You have a choice. - Deuteronomy 30:15-20
In our lesson from Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Moses has brought the people of Israel to the borders of the promised land. They had stood at this border before, 40 years before to be exact. The first time they stood at this border spies were sent into the land to see what the land was like. The report they brought back filled the people of Israel with fear. The land was virtually flowing with milk and honey; however, it was also occupied by a strong people living in fortified cities. It seemed to the people of Israel that the Lord had led them to this border to die. They grumbled and complained against the LORD, “If only we had died in Egypt!” “Or in this desert!” “Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”[1]
Because of their lack of faith, the LORD led them back out into the wilderness. They spent 40 years wandering around in that wilderness. During that time, the generation of people who had chosen to grumble and complain against the LORD died off and a new generation came of age. Moses brought this new generation to stand at the border where the previous generation once stood. This time no spies were sent into the land. Instead, Moses reminded the people of the miraculous signs and great wonders the LORD performed when He set them free from slavery and delivered them from death in Egypt. Moses reminded them how the LORD provided for them and protected them as they wandered in the wilderness. But most importantly Moses reminded them that God had chosen them to be His people. Moses said to them, “12 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, 13 to confirm you this day as his people.”[2]
The people standing at the border of the promised land were God’s chosen people. Before they entered the promised land it was essential that the people understood this. Because of His grace, because of His mercy the LORD chose them to be His people, not because they had in themselves any value or worth, not because they showed promise or potential. The LORD chose them because the LORD chose them. They were the people of God not because that is what they always wanted to be, they were the people of God because that is what He always wanted them to be. He was not the people’s chosen God. They were God’s chosen people.
Before we go any further it is essential for us to be reminded that we too are God’s chosen people. Just like the people gathered at the border of the promised land, we who have gathered here didn’t have any value or worth promise or potential that caused God to choose us. But, because of His great love and rich mercy, the Father sent His Son to save us[3]. While we were still sinners that Son died to pay for our sins[4]. By the working of the Holy Spirit, we were called out of darkness into His wonderful light[5]. As Jesus once said to His disciples so He say to you and to me, “You did not choose me, but I chose you”[6]. The LORD chose you because the LORD chose you. You are a believer not because that is what you always wanted to be, you are believers because that is what God always wanted you to be. Before we go any further it is essential for us to remember He is not our chosen God. We are His chosen people.
It is only because you already are God’s chosen people that I can talk to you today about choice. Unlike an unbeliever whose heart is “only evil all the time”[7], the believer has a choice. God’s chosen people stood at the border of the Promised Land and it was there that Moses gave them a choice. He said they could either choose “16… to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws.” Or they could choose to have a “17 heart that “turns away” and is “not obedient”. They could choose to be “drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them.” You see, God did not / does not obligate His chosen people. God’s chosen people are not robots whose thoughts, words, and actions are a function of their programming. God’s chosen people have free will and autonomous agency and as such they have the freedom to choose how they will live their lives. However, it is important for God’s chosen people to know that their choices have consequences.
Moses told God’s chosen people if they chose “16… to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws.” “then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.” When God’s chosen people choose to live their lives loving the LORD, walking in His ways, and keeping His commands, life is better. God’s Word is full of guidance and direction concerning happy and healthy living. God talks about moderation in the food we eat and beverages we drink, it talks about exercise and rest and relaxation, and it turns out when we choose to love the LORD, walk in His ways, and keep His commands we live happier and healthier lives. God’s Word is full of guidance and direction concerning out relationship with our parents, spouse, kids, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and acquaintances. God’s word teaches us how to be slow to speak and quick to listen, how to turn the other check and go the extra mile, how to seek and give forgiveness, how to lift up and encourage, and it turns out when we choose to love the LORD, walk in His ways, and keep His commands our relationships with other people get better. It turns out when we love the LORD, walk in His ways, and keep His commands our relationships with other people are better. The same is true about our relationship with our God. God’s word tells us how we can feed our faith through worship and bible study and God’s word encourages us to bring our cares and concerns wants and needs to our God in prayer, and it turns out when we choose to love the LORD, walk in His ways, and keep His commands our relationship with our God is better. Moses told the people of Israel the consequence of loving the LORD, walking in His way, and keeping His commands are Life and prosperity. It turns out every aspect of your life, both this life and the next, is better when you love the LORD, walk in His ways, and keep His commands.
