Scripture: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 ESV
Observation: Being the pastoral leader that Moses is, he closes his last sermon to the people with the above charge. They have listened long enough and now need to make a choice. As theologian Daniel Block contends, ‘To choose life means to demonstrate covenant commitment (“love”) to Yahweh in actions that serve his interests, to “listen” to the voice of Yahweh, and to “hold fast” to him alone.’ It is a challenge that Moses’ apprentice, Joshua, picks up on and rephrases to the nation during his last days of life in the Promised Land: “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15 ESV). So at the conquest’s threshold and end, Moses and Joshua bookend the challenge to the people to choose whether they will obey the Lord. And Moses adds the promise that it will go well for them and their children.
Takeaway: Indeed, Moses, during an earlier sermon at the cusps of the Promised Land, declares: “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9 ESV). The text tells us to know our Lord is:
- the only God (all other deities are imaginative),
- faithful,
- keeps his promises, and
- steadfastly loves us.
It is an invitation to deepen our understanding of our gracious Triune God and wholeheartedly love and serve him with gladness and singleness of heart.
So what does this look like in our lives? Jesus, our Good Shepherd, tells us that while the thief (Satan) came to steal, kill, and destroy (the opposite of what our gracious Lord promises), he came to bring us life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). As Christ expounds on his promise, he explains we know and are known (vv.14-16). The Hebrew understanding of “know” implies an intimate knowledge where we listen and discern with “understanding” and desire to please the one we know through obedience. Choosing this path brings meaning and purpose to life and helps us overcome any trials and suffering that may come our way. And when we model this godly lifestyle for our children, they will see and experience the wisdom and blessings that flow through us and desire to follow the same path, thereby leading a life that leaves a legacy.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son who perfectly led a life following your will and has resultantly left us a legacy. Would you please help us deepen our understanding of you and your Son and trust and obey your commands, thereby appropriating your wisdom, joy, peace, and strength to press through trials and suffering and lead a life that leaves a legacy? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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