Study Focus: Gen. 2:8, 9; Gen. 3:22; Deut. 4:19; Deuteronomy 30; Rom. 6:23; Rev. 14:6–12.
Part I: Overview
In the covenant structure of Deuteronomy, the part that follows the blessings and curses (Deuteronomy 27, Deuteronomy 28), after the stipulations (Deuteronomy 5–26), culminates in the section of the appeal. God has reminded the Israelites of what He did—all His acts of salvation since their exit from Egypt. He has, then, moved to the next step and required from Israel obedience to the laws and commitment to the covenant. Next, in parallel with the ancient Near Eastern treaties, Moses’ speech invokes witnesses (Deut. 30:19; Deut. 31:19; Deut. 32:1–43). The purpose of these witnesses is to support his plea and give to his appeal a universal note.
Lesson Themes:
The main themes of this section are the following:
• The great controversy. Since the beginning of history, the Bible is about a cosmic struggle between God, with His law of light and life, and Satan, with his way of death and darkness.
• The obligation to choose. As were Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Israel is challenged by God to make a choice between two ways. The paradox is that if the people choose the wrong way, they will lose their freedom and really not be able to choose at all.
• The issue at stake. Life is the issue at stake.
Part II: Commentary
The Appeal to Choose
Israel has just heard the blessings and the curses, with an emphasis on the curses. With these still fresh in the minds of the people (Deut. 30:1), Israel is now ready to make a choice. To prepare the people to move in the right direction in the covenant treaty, Moses uses two arguments. First, he stipulates that all of God’s conditional promises are articulated in the conjunctions “if” (’im) or “when” (ki): “ ‘when all these come upon you . . . and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice . . .’ ” (Deut. 30:1, 2, NKJV); “ ‘if you obey the voice of the Lord your God to keep His commandments; and if you turn to the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul . . .’ ” (Deut. 30:10, NKJV; compare Deut. 30:17). Second, Moses assures the people that keeping God’s commandment is not beyond their reach: “It is not in heaven . . . but the word is very nigh unto thee” (Deut. 30:12–14). Not only is it in Israel’s interest to obey God, because of His promises, but also obedience is within the people’s grasp, as well. God, however, does not force them. They have before them two ways: life and death. This is their prerogative—to make a choice. Moses is simply showing them the good reasons that the way of life is the right choice, and he urges them to make that choice. The solemnity of this appeal is—as in the ancient covenant treaties—supported by witnesses who guarantee the validity of the covenant. In this instance, the witnesses are cosmic—“heavens and earth”—as if the fate, the salvation of the world, was at stake. If Israel fails to make the right choice, the whole project of the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of the world, is compromised.
Discussion and Thought Questions: Why does God want us to choose? Why is theology alone, the knowledge of the truth, not enough for salvation? Someone said that the difference between the philosopher and the biblical prophet is that the philosopher makes you think, while the prophet makes you choose. Discuss the difference between the two callings. Does choice not imply thinking? Explain. How does the exercise of thinking help, or become a trap, in making the right choice?
The Choice of Adam
This appeal to choose is reminiscent of God’s other appeal to choose that also determined the fate of humankind (Gen. 2:16, 17). Adam also was confronted with the same choice between the two ways, “life and death.” There God also made a covenant with a human partner. The covenant was based on the law of God. It was God’s first commandment to humanity. Then God also provided humans with all the good arguments for keeping His law: the argument of the conditional promise of life versus death, as well as the argument of the possibility to obey, as seen in the fact that God gave Adam all the trees from which he could eat freely. Paradoxically, when Adam used his freedom to choose the evil way, good got mixed with evil. He lost the capacity to distinguish clearly between good and evil—and hence his freedom to choose between the two ways. As Ellen White puts it: “Man lost all because he chose to listen to the deceiver rather than to Him who is Truth, who alone has understanding. By the mingling of evil with good, his mind had become confused, his mental and spiritual powers benumbed. No longer could he appreciate the good that God had so freely bestowed.”—Ellen G. White, Education, p. 25.
