He will set you in praise, fame, and honor (Duet 19-26: Covenant Stipulation II)*

Deuteronomy 18-26

Key Verse: “He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.” (Deuteronomy 26:19).

In the first part of this passage, we can see that the main content of the law was about Israel serving the Lord collectively. This is further indicated by two subtitles: how to serve the Lord in the sanctuary, and what the kingdom officials were to do.

In the second part, Moses provided the details for how they were to handle all social matters. These social matters can be divided into three categories: man and sin, man and man’s possessions, man to wife and other family matters, man to other people, and finally man to God. The New American Commentary divides these subjects into four major categories: laws concerning the life of man (19:1–22:8), laws regarding purity (22:9–23:18), laws dealing with interpersonal relationships (23:19–25:19), and laws  about Covenant celebration and confirmation (26:1–15).

Other commentaries divide this passage totally differently by incorporating different focuses. I worked to find a common thread in the themes of each section, which are considered in line with God’s purpose and will.

1.       Laws concerning the life of man (19:1-22:8)

Under the theme of the life of man, there are five covenantal laws. First, is in regards to involuntary manslaughter. To protect a man who inadvertently killed another man, God told the Israelites to set up three cities of refuge. This was to protect the man from the avenger’s attack and to uphold justice. While the man was protected from the hands of the avenger, the actual facts would be examined, concerning whether that killing was committed with malicious intent or if it was unintentional. Thus, the primary purpose of the cities of refuge was to protect innocent life.

The next law in this section is concerned with a conviction that leads to judgment and even to death penalty. In order to prevent unjustified punishment, God told them that at least two witnesses were needed to deliver a conviction and judgment on a defendant. This was also a measure to protect life. Here, “eye for an eye” or ‘death for death’ is upheld as the principle for judgment. In other words, exactness is necessary for judgment and punishment. What if the evidence were inconclusive? What if someone was convicted and sentenced to death, even though their guilt of causing death was not certain? If such a thing happened, then this would lead to spirals of condemnation and death. So here, requiring an eye for eye or death for death was not mainly for judgment of the guilty, but rather for the protection of the innocent. If we combine this with the setting up of refuge cites, we come to realize that these had the same purpose: to protect the innocent; just as the one who unintentionally kills someone is innocent, so also the defendant shall not be punished for a victim’s eyes unless his sin is clearly proven. The simple appearance of facts may not justify the punishment, especially the death penalty, which would be another case of shedding blood.

The third law dealt with war, where human deaths were well-expected. Every man above the age of twenty years old was to go to war, contributing to the nation’s clear goal to conquer the land of God’s blessing. While military service was a duty for all Israelite men, yet men under particular situations were exempt from being conscripted into a war; this exemption came not out of personal desire, but rather from God’s care for the individual needs of His people, particularly for the purpose of building their lives. So, the officers were to say to the army:

“Has anyone built a new house? ...Has anyone planted a vineyard? …Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? …Is anyone afraid or fainthearted?” (Deuteronomy 20:5a-8).

 These provisions were about building one’s household and men providing for their own preservation and prosperity. Supporting the lives of these men in their immediate needs regarding them building their families was more important than waging war against their enemies. God wanted His people to fight against their enemies, but at the same time, He also wanted to consider their immediate needs in building their houses as He led the fight and fought for them. This is evidence of God’s amazing will to build the Israelites home, even before conquering their enemies. Building His people’s life was His first priority. This is also in line with the theme of God supporting human life.

The next law concerns handling the life of Israel’s captives. The Israelites were to offer peace, and if their captives agreed, then they should be subjected to forced labor and serve the Israelite people. As long as they were not occupying the land of God’s promise, and as long as they were willing to submit, then God wanted to also support the lives of these people. In order to uphold the covenant among them, they were to be subjected under Israel, as the first owner of that covenant, and through them, that covenant must flow down to these captives as well. Therefore, when these two conditions were met, God would support their lives, so that they might also be included under the covenant blessing, along with Israel. Here, within reason, God’s will to support these people’s lives, within reason, is evident. The reason for this is the Covenant’s condition to be delivered through His chosen people. As history testifies, God punished Israel for their unwillingness to accept His covenant blessing, as offered through His Son, Jesus, by thoroughly destroying their national pride in Jerusalem and the Temple, and by dispersing the Israelite people throughout the entire world.

