Deuteronomy Chapter 30
The Choice
A. Restoration for a repentant Israel.
1. (Deuteronomy 30:1) When all these things come upon you.
“And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,”
Moses, under divine inspiration, not only proclaimed the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience, but he also foresaw that Israel would experience both. This was not mere possibility, but prophetic certainty — Israel would taste the height of God’s blessing under David and Solomon, and later experience the depth of His judgment in exile and dispersion. The phrase “when all these things are come upon thee” reveals God’s foreknowledge of Israel’s history: their rebellion, their scattering, and their eventual repentance. The Lord did not speak hypothetically; He declared what would certainly unfold.
The words “thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations” indicate that exile would not erase Israel’s identity nor God’s covenant. Even in dispersion — from Assyria and Babylon to the future Roman dispersion — the Jewish people would be reminded of the covenant curses that came as a result of disobedience, as well as the promises of mercy upon repentance. This scattering, known as the Diaspora, was not outside of God’s control; rather, He says, “whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee.” Their exile was not evidence that God abandoned them, but that He remained faithful to His word — both in judgment and in mercy. Cross references include Leviticus 26:33, “And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you,” and Ezekiel 36:19, “And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.”
Yet even in judgment, God anticipated restoration. This verse sets the foundation for the promise that follows — that if Israel remembers, repents, and returns to the LORD with their whole heart, God will gather them, forgive them, and bless them once again. It reveals the unchanging character of God: He judges sin, but He delights in mercy. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
2. (Deuteronomy 30:2–5) God’s promise to restore Israel in the Promised Land.
“And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;
That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.
If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:
And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.”
a. “And shalt return unto the LORD thy God…”
God’s mercy always stands ready at the door of repentance. Here the Lord promises that when Israel truly returns to Him — not merely outwardly, but “with all thine heart, and with all thy soul” — He will respond with compassion, restoration, and national renewal. Repentance is not only an emotional sorrow but a turning back to the covenant God, marked by obedience to His voice. This mirrors 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways…” God’s grace is always connected to obedient faith.
This was partially fulfilled in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, when a remnant returned from Babylon. Yet that return was small, fragile, and still under Gentile dominance. The full scope of Moses’ prophecy extends far beyond ancient Babylon — it anticipates a greater dispersion and a greater regathering, one stretching across global history.
b. “And gather thee from all the nations…” — a worldwide dispersion and regathering
This promise is not limited to Babylonian captivity. The text says “from all the nations” — indicating a global scattering. This describes the great Diaspora following the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, when Israel was removed from its land for nearly two thousand years. Yet God promised that no matter how far they were scattered — “unto the outmost parts of heaven” — He Himself would gather them. This is echoed in Ezekiel 36:24, “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.”
Adam Clarke, writing in 1811 — long before Israel existed as a modern nation — understood this must refer to a yet future restoration: this cannot be the Babylonian return, for they were not scattered among all nations. History confirms this interpretation. Only in the twentieth century, beginning in 1948, were Jews regathered from every corner of the globe — Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, even from remote locations such as Yemen and Ethiopia. This matches the language here more precisely than any prior event.
c. “And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed…”
God’s promise is geographic, national, and literal — it is tied to a specific land. It is not Uganda, not a symbolic spiritual inheritance, but “the land which thy fathers possessed.” Early Zionists were indeed offered Uganda by the British Empire as a potential Jewish homeland. Had they accepted, it would not have fulfilled this prophecy. The covenant land is Abraham’s land — Canaan. God Himself swore this land to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 15:18; Genesis 28:13). Therefore restoration must bring Israel back to that land.
The return under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah was real, yet limited. Israel remained under Persian rule — they were in the land, but not possessing the land. The modern State of Israel, however, fulfills this more strongly — sovereign, self-governed, inhabiting the historic land with Jerusalem restored as its capital.
d. “He will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.”
This promise goes beyond simple return. God vows to prosper and increase Israel beyond the days of Abraham, Moses, David, and Solomon. The post-Babylon return saw a weak, impoverished remnant — small in number and surrounded by enemies (Haggai 1:6; Nehemiah 1:3). This prophecy, however, speaks of abundance, population growth, and national strength. That description fits only the modern restoration. Today Israel is more numerous, economically strong, agriculturally fruitful, militarily powerful, and globally influential — something never seen in ancient times. This aligns also with Amos 9:14–15, “And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel… and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land.”
