Deuteronomy 29

If the Israelites fulfilled their part of the covenant (to obey), God would fulfill His part (to bless). Not only would He give them the many specific blessings described earlier but He would also give them the greatest blessing of all—the sum of all blessings: Himself. He would be their God (verse 13). Thus would He fulfill His original promise to Abraham (Genesis 17:7–8), which He confirmed with an oath (Genesis 22:15–18). God was now reconfirming that ancient covenant He had made with the patriarchs more than four hundred years earlier; God, again with an oath, was remaking that covenant with this new generation of Israelites on the plains of Moab, as they waited for the signal to enter the promised land. And He was making the covenant not only with that present generation but with succeeding generations as well—with those who are not here today (verse 15).

16–18 Once again Moses warned the Israelites of the greatest single sin they could commit: to worship other gods (see Exodus 20:3–6 and comment). Idolatry was a bitter poison that brought death (verse 18), and the root that produced the poison was any person who led others to worship false gods (see Deuteronomy 13:1–18 and comment).

19–21 When such a person—that is, an idolater—heard the words of this oath (the covenant), he might be tempted to think he was safe and could do whatever he pleased. But such an attitude would bring disaster not only on the idolater but also on those he influenced; it would corrupt the faithful Israelites—the watered land—along with the unfaithful Israelites—the dry land (verse 19).

The Lord would never be willing to forgive an idolater with such a hardened and defiant attitude⁷⁷ (verse 20). Instead, his name would be blotted out (see Exodus 32:32–33; Revelation 3:5); he would be singled out and destroyed, so that the rest of Israel might be spared. Even one person can bring destruction on a nation—or on a church.

22–28 Then Moses looked ahead into the future and was given a prophetic vision of what would eventually happen to Israel, especially during the Israelites’ exile from the land (which happened seven centuries later). God would do to Israel what He did to Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:2429) and their neighboring cities Admah and Zeboiim (Genesis 10:19). And all the nations at that future time would ask: Why has God punished Israel in this way? (verse 24).

And the answer would be: the Israelites have abandoned God’s covenant by worshiping other gods (verses 25–26), and God has punished them by destroying their land and driving them into exile (verses 27–28).

Imagine what the Israelites thought as they listened to Moses’ words: “How could we ever end up like those wicked cities, Sodom and Gomorrah? We are God’s chosen people; how could He ever let this happen to us?”

Well, it did happen; Moses’ prophetic vision came true. And we Christians need to take our own warning from the history of Israel (see 1 Corinthians 10:1–11). The Apostle Paul wrote: So, if you think you are standing firm,be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12). The minute we become self-confident, we are headed for a fall. Our confidence must be in God, not in self; for it is only by His grace that we can remain in His will and avoid the terrible fate that befell the Israelites.

29 The secret things mentioned here are events in the future that only God knows about. They belong to Him; He has not revealed them to us.⁷⁸ But what He has revealed to us is His word—and that word has been given to us.⁷⁹ And if we will only follow that revealed word, we won’t need to fear the unknown events of the future. The road ahead may be steep and narrow, but its destination is absolutely certain: eternal life with God in heaven (see Matthew 7:13–14).