Deuteronomy chapter 29 is an interesting renewal of God’s covenant with His people now that there is a new generation of faith. Remember, after 40 years of wandering in the desert, the disbelieving generation has passed away and now God reconfirms His promise. This is a good lesson for us too. Although God is eternal and His promises are everlasting, we need to be reminded over and over, “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The chapter begins, “You have seen with your own eyes…those great trials and those great miraculous signs and great wonders. But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind to understand or eyes that see or ears that hear“. When I look back at my life before I accepted Christ, I see the many times God interceded to protect and guide me. At the time I did not recognize God’s miraculous signs. Often, it is not until we receive His Holy Spirit that we given spiritual discernment. I am reminded of the futility I experienced trying to read the Bible in my own wisdom before I accepted Christ as my Savior. Something was missing. I think of the Apostle Peter; before he received the Holy Spirit of God, he was afraid of a little girl recognizing him as a follower of Jesus. A few days later, on the day of Pentecost, this same Peter boldly preached to the Jewish leaders, “You, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it is impossible for death to keep its hold of Him” (Acts 2:23-24). Is something missing you your life?
The chapter continues with Moses giving his message, “Carefully follow the terms of the covenant, so you may prosper in everything you do. All of us standing here today in the presence of the Lord… are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the Lord… to confirm you today as His people“. Listen to who else is included, “Not only with you who are standing here with us today in the presence of the Lord, but also with those who are not standing here today“. The covenant was extended to the descendents and heirs of the nation of Israel. Romans 8:16 explains that anyone who accepts Jesus as Lord receives God’s Holy Spirit. “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ“. Through Christ we are included in God’s promise to His people. God loves to bless His kids.
The chapter warns against following false gods and those that would choose to ignore God’s truth. It even describes one that is deceived. “When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way”… the Lord’s wrath and zeal will burn against that man“. 1 Thessalonians 5:3-5 warns, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying ‘peace and safety’ destruction will come on them suddenly… and they will not escape“. The Bible teaches that there is a Day of Judgment coming and all that desire to be saved will be saved, but many will be deceived into trusting in their own righteousness. The chapter ends with a reminder that God’s ways are above our ways. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of the law“. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 ends with wonderful words of encouragement to believers, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that we may… live together with Him“. May you experience the power of God’s Holy Spirit in your life in a new way today.