Deuteronomy 30
BBCDeuteronomy 30:1
C. Restoration for Returning to the Covenant (Chap. 30)30:1-10 Chapter 30 anticipates that the people would break the covenant and be carried away into exile. This, of course, is exactly what happened. Even then, God would have compassion and restore them if they would turn to Him in repentance. He would bring them back to the land. In addition to this physical restoration, there would be a spiritual renewal (“the LORD your God will circumcise your heart"v. 6).
The people would then enjoy the blessings of obedience, whereas their enemies would be cursed. The counsels of the Most High will not fail, even though the objects of those counsels do fail. God would fulfill His word to the patriarchs and give their descendants . . . the land forever. After the exile, which He knew was inevitable, He would restore them and change them. Such is the working of the unconditional love of the great Lover! Verse 6 touches on a theme developed hundreds of years later by the prophetsnamely, the New Covenant (Jer_32:39ff; Eze_36:24ff).
This covenant, although revealed in the OT, was not ratified until the death of Christ, for His was the blood of the New Covenant (Luk_22:20). 30:11-14 Moses reminded the people that the covenant was not too hard for them to understand (mysterious), nor was it far off (inaccessible). They were not required to do the impossible to find it. The Lord had brought it to them, and their responsibility was to obey it. These verses are used by Paul in Rom_10:5-8 and are applied to Christ and the gospel. The covenant was not easy to keep, but God had made provision in case of failure. The people were then required to repent and to bring the appointed sacrifices. Since the sacrifices were types of Christ, the lesson is that those who sin should repent and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 30:15-20 The people were called on to choose between life and good on the one hand, and death and evil on the otherlife for obedience, but death for disobedience. Moses strongly pleaded with them to choose life and . . . blessing. The desired response brought good results, including length of . . . days and abundant spiritual life, implied by the words “that you may cling to Him.” The only alternative was one of cursing.