“But I am not making this covenant and this oath only with you. Rather, I am making it both with him who is standing here with us today before Adonai our God and also with him who is not here with us today.”-Deuteronomy 29:14-15
The Lord declares something quite interesting and profound in Deuteronomy verses 14-15.
He states He is making a covenant with not just those standing before Him today in Moab, but also with those “who are not here today”.
What exactly does this mean?
Since previous verses already informed us that every living Hebrew without exception was present during this ceremony, the Lord had to be referring to future generations here.
The Midrash Tanhuma gives us an interesting answer actually.
It tells us that the pre-incarnate souls of all future Hebrews were also present at this covenant ratification ceremony.
So these souls also heard the voice of Moses and became part of the covenant.
I know a lot of you are thinking this is a bunch of hogwash but consider that the gentile Christian church teaches a similar doctrine.
They say that every soul that will ever take on physical form and inhabit a human body on this planet was first created and then in some way resided with the Lord before it took on physical form here on earth.
Regardless of whatever interpretation you want to accept, I think we can at least agree that what’s being communicated here is that the covenant will be offered to all future generations of Hebrews and NOT just the generation of Yeshua.
Onward.
Let’s take a look at verse 18.
“Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.”
Moses is issuing a stern warning here.
He’s cautioning the covenant community to be on guard for hypocrites.
What do I mean when I say “hypocrites”?
I’m referring to someone who declares allegiance to the covenant and because of that declaration thinks they’re safe and sound and can now live any way they please because they’ve already been “saved”.
Now doesn’t that sound familiar?
The definition of a “hypocrite” is perfectly explained in the following verses:
“When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing on themselves, thinking, ‘I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way‘, they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The Lord will never be willing to forgive them; his wrath and zeal will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will fall on them, and the Lord will blot out their names from under heaven. The Lord will single them out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.“-Deuteronomy 29:19-21
According to these verses, the Lord is specifically referring to the man or woman who remembers the exodus of 3 million Israelites from Egypt to Canaan, and remembers the false gods of gold and silver those pagan nations worshipped and yet in spite of having this knowledge…
…he or she still decides to rebel and serve false gods.
The Scripture calls this person “bitter poison and wormwood” and it goes on to say “The Lord will never be willing to forgive them”.
Yikes!
Finally, the Scripture warns such a person is so dangerous to the larger community that they must be cut off (KARET) lest they tempt others to follow after their apostasy.
All one has to do is read the Book of Judges or any of the other books of the Prophets and we’ll see the exact same scenario play out in Israel’s history.
Understand that an Israelite wouldn’t normally just completely renounce HASHEM and replace Him with the worship of some other gods.
Instead, they would still acknowledge HASHEM as the EL or chief ruling god in the area but then they would add a few of the “lesser” deities to their worship.
In other words, they engaged in what we would call religious syncretism.
They would still go to the Temple.
They would still celebrate the Biblical Feasts.
They would still donate their tithes and would sacrifice at the Brazen Altar.
Yet, when they returned to their homes, they would also have these little wooden and stone idols of other gods in their homes who they would bow down to and worship.
And they would often do all of this in secret so their neighbors wouldn’t know.
Obviously, they were shocked as all hell when the Lord’s curses fell on them for this idolatrous behavior.
“But Lord, didn’t we call on your Name and faithfully observe your commandments?”
And the answer will be pretty much the same as the Messiah’s words: “Get away from me. I never knew you”.
We unfortunately see this scenario being repeated over and over again in the Books of the Prophets.
And of course, we find this same pattern being expressed by the Messiah himself in the New Testament.
“On that Day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! Didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we expel demons in your name? Didn’t we perform many miracles in your name?’ Then I will tell them to their faces, ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!‘”-Matthew 7:22-23
Yeshua is saying exactly the same thing Moses is telling the people here in Deuteronomy 29.
Just because one has signed on the dotted line of the covenant so to speak does NOT mean one is safe and sound and can live life in any way they choose.
One has to continue to trust and obey in order to maintain their position within the covenant community.
Check out the words of the Apostle Paul:
“You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.’ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.”-Romans 11:19-22
One of the most ridiculous things in the world is to think that you can just get up from the pew, walk down that aisle, say the sinners prayer and then assume you’ve completed all your obligations to God.
Are your frickin’ kidding me?!
You won’t find one scripture…NOT ONE…that even subtly implies such a thing.
The problem with the gentile church is they promote too many doctrines that teach in one way or another that to obey the written Scriptural commands of God is legalism.
I’m serious.
You think I’m kidding?
I’m NOT.
I’ve been to Christian churches before and I swear this is true.
They’ll tell you that to even attempt to do good and righteous deeds by obeying the Lord’s commands is an attempt to try to “earn” one’s salvation through self-justifying works.
Can you say the word “retarded”?
What am I supposed to do?
Deliberately sin so I can keep my salvation?
Man, I swear Satan is working overtime in the Christian churches.
All I can say is I think millions upon millions upon millions of church goers are going to be in for quite a rude surprise and awakening when the Messiah returns and tells them…
“‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!'”
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