Discussion and Thought Questions: Read Genesis 3:22. How do you explain the fact that according to this text, humans became like God, concerning the distinction between good and evil, because they sinned? What is this text really saying?
Please consider the following problem of translation. The exact same form of the verb hayah, “was,” has been used to describe the lasting condition of the serpent, which includes an anterior time: “The serpent was [hayah] more cunning” (Gen. 3:1, NKJV). In this verse, the verb “to be” also is used in the same perfect form, here also used to describe a lasting condition and not something that is becoming. In fact, the same idea already has been expressed by the serpent: “ ‘You will be like God, knowing good and evil’ ” (Gen. 3:5, NKJV). In this verse, the form of knowledge involves discernment, knowing the difference between right and wrong. This discernment was possible only when Adam was like God, completely sinless. The only way to know good and evil is not, as the serpent said, to know (experience) the evil and the good, but to know only the good. Indeed, as soon as humans knew evil, they lost their capacity to discern between good and evil, and hence the sense of the “good” (see Jacques B. Doukhan in Genesis, SDA International Bible Commentary; see Gen. 3:22).
Worship Him
When God put before Adam and Israel the choice between life and death, He was not just asking for a “Yes.” The decision meant more than a mere verbal affirmation. This decision first involved Adam’s and Israel’s choice “to love the Lord.” Everything in both narratives comes down to the issue of worship. The issue is not the law per se. Religion is not for the sake of religion—but for the sake of God. Religion apart from God is just another tradition of human culture. Obedience to the law is valid insofar as it is the expression of one’s love of God. The reason for that exclusive choice is the absolute fact that there is only one God: “ ‘ “There is no God besides Me” ’ ” (Deut. 32:39, NKJV). Again, the affirmation of monotheism that is at the heart of the book of Deuteronomy is reaffirmed. To make it even clearer, the verse applies this truth to the reality of life and death: “ ‘ “I kill and I make alive” ’ ” (Deut. 32:39, NKJV). Yes, God makes alive, but what about the killing? If God is defined as the God of life, why this reference to death? In fact, this statement does not mean that God kills and makes alive, literally. This phrase refers to the two opposite extremities (life and death), to imply the totality, the comprehensiveness of God’s power. It is a way of language to signify monotheism. This is why worship can concern only the God of Creation, the God who gave life and created all. Only with God are we assured of life. When Deuteronomy explains that God “ ‘is your life and the length of your days’ ” (Deut. 30:20, NKJV), it is to remind His people that their life depends entirely on Him. The only way for them to survive, to stay alive, is therefore to “ ‘cling to Him’ ” (Deut. 30:20, NKJV). And yet, even this clinging that the Hebrew prophet has in mind is not the clinging of the mystics. The worship response to the God of Creation and to His love does not amount to feelings, to a sentimental confession, or to praise; it is a very concrete move in the reality of life: “ ‘to walk in His ways’ ” (Deut. 30:16, NKJV).
Discussion and Thought Questions: Discuss the difference between Eastern mysticism and biblical religion. What is the difference concerning the place of God and religion in life? How does the idea of evolution affect the view of worship?
Part III: Life Application
Two brothers received the same education and enjoyed the same privileges; yet only one had a fulfilling life with a fruitful job and a rewarding family. The other failed totally and ended up in jail with no one to care for him. How do choices in life play a part in the different tracks of life? To what degree are choices determined by education, wealth, and setting in life? Discuss the fairness of choices in regard to the condition of social justice.
In the beginning of the day as you pause for your daily meditation, think of your work, your spouse (if you have one), and your colleagues. Ask yourself the following questions: How can I make the people around me happy? What decision for changes in my habits would that require to fulfill this wish? Consider your life: What bad choices have you made that have precipitated your failure? What good choices did you make that have led to your success? Where was God in your choices?
You are in charge of a worship service. What is your priority? Your love of the Lord? Your culture? The love of your friends? Considering the fact that all these components are essential in the life of worship, what pieces are you going to choose that will accommodate the tension between the duty of reverence and the need to enjoy the warmth of your community?