3. (Deuteronomy 30:6) The spiritual restoration of Israel.
“And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”
This verse introduces the climax of Israel’s restoration, moving beyond physical return to the land and into spiritual renewal. God Himself promises to do what Israel could never do by mere law keeping. He will “circumcise thine heart,” meaning He will remove spiritual hardness, cleanse inward rebellion, and enable genuine love for Him. Physical circumcision marked Israel outwardly as God’s covenant people, but here God promises an inward work that changes affections, desires, and will. As Moses said earlier in Deuteronomy 10:16, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked,” but in this passage the work is entirely God’s doing, not man’s effort. This corresponds with the New Covenant promise spoken through the prophets.
a. Israel’s modern restoration is real, but incomplete.
The physical nation of Israel has been regathered in unbelief, fulfilling prophecy concerning land and nationhood, yet the spiritual promise of verse 6 has not yet taken place. Today, Israel is largely secular. Many revere Scripture culturally or historically, but as a nation they have not turned to the LORD in repentance. Even the Orthodox, though devoted to tradition, reject Jesus Christ, who is the perfect revelation of the Father. Jesus declared in John 12:44–45, “He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.” To reject Jesus is to reject the LORD who sent Him. Therefore, until Israel receives Jesus as Messiah, heart circumcision has not occurred on a national scale.
b. The promise of spiritual renewal remains certain.
Even in their unbelief, God’s covenant promises stand unbroken. He will yet perform this inward transformation. This is affirmed in Ezekiel 36:26–27, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.” This is the same heart circumcision Moses foretold. Paul also confirms this ultimate restoration in Romans 11:26, “And so all Israel shall be saved.” Jesus Himself testified that national repentance must precede His return: Matthew 23:39, “For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
c. The order of restoration in prophecy.
Some mistakenly argue that because Israel has not yet experienced this spiritual change, the modern restoration is illegitimate. However, Scripture gives a clear order. Deuteronomy 30 itself lists physical regathering first, then spiritual transformation. Likewise, in Ezekiel 37, the valley of dry bones becomes flesh and stands as a nation, yet lifeless, before God breathes His Spirit into them. Therefore we understand the modern State of Israel as a divinely orchestrated but partial fulfillment, awaiting the fullness when God circumcises their heart and turns unbelief to faith in their Messiah.
4. (Deuteronomy 30:7–10) Blessings upon repentant Israel.
“And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.
And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.
And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:
If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.”
a. “The LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies…”
God promises a complete reversal of Israel’s fortunes. The very judgments that once fell upon Israel for their disobedience will fall upon their enemies who oppressed them. This reflects the covenant justice of God. As He judged Israel according to His word, He will also judge the nations according to His promises. This is echoed in Genesis 12:3, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee.” Historically, empires that persecuted Israel — Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Rome, Nazi Germany — have fallen, while Israel endures. Yet the full completion of this promise awaits the future, especially the Tribulation and the millennial reign of Christ, when God will decisively deal with all nations that came against Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2–3).
b. “And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD…”
This repentance is not shallow or temporary. It is a full national turning to God, evidenced by obedience to His commandments. It is the fulfillment of the heart circumcision promised in verse 6. Israel will no longer be a stiffnecked nation but a people whose hearts and wills align with God’s law. This future obedience is not produced by human strength but by divine regeneration and the indwelling Spirit, as seen in Ezekiel 36:27, “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.”
c. “The LORD thy God will make thee plenteous…”
God’s blessing will touch every area of life — family, agriculture, economy, national security. Israel will abound “in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land” meaning population growth, agricultural prosperity, and economic strength. This goes beyond what Israel experienced under David and Solomon. The language points forward ultimately to the millennial kingdom of Christ, when the land will be healed, fruitfulness will abound, and Israel will be the head of the nations (Isaiah 27:6, Amos 9:13–15).
d. “For the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good…”
This is one of the most intimate statements in the Torah. God says He will once again rejoice over Israel, delighting in them as He did with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His discipline was real, but His covenant love remains. This mirrors Zephaniah 3:17, “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty… he will rejoice over thee with joy.” The restoration is not merely political or agricultural — it is relational. God delights in His people again when they return to Him.
e. “If thou… turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.”
