</em></p>&nbsp;<p style='margin-left:1em'>The curses of <em><a href='B:50 28:4'>Deu 28:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:18'>Deu 28:18</a></em> involved cursing coming upon descendants of sinful people; perhaps in that their fathers influenced them to do wrong. Thus the salvation of men can be affected by a third party not preaching to them or not teaching them correct doctrine. Herein lies the crying need to ‘defend the Faith’. Speaking of how he had suffered to defend purity of understanding of the Gospel, Paul reflected: “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ” (<em><a href='B:620 2:10'>2Ti 2:10</a></em>). <em>Their</em> salvation was dependent upon <em>his</em> enduring. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Your basket and your kneading trough shall be blessed- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "Blessed shall be thy barns, and thy stores" certainly seems to be in the Lord's mind in His parable of the man who had to build larger barns. He so often alludes to Mosaic commandments and statements and places a very different spin upon them. In this case, His point was that one may receive blessing in this life, which might look like blessing for obedience to the covenant- when in fact, it was a result of your own hard work, and you are not in fact with the Father at all, and will die condemned by Him.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall be blessed when you come in and you shall be blessed when you go out- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Within the Pentateuch, the idea of blessing creation paves the way for God promising to “bless” the children of Abraham, and the blessings upon them with which Deuteronomy concludes (see too <em><a href='B:30 9:22'>Lev 9:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 6:22-24'>Num 6:22-24</a></em>). The pagan creation stories sometimes spoke of the things created by the gods then blessing <em>them</em>. The Sumerians recorded that at ‘creation’, “The whole universe, the people in unison, to Enlil in one tongue gave praise”. But the true God, the God of all grace, not only creates His people and other creatures, but then blesses <em>them</em>! And the spirit of that grace should be seen in all our relationships. The Sumerian and Babylonian myths speak of people being created in order to serve the gods, “to bear the yoke of the gods” (S.G.F.Brandon), to relieve them in their everyday work. But the Genesis creation has God creating man and giving him great freedom, and blessing him. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will cause your enemies who rise up against you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "thine enemies that withstand thee", another hint that the bloody conquest of Canaan was only bloody because the nations withstood Yahweh's people, rather than like Rahab and the Gibeonites, seeking covenant relationship with Him. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>To be struck before you. They will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The fleeing of the Egyptians from Israel in the midst of the Red Sea (<em><a href='B:20 14:25'>Exo 14:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 14:27'>Exo 14:27</a></em>) was to be repeated in all Israel's conflicts with their enemies; every time, the essence of the Red Sea deliverance (which was by grace alone, as Israel then were so weak spiritually) was to be repeated throughout the history of God’s people (<em><a href='B:40 10:35'>Num 10:35</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:7'>Deu 28:7</a></em>).&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to; He will bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on :5. The blessing of Yahweh would come if His commands were obeyed (<em><a href='B:50 11:27'>Deu 11:27</a></em>); but in response, He would command that blessing (s.w. <em><a href='B:50 28:8'>Deu 28:8</a></em>). His commandments were therefore effectively a commandment of blessing. They were designed for Israel's good and blessing, and not as a test of mindless obedience.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will establish you for a holy people to Himself as He has sworn to you, if you will keep the commandments of Yahweh your God and walk in His ways-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses urges the peoples' faithfulness so that Yahweh might "establish His covenant" with them (<em><a href='B:50 8:18'>Deu 8:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:9'>Deu 28:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 29:13'>Deu 29:13</a></em>); and yet we note that despite their disobedience, He still "established" the covenant with them, by grace alone (<em><a href='B:50 9:5'>Deu 9:5</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>All the peoples of the land- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The reference of the “land” is to the <em>eretz </em>promised to Abraham. God would set Israel on high above all nations of the land (28:1). Only those round about Israel would see this, not the whole planet. “The nations” therefore refer to those in the land. In this same context they are warned that if they are <em>not</em> obedient, then they would be taken into all kingdoms of the earth (v. 25). And this is what happened- they were taken into captivity in Babylon, Assyria and their empires within the ‘earth’ / land. They were invaded by a nation from the end of the earth (28:49), which Habakkuk defines as Babylon, a nation at the extremity of the land / earth promised to Abraham. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Will see that you are called by the name of Yahweh and they will be afraid of you-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Whatever carried the name of a person was seen as his property. If a city was conquered, it bore the name of the conqueror (<em><a href='B:100 12:28'>2Sa 12:28</a></em>); the names of owners were on their property (<em><a href='B:230 49:12'>Psa 49:12</a></em>). So to bear God’s Name is to recognize His complete ownership and even conquest of us. And yet there's a significant twist to all this in <em><a href='B:290 43:1'>Isa 43:1</a></em>: "I have called you by <em>your</em> name, because you are mine". It seems like a slip- we expect God to say that He has called us by <em>His </em>Name, because we are His. But no- He wishes us to bear both His Name and our own name, He doesn't wish to subsume us beneath His ownership and manifestation to the point that we are not significant as persons.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Proclaim the Name" (<em><a href='B:20 33:19'>Exo 33:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 34:5'>Exo 34:5</a></em>) is the same phrase used about 'calling upon the Name' (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 28:10'>Deu 28:10</a></em>). The calling out / proclamation of Yahweh's Name, in the Gospel and ultimately in the declaration of the Name on the cross (<em><a href='B:500 17:26'>Joh 17:26</a></em>), elicits a desire to call that Name upon us, which we initially do through baptism into that Name. And like Moses, we in turn proclaim the Name to others (<em><a href='B:50 32:3'>Deu 32:3</a></em> s.w.).&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will make you prosperous in the fruit of your body and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The blessings of <em><a href='B:50 28:1-68'>Deu 28:1-68</a></em> were conditional upon obedience. Israel were not obedient, from Sinai onwards, as the prophets lament. But many of those blessings were still experienced by Israel. So we conclude that this was by grace alone, and indeed the idea of Abraham's seed being "blessed" is associated in the New Testament with the blessing of grace. Again we note God’s passionate desire to by all means give His people His Kingdom. He wants to do this, it is the good pleasure or will of God to give us the Kingdom. He is not indifferent to our salvation, and wants us desperately to be in His Kingdom, as the parable of the marriage supper also indicates. It concludes with pretty much anyone willing to say "yes" being ushered in to the marriage supper.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will open to you His good treasure in the sky, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations and you shall not borrow- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Money lending worldwide has been a feature of Jewish existence over the centuries, and yet this is here predicted as happening only if they were obedient. They have been disobedient, and yet it’s as if God loves to advertise His grace to the world by still blessing the disobedient.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>But I suggest that the context is simply that "The Lord shall open unto you <em>His</em> good treasure, the heaven to give the rain of your land... and <em>you</em> shall lend unto many nations". If God opens His treasure to us, we should open our treasures to others, even lending with a spirit of generosity, motivated by our experience of His generosity to <em>us</em>. Because Yahweh had redeemed Israel, they were not to be petty materialists, cheating others out of a few grams or centimeters in trading. The wealth and largeness of God’s work for them should lead them to shun such petty desire for self-betterment. God gives to all men with a single eye (<em><a href='B:660 1:5'>Jas 1:5</a></em> Gk.); and in response, we too must be single eyed in our giving (<em><a href='B:470 6:22'>Mat 6:22</a></em> s.w.- this is one of James; many allusions to the sermon on the mount). The Jews' experience of redemption from Haman <em>quite naturally</em> resulted in them giving gifts both to each other and to the poor around them (<em><a href='B:190 9:22'>Est 9:22</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Having stated that the Canaanite tribes would only be cast out if Israel were obedient, Moses goes on to enthuse that those tribes would indeed be cast out- so positive was he about Israel’s obedience (<em><a href='B:50 6:18-19'>Deu 6:18-19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:1'>Deu 7:1</a></em>). And yet on the other hand he realistically was aware of their future failures. He said those positive words genuinely, because he simply loved Israel, and had the hope for them which love carries with it. Throughout his speech, Moses is constantly thinking of Israel in the land; he keeps on telling them how to behave when they are there, encouraging them to be strong so that they will go into the land. I estimate that about 25% of the verses in Moses' speech speak about this. Israel's future inheritance of the Kingdom absolutely filled Moses' mind as he faced up to his own death. And remember that his speech was the outpouring of 40 years meditation. Their salvation, them in the Kingdom, totally filled his heart. And likewise with the Lord Jesus. <em><a href='B:230 22:1-31'>Psa 22:1-31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 69:1-36'>Psa 69:1-36</a></em> shows how his thoughts on the cross, especially as he approached the point of death, were centred around our salvation. And Moses was so positive about them. “The Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands”, even though these blessings were conditional upon their obedience. Moses was this confident of them (<em><a href='B:50 16:15'>Deu 16:15</a></em> cp. 28:1,4,12). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only be above and you shall not be beneath, if you will listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you this day, to observe and to do- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The word so often used for "keeping" / "diligently observing" Yahweh's commandments is from the word meaning a thorn hedge; the idea originally was to hedge in. Taking this too literally led Judaism to all their endless fences around the law, i.e. forbidding this or that because it might lead to doing that or this, which in turn would then lead to breaking an actual commandment. And those various fences become elevated to the level of commandments. But this is not the idea. We are indeed to hedge ourselves in ("take heed to yourself", <em><a href='B:50 11:16'>Deu 11:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:13'>Deu 12:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:19'>Deu 12:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:30'>Deu 12:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:32'>Deu 12:32</a></em> s.w.), so that we may keep / hedge ourselves in to keep the commandments of God (<em><a href='B:30 18:4-5'>Lev 18:4-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:26'>Lev 18:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:30'>Lev 18:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:19'>Lev 19:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:37'>Lev 19:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:8'>Lev 20:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:22'>Lev 20:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:9'>Lev 22:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:31'>Lev 22:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 25:18'>Lev 25:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:3'>Lev 26:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 28:2'>Num 28:2</a></em>;&nbsp;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:50 7:11-12'>Deu 7:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:1'>Deu 8:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:11'>Deu 8:11</a></em> (s.w. "beware"); 10:13; 11:1,8,22,32; 12:1; 13:4,18; 15:5,9 ("beware"); 17:19; 19:9; 23:9 ("keep yourself"); 24:8; 26:16-18; 27:1; 28:1,9,13; 29:9; 30:10,16; 31:12; 32:46). And without falling into the legalism of Judaism, self discipline does require a degree of fencing ourselves in to the one way. Thus the man struggling with alcoholism avoids the supermarket where alcohol is pushed in front of the eyes of the shoppers; the married woman struggling with attraction to another man makes little laws for herself about avoiding his company. And if we do this, then the Lord will "keep" us, will hedge us in to keeping His way (s.w. <em><a href='B:40 6:24'>Num 6:24</a></em>).<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and do not turn aside- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel had been commanded to "not depart" from the way of Yahweh's commandments (<em><a href='B:50 28:14'>Deu 28:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 1:7'>Jos 1:7</a></em>), but the frequent lament of the historical records is that they did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam. The Bible, especially in Proverbs, constantly reduces human moral choice to that between two ways of life and being. We constantly wish to argue that "it's not so simple" because there are grey areas. But the 'grey area' argument is what leads us so often into sin, into following the "way" of sin. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>From any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand or to the left- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The wall of water on their right hand and left when they crossed the Red Sea is twice emphasized (<em><a href='B:20 14:22'>Exo 14:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 14:29'>Exo 14:29</a></em>). It is alluded to later, when they are urged to not depart from God’s way, not to the right hand nor left (<em><a href='B:50 5:32'>Deu 5:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 17:11'>Deu 17:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 17:20'>Deu 17:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:14'>Deu 28:14</a></em>). We passed through the Red Sea when we were baptized (<em><a href='B:530 10:1-2'>1Co 10:1-2</a></em>). We were set upon a path which is walled up to keep us within it. And we are to remain in that path upon which we were set. To turn aside from it would be as foolish as Israel turning away from their path and trying to walk into the walls of water.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>To go after other gods to serve them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Go after" is a phrase Moses frequently uses in his last speech in Deuteronomy, but not elsewhere. It means literally to follow or walk after. He warns against going after other gods (<em><a href='B:50 4:3'>Deu 4:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:14'>Deu 6:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:19'>Deu 8:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:28'>Deu 11:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:2'>Deu 13:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:14'>Deu 28:14</a></em>), and urges following / walking behind / going after Yahweh alone (<em><a href='B:50 13:4'>Deu 13:4</a></em>). I suggest he was reflecting upon how by following after Yahweh in the Angel, the people had been brought out of Egypt, through the wilderness and to the promised kingdom. Caleb had faithfully followed / walked after Yahweh, and so entered the land. The phrase is used of the people following after the ark to enter Canaan (<em><a href='B:60 3:3'>Jos 3:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 6:9'>Jos 6:9</a></em>). Following after idols led them just to pointless wandering in circles. And so it is in human life today. Following idols leads to pointless wandering, whereas following Yahweh has a specific destination in view- possession of the Kingdom. Elijah uses the phrase when telling Israel they could either follow after Baal, or Yahweh; and if Yahweh is God, then we are to follow Him (<em><a href='B:110 18:21'>1Ki 18:21</a></em>). We cannot follow two directions. But Israel followed after (s.w.) vanity and thereby became vain (<em><a href='B:120 17:15'>2Ki 17:15</a></em>). They carried the tabernacle of Moloch and also of Yahweh, throughout the wilderness journey (<em><a href='B:510 7:1-60'>Act 7:1-60</a></em>:). Following after Baal is paralleled with following / walking after the imagination of their own evil heart (s.w. <em><a href='B:300 3:17'>Jer 3:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 9:14'>Jer 9:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 13:10'>Jer 13:10</a></em>), walking after their own spirit rather than God’s (<em><a href='B:330 13:3'>Eze 13:3</a></em> s.w.) and their own covetousness (s.w. <em><a href='B:330 33:31'>Eze 33:31</a></em>). To walk / live just according to the word of our own imaginations is our great temptation. But we are to instead follow God’s imaginations and heart, as revealed in His word (<em><a href='B:330 20:16'>Eze 20:16</a></em> s.w.). This is where our acceptance of the word of God as indeed His word... has endless implications. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>But if you will not listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command you this day, all these curses shall come on you and consume you-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel did not obey / hearken to the voice of Yahweh, and He did not hearken to their voice in prayer (<em><a href='B:50 1:45'>Deu 1:45</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:23'>Deu 9:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:15'>Deu 28:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 5:6'>Jos 5:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 2:20'>Jdg 2:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 6:10'>Jdg 6:10</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:50 8:20'>Deu 8:20</a></em> s.w.). <em><a href='B:120 18:12'>2Ki 18:12</a></em> states this specifically. God hearkened to Joshua's voice in prayer (<em><a href='B:60 10:14'>Jos 10:14</a></em>) because Joshua hearkened to His voice. It was to be the same with Saul. He didn’t hearken to God’s voice (<em><a href='B:90 15:19'>1Sa 15:19</a></em>) and God didn’t hearken to Saul's voice in prayer in his final desperation at the end of his life (<em><a href='B:90 28:18'>1Sa 28:18</a></em>). If God’s word abides in us, then our prayer is powerful, we have whatever we ask, because we are asking for things according to His will expressed in His word (<em><a href='B:500 15:7'>Joh 15:7</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall be cursed in the city and you shall be cursed in the field-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>A faithless and disobedient Israel were apparently blessed and not cursed in the city and in the field since their reestablishment of Israel in 1948. But this is therefore of itself a sign of God’s absolute grace to them, given no doubt in the hope that it would lead them to repentance concerning the Lord Jesus (<em><a href='B:520 2:4'>Rom 2:4</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Your basket and your kneading trough shall be cursed- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The material prosperity of Israel, particularly the fertility of the land, was to be cursed if they disobeyed God (<em><a href='B:50 28:16-18'>Deu 28:16-18</a></em>).&nbsp;If this has a latter-day application, it follows that Israel must first have returned to their land in the last days and become agriculturally prosperous before it can happen.&nbsp;This is exactly the position today.&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>The fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the increase of your livestock and the young of your flock shall be cursed- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX specifically mentions oxen for "livestock" and sheep for "flock". <em><a href='B:420 3:17'>Hab 3:17</a></em> seems to allude to this picture, but the faithful writer rejoices that despite the experience of the curses for disobedience on a national level, he can personally look forward to a relationship with God. So even at the height of the curses, there was always the possibility for individuals to have a relationship with God, even if they shared the effect of others' sins.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall be cursed when you come in and you shall be cursed when you go out- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>There is a most interesting connection between the curses for disobedience and the time of the judges in the words of Azariah to Asa.&nbsp;He reminded Asa of the problems of weak leadership in that period, and encouraged Asa to learn the lesson from it, as a ruler of Israel.&nbsp;He describes Israel at that time as being "for a long season... without the true God, and without a teaching priest (cp. <em><a href='B:90 3:1'>1Sa 3:1</a></em>, Hebrew), and without law" (<em><a href='B:140 15:3'>2Ch 15:3</a></em>). This is quoted in <em><a href='B:350 3:4-5'>Hos 3:4-5</a></em> concerning Israel's state before their final repentance.&nbsp;Azariah continued:&nbsp;"In those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in (an idiom for the rulers), but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants" (<em><a href='B:140 15:5'>2Ch 15:5</a></em>). This is definitely alluding to <em><a href='B:50 28:19-20'>Deu 28:19-20</a></em>: "Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in... and goest out. The Lord shall send upon thee... vexation" (same word in <em><a href='B:140 15:5'>2Ch 15:5</a></em>).&nbsp;&nbsp;"Nation was destroyed of nation" (<em><a href='B:140 15:6'>2Ch 15:6</a></em>) must be alluded to in <em><a href='B:490 21:10'>Luk 21:10</a></em> concerning the situation in latter-day Israel. And <em><a href='B:140 15:7'>2Ch 15:7</a></em> = <em><a href='B:530 15:58'>1Co 15:58</a></em> - a certain latter-day application.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will send on you cursing, confusion and rebuke in all that you put your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The connections between the record of Job's experience of depression and those curses upon Israel gives us a cameo of latter-day Jewry's position. This 'confusion of mind' (<em><a href='B:50 28:20'>Deu 28:20</a></em>, Hebrew), "madness... and astonishment of heart" (<em><a href='B:50 28:28'>Deu 28:28</a></em>) will, not surprisingly, result in a complete collapse of leadership within Israel (<em><a href='B:50 28:19'>Deu 28:19</a></em>), resulting in them fleeing a disorganized seven ways before their enemies (<em><a href='B:50 28:25'>Deu 28:25</a></em>). There is a sharp contrast between this and Israel's present nonchalance. During their latter day tribulation, Israel will experience "faintness in their hearts", intense "terror" (<em><a href='B:30 26:16'>Lev 26:16</a></em>), which would be enough to kill them (<em><a href='B:50 32:25'>Deu 32:25</a></em>).&nbsp;This extraordinary level of paranoia will be modelled upon that of Jacob as he faced Esau - representing Israel's confrontation with their neighbours and brethren in the last days (<em><a href='B:300 30:5'>Jer 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 30:7'>Jer 30:7</a></em>). This state of fear will result in many Jews going to live in Jerusalem, as happened during the Babylonian and Assyrian invasions (<em><a href='B:300 35:11'>Jer 35:11</a></em>).&nbsp;Ezekiel had prophesied of this time:&nbsp;"Terrors (an intensive plural - i.e. 'the one great terror') by reason of the sword shall be upon my people" (<em><a href='B:330 21:12'>Eze 21:12</a></em>).&nbsp;Likewise our Lord spoke of "fearful sights" being seen in latter-day Israel (<em><a href='B:490 21:11'>Luk 21:11</a></em>). This fear will be absolute paranoia:&nbsp; "I will make you a terror to yourself" (<em><a href='B:300 20:4'>Jer 20:4</a></em>) because of latter day Babylon's invasion;&nbsp;"ye shall flee when none pursueth you... I will send a faintness into their hearts... the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them" (<em><a href='B:30 26:17'>Lev 26:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:36'>Lev 26:36</a></em>). "I will bring the land into <em>desolation</em>" (<em><a href='B:30 26:32'>Lev 26:32</a></em>) uses a Hebrew word which can imply stupefaction by fear.&nbsp;This paranoia will be associated with a manic depression which will have its roots in a chronically bad conscience towards God, going back thousands of years to their national childhood:&nbsp;"I will... cause sorrow of heart... they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity... and also in the iniquity of their fathers shall they pine away" (<em><a href='B:30 26:16'>Lev 26:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:39'>Lev 26:39</a></em>). Note how the <em>land</em> will be brought into this mental desolation. Frequently the land of Israel is paralleled with the people (e.g. <em><a href='B:300 19:14'>Jer 19:14</a></em> cp. 26:17). The intense desolation of Jewry will be reflected physically in the state of their land. And the resolution of this psychological torment will only be through repentance and acceptance of the Saviour Messiah whom they crucified.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Because of the evil of your doings by which you have forsaken Him- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:70 2:13'>Jdg 2:13</a></em> says that the people did forsake Yahweh. But instead of these judgments , we are to read that although God punished them, He raised up saviours to save them from the judgments; and this looks forward to His grace in the Lord Jesus, 'Yah's salvation'. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will make the pestilence cleave to you until He has consumed you from off the land- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The "pestilence" which was the plague upon Egypt (<em><a href='B:20 9:3'>Exo 9:3</a></em>) was to come upon a hard hearted Israel (s.w. <em><a href='B:30 26:25'>Lev 26:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 14:12'>Num 14:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:21'>Deu 28:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 21:6'>Jer 21:6</a></em>). The plagues upon Egypt form the basis for the vials and seals of Revelation, which speak of judgment to come upon the land of Israel. It is a theme with God that His apostate people are "condemned with the world" (<em><a href='B:530 11:32'>1Co 11:32</a></em>). If their hearts are really with Egypt / the world, then they will share the judgments of this world. The time for separation is now, just as the Egyptians had to identify with Israel if they wished to escape the plagues.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Into which you now go in to possess it- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Drive out" is s.w. "possess". We must note the difference between the&nbsp; Canaanite peoples and their kings being "struck" and their land "taken" by Joshua-Jesus; and the people of Israel permanently taking possession. This is the difference between the Lord's victory on the cross, and our taking possession of the Kingdom. Even though that possession has been "given" to us. The word used for "possession" is literally 'an inheritance'. The allusion is to the people, like us, being the seed of Abraham. The Kingdom was and is our possession, our inheritance- if we walk in the steps of Abraham. But it is one thing to be the seed of Abraham, another to take possession of the inheritance; and Israel generally did not take possession of all the land (<em><a href='B:60 11:23'>Jos 11:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 13:1'>Jos 13:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 16:10'>Jos 16:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 18:3'>Jos 18:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:4'>Jos 23:4</a></em>). The language of inheritance / possession is applied to us in the New Testament (<em><a href='B:560 1:11'>Eph 1:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:14'>Eph 1:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 3:24'>Col 3:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 20:32'>Act 20:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 26:18'>Act 26:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 1:4'>1Pe 1:4</a></em> etc.). Israel were promised: "You shall possess it" (<em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:23'>Deu 33:23</a></em>). This was more of a command than a prophecy, for sadly they were "given" the land but did not "possess" it. They were constantly encouraged in the wilderness that they were on the path to possessing the land (<em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:18'>Deu 30:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:3'>Deu 31:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:13'>Deu 31:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>), but when they got there they didn’t possess it fully. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation and with fiery heat; with the sword, with blight and with mildew, and they shall pursue you until you perish- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The curses to come upon Israel as a result of the latter day invasions are described in terms which are extremely apposite to modern warfare. The plagues to come upon Israel as a result of the invasions are almost impossible to identify with anything presently known:&nbsp;"a consumption... a fever... an inflammation... an extreme burning... blasting... the burning ague that shall consume the eyes" (<em><a href='B:50 28:22'>Deu 28:22</a></em>;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:30 26:16'>Lev 26:16</a></em>) all seems to echo the language of nuclear fall-out.&nbsp;"They shall be burnt... and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction" (<em><a href='B:50 32:24'>Deu 32:24</a></em>) is similar. The release of complex chemical weapons, as well as nuclear detonation, would explain why rainfall patterns will be interrupted during this latter day tribulation (<em><a href='B:50 28:23'>Deu 28:23</a></em>).&nbsp;The fall-out from such weapons would create the murderous rain of dust upon the land which <em><a href='B:50 28:24'>Deu 28:24</a></em> speaks of:&nbsp;"The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed".&nbsp;It is twice emphasized that those in the land would suffer blindness (<em><a href='B:50 28:28-29'>Deu 28:28-29</a></em>), which may also be related to such nuclear or chemical fallout. This has not yet happened;&nbsp; the context invites us to read this as literal rather than figurative.&nbsp;We know that the latter day invaders who attack Jerusalem will both fight each other and have their eyes rot in their sockets (<em><a href='B:450 14:12'>Zec 14:12</a></em>), the implication being that they use their weaponry against each other as well as against Israel.&nbsp;Their earlier use of these weapons would account for this blindness coming upon Israel, and again we see the principle that what the attackers do to Israel will be inflicted upon them. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Your sky that is over your head shall be brass and the earth that is under you shall be iron- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This may well be the result of latter day chemical or nuclear weapons; see on :22.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will make the rain of your land powder and dust; from the sky shall it come down on you until you are destroyed-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This has not yet been fulfilled; maybe because God in His grace has not punished His people according to all their sins. Or it could be that it has yet to be fulfilled in the final tribulation to come upon Israel. Nuclear fallout would fulfil these words- and likewise those of <em><a href='B:290 29:6'>Isa 29:6</a></em>, describing the invasion of latter day Babylon / Assyria, which have yet to be accurately fulfilled. See on :22.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:30 26:1-46'>Lev 26:1-46</a></em> and <em><a href='B:50 28:1-68'>Deu 28:1-68</a></em> promised a curse to come upon the land (of Eden / Israel) for their failure within it, just as happened to Adam and Eve; and of course ultimately they were driven out of the land just as Israel's very first parents had been. As the <em>eretz</em> / earth / land was initially "without form and void", so the same term is used of the land of Israel after the people had been driven out of it (<em><a href='B:300 4:23'>Jer 4:23</a></em>). As thorns and thistles came up in the land (and those plants are unknown in some parts of the planet), so they did again when Israel were driven from their land (<em><a href='B:10 3:18'>Gen 3:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:350 10:8'>Hos 10:8</a></em>). As Adam was punished by returning to dust, so Israel would be destroyed by dust (<em><a href='B:50 28:24'>Deu 28:24</a></em>). As Adam and Eve failed to "subdue" the garden of Eden (<em><a href='B:10 1:28'>Gen 1:28</a></em>), so Israel failed to fully "subdue" (s.w.) the tribes of the land (<em><a href='B:40 32:22'>Num 32:22</a></em>). They subdued a few local to them; but they never really rose up to the reality of being able to have the whole land area promised to Abraham subjected to them. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will cause you to be struck before your enemies. You shall go out one way against them but shall flee seven ways before them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The fleeing of the Egyptians from Israel in the midst of the Red Sea (<em><a href='B:20 14:25'>Exo 14:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 14:27'>Exo 14:27</a></em>) was a case of fleeing when none pursued them. This was the judgment upon Israel (<em><a href='B:30 26:17'>Lev 26:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:36'>Lev 26:36</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:25'>Deu 28:25</a></em>), which was to arise because in their hearts they had returned to Egypt (the world) and were therefore to be judged as Egypt, "condemned with the world" they had loved (<em><a href='B:530 11:32'>1Co 11:32</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And you shall be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The idea is of a sieve, which was tossed back and forth until the grain was left and all the lighter chaff had fallen to the earth. The idea is that Israel's wandering amongst the nations, and especially their latter day scattering and wandering amongst the kingdoms of the earth / land promised to Abraham, would result in the appearance of a faithful seed.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Your dead body shall be food to all birds of the sky and to the animals of the earth, and there shall be none to frighten them away- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The events of AD70 were a detailed initial fulfilment of some parts of these prophecies. But they were only a foretaste of the tragedies of Israel’s latter day cursing. Our Lord's quotation of <em><a href='B:50 28:26'>Deu 28:26</a></em> in <em><a href='B:470 24:28'>Mat 24:28</a></em> ("your carcasses shall be meat unto the fowls of the air") is confirmation of this. "None to frighten them away" recalls the events of the covenant with Abraham in <em><a href='B:10 15:1-21'>Gen 15:1-21</a></em>. The end result of all this will be Israel returning to that covenant, accepting the new covenant which is based upon the promises to Abraham.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>These "beasts of the earth / land" (<em><a href='B:50 28:26'>Deu 28:26</a></em>) must refer to the nations within the earth / land promised to Abraham.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will strike you with the boil of Egypt- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Apostate Israel were to be punished with the judgments of Egypt, and this was the plague on Egypt of <em><a href='B:20 9:9'>Exo 9:9</a></em>. It is a theme with God that His apostate people are "condemned with the world" (<em><a href='B:530 11:32'>1Co 11:32</a></em>). If their hearts are really with Egypt / the world, then they will share the judgments of this world. The time for separation is now, just as the Egyptians had to identify with Israel if they wished to escape the plagues.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And with the tumours, the scurvy and the itch, from which you cannot be healed- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Nuclear fallout would fulfil these words- see on :22.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will strike you with madness, blindness and astonishment of heart-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:50 28:14-28'>Deu 28:14-28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:59-61'>Deu 28:59-61</a></em> predicted that mental disease would be one of the punishments for worshipping other gods/demons. This explains the association of demons with mental illness in the New Testament. But let it be noted that the language of demons is associated with illness, not sin. We do not read of Christ casting out demons of envy, murder etc. It must also be noted that the Bible speaks of people <em>having</em> a demon/disease, rather than saying that demons<em> caused</em> the disease. It is significant that the Greek version of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) used the word <em>daimonion</em> for “idol”; this is the word translated “demon” in the New Testament.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. You shall be only oppressed and robbed always and there shall be none to save you-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Nuclear fallout would fulfil these words- see on :22. The darkness that came down at the crucifixion would have recalled <em><a href='B:300 33:19-21'>Jer 33:19-21</a></em> - when day and night no longer follow their normal sequence, God is breaking His covenant. Israel’s condemnation would be that “even at midday you will grope like a blind man in the dark" (<em><a href='B:50 28:29'>Deu 28:29</a></em>). And yet the Lord would have known that He was suffering for Israel, treated as an apostate Israel, and thus He was the more inspired to pray for their ultimate forgiveness and salvation, seeing He had borne their condemnation. The Lord suffered “for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due" (<em><a href='B:290 53:8'>Isa 53:8</a></em> RVmg.). There are therefore elements of the crucifixion sufferings of Jesus in every suffering of natural Israel. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You will betroth a wife and another man shall lie with her. You will build a house and not dwell therein. You will plant a vineyard and not use its fruit-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Lord likened His preachers to men reaping a harvest. He speaks of how they fulfilled the proverb that one sows and another reaps (<em><a href='B:500 4:37-38'>Joh 4:37-38</a></em>). Yet this ‘proverb’ has no direct Biblical source. What we <em>do </em>find in the Old Testament is the repeated idea that if someone sows but another reaps, this is a sign that they are suffering God’s judgment for their sins (<em><a href='B:50 20:6'>Deu 20:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:30'>Deu 28:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:220 31:8'>Job 31:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:400 6:15'>Mic 6:15</a></em>). But the Lord turns around the ‘proverb’ concerning Israel’s condemnation; He makes it apply to the way that the preacher / reaper who doesn’t sow is the one who harvests others in converting them to Him. Surely His implication was that His preacher-reapers were those who had known condemnation for their sins, but on that basis were His humbled harvesters in the mission field.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Your ox will be slain before your eyes and you shall not eat of it. Your donkey will be violently taken away from before your face and shall not be restored to you. Your sheep will be given to your enemies and you will have none to save you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle" (<em><a href='B:30 26:22'>Lev 26:22</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:50 28:31'>Deu 28:31</a></em>) speaks of the "beasts of the earth / land" (<em><a href='B:50 28:26'>Deu 28:26</a></em>), who refer to the nations within the earth / land promised to Abraham. The use of cattle raiding language in <em><a href='B:330 38:12'>Eze 38:12</a></em> would then lead us to equate that latter day invasion with the final fulfilment of the curses upon Israel here.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Your sons and your daughters will be given to another people and your eyes will look and fail with longing for them all day long; and there shall be no power in your hand- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God said that the sign of His condemnation and rejection of Israel was that He would give their sons and daughters to be married to Gentiles (<em><a href='B:50 28:32'>Deu 28:32</a></em>). To willingly marry a Gentile was therefore to proclaim oneself as rejected from the Israel of God. The Lord Jesus had read these words and engaged with them; for He uses the picture of eyes failing with longing for the return of exiled children and applies it to the Father longing for the return of the prodigal son. That son clearly spoke of Israel in exile. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>The fruit of your ground and all your labours shall a nation which you don’t know eat up, and you will be only oppressed and crushed always- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This was clearly fulfilled at the time of the Babylonian invasion (<em><a href='B:300 5:17'>Jer 5:17</a></em>), but this only looked forward to the even greater fulfilment in the curses of the last days. It is repeatedly stressed that God’s people would suffer at the hands of a nation they didn’t know (<em><a href='B:300 14:18'>Jer 14:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 15:14'>Jer 15:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 17:4'>Jer 17:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 22:28'>Jer 22:28</a></em>). They did "know" the Babylonians, and had worshipped their gods. So "know" is used in the Hebraic sense of 'having a relationship with'. The idea may be that they would receive no mercy from those they were not in any relationship with.