Tonight I wanted to begin by referencing an article that appears in The Journal which is a production of the Summit Ministries. I donÕt know how many of you know about Summit Ministries; but Dr. Noble started this out in Colorado. They annually train hundreds of people, men and women, who are going to college. They do a fantastic job. A lot of their graduates - itÕs a pretty intensive week or two weeks (I forget how long it is.) but many of the graduates of this group have gone on and done some great things. In fact the gal, remember last year the Christian young lady that exposed ACORN? She is a graduate of Summit Ministries. So heÕs had quite an effect.
In fact I was talking to Dr. Nobel a year or so ago and he was telling us that Oxford University had asked him to bring evangelical students, a certain number of them, to Oxford University for a semester of studies. I asked him. I said, ŅWell, Oxford University in England! What in heavens name are they going to an evangelical leader and wanting evangelical students to come to Oxford and participate in their training program?Ó He said, ŅWell, I asked them that too.Ó HereÕs what Oxford said. ŅWe like evangelical students because they are responsible. They do their assignments. They donÕt trash the dormitories; and theyÕre respectful of the teachers.Ó
Think about that. What theyÕre saying at Oxford University is they like the lifestyle that goes with evangelicals. They donÕt seem to connect the fact that the reason those students act that way is because they believe a certain way. If you donÕt teach the Christian historic faith, theyÕre not going to act that way. The result is their campus doesnÕt work because they donÕt have the actions. But it never dawns on these PhDÕs that are tenured on a college campus that student behavior is related to student beliefs.
So anyway in this article, itÕs a comment on the debt crisis in our country. It has some very interesting things. The title of the thing is The US Debt Crisis Illustrates the Failure of Ideas. It goes on to describe Keynes and some of the liberal economists. Then it gets down to this: A nationÕs economy reflects its spiritual state.
Remember when we went through economics and we used the word ŅimputeÓ which is an accounting term. You impute a certain value to a good or service. ThatÕs what the marketÕs doing. ItÕs pricing something because you have all the people out there in the market place that are imputing a value to this good or service.
Then Paul picks this up of course and says, ŅWell, imputing the value of economic processes are the general revelation of how God values.Ó
ThatÕs why you use the words Ņimpute the righteousness of Christ to our account.Ó Well, thatÕs what heÕs getting at here. ŅThe charge that capitalism run amuck is the source of our current economic problems - not true,Ó says Miller. This is a Christian man thatÕs working economy.
Economics merely reflects the spiritual condition of a society and is actually a subset of ethics because it measures how moral beings act within markets. The spending culture in Washington based largely on Keynesian economics and a secular humanist worldview also runs afoul of biblical notions of what it means to be human. As dependence on state welfare increases so too does the notion that humans can subsist without producing anything in return. But Scripture is clear. Work was ordained by God before the fall so work is inseparable from the core of humanity. God created us to do something. Our souls matter. Anyone who has ever worked a hard dayÕs work knows that. In terms of how the problem trickles down to families and individualsÉ
And then he goes on to describe some practical points.
But I think itÕs interesting that he pulled together what weÕve been talking about in Deuteronomy that the economic behavior of society is deeply and profoundly related to the values of society because thatÕs what economics is doing. ItÕs valuing things – goods and services. So obviously behind the economics is a value system. So if you have people constantly borrowing because they need something today instead of saving for it; then youÕre going to have the thing that we saw in Deuteronomy. The borrower is servant to the lender. It always works that way.
After all that, letÕs have a word of prayer as we start with chapter 30 in the book of Deuteronomy.
On the handout under Roman II you see that weÕre going now into chapter 30. We wonÕt get through 30 tonight for the reason that I thought we could. In chapter 30 of Deuteronomy, this is the second of the two chapters that make up this fourth exposition of Moses. If youÕll look up in the block (the Scripture block there) youÕll see the 4th exposition of the Torah is a prophetic fore view of covenant performance. ThatÕs why chapter 29 deals with a view of history. In chapter 30 we have MosesÕ closing challenge.
On the handout I say that you want to keep the big picture of the 4th exposition in view because weÕre going to get into some details. Tonight we want to work with a theological problem that is at the foundation of all the prophetic books of the Old Testament. ItÕs one thatÕs basic to how the prophets in the later books of the Bible speak of this text.
We want to keep the big picture in mind. First, IsraelÕs decision enters it into a dynamic relationship with God that features choices and their inescapable consequences. ThatÕs why in 29:19 – if youÕll look back on verse 19 Moses said: NKJ Deuteronomy 29:19 "and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart' -- as though the drunkard could be included with the sober." So thatÕs the exposition that Moses is warning them about is you canÕt ignore this. To ignore what Moses is saying is to entertain a false view of history. Ultimate responsibility - and thatÕs emphasized here because IsraelÕs future is contingent on their choices. This is the lesson the Jew had to learn in the Old Testament. Our choices determine our future.
ThatÕs true of the gospel whether we accept the Lord Jesus Christ and believe that He is who He claims to be, or we donÕt. ThatÕs why John 3 says: NKJ John 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
Moses wants Israel to understand its historic existence under contracts with God.
Now notice the plural, two contracts with God. ThatÕs the dilemma that we want to look at tonight. On the one hand there is the Abrahamic Covenant. Then some 6 centuries later you have the Mosaic Covenant. These two covenants have different structures. ThatÕs where the tension is.
