Shortly before Moses’ death and the Israelites journey into the promised land, Moses spoke to them about the choice they had before them. This choice was so important that it was literally a matter of life or death.
“See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it.
“But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it.
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them” (Deuteronomy 30:15-20).
While we are not under the same law today as they were (cf. Colossians 2:14), there are lessons for us to learn here. Many themes in the Old Testament are repeated in the New. Let us notice briefly the reminders for us in this passage.
We must make a choice – The Israelites were to choose between “life and prosperity, and death and adversity.” Their two options were “the blessing and the curse.” God offers us two options today – salvation or condemnation (Mark 16:16), life or destruction (Matthew 7:13-14), heaven or hell (Revelation 20:14-15; 21:10-22:5). Our eternal fate is not sealed. We have not been preselected for either a reward or punishment. Paul said, “God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent” (Acts 17:30). We must choose to repent and follow Him.
God offers life – What incentive is there to follow God? The Israelites were told that God would give them life and prosperity. We may not have the same promise of physical prosperity, but we have been promised something far greater – heaven. Peter said that Christians have been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4). We can be sure of this promise because of who made it. Paul wrote to Titus about this: “In the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago” (Titus 1:2). If God has promised something, we can be certain of that promise.
His reward is conditional – If we can be certain of God’s promise, does that mean that we are automatically saved? No, it does not. God has placed certain conditions on his promises that we must meet in order to receive the benefits. The Israelites had to love the Lord, obey His voice, and hold fast to Him. In the same way, we must love Him (Matthew 22:37), obey Him (Hebrews 5:9), and remain faithful to Him (Revelation 2:10).
As the call was made to the Israelites before crossing the Jordan, the call is made to us today: Choose life! Love the Lord. Obey Him. Follow Him faithfully. There is a great reward for us if we will do these things. If we do not do them, there is also punishment that awaits. The choice should be clear. Let us have the courage and determination to make the right choice.
