Fish the Right

Day 71 · Part 4: The Wilderness

Choose Life

Deut 27–30 · 143 verses

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In the Story

In context

Once across the Jordan, Israel was to write the law on large plastered stones on Mount Ebal and build an altar of uncut stones there (Deuteronomy 27:1–8), as Joshua later did (Joshua 8:30–32). Six tribes were to stand on Mount Gerizim to bless and six on Mount Ebal, facing each other at Shechem, and after each of twelve curses all the people would answer, “Amen” (27:11–26).

Chapter 28 sets out blessings for listening to the Lord, “You shall be blessed in the city, and you shall be blessed in the field” (28:3), and much longer curses for turning away. They are hard to read, down to people eating their own children in a siege, and Israel scattered among the nations (28:15–68). In exile, Daniel later prayed that “the curse and the oath written in the law of Moses” had been poured out on Israel (Daniel 9:11).

In Moab, Moses made a covenant with everyone there, and with “those who are not here with us today” (29:10–15). If Israel returns after the curse, the Lord will gather them back (30:1–5). The commandment “is not too hard for you”: “the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart” (30:11–14). Then: “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore choose life” (30:19).

A word of hope
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart;” that is, the word of faith which we preach: that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation.

Romans 10:8–10 · Moses says, “the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart”; Paul quotes it and calls it “the word of faith which we preach.”

For families

Moses gathered everyone into the covenant: the leaders and elders, “your little ones, your wives,” and the foreigners in the camp (Deuteronomy 29:10–12). His closing appeal names the generations to come: “choose life, that you may live, you and your descendants” (30:19).

If you had been one of the little ones standing there that day, what do you think you would have noticed?

In the Bible

World English Bible, as published by eBible.org (public domain).

Deuteronomy 27

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Deuteronomy 28

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Deuteronomy 29

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Deuteronomy 30

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A hymn for today

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name · words by Edward Perronet

Organ and orchestra: an introduction, then each of the 8 verses. Tap a verse’s number to start there.
  1. All hail the pow'r of Jesus' name!Let angels prostrate fall;Bring forth the royal diadem,And crown Him Lord of all.
  2. Let highborn seraphs tune the lyre,And, as they tune it, fallBefore His face who tunes their choir,And crown Him Lord of all.
  3. Crown Him, ye morning stars of light,Who fixed this floating ball;Now hail the strength of Israel's might,And crown Him Lord of all.
  4. Crown Him, ye martyrs of your God,Who from His altar call;Extol the Stem of Jesse's rod,And crown Him Lord of all.
  5. Ye seed of Israel's chosen race,Ye ransomed from the fall,Hail Him who saves you by His grace,And crown Him Lord of all.
  6. Hail Him, ye heirs of David's line,Whom David Lord did call,The God incarnate, Man divine,And crown Him Lord of all.
  7. Sinners, whose love can ne'er forgetThe wormwood and the gall,Go spread your trophies at His feet,And crown Him Lord of all.
  8. Let every tribe and every tongueThat bound creation's call,Now shout in universal songThe crownèd Lord of all.