# Deuteronomy 30 speaks of the promise of life in the land by obedience?



## Pergamum (Jul 12, 2017)

A baptist asserted this to me, that, "Deuteronomy 30 speaks of the promise of life in the land by obedience."

But, Romans 10:5-9, speaks of the righteousness that is by faith. And Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30 in that Romans 10 passage. This seems to be evidence that the Mosaic Covenant was part of the Covenant of Grace. And Deut 30 wasn't just about a nation in a spot of land, right?


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## JTB.SDG (Jul 12, 2017)

I'm going to copy and paste this from the training I'm working on (though edited it a bit):

Here in Deuteronomy 30, Paul seems to contrast two ways of life, two ways of righteousness; the righteousness that is based on Law and the righteousness that is based on faith. As you noted, the passage that Paul here quotes in order to describe the righteousness that is based on FAITH _actually comes from a passage in the Law_. Paul is quoting Deuteronomy 30:11-14 to describe the righteousness that is based on faith. _Paul here quotes from the Law to teach us about the righteousness that is by faith_. And the reason is simple: the Law required faith. _Just as the Law pointed to Christ in so many different ways—it also required Israel to put their faith and hope in the Messiah it was so often prefiguring. _Calvin says of this passage in Deuteronomy 30, “the apostle, our sure interpreter, removes our every doubt when he declares that Moses here spoke of the teaching of the gospel [Romans 10:8]. . .It is perfectly clear then that by these words Moses meant the covenant of mercy that he had promulgated along with the requirements of the law.”_ (Institutes,_ 2.5.12). Roberts speaks of the significance of Romans 10, saying, “Paul himself derives and proves the righteousness of faith from this Sinai-Covenant; as contained therein, and revealed thereby. . . From where did this description [in Romans 10:6-11] of the righteousness of faith come from; but from Moses describing the Law or Sinai-Covenant? And Paul excellently expounds the words of Moses, as peculiarly intending to set forth the righteousness of faith. We cannot wish a better commentator.” (p767). Samuel Rutherford notes here: “This covenant has the promise of a circumcised heart, Deuteronomy 30:6, and of the word of faith that is near in the mouth, and of the righteousness of faith clearly differenced from the righteousness of the Law by doing. For so Paul, Romans 10:5,6,7, etc, expounds Moses, Deuteronomy 30:11,12,13,14.” (p61). And Turretin, noting the passage quoted in Romans 10:6-8, asks, “Now how could Paul have said this unless he had recognized that covenant, by virtue of which such promises were given, to be not so much legal as evangelical?” _(Institutes,_ V2, p266).

Another good example of the same truth is Romans 3:21-22, of which Francis Roberts states simply: “The Law itself testifies that the righteousness of God (viz, which God has ordained, revealed, and will accept), is without [IE, apart from] the Law; that is, by faith without the deeds of the Law.” (p787).

Also, Scripture helps us understand that the reason most of the first generation of Israel under Moses never made it into the promised land was not because of a lack of works—but a lack of _faith._ The author of Hebrews had told us that the word which was preached to Israel under Moses in the wilderness was the same “good news” that is preached to us—that is, the gospel (4:2,6). Nevertheless, “the word they heard did not profit them, _because it was not united by faith_ in those who heard” (4:2; 3:19). In other words, the very place that Israel went wrong was that _they failed to believe_ in the same gospel that's preached to us. And these same truths are recorded for us in the Old Testament Scriptures themselves. For, when Moses recounts why it was that Israel was made to wander 40 years in the wilderness, he declares to them the reason was that: _“you did not trust_ the Lord your God. . .” (Deuteronomy 1:32). This is also echoed in the Psalms. Reflecting on why God entered into judgment with Israel under Moses in the wilderness, the psalmist declares: “Therefore the Lord heard and was full of wrath; and a fire was kindled against Jacob and anger also mounted against Israel, _because they did not believe_ in God _and did not trust _in His salvation,” (78:21-22), and again, because they_ “did not believe _in His wonderful works (v32). So then, the reason many under Moses missed out on the blessing was not because of a lack of legal obedience—but rather _a lack of faith._


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## Dachaser (Jul 12, 2017)

Pergamum said:


> A baptist asserted this to me, that, "Deuteronomy 30 speaks of the promise of life in the land by obedience."
> 
> But, Romans 10:5-9, speaks of the righteousness that is by faith. And Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30 in that Romans 10 passage. This seems to be evidence that the Mosaic Covenant was part of the Covenant of Grace. And Deut 30 wasn't just about a nation in a spot of land, right?


It was a conditional promise by Gd based upon obeying His commands though, as He kept repeating to obey Him brought blessings, but to disobey brought curse from Him.


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## JTB.SDG (Jul 13, 2017)

I'm assuming when you say Deuteronomy 30 you're talking about vv11-14, hence the reference to Romans. I don't see anything in 30:1-14 as conditional. It's all unconditional promises. God will do it. God will bring them back, God will circumcise their hearts, yes, God will even cause them to obey. Promises, not conditions.

"Live" in Deuteronomy goes much deeper than "temporal life in Canaan" (just give some thought to 30:6). The great majority of reformers and puritans thought so, at least. For one thing, "live" is about much more than temporal life. For another, Canaan always represented much more than a temporal place. The earthly temporal elements are meant to be understood as what they represented.

There is also a corporate element going on, which is how we can understand the exile. We can think of OT Israel and being in the land or getting kicked out EXACTLY as we think about what Jesus says of the new covenant church in Revelation 2-3. If you're faithful, you'll remain. If you're not, I'm going to spit you out of My mouth. Does this mean we can lose our salvation? No. What does it mean? It means that God simply will not bless an unrepentant church. If you have a church in your neighborhood that dwindled down then eventually had to shut its doors, it's not because God started dealing with them according to "a works principle". It's because God judges unfaithful churches in the NT Covenant of Grace, in the exact same way He judged Israel in the OT Covenant of Grace.


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## brandonadams (Jul 17, 2017)

Pergamum, since you are trying to learn the position, I would encourage you to lean on published material to understand the view whenever possible. As a proponent of 1689 Federalism, I agree with the many commentators, paedobaptist and credobaptist, that view Deuteronomy 30 as a prophecy of the New Covenant. See Bryan D. Estelle's chapter in "The Law is Not of Faith" for an excellent treatment of the passage.


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