The fifth was in regards to unresolved murder. This posed a serious threat to God’s principles to uphold human life. So, a murderer must be punished according to the Covenant’s conditions. However, when the perpetrator was unknown, God’s people must be found innocent of this vile act. To do so, God told them that the elders of the nearest town

“shall declare: “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done.” (Deuteronomy 21:7).

Sixth, the covenant law addressed the life of a woman captive from a distant country; an Israelite man was allowed to take her as his wife, after following proper procedures. The procedures were to remove her clothing and give her a month to mourn for her parents.   

The seventh was about the life of children. A father was not to disfavor the son of the wife whom he does not love. Personal affection shown to a particular child should not override God’s grace for all. However, a disobedient son can be punished by his father’s request. These two directives support a father, so that he might uphold God’s will and grace upon his family.

The last law in this section was about how to protect or preserve life. If anyone saw a straying sheep or ox, he should not overlook it, but take it back to its owner. Oxen or sheep had a life as long as they were with the owner, in this case, the covenant holder.

Another law found in this section was that men wearing women’s clothing or women wearing men’s clothing was an abomination to the Lord, for it defied God’s purpose for creating each gender with a distinct purpose and role.

This law also addressed the fact that one should not take a mother bird captive along with her young, for God wanted to perpetuate life, even of a bird. So, the law said that one may have a long life if they remain obedient to God’s covenantal law. In other words, God would account such ignorance of His will for life by shortening the life of those who were disobedient.

Overall, God cares for life, the life of all, including animal life. His concern for life is not just simple protection from undue harm, but also for sustaining life for generations. Under the Covenant, God was enforcing all of Israel to support and sustain all life, including that of the guilty, unclean, foreigners, and slaves. His concern certainly extended to even the mere animals as well. However, there is a clear order and priority in the protection of life, as evidenced by those He chose to be His people.

2.       Law of purity (22:9-23:18)

The second theme found in the law was purity; here, four examples of impurity are denounced. First, Israel was commanded to not sow two kinds of seed in the same place; they were also not supposed to yoke a donkey and an ox together or wear clothes of wool and linen woven together. As evidence of their commitment to purity, the Israelite men were to put tassels on the fringe of their clothing. On each of the tassels, they were to put the words of God’s Law. The purpose of these tassels is described in Numbers 15:

“You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes.” (Numbers 15:39).

The significance of the tassels is also noted here: “Thus the tassels conclude a major section dealing with the sin of Israel as a whole and its consequences.” (WBC). A man’s purity was seen in reference to the law and how vigilant he was in obeying it. In these ways, man’s purity, from God’s perspective, can be defined as singleness or singlemindedness that is in line with God’s creation order and His good purpose.

Having laid out this principle, purity is further discussed within four contexts: marriage, an assembly, the camp, and in handling the helpless.

Purity in marriage is supported by two factors - the wife’s virginity and the husband’s faithfulness. Violation of either of these shall be punished by death. There was a remedy in the case of the rape of an unmarried woman, but the rape of a married woman would cost the man his life. This implies that these sins are not redeemable. God counted purity in marriage as one of the top priorities. In many surrounding nations, a son was allowed to inherit his father’s assets, along with his wives. However, God forbid an Israelite son from marrying his father’s wife. To do so was to dishonor his father’s bed, from which he himself came. Upholding the father’s authority was also a part of God’s purpose for purity in marriage.

