Deuteronomy: At Journey's EndSample

The inheritors

At its start (v. 10), its ending (v. 23) and its centre (v. 18) this section announces one theme: people are being ‘brought into’ the Promised Land (v. 10), to possess it (v. 18), having been brought out in order to be brought in (v. 23). It is all the Lord’s purpose for his people – not at all of their doing (v. 11) but the gift of God (v. 23). Yet what sort of people Israel are is far from treated as unimportant. They inherit by gift, but are called to display the characteristics which show that they are indeed inheritors. There are seven characteristics mentioned: 

1. The Lord’s salvation always kept in their minds – they were saved from Egypt and bondage (v. 12). 
2. Awareness of God’s greatness and holiness, reflected in ‘fear’ or reverential awe (v. 13).
3. Devotion to the Lord’s service and worship (v. 13). Here ‘serve’ includes whatever service he commands and also, like our word today, ‘holding a service’ or religious worship. 
4. Pledging loyalty to him (v. 13). Here ‘take … oaths’ is in the sense of making a commitment to him and affirming devotion.
5. Exclusive commitment and thus distinctive separation from other loyalties (v. 14). This means division from other gods, other people and the ‘religious’ demands of alternative objects of worship, as well as from the distinctive practices of their devotees. 
6. Simple, unquestioning trust in the Lord’s promises (v. 16). Here to ‘test’ God involves withholding trust in any given situation until he ‘proves himself’ trustworthy. In contrast, proper trust always says, ‘His love in time past forbids me to think he’ll leave me at last in trouble to sink.’
7. Possessing and obeying God’s word (vv. 17–18). 

Are all these of equal importance? Fundamentally, yes, nevertheless two are underlined by having supplements attached to them. The ‘sole loyalty’ theme of verse 14 is amplified by the insistence in verse 15 that the Lord’s love is a true love, therefore comes with its essential component of jealous longing to have the full response of the loved one. The call for obedience to God’s word (vv. 17–18) is reiterated in verses 24–25. Living by the word of God is living in God-pleasing righteousness – not trying to earn righteousness by the way we live but displaying righteousness because we are already ‘right with him’.

Reflection

‘Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness’ (Jas. 3:18).