Deuteronomy 27–30: On the Israelites’ “Re-Dedicating” Their Lives to the Covenant and Moses Landing the Plane (Bible Talk, Ep. 62)

Subscribe
Download MP3 Bible Talk
08.18.2022

If you disobey, it will be as if the exodus never happened. If you do obey, it will be as if the fall in Eden never happened. As Moses begins to land the plane, that’s what he wants his fellow Israelites to know. In this episode of Bible Talk, Alex Duke chats with Jim Hamilton and Sam Emadi about Deuteronomy 27–30.

SHOW NOTES

1:15 / Sam reminds us where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going in the book of Deuteronomy.

2:57 / What narrative drama arises in chapter 27?

7:09 / Why does Jim call the first part of chapter 28 an exposition of the blessing of Abraham? 

9:30 / How do God’s promised blessings and curses provide an interpretive grid for the rest of the Old Testament?

11:03 / How do prosperity gospel preachers tamper with the promise, “The LORD will make you the head and not the tail?” (Deut. 28:13)

12:21 / What’s important not to miss about the curses in chapter 28?1

18:14 / Make a note of Deuteronomy 28:64’s “scattering” language, because “gathering” language is coming.

19:20 / What does Moses do in chapters 29-30 that make them a climax of his preaching in Deuteronomy?

20:06 / How should we understand the verse, “But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear?” (Deut. 29:4)2

21:44 / How does Deuteronomy 29:4 set up the second half of the chapter?

25:25 / In chapter 30, Moses prophesies that Israel will break God’s covenant. But that’s not the end of the story.

27:37 / Sam points how chapter 30 is a resolution to major themes and mysteries of the book.

29:26 / What does Moses mean when he says, “This commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you?” (Deut. 30:11)

30:20 / What idea does Moses and Paul communicate when Moses says (and Paul quotes him in Romans 10), “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it” (Deut. 30:12-14).

35:47 / What’s the big idea of the conclusion of Moses’ sermon? (Deut. 30:15-30)

*****

[1] Duane Christensen argues Deuteronomy 28:20-44 are a chiasm in his Word Bible Commentary.

[2] Jim disagrees with Jeffrey Tigay’s analysis in his JPS Torah Commentary.

Painting: Moses Shown the Promised LandWest (1801)

9Marks articles are made possible by readers like you. Donate Today.