The purity of those who represent the Lord (23:1-8). First, someone who has been emasculated cannot enter the Lord’s assembly. Second, children born of a forbidden marriage cannot enter the Lord’s assembly, up to the tenth generation. The best examples of people who practiced such worldly rituals were the Ammonites and the Moabites. These nations were Lot’s descendants, born through his incestuous relationship with his daughters. For them, sexual immorality was a way of life for survival, which is well reflected by the Moabites luring Israel into sexual orgies near the end of their journey to the Promised Land, which resulted in God punishing His people by killing twenty-seven thousand (Numbers 25).

Sexual immorality is a common cause of man’s impurity. The last of the list of immoral nations with whom Israel would interact was the Edomites and the Egyptians. They were to be admitted into their assembly after minor limitations. Having said all of this, it is obvious that there were still eunuchs, Moabites, and Ammonites within the Israel community. However, what it means that they were to be excluded from the Lord’s assembly is not clear. Did this mean that they were not allowed to enter the temple assembly during major festivals and all worship activities? Or that they could not be a part of the entire Israelite assembly which was representative of God’s people? The main idea of an assembly is ‘representation’; it does not contain the particular characteristics of individual people since an assembly is comprised of various subgroups. In this regard, it is more reasonable to take the mindset, not just in terms of who was or was not counted as part of the Lord’s community, but more so of who was supposed to represent the Lord and His purpose. Regardless, one thing is clear; God wanted only those who could produce generations of godly posterity, not the people who were unable to produce the next generation or whose lives were too entrenched in sexual immorality to accurately represent His nation.

So, this was not just an issue of if one was holy and godly enough to be accepted as God’s chosen; rather, God had a clear purpose for the generations to come, because He wanted to be represented by those who were capable of physically and spiritually producing the next generation and whose eyes were able to see the wellbeing of future generations.

Purity in Personal Hygiene (23:9–14) was about how His people, Israel, must keep away from everything impure. Keeping the camp pure was important, especially when they faced enemies because God must punish evil in order to remove the impurities of His people before He struck the enemy with His holy power. One of the most common things that would make the Israelite camp impure was nocturnal emissions. These must be moved outside of the camp. Therefore, Israel’s first concern in all warfare was not making smart and careful plans to defeat their enemies, but rather how to keep themselves pure before the Lord, because the success of their fight was not dependent on human weaponry but on God’s power.

Purity in treating the disadvantaged (23:15-16) dealt with how Israel was to treat their slaves. They were to give them the freedom to live wherever they wanted and not oppress them.

Purity in Cultic Personnel (23:17–18) was about dealing with prostitutes. God forbid the prostitution of His people, and would not accept any of their earnings in the temple, just as He excluded those born of sexual immorality from gathering with the rest of the assembly of the Lord.

God taught His people what it meant to be pure in principle. This is further discussed within the context of marital purity, the purity of the assembly who represented the Lord, and the purity of the Israelite camp in the context of war, how to treat the disadvantaged, and prostitution. All five of these different cases deal with the purity of the entire Israelite community. This community needed guidance for two distinct dynamics of life: war and future generations. In regards to both, God’s plan and hope hung tightly. Purity in marriage was basic, and then purity within the entire community as a whole was required in order to win the wars and inherit the blessings for the next generation, on which God’s ultimate purpose lay.

3.       Laws of Interpersonal Relationships (23:19–25:19)

On the matter of respecting the possessions of others, God gave His people five instructions. They shall not charge their fellow Israelites interest. When they made a vow to the Lord, they must follow through and must not be slow to pay what he vowed.

One may pick grapes or grain in hunger, but they must not put their sickles to harvesting others’ crops.

A divorced woman could not remarry her first husband after another divorce. It seems as if the woman was defiled and therefore not allowed to get back together with her first husband. The focus here was not on the woman, but on the man who divorced her and now wants her back. Getting a wife is not like picking a grape in a neighbor’s vineyard to cure hunger and then thrown away. And then a husband comes back for her to meet an immediate need; he would not do such thing to his own vineyard, out of which he harvests grapes year after year, for his entire life, whether he likes it or not. Likewise, marriage is a final commitment. Just as one’s commitment to the Lord is final, so is one’s commitment in marriage. It cannot be undone and redone as if it is a choice. This command provided for genuine respect of women, in whom was God’s sovereign will.