&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>so that you will be mad because of the sight your eyes shall see- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This again speaks of the deep psychological trauma of God’s people. See on :28. The deep distress would be at the sight of themselves covered in boils (:35). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will strike you in the knees and in the legs with a sore boil of which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This language is applied to Job (<em><a href='B:220 2:7'>Job 2:7</a></em>). He was clearly representative of Israel suffering the curses for disobedience. But he was a righteous man, and was saved in the end. He pointed forward to how the perfect Lord Jesus suffered the curses for Israel's sins, as their total representative. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will bring you and your king whom you will set over you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This makes these curses have specific reference to the Babylonian rather than Roman invasion. The latter day application may require Israel to put their trust in some charismatic leader.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>To a nation that you have not known, you nor your fathers, and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel and Judah are strongly rebuked by the prophets for their choice to do this, and are begged to cease doing so. But their freewill choice to sin was in fact a result of being cursed by God; they were led into sin, as it were, by God confirming them in the downward spiral they had chosen to be part of. In this case, if they didn’t want to be cursed, then they simply had to stop living out the curse in their lives. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The reference to Israel serving the gods of the nations to whom they are carried captive, gods which their ancestors abhorred, may refer to some accepting Islam in the last days. Indeed, <em><a href='B:50 31:29'>Deu 31:29</a></em> suggests that in the latter (Heb. end) times, Israel will specifically "do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands". This is the language commonly used concerning Israel's worship of the idols of the surrounding lands; if they are to specifically do this in the time of the end, it would seem reasonable to guess that this may refer to an acceptance of Islam. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You will become an astonishment, a proverb and a byword among all the peoples where Yahweh shall lead you away- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>But this was in order for a witness to be made to those nations. Hence LXX <em>"</em>And thou shalt be there for a wonder, and a parable". The tragedy of Israel's curses for disobedience is even now to be understood as an appeal to the Gentile world to take God seriously and repent. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You will carry much seed out into the field and gather little in, for the locust shall consume it- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The locust was a plague brought upon Egypt. The judgments upon the land of Israel in the last days are described in Revelation, and they are full of allusion to the plagues upon Egypt. The locust is a figure of Judah's latter day judgments (<em><a href='B:360 1:4'>Joe 1:4</a></em>). It is a theme with God that His apostate people are "condemned with the world" (<em><a href='B:530 11:32'>1Co 11:32</a></em>). If their hearts are really with Egypt / the world, then they will share the judgments of this world. The time for separation is now, just as the Egyptians had to identify with Israel if they wished to escape the plagues.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You will plant vineyards and dress them but you shall neither drink of the wine nor harvest them, for the worm shall eat them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Just as the locust of :38 is alluded to in <em><a href='B:360 1:4'>Joe 1:4</a></em>, so <em><a href='B:360 1:4-7'>Joe 1:4-7</a></em> also alludes to the "worm" which destroys vines- and they are used as a symbol of Judah's latter day invaders. Maimonides in "A guide for the perplexed" makes a big issue about these worms of vine weevils. He claims that the various false gods and witches which Israel tended to worship and trust in all offered agricultural prosperity, and specifically offered protection from the dreaded vine weevils. The point is therefore made that all those gods and incantations would be revealed to Israel as powerless to turn away the curse for disobedience to the covenant. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You will have olive trees throughout all your borders but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives shall drop off- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on :39. The picture here is of labour in vain, so it was all a psychological punishment.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You will father sons and daughters but they shall not be yours, for they will go into captivity- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It has been observed that the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings have certain similarities. For example, they all quote the Deuteronomy version of Israel's earlier history, leading to the suggestion that Deuteronomy was the first of the collection, a kind of introductory background history. The curses listed in <em><a href='B:50 28:1-68'>Deu 28:1-68</a></em> are all especially relevant to the situation in Judah before the Babylonian invasion, and a number of the curses are alluded to in Lamentations as being descriptive of the situation after the final destruction of Jerusalem. Some of the curses can have little other application, e.g. <em><a href='B:50 28:41'>Deu 28:41</a></em> speaks of begetting children, "but they shall not be yours; for they shall go into captivity". Other relevant passages are <em><a href='B:50 28:36'>Deu 28:36</a></em> (a king taken captive), 49,50,52. These "former prophets" (Deuteronomy - 2 Kings) appear to have been edited during the exile as history which spoke to the concerns and needs of the exiled people of God. This combined history speaks mainly of the southern Kingdom, which was the group who went to captivity in Babylon; and it explains why this captivity was justified, as well as giving many examples of where repentance could bring about a restoration (<em><a href='B:110 8:46-53'>1Ki 8:46-53</a></em> is specific). This history addresses the questions which concerned the captives- does God abandon His people for ever? Are Israel entirely to blame for what happened? Is there hope of restoration after receiving Divine judgment and breaching His covenant? Can God have a relationship with His people without a temple? To what extent will God always honour the promises to Abraham and David? Should other gods also be worshipped? Reading these books from this perspective reveals how incident after incident was especially selected by the inspired editors in Babylon in order to guide God’s people there. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>All your trees and the fruit of your ground shall the locust possess- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Joel's likening of the latter day invader to locusts (<em><a href='B:360 1:4'>Joe 1:4</a></em>) is perhaps based upon the prophecy that "locusts shall consume (the land)... the fruit of thy land shall the locust possess" (<em><a href='B:50 28:38'>Deu 28:38</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:42'>Deu 28:42</a></em> A.V. mg.). 'Possess' invites us to see the locusts as representative of a group of invaders. See on :43.&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>The foreigner who is in the midst of you shall mount up above you higher and higher- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This surely begs for an application to the Arab inhabitants of the (so called) Occupied Territories, who will no doubt join in with the 'locust' invasions, dominating the Jews as the Philistines did.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And you shall come down lower and lower- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Flesh must be humbled- either we do it now, we humble ourselves that we may be exalted in due time; or it will have to be done to us through the terror of rejection. Time and again ‘bringing low’ or ‘humiliation’ is the result of condemnation (<em><a href='B:50 28:43'>Deu 28:43</a></em>; <em><a href='B:140 28:19'>2Ch 28:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:220 40:12'>Job 40:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 106:43'>Psa 106:43</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He will lend to you and you shall not lend to him; he will be the head and you shall be the tail-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This has not had widespread fulfilment, but it must do in the latter day desolation of Israel- which presumably must last for a period of time for this to come true. There are various indications of a literal 1260 days, 42 months, three and a half year period of tribulation in the last days.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>All these curses will come on you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>As if the curses are to be equated with the invaders.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Because you didn’t listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This began with God’s first invitation to Israel to hear His voice. But they didn’t want to and shied away, asking Moses to go and hear God’s voice and relay it to them. This refusal to listen to His literal voice is being alluded to, and compared to their refusal to obey His voice / word. If they had been open to personal engagement with Yahweh their God, hearing His word spoken to them personally rather than retreating into mere religion and thereby placing God at a distance from them, then they would have been personally obedient to that voice.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and they shall be to you and your seed a sign and a wonder forever-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Forever" here is clearly not used with the sense of literal eternity. Indeed there is no word for that in ancient Hebrew; <em>olahm</em> means really 'time out of mind'.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Because you didn’t serve Yahweh your God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart because of the abundance of all things- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>So often, the Mosaic law associates rejoicing with giving and sacrificing, for truly it is more blessed or happy to give than to receive. The Lord's teaching about this was clearly reflective of this major Mosaic theme (<em><a href='B:510 20:35'>Act 20:35</a></em>). But Israel sacrificed grudgingly, without joy. And this was of supreme significance to God as a reason for their condemnation.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Time and again, Moses speaks of the state of their heart. He warns them against allowing a bad state of heart to develop, he speaks often of how apostasy starts in the heart. Moses makes a total of 49 references to the heart / mind of Israel in Deuteronomy, compared to only 13 in the whole of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. This indicates the paramount importance which our Lord attaches to the state of our mind. This was perhaps his greatest wish as He faced death; that we should develop a spiritual mind and thereby manifest the Father and come to salvation. Moses likewise saw the state of our mind as the key to spiritual success. But do we share this perspective? Do we guard our minds against the media and influence of a mind-corrupting world? It's been observed that the phrase "The God of (somebody)", or similar, occurs 614 times in the Old Testament, of which 306 are in Deuteronomy. Our very personal relationship with God was therefore something else which Moses came to grasp in his spiritual maturity. Statistical analysis of the word "love" in the Pentateuch likewise reveals that "love" was a great theme of Moses at the end of his life (Moses uses it 16 times in Deuteronomy, and only four times in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel would be rejected and cursed if they didn’t serve God “with gladness”. Service to God must be done with joy; if we lose the rejoicing of our hope, we lose the hope itself (<em><a href='B:650 3:6'>Heb 3:6</a></em>). Joy is therefore a vital characteristic of God’s true people.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>therefore you shall serve your enemies whom Yahweh shall send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness and in want of all things- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This is so relevant to the Lord's sufferings on the cross, when He bore Israel's condemnation. The whole of <em><a href='B:520 6:1-23'>Rom 6:1-23</a></em> plays on the idea that we are slaves to sin, and through entering Christ, we become slaves of righteousness. Total freedom to do what <em>we</em> personally want is not possible. We are slaves, we can't serve two masters. So why not serve Christ rather than the Biblical devil? Likewise Moses offered Israel the choice of bondservice to either Yahweh or their enemies (<em><a href='B:50 28:47-48'>Deu 28:47-48</a></em>). And <em><a href='B:400 2:3'>Mic 2:3</a></em> likewise reminds Israel that they will be under the yoke of judgment if they reject Yahweh’s yoke. The Lord spoke of His servants having a light yoke (<em><a href='B:470 11:30'>Mat 11:30</a></em>). The Bible minded among His hearers would have thought back to the threatened punishment of an iron yoke for the disobedient (<em><a href='B:50 28:48'>Deu 28:48</a></em>). 'It's a yoke either way', they would have concluded. But the Lord's yoke <em>even in this life</em> is light, and has promise of the life which is to come! The logic of taking it, with the restrictions it inevitably implies (for it is a yoke), is simply overpowering.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses offered Israel the choice of bondservice to either Yahweh or their enemies. The whole of <em><a href='B:520 6:1-23'>Rom 6:1-23</a></em> plays on this idea. We are slaves to sin, and through entering Christ by baptism, we become slaves of righteousness. Total freedom to do what <em>we</em> personally want is not possible. We are slaves, we can't serve two masters. So why not serve Christ rather than the Biblical devil? Jesus spoke of His servants having a light yoke (<em><a href='B:470 11:30'>Mat 11:30</a></em>). The Bible minded among His hearers would have thought back to the threatened punishment of an iron yoke for the disobedient (:48). 'It's a yoke either way', they would have concluded. But the Lord's yoke <em>even in this life</em> is light, and has promise of the life which is to come! The logic of taking it, with the restrictions it inevitably implies (for it is a yoke), is simply overpowering.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>But this is the language of slave labour camps, working the Jews until they drop dead.&nbsp;This is one of a number of word pictures among the curses which recall the scenes of Nazi death camps. But even they were nothing to the scenes which tragically are yet to come in the last days.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will bring a nation against you from far, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flies; a nation whose language you will not understand- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>As explained on :10, the "earth" refers to the land promised to Abraham. They were invaded by a nation from the end of the earth, which Habakkuk defines as Babylon, a nation at the extremity of the land / earth promised to Abraham. Rome is not here in view. The latter day application is likewise to the nations within the land promised to Abraham, and not to "Rome". </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>a nation of fierce face who will not respect the person of the old nor show favour to the young-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses not only repeats all the curses of <em><a href='B:30 26:1-46'>Lev 26:1-46</a></em> to them, but he adds even more, under inspiration (<em><a href='B:50 28:50-57'>Deu 28:50-57</a></em>). Presumably the Angel had explained in one of their conversations how Israel would suffer even greater punishment than what He had outlined in <em><a href='B:30 26:1-46'>Lev 26:1-46</a></em>.&nbsp; Notice in passing that <em><a href='B:30 26:1-46'>Lev 26:1-46</a></em> and <em><a href='B:50 28:1-68'>Deu 28:1-68</a></em> are not strictly parallel. And in some ways, Moses became more demanding, whilst at the same time emphasizing grace and love.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>It will eat the fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your ground until you are destroyed. It will not leave you grain, new wine or oil, the increase of your livestock or the young of your flock, until it has caused you to perish- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses not only repeats all the curses of <em><a href='B:30 26:1-46'>Lev 26:1-46</a></em> to them, but he adds even more, under inspiration. Presumably the Angel had explained in one of their conversations how Israel would suffer even greater punishment than that outlined in <em><a href='B:30 26:1-46'>Lev 26:1-46</a></em>.&nbsp; Notice that <em><a href='B:30 26:1-46'>Lev 26:1-46</a></em> and <em><a href='B:50 28:1-68'>Deu 28:1-68</a></em> are not strictly parallel. Moses in his spiritual maturity urged Israel to be the more fully aware of the nature and reality of Divine punishment for human sin; his increased focus upon grace and salvation didn’t mean that he increasingly ignored the harder side of God- but rather the opposite was the case.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>It will besiege you in all your gates until your high and fortified walls come down in which you trusted, throughout all your land. It will besiege you in all your gates throughout all your land which Yahweh your God has given you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Their trust in "high and fenced walls" (<em><a href='B:50 28:52'>Deu 28:52</a></em>) would have its latter-day equivalent in Israel's trust in its military deterrents and defences. The reference to the land Yahweh gave them would then refer to the events of 1948, in the latter day context. "High" is the word for "haughty" or proud, and modern Israel's pride in their defences will be brought down. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters, whom Yahweh your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies shall distress you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The plural "enemies" suggests that the siege in view would not be by one enemy but by a confederacy of them. And this is exactly the latter day prophetic scenario during Israel's final time of curing.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>The man who is tender among you and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother and toward the wife of his heart and toward the remnant of his children whom he has remaining- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Biblical record seems to very frequently seek to deconstruct popular ideas about sin and evil. One of the most widespread notions was the "evil eye", whereby it was believed that some people had an "evil eye" which could bring distress into the eyes of those upon whom they looked in jealousy or anger. This concept is alive and well in many areas to this day. The idea entered Judaism very strongly after the Babylonian captivity; the Babylonian Talmud is full of references to it. The sage Rav attributed many illnesses to the evil eye, and the Talmud even claimed that 99 out of 100 people died prematurely from this (Bava Metzia 107b). The Biblical deconstruction of this is through stressing that <em>God’s</em> eye is all powerful in the destiny of His people (<em><a href='B:50 11:12'>Deu 11:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 33:18'>Psa 33:18</a></em>); and that "an evil eye" refers to an <em>internal</em> attitude of mean spiritedness <em>within</em> people- e.g. an "evil eye" is understood as an ungenerous spirit in <em><a href='B:50 15:9'>Deu 15:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 6:23'>Mat 6:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 20:15'>Mat 20:15</a></em>; or pure selfishness in <em><a href='B:50 28:54'>Deu 28:54</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:56'>Deu 28:56</a></em>; <em><a href='B:240 23:6'>Pro 23:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:240 28:22'>Pro 28:22</a></em>. We must remember that the people of Biblical times understood an "evil eye" as an <em>external</em> ability to look at someone and bring curses upon them. But the Bible redefines an "evil eye" as a purely <em>internal</em> attitude; and cosmic evil, even if it were to exist, need hold no fear for us- seeing the eyes of the only true God are running around the earth <em>for</em> us and not against us (<em><a href='B:140 16:9'>2Ch 16:9</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat, because he has nothing left in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in all your gates- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This clearly had a fulfilment at the time of <em><a href='B:120 6:28-29'>2Ki 6:28-29</a></em>. But all these incipient fulfillments only looked ahead to the greater one in the last days. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye will be evil toward the husband of her heart and toward her son and her daughter- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The curses repeatedly stress the psychological torment. The sensitive woman would become desensitized by the desperation, so that her "eye will be evil". Her husband was the man "of her heart", but her eye or heart / mind will become "evil" toward him, and likewise toward her own children. The mental torment of those judged by God will be the main component of their judgment. "Weeping and gnashing of teeth" speaks of this; for to behold the future they had missed, to perceive how easily they could have been there, will be an unbearable psychological trauma. All the dramatic figurative descriptions of condemnation are an attempt to portray this. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and toward her young one who comes out from between her feet and her children whom she shall bear; for she will eat them secretly, for want of all things in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in your gates- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This clearly had some application to the situation in AD70, but that whole scenario was but a foretaste of the situation in the last days. Most especially is Babylon called "the enemy": <em><a href='B:230 78:61'>Psa 78:61</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 6:25'>Jer 6:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 15:11'>Jer 15:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 18:17'>Jer 18:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 31:16'>Jer 31:16</a></em> and an impressive 11 times in Lamentations.&nbsp; 'Babylon' has specific latter-day application to the neighbouring enemies of Israel.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>If you will not observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and fearful name, YAHWEH YOUR GOD-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>For all Moses’ desire for Israel’s obedience, there are some subtle differences in his attitude to law and obedience between Deuteronomy, and the law earlier given. Thus in <em><a href='B:30 26:1-46'>Lev 26:1-46</a></em> it was stressed that obedience would bring blessing; whilst <em><a href='B:50 28:58'>Deu 28:58</a></em> says that obedience results in fearing the fearful Name of Yahweh and His glory. Fear shouldn’t lead to obedience; but obedience leads a man to <em>know and fear his God and His Name</em>. This is blessing enough. The Hebrew <em>yare</em> means both fear / dread, and also reverence / worship. Knowing the enveloping mercy of God should lead to a real fear of a God so gracious (<em><a href='B:230 5:7'>Psa 5:7</a></em>). However, obedience to God’s commands would lead to a fear of Yahweh's glorious and fearful name (<em><a href='B:50 28:58'>Deu 28:58</a></em>); not the other way round, whereby fear of God leads to obedience. God’s character is not just partly severe, partly gracious. His grace and His judgment of sin are wonderfully interconnected within His character. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Like Jacob and Job, Moses came to a fine appreciation of Yahweh’s Name at his latter end, perceiving that the wonder of relationship with God far eclipses any material blessing we may receive from Him in this life.&nbsp;To respect or fear the Name doesn't mean to remember that God’s Name is 'Yahweh'. It refers to his character (<em><a href='B:20 34:4-6'>Exo 34:4-6</a></em>). The Lord Jesus fed off the majesty of the Name of Yahweh (<em><a href='B:400 5:4'>Mic 5:4</a></em>)- this was how inspirational He found the things of the Name. To fear the Name of Yahweh involved practical obedience to “all the words of this law”. Meditation and sustained reflection upon the characteristics of God as epitomized and memorialized in His Name will of itself lead to a conforming of personality to that same Name. If we declare that Name to others, they too have the chance to be transformed by it- thus Moses comments that “I will proclaim the name of Yahweh; you, ascribe greatness to our God” (<em><a href='B:50 32:3'>Deu 32:3</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>All the commands of Moses’ law were in order to teach Israel to appreciate and respect the character and name of Yahweh (<em><a href='B:50 28:58'>Deu 28:58</a></em>) - therefore all this commands were a manifestation of the fundamental personality of the Father. Ditto for the words of Jesus, who was the prophet who would speak God’s word as Moses spoke it (<em><a href='B:50 18:15-18'>Deu 18:15-18</a></em>). Because Jesus would speak God’s word as Moses did, the words of Moses should be studied as much as the words of Jesus - as Jesus himself said (<em><a href='B:500 5:47'>Joh 5:47</a></em>). Yet do we <em>love</em> the Law of Moses as David did? Or do we not incline to be spiritually lazy, to be influenced by the (so called) New Testament Christianity of the apostate religious world around us? It is only by truly entering into the spirit of Moses’ words that we can really understand our Lord - he said this himself. And yet we would rather read Jesus’ words than those of Moses, because we can’t be bothered to make <em>the effort to understand the spirit of our Lord as it is revealed there</em>. And therefore we complain (if we are honest) of a lack of sense that we are having a real relationship with the Lord Jesus.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Lord Jesus fed off the majesty of the Name of Yahweh (<em><a href='B:400 5:4'>Mic 5:4</a></em>)- this was how inspirational He found the things of the Name. To fear the Name of Yahweh was to “observe to do all the words of this law” (<em><a href='B:50 28:58'>Deu 28:58</a></em>). Meditation and sustained reflection upon the characteristics of God as epitomized and memorialized in His Name will of itself lead to a conformation of personality to that same Name. If we declare that Name to others, they too have the chance to be transformed by it- thus Moses comments: “Because <em>I </em>will publish the name of the Lord, ascribe <em>ye</em> greatness unto our God” (<em><a href='B:50 32:3'>Deu 32:3</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>then Yahweh will make your plagues terrible and the plagues of your seed, great plagues and of long continuance, and severe sicknesses and of long continuance- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Then..." could suggest that when suffering the curses for disobedience, they would then be offered the opportunity for repentance. But if they refused this, then the plagues would not be of 'short continuance' as was potentially possible, but would last "long" (<em><a href='B:50 28:59'>Deu 28:59</a></em>), or made seven times heavier (<em><a href='B:30 26:21'>Lev 26:21</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He will bring on you again all the diseases of Egypt which you feared, and they shall cling to you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Sickness is from God and not a personal Satan. "<em>The Lord</em> will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt" (<em><a href='B:50 28:60'>Deu 28:60</a></em>); "an evil spirit <em>from the Lord</em> troubled (Saul)" (<em><a href='B:90 16:14'>1Sa 16:14</a></em>); "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the Lord?" (<em><a href='B:20 4:11'>Exo 4:11</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Legion's desire to see his mental disease return to the&nbsp;herds of swine probably stemmed from a need to know that his affliction had been cured in a rather permanent sort of way. And the Lord went along with this. The idea of transference of disease from one to another was a common Semitic perception, and it’s an idea used by God. And thus God went along with the peoples' idea of disease transference, and the result is recorded in terms of demons (which was how they understood illness) going from one person to another. Likewise the leprosy of Naaman clave to Gehazi (<em><a href='B:120 5:27'>2Ki 5:27</a></em>). God threatened to make the diseases of the inhabitants of Canaan and Egypt to cleave to Israel if they were disobedient (<em><a href='B:50 28:21'>Deu 28:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:60'>Deu 28:60</a></em>). Here too, as with Legion, there is Divine accommodation to the ideas of disease transference which people had at the time.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Also Yahweh will bring on you every sickness and every plague which is not written in the book of this law, until you are destroyed- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Destroyed" is the word for "utterly destroyed", and is used of how God would utterly destroy Israel if they were disobedient to the covenant (<em><a href='B:50 4:26'>Deu 4:26</a></em>). God had used the word to speak of how He would totally destroy Israel and make a new nation from Moses (s.w. <em><a href='B:50 9:19'>Deu 9:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:25'>Deu 9:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 106:23'>Psa 106:23</a></em>), but Moses changed God’s mind about that. But these later usages of the word are saying that this was going to happen, if Israel were disobedient. And they were, but it didn’t happen. Individuals were 'utterly destroyed', but the word is used in <em><a href='B:370 9:8'>Amo 9:8</a></em> of how "I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob". This was all by pure grace. Just as the wages of sin is death for each of us, but by grace we are saved from that. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You will be left few in number- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This is hard to convincingly apply to any previous persecution, if it refers to numbers of Jews worldwide. However, it may refer specifically to the Jewish population of the land of Israel. There must therefore be a world-wide persecution of Jews for this to come about, or a total overrunning of the land of Israel, just as radical Islam dreams of. The tide of history is turning against the West, and this opens up the prospect of America and Britain also persecuting Jews. </p>&nbsp;<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Whereas you were as the stars of the sky for multitude, because you didn’t listen to the voice of Yahweh your God- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Passages like <em><a href='B:50 7:1'>Deu 7:1</a></em> confidently proclaim that "When the Lord your God shall bring you into the land... and shall pluck off / cast out many nations...". Yet this casting out was dependent upon Israel doing this work; if they did it, God was eager to work mightily with them. But the reality is that they didn’t drive out all the nations. This doesn't falsify Scripture; rather does it indicate the positive hope of God that His people will work with Him to make His potentially true prophecies turn into reality. Even the promises to Abraham were to some extent conditional- Israel would no longer be "as the stars of heaven for multitude; because you would not obey the voice of the Lord" (<em><a href='B:50 28:62'>Deu 28:62</a></em>). Hence the fulfillment of those promises was dependent to some extent upon the obedience of the promised seed.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>As Yahweh rejoiced over you to do you good and to multiply you, so Yahweh will rejoice over you to cause you to perish and to destroy you-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel were told that <em>because</em> they were the people of God, in covenant with Him, <em>therefore</em> they <em>had</em> to be obedient. If they were disobedient, they would be cursed. And if they backed out of being God’s people, they were also cursed (<em><a href='B:50 27:9'>Deu 27:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 27:19'>Deu 27:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 27:26'>Deu 27:26</a></em>). There was no way back: total devotion to obedience. God would either rejoice over them to bless them, or rejoice over them to curse them (<em><a href='B:50 28:63'>Deu 28:63</a></em>). He isn’t passive; His energy will be expended upon us one way or the other. There are only two types of builder, the wise and the foolish; two types of tree, yielding either good or bad fruit. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>In Esther’s time, a decree was made to “destroy…and cause to perish” the Jews throughout the provinces of Persia / Babylon (<em><a href='B:190 3:13'>Est 3:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:190 7:4'>Est 7:4</a></em>). This phrase uses the two Hebrew words which we find together three times in the list of curses to be brought upon a disobedient Israel (<em><a href='B:50 28:20'>Deu 28:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:51'>Deu 28:51</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:63'>Deu 28:63</a></em>). There evidently is a connection. And yet by her wonderful self-sacrificial mediation, Esther brought about the deferment and even annulment of those justifiable curses. God’s prophetic word was again changed- due to a mediator, who of course pointed both backwards to Moses, and forwards to the Lord Jesus.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>They had left Egypt with great riches of silver and gold, and this is "your silver and gold" which was to be multiplied even more (<em><a href='B:50 8:13'>Deu 8:13</a></em>). The multiplication of Abraham's seed promised to him clearly meant not simply numerical multiplication, but material multiplication too. That is the sense too in <em><a href='B:30 26:9'>Lev 26:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>. We wonder why God gave them all this blessing, knowing that it would lead to such spiritual temptation and failure. We wonder why He gives so many of His people today the same huge blessings, however unappreciated they are. One simple answer is that it is because He loves us with all the love of a father for his children; He rejoiced to multiply them (<em><a href='B:50 28:63'>Deu 28:63</a></em>). The king of Israel was warned in the same words not to multiply silver and gold lest his heart turn away (<em><a href='B:50 17:17'>Deu 17:17</a></em>). The idea may be that we are to leave God to multiply our silver and gold if He wishes, and not set our heart to doing so.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You will be plucked from off the land where you go in to possess it- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Abraham was promised that his seed would have Yahweh as their personal God, and would eternally inherit the land. In a sense, the promises that the seed <em>would </em>inherit the land, and that God <em>would be</em> their God were fulfilled straight after God said them. He became Isaac's God (<em><a href='B:10 31:42'>Gen 31:42</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 31:53'>Gen 31:53</a></em> refer to this), the God of Abraham's son. Time and again God reminds Israel that He <em>is </em>their God. And that land in a sense <em>was </em>given to the Jewish fathers (<em><a href='B:10 15:18'>Gen 15:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:63'>Deu 28:63</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em> NIV; <em><a href='B:60 1:2-9'>Jos 1:2-9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 21:43'>Jos 21:43</a></em>; <em><a href='B:110 4:20-21'>1Ki 4:20-21</a></em>). David could praise God simply because He was ''my God'' (<em><a href='B:230 118:28'>Psa 118:28</a></em>)- an allusion back to the Abrahamic promise. Of course, the <em>main</em> fulfillment of this promise will be in the Kingdom; but in principle, the promise has <em>already</em> been fulfilled to Abraham's seed- i.e., us! </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will scatter you among all peoples, from the one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, and there you shall serve other gods which you have not known - you nor your fathers - gods of wood and stone- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This refers to the "earth" in the sense of the land promised to Abraham; see on :10. The implication is that Jews now within the state of Israel will be scattered throughout that area in the last days.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Among these nations you shall find no ease and there shall be no rest for the sole of your foot. Yahweh will give you there a trembling heart and failing of eyes and pining of soul- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This is in line with the state of psychological breakdown described and discussed on :20.&nbsp;We note how God can give people attitudes of heart; and positively, His Holy Spirit works directly upon the human spirit. God brought Israel out of Egypt in order to "cause him to rest" (<em><a href='B:300 31:20'>Jer 31:20</a></em>), s.w. "ease" here. But Israel didn’t "find" that promised ease / rest, the Kingdom was prepared and made possible, but they refused it. And so any life without the Kingdom is but an aimless wandering.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and your life shall hang in doubt before you; you shall fear night and day and shall have no assurance of your life- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This is one of a number of word pictures among the curses which recall the scenes of Nazi death camps. But even they were nothing to the scenes which tragically are yet to come in the last days. "Assurance" is the word for faith; their lives would have no faith / stability (s.w. <em><a href='B:50 9:23'>Deu 9:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 20:12'>Num 20:12</a></em> etc.), as they had lived their lives without faith.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>In the morning you will say, I wish it were evening! and at evening you will say, I wish it were morning! for the fear of your heart which you shall fear and for the sight of your eyes which you shall see- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>There are links between Job and <em><a href='B:50 28:1-68'>Deu 28:1-68</a></em>, connecting Job with a faithless Israel:</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness" (<em><a href='B:50 28:29'>Deu 28:29</a></em>) = "They (the wicked; although the friends are getting at Job when they speak of them) meet with darkness in the daytime and grope in the noonday as in the night" (<em><a href='B:220 5:14'>Job 5:14</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"The blind" (<em><a href='B:50 28:29'>Deu 28:29</a></em>) = Job had fits of blindness (<em><a href='B:220 22:10-11'>Job 22:10-11</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"The Lord shall smite thee in&nbsp;the knees and in the legs with a sore botch from the sole of thy&nbsp;foot unto the top of thy head" (<em><a href='B:50 28:35'>Deu 28:35</a></em>) = "Boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown" (<em><a href='B:220 2:7'>Job 2:7</a></em>). These were inflicted by the satan, but by "The Lord" in <em><a href='B:50 28:1-68'>Deu 28:1-68</a></em>. In practice, "the Lord" was the wilderness&nbsp;Angel; which is one of several indications that Job's satan was an Angel.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"An astonishment" (<em><a href='B:50 28:37'>Deu 28:37</a></em>) = "Mark me (Job) and be astonished" (<em><a href='B:220 21:5'>Job 21:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:220 17:8'>Job 17:8</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"and a byword, among all nations" (<em><a href='B:50 28:37'>Deu 28:37</a></em>) = "A byword of the people" (<em><a href='B:220 17:6'>Job 17:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:220 30:9'>Job 30:9</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even!&nbsp;and at even thou shalt say,&nbsp;Would God it were morning" (<em><a href='B:50 28:67'>Deu 28:67</a></em>) = "When I lie down, I say, &nbsp;When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro until the &nbsp;dawning" (<em><a href='B:220 7:4'>Job 7:4</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>All the Jews' blessings from God were to be taken away and their children&nbsp;cursed: "Thou shalt beget sons and daughters but thou shalt not enjoy them" (<em><a href='B:50 28:41'>Deu 28:41</a></em>) = "Cattle... flocks of thy sheep", ditto for Job.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"The Lord shall bring a nation against thee (<em><a href='B:50 28:49'>Deu 28:49</a></em>) = The Sabeans/ Chaldeans- forerunners of the Babylonians and Assyrians who punished Israel.</p>&nbsp;


