Deuteronomy 30:1-6

[Brother Adam]

This isn't necessarily set up as a debate, but because of the various soteriological views of fellow phatmassers (being that not all of us are Catholic), I could see how this could end up a debate, so I will start here.

I am going to expound on this more as I study the text and learn more myself, but let me begin by sharing how the "jurisprudence" of the Old Testament as it is works. Each time a new covenant is made between God and man (or between Moses and Israel as the covenant at Moab may be), it makes obsolete the previous covenant before it. Much like in the law today, if the Supreme Court outlaws abortion tomorrow, the previous law allowing for abortion becomes null and void. In terms of the Mosaic law, the 'last' as we have it, modification of the law, and the last covenant leaves us with 54 curses and 14 blessings. (Can you imagine being an Israelite and listening to all the curses that may befall you). You can see Deut 27-28 for a list of these curses and blessings.

From here we see in Deuteronomy 30 the pronouncement that the curses will befall the people. "And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you...". There is no if about it, God knows, Moses knows, that the people will not remain faithful. I sometimes wonder if Moses, after all the trouble he went through would pass another burning bush and go "Oh no, I know what that's all about, I don't THINK so." So Deuteronomy 30:1 basically tells us why no one will be saved by the law. The final pronouncement of the Mosaic law is pronounced with a certian planned obsolesce. It will fail. Anyone who tries to follow the law will find themselves with all of the curses of the law. For the Israelite people we see in their own time that they received blessings with Solomon, and they faced the curses thereafter from the time that the kingdoms divided through the exile. This old covenant is finally and completely unable to save the people of Israel or anyone who tries to adhere to it.

Now flash forward to verse 4 and 5. "If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will fetch you; and the Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, that you may possess it; and he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers." We know that after the exile, through the New Testament times that the people of Israel were scattered throughout the land. Eventually a New Exodus would come about and gather them all together. They would ultimately be saved through Christ and through the Paschal Mystery.

Here is the real kicker of salvation history though - verse 6 - "And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live." God is going to circumcise their hearts instead of their skin. Okay, follow me here, first check out Deuteronomy 10:16 "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn". Now check out Acts 2:37. What happens in Acts 2? The Jews come from all nations - from scattered lands together around the Apostles and the Holy Spirit is given. And lo' behold after hearing the preaching of St. Peter "Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart..." Prophecy is fulfilled here. What is really awesome though is it is Christ who took upon all of the curses of the Mosaic law upon Himself so we do not have to suffer them. "We are buried therefore with him by baptism into death [the curses of the Mosaic law], so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" Romans 6:4 and "Baptism now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ..." 1 Peter 3:21.

Now back to Acts 2 - Peter commands them "Repent and be baptized"! Why, because the curses of the Mosaic law are on them and through dying and rising with Christ they are washed clean - they are born anew! No longer under the curses of the law, but under grace, under a - New Covenant! "So those who received his word were baptized [---->] and there were added that day about three thousand souls" Acts 2:41

Like I said I'm still working on systematically clarifying this, but I thought it was pretty neat to look at the passage in Deuteronomy and show how it harmoniously parallels the New Covenant.

Edited September 27, 2005 by Brother Adam

[dspen2005]

it is not surprising that this passage from the OT parallels or comes into the fulfillment in the New Testament... as the phrase goes (roughly paraphrased, here).... The New Testament is hidden throughout the Old Testament, and the Old Testament is brought to the light and fulfillment in the New.

[Brother Adam]

Actually it is "The New Testament is concealed in the Old Testament and the Old Testament is revealed in the New" which is from St. Augustine's First Catechetical Instruction. lol. Another book i just read a couple of weeks ago.