So point A, is now we want to look at the interplay between the Abrahamic and the Mosaic covenants. ThatÕs the first ten verses of chapter 30. ThatÕs why we have to stop tonight and deal with the ten verses instead of going through all 20. So the first item under A is: do the promised cursings invalidate the Abrahamic Covenant? So letÕs turn to Genesis 12:1 and we want to look at three passages about the Abrahamic Covenant. YouÕll see on the surface, it looks like a conflict is going on here. WeÕve looked at Moses in 29. Chapter 28, heÕs talking about the cursing. HeÕs talking horrible exile. HeÕs talking about the failure of the nation. It looks like if the nation is going to fail, now the question is - how are these promises of the Abrahamic Covenant ever going to come to pass?
In chapter 12:1, 2, 3 God says:
NKJ Genesis 12:1 "Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's houseÉ" So there is a culture break. This is the first Jew. This is the beginning of the counterculture. This is pulling out of paganism. The Gentiles are left to their paganism. Now the Jew has to separate himself to a land, ŅI will show you.Ó So now he has to go to a location. 2 "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
So clearly thereÕs a worldwide impact of the Abrahamic Covenant going to happen. It starts with Abraham. This is why we have back in this point is this is where exclusivity really gets clear in the Bible because at this point God is abandoning working with all people groups except one. This strikes the modern mind as very offensive; but this is where it starts. God says, ŅI am going to do something unique; and IÕm going to bless the world. So, I havenÕt forgotten all the people groups.Ó But, the blessing doesnÕt come directly to the people groups. The blessing is mediated through Abraham in some way, shape and fashion. This of course, in our gospel itÕs still there. ŅNo man comes to God except through Me,Ó Jesus says. ThereÕs that exclusivity that rubs everyone in the PC culture the wrong way.
Now in the next chapter in Genesis 13, if youÕll look right after Lot and Abraham have their dispute about real estate. In verse 14 after Lot goes away: NKJ Genesis 13:14 "And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him:" Now look at the language here. Keep Genesis 12:1-3 in mind but now look how it expands. "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are -- northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15 "for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. ItÕs pretty clear that there is a land dimension to Abraham. Now what is not stated in this verse is what are the boundaries. ItÕs left in a vague fashion. Notice as the prophecies, Scriptures, and revelation continue in history you get tighter and tighter on the specifics. So Genesis 12 it was just Ņcome to the land and you are going to be a blessing.Ó In Genesis 13 now heÕs in the land; and heÕs going to own it - his descendents forever. So thatÕs an advance.
Now we come to Genesis 15. This is when the covenant is actually made and formalized with Abraham. NKJ Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness." ThatÕs the verse that Romans uses that Paul picked out going all the way back to the foundation of this exclusivity - this plan of salvation. It starts not with works. It starts with trust. ThatÕs why Paul can argue that the trust happens in the New Testament the same way. [7] Then He said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it. [8] And he said, "Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?"
Then you go through the making of the covenant and so forth, in verses 9 through 11. Verse 12 is when Abraham falls asleep so that only one person signs the covenant. Abraham isnÕt even awake so he canÕt sign the covenant. ItÕs signed only by God. ThatÕs why itÕs an unconditional covenant. But then it says:
NKJ Genesis 15:13 Then He said to Abram:
"Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them,
and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also
the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with
great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to
your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of
the Amorites is not yet
complete." So in continuing in verse 18: "On the same day the LORD
made a covenant with Abram, sayingÉ" Now as
revelation continues, we spell out the details. Now itÕs not just the land of Palestine; but now we have the
dimensions. "É To
your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great
river, the River Euphrates –
You know in a map of the Middle East. The Euphrates is in Iraq. So what the Abrahamic Covenant is promising the Jews is all the real estate from just west of Gaza all the way through Palestine, all the way beyond Jordan, all the way over into Iraq through Syria. This is an enormous piece of land compared to the little tiny sliver that modern Israel occupies.
So this is the land issue. Then as I point out (turn back to Deuteronomy 30) in the handout later Transjordan is added. In Deuteronomy 1 to 4 we went through that in the early chapters of Deuteronomy. That was something. So then I point out here is an example of Deuteronomy 29:29 working itÕs way out. That was the last verse of chapter 29. NKJ Deuteronomy 29:29 "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever". God in His omniscience has all kinds of details in His mind. He chooses to reveal some in a progressive fashion. So hereÕs an example. Deuteronomy 29 where unknown, unrevealed information later adds to the details of the covenants.
Now thatÕs the idea of history we want to look at tonight. This gets into an example of why paying attention to the Word of God is so, so very important. Until you grasp the prize and the blessing that you hold in your lap (the Bible) information that has come from GodÕs mind to yours and mine; we donÕt appreciate the darkness of the world. As IÕve pointed time and again with this diagram seen again and again, the domain of human knowledge is limited. ItÕs particularly limited looking at the future. YouÕre cut off. There is no empirical way to know the future. The future on an unbelieving basis cannot be known – period. The future cannot be known on an unbelieving basis. The only way the future can be guessed at on the unbelieving basis is perpetuating the present into the future. ThatÕs the only tool the unbeliever has.
When we come to passages like this, God is tipping His hand and saying, ÓIÕm telling you certain things about the future. YouÕre not going to get this from anyone else.Ó So we have a tremendous blessing in the Bible in that we can know the details in the future because the God of history has told us this. We have therefore truth that is inaccessible to any unbeliever.