Notes
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Key Text: Deuteronomy 30:19
Study Focus: Gen. 2:8, 9; Gen. 3:22; Deut. 4:19; Deuteronomy 30; Rom. 6:23; Rev. 14:6–12.
Part I: Overview
In the covenant structure of Deuteronomy, the part that follows the blessings and curses (Deuteronomy 27, Deuteronomy 28), after the stipulations (Deuteronomy 5–26), culminates in the section of the appeal. God has reminded the Israelites of what He did—all His acts of salvation since their exit from Egypt. He has, then, moved to the next step and required from Israel obedience to the laws and commitment to the covenant. Next, in parallel with the ancient Near Eastern treaties, Moses’ speech invokes witnesses (Deut. 30:19; Deut. 31:19; Deut. 32:1–43). The purpose of these witnesses is to support his plea and give to his appeal a universal note.
Lesson Themes:
The main themes of this section are the following:
• The great controversy. Since the beginning of history, the Bible is about a cosmic struggle between God, with His law of light and life, and Satan, with his way of death and darkness.
• The obligation to choose. As were Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Israel is challenged by God to make a choice between two ways. The paradox is that if the people choose the wrong way, they will lose their freedom and really not be able to choose at all.
• The issue at stake. Life is the issue at stake.
Part II: Commentary
The Appeal to Choose
Israel has just heard the blessings and the curses, with an emphasis on the curses. With these still fresh in the minds of the people (Deut. 30:1), Israel is now ready to make a choice. To prepare the people to move in the right direction in the covenant treaty, Moses uses two arguments. First, he stipulates that all of God’s conditional promises are articulated in the conjunctions “if” (’im) or “when” (ki): “ ‘when all these come upon you . . . and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice . . .’ ” (Deut. 30:1, 2, NKJV); “ ‘if you obey the voice of the Lord your God to keep His commandments; and if you turn to the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul . . .’ ” (Deut. 30:10, NKJV; compare Deut. 30:17). Second, Moses assures the people that keeping God’s commandment is not beyond their reach: “It is not in heaven . . . but the word is very nigh unto thee” (Deut. 30:12–14). Not only is it in Israel’s interest to obey God, because of His promises, but also obedience is within the people’s grasp, as well. God, however, does not force them. They have before them two ways: life and death. This is their prerogative—to make a choice. Moses is simply showing them the good reasons that the way of life is the right choice, and he urges them to make that choice. The solemnity of this appeal is—as in the ancient covenant treaties—supported by witnesses who guarantee the validity of the covenant. In this instance, the witnesses are cosmic—“heavens and earth”—as if the fate, the salvation of the world, was at stake. If Israel fails to make the right choice, the whole project of the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of the world, is compromised.
Discussion and Thought Questions: Why does God want us to choose? Why is theology alone, the knowledge of the truth, not enough for salvation? Someone said that the difference between the philosopher and the biblical prophet is that the philosopher makes you think, while the prophet makes you choose. Discuss the difference between the two callings. Does choice not imply thinking? Explain. How does the exercise of thinking help, or become a trap, in making the right choice?
The Choice of Adam
This appeal to choose is reminiscent of God’s other appeal to choose that also determined the fate of humankind (Gen. 2:16, 17). Adam also was confronted with the same choice between the two ways, “life and death.” There God also made a covenant with a human partner. The covenant was based on the law of God. It was God’s first commandment to humanity. Then God also provided humans with all the good arguments for keeping His law: the argument of the conditional promise of life versus death, as well as the argument of the possibility to obey, as seen in the fact that God gave Adam all the trees from which he could eat freely. Paradoxically, when Adam used his freedom to choose the evil way, good got mixed with evil. He lost the capacity to distinguish clearly between good and evil—and hence his freedom to choose between the two ways. As Ellen White puts it: “Man lost all because he chose to listen to the deceiver rather than to Him who is Truth, who alone has understanding. By the mingling of evil with good, his mind had become confused, his mental and spiritual powers benumbed. No longer could he appreciate the good that God had so freely bestowed.”—Ellen G. White, Education, p. 25.
