God's Covenant with Israel

Click here to read Deuteronomy 29.

Chapter 29 deals with the Covenant between God and Israel. Verse 1, "These are the words of the Covenant". Seven main points are made.

  1. Gods work in bringing them into covenant with Him.
  2. A solemn charge to keep it.
  3. A description of the Covenant.
  4. Specifications of the people taken into the Covenant.
  5. The design of the Covenant against idolatry.
  6. The warning against "unearned assurance". "I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart."
  7. A conclusion with a pronouncement that we all might take to heart as we read and have problems with the judgments of God, "There are things that are secrete and things that are revealed." It is not meant that we should understand everything, otherwise, where would be the faith?

Notice this about God's covenant. He is the author and the instigator of any approach to man. They are His terms and not for discussion. We accept or reject realizing that we are not worthy to do either. In this case, Moses was the instrument of God's covenant. The preface of the covenant was a reminder of all that God had done for them in the past. In retrospect they should have been obedient but they were not. However Moses realizes that the "seeing eye" and the "hearing ear" and the "understanding heart" are all gifts of God but we are all solemnly charged to keep it.

Here Moses describes the covenant as an agreement between Himself and the people of Israel. It was all-inclusive. Their Elders, their Priests, their great men and their women and children, they were all to be taken into covenant with God. Included in it were all the laws and statutes that we have been studying and the purpose and design of it was to keep the people from idolatry.

Here Moses warns against presuming upon their position as God's chosen people. This position will not allow them to disobey Him not excuse their hard heartedness. Moses calls this unearned assurance.

The chapter ends with what the Apostle Paul calls "unsearchable judgments and ways past finding out". Moses acknowledges that there are things beyond our understanding but hastens to say that all that is needed for us to know is obtainable.


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