So the question now is – what is the history of Israel in light of what Moses has just done in chapters 28 and 29? It looks like itÕs left in a mess. The nation goes into exile. The other pagan nations look at it and say, ŅWhat a disaster.Ó ItÕs a testimony to these peopleÕs disbelief, their disobedience to the Lord. So the question is: if thatÕs the case, how will the Abrahamic promise ever come into existence? So that gets to point 2 under A. The Abrahamic contract or covenant promised to be fulfilled; but itÕs going to be in a way that does not invalidate the Mosaic Covenant. In other words the Mosaic Covenant says, ŅYou will inherit this land when you obey Me.Ó
ThatÕs volition. ThatÕs the condition. ThatÕs the contingency. But because the Abrahamic Covenant says that this is going to happenÉhere you have sovereignty and free will at work. The Abrahamic Covenant is a declaration of GodÕs sovereign will that Israel will come back to the land and they will come back because they obey God and theyÕre going to repent. So thatÕs a prediction of human choices. Only God the Creator has control of history like this. This again is the sovereignty-free will issue. The Abrahamic Covenant does not negate personal responsibility, but it does give a hope to the nation.
Chapter 30 now, weÕll look at verses 1 and 2. These ten verses in chapter 30 deal with the interplay between the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants. There are three events that Moses speaks of in verses 1 and 2.
NKJ Deuteronomy 30:1 "Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, 2 and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity"
DonÕt read those verses too fast. That verse is saying an enormous amount of ideas because what God is saying is that, ŅI know your choices. History is going to cause you to choose and come back to Me - at least some of you come back to Me. The Abrahamic Covenant will be fulfilled.Ó
So we want to look at the 3 things that comprise verses 1 and 2. The first thing is he says: "when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curseÉ" That is covered in most of the historical books in the Bible so thatÕs when you go ahead and you read Joshua. You read Judges; you read Samuel 1 and 2, Kings 1 and 2, Chronicles 1 and 2. ThatÕs the recording of the coming of the blessings and the cursings. So that part of the Old Testament documents the fact of the 900-year outworking of blessing and cursing just as God said it would happen. ŅSo those things are going to happen to you.Ó
Notice which comes first – the blessing. When they went into the land, finally under David and Solomon they basically get some of it together. So they are blessed. Then the nation goes downhill and the nation is cursed - so blessing first, cursing second. ThatÕs 9 centuries. So thatÕs going to happen. Then it says and this is a key point and this is why you want to look carefully and sort of unpack this verse. ThereÕs a lot in it.
The second event that happens is: "and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives youÉ"
We want to zero in and focus on that phrase, that verb on Ņwhen you call them to mindÓ because this is a revelation of how the human heart works. When you look at this as I point out in the handout, the future historic perception of the design of their history is going to dawn on them. Apparently they just never got it until after they experienced the horrors of the cursings and the exile. Then something happened. If youÕll look in the handout under parenthesis 2 where I deal with that second event I quote I Kings 8:47. ThatÕs SolomonÕs prayer.
If youÕll turn to 1 Kings 8:47 in whatever translation you have see if in your translations (IÕm using the New Kings James.) – see in verse 47 if it is translated the same way that it occurs in chapter 30 of Deuteronomy.
NKJ 1 Kings 8:47 "yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were
carried captiveÉ"
ThatÕs the way the New King James
translates it:
"when they come to themselves".
This is identical to the prodigal son in Luke
15. NKJ Luke 15:17 "But when
he came to himselfÉ"
So now we have to pause for a moment and see what we are learning about our hearts here. WeÕre learning something about deception, self-deception, because if you come to yourself (if thatÕs the expression) these are the Jews in the exile and they call these things to come to mind and they cause these things to come to their heart. Literally in the Hebrew the way it reads is Ņyou will return these things (your history, your experience) and you will return it to your heart.Ó So they must be missing from their heart. The prodigal son must somehow be separated from himself.
This is biblical psychology in all of its depth here. This goes far deeper than Sigmund Freud. This is very important I think for us to just stop for a moment. In your outline I tell about sin and self-deception. I quote Romans 1:18-23 that famous passage.
NKJ
Romans 1:18
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19
because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the
creation of the world His invisible attributes
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so
that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God,
they did not glorify Him as God, nor
were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts
were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23
and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like
corruptible man -- and birds and four-footed animals and creeping thingsÉ"
Now what that passage in Romans 1:18f tells us, as IÕve said again and again, there is no man, woman, or child out there who does not know that God exists. The idea that someone doesnÕt know whether God exists is an illusion. So we want to deal with that because the Bible says so.
IÕm not writing this; Paul writes this. This is the claim that Paul is making – that there are no atheists. Everyone knows God is. Not only that but He uses a very strong verb in the Greek – clearly seen. ItÕs in the present tense! They are clearly and constantly seeing. All men, women and children daily interact with the revelation of God. They are daily in contact with GodÕs revelation.
So now the question is why is it that some claim they donÕt know that God exists? So what we have here – weÕve to deal with self-deception both from the standpoint of the unbeliever deceiving himself into thinking he doesnÕt know God exists and ourselves when weÕre out of it - how we deceive ourselves.