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will bring you into Egypt again with ships by the way of which I said to you, You shall see it no more again, and there you shall sell yourselves to your enemies for bondservants and for bondmaids, and no man will buy you-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Other Bible prophecies speak of a great re-gathering of a repentant Israel from dispersion around the return of Christ. It’s been tempting to apply this to Jewish emigration to Israel post 1948, but many of the prophecies in their context require that this return is part of a spiritual restoration. <em><a href='B:50 28:68'>Deu 28:68</a></em> speaks of Israel being punished by being taken into Egypt in ships- and it’s hard to find a very significant fulfilment of that prophecy to date. Such scattering of the Jews throughout the <em>eretz</em>, the territory of the land promised to Abraham, would fulfil the patterns set by Babylon, Assyria, Persia and Rome in their dominations of Israel. Such scattering is possible and likely, seeing that it is a requirement of the Hadith about jihad against Israel: “Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war... When you meet your enemies... invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withhold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them. Then invite them to migrate from their lands to the land of Muhairs... &nbsp;If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the Jizya. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah's help and fight them" (The Hadith, Book 19:4294, about Jihad). This paying of tax is likely to involve accepting the seal / mark of the beast, without which there can be no trading. "The land of Muhairs" refers to the lands of origin of the Moslem fighters; <em>muhair</em> means 'origin' in Arabic. This means that a mass deportation of Jews to other parts of the land promised to Abraham, the lands of origin of their enemies, is very much what the jihadists envisage. These concepts are particularly applied to the Jews, in Hadith 19:4363: "(Let us) go to the Jews... The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) stood up and called out to them (saying): O ye assembly of Jews, accept Islam (and) you will be safe... He said to them (the same words) the third time (and on getting the same reply) he added: You should know that the earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle, and I wish that I should expel you from this land... and they may have to go away leaving everything behind".</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>At the time of Israel's repentance, God will "break the bands of your yoke" (<em><a href='B:330 34:27'>Eze 34:27</a></em>), using the language of their suffering in Egypt (<em><a href='B:30 26:13'>Lev 26:13</a></em>). If they are literally delivered from Egypt, this would fit nicely. The language of <em><a href='B:330 20:34-35'>Eze 20:34-35</a></em> recalls that of <em><a href='B:330 20:10'>Eze 20:10</a></em>: "I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness...I will bring you out from the people... and I will bring you into the wilderness of the people". Thus Israel's leaving the physical persecution of Egypt and being brought into the spiritual testing of the wilderness, will have its counterpart in the Jews being led out of the lands of their Arab captors, to be spiritually refined in "the wilderness of the people". “<em>There</em> will I plead with you", suggests that this " wilderness" is a specific country. There is good reason to think that this will be literal Egypt. <em><a href='B:290 19:18-25'>Isa 19:18-25</a></em> indicates that there will be repentant Jews in latter-day Egypt. "The wilderness of the people... the wilderness of the land of Egypt" (<em><a href='B:330 20:35'>Eze 20:35</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 20:35'>Eze 20:35</a></em>) will be the place of Israel's final latter-day refining. Thus Israel are brought out from their captivity in Arab lands, figurative 'Egypt', into <em>literal</em> Egypt, which will be the figurative 'wilderness' of spiritual testing.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:20 14:13'>Exo 14:13</a></em> could appear to be prophecy: “The Egyptians… you shall see them again no more for ever”. But it is understood as a command not to return to Egypt in <em><a href='B:50 17:16'>Deu 17:16</a></em> - and because of Israel turning back to Egypt in their hearts, they would be taken there again (<em><a href='B:50 28:68'>Deu 28:68</a></em>). So we must be prepared to accept that what may appear to be prophecy is in fact commandment, which we have the freewill to obey or disobey. Hence they would not go back there; and yet, God says, they will go back there.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:330 43:7'>Eze 43:7</a></em> likewise is more command than prediction: “The house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name” (RV). It isn’t saying ‘this is a prophecy that they will not do this’- for they did. Rather is it a plea, a command, that they are not to do this any more. So God’s promise that Israel would never again see Egypt was therefore conditional, and thus capable of being broken; although those conditions aren’t mentioned when He makes the promise in <em><a href='B:50 17:16'>Deu 17:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 14:13'>Exo 14:13</a></em>. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>These are the words of the covenant which Yahweh commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This additional repetition of the covenant was because by grace, God wished to reaffirm the covenant even though Israel had broken their part of it- see on :13 and :23. The covenant on Sinai (<em><a href='B:20 19:20'>Exo 19:20</a></em>) was reaffirmed in the plains of Moab (<em><a href='B:50 29:1'>Deu 29:1</a></em>) and on Joshua's death (<em><a href='B:60 24:25'>Jos 24:25</a></em>), and was to be reaffirmed every seven years (<em><a href='B:50 31:9-11'>Deu 31:9-11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:25-26'>Deu 31:25-26</a></em>). It is this reaffirmation of covenant relationship which we make in the breaking of bread service.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Moses called all Israel and said to them, You have seen all that Yahweh did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land;-</em>As in <em><a href='B:50 4:34'>Deu 4:34</a></em> and <em><a href='B:50 7:19'>Deu 7:19</a></em> they had not literally seen these things- the audience by the end of Deuteronomy included those who had been born during the 40 years wandering. But historical events in God’s word are as if we were there, hence David can rejoice as if he personally was delivered at the Red Sea. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs and those great wonders- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The individual Israelite was to perceive his absolute connection with God’s historical deliverance of His people from Egypt. And to be appropriately awed by all the grace shown in that. In our world, human history is generally felt to be bunk, irrelevant to this generation, of merely passing cultural fascination to the hurrying man of modern society. And in some ways, that may indeed be a legitimate take on secular history. But Biblical history is to be seen quite otherwise by God’s people. It is a living word spoken to us, and the salvation acts which are there recorded happened to us. We are to learn from history, not as a merely fascinating exercise. But the Bible is history, and yet it is a living word to us. Israel were supposed to reason back from the actions of Egypt towards them, and their weakness spiritually at that time. And to respond personally to that grace. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>But Yahweh has not given you a heart to know and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this day-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>In :2 we are told "you have seen" , but they didn’t spiritually 'see' what they saw with their physical eyes. God confirms people in the psychological attitudes they adopt.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not grown old on you and your shoes have not grown old on your feet-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The observation that their "clothes didn’t grow old, and their feet didn’t swell" is made in the context of lamenting that "Yet Yahweh has not given you a heart to perceive nor eyes to see nor ears to hear" (<em><a href='B:50 29:4'>Deu 29:4</a></em>). They refused to perceive His great and daily grace to them as witnessed in His daily provision of food and clothing, just as we can fail to perceive it today. Regular prayers of thanksgiving before food are a good way of guarding against this human tendency to not perceive such grace. The returned exiles likewise had been miraculously provided for by the decrees of the Persian kings, but refused to perceive the grace of all that provision (<em><a href='B:160 9:21'>Neh 9:21</a></em>).</p><p>We must remember that the 40 years wandering were punishment for sin, it was the experience of condemnation, and serves as the basis for later Biblical pictures of the rejected. Unable to enter the Kingdom they so wanted to enter, wandering until they died. But Moses in Deuteronomy perceives that even for those condemned people, Yahweh provided and they "lacked nothing" by His grace. Dt. 8 says He ensured their clothes didn't wear out and their feet didn't swell. He ensured the condemned had comfortable footwear. How staggeringly gracious is that. We see something of God's essence here- that He cares even for the condemned. Such a far cry from the classical picture of "hell".</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You have not eaten bread neither have you drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am Yahweh your God-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The whole process of Nazariteship was to encourage the normal Israelite to have the ambition to rise up to the spirit of the High Priest himself; the restrictions governing Nazariteship were a purposeful echo of those regarding the High Priest. The way God describes Himself as depriving Israel of "wine or strong drink" (<em><a href='B:50 29:6'>Deu 29:6</a></em>) throughout the wilderness journey is Nazarite language: as if in all their weakness and profligacy, God still sought to inspire them to rise up to the heights.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When we came to this place- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses was standing with the people near the battlefield where they had won a victory which was intended as a foretaste of how they would conquer Canaan.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out against us to battle and we struck them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Divine intention was that the victory over Sihon would put fear into the hearts of all the other tribes (<em><a href='B:50 2:25'>Deu 2:25</a></em>). But it was God’s ideal intention that Sihon would have accepted the message of peace (<em><a href='B:50 2:26'>Deu 2:26</a></em>)- perhaps implying peace with God, as "peace" often means in the Bible. We see here the complexity of God’s workings with men. Little surprise, therefore, that at times we fail to perceive what God is doing in our lives. Things appear to be left hanging, or events lack apparent meaning, or things could have various possible outcomes, some of which are quite contradictory when compared against each other. This offering of peace before fighting was to be typical of Israel's approach (<em><a href='B:50 20:10'>Deu 20:10</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and we took their land and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of the Manassites-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>To take and give land for an inheritance whilst still on the East side of Jordan was a foretaste of what was possible for them when they entered the land West of Jordan. The same terms are used about what Israel were to do with the rest of the land- although their fear of the Canaanite tribes suggests they didn’t learn the lesson. It was a foretaste of the Kingdom... and our wilderness walk is designed, especially towards the end of it, to have similar foretastes encouraging us that really this is what we will experience.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Keep therefore the words of this covenant and do them, so that you may prosper in all that you do-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The word so often used for "keeping" / "diligently observing" Yahweh's commandments is from the word meaning a thorn hedge; the idea originally was to hedge in. Taking this too literally led Judaism to all their endless fences around the law, i.e. forbidding this or that because it might lead to doing that or this, which in turn would then lead to breaking an actual commandment. And those various fences become elevated to the level of commandments. But this is not the idea. We are indeed to hedge ourselves in ("take heed to yourself", <em><a href='B:50 11:16'>Deu 11:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:13'>Deu 12:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:19'>Deu 12:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:30'>Deu 12:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:32'>Deu 12:32</a></em> s.w.), so that we may keep / hedge ourselves in to keep the commandments of God (<em><a href='B:30 18:4-5'>Lev 18:4-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:26'>Lev 18:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:30'>Lev 18:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:19'>Lev 19:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:37'>Lev 19:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:8'>Lev 20:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:22'>Lev 20:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:9'>Lev 22:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:31'>Lev 22:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 25:18'>Lev 25:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:3'>Lev 26:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 28:2'>Num 28:2</a></em>;&nbsp;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:50 7:11-12'>Deu 7:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:1'>Deu 8:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:11'>Deu 8:11</a></em> (s.w. "beware"); 10:13; 11:1,8,22,32; 12:1; 13:4,18; 15:5,9 ("beware"); 17:19; 19:9; 23:9 ("keep yourself"); 24:8; 26:16-18; 27:1; 28:1,9,13; 29:9; 30:10,16; 31:12; 32:46). And without falling into the legalism of Judaism, self discipline does require a degree of fencing ourselves in to the one way. Thus the man struggling with alcoholism avoids the supermarket where alcohol is pushed in front of the eyes of the shoppers; the married woman struggling with attraction to another man makes little laws for herself about avoiding his company. And if we do this, then the Lord will "keep" us, will hedge us in to keeping His way (s.w. <em><a href='B:40 6:24'>Num 6:24</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:60 1:6'>Jos 1:6</a></em>. Joshua (cp. Jesus) is repeatedly made parallel with Israel (cp. Us); his victories were theirs; what he achieved is counted to them. In the same way, the people of the Lord Jesus are counted as Him. Joshua was to be strong and possess the land (<em><a href='B:60 1:6'>Jos 1:6</a></em>), just as they had been told to do, using the same Hebrew words (<em><a href='B:50 11:8'>Deu 11:8</a></em>). Indeed, Israel and Joshua are given parallel charges, to be strong and of good courage to take the land (<em><a href='B:50 31:6-7'>Deu 31:6-7</a></em>). Both Israel and Joshua are given the same charge to keep the words of the covenant, that they might “prosper” (<em><a href='B:50 29:9'>Deu 29:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 1:7'>Jos 1:7</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You stand this day, all of you, before Yahweh your God: your heads, your tribes, your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses on that last day of his life addressed the whole assembly of Israel; and yet he so often speaks in the singular ("thee" rather than "ye" in the KJV), as if to emphasize that the laws and covenant he was giving them was to them <em>personally</em>. This is made clear in :10,12: "You (plural) stand this day, all of you, before Yahweh... that you (singular) may enter into covenant with Yahweh". That covenant was made anew by God to each generation and individual. We cannot hide within a family or a church. We are individually responsible to God and will personally be saved. In the same spirit, Moses points out that Yahweh is the only God that can be personally <em>known</em>; all the idols could not be known personally (:26). No fewer than 137 times in Scripture we read the phrase "my God". This was used in a public, unashamed way by many of God’s children (it was a particular favourite of Nehemiah, David and Paul). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>your little ones, your wives and the foreigner who is in the midst of your camps, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Verses 10-13 is a very long sentence; from now until the end of his speech in Deuteronomy, Moses uses (in the Hebrew text) very long sentences, at times with unclear syntax- as if he was getting increasingly intense and excited as he speaks of the utter realities to which we stand personally related by our covenant with God.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You wish to enter into covenant with Yahweh your God and into His oath, which Yahweh your God makes with you this day- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>For Israel in covenant with God, absolutely nothing- not sex, menstruation, the content of clothing fabric, diet- could fall outside the scope of their covenant relationship. And so in principle it is with us under the new covenant. Such a relationship also precludes the worship of <em>any</em> other God. The covenant we have entered has constant and binding claims upon our loyalty; and it also speaks of God’s constant and passionate commitment to us.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>that He may establish you this day to Himself for a people and that He may be to you a God, as He spoke to you and as He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The promise that Israel would be God’s people and He would be their God was conditional upon their obedience- that was the deal made with them nearly 40 years previously (<em><a href='B:20 19:5-6'>Exo 19:5-6</a></em>). They had not kept their side of it- but by grace, God still wanted to fulfill His side of it. Israel would be 'established' as God’s people "unto Himself" only if they were obedient (<em><a href='B:50 28:9'>Deu 28:9</a></em>)- the point of the covenant proclaimed in chapter 29 is that despite their disobedience, God was still going to establish them as His people. This was the grace that only comes from a deep love and desire for the beloved. Moses urges the peoples' faithfulness so that Yahweh might "establish His covenant" with them (<em><a href='B:50 8:18'>Deu 8:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:9'>Deu 28:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 29:13'>Deu 29:13</a></em>); and we note that despite their disobedience, He still "established" the covenant with them, by grace alone (<em><a href='B:50 9:5'>Deu 9:5</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Not only with you do I make this covenant and this oath- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses is one of greatest types of the Lord Jesus, in whom the Father was supremely manifested. Because of this, it is fitting that we should see a very high level of God manifestation in Moses. Indeed it seems that God was manifest in Moses to a greater degree than in any other Old Testament character. Therefore the pronouns often change (in Deuteronomy especially), showing a confusion between the voice of God and that of Moses. <em><a href='B:50 7:4'>Deu 7:4</a></em> is an example: “They will turn away thy son from following me (this is Moses speaking for God)... so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you”. Thus Moses’ comments on God’s words are mixed up with the words of God Himself. There are other examples of this in <em><a href='B:50 7:11'>Deu 7:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 29:1'>Deu 29:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 29:10'>Deu 29:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 29:14-15'>Deu 29:14-15</a></em> (“I” cp. “us”). Consider especially <em><a href='B:50 11:13-14'>Deu 11:13-14</a></em>: “If ye shall diligently hearken unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord... that I will give you the rain of your land... I will send grass in thy fields”. The “I” here switches at ease between God and Moses. The Moses/God pronouns are also mixed in <em><a href='B:520 10:19'>Rom 10:19</a></em>.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>but with him who stands here with us this day before Yahweh our God and also with him who is not here with us this day- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Not only with you... but with him..." requires us to read in an ellipsis here; clearly the idea is that what God had done at Sinai wasn’t <em>only</em> between Him and the people there at that time, <em>not so much </em>with the first hearers as with the later ones, with all His subsequent people. In our Bible study we must be aware that we are reading translations of languages which often rely on understanding the idiom for their real meaning to be delivered to us the readers. In Hebrew especially, we often have to read in an ellipsis; and this verse is a parade example. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For you know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The argument is that when living in Egypt and passing through the nations on the wilderness journey, they had "seen" idols (:17) and were now warned not to worship them (:18). And yet <em><a href='B:330 20:7-8'>Eze 20:7-8</a></em> is clear that they carried the idols of Egypt with them through the wilderness; they carried the tabernacles of both Yahweh and Moloch, the standards of their tribes and also the star or Remphan (<em><a href='B:510 7:43'>Act 7:43</a></em>). Yahweh and Moses surely knew this, so the language here is very soft indeed. This overly positive view of Israel is in line with the way God says He fell in love with Israel in the desert, and did not count iniquity to them nor see perverseness in Jacob (<em><a href='B:40 23:21'>Num 23:21</a></em>). His positive view of us in Christ is even greater. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and you have seen their abominations and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on :16. Israel passed through the nations at close enough range to see their idols. We should not therefore envisage the 38 year wilderness journey as being through endless tracts of uninhabited desert.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>This covenant is made lest there should be among you man or woman, family or tribe- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Covenant relationship brings a natural desire to live within the atmosphere of God’s spirituality. For Israel in covenant with God, absolutely nothing- not sex, menstruation, the content of clothing fabric, diet- could fall outside the scope of their covenant relationship. And so in principle it is with us under the new covenant. Such a relationship also precludes the worship of <em>any</em> other God. Moses said that God had made a covenant with every member of Israel "lest there should be among you..." any who turn away from God and influence others.&nbsp; The height of the demand, the extent of the implication of being in covenant with God, ought to preclude the possibility of worshipping anything else. The covenant we have entered has constant and binding claims upon our loyalty. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Whose heart turns away this day from Yahweh our God, to go to serve the gods of those nations; lest there should be among you a root that bears gall and wormwood- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Applied in <em><a href='B:650 12:15'>Heb 12:15</a></em> to those within the church who discourage others from total commitment to God. Those who don’t totally commit to Him will poison others by their attitude and cause them to fall away from God’s grace; and we must be keenly aware of this, because there are such people around- so says <em><a href='B:650 12:15'>Heb 12:15</a></em>. The idea however seems to be that the root is the thought in the heart of :18, and if that was their thought as they entered covenant with Yahweh, then it would give rise to a bitter plant. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>who, when he hears the words of this curse blesses himself in his heart saying I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart- </em>The context is of the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, listed in the previous chapter. God here addresses the deepest psychology of the sinner. He hears the words of cursing for disobedience, but in his heart, says that the blessings for obedience will apply to him, even if he sins in his heart. And this is the assumption made by sinners- 'the condemnation stuff won't happen to me'. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>To destroy the moist with the dry- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This may refer to the mentality that the moist (the blessed righteous) will likely be destroyed anyway with the dry (unspiritual) majority, so seeing Israel generally are astray, there was no point in being righteous. This totally fails to see individual standing before God and thinks instead only of membership in a collective sense of God’s people. "To add drunkenness to thirst" (AV) could however mean that the reasoning went that sin (getting drunk) was only anyway a natural meeting of basic human needs (to drink and slake thirst). Whatever, this is an indication that God knows the mind games played by the 'devil' of our own sin-inclined hearts. See on :29.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The "peace and safety" cry within the latter day ecclesia (<em><a href='B:590 5:3'>1Th 5:3</a></em>) is part of an extended set of allusions back to the parables of <em><a href='B:470 24:1-51'>Mat 24:1-51</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 25:1-46'>Mat 25:1-46</a></em>, concerning the apostate, drunken servant who thinks everything is fine- but it then suddenly destroyed by his Lord's coming. This kind of believer had been foreseen by Moses in <em><a href='B:50 29:19'>Deu 29:19</a></em>; the type who hears the curses for disobedience, but blesses (forgives) himself in his heart, "saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst" (AV).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Time and again, Moses speaks of the state of their heart. He warns them against allowing a bad state of heart to develop, he speaks often of how apostasy starts in the heart. Moses makes a total of 49 references to the heart / mind of Israel in Deuteronomy, compared to only 13 in the whole of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. This indicates the paramount importance which our Lord attaches to the state of our mind. This was perhaps his greatest wish as He faced death; that we should develop a spiritual mind and thereby manifest the Father and come to salvation. Moses likewise saw the state of our mind as the key to spiritual success. But do we share this perspective? Do we guard our minds against the media and influence of a mind-corrupting world? It's been observed that the phrase "The God of (somebody)", or similar, occurs 614 times in the Old Testament, of which 306 are in Deuteronomy. Our very personal relationship with God was therefore something else which Moses came to grasp in his spiritual maturity. Statistical analysis of the word "love" in the Pentateuch likewise reveals that "love" was a great theme of Moses at the end of his life (Moses uses it 16 times in Deuteronomy, and only four times in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will not pardon him, but then the anger of Yahweh and His jealousy will smoke against that man, and all the curse that is written in this book shall lie on him, and Yahweh will blot out his name from under the sky- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Yahweh's refusal to pardon will only be at the last day, so these events may be intended as only coming fully true at judgment day.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that is written in this book of the law-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The ministering of judgement on the unworthy will no doubt be supervised by an (the?) Angel of evil, in the same way that it appears an Angel of evil ministered the curses of the Law: "The Lord shall separate (Hebrew: sever) him (the disobedient man) out of all the&nbsp; tribes of Israel, according to all the words of the covenant" (<em><a href='B:50 29:21'>Deu 29:21</a></em>)- just as He did to Achan. In the same way the Angels "sever the wicked from among the just" (<em><a href='B:470 13:49'>Mat 13:49</a></em>) at the judgement. The picture of the rejected severed from among God’s people is fairly common in the pictures of condemnation- the people of God shall see the naked shame of the rejected (<em><a class='bible' href='#b66:16:15'>Rev 16:15</a></em>). Willful separation from God’s people in this life, either by thinking them worthy of our rejection or through disinterest in them, is therefore living out the picture of condemnation.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>The generation to come, your children who shall rise up after you and the foreigner who will come from a distant land, shall see the plagues of the land and the sicknesses with which Yahweh has made it sick- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The curses for disobedience outlined in <em><a href='B:50 28:1-68'>Deu 28:1-68</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 29:1-29'>Deu 29:1-29</a></em> never came totally true; hence the prophecy that disobedient Israel would be poor and unsuccessful in business during their dispersion never really came true, and instead God had blessed them through His grace. The whole land of Israel was to become “brimstone and salt and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom…” (<em><a href='B:50 29:22-25'>Deu 29:22-25</a></em>). It’s no good even reasoning that this will come true in the future; these were to be the punishments that would come when Israel broke covenant and went into dispersion. They’ve been in this position for many centuries, but still the full extent of the prophesied cursing hasn’t come about. And yet God keeps His word; and yet His grace is such that He can chose not to keep some of the punishments. This is a paradox of grace, beyond our human explanation in trite, logical, expositional terms.&nbsp;This to my mind is the real explanation of why the prophecy that in the day Adam ate of the fruit, he would die… never came true, in that sense. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>The whole land is sulphur, salt and burning, that it is not sown nor giving produce and no grass grows therein, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which Yahweh overthrew in His anger and in his wrath-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel were disobedient, but still this promised judgment didn’t come. This chapter is full of grace; for Israel was never made as Sodom although this was commonly threatened. Although they acted worse than Sodom (<em><a href='B:330 16:48'>Eze 16:48</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 7:16'>Jer 7:16</a></em>). It was due to the faithful remnant that God did not judge Judah as Sodom even though their rulers were in fact rulers of Sodom (<em><a href='B:290 1:9-10'>Isa 1:9-10</a></em>). They were Sodom, disobedient Israel were to be judged as Sodom (<em><a href='B:50 29:23'>Deu 29:23</a></em>), but were not judged as Sodom because of a remnant- who themselves were preserved by God’s grace. We see grace all through this. Although <em><a class='bible' href='#b66:18:1-24'>Rev 18:1-24</a></em> and many of the prophets seem to foresee a Sodom-like destruction coming upon latter day Israel. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>They and all the nations shall say, Why has Yahweh done thus to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>There is no particular example of this oft repeated curse coming true, apart from in <em><a href='B:310 2:15'>Lam 2:15</a></em>, which appears to be spoken by Jeremiah in deep grief, and does not include the words predicted here and in :25. The actual destruction of Jerusalem and Judah was not as extensive as threatened; either God took pity, or there was a modicum of intercession or repentance which ameliorated the extent of the judgment. And that would explain why neither in the Bible nor other history is there any record of this happening. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Then men shall say, Because they forsook the covenant of Yahweh the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them forth out of the land of Egypt- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on :24. The idea was that the destroyed land would be a silent witness to the power of Yahweh, and how this God who kept covenant was now as it were 'free' as His earlier people had betrayed Him and left Him without a people. The deserted city and ruined temple (<em><a href='B:110 9:8-9'>1Ki 9:8-9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 22:8-9'>Jer 22:8-9</a></em>) would therefore have been an invitation to observers to seek this Yahweh, and enquire whether they could enter a new covenant with Him, seeing His previous covenant with His people had been broken and He was now, as it were, unattached.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:70 2:13'>Jdg 2:13</a></em> says that the people did forsake Yahweh. But instead of these judgments , we are to read that although God punished them, He raised up saviours to save them from the judgments; and this looks forward to His grace in the Lord Jesus, 'Yah's salvation'. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and went and served other gods and worshipped them, gods that they didn’t know and that He had not given to them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses points out that Yahweh is the only God that can be personally <em>known</em>; all the idols could not be known personally (<em><a href='B:50 29:26'>Deu 29:26</a></em>). No fewer than 137 times in Scripture we read the phrase "my God". This was used in a public, unashamed way by many of God’s children (it was a particular favourite of Nehemiah, David and Paul). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Therefore the anger of Yahweh was kindled against this land, to bring on it all the curse that is written in this book- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on :25,26. The fact is, not all the curses were brought upon the land. But the allusions to the language of :22,23 in the book of Revelation suggests that it will come true in the last days, and will be the prelude to the conversion of a Gentile remnant at the time of the Lord's return and establishment of His Kingdom on earth. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and Yahweh rooted them out of their land in anger in wrath and in great indignation and cast them into another land, as at this day- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>As Israel were "cast" out of their land and into another country (<em><a href='B:50 29:28'>Deu 29:28</a></em>) so the rejected are cast out of God’s presence. Zedekiah fled, was overtaken, wept (<em><a href='B:330 7:27'>Eze 7:27</a></em>), judgment was given upon him (<em><a href='B:300 52:9'>Jer 52:9</a></em>), he was punished in the presence of the king (<em><a href='B:300 52:10'>Jer 52:10</a></em>), cast into prison (<em><a href='B:300 52:11'>Jer 52:11</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:470 5:25'>Mat 5:25</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>The secret things belong to Yahweh our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This could be translated as meaning that the secret things of God have been revealed unto God’s children. Or it could mean that the things which have been revealed are the Law and Covenant made with Israel then, but they should not think that this was all there was to God. There was more, the "secret things", which had not then been opened to them. And those things were the things of Christ and the new covenant- <em><a href='B:530 2:9-10'>1Co 2:9-10</a></em> appears to allude here by saying that "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God" .</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The immediate context of the "secret things" is :19, where they refer to the secret thought that one could continue in sin, and just be treated by God as He was going to treat the nation of Israel. But the warning here would be that God indeed does know the secret things of hearts, and will judge people on an individual and not a collective basis. And this is indeed how the New Testament speaks of God’s individual judgment of the secret things of human hearts (<em><a href='B:520 2:16'>Rom 2:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:530 4:5'>1Co 4:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:530 14:25'>1Co 14:25</a></em>). Therefore the lesson is that the revealed things of God’s law 'belonged to' Israel for them to keep individually.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Forever" doesn't require us to think that the Mosaic law and covenant was eternal. The Sabbath is described as a perpetual, eternal ordinance between God and His people (<em><a href='B:20 31:16'>Exo 31:16</a></em>). Yet in the New Testament we read that the Old Covenant has been done away; and the Old Covenant clearly included the ten commandments (<em><a href='B:50 4:13'>Deu 4:13</a></em>), one of which was concerning the Sabbath. For this reason the New Testament is at pains to explain that Sabbath keeping is not now required of God’s people (<em><a href='B:580 2:14-17'>Col 2:14-17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 14:1-3'>Rom 14:1-3</a></em>). Indeed, the whole Law of Moses is described as an everlasting covenant (<em><a href='B:290 24:5'>Isa 24:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 29:29'>Deu 29:29</a></em>), but it has now been done away (<em><a href='B:650 8:13'>Heb 8:13</a></em>). The feasts of Passover and Atonement were to be “an everlasting statute unto you” (<em><a href='B:30 16:34'>Lev 16:34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 12:14'>Exo 12:14</a></em>); but now the Mosaic feasts have been done away in Christ (<em><a href='B:580 2:14-17'>Col 2:14-17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:530 5:7'>1Co 5:7</a></em>). The Levitical priesthood was “the covenant of an everlasting priesthood” (<em><a href='B:20 40:15'>Exo 40:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 25:13'>Num 25:13</a></em>), but “the priesthood being changed (by Christ’s work), there is made of necessity a change also of the law” (<em><a href='B:650 7:12'>Heb 7:12</a></em>). There was an “everlasting covenant” between God and Israel to display the shewbread in the Holy Place (<em><a href='B:30 24:8'>Lev 24:8</a></em>). This “everlasting covenant” evidently ended when the Mosaic Law was dismantled. But the same phrase “everlasting covenant” is used in <em><a href='B:100 23:5'>2Sa 23:5</a></em> concerning how Christ will reign on David’s throne for literal eternity in the Kingdom. In what sense, then, is God using the word olahm, which is translated “eternal”, “perpetual”, “everlasting” in the Old Testament? James Strong defines olahm as literally meaning “the finishing point, time out of mind, i.e. practically eternity”. It was God’s purpose that the Law of Moses and the associated Sabbath law were to continue for many centuries. To the early Israelite, this meant a finishing point so far ahead that he couldn’t grapple with it; therefore he was told that the Law would last for ever in the sense of “practically eternity”. For all of us, the spectre of ultimate infinity is impossible to intellectually grapple with. We may glibly talk about God’s eternity and timelessness, about the wonder of eternal life. But when we pause to really come to terms with these things, we lack the intellectual tools and linguistic paradigms to cope with it. Therefore there is no Hebrew or Greek word used in the Bible text to speak of absolute infinity. We know that death has been conquered for those in Christ, therefore we have the hope of immortal life in his Kingdom. But God speaks about eternity very much from a human viewpoint. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When all these things have come on you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where Yahweh your God has driven you-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We're wrong to think that God passionlessly waits for us to repent or pray to Him, and then He will forgive or act for us. He loves us, simply so; and with all love's manipulation of circumstances, seeks to pour out His love upon us. Thus repentance itself is a gift which God gives and is not totally upon human initiative (<em><a href='B:50 4:29-31'>Deu 4:29-31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:1-10'>Deu 30:1-10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:110 8:58'>1Ki 8:58</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses by the end of his life had a great sensitivity to the likely failures of Israel, and in this he points forward to the Lord Jesus. He often reminds them that he knows that they will turn away from the Covenant he had given them (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 30:1'>Deu 30:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:29'>Deu 31:29</a></em>). He knew that one day they would want a king, even though God was their king (<em><a href='B:50 17:14'>Deu 17:14</a></em>). He knew that there would always be poor people in the land, even though if the Law was properly kept this would not be the case (<em><a href='B:50 15:4'>Deu 15:4</a></em> mg, 11). He knew they would accidentally commit murder and would need a way of escape; therefore he twice repeats and explains the law concerning the cities of refuge (<em><a href='B:50 4:42'>Deu 4:42</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:5'>Deu 19:5</a></em>). These being a symbol of the future Messiah (<em><a href='B:650 6:18'>Heb 6:18</a></em>), this emphasis would suggest that like Paul and Jacob, the mind of Moses in his time of spiritual maturity was firmly fixed on the Lord Jesus Christ. He foresaw how they would see horses and chariots and get frightened (<em><a href='B:50 20:1-4'>Deu 20:1-4</a></em>). </p>


text:
<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and return to Yahweh your God and obey His voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This point of return of repentance is when all the curses of <em><a href='B:50 29:1-29'>Deu 29:1-29</a></em> have come upon Israel (:1). But as noted on <em><a href='B:50 29:23'>Deu 29:23</a></em>, the level of curse stated there has never come upon Israel: "The whole land is sulphur, salt and burning, that it is not sown nor giving produce and no grass grows therein, like the overthrow of Sodom". It waits to be fulfilled therefore in the last days, and so this 'returning' ultimately speaks of the latter day repentance of a minority in Israel once the tribulation comes upon the land. Revelation gives more details of all this. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>then Yahweh your God will turn your captivity and have compassion on you. He will return and gather you from all the peoples where Yahweh your God has scattered you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God’s attempt to regather Judah from captivity <em>before</em> they had repented therefore indicates His grace, operating at times beyond the conditions which He has stated in His own word. LXX "the Lord shall heal thine iniquities, and shall pity thee, and shall again gather you..." suggests that there will be a psychological action of God upon the hearts of Israel, healing their sin (:6). This will be as a result of accepting the new covenant which we now accept at baptism, when the law is written on our hearts, and God’s Spirit transforms our spirit / heart (<em><a href='B:300 31:33'>Jer 31:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:650 8:10'>Heb 8:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:650 10:16'>Heb 10:16</a></em>). See on :14. "Shall<em> again</em> gather you" suggests that the restoration from Babylon will be repeated in the last days.
