16.0 On The Banks of the Jordan
August 2008
Topics:
Moses’ Last Messages
Heart religion
Covenant After Moses’ Time
Palestinian Covenant
Rededication
After forty years of wandering in the desert, Israel again approached Canaan, this time through Gilead and Bashan. By the power of God they dispossessed the Amorites and took their lands. Now camped on the east side of the river, opposite Jericho, Moses gathered all Israel and reminded the people of their covenant with God, with blessings and curses depending on their obedience.
2 "The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
3 "The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
4 "The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire" (Deuteronomy 5:2-4).
The generation that had come out of Egypt had died in the wilderness, and a new generation had arisen. Ahead of them was the invasion of Canaan and their settlement on the land. There would be challenges and there would be temptations. They needed a clear concept of God’s purpose in giving them the land, they needed to know their responsibilities as the chosen people of God, and they needed to know the law. Most important, they needed to remember how God had delivered them from bondage in Egypt.
These verses demand close attention to the rhetorical turns in logic. It can be confusing. Each part must be understood and made to fit with the rest of the passage. So let us go one step further and explain each line:
The Lord made a covenant with US in Horeb. This was forty years later. All the adult generation that met at Horeb were dead. BUT, He made the covenant with US? An impossibility? We have to understand the issue of corporate responsibility. We all sinned in Adam. Israel paid tithe to Melchizedek in Abraham. We keep the law of God in Christ and are saved in Him. Etc. Everyone who stood on the banks of the Jordan received the covenant in their fathers.
The Lord made NOT this covenant with our fathers, but with US. Now we are getting practical. The covenant made with the fathers does us NO good, unless He makes the covenant with us too!
The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount. This is a poetic expression emphasizing what was said in verse two. Did God talk to the people standing on the bank of the Jordan at Horeb? NO! Did God talk to the fathers face to face at Horeb? NO! The only person that God talked to "face to face" was Moses. And even then, in Exodus 33 he asks for the privilege of seeing God! The only glimpse Moses got was of God after he passed by him.
However, in this case Moses corporately represented Israel. The Covenant that God gave to Moses He gave to the fathers at Horeb, and to each generation to follow.
The same issue is raised on the bank of the Jordan that arose at Horeb: Will they accept the covenant of God? Will they "learn them, and keep, and do them." (Deut. 5:1). To summarize, each generation must make their own covenant, their commitment to God. Each individual must come in the presence of God. Each person must give his life to God on a day by day basis, as in the morning and evening sacrifice.
God made this covenant "with all of us who are alive today." This was the same covenant made with Adam and Eve; with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and the covenant renewed at Sinai. It was the everlasting covenant. Moses emphasized that each person standing before him that day were "corporately" in their fathers as God spoke to them the covenant. The covenant was for them as if they were actually at Sinai to hear it given. Yet, the covenant must be renewed with each person. We cannot ride on the coattails of our ancestors. God has "no grandchildren."
Some have read in these verses that the covenant, which included the ten commandments, were given just to the Jews. But the concept of the "everlasting covenant," a term repeated sixteen times, precludes this idea. God is not capricious. He is dependable and unchanging. He is not a respecter of persons. The plan of salvation is dependable as the Rock of Ages and was given to all people in all ages and in all places. It is everlasting.
During time of the patriarchs God’s messages were transmitted through the oral tradition,(4) which was successful due to the excellent memories of men at that time and to their long lives. Also important is that the "seed of Abraham" did not become a nation until after they had spent 215 years in Egypt. Now a nation, at Sinai, organization was essential. The moral law was codified and written in the ten commandments, probably for the first time.
Under Moses the written Bible record was begun. No doubt there were myths, legends, and stories of Creation and the flood well known among the people. (See "5.2 Flood Legends"). Moses was inspired to choose those that were true. The early records tend to be sketchy and details of the law and the sacrificial system, specified at Sinai, were not written in the early ages. The book of Genesis, as an introduction, did not need these details.