A newly married man must not be sent out to war for one year. In this way, God upheld His purpose for the family far above His purpose for wars.

The Israelites were not to take millstones as a security for debt because they might be a life-line for them. No one should kidnap another; otherwise, the kidnapper must die.

All of the possessions that God had given them were to support life. So no matter what authority one might have over others, no one should take away the basic provisions for life from one another. Instead, they must nurture and support life through whatever authority and means that they had. In many aspects, these commands seem to support a humanitarian theme. However, at its core must be respect and fear of God’s will and His care for all life.

4.       Respect for the Dignity of Others (24:8–25:4)

When one caught a skin disease, they must follow exactly what the priests instructed, so that they may not infect others or contaminate the rest of the camp. As in Miriam’s case, such diseases were signs of God’s punishment; therefore, they must follow His commands, for this was one way in which they were to honor the Lord, and, at the same time, give proper concern for others.

When lending money, it is better to let the loaner determine the terms of commitment for the loan, instead of imposing a term for your own sake. Even then, he must consider the loaner’s situation and have compassion on him by returning the things which were necessary to support their basic life. Similarly, one must not take advantage of a hired worker and must pay them their wages before sunset.

For many, money and material goods are most often their first priorities in life. This goes against the order that God first set for creation because all material is for men, not men for the material. No money or material goods are more important than human life. God’s people must dare to support the lives of others, even at the risk of losing one’s own possessions. As long as we have daily bread, it is sufficient, and we should have a heart to serve those who are in need. This is the principle that God set up during Israel’s life in the wilderness, as He rained down manna for them every day. God is the supplier of our lives. He supplied more to some of us than others, not for us to indulge in abundance, but rather so that we may share the Lord’s love and compassion with those in need.

Sins within a family

“Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents” (Deuteronomy 24:16).

Each person would die for their own sins. This was a specific instruction on the matter of sin and was mentioned within the context of a family since the father-son relationship was inseparable to that generation.

When a man’s sin influences others, that influence is most powerful in the relationship between a father and son. A father’s sin affects his son, and a son’s sin is in many ways tied to his father’s life. Nevertheless, no father shall die because of the sins of his son, and no son shall die because of the sins of his father. In speaking of death, which is the ultimate form of judgment, no one can pay for the sins of others, even between a father and son. Though it is possible that the effect of the father’s sins might affect his son’s life (ex. Deuteronomy 5:9), and vice versa. The ultimate judgment, death, which God passes upon each one, is not because of other’s sin, but because of one’s own sins (Ezekiel 18:20). This forces us to seek someone who can pay off our sins - the Savior, Jesus.

Justice for the weak and helpless (24:17-25:4)

Foreigners, the fatherless, and widows were the weak and helpless in society, because they did not have land of their own or a family, in order to become the possessors of God’s blessing. As individuals and society as a whole must show compassion for these people. They were to show such compassion and care because they too had once been in the same position. The same was true for a guilty person.

According to the book of Leviticus, being guilty was the same as committing a forgivable sin or a sin redeemable by animal sacrifices. This means that the guilty still had life in him, which must be supported and nurtured. Therefore, any punishment for a wrong must be finite, less than forty lashes, so as to leave room for restoration. The last element of this theme is a proverbial saying (25:4). An ox is an animal far below any human being, whose life was totally dependents on its owner’s mercy. Yet they were to show compassion even to this animal by allowing it to eat while working hard on the threshing floor.