Dt. 30:1-5 is clear that when Israel returned to Yahweh in repentance whilst in captivity, He would gather them back to their land. Hence the word play with shub, meaning both to repent, and to return. But the servant in Is. 49 is tasked with gathering Israel to Yahweh and returning them to their land. As if His work was to bring them to repentance and gather them almost in spite of their lack of repentance. And this is indeed the work of the Lord Jesus on human hearts today. It is the Lord's death that does this, according to John's allusions to this servant prophecy; He lifted up is the point and impetus of gathering together. The cross elicits repentance and return to God. Whilst there must still be freewill response, the cross is a far more powerful impetus to repentance than simply offering to gather God's people once they repent.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there will Yahweh your God gather you, and from there He will bring you back- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Time and again in the context of the restoration it is emphasized that God would return to His people if they returned to Him (<em><a href='B:450 1:3'>Zec 1:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:460 3:7'>Mal 3:7</a></em>). And they didn’t return to Him- most chose not to return to the land, and those who did for the most part did not return to their God in their hearts. The whole basis of Israel's covenant relationship with God was that if they were exiled from the land for their sins, they must repent and <em>then </em>God would return to them (<em><a href='B:50 30:1-10'>Deu 30:1-10</a></em>). Yet God graciously states to the exiles: "I am returned unto you" (<em><a href='B:450 1:16'>Zec 1:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:450 8:3'>Zec 8:3</a></em>). Here was grace indeed. Passages like <em><a href='B:330 36:24-31'>Eze 36:24-31</a></em> therefore speak as if God’s grace to the exiles was effectively a new covenant- which has in essence been extended to us. Having stated the conditionality of His 'returning' to His people, and recognizing they hadn't fulfilled their part of the conditions- God all the same returns to them, such was and is His almost desperate desire for relationship with His beloved people. This is a lesson for us in our relationships with others- to continue our acceptance and 'return' to them, even if they don't fulfill their part of the deal. For this, day by day, is how our God deals not only with us but with His weak and wayward people as a whole.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed and you shall possess it, and He will do you good and multiply you above your fathers- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Drive out" is s.w. "possess". We must note the difference between the&nbsp; Canaanite peoples and their kings being "struck" and their land "taken" by Joshua-Jesus; and the people of Israel permanently taking possession. This is the difference between the Lord's victory on the cross, and our taking possession of the Kingdom. Even though that possession has been "given" to us. The word used for "possession" is literally 'an inheritance'. The allusion is to the people, like us, being the seed of Abraham. The Kingdom was and is our possession, our inheritance- if we walk in the steps of Abraham. But it is one thing to be the seed of Abraham, another to take possession of the inheritance; and Israel generally did not take possession of all the land (<em><a href='B:60 11:23'>Jos 11:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 13:1'>Jos 13:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 16:10'>Jos 16:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 18:3'>Jos 18:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:4'>Jos 23:4</a></em>). The language of inheritance / possession is applied to us in the New Testament (<em><a href='B:560 1:11'>Eph 1:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:14'>Eph 1:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 3:24'>Col 3:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 20:32'>Act 20:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 26:18'>Act 26:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 1:4'>1Pe 1:4</a></em> etc.). Israel were promised: "You shall possess it" (<em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:23'>Deu 33:23</a></em>). This was more of a command than a prophecy, for sadly they were "given" the land but did not "possess" it. They were constantly encouraged in the wilderness that they were on the path to possessing the land (<em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:18'>Deu 30:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:3'>Deu 31:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:13'>Deu 31:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>), but when they got there they didn’t possess it fully. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Abraham was promised that his seed would have Yahweh as their personal God, and would eternally inherit the land. In a sense, the promises that the seed <em>would </em>inherit the land, and that God <em>would be</em> their God were fulfilled straight after God said them. He became Isaac's God (<em><a href='B:10 31:42'>Gen 31:42</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 31:53'>Gen 31:53</a></em> refer to this), the God of Abraham's son. Time and again God reminds Israel that He <em>is </em>their God. And that land in a sense <em>was </em>given to the Jewish fathers (<em><a href='B:10 15:18'>Gen 15:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:63'>Deu 28:63</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em> NIV; <em><a href='B:60 1:2-9'>Jos 1:2-9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 21:43'>Jos 21:43</a></em>; <em><a href='B:110 4:20-21'>1Ki 4:20-21</a></em>). David could praise God simply because He was ''my God'' (<em><a href='B:230 118:28'>Psa 118:28</a></em>)- an allusion back to the Abrahamic promise. Of course, the <em>main</em> fulfillment of this promise will be in the Kingdom; but in principle, the promise has <em>already</em> been fulfilled to Abraham's seed- i.e., us! </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>They had left Egypt with great riches of silver and gold, and this is "your silver and gold" which was to be multiplied even more (<em><a href='B:50 8:13'>Deu 8:13</a></em>). The multiplication of Abraham's seed promised to him clearly meant not simply numerical multiplication, but material multiplication too. That is the sense too in <em><a href='B:30 26:9'>Lev 26:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>. We wonder why God gave them all this blessing, knowing that it would lead to such spiritual temptation and failure. We wonder why He gives so many of His people today the same huge blessings, however unappreciated they are. One simple answer is that it is because He loves us with all the love of a father for his children; He rejoiced to multiply them (<em><a href='B:50 28:63'>Deu 28:63</a></em>). The king of Israel was warned in the same words not to multiply silver and gold lest his heart turn away (<em><a href='B:50 17:17'>Deu 17:17</a></em>). The idea may be that we are to leave God to multiply our silver and gold if He wishes, and not set our heart to doing so.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Things 'going well / good' with Israel is the language of the Kingdom of God in <em><a href='B:50 8:16'>Deu 8:16</a></em> "to do you good / well at your latter end". It is associated with days being prolonged (<em><a href='B:50 22:7'>Deu 22:7</a></em>) and the fulfilment of the promises to Abraham (<em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>), and Israel and the children somehow existing "forever" (<em><a href='B:50 12:28'>Deu 12:28</a></em>). So I deduce in the wish "that it may go well with you" a hint towards the eternal establishment of God’s Kingdom based around Israel, what Paul terms "the hope of Israel". </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your seed- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>If Israel took the initiative in attempting to circumcise their hearts (<em><a href='B:50 10:16'>Deu 10:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 4:4'>Jer 4:4</a></em>), then God would confirm them in this by doing what man cannot do- operating directly upon the human heart to cut off the flesh from it (<em><a href='B:50 30:6'>Deu 30:6</a></em>). <em><a href='B:580 2:12'>Col 2:12</a></em> presents baptism as the equivalent in our day if we wish to enter the new covenant, which is based upon the same promises to Abraham. But there is more to new covenant relationship than simply the ritual of baptism. Circumcision spoke of a cutting off of the flesh in the most private and intimate place. We always read of circumcision as being done to a person. Water baptism enables us to receive the birth of the Spirit, whereby the Lord will work through the Spirit to change our hearts, to cut off our flesh in the most private and personal recesses of human hearts. <em><a href='B:580 2:11'>Col 2:11</a></em> explains: "In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ". Through baptism, we enter the "in Christ" status, and our flesh is as it were cut off, by status we are in Him and not in the flesh. This is repeated in Paul's argument in <em><a href='B:520 1:1-32'>Rom 1:1-32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 2:1-29'>Rom 2:1-29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 3:1-31'>Rom 3:1-31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 4:1-25'>Rom 4:1-25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 5:1-21'>Rom 5:1-21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 6:1-23'>Rom 6:1-23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 7:1-25'>Rom 7:1-25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 8:1-39'>Rom 8:1-39</a></em>, although there he stresses that our flesh still remains; but from God’s perspective, it is cut off. It takes faith to believe this- faith in God’s operation, that the circumcision operation was really performed by Him (<em><a href='B:580 2:12'>Col 2:12</a></em>). Baptism is the means by which we become "in Christ" and in spiritual terms cease to be uncircumcised (<em><a href='B:580 2:13'>Col 2:13</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>There will be a psychological action of God upon the hearts of Israel, healing their sin (see on :3). This will be as a result of accepting the new covenant which we now accept at baptism, when the law is written on our hearts, and God’s Spirit transforms our spirit / heart (<em><a href='B:300 31:33'>Jer 31:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:650 8:10'>Heb 8:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:650 10:16'>Heb 10:16</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>To love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Some time, read through the book of Deuteronomy in one or two sessions. You'll see many themes of Moses in Deuteronomy. It really shows how Moses felt towards Israel, and how the Lord Jesus feels towards us, and especially how he felt towards us just before his death. For this is what the whole book prefigures. "Love" and the idea of love occurs far more in Deuteronomy than in the other books of the Law. "Fear the Lord your God" of <em><a href='B:20 9:30'>Exo 9:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:14'>Lev 19:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:32'>Lev 19:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 25:17'>Lev 25:17</a></em> becomes "love the Lord your God" in Deuteronomy (<em><a href='B:50 6:5'>Deu 6:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:9'>Deu 7:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:12'>Deu 10:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:1'>Deu 11:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:9'>Deu 19:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:6'>Deu 30:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:20'>Deu 30:20</a></em>). There are 23 references to not hating in Deuteronomy, compared to only 5 in Ex. - Num.; Moses saw the danger of bitterness and lack of love. He saw these things as the spiritual cancer they are, in his time of maturity he warned his beloved people against them. His mind was full of them. The LXX uses the word ekklesia eight times in Deuteronomy, but not once in Moses' other words (<em><a href='B:50 4:10'>Deu 4:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:10'>Deu 9:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 18:16'>Deu 18:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 23:1-3'>Deu 23:1-3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 23:8'>Deu 23:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:1'>Deu 32:1</a></em>). Responsibility for the whole family God had redeemed was a mark of Moses; maturity at the end of his life, at the time of Deuteronomy. It is observable that both as a community and as individuals, this will be a sign of our maturity too.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Love the Lord your God with <em>all </em>your heart, and with <em>all </em>your soul, and with <em>all </em>your might". Time and again, Moses in his final hours used these words, as he pleaded on that last day of his life for Israel to grasp the nettle, to take on board the idea of loving God, of giving our all (<em><a href='B:50 6:5'>Deu 6:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:12'>Deu 10:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:13'>Deu 11:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:22'>Deu 11:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:3'>Deu 13:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:9'>Deu 19:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:6'>Deu 30:6</a></em>; an impressive seven-fold emphasis). I can almost hear his voice cracking as he stressed the word "all". Having pleaded six times for them to love God with <em>all </em>their soul and <em>all</em> their might, Moses then makes the point that if they enter the Kingdom, there they will be <em>made by God</em> to love Him then with all their soul and might (<em><a href='B:50 30:6'>Deu 30:6</a></em>). The logic is over-powering. In the Kingdom, our very nature, every fiber of our being, will be bent towards love of God. If this will be our eternal destiny, isn't it logical that we at least aspire to it now?</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you and persecuted you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The curses upon Israel will then come upon their haters. This is exactly the message of the book of Revelation, once we accept the book speaks of the latter day events to come upon the earth / land of Israel. The seals, vials and trumpets are all rather similar in their imagery and effect- because the judgments which come upon latter day Israel (the seals) then come upon their abusers within the land promised to Abraham- after the repentance of a Jewish remnant, which is presented in the visions of the 144,000. What the beast coalition did to Israel is done to her- a major theme of Revelation.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall return and obey the voice of Yahweh and do all His commandments which I command you this day- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew word for ‘hear’ is also translated ‘obey’ (<em><a href='B:10 22:18'>Gen 22:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 19:5'>Exo 19:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:8'>Deu 30:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:20'>Deu 30:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 95:7'>Psa 95:7</a></em>). We can hear God’s word and not obey it. But if we really hear it as we are intended to, we will obey it. If we truly believe God’s word to be His voice personally speaking to us, then we will by the very fact of hearing, obey. The message itself, if heard properly and not just on a surface level, will compel action. We can delight to know God’s laws and pray daily to Him, when at the same time we are forsaking Him and His laws; if we are truly obedient, then we will delight in God’s law (<em><a href='B:290 58:2'>Isa 58:2</a></em> cp. 14). We have a tendency to have a love of and delight in God’s law only on the surface. John especially often uses ‘hearing’ to mean ‘believing’ (e.g. <em><a href='B:500 10:4'>Joh 10:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 10:26-27'>Joh 10:26-27</a></em>). And yet the Jews ‘heard’ but didn’t believe. We must, we really must ask ourselves: whether we merely hear, or hear and believe. For we can hear, but not really hear. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh your God will make you plenteous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, for good. Yahweh will again rejoice over you for good, as He rejoiced over your fathers- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>I have explained above that the scenario here envisaged is when the curses of <em><a href='B:50 29:1-29'>Deu 29:1-29</a></em> have come upon Israel, which they have not yet done. This is yet to come, and as a result, a remnant of Israel will repent and their curses will come upon their latter day abusers. The description here of material blessing then applies to the situation when a restored Israel become the basis of the Kingdom of God upon earth. Yahweh rejoicing over His people is the prophetic picture of that time (<em><a href='B:290 62:5'>Isa 62:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:430 3:17'>Zep 3:17</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>if you will obey the voice of Yahweh your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if you turn to Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>I have explained above on :9 and elsewhere that the ultimate fulfilment of this is when Israel repent in the last days. But the scenario could have happened earlier, in which case the repentance would have been shown by obeying the Mosaic law. But that law and covenant has now been abrogated, so it is the essence and not the letter of these things which will come true in the last days.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The word so often used for "keeping" / "diligently observing" Yahweh's commandments is from the word meaning a thorn hedge; the idea originally was to hedge in. Taking this too literally led Judaism to all their endless fences around the law, i.e. forbidding this or that because it might lead to doing that or this, which in turn would then lead to breaking an actual commandment. And those various fences become elevated to the level of commandments. But this is not the idea. We are indeed to hedge ourselves in ("take heed to yourself", <em><a href='B:50 11:16'>Deu 11:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:13'>Deu 12:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:19'>Deu 12:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:30'>Deu 12:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:32'>Deu 12:32</a></em> s.w.), so that we may keep / hedge ourselves in to keep the commandments of God (<em><a href='B:30 18:4-5'>Lev 18:4-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:26'>Lev 18:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:30'>Lev 18:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:19'>Lev 19:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:37'>Lev 19:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:8'>Lev 20:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:22'>Lev 20:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:9'>Lev 22:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:31'>Lev 22:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 25:18'>Lev 25:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:3'>Lev 26:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 28:2'>Num 28:2</a></em>;&nbsp;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:50 7:11-12'>Deu 7:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:1'>Deu 8:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:11'>Deu 8:11</a></em> (s.w. "beware"); 10:13; 11:1,8,22,32; 12:1; 13:4,18; 15:5,9 ("beware"); 17:19; 19:9; 23:9 ("keep yourself"); 24:8; 26:16-18; 27:1; 28:1,9,13; 29:9; 30:10,16; 31:12; 32:46). And without falling into the legalism of Judaism, self discipline does require a degree of fencing ourselves in to the one way. Thus the man struggling with alcoholism avoids the supermarket where alcohol is pushed in front of the eyes of the shoppers; the married woman struggling with attraction to another man makes little laws for herself about avoiding his company. And if we do this, then the Lord will "keep" us, will hedge us in to keeping His way (s.w. <em><a href='B:40 6:24'>Num 6:24</a></em>).<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For this commandment which I command you this day is not too hard for you, neither is it far off- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses assures them that full obedience to his Law is possible (even if finally nobody achieved it). It was "not grievous" (LXX), and the LXX is quoted and applied to us in <em><a href='B:690 5:3'>1Jn 5:3</a></em>. It was Judaism and legalism which made obedience to the law "grievous" (<em><a href='B:470 23:4'>Mat 23:4</a></em>), and again this LXX passage was alluded to by the Lord in saying that. The individual commandments of the law of Moses were designed to reinforce each other and to make obedience relatively easy. Hence NET Bible: "This commandment I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it too remote". It wasn’t as if they had to climb up to Heaven or go down beneath the sea, they had to simply from the heart obey it as a way of life and thinking. In <em><a href='B:520 10:6-9'>Rom 10:6-9</a></em> Paul quotes this passage, having observed that in practice nobody has actually succeeded in fully keeping the Law. He says that the going up to Heaven was done by Christ at His ascension, and going beneath the sea and returning by Christ at His resurrection; and so what remains is not to keep the Mosaic law but to believe in the word of Christ; and the “life” promised here (:15) will be <em>eternal</em> life for those in Christ. See on :12.</p>&nbsp;


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>It is not in heaven, that you should say, Who shall go up for us to heaven and bring it back down to us and make us hear it, that we may do it?-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Paul comments that truly Israel have already heard the essence of the Gospel we preach, in that “the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach” (<em><a href='B:520 10:8'>Rom 10:8</a></em>). He quotes here from <em><a href='B:50 30:12'>Deu 30:12</a></em>: “For this command (to be obedient- or, as Paul interprets it, the word of the Gospel)... is it not far from thee (cp. how God is “not far” from anybody, <em><a href='B:510 17:27'>Act 17:27</a></em>). It is not in heaven above, that thou shouldest say, Who will ascend for us into heaven, and bring it to us, that we may <em>hear and do it</em>” (<em><a href='B:50 30:12'>Deu 30:12</a></em> LXX). As noted on :11, obedience is presented as not difficult; and this perhaps became true when the command to keep the old covenant was reinterpreted as keeping the new covenant, through faith in Jesus. God wants to save us; so conformity to His conditions (faith in Jesus) are not difficult.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>As Moses spoke these words on the last day of his life, he was at the foot of Nebo, which he ascended for his final meeting with God. He is surely alluding to the way in which he had ‘ascended to heaven’ before in ascending to God on Sinai, fulfilling Israel’s wish that he should bring God’s word to them rather than God Himself speak with them. He had returned bringing God’s word to them, to which they had agreed they would “hear and do”. Earlier, in <em><a href='B:50 5:27'>Deu 5:27</a></em>, Moses had reminded the people how they had said: “Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will <em>hear it, and do</em> it”. Now he is telling them that actually the word he had brought to them needn’t have been brought to them as in essence it was within their hearts. It is for exactly this reason that Paul could reason elsewhere in Romans that the Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the Law, although they don’t know the letter of the Law. And the same principle is found in <em><a href='B:590 4:9'>1Th 4:9</a></em>: “As touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves (i.e. from within yourselves?) are taught of God to love one another”. This is rather like how the Gentiles were not ‘written unto’ and yet they knew from their conscience the essential spirit of the Mosaic Law.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, Who shall go down into the deeps for us and bring it up to us-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The depths or abyss may refer as in <em><a href='B:520 10:7'>Rom 10:7</a></em> to the lands beyond Israel. The beast that comes out of the abyss comes out of the sea (<em><a class='bible' href='#b66:11:7'>Rev 11:7</a></em>; <em><a class='bible' href='#b66:13:1'>Rev 13:1</a></em>). It seems that the geographical area referred to is that just outside the <em>eretz</em> / land promised to Abraham, the sea on the border of the land, as it were. Iran, Egypt or Turkey would fit this. Israel had no need to go outside to the Gentile world in order to find relationship with God.&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And make us hear it, that we may do it?- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "make it audible to us, and we will do it?". The allusion is how Israel had shied away from hearing God’s personal voice, and had asked Moses to go and hear that voice and tell it to them, "that we may do it". But what was in view was a new covenant, where the word would not be spoken collectively through a mediator, but directly to the heart (:14). <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>But the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it- </em></p><p>The idea is that God's word spoke directly to the hearers. His revelation to His individual people needed no group of professionals to interpret it, because it spoke directly to the human heart. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>What was hinted at was a new covenant, where after repentance, God would put His word into their hearts (see on :3,6). And therefore these words are quoted by Paul in the New Testament about the experience of believers today. Acceptance of the new covenant means the receipt of the Holy Spirit, and God placing His word in our hearts, writing His law in our hearts as promised (<em><a href='B:300 31:33'>Jer 31:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:650 8:10'>Heb 8:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:650 10:16'>Heb 10:16</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Paul therefore defines the word here as "That is, the word of faith, which we preach".</em> The word of the simple Gospel- that if you believe in Christ you shall be saved- was enabled by the Lord's resurrection and shall come to full term in His descent from Heaven at the last day (<em><a href='B:520 10:6-7'>Rom 10:6-7</a></em>). "The word of faith" can simply mean that the basic content of God’s word is an appeal for faith in His Son. But it is thereby also true that the word of the Gospel leads to faith. The Lord foresaw in <em><a href='B:500 17:20'>Joh 17:20</a></em> that there would be those who would believe on Him “through their word” (i.e. the word taught by the disciples). Our word of preaching can bring others to faith. Our preaching leads to faith being created in the hearers. “The word of faith, which we preach” (<em><a href='B:520 10:8'>Rom 10:8</a></em>) is the word (Gospel) that leads to faith; and a man cannot believe without hearing the Gospel, and he will not hear it unless it is preached by a preacher. Paul summarizes by saying that faith comes by hearing (the Gospel) and hearing by (the preaching of) the word of God (<em><a href='B:520 10:8'>Rom 10:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 10:14'>Rom 10:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 10:17'>Rom 10:17</a></em>). Paul’s point is that whoever believes will be saved (<em><a href='B:520 9:33'>Rom 9:33</a></em>)- and therefore, we must preach to all, so that they might take advantage of this blessed opportunity. In his repetitious manner, Paul builds up the argument in this letter:</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>- Even under the law, Israel could believe God’s word as preached by Moses and have righteousness imputed to them (<em><a href='B:520 10:5-8'>Rom 10:5-8</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>- We preach, in essence, the very same word (<em><a href='B:520 10:9-10'>Rom 10:9-10</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>- Isaiah said the same: that belief of his preaching would result in justification (<em><a href='B:520 10:11'>Rom 10:11</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>- We preach the same. Whoever believes in the Lord’s saving Name by baptism will be saved (<em><a href='B:520 10:12-13'>Rom 10:12-13</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>- Therefore preach the word, for without your doing this, people can never believe it and therefore be saved (<em><a href='B:520 10:14-15'>Rom 10:14-15</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>- Israel had heard the word of the cross preached in the past, so just hearing the preacher will not automatically result in faith (<em><a href='B:520 10:16-21'>Rom 10:16-21</a></em>). Both preacher and hearer must be aware of this. Therefore there was a need for the preachers to turn to another wider audience, i.e. the Gentiles.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Behold, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>As with Israel, the ways of life and death are set before us (<em><a href='B:50 30:15-20'>Deu 30:15-20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 21:8'>Jer 21:8</a></em>). Moses, on the day of his death and at his final spiritual maturity, realized that this was the ultimate choice. His appeal to <em>therefore </em>chose life is painfully evident in its logic. We are either on the road to the Kingdom, or to eternal death; from God’s perspective. We may not see the issues of life that clearly; we may not see our direction as clearly as God does.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I command you this day to love Yahweh your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes and His ordinances, that you may live and multiply, and that Yahweh your God may bless you in the land where you go in to possess it- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>“If you love me you will keep my commandments” (<em><a href='B:500 14:15'>Joh 14:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 14:21'>Joh 14:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 14:23'>Joh 14:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 15:10'>Joh 15:10</a></em>) reflects a major identical theme in <em><a href='B:50 5:10'>Deu 5:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:9'>Deu 7:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:1'>Deu 11:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:22'>Deu 11:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:3-4'>Deu 13:3-4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:9'>Deu 19:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>. Moses at the end of his life, when he spoke Deuteronomy, was very much the image of the future Lord Jesus. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God is His word (<em><a href='B:500 1:1'>Joh 1:1</a></em>); to love God is to love His word. If we love Christ, we will keep His words (<em><a href='B:500 14:15'>Joh 14:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 14:21'>Joh 14:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 15:10'>Joh 15:10</a></em>). This is evidently alluding to the many Old Testament passages which say that Israel's love for God would be shown through their keeping of His commands (<em><a href='B:20 20:6'>Exo 20:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:10'>Deu 5:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:9'>Deu 7:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:1'>Deu 11:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:13'>Deu 11:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:22'>Deu 11:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 22:5'>Jos 22:5</a></em>). Israel were also told that God’s commands were all related to showing love (<em><a href='B:50 11:13'>Deu 11:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:9'>Deu 19:9</a></em>). So there is a logical circuit here: We love God by keeping His commands, the essence of which is love of people, therefore His commands are fundamentally about love. Thus love is the fulfilling of the law of God; both under the Old and New covenants (<em><a href='B:520 13:10'>Rom 13:10</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew <em>mishpat</em>, "ordinances", has a wide range of meaning. The idea is of judgment, as if God and His Angels gave these laws as their considered judgment after considering the human condition, and Israel were to abide by them. But the word also the idea of a right or privilege; and that is how we should see God’s laws. They are only felt as a burden because of human hardness of neck towards God’s ways. His laws are not of themselves burdensome, but rather a privilege and blessing. The law was indeed "holy, just and good" (<em><a href='B:520 7:12'>Rom 7:12</a></em>), designed to inculcate a holy, just and good life (<em><a href='B:630 1:8'>Tit 1:8</a></em>), a way in which a man should "walk" in daily life (<em><a href='B:30 18:4'>Lev 18:4</a></em>), a culture of kindness and grace to others which reflected God’s grace to man. If we dwell upon the idea of "rights" carried within the word <em>mishpat</em>, we note that the law begins in <em><a href='B:20 21:1-2'>Exo 21:1-2</a></em> (also <em><a href='B:50 15:12-18'>Deu 15:12-18</a></em>) with the rights of a slave- those considered to have no rights in the society of that day. The "rights" to be afforded by us to others are the essence of God’s rightness / justice.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>But if your heart turns away and you will not hear, but shall be drawn away and worship other gods and serve them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The heart that <em>turns away</em> from God by free choice then becomes <em>drawn away</em> by other forces. Time and again, Moses speaks of the state of their heart. He warns them against allowing a bad state of heart to develop, he speaks often of how apostasy starts in the heart. Moses makes a total of 49 references to the heart / mind of Israel in Deuteronomy, compared to only 13 in the whole of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. This indicates the paramount importance which our Lord attaches to the state of our mind. This was perhaps his greatest wish as He faced death; that we should develop a spiritual mind and thereby manifest the Father and come to salvation. Moses likewise saw the state of our mind as the key to spiritual success. But do we share this perspective? Do we guard our minds against the media and influence of a mind-corrupting world? It's been observed that the phrase "The God of (somebody)", or similar, occurs 614 times in the Old Testament, of which 306 are in Deuteronomy. Our very personal relationship with God was therefore something else which Moses came to grasp in his spiritual maturity. Statistical analysis of the word "love" in the Pentateuch likewise reveals that "love" was a great theme of Moses at the end of his life (Moses uses it 16 times in Deuteronomy, and only four times in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I declare to you this day, that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land, where you pass over the Jordan to go in to possess it- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses pleaded with them to see that "this day... this day... this day" he set before them life and death, forgiveness or salvation (<em><a href='B:50 30:15-19'>Deu 30:15-19</a></em>). The Lord Jesus had His mind on this when He told the thief with the same emphasis that "this day" He could tell them that he would be saved, not condemned (<em><a href='B:490 23:46'>Luk 23:46</a></em>). He felt like Moses, but greater than Moses, in that He not only set before men the choice, but could grant them the salvation they sought. The fact Israel did prolong their days for some centuries in the land, despite their disobedience, is therefore a reflection of God’s great patience with them.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse; therefore choose life, that you may live, you and your seed-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Finely aware of the seriousness of our relationship with God, Moses pleads with Israel to "choose life", not with the passivity which may appear from our armchair reading of passages like <em><a href='B:50 30:19'>Deu 30:19</a></em>. I wonder if he wasn’t screaming this to them, breaking down in the climax of logic and passion which resulted in that appeal. Yet he knew that the majority of Israel would not choose life. When he appeals to them to choose obedience he is therefore thinking of the minority who would&nbsp; respond. Yet he knew that the majority of Israel would not choose life. When he appeals to them to choose obedience he is therefore thinking of the minority who would respond. Our Lord Jesus, with his knowledge of human nature, must have sensed that so many of those called into his new covenant would also turn away; He must have known that only a minority of Israel would choose the life which He offered. Yet like Moses He doubtless concentrated his thoughts on the minority who would respond. Moses spoke Deuteronomy without notes. It was no set piece address. All these things were in his heart; their proneness to failure, the coming of judgment for sin, his knowledge of their future apostasy. Enter into the <em>passion</em> of it all. The man who was willing to give his eternal life for them, about to die for the sake of their provocation- singing a final song to them, giving a final speech, which showed that he knew perfectly well that they would turn away from what he was trying to do for them, and therefore the majority of them would not be saved.