Deuteronomy 30:1-10 looks forward to a day when rebellious people suffering from the consequences of disobedience ″take″ God's word about ″blessings and curses . . . to heart″ and repent (v. 2). The Word had been faithfully preached a long time before this, but only now would they recognise its value. We can take encouragement from this passage to persevere in faithfully proclaiming unpleasant and unpopular teachings of God's Word to an indifferent people. The history of revival shows that great awakenings were preceded by faithful proclamation of the Word.

While the people repent of their sin, the ability for inner change comes through God circumcising their hearts (Deuteronomy 30:6). Such change reaches its fullest expression in the new covenant (Ezekiel 36:26-27; Hebrews 10:14-16). It is accomplished not through our strength but through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2). The friends of a university student, surprised by his conversion to Christianity, told him, ″Ahmed, we hear you have changed your religion.″ He responded, ″Oh no! You have got it all wrong. I have not changed my religion. My religion has changed me.″

Next, Moses describes the accessibility of God's laws to everyone (Deuteronomy 30:11). Throughout history, people have been looking for special words from God through special means. God does sometimes speak in unusual ways, but our primary responsibility is to humbly submit to the written Word. Moses speaks about those who ″ascend into heaven″ (v. 12) and receive messages from God. Some who call themselves ″prophets″ are making this claim today. But Moses implies that this is not the way God usually speaks to His people.

Verse 13 speaks of people wanting to ″cross the sea to get [God's Word]″. Christians today sometimes make pilgrimages to special places, believing that revival in those places is bringing special revelations from God. But verse 14 says God's Word is fully accessible everywhere to all people: ″No, the word is very near you.″ Moses was speaking of the adequacy of the Law. Today, we have a completely adequate Bible that gives us the full revelation of God's will.

Moses mentions three things we can do with the Word that is near us (v. 14). First, it should be ″in your mouth″, meaning that we should be constantly talking about the Word. Second, the Word should be ″in your heart″; that is, we must seek to understand it, meditate on it, and store it to be used when needed. Third, the result of such handling of the Word is that we will ″obey it″. Rather than focusing on exotic revelations, we should be devoting ourselves to knowing and obeying God's Word.

Verses 15-20 summarise the book of Deuteronomy: God's people could choose to love and obey God and hence enjoy His blessings, or they could choose to not love God and disobey Him and suffer the consequences. Moses pleads: ″Choose life″ (v. 19). May we choose life too.