"Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood."
Deuteronomy 29:18
Part 1
Today: God Renewed His Covenant with His People
The Children of Israel have been 400 years in Egypt’s land, and now they are finally free. Jacob and his sons entered Egypt as the guest of the Pharaoh which Joseph served. Life there in the Land of Goshen was thriving for their families and their sheep, only while Joseph was alive. After he died, everything changed drastically for the worst. When the next Pharaoh came to power, he “did not know Joseph,” nor his God. Their rank in the land changed, from guests to slaves! The years dragged on endlessly for the Children of Israel. At least it seemed that way to the men and women who were under the whips of their cruel taskmasters. They wondered if they had been forgotten by God. But all in God’s plan, He worked through Moses and sent His Ten Plagues upon Pharaoh and the people of the land. Grudgingly, Pharaoh consented to let them go. As former slaves, they are now permitted to leave Pharaoh’s cruelty and serve Jehovah, their God who loves them. As Jehovah had promised, they “spoiled”[1] the people and are much more prosperous, leaving Egypt.[2]
Jehovah, who had chosen these children of Jacob to invest His love and care in, renewed the covenant with them while they were in Moab (Deuteronomy 29:1). It had been forty years since their parents and grandparents had agreed to the covenant. God made this “covenant of works” with them at Mt. Horeb in Sinai. This was after He brought them out of Egypt (Exodus 24). By this time, all the older folks had died off in the wilderness, as God had said they would. The old generation disobeyed God, and now they are gone. These are their children, the next generation that Jehovah is meeting with now. Before going into the land He had promised them, He wants them to understand His heart and His expectations for them.
(Please keep reading. Tomorrow we will use some of these thoughts as we think about our families.)
Here are vital points that God restated with them that day in Moab (Deuteronomy 29:1).
They had been witnesses of all that God has done to Pharaoh and Egypt. They saw it, but they did not see it! (Deuteronomy 29:2-4).
“Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day” (Deuteronomy 29:4).
God cares deeply for His people.
God did many wonderful works for His people in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 29:5-9).
God gave them clothes that did not get old (v. 5).
God supplied shoes that did not wear out (v. 5).
God provided their food for them for forty years (v. 6).
God protected them in battles (v. 7).
God provided the inheritance for the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh (v. 8).
God promised to prosper them if they keep this covenant (v. 9).
God’s Covenant was for all the Children of Israel.
God explained clearly who this covenant was for (Deuteronomy 29:10-15).
This includes your captains, elders, officers, with all the men of Israel (v. 10).
Also, it affects your children, wives, and strangers living in the camp (v. 11).
This covenant is with Jehovah and all these people (v. 12).
This will establish a people for God Himself! As He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (v. 13).
This covenant is for those present and their descendants after them (vv. 14-15).
All of these mentioned here will be His People. He leaves them no “wiggle room.” He is certain who His people are and what He will do for them.
God’s disapproval with those who disobey.
God promised His judgment on any and all who break this covenant (Deuteronomy 29:16-20).
God’s reasons for judging the disobedient.
God explained why He will judge covenant-breakers (Deuteronomy 29:21-28).
God’s revelation to Israel.
God’s “secret things” are His alone, but what He reveals belongs to all those under this covenant, Israel and her children, forever (Deuteronomy 29:29).
This chapter began with Israel “seeing” but “not seeing” (v. 4).
Now she will see what the LORD reveals to her.
Believers, we are living in the “day of grace.” What could this “covenant of works” that God made with Israel several millennia ago have to do with us today? Come back tomorrow. We will begin thinking about some applications that we believers need to consider for our lives and our families.
Quote: This is the “Mosaic covenant, Exodus 20:1-31:18— The legal covenant, given solely to Israel. It consisted of the commandments (Exodus 20:1-26); the judgments (social) – (Exodus 21:1; 24:11) and the ordinances (religious); (Exodus 24:12-31:18); also called the law. It was a conditional covenant of works, a ministry of ‘condemnation’ and ‘death’ (2 Corinthians 3:7-9), designed to lead the transgressor (convicted thereby as a sinner) to Christ.”[3]
[1] In Exodus 12:36, the word “spoiled” is an Old English Bible term that means to “plunder” the Egyptians as used in this verse.
[2] God promised Abram that his people will leave the nation of Egypt after 400 years. “And afterward shall they come out with great substance” (Genesis 15:13-14). God promised Moses and the people that “when ye go, ye shall not go empty.” They are given instructions to “borrow” from their neighbors, “jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment” (Exodus 3:21-22). Moses instructs the people to borrow from their Egyptian neighbors (Exodus 11:1-2). The Children of Israel are given the people’s favor, and they gave much to God’s children. “And they [God’s children] spoiled the Egyptians” (Exodus 12:35-36). God brought them out of that land with “silver and gold” (Psalm 105:36-37). Consider this backpay for their hundreds of years of service with nothing but scars to show for it. God is good to His people!
[3] This quote was borrowed from the article “The Covenants of Scripture,” by the bible.org administration. Downloaded: Tuesday, February 2, 2021. From: https://bible.org/illustration/covenants-scripture. Emphasis theirs. Emphasis mine.