The ten commandment law was given at Sinai and repeated on the bank of the Jordan. The wording was a little different when given at the Jordan, but it is easily recognized as the same ten commandment law given at Sinai when God "wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments" (Exodus 34:28).
As Moses, the "grand old man," the leader of the Exodus for forty years gave the closing addresses of his life, it was an imposing scene. It was something that Israel would never forget. When he spoke of the covenant of God being particularly made with each one of them there that day, it went straight to the heart. Joshua became the embodiment of the message and spirit of Moses. Moses’ influence continued so long as any of this generation lived. It was the legacy of a righteous man and a merciful God.
"And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord, that he had done for Israel" Joshua 24:31.
The covenant, sometimes called the "Palestinian Covenant" was given in Deut. 29:9-15. The entire chapters twenty nine and thirty give more details about the covenant.
"Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.
"All of you are standing today in the presence of the LORD your God – your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel, together with your children and your wives, and the aliens living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water.
"You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the LORD your God, a covenant the LORD is making with you this day and sealing with an oath, to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
"I am making this covenant, with its oath, not only with you who are standing here with us today in the presence of the LORD our God but also with those who are not here today"
(Deuteronomy 29:9-15 NIV).Was this covenant different from the covenant made at Sinai? In Deuteronomy 29:1 it is called a covenant "beside (in addition to - NIV) the covenant which he made with them in Horeb" (Deut. 29:1). This can be best understood by looking at similar language in Deut. 5:2-4. See discussion of these verses above. A person cannot depend on a covenant made with his fathers. He must make a personal commitment himself.
In Deuteronomy are the three discourses of Moses to the people before he died, and before they crossed the Jordan to take the land. The first discourse is given in Deuteronomy chapters one to four gives a brief history of their wanderings and emphasize their relationship with God. The second discourse is the longest, Deuteronomy chapters five to twenty six. This is a repeat of the commandments, the civil law, and many details of the ceremonial law. The final discourse is given in Deuteronomy chapter twenty seven to thirty one verse eight. This includes another repetition of the covenant.
Covenant language is intertwined throughout the whole book. The blessings for obedience are given in Deuteronomy 7:1-26; 8:1-10; 11:10-15; and 28:1-14. The curses for apostasy are given in Deuteronomy 28:15-68; and 29:18-29.
In the book of Deuteronomy also is an echo of the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31:31-34 – the desire and the promise of God to change their hearts and lives:
God desires heart religion in His people:
Deuteronomy 4:6 Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
D. 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, ...
D. 6:5 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thine soul, and ...
D. 7:6 thou art an holy people ... God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself
D. 10:12 what doth thy God require .. But to fear the Lord ... and to love him and to serve ...
D. 10:16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
D. 11:1; 30:16, 20 thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his ... commandments
D. 11:13, 22; 19:9 If ye shall hearken unto my commandments... to love the Lord your God,
D. 11:18 therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul
D. 14:2 Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee ...
D. 26:18 the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people,
D. 27:9 this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God.
D. 28:9 The Lord shall establish thee an holy people ... if thou shalt keep the commandments
D. 20:13 to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God (NIV)
D. 30:6 God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants (NIV)
See also Psalm 51 and Isaiah 1:10-20
The Covenant after Moses’ Time
Israel had reached a high point in their spiritual life at the time they occupied Canaan. This was due to the new emphasis on the covenant, their relation to God, and to the influence of Moses and Joshua.
Before long, Israel went into cycles of apostasy, oppression, repentance and deliverance—over and over again. With this pattern the everlasting covenant was broken over and over again, and with each repentance, the covenant was renewed. Moses made the first of these renewals just before Israel crossed the Jordan into Canaan. See Deut 29:12-15. These verses reflect what Moses also said in Deut 5:2-3.
