1It shall happen, when all these things have come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations where Yahweh your God has driven you, 2and return to Yahweh 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, 3that then Yahweh your God will release you from captivity, have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples where Yahweh your God has scattered you. 4If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there Yahweh your God will gather you, and from there he will bring you back. 5Yahweh your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you will possess it. He will do you good, and increase your numbers more than your fathers. 6Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your offspring, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. 7Yahweh your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. 8You shall return and obey Yahweh’s voice, and do all his commandments which I command you today. 9Yahweh your God will make you prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, for good; for Yahweh will again rejoice over you for good, as he rejoiced over your fathers, 10if you will obey Yahweh your God’s voice, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
At the beginning of the book of Deuteronomy the people are reminded that it has taken them forty years to travel what should have been an eleven-day journey (1v2-3). In the first eleven chapters Moses reminds them of their history including all their sin and rebellion against God. In the concluding chapters he predicts that despite all his warnings, they will again abandon God. Moses goes onto to tell them that this further rebellion against God will result in their exile from the land he is about to give them. In fact, from the beginning their past failures are displayed for all to see and in the end their future failures are predicted for all to hear. It actually makes for some uncomfortable reading. Moses knows how sinful these people are and the outlook for the Israelites seems hopeless. However, despite all their failings and failure Moses also knew that God’s mercy was stronger than any sin and he would never leave his people without hope.
In chapter 30 Moses tells the people that even when they are in exile, if they will just call out to God again he will be there. If they return their hearts to God, he will bring restoration and mercy and he will lead them back home. Why would God show such mercy to a people that have continually rejected him? The answer is very simple; God really loved them.
Isn’t good to know that failure isn’t fatal? No matter how far we have wandered from God he is waiting for our return. He is not waiting to heap judgement or punishment, but restoration, forgiveness and joy. Have you wandered far from God? You are still loved by him and he is waiting for your return, to give you his mercy and to restore your joy.