Answers. Questions. Deuteronomy 30:1-20

Transcription

1 1 Answers to Questions on Deuteronomy 30: According to Smith, Deuteronomy 30 consists of what three sections? Verses 1-10, verses and verses According to Hall, how does Deuteronomy 29 end and of what does chapter 30 speak? Deuteronomy 29 ends with Israel in exile because of their idolatry and chapter 30 speaks of their return to Canaan and restoration of God s favor. 3. God reminded Israel of the fact that blessings and curses were before the Israelites, blessings for righteousness and

2 2 curses for sinfulness. Israel had to choose between the two with the attendant results, consequences of their choice. 4. God clearly foresaw the future behavior of the Israelites and how, as Clarke wrote, they would misuse their free agency. 5. When you were in distress, being punished for your sins, how did you feel, what did you do? Did you accept responsibility for your trouble, or did you blame others? Individual answers will vary. 6. What did God promise sinful Israelites when they truly repented of their sins? God offered mercy and forgiveness to all who truly repented of their sinful ways and returned to Him. 7. To be accepted back into God s graces, wayward Israelites would have to turn to the Lord their God, obey him with their whole mind and being. 8. No place was beyond God s reach. From what distant places has God gathered repentant Israelites? The Israelites were

3 3 captives in Assyria and Babylon. Following the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem in A.D. 70 the Israelites were scattered among the nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea. 9. What is the meaning of verse 5? Is this a spiritual or physical promise or both? When has this promise been fulfilled and/or when will it be fulfilled? This is both a physical and spiritual promise. The physical aspects was fulfilled when Israel entered the promised land under Joshua and took possession of it. Spiritually all who believe and obey Him will be His possession in His spiritual kingdom. 10. To what does cleanse or circumcise refer in verse 6? The dedication of+ the heart to God, cleansing it of all sinfulness.

4 Repentance involved deep love for God, love with all their mind and being. 12. Sin will be punished! It doesn t matter who sins. God is no respecter of persons. 13. Sin will be punished!... but there is a way of escape. Jesus Christ is that way of escape. 14. In verse 8, what are the conditions on which the blessings of verse 9 are based? Return to the Lord, obey the Lord and keep all His commandments. 15. What blessings are specified for the righteous in verse 9? Their labor in the fields will be successful and their children and cattle will multiply. 16. To what does the law in verse 10 refer? This refers to all five (5) books of the Pentateuch, the law God gave through Moses.

5 According to verse 10, to receive God s blessings, Israel would have to obey the Lord their God, keep his commandments and statutes and turn to him with their whole mind and being. 18. God does not require the impossible, but some of his commands are difficult. List commands you regard as difficult to obey? Individual answers will vary. 19. God s commands are not too remote. What does that mean? He has given them to us. They are not hidden or inaccessible but are readily available to all who seek them. 20. Since God s law is available, why is it not obeyed by more people? God gave us the gift of free choice. We are responsible for our decision to accept or reject Christ as our Savior. There are those who reject Jesus Christ.

6 6 Some have not yet learned of Him and some of us have made the decision to believe, follow and obey Him. Some willfully reject Christ. 21. Even in our modern world of marvelous communication technology, there are remote areas whose people have not heard the gospel, to whom the word of God could be said to be remote. Name as many of these places as you can. Parts of the African continent and single regions of South America. Teaching Christian theology is suppressed in countries under communist or socialist control most notably in China and nations that are Islamic theocracies. 22. The Israelites did not have to travel to distant places across the sea to hear God s word because it was being revealed right where they were by Moses and repeated over and over by prophets and seers through the ages. 23. The word of God was fully revealed through Jesus Christ our Lord.

7 The word of God was revealed to them, in their mouth and mind so that they could do it. 25. Hall noted the law was simple to understand, but not easy to obey. 26. What had God set before Israel... and us? Choices were set before Israel and us. We have the capacity to exercise free will and decide whether we will obey God s commands or not. The choices are blessings or curses, life and prosperity or death and disaster. 27. The choices God has set before us testify to the fact that we have free will. 28. If we were predestined and foreordained to act in a particular way, these verses, choices would have no meaning. 29. How does God s foreknowledge relate to our being free agents responsible for our actions and decisions? His foreknowledge does not alter the fact that we are responsible for our own thoughts and actions.

8 How does God s foreknowledge relate to the doctrines of foreordination and predestination? It does not change the fact that we are free to choose to follow God s law or disregard it. We can accept the promised blessings or the curses of disobedience. The choice is ours to make. 31. What was Moses that day commanding Israel? To love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to obey His commandments, His statutes, and His ordinances. 32. What does the Lord require of us? To love the Lord, to walk in His ways and obey all His commandments, statutes and ordinances.

9 Define commandment and ordinance? How are they the same? How are they different? Commandment: A command or edict, a law. Ordinance: An authoritative command or order, a statute or regulation, a law set forth by a government. They are similar in that they both state action to be taken or prohibited. 34. What would God do if the Israelites were faithful to him? They would be blessed in the land God was giving them._ 35. What would happen if they were unfaithful to God? If they were unfaithful to God they would perish. 36. To live or die, that was and is the choice! 37. Was God s promise of Canaan made to Israel conditional or unconditional? Explain your answer. If conditional, on what was

10 10 the promise contingent? Conditional. If they faithfully obeyed God and kept His laws they would prosper and enjoy the land. If, however, they turned away from God and worshipped Pagan gods, they would be removed from the land and perish. 38. I (Moses) invoke heaven and earth as a witness against you that I have set life and death, blessing and curse, before you. Therefore, they could not plead ignorance. They had been fully informed of the choices before them and the consequences of each. 39. Moses urged the people to choose life so that they and their descendants could live. 40. What did Jesus tell his disciples to do? Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. 41. Moses also called on Israel to love the Lord their God, to obey him and to be loyal to him.

11 What benefits would come to Israel if they harkened to Moses instructions? It would go well for them and their descendants. They would enjoy longevity in the land. Obedience to God brings blessings not only to obedient persons, but to their descendants as well! 43. Give proof that serving God is a matter of all or nothing. Exodus chapter 32 relates how the Israelites sinned, made and worshiped a golden calf. They broke God s first and second commandments. Because of those sins 3,000 Israelites died. 44. Show by Biblical examples and statements that God is able to save to the uttermost the vilest sinners who turn to him with all their hearts and minds. Luke 7:47-50, a woman who was known as a sinner washed Jesus feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed them and anointed them with oil. Jesus forgave all her sins because she acknowledged Him as Christ. Luke 23:39-43 recounts that Christ forgave the sins of one criminal who was also being crucified when he asked Jesus for forgiveness.

12 What is the way of life? What is the way of death? The way of life is complete obedience and submission to God. The way of death is to disregard the laws of God and follow the ways of the world.