In speaking of the covenant that God was making with Israel, He makes several things clear. First, the covenant would be binding upon future generations as well as those listening to Moses at that time. Second, the covenant itself would not save them. It would not be enough just to be God's "chosen people". Verse 29:19 says "Those who hear the warnings of this curse should not congratulate themselves, thinking 'I am safe, even though I am following the desires of my own stubborn heart'." We see the same thing today in Christians who think they can pray a certain prayer and then continue to live life with no regard for God's will. Those people are not saved, any more than the Israelites who believed that their national heritage was sufficient to reconcile themselves to God. This is yet another way for God to remind the Israelites that a right relationship with Him was to be born out of their hearts. God defines it as a "circumcision of the heart", which the Quest Bible defines as a spiritual circumcision whereby "the people were to learn to love and serve God from their hearts".
The third observation from this section of Scripture comes from verse 29:29, which reads "The Lord God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us..." I starred this verse in my Bible during my read-through last year and i think I love it even more the second time around! I am not expected to understand all of God's secrets. I don't need to know who the "sons of God" were or what "behemoth and leviathan" were or why God used a talking donkey or what the point of all the mildew laws were. I am not accountable for the things God has not revealed to me, but there is plenty in His word that has been made crystal clear, and with those things, I am without excuse.
Tomorrow's reading; Deuteronomy 31:30-32
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