Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, outline and highlights from the text, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTION:

???DISCUSSION QUESTION???

“Can you share a time you wanted to go somewhere or do something, but it was just too difficult for you?”

(For example, once I wanted climb up a big, stone-covered mountain in southwest Oklahoma, but it was after I had been sick, and I had to stop halfway up, huffing and puffing!  

One time recently, Cheryl & I were going to go to one of our grandkids’ pumpkin patch field trips from school — but when we arrived, there was no handicapped parking, and we couldn’t maneuver her wheelchair on a long gravel parking lot, so we had to give up and leave. It was just too hard.)

You/your group can share your own stories like that, and then point out: In today’s lesson from Deuteronomy 30, we’ll see how the salvation God offers us is not “too difficult” or out of the reach of anyone who will respond to Him in repentance and faith!

CONTEXT:

Moses and the people of Israel are still in the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River opposite Jericho, where Moses is sharing some final messages with them. We saw last time in Chapter 28 how God commanded Israel to pronounce the blessings and the curses from Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerazim, once they had entered the Promised Land — and how the blessings and curses were dependent upon them keeping “ALL” of God’s commands, which none of us can do — which points us all to the gospel.

Then in Chapter 29 Moses reviews the covenant that God is making with them. He recounts their history, how God brought them here from Egypt and all they’d been through — but also points out their tendency to disobey and be unfaithful to the Lord. He says in times to come, people will come to their land, and see how it is devastated because of Israel’s disobedience, and they’ll ask what happened, and he says that men will tell them it’s because they forsook the covenant of God, so all this came upon them. 

So now we come to Chapter 30, which has our text for this week. 

Moses begins by saying in :1-10 that even when they are devastated by the consequences of their disobedience, if they will repent and turn back to the Lord, He will restore them, and gather them back, and bless them again. So he’s saying, your failures — and the consequences of your failures — are not the end of the story. There is room for repentance with God — which is an important and encouraging message for Israel and for us today. This brings us to :11-20, this week’s focus passage.

OUTLINE:

I.  The Accessible Command (:11-14)

II. The Essential Choice (:15-20)

TEXT:  Deuteronomy 30:11-20

I. The Accessible Command (:11-14)

11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ 14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.”

The word “difficult” is the Hebrew “palah,” which means “surpassing, extraordinary, hard.” It’s used in Genesis 18:14, when God’s told skeptical Abraham that next year he’ll have a son, and He says: “Is anything too difficult for the LORD?”

So God’s saying here, My word to you is not too “difficult” for you to get; it’s not “out of reach.” Like :12 says, “It is not in heaven” — so high that you can’t get to it. It’s not somewhere far off, like :13 says, “beyond the Sea” (probably the Mediterranean Sea) — so you don’t have to take a long voyage to go find it.

Rather He says in :14 “the word is very near you” — in fact, it’s “in your mouth and in your heart.” It is very accessible. It is within reach. Moses had taught the word to them. Their elders likely had memorized God’s word and spoke it to them. Ancient peoples were very good hearing and memorizing things, because a lot of them didn’t write, so they were extremely good at memorization and passing things along accurately by word of mouth. So they’d heard the word, it was “near them” — “in your mouth and in your heart.” You have it, God says; it is accessible, now “observe” it; OBEY it! (as we’ve been saying for about 5 weeks in a row now!)

And this is even more applicable for US today too, isn’t it? God’s message to us is not “up in heaven,” or “across the sea” somewhere. We don’t have to go to some “extremes” to try to find His word for us.

???DISCUSSION QUESTION???

“Where are some (non-Biblical) places that people go to try to get spiritual insight, or a word from God?”

(Some seek insight through hallucinogenic drugs, or the occult/dreams/horoscope. Others travel to “exotic” places like India to consult a “guru,” or to Tibet to visit the Dalai Lama. Many seek religious insight in “new” religions/cults/books/leaders.)You/your group can think of many.)

But like Moses says here, we don’t need to do that! God’s word is not remote, or hidden in some far-off place; we have it right here — and embarrassment of riches! We hold God’s word in our hand, even on our phone, on the computer, television, radio, on and on. The point being: WE DON’T HAVE TO GO TO SOME FAR OFF PLACE TO HEAR FROM GOD. ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS READ HIS WORD! This should be a reminder to all of us that we should be reading this readily accessible word every day!)

