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Even though Deuteronomy 30 is part of the covenant making between Yahweh and Israel, we hear and see Yahweh's compassion and assurance in spite of ourselves. Pastor Peter Teel preaches on God's assurance and our choice.

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The Jews, I know the Jews right now is having war, but the Jews celebrated what we call Rashana, the heat of the year, the beginning of the year, on the 15th to the 17th of September. And this is a very special uh New Year celebration that they have, which is followed by a blowing of the shofa, as well as uh 10 days of penitence, uh, whereby uh it landed on the Day of Atonement, which is called uh Yom Kippur, on the 25th to uh 24th to the 25th of September. Okay, and during this time, especially in Russia Shana, one of the passages that they read is from uh today's scripture reading, uh which is uh Deuteronomy chapter 30. Not only 30, but also 29 as well. So 2930 is what we call the covenant uh making, uh covenant ratification uh passage that they use during this time. Okay, so so it's very significant, even at this time. And the the whole uh I know uh Pastor Wei have covered 29, but I I just want to put a different spin towards it, uh, from especially 29 verse 10, right up to 30 verse 20. And basically the structure of uh this passage from 29 verse 10 to 30 verse 20 is what we call the uh chiastic uh structure here we have. Okay, so basically the top, the blue one, is talking about if you keep the commandments, you will have blessing, if you forsake it, you will have curse. And then below the blue one, uh kayakic structure is such that uh it has got a central axis. This is the main point of the whole passage. And then the top, above the main axis, we have a lot of elements there. Okay, one A, one B, and then two B, two A, two B. 2A and 2B, that's below the central axis, is always repeated. Repeated, uh, and many times it's reversed, reverse, okay, in a reverse order. This is uh a pattern which is found all over the Bible. Just like last time I say, the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. That's what Jesus says. And so this is a structure that you find all throughout Old Testament as well as New Testament. And this is an evidence that God is the one who inspired the Bible. It's not just man's writing, it is totally inspired by God. Nobody will ever thought of writing this kind of pattern, only God can do it. And so the top one is where we got a blessing and curse, and then bottom two A, we have uh Moses asking the Israelites to choose uh between life and uh blessing or uh death and curse. Okay, so it's repeated again, but it's totally different. And so and so this when we talk about blessing and curse, we totally uh it's definitely part of the covenant. When we talk about the covenant, there is always a commandment, it's a relationship is made between two persons, and there will be always conditions there. And there will be also a promise from the bigger power and also a consequence if you do not keep the promise. And so blessing and curse is part of it. And so the the commandment uh is such that uh it's to not so much to restrict us, like somebody says, it's to restrict us. I say no, it's actually a door to blessing because Moses keeps on saying uh that it will be well with you, that you will be prosperous in everything you do with your hands. And then also we we see in the New Testament whereby uh Paul says, honor your father and mother, that it may be well with you. And then uh you will live long. So if you want to live long, honor your father and mother. Some of this is a promise that God gives. And the thing is, Moses is pretty aware that we talk about covenant, the blessing and the curse, he knows that if you in order to get the blessings, you need to obey. Obedience is equal to blessing. And so you need to obey the law with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and also to draw close to God. Paul, I mean Moses pretty knew the secret of it. And so the the thing is not only is the Lord's covenant that comes with the commandment is relevant for us because it's going to be a blessing to us, a doorway to blessings, it is also doable. Doable, like we read in the passage and we see in the chart that we may do it. That we may do it. Can can you take a look at the chart again? Sorry about that. You see, that we may do it, one A one B. And then in is one B, huh? Then two B that you may do it. The first top part is that it's a secret that belongs to the Lord, but all that you know, we may do it. That means don't worry about the secret of the Lord. Just do what you know, just do what you can understand because you may do it. Many a times we are worried about, oh, I don't understand a lot of things. But those that you understand, you are responsible. And it is the mercy of God when you don't understand certain things, because if you understand certain things, you are responsible, and if you don't do it, you are answerable. Okay, so it's the mercy of God. But those that you understand, you may do it, and it's doable. He says it's doable, and then the the second part of one to B, he says the commandment is not hidden from you. You don't have to go to heaven or you're gonna ask who have descended to heaven, it's not far. You don't even have to cross over land and sea, it's near in your heart, near in your mouth to do it, that you may do it. And so the main point is uh trust, uh turn and I will turn. Obey. You will have blessings. But let me just talk a little bit about the one that is making the covenant with us. Okay, there are many misconceptions of God the Father. Many a times we think he is an overlording father who is all around waiting for us to knock us when we make a certain mistake. Or a certain slightly uh miscalculation. He has this twisted pleasure to punish us, waiting for us to do something wrong. He is not like that. He's not like that because even sermons that we see in the modern time by people like Jonathan Edwards, he says he's got this famous uh sermon called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God doesn't really help. Okay? Because although the sermon that he preaches is one of the greatest messages we can ever have, greatest by a greatest preacher, Jonathan actually give go to great lengths to assure the people that God is all out to rescue his people. He loves to rescue people, although the sermon says about angry God. So because God, when God revealed to Moses, he he uh he asked God, God, show me your glory, and God passes by. And God passes by before him and proclaimed, I am the Lord your God, the God, merciful and compassionate, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. This is found in Exodus 34, where he when Moses asked God to reveal