Deuteronomy 30-31

Right before Moses announces Joshua the new leader of Israel in these last chapters of the book of Deuteronomy there is an interesting prophecy that God makes over the people of Israel demonstrating God's sovereignty as all-knowing. There is a prophecy in 30:3 indicating that the LORD will bring back the people of Israel from captivity, which as we progress through the Bible and is corroborated with extra-Biblical historical sources is the Babylonian, Assyrian and Persian captivity. The emphasis here is blessing for returning to God and it's so interesting that there is a correlation between life and blessing next to death and cursing as it relates to the choice to obey God's voice because of love for the LORD through walking in His ways and keeping His commandments. 

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NKJV) "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days..."

Obedience is a demonstration of love for God and is a daily choice that starts with humility which naturally leads to sacrifice of self. Ultimately Jesus modeled perfect obedience to the Father through his unhindered, complete and total obedience in word and action unto death. The cost of discipleship is death, I am reminded that Jesus came to sacrificially serve and model to us how we are to live our lives proclaiming a gospel of repentance and the short coming of the Kingdom of God. It seems contradictory when Jesus preaches that to follow Him we must deny ourselves to death, especially in light of what God speaks to Moses in Deuteronomy where obedience yields blessing and life. Jesus came to redeem the old law and introduces front-and-center spiritual death and life, in following Jesus while our sinful fleshly nature has been crucified to death, our spirit man is alive and victorious even when our physical human bodies break down, aging and physical death is reality. In humbling ourselves before the mighty hand of God we can experience true spiritual life and fullness in the face of the threat of physical death from persecution for the sake of Jesus and the gospel, the gift of everlasting life is available for all who believe in faith and obey. 

Mark 8:34-35 (NKJV) "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."


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