5.       Respect for one another’s sanctity of another (25:5–16)

Levirate marriages were commanded for those who survived a deceased husband. The brother of a man who had died was to marry his brother’s widow, so that, through her, his brother would receive the promised blessings, i.e. the land apportioned to him under God’s blessing. This was also to ensure that those blessings would continue within the family of the deceased. This is partly a continuation of the theme of providing justice for the weak, such as the widow. This also embodies the idea that the blessing found in the land of God’s promise shall be inherited by many generations after those who first received it (see also Numbers 27:1-14; 36:1-11). Here, the focus is on the question of if the brother was willing to marry his deceased brother’s widow. Taking the widow of his brother would carry a substantial burden for him, yet he was to do so out of respect and in order to care for his brother, as well as his widowed wife.

During a fight between two men, a wife was not to rescue her husband by grabbing the other man’s private parts. Women were to give proper respect to and uphold the dignity of all men.

No one should use two differing weights in any exchanges. This command marked the last of all the civil commands. Honesty was the foundation for truthful living.

6.       Laws of Covenant Celebration and Confirmation (26:1–19)

Having given all of these commands for the Law, God also directed Israel to do two things: offer their firstfruits to Him, and give a third-year tithe to the Levites, foreigners, weak, and helpless.

Offering firstfruits to the Lord

“take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket.” (Deuteronomy 26:2).

The reference here to firstfruits might mean the first fruits that they harvest in the earliest season. However, it is more likely to mean the firstfruits of all harvests, meaning the best of all harvests, which they were to choose after processing the entire crop near the end of the harvest.

["I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain they give the LORD as the firstfruits of their harvest.” (Numbers 18:12)].

At the end of the first year following their entrance into the land of God’s blessing, it was all too obvious that GOD HAD DONE as He promised, blessing them all. For this reason, they were to take the firstfruits of all of their harvests to the place which the LORD would choose as a dwelling for his name. There, before a priest, they were to say, “I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the land the LORD swore to our ancestors to give us.”

In this way, they were to recognize what God had fulfilled for them, leading them into the land of His blessing. This resonation and appreciation of the LORD’s amazing grace and power must be substantial, shown by action as well as by words (5-9).

This is a short summary of the life of the Israelite nation, starting with Jacob, an Aramean. There are four key points within this period of history: 1) Jacob was a nameless Aramean; 2) Israel became a great nation and went under slavery in Egypt; 3) God heard their cry and brought them out of their Egyptian slavery with His mighty hand; and 4) He brought them to this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

What does this history tell them and the world about God? Or what did He want from His people or from the people of the world? To understand the depth of God’s purpose in commanding Israel to carry out this ritual, it’s good for us to explore the details of this passage.

In the brief biblical description of Israel’s history, there is an emphasis on the two words, ‘give’ and YHWH. There are seven uses of ‘give’. In the first three and last three cases, the subject is God, i.e. YHWH, and in another case, the subject is the Egyptians. If we simplify this, God promised to give them land, the Egyptians gave Israel hardship as slaves, but God fulfilled His promise and gave them this land with the firstfruits they were to give to the Lord. Also, the word ‘YHWH’ is repeated 14 times, attributing to God all of the credit for making this blessing possible. God has done all things for us as well, and, now, we are to give back as a token of thanks, appreciation, and commitment to the Lord.

a.       This is an answer to the question of who the God of Israel is: He is YHWH, who chose one man in His discretion and with His promise, to bless Israel over any other people of the world. He also demonstrated His mighty powers through them, through which all people on the earth can easily recognize Him as the One with power over all created things. In addition to these examples, He is also the One who endured the unholiness and ungodliness of His people in His grace and led them to the land of His blessing, just as He promised.

b.       So YHWH God demanded recognition from His people as the One and Only Creator God, and as the only source of life and blessing. The prime act of that recognition was their offering of the firstfruits.

c.       By commanding His people to repeat the ritual of reciting the history of His mighty works, God expected Israel not only to be the first to recognize Him as YHWH and the Lord of heaven and earth but also to seek His blessing so that their life might fully attest that He is the Lord of all.  

G. E. Wright called this the Magnalia Dei (“the mighty acts of God”). In Israel’s history, YHWH God’s grace and power in imparting His blessing to His chosen people must be shown to still be alive and active. That history must be remembered, honored, and relived again and again in the everyday life of the Israelites through such acts as offering their firstfruits to the Lord, year after year, and by reminding themselves of what the Lord had done for them.