So IÕm using insights from Gregg BonsonÕs PhD dissertation UCLA 1978 which was a very, very thorough examination of self-deception, theologically and philosophically. What his desertion shows is that your psychological state does not mirror your epistemological state. By that what he means is you cannot really be certain that you know something when in fact you know it.
So there are two ways this works. Number 1, one can deny he knows when in fact he does know. An every day example is one discovers he really does know how get to a given location thinking he didnÕt know. It just sort of comes to him. ŅOh yeah, I know that.Ó
But when he started out he didnÕt really think that he really knew that. WeÕve all had those kinds of experiences. ThatÕs a trivial everyday example of psychologically not believing you know something when in fact you really do know it. To make sense of all this you have to think about your psychological state, what youÕre aware of, versus your epistemological state where in the depths of your heart you really do know something.
Two, one can affirm he knows when in fact he doesnÕt know such as a student on an exam thinking they really understood the teacher. But then on the exam it turns out he really didnÕt understand the teacher. Now in that case, psychologically the student had confidence that he knew but his psychological state did not reflect his epistemological state. ThatÕs BonsonÕs point is that there are differences here and you have to distinguish the differences. Your psychological certitude is not a reflection of what you know and donÕt know. Sometimes it is; but itÕs not always true.
Now when does that happen? Psychological certainty or uncertainty is one thing -following the outline. Epistemological justified belief that one has good and sufficient reason to believe something is true is quite another thing.
Bonson gives an example of Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Jones has a son and the son has a problem in school. The problem the son has in school - the teacherÕs disciplining her son. They are sending notes back to her that, ŅYour son is a thief. Your son has stolen other childrenÕs stuff here in the classroom. WeÕve caught him doing it. We call you in.Ó
Mrs. Jones is highly offended that the school is calling her child a thief. She denies this. She gets very angry at the principal and starts episoding with the school board and everything else about the false accusations to her child. But then as Dr. Bonson argues in his thesis, he says, ŅFollow Mrs. Jones home and watch where she puts her pocketbook.Ó It turns out she locks it. What does that act show you that Mrs. Jones knows? She knows very well that her son is a thief. But itÕs too painful form Mrs. Jones to understand and admit this. So psychologically she denies that he is a thief, which leads us now to this comment.
Condition 1 happens when responding to the knowledge entails painful adjustments in oneÕs lifestyle. ItÕs the pain of admitting what that basic knowledge determines. When the pain level is high enough, you will psychologically separate from the knowledge. What drives the wedge between psychological and epistemological is the perceived pain. ŅIf I admit that I know this, then certain changes in my lifestyle are going to have to happen and that is painful for me to contemplate.Ó
So this bifurcation occurs and it occurred with the prodigal son. Remember the prodigal son? He knew his father. He knew his father was worthy. He knew all that; but he didnÕt want – it was painful for him to live with that father under those conditions. So psychologically he separates from his knowledge of his father and the assets his father had and his fatherÕs love for him. So he goes and he gets a job and winds up in a pigpen and all the rest of it. You know the rest of the story; you know the story of the prodigal son.
Then the text in Luke 15 says – remember Luke - of all the gospel writers which of the four writers is a doctor – medical doctor? Which of the 4 gospel writers clearly looks at heart discussions? ItÕs Luke. ThatÕs what he is. HeÕs a physician. He spots these things. The ancient physician had to be a very good psychologist because he didnÕt have MRIÕs and he didnÕt have x-rays. He had to infer diagnostically from his patient. He had to know whether his patient was putting him on or wasnÕt putting him on. So the ancient doctors were really psychologists at heart.
So hereÕs Luke reporting what Jesus taught on the prodigal son. It encaptures LukeÕs mind that, ŅGee, you know when Jesus told this parable it says the prodigal son came to himself.Ó
In the story of the prodigal son, what is it that forces that prodigal son to come to himself? What forces him to conform his psychological state to his epistemological state? What is the process going on with that boy? The process is told in the parable because what happens is painful though it was to admit his father loved him and to admit that he would have to live in conformity with his fatherÕs wishes – that what was painful. But what became more painful? Living without his father. Now the pain level hurts the other way. So itÕs the pain of suffering with your allusions and with your deceptions that finally wakens you to the less painful admission.
ŅGee, I really know that my father is there and he loves me.Ó So the prodigal son comes to himself. His psychological state now comes back into union with his epistemological state. He comes to himself. So now in this verse it says, ŅThe blessing and cursing will come to you and you will,Ó as the Hebrew says, ŅYou will return them to your heart.Ó
Where does this returning to your heart, where are these people physically located – culturally located? "É and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you." In other words it doesnÕt happen in the land. It happens outside the land because outside the land theyÕre strangers; theyÕre foreigners. The cultural pain that theyÕre living is so painful.
One of the psalms – I forget whether itÕs 138 or 38 - one of the psalms where it talks about the fact, ŅYou ask me to sing. I canÕt sing in exile. The songs of Zion are too painful for me to sing out here in this culture.Ó So itÕs cultural pain. ItÕs agony to be under the discipline of God. ItÕs horbal. ItÕs pressure. So itÕs under that pressure that finally the pain level of discipline is so much greater than the pain level of admitting, ŅI am a sinner before Yahweh, and I must live by what He tells me to.Ó ThatÕs painful; but boy itÕs not as painful as the discipline. So therefore I will call these things to myself. My psychological state comes back into coherence with my epistemological state.
