Deuteronomy 30

3 will turn thy captivity. In these gracious encouragements to repentance and promises of restoration we behold the spirit of the Gospel, though in the forms of the older dispensation. They furnished Nehemiah with a powerful plea in prayer (Neh. i. 9).

11 neither is it far off. i.e., “is not beyond thy power.” The Septuagint has “it is not too hard for thee.” (So R.V.) That which God requires of us is neither obscure nor impracticable, but is clearly revealed, and, with God’s help, easy of performance. For the application of vers. 12-14 to the Gospel, see Rom. x. 5-8. Cp. Luke xvii. 21.

16 to love the Lord thy God. This impressive close of the final publication of the law, summing up all the Divine requirements in love, which “is the fulfilling of the law,” shows that the principle of obedience is the same under every dispensation of religion.