Now, I didn’t see any mention of this next application in the Lifeway Leader’s Guide, but I think we would be remiss not to mention it:  THESE VERSES ARE QUOTED BY THE APOSTLE PAUL IN THE NEW TESTAMENT REGARDING THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. With a direct scriptural cross-reference like this, I believe we should regard this as the highest and most logical application of these verses. So let’s look at it:

In Romans 10:5-9 the Apostle Paul quotes much of Deuteronomy 30, regarding salvation by faith in the gospel:

— :5 “For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness.” (We talked about this last time: if you want to keep the Law, you’ve got to do it perfectly, and we can’t!)

— :6 ‘But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: (And here it begins to quote from Deuteronomy 30): “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” 8 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 are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

So Romans 10 makes it clear that ultimately Deuteronomy 30 is talking about how salvation by FAITH is readily accessible to all. You can’t keep all the commandments of the Law and be saved; that IS impossible. But repenting and putting your faith in what Jesus did for you, THAT is possible. THAT you can do! 

So Romans 10 encourages us all: DO IT! “Believe in your heart! Confess with your mouth” Jesus as Lord, and you will be saved. 

Paul speaks like an evangelist there in Romans 10, urging and encouraging all to hear and believe, concluding his exhortation with the famous :13, “For whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved”! 

This teaches us that the way of salvation is NOT found in our perfectly keeping the commandments of God, but in repenting and believing in Jesus when we have failed in keeping them. And by God’s grace, any one of us can do that: this is not too high; it is not too difficult. It’s not like you can only be saved if you travel to the other side of the world and see some great spiritual leader, or perform some impossible task.  No, he says, this is accessible. You can do this. Any child can do it — and many have! 

ILLUSTRATION:

Vintage Glass Wax commercial about making Christmas decorations of home windows with stencils and Glass Wax. The announcer says: “So easy a child can do it”:  

And/or follow up with a ???DISCUSSION QUESTION???

“What are some things that are so easy that a child can do them?”

(Of course, “ABCs” are one; our little 4-y you/your group can think of many.

I’d follow up with this idea of the “ABCs.” Because New Testament salvation is “as simple as ABC.” In fact, many children’s/VBS presentations now employ something like “the ABCs of salvation”: “Admit your sin; Believe in Jesus; Confess Him as your Savior,” etc. 

And that’s good not only for children, but for anyone! Salvation is “as simple as ABC.” It is indeed “so simple a child can do it.” Jesus said in Mark 10:14, ““Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” He said in Matthew 18:3, “Unless you are converted and become like children, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

It’s not too hard. A child can do it — and we should make the point as we teach Sunday: AND YOU CAN TOO! Believe in Jesus, and confess Him as your Lord & Savior, and you will be saved. It’s not too hard; a child can do it — and so can you!

Take this message seriously, Bible study leader. You may have someone in YOUR class this Sunday, who needs to hear this: who needs to believe in their heart, and confess Jesus, and call upon Him and be saved. My prayer is that someone is going to be saved as this lesson is presented this week. Maybe it will be someone in YOUR class! Pray that way. Present this teaching evangelistically, especially if there might be lost people present. “Do the work of an evangelist” as Paul says in II Timothy 4. Teach about the “Accessible Command” to put their faith in Jesus and be saved!

II. The Essential Choice (choose life)  (:15-20)

15 “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; 16 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. 

17 But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, 18 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. 

19 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, 20 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.”

So Moses says to Israel that day: I’ve set before you a clear choice: between “life and prosperity” on one hand, or “death and adversity” on the other hand. He’s saying this choice I am calling you to make today is very important. It will impact your life in a clear-cut and dramatic way:

— He says in :16 if you choose to walk in God’s ways, you’ll be blessed and live in the Land of Promise.

— But in :17-18 he tells them if they don’t obey, and worship other gods, they will “perish” and will not last long in the Promised Land. 

So this is a very clear, and very vital decision, that he is setting before Israel, and asking them to make. 

???DISCUSSION QUESTION???
“What are some important choices people make, that have lasting consequences for their life?”
(The choice of a spouse; the choice of a vocation; the choice of a college; the choice of friends, and so on)

There are many important choices and decisions we make throughout our lives. BUT NO CHOICE is more important than the one we make between following the way of the Lord, or the way of  the world. 

There truly are only two paths: God’s way and every other. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, “13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” There are only two paths: God’s path that leads to eternal life, and all the other paths that lead to destruction. God says here, make the right choice. As He says in :19, “choose life”! 

It’s also important for us to see how he frames the choice. What specifically does choosing to follow the Lord involve?

— :16 “I command you today to LOVE the LORD your God …”

So the first thing he says we are to do, if we choose God’s way, is to LOVE HIM! 

Sometimes we make things a lot more complicated than they need to be: with laws and commandments and Hebrew & Greek words and spiritual insights and on and on. But essentially the Christian life is about one, simple, primary thing: Love God.