When God’s chosen people choose to love the LORD, walk in His ways, and keep His commands and their lives are better. But, as Moses tells the people standing at the border of the promised land, there is another choice with a different set of consequences. Moses tells them, “17 if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.” When God’s chosen people choose to live their lives rejecting the LORD, wandering from His ways, and disobeying His commands, life is worse. In the moment you might think you are happier, and you might not see the damage you are doing to yourself, but in time you will discover sin never leaves you feeling happier or healthier. It turns out when we overindulge and gratify the desires of the flesh, we feel more depressed and damaged. When we choose to reject the LORD, wander from His ways, and break His commands life gets worse. Sin does the same thing to our relationships with other people. When we disrespect and dishonor, when we abuse or neglect, when we take advantage of or gossip about other people, our relationship with those people don’t get better. It turns out when we choose to reject the LORD, wander from His ways, and break His commands our relationships with other people get worse. The same thing happens to our relationship with our God. When we despise preaching and His word, when we shun the training and instruction of the LORD, when we are too busy for prayer our faith flickers like a flame starved for oxygen and if we persist in our rejection, wandering and disobedience our faith will eventually be snuffed out. It turns out when we reject the LORD, wander from His ways and break His commands our relationship with our God gets worse. Moses told the people of Israel the consequences of rejecting the LORD, wandering from His way, and breaking His commands are Death and destruction. It turns out every aspect of your life, both this life and the next, is worse when you reject the LORD, wander from His ways, and break His commands.
The consequence of loving the LORD, walking in His ways, and keeping His commands are life and prosperity. The consequence of rejecting the LORD, wandering from His ways, and breaking His commands are death and destruction. It seems like we the people of God have an obvious choice to make… and yet…. Like God’s chosen people in the past God’s chosen people in the present haven’t always / don’t always make the right choice.
God allows His chosen people to have the freedom of choice, and He will allow us to either enjoy or suffer the consequences of our choices. Thankfully, there still is time for you and for me to make better choices and our God has a preference as to which choice He wants us to make. Through the mouth of Moses God says to His chosen people; He says to you and to me, “19… choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” The LORD God did not want to send the people of Isreal back out into the wilderness for another 40 years. He brought them back to this border because in His grace and mercy He wanted to give them a chance to make a better choice. He wanted them to choose to love the LORD their God, to walk in His ways, and keep His commands because He wanted to give His chosen people life and prosperity.
Your God wants you to have life and prosperity. That is why He brings you back here week after week. Each week you stand not on the border of the promised land or before a prophet but rather you sit in a sanctuary and before a pastor. And your God of grace and mercy offers you the opportunity to repent of your bad choices and seek the strength to make better choices. You see, the Father Who sent His Son to be your savior, The Son who suffered and died as payment for your sins, The Spirit who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light did not do so because He wants you to experience death and destruction. NO! The Father sent, the Son suffered, and the Spirit called because your God wants to give you life and prosperity. Your God knows every aspect of your life, both this life and the next, will be better when you choose to love the LORD, walk in His ways, and keep His commands.
As God’s chosen people, you have the freedom of choice, but you should know your choices have consequences. Your God’s preference is for you to have life and prosperity. Which is why today your God urges you to love the LORD, walk in His way, and keep His commands. May the God of grace and mercy who chose you to be His people, empower you to make that choice. Amen
[1] Numbers 14:1-4
[2] Deuteronomy 29:12-13
[3] Ephesians 2:1-10
[4] Romans 5:8
[5] 1 Peter 2:9
[6] John 15:16
[7] Genesis 6:5