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Question: On Deuteronomy 27-28

Question: How does the passage of Deut. 27-28 apply to the church today?

Answer:

To properly understand Deut 27-28 and how it applies to the church today, one must first understand both the historical and redemptive context in which it is found.

One must remember that redemptively, the Mosaic Covenant (including Deut 27-28) falls within God’s greater work of redeeming a people unto himself through covenant relationship. This can be seen in both the larger and the immediate context.

In the larger context, the Mosaic Covenant follows and builds upon the relationship God had already established with his people through a covenant of grace with men like Noah and Abraham, who served as federal heads. The Mosaic Covenant also precedes and serves as a stepping stone for God’s ongoing relationship with his people through a covenant of grace as seen through his covenant with David and ultimately consummated in Jesus Christ. The single most significant and distinguishing factor brought out and stressed by the Mosaic Covenant is the role that law plays within the covenantal framework. As O. Palmer Robertson says: “Nothing could be more basic to a proper understanding of the Mosaic era. It is not law that is preeminent, but covenant. Whatever concept of law may be advanced, it must remain all times subservient to the broader concept of the covenant.” Though the law played an important role before the Mosaic Covenant and also continues to play a significant role in the church, it is the Mosaic Covenant that highlights the significance and importance of law keeping and obedience within a covenantal relationship. For example, It is important to note that Israel was delivered out of Egypt first (covenant), and then the law given (at Sinai, to those who had already been delivered or redeemed.) So, Israel was not saved by law keeping, but rather by God; who having saved them by his grace, then revealed and commanded them to keep His law for their good and for the sake of His own great name. Though the law does not save, it still serves an important role within the covenant framework. It serves to make known the requirements of God upon his people, it makes known the standard of God’s righteousness, it provides a measure by which sinful man can know his unrighteousness, it provides an instrument by which man might know of his need to look outside him self for righteousness, it defines how people are to live, it provides bountiful blessing to those who keep the law, it distinguishes a people from others, it calls attention to the law giver as it is followed, etc. That’s what Paul argues in the New Testament, that at the same time the law has no power in itself to save, we uphold the law because it serves a holy and useful purpose for God’s people.

In the immediate context, again we see the importance of law within the covenant relationship and relationship. In vv. 2-3, we read “When you have crossed the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster. Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you.” The deliverance and provision of the land (which is a type for salvation/heaven in N.T.) is solely based on the covenant God has previously made with them (“just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you.”) This is seen as well when twice it refers to the land being “given” to them. In addition, it is to be noted that twice reference is made to the fact that it is only “when you have crossed the Jordan into the land” (result of covenant) that reference to the law is made. The truth is, that law is important to God’s covenant people, not in establishing a relationship with God by their own merit, but is fulfilling the calling to which he has saved them in serving as the people of God according to holiness and obedience in the context of covenant redemption and salvation.

Historically, what we find here is a ratification or covenant renewal ceremony between two parties involved in a Suzerain/Vassal relationship. In that day it was common for a covenant to be drawn up between a more powerful authority/nation and a weaker authority/nation in which the more powerful king would provide certain provisions for the weaker (dependent) people upon the condition of submission and obedience to certain demands. In the keeping of those commands, there would be many blessings, but in the event the lesser one defied the greater one by breaking the covenant, then great consequences (curses) would result. As the Baker Commentary writes “The blessings express the numerous benefits the faithful vassal may expect to receive. Conversely, the curses pronounce the judgment he may expect for unfaithfulness. “, but as J.A. Thompson writes “It might appear that there was something almost mechanical in the operation of this so-called Deuteronomic principle, so that blessings were rewards for moral goodness and curses were punishment for evil-doing and rebellion. Such a view is too shallow. There is a deeper note. … If Israel asked how life may be lived full of hope, in the enjoyment of God’s blessing and with promise for a wonderful future, the answer was that only in fellowship with Yahweh and in obedience to His commandments could life like that be found. There was not other way. If His sovereignty were denied and His law rejected, Israel would depart into the way of death. But that would be to reject all Yahweh’s love toward Israel. He would then enter into controversy with His people and would bring His judgment upon them so that they might be purged, refined and restored. His judgment would be with a view to their repentance.”

Now, to return to your question having this background, we know that the believers today like those standing on the banks of the Jordan stand in covenant relationship with God according to grace and not on the basis of personal law keeping. At the same time, we understand that law does serve an important role in our lives. We keep the law not to earn salvation, but as those who have been saved through the obedience of Christ. At the same time, we have been saved for the purpose of holiness and for the purpose bringing glory to God through our lives as by his grace we are enabled to live in keeping with the requirements of the law through the sanctifying work of God’s Spirit.. Though many would say today that the law serves no purpose in the life of a believer, the truth of the matter is that the law continues to serve as a standard of righteousness and as an instrument of grace by which the Lord works to transform and set apart his people. Like in the days of Moses, there is great blessing in the honoring of God and in the keeping of his law, as well as punishment and pain for rejecting/breaking it. What we find in the Deuteronomic demands found in these chapters is a exposition of God’s moral law that still applies today. The church today though this recording of both blessings and curses is called upon to solemnly consider the drastically different outcomes of keeping the covenant and living according to the demands of God’s righteousness or choosing to go our own way and suffer the consequences. We cannot keep the covenant ourselves, but must look to our union and strength in Christ, and in doing so, we are greatly encouraged according to the measure of blessing God here promises to his faithful people.