himself, who who can I see your glory? And God says, I'm the compassionate God, I'm the steadfast God who is faithful. And then Moses also has experience when he sees his forefathers, he heard about his forefathers, his the patriarchs, how God revealed himself to them. When they were in the wandering, uh there's one prophet called by the name of Balaam that was engaged by the prophet Balak. Balak wanted uh wants Balaam to curse Israel, and three times, every time the prophet gets up to curse Israel, instead of a curse, he begins to bless Israel. And so Balak was so frustrated. And so one of the verse that's there in that incident is that God is not a man that he should sin. Uh God is not a man that he should lie, sorry, or son of man that he should change his mind. He has said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken and will he not fulfill it? Behold, take note of this, behold, I receive a command to bless. He has blessed, and I cannot revoke it. That means God cannot change it. This blessing is all coming and it's coming on the way, and there's no way God will take it back. And so this is the kind of uh father that we have. Not only steadfast in love, not only faithful and compassionate, but a God who will bless. And the God who not only bless the same God that is in the Old Testament, is also the same God in the New Testament, and He will do it again and again and again. And yet, Moses experience in reality with the Israelite, having gone through the wilderness uh journey, knows that the Israelites are stiff-necked, needing circumcision of the heart. And also the Israelites are not given the the heart to know, the eyes to see, or the ears to hear. This is found in uh Deuteronomy 29, verse 4, which uh I think uh Pastor Wei touched on. And so the and so Moses knew that the kind of people he has been leading, that somehow, no matter how God warned them, they will still disobey. They will still disobey. They are like the the the you know a sign near the pond that says no fishing, and yet there will be a lot of fishing going on. They are the people who say don't do it, they will do it. These are the Israelites, these are the Israelites, and and not only that, and God He knows on one hand, God is going to be very faithful, He's gonna keep His promise, He's gonna keep His covenant. So because He is faithful, He will punish them. They will have more curses than blessings, they will be sent into exile, they will suffer because God is faithful. But yet, in Deuteronomy chapter 30, we see one of the most beautiful, most tender parts of God. Not only is he a God who is full of compassion, steadfast, not only is he a God who will keep his promise, but he is a God who says, even though you are banished from this land, yet when you come to your mind, sounds very familiar, sounds like the prodigal son, when you come to your senses and you remember, no matter how far I send you, I will gather you once again. That's the kind of God we have. That's the kind of God who loves us, who never gives up on us. And and it says here, when he's banished, the main theme, as I say in the chart that I gave to you, it says turn and I will turn. In other versions, it says uh return, uh restore, retreat, turn back. All these words and even turn. All these words are the same word in Hebrew. That's why I I give myself permission to look at Deuteronomy chapter 30, verse 2 and 3. And the verse that says, you see the yellow, yellow spot? Okay? In fact, the it says return, restore is the same word. Shof. S H U V. It's pronounced shof. And I will show. You turn and I will turn. And so the even though they are banished, even though they are exile, there is still an open door. There's never a closed door to God. God still says the key to it is you turn. And this is also found, this word shof is found all over the Bible. It's also found in Hosea. Hosea chapter 14, verse 1 to 3. Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Verse 4 it says, I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, for my angels have turned from them. It's the same word. Shove. Shov. And the first time the word shof is found in the Bible is in Genesis. It's in Genesis. Okay, this is very interesting. He says, by the sweat of your brow, this is when God uh sentenced Adam after his sin, after he fell. He says, by the sweat of your brow you shall eat your food until you return, shof. To the ground, Adama. Sins from it you were taken. For thus Adama you are, and to Das Adama, you will return. The same word, shof. Got it? Same word. It's a very compelling, very uh appealing word that God used to ask people to turn to shof and I will shof. Because the word shov next one please. Next okay. The word shov has also is in the center of repentance. It's in the is in the center of repentance. Yes. Te shov va. Te shov. You see the word shov there? Turning. Repentance means turn towards God. Okay? And it's turning towards God, not because you are afraid of being cursed, not because you want blessings from God, but turning to the very beginning. Okay, let about show, please. Next one, please. No, not this one. The shof. Ah shof implies a movement from one place to another. Returning to something that they once had. Returning to the beginning, back to God, like we saw in Abraham. Ah no, Adam. Returning back to the very beginning. Returning back to God. And so the whole message of Deuteronomy chapter 30 is all about turning. You turn, I will turn. That means you are the one who holds the key. You are the one who can make the choice between life and blessing, or death and curse. You turn. And I believe that today, if I may, I believe this is the only word that have God has been burdening me for some time about turning. I don't know what your situation is. I don't know what your situation is, where lies you which part of life you are in. But I believe God is appealing to us. Turn. Turn. Some of us may have been turning away from God because of problems, because of sickness. You're turning away, but God says, turn back. Turn. I'm waiting, and I will turn. Maybe some of us have been struggling and really working very hard and very frustrated to get back to the relationship you have with God for a long time and you're frustrated. God says, you turn. And I will turn. Shof. And I will show. Maybe some of us are feeling very dry this very moment. Probably you have not done your quiet time for a long, long time. It's been noisy time all the time. Maybe you have not been able to pray. And you just go through life day after day. God says, turn before it's too late. Turn and I will turn. I don't know what is the situation. Some of us may be to a point where we are put imposing our own self-exile far away from God. I'm tired. I don't have anything to do with God. But God is reaching out to you and saying,