Choose Life Text: Deut 30:11-20
Introduction:
Moses is instructing Joshua on a ceremony that will be done
once they enter the Promised Land. This ceremony would be carried out on Mt.
Ebal and Mt. Gerizim just inside the border of Canaan. It would signify the
acceptance of the Covenant between God and the People of Israel, a covenant we
label the Palestinian or Land Covenant, because it dealt with the people and
the land God would give them.
We read
about it in Deuteronomy 27:9-14 9 And Moses and the priests the Levites spake
unto all Israel, saying, Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art
become the people of the LORD thy God. 10 Thou shalt therefore obey the voice
of the LORD thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command
thee this day.
11 And Moses charged the people the same day, saying, 12 These shall stand upon
mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and
Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin: 13 And these shall
stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and
Naphtali.
14 And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud
voice,
What Moses
detailed here in Deut 27 does take place under the leadership of Joshua and is
recorded in Joshua 8. It is a ceremony and a sermon about making good and bad
choices. Now before we get into the details of the sermon. Let me share with
you a story about choices and consequences from Justin Wilson, the Cajon cook
and it makes for a good introduction, I guarantee.
The Boudreaux
Boudreaux called his wife one
day to come into the living room of their house. He told her he had figured out
a way to see how his teenage son was going to turn out.
She asked him, “How you goin’ do dat?”
He say, “Look here on de coffey table dat is in this here
livin room.”
She looked and what she see was three things, a Bible, a
wallet with 20 dollars sticking out and a fifth of whiskey.
She look at her husband and say, “You one crazy fool of a
man. How dem thangs show you how Junior gonna turn out?”
He tole here, “Here come junior now, hide. Hide behin this
here curtan and I dun show you this amazing thang I jus figured out.”
So they hid and peeked through the curtains as junior walked
into the living room and spotted the things on the coffee table.
First, he picked up the wallet and looked at the twenty-dollar
bill.
Boudreaux tells his wife. “Oh no. if he take de mony, my boy
gonna be a theef”
Junior put down the money and picked up the whiskey.
“Oh no, If he take the whisky he gonna be a lousy drunk jus
like yo daddy!”
Junior put down the whiskey and picked up the Bible.
“Ifning he take the Bible he gonna be a preacher for sure.”
Junior put down the Bible and started to walk off.
Boudreaux’s wife said, “I dun tole you, you crazy like a
crawdad. That boy done take nuthin.”
Just then Junior walked back into the living room, picked up
the wallet and stuck the twenty in his pocket. He opened the whiskey, took a
big swig and put that in his other pocket. Finally, he reached out took the
Bible, tucked it under his arm and walked out with a smile on his face.
Boudreaux started to cry and moan and wail like it was his
pappa’s funeral.
What his wife asked, “What it mean since Junior dun took the
money, an de whiskey and de Bible.”
“Oh, it be terrible” cried out Boudreaux. “It be worser dan
a theef, worser dan a preacher and even worser dan a drunk. That boy you gone
an raised up, he gonna be a politician!”
Conscious and Clear Choice - Deuteronomy 30:11-14
"For this commandment which I command you today is not too
mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you
should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may
hear it and do it?' Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who
will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?'
But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you
may do it.
Moses Declares The Right Choices Are Close
In one way the entire Exodus experience was all about making
choices. Beginning with choosing not to be a slave in Egypt and ending with the
choice to enter into covenant with God Moses gives here. As you read the books
of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, God, through Moses, lays out
the choices the people must make, to follow, obey and trust God or to go in the
paths of their past, their pleasure and the pagans around them. With each
choice would come the consequence with God’s blessing or punishment.
Here in this ceremony, that Joshua will perform once they
are in the Promised land, Moses wanted the people to fully understand that they
must make the right choices or suffer the terrible consequences.
Moses tells the people, “The word is very near you, in your
mouth and in your heart. That you may do it.” He is telling them this is not a
hard thing to understand, it is not hard to know what to choose. The right
answer is not hidden but directly before them. It is so close that he says it
is in their mouth and in their heart so that they can understand and then they must
make the choice.
God beginning in Egypt and continuing throughout the
wilderness has revealed Himself to His people. God has revealed His word, His
way and His will. Now in full view and knowledge of that undeniable revelation
of God, they must choose.
The reason the tribes were split between the two mountains
was to show that there is no neutral ground, no gray areas when it comes to
God’s revealed will, their choices as symbolized by Mt. Ebal or Mt. Gerizim, would
bring God’s blessing and fulfillment of His promise or it would bring his
punishment and curse.
God’s Word Makes the Right Choices Even Closer
The Word of God reveals the will of God and challenges us to
make the right choices. This Word is even closer to us than the word of God
given to the Israelites. It is right here and as Moses said it should be, “in
our mouths and in our hearts, that we may do it.”
Just look at a few examples. Joshua 24:15 And if it seem
evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve;
whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the
flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and
my house, we will serve the LORD.
1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said,
How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if
Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
Proverbs 1:20-26 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her
voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the
openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye
simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their
scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour
out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
By our choices we face God as our Lord or as our adversary.