The blessings are tied to genuine repentance, not mere ritual observance. This requires a full turning of heart and soul. Ultimately this will occur at the end of the Tribulation, when Israel looks upon Christ whom they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10) and cries out for Him. From that moment forward, they enter into the blessings of the New Covenant, fulfilled in the millennial reign of the Messiah.
These promises are partially seen in the modern regathering of Israel, but their complete fulfillment awaits the future kingdom of Christ on earth. The land is restored, the nation exists, but the heart transformation and universal obedience of Israel have not yet come. This passage shows both God’s unbreakable covenant and the future glory of redeemed Israel.
B. Moses concludes his great sermon: choose life!
1. (Deuteronomy 30:11–14) Israel’s capability to keep the covenant.
“For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.”
a. “For this commandment… is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.”
Moses assures Israel that God’s covenant is not obscure, unattainable, or mysterious. The law was clear, revealed, understandable, and spoken plainly through Moses. God never demanded something from His people without first giving them the knowledge, instruction, and means to obey. The word “hidden” means dark or concealed. God was not speaking in riddles or leaving mankind to search for heaven’s secrets. He gave His will openly at Sinai, through written tablets and prophetic instruction. This refutes any idea that obedience to God’s revealed will was impossible or unreasonable. As Psalm 19:7 declares, “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.”
b. “It is not in heaven… neither is it beyond the sea.”
Israel was not left to wonder, “Who will ascend into heaven” or “Who will cross the sea” to discover God’s will. God Himself brought His word down to them. The law was not distant, mystical, or beyond human reach. This passage is later used by Paul in Romans 10:6–8, applying it to the gospel of Christ — the righteousness of faith does not ascend to heaven to bring Christ down or descend into the grave to raise Him up. God already sent His Word. In both covenants, salvation is grounded in divine revelation, not human achievement.
c. “But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart…”
This means God’s law was not only spoken to them but internalized through repetition, confession, and instruction. It was to be on their lips and written on their hearts, as commanded in Deuteronomy 6:6–7, “And these words… shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children.” God wanted His people to know His word so intimately that it shaped their language and guided their affections. This nearness of the word made obedience possible.
d. Israel could keep the covenant — not perfectly, but faithfully.
This does not imply Israel could earn righteousness by flawless law-keeping. The law was never given as a ladder to heaven, but as instruction for a redeemed people who had already been delivered by grace from Egypt. The Old Covenant included three necessary elements: law, sacrifice, and choice. God did not expect perfection, because He provided sacrifice for sin. A righteous Israelite under the Old Covenant trusted not in his own obedience but in the atonement God provided — which pointed forward to the perfect sacrifice of Christ. In that sense, Old Testament saints were saved by faith in the coming Messiah, just as we today are saved by faith in the Messiah who has already come (Hebrews 10:1–4, John 1:29).
e. “That thou mayest do it.”
The covenant was realistic. God commanded what could be obeyed within the system He provided. Israel was capable of walking faithfully, loving God, offering sacrifice when they failed, and choosing life rather than death. Moses is not teaching legalism. He is teaching responsibility under grace: God has spoken, therefore Israel must choose to obey.
2. (Deuteronomy 30:15–18) The choice.
“See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;
I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.”
a. “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil.”
Moses brings the covenant to its climax with a solemn presentation of choice. Israel is not left in ambiguity, but confronted with a clear decision. The path of life and good means loving the LORD, walking in His ways, and keeping His commandments. The path of death and evil means turning aside, refusing to hear, and following other gods. God will be glorified either through Israel’s obedience and blessing or through their disobedience and judgment. The choice belongs to them, but the consequences are determined by God. Similar language appears in Deuteronomy 11:26–28, “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse.”
b. Love, obedience, blessing.