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Blessing" is parallel with "life", and eternal life may ultimately be in view in Moses' mind. The connection between blessing and forgiveness / salvation is widespread throughout Scripture: <em><a href='B:50 33:23'>Deu 33:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 5:12'>Psa 5:12</a></em> (blessing = grace) <em><a href='B:50 30:19'>Deu 30:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 3:8'>Psa 3:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 24:5'>Psa 24:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 28:9'>Psa 28:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 133:3'>Psa 133:3</a></em> (= salvation); <em><a href='B:20 12:32'>Exo 12:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 32:29'>Exo 32:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 24:1'>Num 24:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:100 21:3'>2Sa 21:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 67:1'>Psa 67:1</a></em> (cp. context); <em><a href='B:490 6:28'>Luk 6:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 3:26'>Act 3:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 4:7-8'>Rom 4:7-8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:530 10:16'>1Co 10:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:550 3:14'>Gal 3:14</a></em> (= forgiveness). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Love Yahweh your God, to obey His voice and to cling to Him; for He is your life and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, to give them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Yahweh was to be loved with all the heart, soul and mind (<em><a href='B:50 6:5'>Deu 6:5</a></em>). This is understood by Joshua as meaning that those who loved Yahweh would not "mix with" and intermarry with the nations and accept their gods (<em><a href='B:60 23:11-12'>Jos 23:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:16'>Jos 23:16</a></em>). "Love" for God was not therefore a feeling; Joshua said that they must "take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love Yahweh" (<em><a href='B:60 23:11'>Jos 23:11</a></em>). This is the love of conscious direction of the mind, the love which is a choice rather than an emotion.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Cling" is "cleave". The idea of 'cleaving' to God is a big theme of Moses in Deuteronomy (<em><a href='B:50 4:4'>Deu 4:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:20'>Deu 10:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:22'>Deu 11:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:4'>Deu 13:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:17'>Deu 13:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:21'>Deu 28:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:60'>Deu 28:60</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:20'>Deu 30:20</a></em>); the only other time Moses uses the word in his writings is in <em><a href='B:10 2:24'>Gen 2:24</a></em>, concerning a man cleaving to his wife. Moses seems to have been suggesting to Israel that their covenant relationship with God meant they were <em>marrying God</em>. This was a real paradigm breaker. We may be used to such things. But against the theological background of the time, not to say the generally low level of spirituality among Israel, this was a shocking idea. It reflected the heights to which Moses had risen.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Lord’s common Upper Room theme of ‘abiding’ in Him uses the same word as Moses used in the LXX when exhorting his people to ‘cleave unto’ God (<em><a href='B:50 10:20'>Deu 10:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:22'>Deu 11:22</a></em>). This abiding involved loving God and keeping His commandments- all ideas which occur together in <em><a href='B:50 13:4'>Deu 13:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:20'>Deu 30:20</a></em>.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "And Moses finished speaking all these words".<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I am one hundred and twenty years old this day- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>He died on his birthday. His life so clearly splits up into three periods of 40 years; the 40 years leading sheep around Sinai clearly prepared him for 40 years leading Israel. We too can look back on life and see how clearly God had arranged things.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I can no more go out and come in, and Yahweh has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan’-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:50 31:9'>Deu 31:9</a></em>. We note that he makes no reference to the reason why he couldn't enter the land. He makes his age an excuse for not entering the land, but we read later that his natural strength was not at all abated. Even in his great spiritual maturity, even Moses maybe found it hard to accept personal sin and consequences for it.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh your God, He will go over before you. He will destroy these nations from before you and you shall dispossess them. Joshua shall go over before you, as Yahweh has spoken-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:50 1:36'>Deu 1:36</a></em>. Moses recalled how God had said to him "The LORD thy God He will go over before thee", and then said to Joshua "be strong and of a good courage, fear not nor be afraid of them: for the LORD<em> thy</em> God (the same Angel called 'the LORD thy God' in&nbsp; relation to Moses), He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee nor forsake thee" (<em><a href='B:50 31:3'>Deu 31:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:6-7'>Deu 31:6-7</a></em>). These words are quoted in <em><a href='B:650 13:5'>Heb 13:5</a></em>, and it is good to note the original Angelic context in which the words were used: "Be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I (the Angel) will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord (i. e. the Angel) is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me". Later on we see that Joshua did conceive of God in terms of the Angel- he took Moses' exhortation.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>At Moses' death, the positive thrust of his closing exhortation was his conviction that the Angel of His presence which had been with them so far would continue to be so, to enable them to enter the land. This alone shows the great part that the Angel played in Moses' life. "The Lord thy God, He will go over before thee. . . and Joshua shall go over before thee. . . and Joshua shall go over before thee (showing Moses' belief that Joshua would work with the Angel- cp. <em><a href='B:230 91:1-16'>Psa 91:1-16</a></em>, where Moses commends Joshua for keeping close to the Angel in the tabernacle). . . Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God (the Angel God of Israel), He it is that doth go with thee, He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (<em><a href='B:50 31:3-6'>Deu 31:3-6</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will do to them as He did to Sihon and to Og, the kings of the Amorites and to their land, whom He destroyed- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The victories over Sihon and Og were intended as foretastes and assurances of the Kingdom, and we have the same in our lives.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will deliver them up before you and you shall do to them according to all the commandments which I have commanded you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The truth was that they were not obedient to the commandments. Their entry to the land was predicated upon their obedience, but they were disobedient. So they entered the land by grace, and that experience was intended to elicit their obedience. Divine commandment is likewise for us a way or channel to express our gratitude for salvation by grace rather than a requirement in order to attain salvation by our works.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Be strong and courageous, don’t be afraid nor be scared of them, for Yahweh your God, He it is who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on 31:17; <em><a href='B:60 1:6'>Jos 1:6</a></em>. <em><a href='B:50 4:31'>Deu 4:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:6'>Deu 31:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:8'>Deu 31:8</a></em> say that despite the sins Israel may commit, their Angel-God "will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant... He will not fail thee". But then <em><a href='B:50 31:17'>Deu 31:17</a></em> says that because the people would disobey Him, God "will forsake them... and they shall be devoured... and I will surely hide My face in&nbsp; that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought". We have seen that in the Pentateuch, especially in God’s dealings with Israel on their journey, God&nbsp; is&nbsp; to&nbsp; be&nbsp; conceived of as an Angel; which would explain the apparent fickleness shown here.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which Yahweh has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Cause them to inherit it" could imply that their inheritance was still conditional. For the inheritance was predicated upon their obedience, and they were disobedient. So they would only enter it thanks to Joshua / Jesus.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>It is Yahweh who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you neither forsake you. Don’t be afraid neither be dismayed-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Note that the promise of Moses that God would not fail nor forsake Joshua, but would be with him (<em><a href='B:50 31:8'>Deu 31:8</a></em>) was similar to the very promise given to Moses which he had earlier doubted (<em><a href='B:20 3:12'>Exo 3:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 4:12'>Exo 4:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 4:15'>Exo 4:15</a></em>). Such exhortation is so much the stronger from someone who has themselves doubted and then come to believe.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests the sons of Levi, who bore the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh, and to all the elders of Israel-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The word of his God was in his heart, as he stood there before Israel, that people whom he loved, those for whom he wished to make atonement with his own life, even his eternal life. " Yea, he loved the people" is the Spirit's comment (<em><a href='B:50 33:3'>Deu 33:3</a></em> - the " he" in the context seems to be Moses). It could only be the Spirit which would write so concisely. " Yea, he loved the people....they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words" . This is God’s comment on that last meeting between Moses and Israel. And then he pours out his heart to them, he reels off what we have as the book of Deuteronomy (it takes about four hours to read it through loud), writes a copy of the Law (31:9; notice how <em><a href='B:50 24:1-22'>Deu 24:1-22</a></em> was <em>written</em> by Moses, <em><a href='B:480 10:5'>Mar 10:5</a></em>), sings a Song to that silent multitude (surely with a lump in his throat, especially at points like 32:15), and then he turns and climbs the mountain to see the land and meet his death. The fact it all happened on his birthday just adds to the pathos of it all (<em><a href='B:50 31:2'>Deu 31:2</a></em>). The huge amount of work which he did on that last day of his life looks forward to the Lord's huge achievement in the day of his death. No wonder Yahweh describes that day of Moses' death with an intensive plural: "The days (i.e. the one great time / day) approach (s.w. "at hand", "made ready") that thou must die" (<em><a href='B:50 31:14'>Deu 31:14</a></em>). It seems that he said much of the book in one day; hence his repeated mention of the phrase " this day" throughout the book. The people were often reminded that they were about to “go over (Jordan) to possess” the land (<em><a href='B:50 11:8'>Deu 11:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:11'>Deu 11:11</a></em> RV), as if they were on the banks of Jordan almost. In reality that speech of Deuteronomy was the outpouring of his heart, pleading with Israel to be faithful to the covenant, encouraging them to be aware of their weakness,&nbsp; encouraging them to go forward and inherit the Kingdom. Not only do we have a powerful type of the Lord Jesus in all this; Israel assembled before him really do represent us. <em><a href='B:50 32:36'>Deu 32:36</a></em> (" the Lord shall judge his people" ) is quoted in <em><a href='B:650 10:20'>Heb 10:20</a></em> as relevant to all of us. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Moses commanded them saying, At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the feast of tents- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "After seven years" may suggest this refers to a special ceremony to be performed seven years after they had entered Canaan, when all the land was intended to be subdued before them.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>when all Israel has come to appear before Yahweh your God in the place which He shall choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We note the frequent references to Yahweh choosing a specific geographical location for the sanctuary. This apparently was not fulfilled, for the ark moved around a lot. This was a tacit reflection of Israel's disobedience, and of how the inheritance of the Kingdom was to be reinterpreted and rescheduled until the last days. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Assemble the people, men, women and the little ones and your foreigner who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear Yahweh your God and observe to do all the words of this law- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>All Israel were envisaged as attending this ceremony; but as noted on :11, it never happened. The "foreigner" could refer to the members of the "mixed multitude" amongst them, or may reflect Yahweh's hope that some like Rahab and the Gibeonites would accept covenant relationship with Yahweh rather than having to be destroyed.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and that their children, who have not known, may hear and learn to fear Yahweh your God as long as you live in the land where you go over the Jordan to possess it- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The idea is that fearing Yahweh would lead to their living long in the land. But they didn’t fear Yahweh. The fact Israel did prolong their days for some centuries in the land, despite their disobedience, is therefore a reflection of God’s great patience with them.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh said to Moses, Behold, your life will end shortly. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting, so that I may commission him. Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:50 31:9'>Deu 31:9</a></em>. Yahweh said that He would give Joshua a charge; but Moses gave Joshua the charge (<em><a href='B:50 31:14'>Deu 31:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:23'>Deu 31:23</a></em>). God was so strongly manifested in Moses.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud. The pillar of cloud stood over the door of the Tent- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "And the Lord descended in a cloud", as if the theophany of Sinai was now repeated. The Angel in the pillar of cloud shone forth.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh said to Moses, Behold, you shall lay down to sleep with your fathers, and this people shall rise up and play the prostitute after the strange gods of the land where they go to be among them, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:50 34:6'>Deu 34:6</a></em>. A few hours before the death of Moses, he had been telling Israel: "While I am yet alive with you this day (for a few more hours), ye have been rebellious against Yahweh; and how much more after my death?" (<em><a href='B:50 31:27'>Deu 31:27</a></em>). Earlier that same day the Angel had told him: "Thou shalt <em>lie down </em>(mg.) with thy fathers (cp. the Angel lying him down in the grave)... and this people will <em>rise up </em>(i.e. immediately after his death), and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land" (<em><a href='B:50 31:16'>Deu 31:16</a></em>). No wonder this was ringing in Moses' ears as he came to his death. Yet he triumphed in the fact that a minority would not give way. <em>His very last words</em> were a confident exaltation that ultimately Israel would overcome their temptations, the influence and idols of the surrounding world. But he knew that the majority of them would spiritually fall because of these things. Therefore he was looking forward to the minority in Israel who would gloriously overcome, who would come to the Kingdom, the land of corn and wine, when the heavens would drop dew. This is clearly the language of <em><a href='B:230 72:1-20'>Psa 72:1-20</a></em> and Isaiah about the future Kingdom. Moses met death with the vision of the faithful minority in the Kingdom, in the promised land, having overcome all their besetting temptations. And the Lord Jesus died with exactly that same vision (<em><a href='B:230 22:22-31'>Psa 22:22-31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 69:30-36'>Psa 69:30-36</a></em>).&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Then My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and I will hide My face from them and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall come on them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Haven’t these evils come on us because our God is not among us?’- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This was envisaged as happening in the next generation (:16). But the tragedy was that for all their sufferings, Israel generally didn’t come to this realization, and will only fully do so in the last days. So we see here God’s desperate hope for them, a hope which was a reflection of His love.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I will surely hide My face in that day for all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>These words were spoken by the Angel in the pillar of cloud whose face was now shining forth (:15). The idea practically may be that the shekinah glory would no longer be seen in the tabernacle. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Now therefore write this song for yourselves and teach it to the children of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>In illiterate society, songs were the usual way to remember beliefs and history and keep them alive. It was God’s intention that His people would sing this to themselves, ever reminding themselves of His grace and purpose with them, and of their likelihood to waste it all by falling away.</p><p>The Songs of Moses at the Red Sea and at his death were sung by a stuttering man (Ex. 4:10). This shows for all time how God works through those who apparently are unsuited for His work. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For when I have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they have eaten and filled themselves and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise Me and break My covenant- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>They carried the idols and tabernacle of false gods with them through the wilderness (<em><a href='B:330 20:7-8'>Eze 20:7-8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 7:43'>Act 7:43</a></em>). So it was grace indeed to speak in terms of their future apostacy and acceptance of other gods. Israel came to describe the Egypt they had been called out from as the land flowing with milk and honey (<em><a href='B:40 16:12'>Num 16:12</a></em>), and denied that the Kingdom was in fact like that. And so we have the same tendency to be deceived into thinking that the kingdoms of this world, the world around us, is effectively the Kingdom of God, the only thing worth striving after.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When many evils and troubles have come on them, this song shall testify before them as a witness, for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed; for I know their imagination which they plan this day, before I have brought them into the land which I swore- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Seeing they had the idols already with them (<em><a href='B:330 20:7-8'>Eze 20:7-8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 7:43'>Act 7:43</a></em>), it was clear that they intended to use them in Canaan. God knew their hearts, and realized this was "their imagination". Constantly we see God’s focus upon the state of the heart. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the children of Israel-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We note the continual emphasis upon "the same day" and "this day..." throughout Deuteronomy. A fair case could be made that all this happened on the last day of Moses' life; an intense final day of a very busy life. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and I will be with you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"I will be with you" surely refers to God, but Moses at the end of his life was totally identified with God, and spoke personally on His behalf.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:20 40:33'>Exo 40:33</a></em> is perhaps the clearest basis for the words of <em><a href='B:500 17:4'>Joh 17:4</a></em>. This describes how Moses "reared up" the tabernacle, representing us (<em><a href='B:540 6:16'>2Co 6:16</a></em>); "So Moses finished the work" God had given him to do. <em><a href='B:50 31:24'>Deu 31:24</a></em> likewise speaks of Moses finishing the work. The Hebrew for "reared up" is also used in the context of resurrection and glorification / exaltation. As our Lord sensed His final, ultimate achievement of the Father's glory in His own character, He could look ahead to our resurrection and glorification. He adopted God’s timeless perspective, and died with the vision of our certain glorification in the Kingdom. This fits in with the way <em><a href='B:230 22:1-31'>Psa 22:1-31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 69:1-36'>Psa 69:1-36</a></em> (which evidently portray the thoughts of our dying Lord) conclude with visions of Christ's "seed" being glorified in the Kingdom. There are a number of passages which also speak of the temple (also representative of the ecclesia) being a <em>work </em>which was <em>finished </em>(e.g. <em><a href='B:140 5:1'>2Ch 5:1</a></em>). In His moment of agonized triumph as He died, the Lord Jesus saw us as if we were perfect. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>“It is finished" has some connection with the Lord loving His people “to the very end" (<em><a href='B:500 13:1'>Joh 13:1</a></em> - <em>eis telos</em>). To the end or completion of what? Surely the Lord held in mind Moses’ last speech before he died. Then, “Moses had finished writing all the words of this Law in a book, even to the very end (LXX <em>eis telos</em>)" (<em><a href='B:50 31:24'>Deu 31:24</a></em>). It was Moses’ law which was finished / completed when the Lord finally died. Again we marvel at the Lord’s intellectual consciousness even in His death throes. The fact He had completed the Law was upmost in His mind. This alone should underline the importance of never going back to reliance upon that Law, be it in Sabbath keeping or general legalism of attitude. </p>&nbsp;


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>he commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of Yahweh saying- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Presumably to the Kohathites (<em><a href='B:40 4:4-5'>Num 4:4-5</a></em>) who carried the ark; but only the priests could touch it, so perhaps they are in view here, as the ark had to be touched in order to fix the scroll of the law to the side of it (:26). The priests often carried the ark (<em><a href='B:60 3:3'>Jos 3:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 4:9-10'>Jos 4:9-10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 6:6'>Jos 6:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 6:12'>Jos 6:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 8:33'>Jos 8:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:110 8:3'>1Ki 8:3</a></em>).&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Take this book of the law and put it in the side of the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh your God, that it may be there for a witness against you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This may have been the book of the law which was found in Jeremiah's time, having become detached from the ark.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For I know your rebellion and your stiff neck; even while I am alive with you this day you have been rebellious against Yahweh, and how much more after my death?- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Although the people were "stiff-necked", refusing to bow their necks in obedience, and thereby liable to destruction if God was amongst them (<em><a href='B:20 32:9'>Exo 32:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 33:3'>Exo 33:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 33:15'>Exo 33:15</a></em>), God was willing to give this stiff-necked people a place in God’s Kingdom (<em><a href='B:50 9:6'>Deu 9:6</a></em>). And so although God had said that He would not go in the midst of a stiff-necked people, yet Moses asks Him to do so (<em><a href='B:20 34:9'>Exo 34:9</a></em>)- for He senses God’s desire to save them by grace despite their hardened disobedience.&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It was specifically Moses' song which called heaven and earth to witness (<em><a href='B:50 32:1'>Deu 32:1</a></em>). Perhaps the idea was that "earth" was witness in that a copy of the law or the song was to be placed by the ark; and God in heaven was witness too.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you, and evil will happen to you in the latter days, because you will do that which is evil in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God can be grieved (s.w. 'provoke to anger'). He has emotions, and His potential foreknowledge doesn't mean that these feelings are not legitimate. They are presented as occurring in human time, as responses to human behaviour. This is the degree to which He has accommodated Himself to human time-space limits, in order to fully enter relationship and experience with us. As He can limit His omnipotence, so God can limit His omniscience, in order to feel and respond along with us.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Moses spoke in the ears of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were finished- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The implication would be that the song was Divinely inspired, it came to him and he spoke or sung it to them until the revelation had finished. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Give ear, you heavens, and I will speak. Let the earth hear the words of my mouth- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The echoes of Deuteronomy in the Lord’s goodbye speeches shouldn’t be missed; for Moses at this time truly was a superb type of the Lord Jesus. Deuteronomy concludes with two songs of Moses, one addressed to the Father (<em><a href='B:50 32:1-52'>Deu 32:1-52</a></em>), and the other to his people (<em><a href='B:50 33:1-29'>Deu 33:1-29</a></em>). It is apparent that the Lord’s final prayer in <em><a href='B:500 17:1-26'>Joh 17:1-26</a></em> is divisible into the same two divisions- prayer to the Father, and concern for His people. It has been observed that the prayer of <em><a href='B:500 17:1-26'>Joh 17:1-26</a></em> is also almost like a hymn- divided into seven strophes of eight lines each. It would appear to be John’s equivalent to the record in <em><a href='B:480 14:26'>Mar 14:26</a></em> of a hymn being sung at the end of the Last Supper. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The lives of both Moses and the Lord ended with a farewell discourse and prayer. Not only do the words of the Lord consciously allude to Moses’ words in Deuteronomy, but John’s comments do likewise. John’s comment that “Jesus knowing that His hour was come that He should depart out of this world…” (<em><a href='B:500 13:1'>Joh 13:1</a></em>) is without any doubt referring to the well known (at the time he was writing) Jerusalem Targum on <em><a href='B:50 32:1-52'>Deu 32:1-52</a></em>: “And when the last end of Moses the prophet was at hand, that he should be gathered from the world…”.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Significantly, the Pentateuch begins with the account of the creation of “heaven and earth” and concludes with Moses appealing to the “heavens and earth” of Israel (<em><a href='B:50 32:1'>Deu 32:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:28'>Deu 33:28</a></em>). This is not to say that <em><a href='B:10 1:1-31'>Gen 1:1-31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 2:1-25'>Gen 2:1-25</a></em> <em>only</em> recount the creation of Israel; but it was probably understood by early readers and hearers as God’s account of the creation of the land on which Israel found themselves living. For an observer on the earth / land of Israel, the impression is given that the whole of creation came into existence on account of Israel. The stars etc. came into existence to give light on the earth / land of Israel; just as in the new creation, all things likewise “are” for <em>our </em>sakes, even if the rest of the world benefits too. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Let’s remember that under inspiration, Moses wrote Genesis, presumably during the 40 years wandering. He therefore wrote it in a context- of explaining things to Israel as they stumbled through that wilderness, wondering who they were, where they came from, where they were headed. This explains why there are so many links within the Pentateuch- e.g. the Spirit “flutters” over the waters in <em><a href='B:10 1:2'>Gen 1:2</a></em>, just as God like an eagle (a symbol of the Spirit) “flutters” over Israel in bringing about their creation as a nation (<em><a href='B:50 32:1'>Deu 32:1</a></em>). The point is that what God did at creation, He can do at any time. As He made the waters “swarm” in <em><a href='B:10 1:20'>Gen 1:20</a></em>, so He made the waters of the Nile “swarm” with frogs (<em><a href='B:20 8:3'>Exo 8:3</a></em>) in order to save His people from a no-hope, chaotic, disordered, hopeless situation. The command to subject the animals in Eden (the land promised to Abraham?) corresponds to later commands to subject the tribes living in the land (<em><a href='B:10 1:28'>Gen 1:28</a></em> = <em><a href='B:40 32:22'>Num 32:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 32:29'>Num 32:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 18:1'>Jos 18:1</a></em>). The “fear and dread” of humans which fell on the animals after the flood is clearly linkable with the “fear and dread” which was to come upon the inhabitants of Canaan due to the Israelites (<em><a href='B:10 9:2'>Gen 9:2</a></em> = <em><a href='B:50 1:21'>Deu 1:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 3:8'>Deu 3:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:25'>Deu 11:25</a></em>). </p><p>These words are described as a song which Moses sung (:44; Dt. 31:30). The Songs of Moses at the Red Sea and at his death were sung by a stuttering man (Ex. 4:10). This shows for all time how God works through those who apparently are unsuited for His work. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall condense as the dew, as the small rain on the tender grass, as the showers on the herb- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This reads in LXX as a commandment to accept the teaching of Moses in this song: "Let my speech be looked for as the rain, and my words come down as dew". </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For I will proclaim the name of Yahweh. Ascribe greatness to our God-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:530 10:4'>1Co 10:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 17:8'>Joh 17:8</a></em>. Moses is asking them to glorify God as he had done, inviting them to make his life path that of every Israelite: "For <em>I</em> have called on the name of the Lord: assign <em>ye</em> greatness to our God" (LXX). Yet Israel came to glorify Moses as a person, as religious people do, without seeing the reality of this invitation to be like Moses personally. Paul grasped this, and says that we each with unveiled face have seen a greater glory than Moses saw; thus inviting us to be like Moses but to see even far greater glory (<em><a href='B:540 3:18'>2Co 3:18</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Proclaim the Name" (<em><a href='B:20 33:19'>Exo 33:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 34:5'>Exo 34:5</a></em>) is the same phrase used about 'calling upon the Name' (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 28:10'>Deu 28:10</a></em>). The calling out / proclamation of Yahweh's Name, in the Gospel and ultimately in the declaration of the Name on the cross (<em><a href='B:500 17:26'>Joh 17:26</a></em>), elicits a desire to call that Name upon us, which we initially do through baptism into that Name. And like Moses, we in turn proclaim the Name to others (<em><a href='B:50 32:3'>Deu 32:3</a></em> s.w.).&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"I have proclaimed the name of the Lord" (<em><a href='B:50 32:3'>Deu 32:3</a></em> LXX) was surely in Christ's mind in His goodbye prayer of <em><a href='B:500 17:26'>Joh 17:26</a></em>; and those words are in the context of Moses' song, which roundly exposed Israel's future apostacy. The character, the fundamental personality of God, is declared through appreciating human weakness and apostacy. Christ's words of <em><a href='B:500 17:26'>Joh 17:26</a></em> were likewise in the context of revealing apostacy and future weakness. Thus through recognition of sin we come to know God; this is the fundamental message of Ezekiel and other prophets. Through knowing our own sinfulness we know the righteousness of God, and vice versa. Thus properly beholding the righteousness of God as displayed on the cross ought to convict us of our sinfulness, as it did the people who saw it in real life (they "smote upon their breasts" in repentance, cp. <em><a href='B:490 18:13'>Luk 18:13</a></em>).&nbsp; As Christ declared God’s Name just before His death (<em><a href='B:500 17:26'>Joh 17:26</a></em>), so did Moses (<em><a href='B:50 32:3'>Deu 32:3</a></em> LXX).&nbsp; Moses saw at the end of his life that there was no third way: it was either complete dedication and salvation, or rebellion and condemnation. See on <em><a href='B:50 28:58'>Deu 28:58</a></em>.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Lord told the Father that He had given the disciples His words, “and they have received them” (<em><a href='B:500 17:8'>Joh 17:8</a></em>). This is evident allusion to the editorial comment in <em><a href='B:50 33:3'>Deu 33:3</a></em> about how all Israel received God’s words through Moses. Likewise “I manifested Your name… they have kept Your word” (<em><a href='B:500 17:6'>Joh 17:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 17:26'>Joh 17:26</a></em>) = “I will proclaim the name of the Lord… they have observed thy word” (<em><a href='B:50 32:3'>Deu 32:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:9'>Deu 33:9</a></em>). One marvels at the way the Lord’s mind linked together so much Scripture in the artless, seamless way in which He did. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Lord Jesus fed off the majesty of the Name of Yahweh (<em><a href='B:400 5:4'>Mic 5:4</a></em>)- this was how inspirational He found the things of the Name. To fear the Name of Yahweh was to “observe to do all the words of this law” (<em><a href='B:50 28:58'>Deu 28:58</a></em>). Meditation and sustained reflection upon the characteristics of God as epitomized and memorialized in His Name will of itself lead to a conformation of personality to that same Name. If we declare that Name to others, they too have the chance to be transformed by it- thus Moses comments: “Because <em>I </em>will publish the name of the Lord, ascribe <em>ye</em> greatness unto our God” (<em><a href='B:50 32:3'>Deu 32:3</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We in our turn are to manifest God’s Name by outgoing witness; so many of the Psalms were written in order to do just that. Moses 'proclaimed the name of Yahweh' (<em><a href='B:50 32:3'>Deu 32:3</a></em> RV)- just as the Angel had proclaimed the Name to Moses in <em><a href='B:20 34:1-35'>Exo 34:1-35</a></em>. In perceiving God’s Name we are seeing something which cannot be kept to ourselves; God’s personality of itself bids us proclaim it. And Moses goes on in the same verse to urge Israel to do as he was doing: "Ascribe <em>ye</em> greatness unto our God".