DEUTERONOMY 29
The covenant as made in the land of Moab is additional to the covenant made in Horeb. See chapter 28: 69. And even that first covenant was based upon what the people had previously known of God. See Exodus 19: 4, 5. God does not introduce the thought of a covenant without first making Himself known in grace and delivering power so that His covenant proposals may be attractive and acceptable. There is a bond of covenant character which is connected with our first knowledge of God in grace. The covenant in Horeb is said to have been made “in the day of my taking them by the hand, to lead them out of the land of Egypt” (Jeremiah 31: 32). He had no other thought from the outset than that we should be for Him to be His own possession. And He looked that, as knowing Him in grace, we should readily commit ourselves to His covenant. The yielding ourselves to God (Romans 6), and the being “to another, who has been raised up from among the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God” (Romans 7) would answer to the covenant as made in Horeb. What we can say and do under grace, as seen in Romans 6, signifies definite committal to God.
[p. 337] In writing to the saints in Rome Paul assumes that they were on this ground.
Then after forty years of proving how faithful God had been in relation to wilderness necessities and exercises, and after proving that in His strength they could smite Sihon and Og, He proposed to make another covenant in the land of Moab which should have immediately in view their entering into the land. And Moses, in this chapter, recalls the whole history — what He did in Egypt, what He had done forty years in the wilderness, and what He had enabled His people to do to Sihon and Og (verses 1 - 9). It was not an unknown God who was proposing that they should enter into His covenant. His wilderness wonders were “that ye might know that I am Jehovah your God” (verse 6). The covenant would be of no value to Him unless it were intelligently entered into by a people who have learned to know and love Him. All that He has permitted us to see and experience before we reached Moab is brought to bear upon us to influence us powerfully to enter into this new and blessed bond.
It is quite possible that all these things may have been seen without being really understood. It was so with Israel. “But Jehovah hath not given you a heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, to this day” (verse 4). It had all been before their eyes, and yet they had not seen it in any true sense, so as to be rightly affected by it. How often is this the case! But even if it has been so with us in the past this need not continue. There is here a call to all Israel as standing “this day all of you before Jehovah your God” (verses 1, 10). There is another opportunity — another day in which it is possible to definitely enter into the covenant.
The covenant made in Moab has its anti-type in the dedication for which Paul appeals so powerfully in Romans 12: 1, 2. The presentation of our bodies a living sacrifice,
[p. 338] holy, acceptable to God, our intelligent service, is essential as preparatory to our entering into all that is in the will of God. “The good and acceptable and perfect will of God” would include all that is brought out in Colossians and Ephesians. This covenant is made in Moab, but it is designed to qualify us for the possession and enjoyment of “the land”. If we have not yet taken it up the blessed God would set us before Him “this day” that we may do so. He would appeal to us in regard of all that in which He has made Himself known to us. Whatever in the past has been the witness of His grace and His faithfulness is brought together by our blessed Instructor as powerful leverage to move our hearts to the definite entering into this covenant. It is, to us, a direct appeal of Christ, in view of our affectionately and intelligently entering into all that divine love has purposed for us.
The book of Deuteronomy supposes that a certain point in soul-history has been reached, and that there have been past experiences of God’s actings for us of which He can remind us. And all are made the ground of an appeal on His part that we should keep the words of this Deuteronomic covenant, and do them, that we may prosper in all that we do (verse 9). “That thou mayest enter into the covenant of Jehovah thy God, and into his oath, which Jehovah thy God maketh with thee this day; that he may establish thee this day for a people unto himself, and that he may be to thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob” (verses 12, 13); God loves to verify to His people all that is in His mind for them, and He would have us to be definitely in that spirit of covenant dedication in which it can all be taken up.
And this is for all the people of God to take up. This is strikingly set forth in the words: “Neither with you [p. 339] only do I make this covenant and this oath, but with him that standeth here with us this day before Jehovah our God, and with him that is not here with us this day” (verses 14, 15). If any of the people of God, for any reason, are not present on this day of dedication — and it must be sorrowfully admitted that they are not all present — they, nevertheless, stand committed to the holy obligation of it. No saint is entitled to say that he is exempted from taking up Romans 12: 1, 2. Through worldliness, or allowance of the flesh in some form, he may not really, in a practical sense, be present to dedicate himself to God, but the Lord Jesus will not leave him free from the obligation to do so.
The taking up of the covenant, and being true to it, are imperative if we are to be preserved from turning away to what has idolatrous elements in it. That is “a root that beareth gall and wormwood” (verse 18). Satan throws a glamour of imagined sweetness over what is idolatrous; he presents it as agreeable liberty, something to be desired. But getting away from God ever yields bitterness and defilement (see Hebrews 12: 15), and it is assuredly followed governmentally by the curse. Blessed as the covenant is for those who loyally take it up, there are, without question, what this scripture speaks of as “the curses of the covenant”. One cannot doubt that Christendom as a whole has turned away from God, has forsaken His covenant and become idolatrous, and is at the present time far from the land of divine purpose. May we take these things seriously to heart! They have most surely a solemn voice for us.
Thank God, there are “hidden things” which belong to Him (verse 29). He has in reserve thoughts of recovery, even when all blessing has been forfeited by disobedience and departure. Israel will yet prove this, and saints of the assembly have proved it already in a remarkable way. Indeed it is on the line of the hidden [p. 340] things which belong to God that, after all the failure here and its governmental consequences, the saints will all come to glory, and be conformed to the image His Son. He will effectuate His eternal purpose in Christ in spite of all that has come out in the responsible history here.
God’s purpose and promise and oath must ultimately be carried out, and hence if His people turn away and come under His curse, it becomes necessary for Him, in His immutable faithfulness, to follow them with such workings in their hearts that His word once more gets place and power with them. It is thus that Israel will be recovered in the last days. And it is on this principle that saints of the assembly are being now brought back, after long centuries of departure, to that state of heart which truly cherishes, and is set to be in accord with, the precious thoughts of God regarding His people, and the vast and wealthy inheritance which He has given them in Christ. This is largely the subject of the next chapter. It is an abiding principle that we are to be governed by what is revealed (verse 29); we are to go on with it in diligent exercise of heart. But everything that is for the pleasure of God is wrought by Himself. “For of him, and through him, and for him are all things; to him be glory for ever. Amen”. It will come to that ultimately; all that abides for God’s pleasure will be seen to be the fruit of His work.