With frequent renewals, there was variation in how each renewal of the covenant was presented. Were these different covenants, or were they renewals of the everlasting covenant? In the Old Testament much is said about "covenant." Most of these renewals were man made, but pointed to the everlasting covenant and the ten commandment law. They were usually a rededication to God following a revival. However, there is no discussion of more than one covenant.(5) With time the apostasy deepened until there was "no remedy" and Israel was taken into captivity to Babylon.(6)
The covenant renewed on the banks of the Jordan was most cherished by the Jews who look for a future fulfillment. Some Christians feel that it was fulfilled in Jesus Christ and His Church in the New Covenant. The wording in Deuteronomy five points to a renewal of the Sinai covenant.
The Scofield Bible analyzes Deut. 30 into seven parts as follows:
Verse 1. Israel dispersed for disobedience (compare Deut. 28:63-68; Amos 9; and Gen. 15:18).
" 2. Memory of blessings and curses bring repentance while in dispersion.
" 3. With repentance the Lord will turn their captivity (compare Amos 9:9-15; Joel 3:1-8; and Acts 15:14-17).
" 5. Restoration to the land (compare Isa. 11:11, 12; Jer. 23:3-8; Ezek. 37:21-25).
" 6. National conversion implied (compare Hos. 2:14-16; Rom. 11:26, 27).
" 7. Judgment on Israel's oppressors (compare Isa. 14:1, 2; Joel 3:1-8; Matt. 25:31-46).
" 9. National prosperity promised (compare Amos 9:11-14).
From: Home Bible Study Commentary by James M. Gray. Deuteronomy Chapters 29-30
It is further argued that Israel’s captivity was to Babylon, and not "among all nations." When God recalled them from Babylon, they were not all brought back nor multiplied above their fathers (5), nor were their hearts circumcised to love the Lord (6). The complete accomplishment was yet to come. Israel is yet to be converted to Jesus Christ as her Messiah, and returned to her land in accordance with what all the prophets teach.
How then can we read these verses:
Deuteronomy 30:6 shows the purpose of God for Israel: "The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live." It was always His purpose to write the law on their hearts.
Then in Deut. 30:10 it is clear that the blessings were conditional on their obedience. A number of other passages, including the blessings and curses referenced above indicate that the covenant promises to Israel were always conditional on their relationship with God – including their right to live in the promised land.
If the covenant of God is an everlasting covenant, why are the promises different each time it is given? The everlasting covenant was planned within the Godhead before the foundation of the world. The plan was made before man was created. There is nothing that man can do to change this covenant, it is everlasting, "for his mercy endureth forever" (Psalm 136).
God’s mercy never changes. The focus of the everlasting covenant is Jesus Christ, His sinless life, sacrificial death, and resurrection. While the promises may vary, they all flow from the sacrifice on Calvary. It is from His sacrifice on Calvary, and from His resurrection that Jesus has authority to redeem mankind.
Human experience is constantly varying. It varies with age: childhood, youth, young adulthood raising children, the prime of life, and finally aging. These are not the only variables. There are also the challenges of work, making a living, where we live, changes in society, etc. etc. You can add many more. We need to present ourselves and our plans to God on a daily basis. We must be constantly reminded of what living the Christian life is and how we need to do it.
We also need a special reminder every week of Creation, Redemption, and of our dependence upon God. For this, God gave us the Sabbath. It is all too easy to forget the ultimate purpose of God in our lives. From time to time we must make a new commitment to serve Him. The covenant must be renewed with each generation, and with each person (Deut 5:3,4).
A present day problem is the loss to the church of young people. We are beset by the generation gap, loss of interest in spiritual things, and multiple temptations to lure youth away from spiritual values. We cannot entirely blame the young people. They will tend to follow what their parents are excited about. If the parents are excited about spiritual things, the youth will be too. If the family ALL go to church, have family worship every day, and live by God's covenant; the youth will too.
Often the parents are "good citizens" but show little interest in spiritual things. Young people will carry this logically one step further and wander into materialism and the search for pleasure. Parents must get down on their knees and pray, then get up and be an example for their young people. Remember this verse:
12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).
Jesus in His life on earth met all these problems as a man, a human being. The victory He gained is for us and for our children.
You are invited to read the website: www.everlastingcovenant.com where all this material is posted and references are given. You may also read the www.covenantforum.com .Where you may also register and ask questions and make comments.