</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>the Rock; His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice; a God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is He-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Lord's final address to His people before His death was based upon these last words of Moses. “Holy Father… righteous Father” (<em><a href='B:500 17:11'>Joh 17:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 17:25'>Joh 17:25</a></em>) was a form of address which the Lord had in a sense lifted from Moses when he addresses God as “righteous and holy” (<em><a href='B:50 32:4'>Deu 32:4</a></em> LXX).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>They have dealt corruptly with Him; they are not His children any more because of their blemish. They are a perverse and crooked generation-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses is saying that his prophesy that they would "corrupt themselves" would indeed come true (<em><a href='B:50 31:29'>Deu 31:29</a></em>). <em><a href='B:50 4:16'>Deu 4:16</a></em> says that this corruption with or of Yahweh would be through idolatry and making images. It is man who is made in the form / image / likeness of God (<em><a href='B:10 1:26'>Gen 1:26</a></em>). Our emphasis must be upon replicating God’s thinking in ourselves, making ourselves after His image and likeness. Rather than seeking to worship a physical image of Him in the form of an idol or animal. To do so is to corrupt both Him and the humanity which He intends to be in His image and likeness.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>AV "Their spot is not the spot of His children" effectively refers to this corruption of Yahweh's image. But there is specific allusion to the marks which idolaters placed on their bodies and foreheads; given specific latter day significance in <em><a class='bible' href='#b66:20:4'>Rev 20:4</a></em>. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This description of Israel is quoted about the world in <em>Php_2:15</em>. If God’s people worship this world’s idols, then they are counted by God as the world. "Corrupted" is s.w. "'destroyed" or "perish". All judgment is finally self inflicted. Sin is its own judgment; hence the Hebrew word for "corruption" also means "destruction", for moral corruption is its own destruction. God Himself does judge, but always prefers men to judge themselves. Apostate Israel are spoken of as the pagan world; and therefore at the day of judgment the rejected of the new Israel will be condemned along with the world (<em><a href='B:530 11:32'>1Co 11:32</a></em>); assigned their portion “with the unbelievers” (<em><a href='B:490 12:46'>Luk 12:46</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Do you thus repay Yahweh, foolish people and unwise? Isn’t He your father who has bought you? He has created you and established you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The appeal is to their salvation history<em>- </em>Israel's redemption (being "bought") from Egypt (<em><a href='B:20 15:16'>Exo 15:16</a></em>), their establishment in the land and creation as a nation at Sinai. So often, their experience&nbsp; of these things is alluded to in the law as a basis and reason for their loyalty to Yahweh's laws, and living in a culture of grace and kindness to others- given their own experience of grace. We too must never forget our own spiritual path and redemption by God’s hand, active throughout our lives. Such personal reflection upon our life's path is therefore necessary if we are to continue to be awed by His grace to us.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations. Ask your father and he will show you, your elders and they will tell you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>In our world, human history is generally felt to be bunk, irrelevant to this generation, of merely passing cultural fascination to the hurrying man of modern society. And in some ways, that may indeed be a legitimate take on secular history. But Biblical history is to be seen quite otherwise by God’s people. It is a living word spoken to us, and the salvation acts which are there recorded happened to us. We are to learn from history, not as a merely fascinating exercise. But the Bible is history, and yet it is a living word to us. Israel were supposed to reason back from the actions of Egypt towards them, and their weakness spiritually at that time. And to respond personally to that grace. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the children of men, He set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:340 10:20-21'>Dan 10:20-21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 24:9-11'>Exo 24:9-11</a></em>. A total of 70 bulls were offered at the feast of ingathering. <em><a class='bible' href='#b66:5:9'>Rev 5:9</a></em> presents us with the picture of men and women redeemed from <em>every</em> kindred (tribe / clan), tongue (<em>glossa- </em>language), people (a group of people not necessarily of the same ethnicity) and nation (<em>ethnos</em>- ethnic group, lit. ‘those of the same customs’). This means that, e.g., not only redeemed ‘Yugoslavs’ will stand before the throne in the end; but Macedonians, Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Montenegrans, Bosnians... every ethnic group, with every custom, will have representatives who will have believed the Truth and been saved. This idea is confirmed by considering how 70 bullocks had to be sacrificed at the feast of ingathering (<em><a href='B:40 29:1-40'>Num 29:1-40</a></em>), prophetic as it was of the final ingathering of the redeemed. But 70 is the number of all Gentile nations found in <em><a href='B:10 10:1-32'>Gen 10:1-32</a></em>. And it is written: “When he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel” (<em><a href='B:50 32:8'>Deu 32:8</a></em>). A total of 70 went down with Jacob into Egypt; and thus 70 seems an appropriate number to connect with the entire Gentile world. My point is, representatives of <em>all</em> of them will be finally ingathered. It could be that this conversion of all men occurs during the final tribulation (<em><a class='bible' href='#b66:14:6'>Rev 14:6</a></em>); but it seems to me that the context demands that people from every nation etc. are already redeemed in Christ and await His return.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Canaanite explanation of the family of the gods was that it contained a total of 70 gods – Ugaritic Tablet II AB 6:46 speaks of the “seventy sons of Asherah”. This is re-focused by the record of <em><a href='B:10 10:1-32'>Gen 10:1-32</a></em> – which speaks of 70 nations of men. Likewise <em><a href='B:10 46:27'>Gen 46:27</a></em> and <em><a href='B:20 1:5'>Exo 1:5</a></em> speak of the 70 sons of Jacob – and <em><a href='B:50 32:8'>Deu 32:8</a></em> says that the number of the Gentile nations was fixed “according to the number of the sons of God” or, “Israel” (according to some texts). The belief in the 70 gods of the Canaanite pantheon is therefore re-focused down to earth – where there were 70 sons of Jacob, 70 nations in the world around Israel, and <em><a href='B:50 32:8'>Deu 32:8</a></em> may imply that each is cared for by a guardian Angel in Heaven.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>According to <em><a href='B:50 32:8-9'>Deu 32:8-9</a></em> LXX, humanity has been divided up “according to the number of the angels of God”; each nation has its Angelic representative in Heaven. These representative, all righteous Angels are spoken of as being ‘punished’ in the sense that their charges on earth are punished. Note the parallelism in <em><a href='B:290 24:21-22'>Isa 24:21-22</a></em>:</p>&nbsp;<p style='margin-left:1em'>“Yahweh will punish</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The host of heaven in heaven</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>And on earth the kings of the earth”.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This doesn’t mean that the representative Angels are themselves sinners; but they are identified in the court of Heaven with those on earth whom they represent. We think of Angels representing nations in Daniel and Zechariah.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For Yahweh’s portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We are His inheritance, and we are His. An inheritance was of major significance to the Semitic mind. We see here how we are all things to Him, and He is to be all things to us, and no mere passing religious hobby. Israel were to be God’s inheritance if they were obedient (<em><a href='B:20 19:5'>Exo 19:5</a></em>). They weren't, but His love was such that He still took them as His inheritance. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He found him in a desert land, in the waste howling wilderness. He embraced him, He cared for him-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God’s search for man is a repeated theme of the prophets. “Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree, I saw your fathers” (<em><a href='B:350 9:10'>Hos 9:10</a></em>). “He found him in a desert land… He encircled him, He cared for him, He kept him as the apple of his eye” (<em><a href='B:50 32:10'>Deu 32:10</a></em>). “I said, Here am I, here am I… I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people… I called, no one answered” (<em><a href='B:290 50:2'>Isa 50:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 65:1-2'>Isa 65:1-2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 66:4'>Isa 66:4</a></em>). “I have found David my servant” (<em><a href='B:230 89:20'>Psa 89:20</a></em>). So it’s not us as it were reaching out to God; He is fervently reaching out to us, and we have to come to realize that. We don’t so much as find God, as realize that He already is earnestly with us. Every man and woman is somehow a life “bound in the bundle of living in the care of the Lord” (<em><a href='B:90 25:29'>1Sa 25:29</a></em>). We come to realize that before we were formed in the womb, God knew us (<em><a href='B:300 1:5'>Jer 1:5</a></em>). God hunts for us like a lion, Job came to realize; and in this "You show yourself wonderful to me" (<em><a href='B:220 10:16'>Job 10:16</a></em>). And we are searching for God. God is not indifferent to our searching for Him. Those awestruck moments of wonder, of radical amazement, are where God finds us at the time we are searching for Him. Both sides are seeking each other; and in those moments, they meet. As a Jewish poet put it: "And going out to meet thee / I found thee coming toward me". In those moments, heaven and earth kiss each other. There is a click, a flash, between Almighty God and us- as we stand at a bus stop, turn left into Acacia Avenue, lay there on our bed meditating. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He kept him as the apple of His eye-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>One of the most sensitive spots on the body. Anyone who even comes near God’s people stimulates a natural response from God, so sensitive is He to our pain in this life. We are the apple of God’s eye (<em><a href='B:230 17:8'>Psa 17:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:10'>Deu 32:10</a></em>), and His word must be as the apple of our eye (<em><a href='B:240 7:2'>Pro 7:2</a></em>). We dwell in God, and His word dwells in us (<em><a href='B:500 15:1-27'>Joh 15:1-27</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>As an eagle that stirs up her nest and flutters over her young, He spread abroad his wings. He took them, He carried them on His feathers-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The way that Israel were intended to be a missionary nation is brought out very beautifully by the way that God speaks of carrying Israel on eagles' wings out of Egypt (<em><a href='B:50 32:11'>Deu 32:11</a></em>). Apparently, the eagle throws one of its young into the air and catches it, bearing it on its wings, until it learns to fly freely, and then the others learn from this how to fly. If this is the right track of interpretation, then we are left with the conclusion that it was God’s intention that all the Gentile world were intended to be God’s ultimate children, and that they would learn from the example of Israel. But Israel failed to fly as God intended, and thus they were not the intended example for others. Note in passing how God’s intention is that we should fly freely- not merely be His initiative-less servants for the sake of it. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses is depressed by Israel complaining at how boring the manna was. He doubts God’s earlier promises to him: " Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight (God said he had, in <em><a href='B:20 33:17'>Exo 33:17</a></em>)...have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto them, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child unto the land which thou swearest unto their fathers (not "our" - notice the uncharacteristic separation between Moses and Israel). Whence should I give flesh unto all this people...if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in the sight (as God had earlier promised him that he had)" (<em><a href='B:40 11:12'>Num 11:12</a></em>). God was the father and conceiver of Israel, the one who would carry them to the land (<em><a href='B:20 19:4'>Exo 19:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 33:15'>Exo 33:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:11-12'>Deu 32:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:350 11:1'>Hos 11:1</a></em>); it is as if Moses is saying: They're your children, you look after them, don't dump them on me. Although compare this with his earlier love for them, willing to sacrifice himself for them. God then says that He will provide more food for Israel. But Moses almost mocks God: "Shall the flocks and herds be slain for them, to suffice them?". And the Angel angrily replied: "Is the Lord's hand waxed short? thou shalt see whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not" . If he had faith, Moses surely would have realized that if God could provide manna, he could provide any food. Moses seems to have suffered from fits of depression and also high spirituality.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh alone led him, there was no foreign god with Him-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Although there was no pagan god with Yahweh at the time of the exodus, there was with Israel- for they took the idols of Egypt with them through the Red Sea, carrying the tabernacle of Moloch with them for guidance as well as Yahweh's (<em><a href='B:510 7:43'>Act 7:43</a></em>), just as we are tempted to take the world with us through the waters of baptism rather than seeing it as cut off from us (<em><a href='B:330 20:7-8'>Eze 20:7-8</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Right at their birth by the Red Sea, the Almighty records that "the people feared Yahweh, and believed Yahweh, and His servant Moses" (<em><a href='B:20 14:23'>Exo 14:23</a></em>). No mention is made of the Egyptian idols they were still cuddling (we don't directly learn about them until <em><a href='B:330 20:1-49'>Eze 20:1-49</a></em>). Nor do we learn that this "belief" of theirs lasted a mere three days; nor of the fact that they rejected Moses, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. "There was no strange god" with Israel on their journey (<em><a href='B:50 32:12'>Deu 32:12</a></em> AV); but there were (<em><a href='B:370 5:26'>Amo 5:26</a></em>). The reconciliation is that God counted as Israel as devoted solely to Him. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The degree to which righteousness is imputed to us is hard to feel. <em><a href='B:50 32:12'>Deu 32:12</a></em> states that there was no strange God with Israel- but <em><a href='B:330 20:1-49'>Eze 20:1-49</a></em> says they took the idols of Egypt with them. God counted wayward Israel as righteous; at that time, as Balaam said, God did not see iniquity in Israel, nor behold the perversity that was in Jacob. Paul speaks of the fruits of righteousness, the same Greek word translated "justification" (<em>Php_1:11</em>). Justification by faith brings forth fruits of righteousness. When the disciples argued about who should be the greatest, the Lord replied that " it is not so among you: whosoever will be great among you shall be your minister" (<em><a href='B:480 10:43'>Mar 10:43</a></em> R.V.). He expected them to live up to the righteousness which He imputed to them. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He made him ride in victory on the high places of the earth and fed him with the increase of the field. He caused him to suck honey out of the rock, oil out of the flinty rock-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:230 81:16'>Psa 81:16</a></em>. The promised land was to flow with milk and honey to those who kept covenant. And yet Saul later precluded the people from experiencing the blessings of the covenant by petty legalism and a desire for personal control. The people were obedient to his word, but then totally disobeyed Yahweh's command about not eating blood as a result of it (<em><a href='B:90 14:25'>1Sa 14:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:90 14:33'>1Sa 14:33</a></em>). Tragically, Israel went back to those very “high places” to worship the local idols, as the prophets so often lament.</p>&nbsp;


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>butter of the herd and milk of the flock with fat of lambs, rams of the breed of Bashan and goats, with the finest of the wheat. Of the blood of the grape you drank wine- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Such agricultural abundance is all the stuff of the blessings for obedience. They were disobedient, but still God blessed them with the blessings for obedience- in the hope that such grace would elicit obedience and faithfulness to Him. But tragically it didn’t. The very opposite (:15).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked. You have grown fat. You have become covered with flesh. Then he forsook God who made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:50 31:9'>Deu 31:9</a></em>. Moses in Deuteronomy so many times warns that Israel would become unfaithful to God once they became prosperous. This is a major theme with him. Any request for material prosperity must be made knowing that really this is not for the best spiritually. And God must struggle with those requests as a parent does with a request for something which they want to give, because they love their child, but know that it will almost certainly be misused. It’s no surprise therefore that the majority of God’s people have been poor- it is the poor who respond to the Gospel (<em><a href='B:470 11:5'>Mat 11:5</a></em>), and the wealthy are a minority amongst us (<em><a href='B:530 1:26'>1Co 1:26</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Jeshurun" means 'the upright one'. But they were never upright, and were rebellious from the day Moses knew them. But this is how they were seen by God when He fell in love with the people in the wilderness, not seeing iniquity in Israel (<em><a href='B:40 23:21'>Num 23:21</a></em>). "Lightly esteemed" is s.w. "disgrace".</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>They moved Him to jealousy with strange gods, they provoked Him to anger with abominations-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God can be grieved (s.w. 'provoke to anger'). He has emotions, and His potential foreknowledge doesn't mean that these feelings are not legitimate. They are presented as occurring in human time, as responses to human behaviour. This is the degree to which He has accommodated Himself to human time-space limits, in order to fully enter relationship and experience with us. As He can limit His omnipotence, so God can limit His omniscience, in order to feel and respond along with us.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>They sacrificed to demons, not God, to gods that they didn’t know, to new gods that came up recently, which your fathers didn’t fear- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Demons are associated with idols, and they are not the gods which they are believed to be (:21; <em><a href='B:530 10:20'>1Co 10:20</a></em>). The language of demon possession we meet in the Gospel records is therefore the language of the day to describe healing of illnesses attributed to demons; but demons have no real existence because there is only one God.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Dale Martin in an article points out that there are six different Hebrew words which are all translated 'daimon' in the Septuagint Greek version of the Old Testament, and this is the term which the New Testament uses for 'demons'. He concludes: “Ancient Jews used <em>daimonion</em> to translate five or six different Hebrew words.&nbsp; In the ancient Near Eastern context, those words referred to different kinds of beings … What they have in common, nonetheless, is that they all were thought of as gods – in fact, as the gods other people falsely worship: the gods of the nations... we find no equation of fallen angels with Greek <em>daimons</em>” (pp. 662, 670). As an example, the Hebrew 'sedim' translated "demons" in <em><a href='B:50 32:17'>Deu 32:17</a></em> and <em><a href='B:230 106:37'>Psa 106:37</a></em> is defined by Martin as follows: "In the ancient Near Eastern context, the word sedim is related to the Assyrian sidu, which referred to the great bull statues in front of the Assyrian palaces, sometimes depicted with wings. According to some modern commentators, the word <em>adon</em> originally meant simply “lord” and served as a divine title like “Baal” or “Adonai”. It could, therefore, be taken to refer to ancient gods of Canaan and other surrounding people, who could have viewed them as good powers or gods". The connection between demons and idols is quite clear, both from context and linguistic analysis.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Of the Rock who became your father you are unmindful, and have forgotten God who gave you birth-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:10 49:24'>Gen 49:24</a></em>. As discussed on :7, their problem was that they refused to accept the historical perspective on their lives. They were not awed by the way God had brought them by grace to their present location. Like spoilt children, they came to presume upon special grace as the norm, and failed to see the wonder of it. We note that we have here an example of where God likens Himself to a woman, something unusual in the religious thinking of the times. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh saw and abhorred, because of the provocation of His sons and His daughters-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Scripture repeatedly speaks as if God notices things and is then hurt by what He sees (<em><a href='B:390 3:10'>Jon 3:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 29:31'>Gen 29:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 3:4'>Exo 3:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:19'>Deu 32:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 23:13'>Eze 23:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 59:15'>Isa 59:15</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:490 7:13'>Luk 7:13</a></em>). If He knew in advance what they were going to do, this language is hard for me to understand. But God is therefore hurt and 'surprised' at sin- He saw Israel as the firstripe grapes, but they were worshipping Baal even then (<em><a href='B:350 9:9'>Hos 9:9</a></em>). Thus God can allow Himself to feel an element of surprise- and this was a shock to Jeremiah, who queried: "Why are You like a man who is caught by surprise...?" (<em><a href='B:300 14:9'>Jer 14:9</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He said, I will hide My face from them. I will see what their end shall be, for they are a very perverse generation- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God Himself knows the end from the beginning and need fear no man; but His Angels do not have ultimate knowledge or strength, and therefore such language is more suited to them. This ‘language of limitation’ may refer to the Angels rather than God personally. He <em>can</em> see all things, and yet in the time of Israel's apostacy He hides His face from them (<em><a href='B:400 3:4'>Mic 3:4</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:50 32:19-20'>Deu 32:19-20</a></em>). He enters fully into our humanity by as it were limiting His omniscience and omnipotence in order to relate with us in real time.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Children in whom is no loyalty-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Loyalty" is the word for "faith" or "trust". Such trust in the Father should have come naturally, but from babyhood they revolted against Him. <em>Pistis</em>, one of the NT words for 'faith' is used here in the LXX, and is translated in the LXX as both 'faith' (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 32:20'>Deu 32:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:240 12:22'>Pro 12:22</a></em>) and 'truth' (<em><a href='B:240 12:17'>Pro 12:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:240 14:22'>Pro 14:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 5:1'>Jer 5:1</a></em>). Indeed, another word used in the LXX is 119 times translated 'truth' and 26 times 'faith'. There <em>is</em> a connection between true knowledge of the Gospel and faith. And this faith is the basis for our works. We don't just learn the propositions of the one faith before baptism, and forget them. The triumphant spiritual life <em>lives them out</em>. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>They have moved Me to jealousy with that which is not God. They have provoked Me to anger with their vanities-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We read of God being slow to anger (<em><a href='B:20 34:6'>Exo 34:6</a></em>), at others, of Him not restraining His anger, or restraining it (<em><a href='B:230 78:38'>Psa 78:38</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 48:9'>Isa 48:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:310 2:8'>Lam 2:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 20:22'>Eze 20:22</a></em>), and holding His peace (<em><a href='B:290 57:11'>Isa 57:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 50:21'>Psa 50:21</a></em>), and being provoked to anger by the bad behaviour of His covenant people (<em><a href='B:50 32:21'>Deu 32:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 78:58'>Psa 78:58</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 65:3'>Isa 65:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 8:19'>Jer 8:19</a></em>). God clearly has emotions of a kind which are not unrelated to the emotions we experience, as beings made in His image. But those emotions involve a time factor in order to be emotions. We read of the anger of God "for a moment" (<em><a href='B:230 30:5'>Psa 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 54:7-8'>Isa 54:7-8</a></em>), and of His wrath coming and going, leaving Him "calm" and no longer angry (<em><a href='B:330 16:42'>Eze 16:42</a></em>). When we sin, we provoke God to anger- i.e. at a point in time, God sees our sin, and becomes angry. This is attested many times in Scripture. But it's meaningless if God is somehow outside of our time and emotions. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people, I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This is interpreted in the New Testament as referring to the conversion of the Gentiles (<em><a href='B:520 10:19'>Rom 10:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 2:10'>1Pe 2:10</a></em>). It was intended to provoke them firstly to jealousy, but then to accepting the same God of Israel which the Gentiles had accepted. Paul sees the Jewish anger at Gentile conversion to Christ as a reflection of their jealousy. If Gentiles became followers of some idol cult, the Jews would have been indifferent. But their jealousy was provoked by Israel accepting Jesus of Nazareth as God’s Son and Saviour. This jealousy was and is surely a reflection of a bad conscience, just as subconsciously Joseph's brothers knew that Joseph was not dead but alive, and standing before them. It was Israel's 'knowledge' of the Gospel they had heard which is related by Paul to their anger and jealousy. And we see the same today in many who exhibit anger and jealousy over the faith of others. This is a function of their 'knowledge' which they are in denial of. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For a fire is kindled in My anger, which burns to the lowest Sheol. It devours the earth with its increase, and sets the foundations of the mountains on fire- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Gilgamesh and the pagan myths presented whole groups of gods as responsible for and presiding over death and the underworld, and another, separate, pantheon of gods as involved in creation. The Biblical emphasis upon one God is significant and unusual; it is Yahweh who sends man back to the dust from which He created him, and the same Yahweh who is in total control of <em>sheol</em> (the grave or underworld), and in a sense even present there (<em><a href='B:50 32:22'>Deu 32:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:220 26:6'>Job 26:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 139:7-8'>Psa 139:7-8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:240 15:11'>Pro 15:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:370 9:2'>Amo 9:2</a></em>). The same God is in control of the earth, as taught here by God through Moses. The state of the dead is defined in Genesis as a return to dust, and later Scripture emphasizes that this means unconsciousness, for the righteous merely a sleep in hope of bodily resurrection. This was radically different to the ideas espoused by the peoples amongst whom Israel travelled and lived. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I will heap evils on them. I will spend my arrows on them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>These arrows are alluded to with reference to the Babylonian desolation (<em><a href='B:310 3:13'>Lam 3:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 5:16'>Eze 5:16</a></em>). "Evil arrows" were thought to be cast by displeased gods; but here Yahweh insists that there is no supernatural evil, and He is going to be the one who fires such arrows. His omnipotence meant that there was no place left for any understanding of "evil" as coming from some cosmic evil being, such as the "satan" of modern theology.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>They shall be wasted with hunger and devoured with burning heat and bitter destruction- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The curses to come upon Israel as a result of the latter day invasions are described in terms which are extremely apposite to modern warfare. The plagues to come upon Israel as a result of the invasions are almost impossible to identify with anything presently known:&nbsp;"a consumption... a fever... an inflammation... an extreme burning... blasting... the burning ague that shall consume the eyes" (<em><a href='B:50 28:22'>Deu 28:22</a></em>;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:30 26:16'>Lev 26:16</a></em>) all seems to echo the language of nuclear fall-out.&nbsp;"They shall be burnt... and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction" (<em><a href='B:50 32:24'>Deu 32:24</a></em>) is similar. The release of complex chemical weapons, as well as nuclear detonation, would explain why rainfall patterns will be interrupted during this latter day tribulation (<em><a href='B:50 28:23'>Deu 28:23</a></em>).&nbsp;The fall-out from such weapons would create the murderous rain of dust upon the land which <em><a href='B:50 28:24'>Deu 28:24</a></em> speaks of:&nbsp;"The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed".&nbsp;It is twice emphasized that those in the land would suffer blindness (<em><a href='B:50 28:28-29'>Deu 28:28-29</a></em>), which may also be related to such nuclear or chemical fallout. This has not yet happened;&nbsp; the context invites us to read this as literal rather than figurative.&nbsp;We know that the latter day invaders who attack Jerusalem will both fight each other and have their eyes rot in their sockets (<em><a href='B:450 14:12'>Zec 14:12</a></em>), the implication being that they use their weaponry against each other as well as against Israel.&nbsp;Their earlier use of these weapons would account for this blindness coming upon Israel, and again we see the principle that what the attackers do to Israel will be inflicted upon them. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I will send the teeth of animals on them and the poison of crawling things of the dust-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The whole record of Adam and Eve in Eden is alluded to multiple times in Moses' law. As they were given a command not to eat, so Israel were asked not to eat certain things. As there was a snake who was there in the 'land' of Eden, so there was the equivalent amongst Israel- the false teachers, the tribes who remained, etc., the "serpents of the dust" (<em><a href='B:50 32:24'>Deu 32:24</a></em> - an evident allusion to the language of the snake in Eden). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:110 22:22'>1Ki 22:22</a></em> gives an insight into the workings of the court of Heaven, with an Angel told: "Go out and do so". This describes the Angels being sent out from the court of Heaven to do God’s word. So when we read of God sending lions (<em><a href='B:120 17:25-26'>2Ki 17:25-26</a></em>), sending wild beasts and famine (<em><a href='B:30 26:22'>Lev 26:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 5:17'>Eze 5:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:24'>Deu 32:24</a></em>), sending locusts (<em><a href='B:360 2:25'>Joe 2:25</a></em>), it would seem that Angels are sent forth from God’s throne in order to command animals to obey God’s word. And moreover, He sends an evil spirit between men (<em><a href='B:70 9:23'>Jdg 9:23</a></em>) and stubborn hearts are also sent from God (<em><a href='B:230 81:13'>Psa 81:13</a></em>). The same Angels who are sent to control the animals can also therefore work to give men certain attitudes of mind.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Outside, the sword shall bereave and inside, terror shall be on both young man and virgin, the nursing infant with the grey-haired man- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>During their latter day tribulation, Israel will experience intense "terror" (<em><a href='B:30 26:16'>Lev 26:16</a></em>), which would be enough to kill them (<em><a href='B:50 32:25'>Deu 32:25</a></em>).&nbsp;This extraordinary level of paranoia will be modelled upon that of Jacob as he faced Esau - representing Israel's confrontation with the Arabs in the last days (<em><a href='B:300 30:5'>Jer 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 30:7'>Jer 30:7</a></em>). This state of fear will result in many Jews going to live in Jerusalem, as happened during the Babylonian and Assyrian invasions (<em><a href='B:300 35:11'>Jer 35:11</a></em>).&nbsp;Ezekiel had prophesied of this time:&nbsp;"Terrors (an intensive plural - i.e. 'the one great terror') by reason of the sword shall be upon my people" (<em><a href='B:330 21:12'>Eze 21:12</a></em>).&nbsp;Likewise our Lord spoke of "fearful sights" being seen in latter-day Israel (<em><a href='B:490 21:11'>Luk 21:11</a></em>). This fear will be absolute paranoia:&nbsp; "I will make you a terror to yourself" (<em><a href='B:300 20:4'>Jer 20:4</a></em>) because of latter day Babylon's invasion;&nbsp;"ye shall flee when none pursueth you... I will send a faintness into their hearts... the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them" (<em><a href='B:30 26:17'>Lev 26:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:36'>Lev 26:36</a></em>). "I will bring the land into <em>desolation</em>" (<em><a href='B:30 26:32'>Lev 26:32</a></em>) uses a Hebrew word which can imply stupefaction by fear.&nbsp;This paranoia will be associated with a manic depression which will have its roots in a chronically bad conscience towards God, going back thousands of years to their national childhood:&nbsp;"I will... cause sorrow of heart... they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity... and also in the iniquity of their fathers shall they pine away" (<em><a href='B:30 26:16'>Lev 26:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:39'>Lev 26:39</a></em>). Note how the <em>land</em> will be brought into this mental desolation. Frequently the land of Israel is paralleled with the people (e.g. <em><a href='B:300 19:14'>Jer 19:14</a></em> cp. 26:17). The intense desolation of Jewry will be reflected physically in the state of their land. And the resolution of this psychological torment will only be through repentance and acceptance of the Saviour Messiah whom they crucified.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I said I would scatter them afar, I would make their memory to cease from among men- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>But by grace, God never did this; He preserved their name / memory. Yahweh's Name, by contrast, was to be an eternal memory (<em><a href='B:20 3:15'>Exo 3:15</a></em>). He was to be remembered for how He had articulated His Name in how He had historically acted in saving the patriarchs, and He would be remembered for how He was going to act to save His people from Egypt. What was to be memorialized was therefore His actions, rather than simply the letters YHWH. It was His wonderful works which were to be remembered (<em><a href='B:230 111:4'>Psa 111:4</a></em>, s.w. "My memorial"). By contrast, the sinful works and persons of the wicked would not be remembered / memorialized, be they Amalek (s.w. <em><a href='B:20 17:14'>Exo 17:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 25:19'>Deu 25:19</a></em>), or God’s apostate people (s.w. <em><a href='B:50 32:26'>Deu 32:26</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>but I feared the provocation of the enemy, lest their adversaries should judge wrongly, lest they should say, ‘Our hand is exalted, Yahweh has not done all this’- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>But this was the argument used by Moses when God had threatened to destroy Israel and make of him a great nation instead. Now we see God as it were persuaded by Moses' argument, and adopting it as His own. We see here His remarkable humility and openness to influence by our prayers and reasoning before Him.