This is why Moses leading up to chapter 30 heÕs already said in verse 4 of 29Éremember that? NKJ Deuteronomy 29:4 "Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day." ItÕs what Moses observes about these people. ŅYouÕve seen these things; and you just donÕt get it.Ó Then of course as IÕve said earlier, verse 19. NKJ Deuteronomy 29:19 "Ésaying, 'I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heartÕ..." ÉThe idea that you can get away with this; the idea that I want to live my life.
ŅIt is too uncomfortable, too painful to submit to what God tells me to do. I donÕt like that. I donÕt like the idea that He tells me how to think. He tells me what I am supposed to do in the morning, what I am supposed to do in the evening, what IÕm supposed to do with my business, what IÕm supposed to do with my money, how long I should take notes out. IÕm tired of this. I donÕt like it so IÕm going to invent my own little thing.Ó
So now they call them to mind. So this nowÉIÕve gone through some of these underlines up on the top of the page there - future historic perception of the design of their history. ThatÕs the point. They will understand finally in exile under the discipline and suffering of GodÕs discipline- pressure. Finally, they perceived there is a design and meaning to their history. ŅWe finally get it. We really see God loves us. We really do see that His way is best for us. We had to experiment because we thought our way was better. Now weÕve learned our way wasnÕt better so we perceive the design of history.Ó
Then we come one down epistemological justified belief that one has good and sufficient reason. ThatÕs the epistemological state that somewhere we have learned something and we know very well it is good and sufficient reason to believe. We do not doubt it. ItÕs there.
Condition one happens when responding to the knowledge entails painful adjustments in oneÕs lifestyle. That was the prodigal son.
Now we come down to Deuteronomy 30:1-2 - call him to mind. The pain of consequences finally seen to outweigh the pain of acknowledging what they already know. ItÕs too bad we all learn this way. The best lessons we ever learn are the hard ones. When we screw up and we make a mistake and we suffer. It just seems like thatÕs what we have to do to learn something. ItÕs true of us all – me, you, everybody.
So now we have back to the idea as I tried to illustrate in this slide self-deception we have a psychological state of affirming or denying knowledge of X. ThatÕs the psychological state. The epistemological states of knowing or not knowing X – those arenÕt the same. They should be the same, but the problem is over here there is pain or pleasure in knowing this. And there is pain or pleasure in affirming or denying it. The pain and pleasure poles play this role.
This is why in this case after the Jews went into exile and experienced that kind of pain associated with that situation they decided, ŅYou know weÕre phonies. We donÕt have to suffer this stuff. We got ourselves into this thing because we didnÕt like God telling us what to do. So I think thatÕs a better way.Ó ThatÕs whatÕs happening here in this second great event.
Now we go to the third step. Then is says repentance. "Éand you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives
you É" ThatÕs the heart change. NKJ Deuteronomy 30:2 "and you return to the
LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today,
you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul É" Of course weÕve seen the whole book of Deuteronomy explaining what
thatÕs all about. But the point is,
as I point out here, is repentance (at the bottom of page 2) requires
realignment between oneÕs psychological state of awareness and oneÕs deep down
epistemological state. Repentance,
and this is the lesson (insights), we get out of this passage.
Repentance canÕt occur until certain things happen. The first thing is the underlying and suppressed truth has to be released. It has to be allowed to bubble to the surface of our conscious mind. We have to give it permission to envelop us. Two, the pain of suppression is seen to be worse than the pain of acknowledgement. This was their experience. Three, the authority of the Word of God replaces the authority of self.
This is what he says. NKJ Deuteronomy 30:2 "and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice É" That is, His commands, His scriptures – the Word of God.
Then it says in chapter 30 – then after that grand act which is all internal. Notice this is not external. This is an internal heart situation. Then finally in verse 3 we have a political, physical, historical observed thing that happens. Now in verse 3: "that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you." So thatÕs verse 3. God blesses after. "Éand gather" This sets up the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant.
It says: NKJ Deuteronomy 30:4 "If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you." It doesnÕt matter where you are in the world, He will restore you to this land. ThatÕs restoration. [5] "Then the LORD your GodÉ" HereÕs the Abrahamic promise coming up now. "Éwill bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers." Now this cycle of exile and restoration, this is why I pointed to Deuteronomy 29:29 when the big ideas are progressively revealed in history, you get more and more specific.
So if you look there in the outline, what IÕve done for you is IÕve summarized how many different exiles and restorations are in the Bible. In 721 the northern tribes were exiled; in 586 the southern tribes were exiled. In 516 there was a partial restoration back to the land, but the residue of Jews were still all over the world in the Diaspora. Then in the AD 70 exile of most Palestinian Jews there was a small remnant in the land down to 1948. The question we have to face then is- is the restoration spoken of in Deuteronomy 30 has it ever taken place? There have been partial restorations, but if you look carefully at the language particularly if you look at NKJ Deuteronomy 30:4 "If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you." That hasnÕt really happened. There hasnÕt been a total restoration of Israel. ThatÕs why we are pre-millenialists. That is we believe the Lord Jesus Christ is going to be involved in this.
Now we go through some verses. So we want to take a quick tour of some of the prophecies of the Scriptures. Now with the background you have from Deuteronomy, you can read these prophetic writings with understanding where the prophets are coming from.