“He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, LORD, have given me.” Place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down before him.” (Deuteronomy 26:9-10).

At the same time, the firstfruits served as evidence of all that God had done for Israel and the fulfillment of His promise to them.

“Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household.” (Deuteronomy 26:11).

The outcome of them giving full recognition and honor to YHWH God would result in their hearts being filled with the joy of knowing that He had accepted them as His chosen people and they had become one with the Lord, the eternal God. After all, the firstfruits they gave served as a token of their will to love the Lord with all their heart, strength, and mind.

Offering the third year tithe in the Land.

“When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.” (Deuteronomy 26:12).

The Israelites were to set aside a tenth of all the produce they had harvested over the entire year and to give it to the Levites, foreigners, fatherless, and windows, rather than offering it to the Lord. These people were the ones who did not have an inheritance of their own in the land. They were to live off of the things that flowed from Israel’s generosity, i.e., the people who had been given a piece of land. The purpose of doing this was for them to eat in their towns and be satisfied. It was God’s will to feed them and to make them happy, just as His people were made happy, through the blessings conducted through His chosen people. God’s will is to make all people happy and satisfied, and to supply their needs, including those who do not have an inheritance. If that was God’s purpose for Israel, then it must happen so that His blessing could flow to all those who live in the land of His promise. In order to make certain that this happened, God made them swear:

“Then say to the LORD your God: “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded.” (Deuteronomy 26:13a).

Throughout the third year, Israel was to collect one-tenth of all harvests, not using any of it for their own purpose. However, there would likely be many temptations for them to use it during times of need. This would be more so because this tithe was not to be given to the Lord but rather to those from whom they expected service.

“I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them. I have not eaten any of the sacred portions while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the LORD my God; I have done everything you commanded me.” (Deuteronomy 26:13b-14).

God commanded His people to denounce any wrongdoing in regards to the tithe; 1) they did not turn aside from God’s command, and 2) they were not to eat, remove, or give any of the sacred portions to others. They must not steal any of God’s portion, even for any personal or imminent needs; in this way, they must show their uncompromising commitment to God’s command and to these foreign peoples. God was looking for their decisive will to set apart one-tenth for those who did not have an inheritance of their own in the land. Simply, they showed their love for their neighbors through the sacred portion, without cheating them out of any of it. Only once they had done so, could they then finally 3) plead for God’s blessing on Israel and the land in which they were living.

“Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Deuteronomy 26:15).

In this way, God implicitly stated that, when they showed love to their neighbor through the third year tithe, as He asked, then they would be blessed in the land where they lived. It is also good to note that God did not demand the Israelites to serve or share with those in need out of their own portions, but from what was to be given to the Lord. The implication of this is that it was not to be given out of their generosity, but rather, out of their thankfulness for God’s grace, they were to serve the people around them. Furthermore, the third year tithe was not theirs but instead belonged to those people for whom God had commanded them to do so out of His own portion.

God cares for the weak, helpless, and powerless. His people were foreigners, who did not have a portion in the land of God’s blessing. Nevertheless, God showed His will to care for them as well. In this way, the third year tithe was God’s teaching them to “LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR as yourself”, and served as the token to signify that they were the conduit of His blessing to all other people, those who were not Israelites, as God promised to Abraham (Genesis 12:3).

How do all of these serve Israel and God? Moses addressed the full significance of following these commands.

“You have declared this day that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands, and laws—that you will listen to him.” (Deuteronomy 26:17).

Here, when Moses said, “you have declared”, it might refer to the commitment to the Covenant he had made with God at Mount Horeb. Also, it might be a reference to Israel was commanded to do so soon after they entered the land of God’s blessing on the other side of the Jordan River, i.e. the offering of the firstfruits of the year to the Lord at the first year (26:3). This must also include Israel’s commitment to giving the third-year tithe to those who did not have an inheritance in the land on every third year that they occupied the land of God’s promise. Most likely, these two are what Moses meant at this time, even though these commands were still in the future for them.