Discussion and Thought Questions: Read Genesis 3:22. How do you explain the fact that according to this text, humans became like God, concerning the distinction between good and evil, because they sinned? What is this text really saying?
Please consider the following problem of translation. The exact same form of the verb hayah, “was,” has been used to describe the lasting condition of the serpent, which includes an anterior time: “The serpent was [hayah] more cunning” (Gen. 3:1, NKJV). In this verse, the verb “to be” also is used in the same perfect form, here also used to describe a lasting condition and not something that is becoming. In fact, the same idea already has been expressed by the serpent: “ ‘You will be like God, knowing good and evil’ ” (Gen. 3:5, NKJV). In this verse, the form of knowledge involves discernment, knowing the difference between right and wrong. This discernment was possible only when Adam was like God, completely sinless. The only way to know good and evil is not, as the serpent said, to know (experience) the evil and the good, but to know only the good. Indeed, as soon as humans knew evil, they lost their capacity to discern between good and evil, and hence the sense of the “good” (see Jacques B. Doukhan in Genesis, SDA International Bible Commentary; see Gen. 3:22).
Worship Him
When God put before Adam and Israel the choice between life and death, He was not just asking for a “Yes.” The decision meant more than a mere verbal affirmation. This decision first involved Adam’s and Israel’s choice “to love the Lord.” Everything in both narratives comes down to the issue of worship. The issue is not the law per se. Religion is not for the sake of religion—but for the sake of God. Religion apart from God is just another tradition of human culture. Obedience to the law is valid insofar as it is the expression of one’s love of God. The reason for that exclusive choice is the absolute fact that there is only one God: “ ‘ “There is no God besides Me” ’ ” (Deut. 32:39, NKJV). Again, the affirmation of monotheism that is at the heart of the book of Deuteronomy is reaffirmed. To make it even clearer, the verse applies this truth to the reality of life and death: “ ‘ “I kill and I make alive” ’ ” (Deut. 32:39, NKJV). Yes, God makes alive, but what about the killing? If God is defined as the God of life, why this reference to death? In fact, this statement does not mean that God kills and makes alive, literally. This phrase refers to the two opposite extremities (life and death), to imply the totality, the comprehensiveness of God’s power. It is a way of language to signify monotheism. This is why worship can concern only the God of Creation, the God who gave life and created all. Only with God are we assured of life. When Deuteronomy explains that God “ ‘is your life and the length of your days’ ” (Deut. 30:20, NKJV), it is to remind His people that their life depends entirely on Him. The only way for them to survive, to stay alive, is therefore to “ ‘cling to Him’ ” (Deut. 30:20, NKJV). And yet, even this clinging that the Hebrew prophet has in mind is not the clinging of the mystics. The worship response to the God of Creation and to His love does not amount to feelings, to a sentimental confession, or to praise; it is a very concrete move in the reality of life: “ ‘to walk in His ways’ ” (Deut. 30:16, NKJV).
Discussion and Thought Questions: Discuss the difference between Eastern mysticism and biblical religion. What is the difference concerning the place of God and religion in life? How does the idea of evolution affect the view of worship?
Part III: Life Application
Two brothers received the same education and enjoyed the same privileges; yet only one had a fulfilling life with a fruitful job and a rewarding family. The other failed totally and ended up in jail with no one to care for him. How do choices in life play a part in the different tracks of life? To what degree are choices determined by education, wealth, and setting in life? Discuss the fairness of choices in regard to the condition of social justice.
In the beginning of the day as you pause for your daily meditation, think of your work, your spouse (if you have one), and your colleagues. Ask yourself the following questions: How can I make the people around me happy? What decision for changes in my habits would that require to fulfill this wish? Consider your life: What bad choices have you made that have precipitated your failure? What good choices did you make that have led to your success? Where was God in your choices?
You are in charge of a worship service. What is your priority? Your love of the Lord? Your culture? The love of your friends? Considering the fact that all these components are essential in the life of worship, what pieces are you going to choose that will accommodate the tension between the duty of reverence and the need to enjoy the warmth of your community?
Notes