So turn to Isaiah. LetÕs go to the big 3: Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. These are the big boys. There are other prophets called the lesser prophets. The major ones are Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. NKJ Isaiah 11:11 It shall come to pass in that day É" Keep in mind – when is Isaiah writing? HeÕs writing in a time of horrendous depression. The nation is about to go into exile. The people need hope. TheyÕre not experiencing any blessing right now. TheyÕre in the cursing phase. Yet Isaiah through God heÕs going to give them hope. "É That the LORD shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea. [12] He will set up a banner for the nations, And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth." So thatÕs yet to happen. That has not happened yet.
LetÕs turn to Isaiah 27. While Isaiah (heÕs not distributing candy here) is accusing these folks of sin and saying, ŅYou are going into discipline. YouÕre going to suffer.Ó But he reminds them with these little nuggets that the Abrahamic contract guarantees IsraelÕs future. NKJ Isaiah 27:12 "And it shall come to pass in that day That the LORD will thresh, From the channel of the River to the Brook of Egypt; And you will be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel. 13 So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, And shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem."
ThatÕs Isaiah.
Now letÕs go to Jeremiah, next guy. Jeremiah is the second great prophet. All theyÕre doing is – whatÕs happening in these verses that weÕre going through - these are amplifying and giving more details to what weÕve just seen in Deuteronomy 30. They are explicitly letting people know Deuteronomy 30 is true and here is some more information about that act.
NKJ Jeremiah 23:3 "But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4 I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking," says the LORD. 5 Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper É"
Now all of a sudden involved in these details of restoration from all the globe back to the land, the Messiah appears. So somehow we didnÕt know that back in Deuteronomy 30; but now we do. The prophets are adding new information as this prophecy unfolds. Now we realize the Messiah somehow is going to be involved in this.
Jeremiah 23:7 says: "Therefore, behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "that they shall no longer say, 'As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,' 8 but, 'As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them."
See what verses 7 and 8 are implying? What is the greatest act of every Jew today thinks of? The Exodus. What this verse is saying is that in the future the nation will say, ŅAh, the Exodus was just a little thing. What we remember as Jews in the Millennial Kingdom is how He delivered us from every nation on earth and brought us back.Ó ItÕs going to be something far greater than the Exodus that is about to happen. And somehow the Messiah is connected with this.
So now letÕs go to the New Testament and see how Jesus picks up and continues exactly same line of thinking in Matthew 24 in the Olivet Discourse. Christians who donÕt know their Old Testament kind of mess up here - Christians will tend to read as the rapture into this. It is not the rapture of the church. The church isnÕt even in view in the Olivet Discourse. The Olivet Discourse is a discourse to the Jews about their land, about their country.
NKJ Matthew 24:31 "And He will send His
angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect
from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Same language that we saw in Jeremiah, same language in IsaiahÉ So if you know the Old Testament we
donÕt get confused when we come to these passages in the New Testament. That deals with the movement, the
physical movement.
Now letÕs go back to Deuteronomy 30 and finish up these first ten verses and look at something else, another piece of this future act that is going to eclipse the Exodus. In chapter 30, verse 6 it saysÉbecause remember if these people are going to come back and enjoy blessings what has to happen to their heart? They have to satisfy the Mosaic Law. They have to love the Lord their God with all their heart, with all their soul. Well, howÕs that going to happen? Verse 6 tells us: "And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live."
So now we have the nation forecast to be in a 100% state of regeneration. ThatÕs why not all Jews are going to make it at this point. That is unfolded later on in the prophets in the book of Revelation and so forth. There will be a remnant that is going to come back. They will fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant and 100% of them will be believers.
We donÕt have time tonight but in your outline right after 30:6, youÕll see I list where this New Covenant is expounded both in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Keep in mind the three big boys: Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. So it was two of the men, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who forecast details of this New Covenant. The New Covenant is going to be with Israel. ItÕs going to happen to change their hearts so the whole thing can be fulfilled.
NKJ Deuteronomy 30:7 "Also the LORD your
God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who
persecuted you."
Well, that hasnÕt happened in history yet; but itÕs going to. The nations are going to be judged on how they treat the Jews. ThatÕs why historically in our country evangelical Christians have exercised a profound effect on the foreign policy of this nation toward Israel. ItÕs deeply resented by those who are not pre-millennial. They donÕt understand why we do that. They oppose us. They ridicule us. Nevertheless we do it. So when the liberal denominations are going to pull their stocks out of Israel and Israeli stock, Israeli companies thatÕs because theyÕre a-millennial. They see no future in Israel.
NKJ Deuteronomy 30:8 "And you will again
obey the voice of the LORD and do all His commandments which I command you
today." So thereÕs the reestablishment of the
authority of the Word of God. [9] "The LORD your God will make you abound in all the work of
your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in
the produce of your land for good. For the LORD will again rejoice over you for
good as He rejoiced over your fathers." That
summarizes what weÕve been studying in Deuteronomy, does it not? ThatÕs what blessing looked like all
through that. ThatÕs why youÕve
heard me say, ŅLook at the details of the Deuteronomic
text so you know what the coming kingdom is going to look like.Ó The
blessings that were localized in the land of Palestine are going to mushroom in
a much more profound and permanent fashion when Christ comes back.