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For they are a nation without wisdom; there is no understanding in them-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This could continue the quotation of the enemies in :27, but it seems to lead on rather to :29- their lack of understanding refers to their refusal to understand that one could have chased a thousand (:30). Wisdom and understanding is therefore effectively referring to faith, trust that the promises of God will be indeed fulfilled. Any wisdom or understanding that doesn't lead to this is useless. This is the fallacy of academic Bible study. It was and is the mistake of Judaism. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Oh that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Faith is all about realizing that action and attitudes now will affect our eternal future. The way of the flesh is to just live for the present- and not consider the future, let alone the final end of all things at the day of judgment. In allusion to this verse, the same phrase is used of how Daniel understood the latter end of Israel (<em><a href='B:340 10:14'>Dan 10:14</a></em>), and how the final generation of repentant Israelites will "consider" at their "latter end" after they have experienced the wrath of God (<em><a href='B:300 23:20'>Jer 23:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 30:24'>Jer 30:24</a></em>). But they were to consider the "latter end" of things in this life, and not wait until condemnation at the last day before perceiving the ultimate truth of life and death. And we can do the same. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>How one could have chased a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight, had not their Rock sold them and Yahweh delivered them up!- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Verse<em>s </em>30-33 could refer to Israel, who "could have chased a thousand...", or to her enemies. Thus GNB "They fail to see why they were defeated; they cannot understand what happened.&nbsp;Why were a thousand defeated by one, and ten thousand by only two? The LORD, their God, had abandoned them; their mighty God had given them up.&nbsp;Their enemies know that their own gods are weak, not mighty like Israel's God.&nbsp;Their enemies, corrupt as Sodom and Gomorrah, are like vines that bear bitter and poisonous grapes...". <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The idea may be that the Gentiles tacitly recognized that Yahweh was superior to their gods / rock. Or the lament may be that the Gentiles, like Israel, failed to perceive ultimate realities with the understanding of faith: "For their gods are not as our God, but our enemies are void of understanding" (LXX).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, of the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>GNB takes this as referring to Israel's enemies, but it could as well refer to Israel. For Moses has just stated that Israel are spiritually as Sodom and will be treated like Sodom (see on <em><a href='B:50 29:23'>Deu 29:23</a></em>). The idea would be that they were presently sowing seeds of attitudes which would come to fruition in the grapes of judgment. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Their wine is the poison of serpents, the deadly venom of asps- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Again, we could with GNB read this as referring to Israel's enemies, but it could as well refer to Israel. The grapes and wine of blessing could have their awful counterpart in the grapes of Divine wrath. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Isn’t this laid up in store with Me, sealed up among My treasures?- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The reference is to the judgment of the last day (:35), which will be like being given a cup of bitter wine to drink (:32,33). God giving people wine to drink is a double symbol- either of condemnation (as here), or of blessing. It is why the communion service is a cause for self-examination, for we must ask ourselves whether we are drinking His cup to our eternal blessing or condemnation.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Vengeance is Mine and punishment, at the time when their foot slides; for the day of their calamity is at hand. The things that are to come on them shall make haste- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We must remember that “Vengeance is <em>mine</em> (not ours, not the state’s), and requital" (<em><a href='B:50 32:35'>Deu 32:35</a></em>), and God will take that vengeance at the last day and not necessarily in this life (<em><a href='B:290 63:4'>Isa 63:4</a></em>). In another sense, that taking of vengeance, that requital, was worked out by God on the cross. There the Lord Jesus was clothed with the ‘garments of vengeance’ (<em><a href='B:290 59:17'>Isa 59:17</a></em>); the day of the crucifixion was “the day of vengeance" (<em><a href='B:290 63:4'>Isa 63:4</a></em>). This is one reason why God doesn’t operate a tit-for-tat requital of our sins upon our heads- because He dealt with sin and His vengeance for it in the cross, not by any other way. Hence David calls Yahweh the “God of revenge", the one <em>alone</em> to whom vengeance belongs (<em><a href='B:230 94:1'>Psa 94:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 94:3'>Psa 94:3</a></em>). Our response to all this is to believe that truly vengeance is God and therefore we will <em>not </em>avenge ourselves (<em><a href='B:520 12:19'>Rom 12:19</a></em>). I take this to apply to all the micro-level ‘takings of vengeance’ which we so easily do in our words, body language, attitudes etc., in response to the hurt received from others. The cross alone enables us to break the cycle. All the sins, all the grudges that called for revenge or "vengeance", were to be placed upon the scapegoat, and it was released into the desert (<em><a href='B:30 16:10'>Lev 16:10</a></em>). They could watch it scampering away into the bush. This is how we are to understand the placing of human sin- yes, the sins committed against you this day by others- upon the Lord as He hung on the cross.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>As Moses addressed the people at that point, these things were "at hand" and "make haste". There are several times when God warns that generation that they will not last many days in the land if they are disobedient. The scenario of judgment is implied to be coming upon that generation. But it didn’t. God hung on with Israel for centuries. It was like the kind of relationship which we have often observed in life- one party passionately loves the other, but the other doesn't respond is constantly unfaithful to that love, of which they are completely not deserving. It's a Hosea and Gomer situation. And this is God’s love for Israel. But just as such relationships usually come to an end at some point, even it takes decades, so in the end, Israel walked out of it with God and slew His own Son.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For Yahweh will judge His people and have compassion on His servants when He sees that their power is gone, that there is none remaining, shut up or left at large-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:50 31:9'>Deu 31:9</a></em>. Israel assembled before Moses really do represent us, for this is quoted in <em><a href='B:650 10:20'>Heb 10:20</a></em> as relevant to all of us coming before judgment. But our verse goes on to say that at this very time of judgment, He will have compassion upon His people. Which is a comforting thought to take with us to the judgment seat of Christ.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"For the Lord shall judge His people" is quoted in <em><a href='B:650 10:20'>Heb 10:20</a></em> concerning the judgement seat. But the context here is wonderful. Israel are hopeless sinners under judgment, and God on the basis of pure pity for them, rather than their obedience, relents of judgment. And His judgment of them is paralleled with His having compassion upon them. I don't wish to imply that convicted sinners are just waved through into the Kingdom because God feels sorry for people in the misery of their gnashing of teeth. But all the same, we must give the argument here its full wonderful weight. God’s judgment is His compassion. And He will show that compassion on the basis of pure pity rather than obedience.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He will say, Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Yahweh was the rock of Israel, but it seems just as they sacrificed to Yahweh so they did to idols (:38); as they called Him their rock and refuge, so they did the idols. This verse explains the pity and compassion God will show to His condemned people (:37). He will look back, from that point of final judgment, to how all their lovers and gods had not helped them. And this only elicits His final compassion to them rather than solely His wrath. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>which ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you! Let them be your protection- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>They offered the best of their sacrifices, the fat, to their idols. They are bidden now call upon all the things they have previously trusted in, be it missile systems or religion, and finally realize that in Yahweh and His Son alone can be their salvation. Those things are now effectively dead, and will not "rise up" in resurrection; for Yahweh alone is the God of resurrection. "Protection" is s.w. "hiding place". It is Messiah, the Lord Jesus, who will be Israel's latter day "covert (s.w.) from the tempest" of the invaders (<em><a href='B:290 32:2'>Isa 32:2</a></em>). See on :43. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>See now that I, even I, am He. There is no god with Me. I kill and I make alive. I wound and I heal. There is no one who can deliver out of My hand- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The force of "See now" is that this is God speaking to Israel in their latter day condemnation (:36 = <em><a href='B:650 10:20'>Heb 10:20</a></em>), giving them the one last desperate chance which a remnant will accept. They are bidden accept Yahweh for the "I am" which He uniquely is, and finally quit idolatry and all other gods for all time. They are to recognize that He has slain them and can alone make alive; and <em><a href='B:330 37:1-28'>Eze 37:1-28</a></em> speaks of Israel's national death and resurrection.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For I lift up My hand to heaven and say, as surely as I live forever- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This is God’s final oath that finally, judgment will not be further delayed and is about to fall (:41). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>if I whet My glittering sword and My hand takes hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to My adversaries and will punish those who hate Me- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "I will sharpen my sword like lightning". As explained above, these things will come to full term in the very last days, when finally judgment will no longer be endlessly delayed, but Yahweh's sword will fall in judgment, He will take hold upon judgment and fulfil it.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I will make My arrows drunk with blood. My sword shall devour flesh with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the head of the leaders of the enemy- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This devouring of the flesh of the slain enemies of Israel is specifically applied to the last days in <em><a class='bible' href='#b66:19:18'>Rev 19:18</a></em>; <em><a class='bible' href='#b66:19:21'>Rev 19:21</a></em>. "The head" is Hebrew <em>rosh</em> and may refer to the latter day <em>rosh</em> which invades Israel and is destroyed in <em><a href='B:330 38:1-23'>Eze 38:1-23</a></em>. The destruction of <em>rosh</em> in <em><a href='B:330 39:1-29'>Eze 39:1-29</a></em> is described in similar terms as used here.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Rejoice, you nations, with His people, for He will avenge the blood of His servants. He will take vengeance on His adversaries and will make expiation for His land, for His people- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "Rejoice, ye heavens, with him, and let all the angels of God worship him; rejoice ye Gentiles, with his people, and let all the sons of God strengthen themselves in him". These words are interpreted in the New Testament as referring to the Lord Jesus being worshipped by the Angels when He is brought into the world at His second coming (<em><a href='B:650 1:6'>Heb 1:6</a></em>); and the Gentiles rejoicing with Israel in Jesus as Christ (<em><a href='B:520 15:10'>Rom 15:10</a></em>). The Messiah Jesus is in view as the final salvation for Israel (see on :38). But salvation in Him will be predicated upon Israel's final repentance and turning to Him whom they once slew. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he and Joshua the son of Nun- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This exactly corresponds to the command "write ye", you plural (<em><a href='B:50 31:9'>Deu 31:9</a></em>). Joshua was to assist Moses in doing this and he did so. We marvel at the internal correspondence within the Biblical record, which to me is the most powerful evidence of its Divine inspiration.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses, perhaps on the very last day of his life, assembled all Israel by their tribes, and with a voice no doubt cracking with emotion, <em>pleaded </em>with them to understand that <em>there's nothing like the God of Israel and His Truth</em>, and it must therefore be at the very centre, at the very <em>core</em>,&nbsp;of a man's soul: "There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun...who is like unto thee, O people saved by Yahweh... Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day... for it is not a vain thing for you; <em>because it is your life</em>" (<em><a href='B:50 33:27-28'>Deu 33:27-28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:46-47'>Deu 32:46-47</a></em>). "The love of Christ constrains us".</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>he said to them, Set your heart to all the words which I testify to you this day, which you must command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The word so often used for "keeping" / "diligently observing" Yahweh's commandments is from the word meaning a thorn hedge; the idea originally was to hedge in. Taking this too literally led Judaism to all their endless fences around the law, i.e. forbidding this or that because it might lead to doing that or this, which in turn would then lead to breaking an actual commandment. And those various fences become elevated to the level of commandments. But this is not the idea. We are indeed to hedge ourselves in ("take heed to yourself", <em><a href='B:50 11:16'>Deu 11:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:13'>Deu 12:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:19'>Deu 12:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:30'>Deu 12:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:32'>Deu 12:32</a></em> s.w.), so that we may keep / hedge ourselves in to keep the commandments of God (<em><a href='B:30 18:4-5'>Lev 18:4-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:26'>Lev 18:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:30'>Lev 18:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:19'>Lev 19:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:37'>Lev 19:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:8'>Lev 20:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:22'>Lev 20:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:9'>Lev 22:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:31'>Lev 22:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 25:18'>Lev 25:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:3'>Lev 26:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 28:2'>Num 28:2</a></em>;&nbsp;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:50 7:11-12'>Deu 7:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:1'>Deu 8:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:11'>Deu 8:11</a></em> (s.w. "beware"); 10:13; 11:1,8,22,32; 12:1; 13:4,18; 15:5,9 ("beware"); 17:19; 19:9; 23:9 ("keep yourself"); 24:8; 26:16-18; 27:1; 28:1,9,13; 29:9; 30:10,16; 31:12; 32:46). And without falling into the legalism of Judaism, self discipline does require a degree of fencing ourselves in to the one way. Thus the man struggling with alcoholism avoids the supermarket where alcohol is pushed in front of the eyes of the shoppers; the married woman struggling with attraction to another man makes little laws for herself about avoiding his company. And if we do this, then the Lord will "keep" us, will hedge us in to keeping His way (s.w. <em><a href='B:40 6:24'>Num 6:24</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For it is no vain thing for you, because it is your life- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Enter into the <em>passion</em> of it all. The man who was willing to give his eternal life for them, about to die for the sake of their provocation- singing a final song to them, giving a final speech, which showed that he knew perfectly well that they would turn away from what he was trying to do for them, and therefore the majority of them would not be saved. As he came to the end of his speech, he seems to have sensed they didn’t grasp the reality of it all: “It is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life” (<em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>); and thus his speech rises to a crescendo of intensity of pleading with them, after the pattern of the Lord.&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The idea of not taking Yahweh's Name "in vain", 'vanity' (<em><a href='B:20 20:7'>Exo 20:7</a></em>), is often associated with idolatry. Israel never formerly rejected Yahweh, and never became atheists. They mixed Yahweh worship with idolatry on the basis that they claimed that they worshipped Yahweh through worshipping the idols. This is what emboldened them to later place idols in Yahweh's temple. They were taking Yahweh's Name as a form of vanity, "in vain", a kind of idol. Thus their relationship with Yahweh was not to be a "vain thing" (<em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And through this you shall prolong your days in the land, where you go over the Jordan to possess it- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Drive out" is s.w. "possess". We must note the difference between the&nbsp; Canaanite peoples and their kings being "struck" and their land "taken" by Joshua-Jesus; and the people of Israel permanently taking possession. This is the difference between the Lord's victory on the cross, and our taking possession of the Kingdom. Even though that possession has been "given" to us. The word used for "possession" is literally 'an inheritance'. The allusion is to the people, like us, being the seed of Abraham. The Kingdom was and is our possession, our inheritance- if we walk in the steps of Abraham. But it is one thing to be the seed of Abraham, another to take possession of the inheritance; and Israel generally did not take possession of all the land (<em><a href='B:60 11:23'>Jos 11:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 13:1'>Jos 13:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 16:10'>Jos 16:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 18:3'>Jos 18:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:4'>Jos 23:4</a></em>). The language of inheritance / possession is applied to us in the New Testament (<em><a href='B:560 1:11'>Eph 1:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:14'>Eph 1:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 3:24'>Col 3:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 20:32'>Act 20:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 26:18'>Act 26:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 1:4'>1Pe 1:4</a></em> etc.). Israel were promised: "You shall possess it" (<em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:23'>Deu 33:23</a></em>). This was more of a command than a prophecy, for sadly they were "given" the land but did not "possess" it. They were constantly encouraged in the wilderness that they were on the path to possessing the land (<em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:18'>Deu 30:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:3'>Deu 31:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:13'>Deu 31:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>), but when they got there they didn’t possess it fully. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh spoke to Moses that same day saying- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We note the continual emphasis upon "the same day" and "this day..." throughout Deuteronomy. A fair case could be made that all this happened on the last day of Moses' life; an intense final day of a very busy life. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Go up into this mountain of Abarim, to Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab that is opposite Jericho, and see the land of Canaan which I give to the children of Israel for a possession- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses seeing the Kingdom but being unable to enter it, nor himself lead God’s people into it, points forward to how the law of Moses gave a vision of the Kingdom, but was unable to bring us into it. That required the work of Joshua / Jesus. "Abarim" means 'the regions beyond'. Moses and his law gave an insight into the Kingdom, the region beyond him. For the culture of grace and kindness, centered around the sacrificed future Messiah, the Lord Jesus, was the outcome of the law. But it was unattainable by weak men.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Die on the mountain and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses being gathered to his people by an Angel (<em><a href='B:50 32:50'>Deu 32:50</a></em>) may also refer to his spirit / Angel returning to where the guardian Angels of his ancestors were. This solves the considerable difficulty of his ancestors being physically dead and decayed, and being buried in a different place from where Moses died. LXX "be added to thy people" suggests God keeps a record of all Israel. The command to die suggests Moses was being asked to be willingly complicent with the idea of his death, just as Isaac was, and as the Lord Jesus was.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>In those hours as Moses stood there saying those words of Deuteronomy, and then as he sung that song of Moses to them of <em><a href='B:50 32:1-52'>Deu 32:1-52</a></em>, I think we see Moses at his finest. His voice would have been that of a young man, and yet with all the passion of meaning of his 120 years. And then he blesses those assembled tribes, the <em>love</em> of that man for Israel flowing out, with that same wondrous voice. "Yea, he <em>loved </em>the people". And then, no doubt with a lump in his throat, swallowing back the tears, he turned and walked away, up that mountain, higher and higher, with the blue mountains of Moab shimmering in the distance. "That selfsame day" Moses spoke Deuteronomy, God commanded him: "Get thee up into this mountain... and behold the land... and die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people" (<em><a href='B:50 32:50'>Deu 32:50</a></em>). Like the Lord Jesus, he received a commandment to die (<em><a href='B:500 10:18'>Joh 10:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 14:31'>Joh 14:31</a></em>), and yet he presumably did not know how to consciously fulfil it according to his own actions. He climbed the mountain alone, that same day he spoke Deuteronomy. Presumably he spoke Deuteronomy in the morning, sung the song of Moses, and then "that selfsame day" died. It would have taken him time to climb the mountain, to be met at the top by the Angel, who then showed him the land, kissed him (see later) and buried him. Presumably he died late in the day, watching the sun setting over the promised land-&nbsp; perhaps at the same hour Jesus died. The pathos of the scene is wondrous, the Song of Moses as it were can be heard still echoing. Yet in the sadness of it all, we see&nbsp; prefigured the death of Christ for us. It was for their sakes that Moses didn’t enter the land, remember. That is the emphasis the Spirit gives. As he climbed, for it would have taken a while, perhaps he thought back to those years in Egypt, the struggle of his soul in those years. You may think I'm being over emotional, but it seems to me as he climbed he would have thought back to his dear mum to whom he owed his relationship with God, the mother he'd doubtless disowned for forty years, admitting that he was the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He would have reflected how at age 40 he was honest with himself, how he told the world who his real mother was (probably, tragically enough, after her death, sad that her son seemed to have rejected her for the pleasures of Egypt), how he had refused to be called any longer the son of Pharaoh's daughter. I mean, if we had say 24 hours to live, and we were told to go for a walk before we died, I guess we'd think back to our childhood for at least a moment, wouldn't we. And he was a man, just like you and me, with all a man's feelings, all a man's memories, all a man's humanity. I believe, although I can't prove it, that he wept all the way to the top, climbing farther and farther away from the people he loved, knowing that the majority simply didn’t understand him and what he had suffered for them. And perhaps as he sung the song of Moses, he thought back to those weak years in Midian, to Zipporah, to the arguments with her, to the pain of the divorce, to the Ethiopian woman, to the long lonely days with the animals. And then to the wonder of the Red Sea, to the nervousness of meeting the Angel, to the joy of that communion in another mountain. He knew that Angel well, they spoke face to face as men who are friends speak to each other (<em><a href='B:20 33:11'>Exo 33:11</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>because you trespassed against Me in the midst of the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah of Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because you didn’t sanctify Me in the midst of the children of Israel-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses truly was made spiritually strong out of weakness. His faith fluctuated, until at last he came to a spiritual height at the end of his life. We have seen something of the intensity and passion of his love for Israel, to the point where he was willing to give his physical and eternal life for Israel's salvation. In a sense, his desire was heard. Because of the sin of a moment, caused by the provocation of the people he loved, God decreed that he could not enter the land of promise. For their sakes he was barred from the land; this is the emphasis of the Spirit (<em><a href='B:50 1:37'>Deu 1:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 3:26'>Deu 3:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:21'>Deu 4:21</a></em>); and <em><a href='B:230 106:32-33'>Psa 106:32-33</a></em> says that Moses was provoked to sin because Israel angered God, and that therefore "it went ill with Moses for their sakes". Truly, God works through sinful man to achieve His glory. <em><a href='B:330 20:38'>Eze 20:38</a></em> says that the rebels in the wilderness “shall not enter into the land”, with reference to how when Moses called the people “rebels” and beat the rock, he was disallowed entry into the land. Because he called them rebels, i.e. unworthy of entry to the Kingdom, he also was treated as a rebel. If we condemn others, we likewise will be condemned. On another level, he was simply barred for disobedience; and on yet another, his prayer to the effect that he didn’t want to be in the land if his people weren’t going to be there was being answered; and on yet another and higher level, his offer to be blotted out of the book of inheritance for Israel’s sake was also being heard. Thus God works within the same incident in so many ways! Thus Moses says that he must die “Because ye (plural) trespassed against me” (<em><a href='B:50 32:51'>Deu 32:51</a></em> AV). This all helps explain why Christ had to die, apart from the fact that he was mortal. He died the death of a sinner for our salvation, he felt all the emotions of the rejected, the full weight of God’s curse; for "cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" in crucifixion (<em><a href='B:550 3:13'>Gal 3:13</a></em>). Moses was a superb and accurate type of the Lord Jesus. Therefore Moses in his time of dying must grant us insight into the death of our Lord, the prophet like him (<em><a href='B:50 18:18'>Deu 18:18</a></em>). See on :3.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there into the land which I give the children of Israel- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This is laboured by God so many times. Moses had carefully omitted the reason why he could not enter the land when explaining it to Israel. He was now reminded of it; for God wanted him to die not in denial of his sin, but fully recognizing it. And He works likewise in our lives, leading us to a crescendo of humility by the time we die.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Man of God" refers to a prophet (<em><a href='B:90 9:6'>1Sa 9:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:110 12:22'>1Ki 12:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:110 13:14'>1Ki 13:14</a></em> etc.). What Moses now says is presented as reported speech directly inspired by God, presumably written down by Joshua after Moses' death.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He said, Yahweh came from Sinai and rose from Seir to them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Most Rabbis are insistent that the Hebrew for "came from Sinai" effectively means "came down upon", referring to God’s manifestation upon Sinai. The idea of John Thomas was that this verse refers to a 'march of the rainbowed Angel', the saved believers, from the judgment seat in Sinai, from whence they march to destroy various European nations in Israel. There are multiple problems with this view, not least that Moses here is recalling an incident in the past, when Yahweh "came" upon or from Sinai. Surely the theophany on Sinai is in view, perhaps the idea being that the Angels who 'came down' then continued to march with Israel through the wilderness. "Rose from Seir" uses the word for the rising of the sun; therefore He "shone forth" from Paran. It was as if the sun was arising on a new day; but Israel turned away from entering the Kingdom, even though it was made possible for them.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He shone forth from Mount Paran- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The significance of this is in that this was from where the 12 spies set out from in their faithless exploration of Canaan (<em><a href='B:40 13:3'>Num 13:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 13:26'>Num 13:26</a></em>). They failed to walk in step with the Spirit. There were ten thousands of Angels going with them in glory in order to give them the Kingdom, but they were faithless and turned back.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He came with ten thousands of holy ones. At His right hand was a fiery law for them-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Deborah alludes to this verse in saying that she has experienced the same in the victory over Sisera (<em><a href='B:70 5:4-5'>Jdg 5:4-5</a></em>). She feels as if she sees and feels "this Sinai" shaking, as if Deborah felt herself back there standing before Sinai witnessing the great theophany there, in that she has seen it before her eyes, as it were, in what God has now done in giving her victory against Sisera. This is the power of Biblical history. There is a living word which continues to speak to us; the historical victories of God are replicated, in essence, in our own experiences. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:50 33:2-3'>Deu 33:2-3</a></em> RVmg. bring out the solidarity between the Angels and Israel by describing them both as thousands of saints / holy ones. It would appear that all the people of Israel had a guardian Angel- this seems to be implied by <em><a href='B:20 7:4'>Exo 7:4</a></em> "(I will) bring forth Mine armies (of Angels), and My people the children of Israel", implying that there were two armies leaving Egypt- one of Angels, another of their charges. Thus we read in <em><a href='B:20 12:41'>Exo 12:41</a></em> "it came to pass that <em>all</em> the hosts of the LORD (a phrase often used about the Angels- but here concerning the Israelites too) went out from the land of Egypt". In the same way as the Angels were especially Israel's guardians in guiding them out of Egypt, it may be that the Angels minister in a guardian capacity to us especially in leading us out of the world to baptism (cp. the Red Sea). <em><a href='B:650 1:14'>Heb 1:14</a></em> offers tentative support in that the Angels are said to "minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation". At baptism we become heirs of salvation (<em><a href='B:520 4:13'>Rom 4:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:550 3:27-29'>Gal 3:27-29</a></em>)- those who "shall be heirs" are those as yet outside the promises of salvation. Confirmation of all this is provided by a careful reading of <em><a href='B:50 33:2-3'>Deu 33:2-3</a></em>. This describes God coming "unto them" (Israel) "with ten thousands of saints"- i.e. Angels- and giving them "a fiery Law". The next verse records: "Yea, He loved the people; all His saints are in Thy Hand (Angelic language)... every one shall receive of Thy words". Here the saints appear to be the people, thus showing that God’s love to Israel was shown by each of them having an Angel (thousands of saints for thousands of people), who individually taught them the word of God, albeit all at the same time. The Angels in the court of Heaven are watching us, almost with baited breath. We are made a theatre unto the Angels, as if they are in the audience as we act out our lives (<em><a href='B:530 4:9'>1Co 4:9</a></em> RVmg.).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yes, He loved the people- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "And he spared his people" could refer to God’s sparing of the people after they declined to enter the Kingdom (see on :2), or the reference may be to how Moses spared the people through the love of his intercession and self sacrifice. This simple clause is one of the few which state so baldly the sublime truth- that God loves His people. But we could also read this as a parenthesis, added by the Divine inspiration of the editor of Deuteronomy, simply stating that Moses loved the people. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The word of his God was in Moses' heart, as he stood there before Israel, that people whom he loved, those for whom he wished to make atonement with his own life, even his eternal life. "Yes, he loved the people" is the Spirit's comment (<em><a href='B:50 33:3'>Deu 33:3</a></em> - the "he" in the context seems to be Moses). It could only be the Spirit which would write so concisely. "Yea, he loved the people... they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words". And then he pours out his heart to them, he reels off what we have as the book of Deuteronomy, written at the end point of the spiritual growth of Moses. But in reality that was the outpouring of his heart, pleading with Israel to be faithful to the covenant, encouraging them to be aware of their weakness,&nbsp; encouraging them to go forward and inherit the Kingdom. In those hours as he stood there saying those words, and then he sung that song to them of <em><a href='B:50 32:1-52'>Deu 32:1-52</a></em>, I think we see Moses at his finest. And then he blesses those assembled tribes, the <em>love</em> of that man for Israel flowing out, and then, no doubt with a lump in his throat, swallowing back the tears, he turned and walked away, up that mountain, higher and higher, with the blue mountains of Moab shimmering in the distance. Even before that, surely his voice had faltered, even broken down, when he spoke to them of the tragedy of their future apostasy, of how the gentle and sensitive woman among them would eat her own children. And how the days would come when they would awake in the morning and say ‘Would God it were evening’. As he foresaw in essence the horrors of the Nazi camps, and of so much else… he could only have said those words with tears and passion. For “he loved the people”. If ever there was an understatement…</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The pathos of the scene is wondrous. Yet in the sadness of it all, we see&nbsp; a type, more than a type, a superb image, of the death of Christ for us. It was for their sakes that Moses didn’t enter the land, remember. That is the emphasis the Spirit gives. As he climbed, for it would have taken a while, perhaps he thought back to those years in Egypt, the struggle of his soul in those years. You may think I'm being over emotional, but it seems to me as he climbed he would have thought back to his dear mum to whom he owed his relationship with God, the mother he'd doubtless disowned for forty years, claiming that he was the son of Pharaoh's daughter; until at age 40 he was honest with himself, he told the world who his real mother was, he refused to be called any longer the son of Pharaoh's daughter. I mean, if we had say 24 hours to live, and we were told to go for a walk before we died, I guess we'd think back to our childhood for at least a moment, wouldn't we. And he was a man, just like any of us.