Though these were yet future events, Moses mentioned one thing that had already happened: ‘you have declared’. This might have been his belief that this would surely happen and did not see any other way around it, because it must happen in order to preserve God’s blessing on His people. Also, the Covenant’s full ratification was not yet accomplished until they entered the land and had given the third year tithe. Yet, Moses said that God’s promise to uphold the Covenant had already been fully met.

“And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised and that you are to keep all his commands.” (Deuteronomy 26:18).

For the Lord, the eternal God, the oath He made is effective and enduring for all time. What God said at Mount Horeb, i.e., Israel would be His treasured possession, would be true then and now, as an enduring truth in the coming ages. Israel has been officially sealed as “God’s people” since He has fully fulfilled His promise by enabling them to enter the land and to be blessed in the land. Here, God reveals His ultimate purpose in giving them the land of His blessing:

“He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame, and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.” (Deuteronomy 26:19).

God wanted the world to see Israel with eyes of praise, fame, and honor, God’s grace, power, and holiness were evident in their lives. All of the blessings that God had given to Israel should make the world envious. The purpose for this is clear; He wants all nations to seek the same blessing from Him. This was God’s ultimate hope and plan for choosing Israel. For this purpose, He rescued them from slavery in Egypt and came down to earth to give them the Covenant. This was also why God endured Israel’s rebellion and unbelief and brought them to the land of His promise.

Then how did God’s purpose fair in Israel’s life?

As these covenant stipulations imply, the joy that Israel would find in the Lord was conditioned by their offering of firstfruits to the Lord, and God’s blessing on the land was conditioned by their giving third-year tithes to the Levites, foreigners, fatherless, and widows. In addition to this, when Moses commanded Israel to keep these commitments, the covenant conditions were yet to happen, after Israel crossed the Jordan River to reach the Promised Land, indicating that the promised blessing was still conditional upon what they would actually do in the future.

What does this teach us?

In looking at Israel’s entire history, it is obvious to us that they did not meet the conditions of God’s blessing, since they failed to love the Lord with all their hearts, did not offer their firstfruits to Him, and did not love their neighbors as themselves, as expressed in giving third-year tithes to the foreigners, fatherless, and widows.

Just as Israel was chosen to be God’s firstborn son, failed to uphold their commitment to the covenant, God has also chosen us to inherit that same blessing in Christ:

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-- to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

God’s hope is still with us; that hope is this:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

And

“The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.” (Mark 12:31).

Paul saw this hope among the Philippian believers:

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-- to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11).

I pray that the power that God gives us in Christ may enable us to conform our hearts and minds under His hope, so as to fulfill His purpose in and through each of us.

v  Since this marks the end of the biblical description of the Covenant Conditions, it is good for us to briefly look again at the entire Covenant as a whole:

	Covenant stipulations (Deuteronomy 12-25)
Passage	Ch 12-18	Ch 19-25
Content	Serving the Lord	Serving people
Outcome/prayer	Becoming and finding a new identity: the Blessed before the LORD	Live a holy life in relationship with others and become a conduit for God’s will and His blessing
Hallmark event of the theme	Ch 26:1-11 Offering firstfruits to the Lord	Ch 26:12-15 Giving the third year tithe to the Levites, foreigners, fatherless and widows
Concluding theme	Love your Lord with all your heart	Love your neighbor as yourself
Expected Result	Joy in the Lord (26:11)	Continuance of God’s blessing on the land (26:15)
Covenant commitments	God’s commitment: 26:18 you are His people, His treasured possession, as He promised, and you must keep all of His commands.	Israel’s commitment: 26:17 Walk in obedience to Him, that you will keep His decrees, commands, and laws
God’s goal in the Covenant relationship	26: 19 He has declared that He will set you in praise, fame, and honor, high above all the nations He has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as He promised