The other thing to remember about how volition and sovereignty work together – what was the remark Jesus did when He was riding the donkey on Palm Sunday? The crowds worshipped Him. He looked at them because He knew that within hours they would be crying to crucify Him. He knew. He could see through people. He said, ŅItÕs too bad Jerusalem but you will not see me again until you say, addressing Israel, ŌBlessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.ÕÓ Équoting Psalm 19. We gather from this that the Lord Jesus Christ is basically saying that some time in the future prior to His return the nation Israel is going to repent. They will look forward to the Messiah.
Some have said, and I think theyÕre correct, that the nation will have their eyes opened at least many of them will, to Isaiah 53, that passage that is read often at Yom Kippur. They will read that and say, ŅAh! This isnÕt talking about the nation. This is talking about our Messiah and itÕs talking about the Messiah in language that can only means HeÕs Jesus.Ó ThatÕs the moment where Jesus is cleared to return.
So all this interaction takes place so the blessing in verse 9, the same kind of blessing that we studied over and over again in this book. Then to remind us that the Abrahamic Covenant is sovereignly fulfilled; itÕs not independent of volition and choice because it ends in verse 10.
NKJ Deuteronomy 30:10 "if you obey the
voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are
written in this Book of the Law, and if
you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul."
So the
condition is never eliminated.
ItÕs just fulfilled. That
is how the interaction occurs between the Abrahamic and the Mosaic Covenants.
In conclusion on the handout, hereÕs the Deuteronomic view of history summarized. IsraelÕs role to bless the world will be fulfilled. There are three ways in which Israel is a worldwide blessing:
IsraelÕs role will not be fulfilled automatically. There will be a national repentance that is required. Personal responsibility –this is what we walk away with. Here is the takeaway idea here of all the Deuteronomic stuff weÕve talked about. Do you see and can you appreciate the role of responsibility? Do you see how itÕs there – every single chapter of Deuteronomy? Personal responsibility is the primary characteristic of human history that God honors. Not blame shifting, not so-called entitlements, and not attempts to replace repentance with political and economic policies. Political and economic policies will not return Jesus Christ. It is going to be welcoming Him and trusting Him.
That finishes the key hard part of Deuteronomy 30. We should be able after the holidays to finish up 30 and go pretty fast through 31 to 34. We have covered basically the hard stuff. The only hard detailed thing will be Deuteronomy 32 because Deuteronomy 32 is the national anthem of Israel. This is the song of Moses. Unlike our national anthem that deals with Fort McHenry and the Battle of 1812 and so forth that just past - our national anthem commemorates that event in the past. When we study chapter 32 and IsraelÕs national anthem what weÕll notice is that it deals not just with the past; but it deals with the future. So the song of Moses will be one that gives you the whole panorama.
ItÕs too bad the Bible doesnÕt preserve the music. I wish somehow - some musicologists feel that somehow have the Hebrew text and the psalms have these funny little marks. For years they have tried to do research and figure out - what did the music sound like. These things were sung. WouldnÕt it be neat if we could reproduce what the music was? Talk about a great hymnbook. It would be fantastic, but itÕs lost. Obviously the Holy Spirit didnÕt see fit to preserve the music. Maybe He wanted to see what we could gin up with our musical skills to accompany His work.
____________
Under A – Do the promisesÉinvolve the Abrahamic Covenant? The Abrahamic Covenant will be violated.
Where? History unfolds in a rational manner. The future revelation - I am is defining what rational manner looks like. Future revelation is consistent with previous revelation. I contrast to Islamic theory of revelation where there can be abrogation.
The future in the Bible has to be consistent with the past.
Okay, are there any questions?
Question
She has raised the issue here - what about faith and belief. I think that you have to distinguish, and I think the Bible does, between the two actions of believe and repent. I see that in Acts 20 particularly because in Acts 20 I think itÕs verse 21 (somewhere in there) Paul comes back and heÕs explaining his missionary journeys and he very carefully distinguishes God and faith in Jesus.
He says:
NKJ Acts 20:21 "testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
I take that as a very important verse because I think what Paul means by that is that all men really do know God exists. The problem is that if they donÕt repent and acknowledge that they know that God is there; theyÕre not going to believe in Jesus Christ. In other words, while thereÕs a bifurcation between the psychological state and the epistemological state, you donÕt believe anything. That has to be resolved.
This is why the prodigal son. He comes to himself. He has to do that before he comes to his father. It has to be that heart work, the mysterious way however the Holy Spirit works.
Now when we trust in faith, thatÕs a response of God speaking to us through the Word of God.
NKJ
Acts 16:31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
you will be saved, you and your household."
ThatÕs information that comes to my ear. It comes to my heart and I trust it. But am I going to trust that message if IÕm suppressing my knowledge of God? I find that hard to believe. So I think this is why there has to be a clearÉsomehow the conscience is also involved in this because you have that passage in 1 Corinthians 8, 1 Corinthians 10, Romans 14 where Paul says, ŅLook, donÕt peer pressure a fellow believer into doing something that violates his conscience because if you do, youÕre violating his faith. He just canÕt believe the food situation right now because the Word of God isnÕt clear enough in his heart. So if it isnÕt clear enough in his heart, heÕs not going to believe. And if you try to put peer pressure on him to make him conform to more mature believers, now what have you taught him?Ó
Instead of believing with a clear conscience the Word of God, heÕs doing it to please you - peer pressure. This is why within evangelicalism there has been considerable discussion over mass evangelism. This is not to demean Billy Graham in any way. But, one of the problems in mass evangelism that you have is - are we creating a powerful social peer pressure?