&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>And perhaps he thought back to those weak years in Midian, to Zipporah, to the long lonely days with the animals. And then to the wonder of the Red Sea, to the nervousness of meeting the Angel, to the joy of that communion in another mountain. He knew that Angel well, they spoke face to face as men who are friends speak to each other (<em><a href='B:20 33:11'>Exo 33:11</a></em>). How fitting that at the top, he met that Angel again. The same love, the same open-faced friendship would have been there. The Angel showed him the Kingdom, opening his eyes to see to the very boundaries of the land. And then he buried him, laying him in the grave in hope of better days, when Christ would come and raise his people, when God’s people would at last be obedient. What an end. Out of weakness, such weakness, he was made strong. His temperamental faith, with its flashes of devotion, turned into a solid rock, a real ongoing relationship with a loving Father. <em>Every one</em> of his human relationships had failed: with his brother and sister, with his wife, with his people. But finally that lonely man found his rest in Yahweh, Israel's God, he came to know Him as his friend and saviour. No wonder he is held up, by way of allusion throughout the New Testament, as our example.</p>&nbsp;<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>All His saints are in Your hand. They sat down at Your feet; each receives Your words-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "all his sanctified ones are under thy hands; and they are under thee; and he received of his words". This initially speaks of how Moses received God’s words and shared them with Israel, who were placed in his hand. But it all looks forward to the Lord Jesus. The Lord told the Father that He had given the disciples His words, “and they have received them” (<em><a href='B:500 17:8'>Joh 17:8</a></em>). This is evident allusion to the editorial comment in <em><a href='B:50 33:3'>Deu 33:3</a></em> about how all Israel received God’s words through Moses. Likewise “I manifested Your name… they have kept Your word” (<em><a href='B:500 17:6'>Joh 17:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 17:26'>Joh 17:26</a></em>) = “I will proclaim the name of the Lord… they have observed thy word” (<em><a href='B:50 32:3'>Deu 32:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:9'>Deu 33:9</a></em>). One marvels at the way the Lord’s mind linked together so much Scripture in the artless, seamless way in which He did. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It might help if we try to visualize the practical benefits of keeping the laws. "In keeping of them is great reward", David commented (<em><a href='B:230 19:11'>Psa 19:11</a></em>). Moses likewise: "The Lord commanded us to do all these statutes... <em>for our good always</em>" (<em><a href='B:50 6:24'>Deu 6:24</a></em>)- not for their irritation, or as a pointless test of obedience. Perhaps this is why the giving of the Law is described as an expression of God’s <em>love</em> for Israel (<em><a href='B:50 33:2-4'>Deu 33:2-4</a></em>). It was the loving marriage contract between God and Israel. We must see the keeping of the law by the faithful Israelite as being done within a certain spiritual atmosphere. It would have been impossible to keep all those laws from a series of deliberate acts of the will. The truly obedient Israelite would have developed a way of life and thinking, a culture of kindness to others, which achieved obedience to them. This was surely how Jesus was able to perfectly fulfil the Law. "If a man do (the commands) he shall even live in them" (<em><a href='B:30 18:5'>Lev 18:5</a></em>) seems to refer to this atmosphere of obedience.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He was king in Jeshurun when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God imputed righteousness to Israel at this time, seeing them as Jeshurun, the upright one, not perceiving iniquity in Israel (<em><a href='B:40 23:21'>Num 23:21</a></em>); because He so loved them. He fell in love with them in the desert. LXX "And he shall be prince with the beloved one, when the princes of the people are gathered together with the tribes of Israel". The thought in this case would be looking ahead to Messiah as the beloved one.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Let Reuben live, and not die, nor let his men be few-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Reuben was the firstborn but was demoted because of his sin. But he is mentioned here in first place. The request for him not to die, and to not have few descendants, may be a statement to the effect that Moses wished that the effect of all curses for disobedience would finally be removed. And that only will come true in the Kingdom of God when the Lord Jesus returns. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>At this point we would expect Simeon to be blessed, but he is apparently omitted. Although the Alexandrian LXX renders the last part of this verse as "Let Simeon be very numerous". At the census taken when they left Egypt, Simeon numbered 59,300, but only 22,000 at the census taken at the end of the wanderings. So Moses may therefore be wishing that Simeon would stop declining and grow. But we note that there are at least 24 lists of the 12 sons of Jacob / tribes of Israel. And they each slightly differ. The names are in different orders, and some are omitted- e.g. Levi is sometimes omitted, or the two sons of Joseph are sometimes listed, and sometimes not. Simeon and Levi were cursed because of how they had treated the Hivites (<em><a href='B:10 49:5-7'>Gen 49:5-7</a></em>). Levi had no allocation of land, and Simeon's small portion was carved out of that of Judah (<em><a href='B:60 19:1-9'>Jos 19:1-9</a></em>). Yet Levi were somehow justified because they had not allowed their cursed state to stop them serving Yahweh (<em><a href='B:50 33:8-11'>Deu 33:8-11</a></em>), whereas Simeon perhaps wallowed in his curse and didn’t seek to rise above it. </p>&nbsp;<p style='margin-left:1em'><em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>This is for Judah. He said Hear, Yahweh, the voice of Judah- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The implication was that Judah would be an intercessor with God who would be heard as Moses had been. And clearly the reference ultimately was to the Lord Jesus. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Bring him in to his people- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This could be read as a desire for the coming of this Messianic intercessor from the tribe of Judah.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>With his hands he contended for himself- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The idea is as in AV that his hands would be made strong, just as the hand of Joseph's were (<em><a href='B:10 49:24'>Gen 49:24</a></em> - another type of Christ). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall be a help against his adversaries- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Messianic intercessor descendant of Judah was clearly to be strengthened for his task by Yahweh, just as happened with the Lord Jesus (<em><a href='B:230 80:17'>Psa 80:17</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Of Levi he said- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Again we note that this is reported speech, written up under inspiration presumably by Joshua.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Your Thummim and your Urim are with your holy one whom You proved at Massah, with whom You strove at the waters of Meribah- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "whom they tempted in the temptation; they reviled him at the water of strife". It was this provocation which led Aaron to sin by striking the rock rather than speaking to it. Yet despite that sin, the Urim and Thummim remained on Aaron. They were the two stones on the breastplate which flashed out yes / no responses to prayers and questions. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Holy one" is 'consecrated one'. The Levites were consecrated in God’s eyes by their zeal (motivated by the word) to rid Israel of apostacy; this is what constituted them Yahweh's "holy (sanctified) one" (<em><a href='B:50 33:8-9'>Deu 33:8-9</a></em>). The Lord alludes to this: "Sanctify them through (i.e. through obedience to) Your word" (<em><a href='B:500 17:17'>Joh 17:17</a></em>), as the Levites were sanctified (<em><a href='B:130 23:13'>1Ch 23:13</a></em> Heb.). Through His allusions to this, the Lord Jesus was telling the disciples not to be frightened to stand alone from the community they knew and respected.</p><p>But the allusion may be to the waters of Massah and Meribah in Ex. 17. We learn from Dt. 33:8-11 that in some way at this time, some of the tribe of Levi showed themselves faithful to God, whilst others didn't, and the faithful Levites opposed the unfaithful ones- although this isn't here recorded. This kind of faithfulness was shown again at the time of the golden calf, and therefore the system of the firstborn being priests was changed so that the tribe of Levi became the source of the priests. Priesthood was therefore given on the basis of qualification, and Levi's behaviour at this point was one of those qualifications: "Of Levi he said, Your Thummim and your Urim are with your holy one [the faithful Levites] whom You proved at Massah, with whom You strove [the unfaithful Levites] at the waters of Meribah; who said of his father and of his mother, ‘I have not seen him’. Neither did he acknowledge his brothers, nor did he know his own children; for they have observed Your word and keep Your covenant. They shall teach Jacob Your ordinances, and Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You and whole burnt offering on Your altar".</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>who said of his father and of his mother, ‘I have not seen him’. Neither did he acknowledge his brothers, nor did he know his own children; for they have observed Your word and keep Your covenant-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The loyal Levites were asked to kill their own brothers and neighbours in their tribal encampment area (<em><a href='B:20 32:27'>Exo 32:27</a></em>). The 3000 may have been the apostate amongst the tribe of Levi (<em><a href='B:20 32:28'>Exo 32:28</a></em>). So we are wrong to think that all the Levites were loyal to Moses and spurned the golden calf. Indeed it could be that those slain were the unfaithful amongst the tribe of Levi.<em></em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"The men which You gave me out of the (Jewish) world... they have kept Your word" (<em><a href='B:500 17:6'>Joh 17:6</a></em>) compares with the faithful Levites being "given" to Aaron / the priesthood out of Israel (<em><a href='B:40 3:9'>Num 3:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 8:19'>Num 8:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 18:6'>Num 18:6</a></em>); at the time of the golden calf they "observed Your word, and kept Your covenant" (<em><a href='B:50 33:9'>Deu 33:9</a></em>), as did the disciples. The relationship between Moses and the Levites was therefore that between Christ and the disciples- a sense of thankfulness that at least a minority were faithful. See on <em><a href='B:500 17:6'>Joh 17:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 17:17'>Joh 17:17</a></em>. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>These words are alluded to by the Lord Jesus in explaining why He felt closer to those who listened to His word than to His natural family (<em><a href='B:480 3:21'>Mar 3:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:480 3:31-35'>Mar 3:31-35</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 12:46-50'>Mat 12:46-50</a></em>). He read these same words that we do. To feel this closely to those who are, like us, God’s spiritual children, can seem an impossible challenge at times; especially in family-based societies where life is one endless social club.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>They shall teach Jacob Your ordinances, and Israel Your law- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"They shall..." was a command more than a predictive prophecy. Much which appears to be prophecy, such as the passage about the rebuilding of the temple at the restoration in <em><a href='B:330 40:1-49'>Eze 40:1-49</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 41:1-26'>Eze 41:1-26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 42:1-20'>Eze 42:1-20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 43:1-27'>Eze 43:1-27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 44:1-31'>Eze 44:1-31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 45:1-25'>Eze 45:1-25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 46:1-24'>Eze 46:1-24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 47:1-23'>Eze 47:1-23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 48:1-35'>Eze 48:1-35</a></em>, is command more than prediction. For the priesthood failed to teach Israel as here envisioned. See on :11.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>They shall put incense before You and whole burnt offering on Your altar- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "they shall place incense in the time of thy wrath continually upon thine altar". The idea, as in :7, is that just as Moses and Aaron had saved Israel by their intercession, so the future descendant of Judah and Levi would do so. And the ultimate fulfilment is in the Lord Jesus. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Revelation describes Angels rushing in response to human prayers, vials of judgment being poured out on earth as a result of the incense of prayer accumulating...this is the power of prayer. If prayer is like incense, we must give <em><a href='B:50 33:10'>Deu 33:10</a></em> RVmg. its full weight- that incense would come up "in your nostrils". This is how intimately we are invited to see our prayers being received by God; this is the power of prayer. The golden vials full of prayers of <em><a class='bible' href='#b66:5:8'>Rev 5:8</a></em> become the vials of judgments which are poured out on the land in <em><a class='bible' href='#b66:8:5'>Rev 8:5</a></em> - so close is the connection between the events that mould history, and the incense of prayer. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh, bless his substance- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This request for material blessing was in the light of the fact they had no land inheritance, and lived on their share of the gifts given to Yahweh. So the fulfilment of this blessing was dependent upon Israel's obedience. See on :10.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Accept the work of his hands- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>That work was intercession for Israel; see on :10.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Strike through the hips of those who rise up against him, of those who hate him, so that they will not rise again- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The reference may be to the rising up against the established priesthood of <em><a href='B:40 16:1-50'>Num 16:1-50</a></em>. But the permanent, final crushing of those who rise up against Levi surely refers to the final latter day destruction of all opposition to the ultimate priest and intercessor, the Lord Jesus. The language is used about opposition to Him (<em><a href='B:230 69:24'>Psa 69:24</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Of Benjamin he said, The beloved of Yahweh shall dwell in safety by Him. He covers him all the day long-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The reference is clearly to the presence of Yahweh dwelling between the cherubim over the ark. The temple was to be built in Benjamin's territory in Jerusalem. But David, a man of Judah, often appropriates this language to himself. For the Psalms speak of him as being covered by the wings of the cherubim, as if he were located on the mercy seat or lid of the ark where the blood of atonement was scattered every year, covered by the wings of God’s cherubic care. "The beloved of Yahweh" was Solomon, so there may be a hint here of the potential possible for Solomon. But he failed, and so the prophecy and potential came fully true in the Lord Jesus. I noted on :5 that the LXX there speaks of Messiah as the beloved of Yahweh, so this may be the reference here too. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He dwells between His shoulders- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This could mean that Yahweh dwelt between the shoulders of Benjamin, just as the breastplate of glory was between the shoulders of the high priest. It would be another indication that the special presence of God in the tabernacle and with the high priest was in essence and spirit possible for all God’s people. This came to full term when the veil was torn down at the Lord's death, and Paul argues that all of us can like the high priest enter into the holiest with the Lord's blood of atonement.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Of Joseph he said, His land is blessed by Yahweh for the precious things of the heavens, for the dew, for the deep that couches beneath- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Ephraim and Manasseh demanded more land at the time of <em><a href='B:60 17:14'>Jos 17:14</a></em>, but their argument was weak because they had been given ample land, but they refused to drive out the Canaanites or clear the forests in it (<em><a href='B:60 17:15'>Jos 17:15</a></em>). They claimed they deserved it because they had been "blessed". By saying this they were twisting scriptures which speak of their blessing (<em><a href='B:10 48:20'>Gen 48:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 49:25-26'>Gen 49:25-26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:13-17'>Deu 33:13-17</a></em>), and therefore demanding more territory which was easier to live in. But the promised "blessing" didn’t require they be given more land, and the other tribes were also "blessed". This is typical of how people take one verse here or there to justify their own secular claims. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The blessing of dew was withdrawn during the three and a half years of Elijah's ministry, as he pleaded with Israel to repent. And so it will happen in the latter day Elijah ministry. Only when Israel repent will these blessings be realized again. God "will not be unto the residue (remnant) of this people as in the former days... the heavens shall (now) give their dew;&nbsp; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things" (<em><a href='B:450 8:10-12'>Zec 8:10-12</a></em>). The dew will come upon the whole land, because only this righteous remnant of Israel will be left alive. We note that dew represents teaching in <em><a href='B:50 32:2'>Deu 32:2</a></em>, and the repentance of Israel and restoration of blessing will be due to their response to the teaching of the Elijah ministry.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>for the precious things of the fruits of the sun, for the precious things of the growth of the moons- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>An allusion to the idea that on each new moon, a different type of fruit tree begins to ripen its fruit. This seems to me an example of where wrong scientific understandings are used without correction. But perhaps <em><a class='bible' href='#b66:22:2'>Rev 22:2</a></em> is the final fulfilment, when the forest of trees of life will bring forth fruits every month, i.e. at the monthly new moons. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>for the chief things of the ancient mountains, for the precious things of the everlasting hills- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "from the top of the ancient mountains, and from the top of the everlasting hills". The idea of abundant fruit (:14) on the very top of huge mountains is the language of the establishment of the Kingdom (<em><a href='B:230 72:16'>Psa 72:16</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>for the precious things of the earth and its fullness, the good will of Him who was manifested in the bush. Let this come on the head of Joseph- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "let the things pleasing to him that dwelt in the bush come on the head of Joseph". The will of the God who appeared to Moses in the burning bush was clearly the salvation of Israel. And that salvation would be associated with abundant fertility of the land in physical terms. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>On the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Just as Levi was separate from his brethren and commended for it (:9), so with Joseph. "Separated" is the word for Nazirite. He was literally 'Nazirited', consecrated, from among his brothers; this could be a reference to how he was the family priest, wearing the coat of many colours; and how he was clearly consecrated by God as well to be the family's saviour. Joseph's separation from his brethren, by their choice, was what separated him unto the things of God. And in so many lives, separation from the community of brethren, by their choice rather than pushing off in a huff from them, is what brings a person to special service toward God. And enables them to thereby save their brethren. Job would be a classic example, coming to full term in the Lord Jesus (<em><a href='B:650 7:26'>Heb 7:26</a></em>), who was separated from and by sinners that He might save sinners. See on :24.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>The firstborn of his herd, majesty is his. His horns are the horns of the wild ox; with them he shall push all the peoples to the ends of the land- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The idea may be that God would have potentially enabled Ephraim and Manasseh to do the bulk of the work in driving out the tribes. But half of Manasseh wanted to remain beyond Jordan, and there is no evidence they lived up to this potential at the time of the conquest. Just as so many are given the potential power to inherit the Kingdom, but refuse to use it. Moses ‘prophesied’ that Ephraim would “push the people (Gentile inhabitants of the land) together to the ends of the earth / land” (<em><a href='B:50 33:17'>Deu 33:17</a></em>). And yet <em><a href='B:350 7:8'>Hos 7:8</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:230 106:34-36'>Psa 106:34-36</a></em> criticize Ephraim for <em>failing</em> to push the people out of the land. Moses’ prophecies about the tribes sound like predictions; but they were actually commands which those tribes had the freewill to obey or not.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>They are the ten thousands of Ephraim; they are the thousands of Manasseh-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:10 48:5'>Gen 48:5</a></em>. The way Jacob insisted on blessing Ephraim as the firstborn seems to show some kind of favouritism and a desire to see his grandson living out his own experience, i.e. the younger son who fought his way up and received the blessings as opposed to the rightful heir. Ephraim becomes a code-name for apostate Israel throughout the prophets. And yet God accepted Jacob's preferential blessing of Ephraim and repeated this in <em><a href='B:50 33:17'>Deu 33:17</a></em>.&nbsp;Jacob foresaw how Simeon and Levi would be especially responsible for 'houghing the ox' (<em><a href='B:10 49:6'>Gen 49:6</a></em> RV), or bullock (Concordant Version), i.e. Christ (<em><a href='B:50 33:17'>Deu 33:17</a></em> RV), the bullock of the sin offering (<em><a href='B:650 13:11-13'>Heb 13:11-13</a></em>). <em><a href='B:10 49:6'>Gen 49:6</a></em> can also be rendered, with evident Messianic reference, 'murdering the prince' (<em><a href='B:10 49:6'>Gen 49:6</a></em> Adam Clarke's Translation). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The idea was that Zebulun would be blessed in her voyages by sea, in line with the blessing of <em><a href='B:10 49:13'>Gen 49:13</a></em> "Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon". But this didn’t happen. Zebulun was to dwell along the sea coast (LXX), where ships unload (a "haven"), "beside the sea" (GNB), until Sidon. But this wasn't the case. The canton of Zebulun even in Ezekiel's prophecy of the restored Kingdom was to be nowhere near Sidon, and Zebulun never had a border unto Sidon. According to Josephus (Ant. 19:10,16), Zebulun was never even bounded by the sea, being cut off by Asher. So again we see a case of a potential Kingdom blessing which was never realized. And this must be the great tragedy for God, to see so much potential wasted in so many lives. What joy for Him when we at least seek to fulfil those potentials He has given us.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And Issachar, in your tents- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Issachar was to have prosperous harvests so that they rejoiced in their homes ("tents", <em><a href='B:50 16:7'>Deu 16:7</a></em>). The contrast is with how Zebulun were intended to "go out" in trading and be blessed, and Issachar likewise in their more localized activities. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>They shall call the peoples to the mountain. There they will offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they shall draw out the abundance of the seas, the hidden treasures of the sand- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The idea is that they would invite the Gentiles to the mountain of God’s inheritance, His Kingdom established in the land (<em><a href='B:20 15:17'>Exo 15:17</a></em>). And the grateful Gentiles would bring their offerings and gifts to the land in response. Hence LXX "for the wealth of the sea shall suckle thee, and so shall the marts of them that dwell by the sea-coast". This is all the language of the restored Kingdom of God in Israel (<em><a href='B:290 60:5-6'>Isa 60:5-6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 60:16'>Isa 60:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 66:11-12'>Isa 66:11-12</a></em>). The nations of the world were imagined as arriving at the sea ports in their territory. But instead, Israel retreated into mere religion rather than spirituality, and were not a light to the Gentile world as intended. Indeed instead of restoring the Kingdom as intended in those Isaiah passages, they instead became elitist and xenophobic towards Gentiles. And so the new Israel must learn from this.&nbsp;</p><p>The calling of 10000 men of Naphtali and Zebulon to Mount Tabor by Barak and Deborah surely was some fulfilment of the otherwise enigmatic Dt. 33:19: "They shall call the peoples to the mountain. There they will offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they shall draw out the abundance of the seas". This prophecy has as context "the ten thousands of Ephraim; they are the thousands of Manasseh" (Dt. 33:17). The impression is given there that they would offer sacrifice there on "the mountain" and share the spoil of "the seas" [nations], and possibly this happened as Deborah sung the song of Jud. 5. The people of Ephraim and Manasseh are first in the list mentioned in Jud. 5 as those who supported the thousands of Zebulon and Naphtali, and who assembled to the mountain of Tabor. Asher and Dan are criticized in Jud. 5 for not assembling to Tabor because they were too concerned with their business in their ports on the coast. But Dt. 33:19 LXX promises blessing to Zebulon and Naphtlai from the coast: "For the wealth of the sea shall suckle thee, and so shall the marts of them that dwell by the sea-coast". </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Of Gad he said, He who enlarges Gad is blessed- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>If Israel had been obedient, their borders could have been enlarged (<em><a href='B:50 12:2'>Deu 12:2</a></em>). It seems God would have done this especially for Gad, even for the sake of one faithful man. Yet there’s no evidence it ever happened; another potential set up which was left unfulfilled because of the chronic lack of vision and satisfied-with-what-I-have attitude of God’s people. Who knows the height and depth, length and breadth of what could have been for God’s people? And the same is true for us today. According to Israel’s perception of the land, so it was defined for them. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He dwells as a lioness and tears the arm, yes the crown of the head-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "as a lion he rested, having broken the arm and the ruler". The reference may specifically be to the destruction of the latter day invader of Israel, with Gad identified with the latter day lion of Judah, Messiah Jesus (<em><a href='B:10 49:9'>Gen 49:9</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He provided the first part for himself, for there was the lawgiver’s portion reserved. He came with the heads of the people. He executed the righteousness of Yahweh, His ordinances with Israel- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "And he saw his first-fruits, that there the land of the princes gathered with the chiefs of the people was divided; the Lord wrought righteousness, and his judgment with Israel". The reference may be to how Gad was apparently the leader of the "heads of the people" of Gad, Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh who wanted to take their inheritance east of Jordan (<em><a href='B:40 32:2'>Num 32:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 32:6'>Num 32:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 32:25'>Num 32:25</a></em>). The idea therefore was that they were told by Moses to see the inheritance they were allowed east of Jordan as merely a firstfruit of greater inheritance. Just as we are invited to receive&nbsp; firstfruit of inheritance of the Kingdom through the gift and experience of the Holy Spirit. But as with so many today, the first fruit was treated as the full experience, with no spiritual ambition to inherit more. "He executed the righteousness of Yahweh, His ordinances with Israel" would then be a very positive take on how the men of Gad apparently obeyed the agreement to go over Jordan and help their brethren inherit the Kingdom. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Of Dan he said, Dan is a lion’s cub that leaps out of Bashan- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The reference may specifically be to the destruction of the latter day invader of Israel, with Dan identified with the latter day lion cub of Judah, Messiah Jesus (<em><a href='B:10 49:9'>Gen 49:9</a></em>). Bashan simply refers to the fact it was an area known for lions (<em><a href='B:260 4:8'>Son 4:8</a></em>). Or perhaps there will be some specific latter day fulfilment of this in the area of Bashan. There may have been a potential initial fulfilment in Samson who was from Dan.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Of Naphtali he said, Naphtali, satisfied with favour, full of the blessing of Yahweh, possess the west and the south- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Blessing is here associated with favour, or grace. The connection between blessing and forgiveness / salvation is widespread throughout Scripture: <em><a href='B:50 33:23'>Deu 33:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 5:12'>Psa 5:12</a></em> (blessing = grace) <em><a href='B:50 30:19'>Deu 30:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 3:8'>Psa 3:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 24:5'>Psa 24:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 28:9'>Psa 28:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 133:3'>Psa 133:3</a></em> (= salvation); <em><a href='B:20 12:32'>Exo 12:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 32:29'>Exo 32:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 24:1'>Num 24:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:100 21:3'>2Sa 21:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 67:1'>Psa 67:1</a></em> (cp. context); <em><a href='B:490 6:28'>Luk 6:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 3:26'>Act 3:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 4:7-8'>Rom 4:7-8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:530 10:16'>1Co 10:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:550 3:14'>Gal 3:14</a></em> (= forgiveness). So it seems Moses had in view the day when Naphtali would have spiritual blessings.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Drive out" is s.w. "possess". We must note the difference between the&nbsp; Canaanite peoples and their kings being "struck" and their land "taken" by Joshua-Jesus; and the people of Israel permanently taking possession. This is the difference between the Lord's victory on the cross, and our taking possession of the Kingdom. Even though that possession has been "given" to us. The word used for "possession" is literally 'an inheritance'. The allusion is to the people, like us, being the seed of Abraham. The Kingdom was and is our possession, our inheritance- if we walk in the steps of Abraham. But it is one thing to be the seed of Abraham, another to take possession of the inheritance; and Israel generally did not take possession of all the land (<em><a href='B:60 11:23'>Jos 11:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 13:1'>Jos 13:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 16:10'>Jos 16:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 18:3'>Jos 18:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:4'>Jos 23:4</a></em>). The language of inheritance / possession is applied to us in the New Testament (<em><a href='B:560 1:11'>Eph 1:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:14'>Eph 1:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 3:24'>Col 3:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 20:32'>Act 20:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 26:18'>Act 26:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 1:4'>1Pe 1:4</a></em> etc.). Israel were promised: "You shall possess it" (<em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:23'>Deu 33:23</a></em>). This was more of a command than a prophecy, for sadly they were "given" the land but did not "possess" it. They were constantly encouraged in the wilderness that they were on the path to possessing the land (<em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:18'>Deu 30:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:3'>Deu 31:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:13'>Deu 31:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>), but when they got there they didn’t possess it fully. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Of Asher he said, May Asher be blessed with children. Let him be acceptable to his brothers; let him dip his foot in oil- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>These blessings look ahead to a day when Joseph would no longer be separate from his brothers (:16) and Asher would no longer be despised by his brothers. One great joy of the Kingdom will be the ultimate reconciliation between brethren. The blessing of oil doesn't refer to the discovery of crude oil in Israel, but refers to agricultural blessing of olive oil as in <em><a href='B:220 29:6'>Job 29:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 49:20'>Gen 49:20</a></em>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Your bars shall be iron and brass- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "His sandal shall be iron and brass". The sandal or foot spoke of inheritance, so this may be a wish that Asher have iron and brass within their territorial inheritance (<em><a href='B:50 8:9'>Deu 8:9</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>As your days, so your strength will be- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The idea is as the Vulgate "let thine old age be as thy youth", wishing the blessing of Moses upon Asher. Again we see Moses set up as a realistic pattern to be followed, rather than to be as it were worshipped as an unapproachable icon, as Judaism effectively came to do. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>There is none like God, Jeshurun- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The appeal is to realize that their God is incomparable with any other god or idol.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Who rides on the heavens for your help, in His excellence on the skies-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Through it all we sense the great love of Yahweh, manifest in that Angel, for His servant. And this all typifies the tenderness of God for Jesus in his time of dying. As we think of the Angel lowering the body of Moses, with his arms around and underneath him, it seems no accident that the last words of Moses spoke of this very thing: "There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency in the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee... Israel then shall dwell in safety alone (language of the future Kingdom, <em><a href='B:330 39:26'>Eze 39:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 34:25'>Eze 34:25</a></em>):&nbsp; the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by Yahweh... thine enemies shall be subdued unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places" , i.e. their idols (<em><a href='B:50 33:26-29'>Deu 33:26-29</a></em> AV). Surely these Moses' last words could not have been said without his voice cracking with emotion. </p>