This is what Jesus told us in Matthew 22:37, isn’t it: that the Great Commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart? Just LOVE Him!

The importance of this is emphasized by the fact that the command to love God is repeated again near the end of this section, in :20, where he says that to “choose life” means “loving the LORD your God.” So TWICE in this passage he says, “LOVE YHWH … LOVE YHWH.” This is what it’s all about: love the Lord. 

ILLUSTRATION/QUOTE:
Nathan Finn & Jeremy Kimble wrote about famed 1700s theologian Jonathan Edwards that he “saw Christianity not essentially as a system of truth onto which one maps one’s existence but as a fountain of love into which one is swept up.”

(Finn and Kimble, ed., A Reader’s Guide to the Major Writings of Jonathan Edwards, p. 31)

Some of us, and our people, really need to hear this word this week. Our faith isn’t just about believing a “system of truth,” or following a set of laws, or all kinds of other things we’ve made it. It’s primarily about LOVING GOD. Some of us need to hear God calling us “back to our first love” — just a love for Him! That’s the most important thing; the Great Commandment: LOVE God!

NOW: lest someone try to say, “Well I love God, so I don’t need to worry about keeping His commandments” (and believe me there are plenty of people who try to say that!) — the very next part of :20 adds: “by loving the LORD your God, by OBEYING HIS VOICE!” So loving God does not somehow “free us” from any obligation to keep His commands. No, rather, if we really love God, then we will WANT to do what He says. Again, Jesus re-emphasizes this for us in the New Testament: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) So keeping His commands is one way we show we really love Him:

???DISCUSSION/APPLICATION QUESTION???

“What are some ways that we might show that we really LOVE God, as opposed to just “routinely serving” Him or “doing rote religious deeds”?

(If we really LOVE Him we will: enjoy worshiping Him, and more than just in church only. We’ll worship Him at home, sing and praise Him in your car/when you’re alone. Think about Him in our free time, not just at church. Read the Bible more than just our “daily routine.” Read books/do studies about Him/His word in our free time. Give of our time/money to Him/His causes. Have a strong feeling of love to Him — feelings aren’t everything but love does involve feelings. And as we mentioned, Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15), so obedience to His word is a sign that we really love Him too.

You/your group can think of many.

But the point is: THIS is what God wants from us, more than anything else. TWICE God says here that He wants us to LOVE Him. Not just slavish service and obedience to a Law, but to really LOVE HIM from our heart, like He loves us. If we really do love Him, then we will show it in the ways we have mentioned, and more. 

But this is a choice, and it is a choice that we all have to make.

Moses says in :19 that he called “heaven and earth to witness” that he had set this clear choice before them: between life or death, blessing or curse. The choice was up to them. But he exhorted them: “Choose life!”

And that same choice is there for us today as well. God’s word is very clear; which way will we choose?

You might close the lesson with this story from history:

ILLUSTRATION:

Eusebius, the historian in the early church, wrote about the man Marinus, who was in line to become a Roman centurion, a position of great honor. 

“But when he was on the point of receiving the honor, another stepped up to the tribunal and stated that Marinus was disqualified by long-established laws from sharing any Roman rank since he was a Christian and did not sacrifice to the emperors, and so the office fell to himself. Achaeus, the judge, first asked what opinions Marinus held, and when he saw that he steadfastly confessed his Christianity, he granted him three hours to reconsider. 

When (Marinus) left the court, Theotecnus, the local bishop, took him by the hand and led him to the church. Once inside, he placed him in front of the altar, and, raising his cloak, he pointed to the sword at his side. Then he brought the book of the divine Gospels and placed it before him, and asked him to choose which of the two he preferred. Without hesitation, he put out his right hand and took the divine book. “Hold fast then,” Theotecnus told him, “hold fast to God. With His strength may you obtain what you have chosen. Go in peace.” 

Just as he was returning, a herald announced that the time had expired and summoned him to the court, Standing before the judge, he showed still greater fervor for the faith. He was immediately led off to execution and so found fulfillment.”

(Eusebius, The Church History, pp. 236-237) 

Marinus was faced with a dramatic choice, filled with consequence: who will you choose: God or Rome? Life or death? Temporary gain, or eternal life and glory. It doesn’t always appear so dramatic to us, but we all do face that very same choice: will we follow Christ, or this world? And we not only face a “one-time decision, but also in our everyday choices as well. Moses reminds not only Israel, but also us today, that there’s a lot on the line. Be sure you make the right choice, and “Choose life” — choose God’s way — today!

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