ŅMy girl friend is with me, so IÕm going to go forward,Ó kind of thing.
Now that happens but just because it happens doesnÕt mean the methodÕs invalid. It is something that you have to be aware of. Peer pressure at the point of gospel hearing is something to think about because Christianity doesnÕt convert by the sword. It doesnÕt convert by forcing people to believe. People have to be convinced in their hearts of hearts. The rest of it is just hoopla. ItÕs social pressure. ThatÕs all it is.
Question
He is asking about the coming to, if itÕs literally coming to out of a stupor or something. I think there is probably a parallel to that. Think about the language Paul uses in Ephesians 5:18.
NKJ Ephesians 5:18 And
do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the
Spirit,
If youÕre not careful people – we will see pastors sometimes do this.
ŅWell, the filling of the Spirit is like an alcohol thing.Ó
No, itÕs not. ThereÕs a contrast there. DonÕt be drunk. DonÕt be in a stupor; but be filled with the Spirit. The parallel passage over in Colossians says, ŅWhat is the filling of the Holy Spirit? ItÕs allowing the Holy Spirit free reign in your heart.Ó
So apparently itÕs something like when our psychological state is cut off somehow from our knowledge say again like the prodigal son. The Bible calls that a stupor in various passages in the Word, literally.
This is why - I think itÕs in Thessalonians – we should not sleep like others. WhatÕs that? Be asleep and come to. So yes, that language phenomenologically thatÕs very similar to whatÕs going on there apparently.
Question
How do you get out of the stupor kind of thing? How did Israel get out of a stupor here – or is going to get out of a stupor? ItÕs not because Israel is on a self-improvement program. Israel gets out of a stupor in this case by the suffering of the exile. It is pressure, a providential working of God - bang, bang, bang kind of - however He works in our lives.
Suddenly, ŅWait a minute. Am I stupid here? WhatÕs going on?Ó
ThatÕs what happens.
Question
Come to your senses same kind of thing. ItÕs a similar thing.
Question
In that passage? Oh, itÕs grace.
Question
HeÕs asking about – is that a gift of God that comes to Israel in the exile? Well, itÕs hard to label whatÕs going on there other than the fact that God providentially is disciplining them. So itÕs not like He left them alone. HeÕs hounding them.
Some of the old Christian devotional writers - they call the Holy Spirit the Hound of Heaven that barks, comes after us.
I think really if God totally separated from us and left us completely alone, weÕd be a mess. He has to come after us because how else do you interpret chapter 30 here, and the prophets? God is mysteriously doing this. ThatÕs why I prefaced it with the Abrahamic Covenant versus the Mosaic Covenant because on one hand it is certain that this is going to happen. Well if itÕs certain to happen then somehow God must be sovereign enough to cause it to happen. But how does He cause it to happen? Somehow He does it without violating our responsibility. He doesnÕt do a pin like a puppet kind of thing. Because Israel has to suffer. I mean these people go through the wringer. And itÕs still happening. Hitler and the Holocaust – theyÕre still suffering and they still donÕt see the point. You talk to the average Jew today and theyÕre not believing in the God of Israel. In fact they deeply resent the God of Israel.
ŅIf God is so good why - my aunt was fried in Auschwitz. Thank you God. Big deal.Ó
Question
But the restoration, that theme as I broke it down – the exile restoration cycles kind of thing, you see the idea of the restoration happens periodically in history; but itÕs never the restoration; but itÕs sort of like that restoration.
Question
Arnold Fruchtenbaum and Tommy Ice have studied this a lot more than I have. They point out thereÕs a passage in Ezekiel where he speaks of a restoration in unbelief. ThatÕs probably what we see today with Israel. ItÕs certainly not a restoration like this.
Question
HeÕs saying that there was always a remnant that believed. This is something else that I didnÕt cover tonight. The prophets distinguish between a faithful remnant and the nation at large. That faithful remnant did obey the Lord. Their address –if we had time we would go through the big three: Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. YouÕll see that when they worked with the culture of their time, they recognized there was a faithful remnant.
In fact if you remember the dialogue between God and Elijah when he was so depressed and thinking he was the only guy left. What did the Lord assure him?
ŅI have 5,000 people. I have a 5,000 remnant, Elijah. DonÕt think of yourself as the Lone Ranger. IÕve got other people there.Ó
But thatÕs a lowly, small percentage of the overall nation. So when he says that, now heÕs talking nationally. The nation will do what the remnant was doing all along.
Question
God opens your heart. How He does that has been a debate among theologians for centuries. The point is that we are depraved people; and weÕre naturally going to disobey God. ThatÕs our nature right now.
None of us here who have believed – we came to faith. I think if those of you who became Christians later in life - canÕt you remember events leading up to your conversion? ItÕs sort of like a pregnancy. I can remember the Lord led me in different little things until finally I believed in the Lord. It wasnÕt some flash in the pan thing. It was a series of events and those events happened however He does it. He treats each one of us as individuals. If we had a complete readout of how anyone of us tonight in this room became a believer, every one of us would have a different story. It shows us how God works with us as individuals. You canÕt say because God worked that way with person X thatÕs the model and how He works with everybody. It doesnÕt work that way. The Holy Spirit is more of a harvest.
Anyway I hope tonight weÕve gotten to see the complexities of the heart and how we can deceive ourselves and how Israel has deceived itself. ItÕs still in deception frankly.