The call to obedience is rooted in love — not in empty ritual. Moses commands, “to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways.” Love leads to obedience, obedience leads to blessing. If Israel chooses rightly, God promises life, multiplication, and blessing in the Promised Land. This principle is echoed in Joshua 24:15, where Joshua later says, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” God does not leave His people without responsibility.
c. Rebellion, idolatry, destruction.
Moses warns that if their heart turns away, if they stop hearing the voice of God, and are drawn away to worship idols, judgment will swiftly follow. God declares, “ye shall surely perish” and “ye shall not prolong your days upon the land.” This is not theoretical. This is prophecy. Israel did turn from the LORD, and as Moses foretold, they were removed from the land, scattered among the nations, and endured centuries of suffering (2 Kings 17, 2 Chronicles 36, Jeremiah 25:11).
d. Old Covenant vs. New Covenant application.
Under the Old Covenant, blessing or judgment depended upon Israel’s obedience or disobedience. Their conduct determined whether they experienced life or death in the land. However, as believers in Jesus Christ, we no longer approach God on the basis of the Old Covenant, but under a better covenant — the New Covenant, established on better promises (Hebrews 8:6). The New Covenant is not grounded in what we do for God, but in what Jesus Christ has already done for us. Our righteousness is not earned by law-keeping, but received by faith in Christ’s finished work (Romans 3:21–22).
Yet, the principle of responsibility remains. If rejecting the Old Covenant brought severe consequences, how much greater judgment must fall on those who reject the New Covenant. Hebrews 10:28–29 warns, “He that despised Moses' law died without mercy… of how much sorer punishment… shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God.”
e. Summary.
Moses’ words confront Israel with the seriousness of choice. Life and blessing are found in loving obedience to God. Death and ruin result from rebellion and idolatry. The choice was theirs, but the consequences belonged to God. Though Christians are not under the Old Covenant system, the moral urgency and seriousness of choosing God remain unchanged.
3. (Deuteronomy 30:19–20) Choose life.
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live
That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him for he is thy life, and the length of thy days that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
a. “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you…”
In this solemn declaration, Moses summons heaven and earth as witnesses to the covenant choice being set before Israel. This is legal and covenantal language. Heaven and earth represent all of creation — immutable, enduring, and incapable of lying. They stand as permanent testimony that Israel heard God’s word and understood His terms. This is similar to Deuteronomy 31:28, where Moses again says, “call heaven and earth to record against them.” It emphasizes the seriousness of rejecting God after being fully warned.
b. “Therefore choose life…”
God does not remain indifferent toward Israel’s choice. He pleads with them through Moses, “choose life.” Though God will be glorified whether Israel obeys or disobeys, His heart desires their obedience, blessing, and life. The LORD takes no pleasure in judgment for its own sake. He says in Ezekiel 33:11, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” The command to choose life reveals the compassionate heart of God. He yearns to bless, but He will not force obedience.
c. The pattern of choice continues today.
Even though believers today are not under the Old Covenant, the principle of choosing still stands. Now the foundational question is not simply obedience to law, but “What will you do with Jesus Christ?” Jesus said in Luke 11:23, “He that is not with me is against me.” And in Matthew 16:15, He asks, “But whom say ye that I am?” Eternity is determined by how one answers that question. Life is found in Christ alone. To reject Him is death and curse. To receive Him is life and blessing.
d. “That thou mayest love the LORD thy God… obey his voice… cleave unto him.”
Moses explains what choosing life looks like in practical terms.
To love the LORD thy God — real faith is expressed in wholehearted affection for God, not outward religion only.
To obey his voice — love produces obedience. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
To cleave unto him — this is the language of loyalty, devotion, and dependence. It means to hold fast to God as one’s only hope, refusing to let go, like Ruth clinging to Naomi or a child clinging to a father.
“For he is thy life, and the length of thy days” — God is not part of life, He is life. He is the source, the sustainer, and the goal of existence. Without Him, there is no life.
e. The promise rooted in the patriarchal covenant.
The offer of life is connected to the land promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The covenant began with the patriarchs and is now being offered to this generation with conditions of obedience and faith. God’s faithfulness to His oath guarantees that Israel will one day fully inherit this promise — spiritually and physically — under the reign of the Messiah.
