Deuteronomy 30:11-20
Summary for Deut 30:11-20: 30:11-20 a Adherence to the covenant terms that Moses had outlined would give life; disobedience would surely bring death. Life and death refer to physical, mortal life in the land—of individuals and of the community of Israel. 30:11 b This command refers to the whole covenant text, all of Deuteronomy (see 4:2 c; 5:29 d; 7:9 e).30:12 f not kept in heaven: The revelation of God is not known only to him but is accessible to human beings (see Rom 10:6-8 g).
30:13 h not kept beyond the sea: God’s purposes are not in the custody of faraway nations but are available to his people (see Rom 10:6-8 i).
30:14 j The message of salvation is objectively close (on your lips) and subjectively near (in your heart). It is capable of being taught and learned (see 6:6-7 k).
30:16 l love the Lord your God: This paraphrases the Shema, Israel’s central covenant affirmation (see 6:5 m). To love God means to obey him in every respect, which results in divine blessing.
30:19 n life and death ... blessings and curses: This grammatical structure suggests an equivalence between life and blessing and between death and curses. The essence of a blessing is life, and the essence of a curse is death.
30:20 o the key to your life: In its most meaningful sense, life consists of absolute commitment to the Lord.
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