Deuteronomy 30:15-20
15 “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you do not hear but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today that you shall certainly perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him, for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him, for that means life to you and length of days…
This passage is so easily misunderstood, and that misunderstanding has led to all sorts of pain and suffering through the ages.
God, who created us with the gift of free will, encourages us to exercise that free will in healthy ways. As the Israelites are preparing to finally cross over into the Promised Land, God exhorts them to “choose life”. The choice is clear, live according to God’s will and live, or go your own way and die.
The misunderstanding happens when we read judgment and retribution into this text that isn’t there. God does not threaten to reward or punish the people. God simply tells them that the natural consequences of living in healthy ways, faithfully following God’s will, are life and prosperity. The natural consequences of running off after false idols are death and adversity. The choice is always ours, as are the results of our actions.
St. Paul said, “For freedom Christ has made you free”. Knowing that we are free to choose whether we live faithful lives empowers us. Rather than trying to appease God to avoid punishment, we love and serve God out of gratitude.
Prayer: Lord God: If you were to judge us according to what we deserve, no one could stand before you. Thank you for setting us free to choose faithful living, over and over, and over again. AMEN