By our choices, we find Heaven or Hell as our eternal destination. By our
choices we have forgiveness of our sin or judgment of our sin. By our choices
we find the blessings of God or the curses of God. The difference is but a choice,
and you must make that choice.
These choices continue even after we are saved. We can
choose to surrender to our Savior or to serve ourself. We can choose to love
and forgive one another or to hate and condemn our brother and sisters in Christ.
We can choose to give of our substance to God or to we can choose to rob God in
our tithes and offerings. And yes that is what God calls it robbery.
All these choices are right before our eyes. Just as they
were for the Israelites, they are in our mouth to say yes or no. They are in
our hearts to accept or reject.
I have an uncle who was a marine in Vietnam
and later was my boss when I worked in the construction trade building houses.
If he knew how often he comes up as an illustration in my sermons, he probably
wouldn’t have said as much to me as he did, but its too late for that. He had
that Texan way of having the right saying at the right time. When he was ready
to make a choice that would make a change for the better, the would say, “I’m
sick and tired of being sick and tired.” My uncle Larry’s once told me about a Marine
buddy of his who was constantly getting in trouble, he did the least he could
do, often got written up by his superiors and basically wanted to just coast
through life. One day after another incident his Sargent called him into the
barracks for a serious talk. My uncles buddy was a corporal if I remember the
story right, he had potential to go further but he was lazy and not very
responsible. The Sargent told him, Today you have to make a choice as to which
path you want to walk as a Marine. Either you straighten up and make the right
decisions and go on to your next rank or you don’t and I’m going to see you
busted back to private. What is going to be? The marine said, “Sarge, I’m happy
right where I am. I just want to stay right here. His Sargent told him, “Today,
you decide. Take one path or the other. Staying where you are is not an option.”
I stand before you today to echo that truth when it comes to
God and our responsibility before Him, you don’t have the choice to not choose.
There is no neutral ground, there is no putting off a choice for another day as
if it won’t matter. Doing so is simply saying no to God today and that is a bad
choice, with consequences.
Moses then goes on, confirming this covenant and its
consequences to Israel.
Consequence and
Choice - Deuteronomy 30:15-18
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and
death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to
walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments,
that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in
the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so
that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and
serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that
ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan
to go to possess it.
Moses Gives the Consequences of Choice
What Moses told the people was really straightforward, very
simple. If the people of Israel would love God and obey Him, they would be
blessed by Him and dwell in the promised land in safety and peace, but if they
chose to rebel against him and disobey then they would be cursed by Him and
driven from the land.
This is the Palestinian or Land Covenant.
God’s Word Gives the Consequences of Choice
When God created man, he created him in the image of God.
One aspect of that image is free will, the ability to choose, even to choose in
to disobey his God who created him. One of the reasons I have such a problem
accepting the doctrine of foreordination, aka Calvinism, the idea that God has
already determined who is saved and who is lost, is that the Bible is filled
with so many occurrences of God telling man, “Choose.” It is an obvious contradiction
for God to call on man to make a choice, if He had already made that choice for
him. And I am absolutely sure that God cannot contradict Himself. Until someone
explains how this Calvinism doesn’t make God a liar, I have no place for it in
my theology.
Here, just look at a few examples of man’s ability to choose
and then the consequences of that choice.
John 3:16-21 16 For God so loved the
world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into
the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into
the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were
evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the
light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to
the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his
flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit
shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Isn’t the entire book of Proverbs about making the right
choice? Wisdom speaks in Proverbs 8:32-36 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye
children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. 33 Hear instruction, and be
wise, and refuse it not. 34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily
at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. 35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and
shall obtain favour of the LORD. 36 But
he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love
death.
Those verses and hundreds of others tell us to choose and
the blessing or the curse of the choice we make or don’t make.
As individuals of free will, we choose and then reap the consequences,
and this truth is the same for nations and governments and for who we elect and
put in position of leadership and authority over us.
Do you remember the story of the pastor who was called to
open the Kansas State Senate in prayer? His prayer that day was about the wrong
choices and it made national news when Pastor Joe Wright finished.
In 1996, Pastor Joe Wright was asked by one of his church
members, a state legislator, to open the
new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual
generalities, but this is what they heard:
"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your
forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those
who call evil good" but that is exactly what we have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our
values. We confess that. We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and
called it Pluralism; We have worshipped other gods and called it
multiculturalism; We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative
lifestyle; We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery; We have
rewarded laziness and called it welfare; We have killed our unborn and called
it choice; We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable; We have
neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem; We
have abused power and called it politics; We have coveted our neighbor's
possessions and called it ambition; We have polluted the air with profanity and
pornography and called it freedom of expression; We have ridiculed the
time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us
from every sin and set us free. Guide
and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of
Your will, to open ask it in the name of Your Son, the living Saviour, Jesus
Christ. Amen"
The prayer led to "angry walkouts in two state
legislatures, an unprecedented two readings on Paul Harvey's Radio show, more
than 6,500 phone calls to Wright's church and so many boxes of mail that the
church staff didn't' know where to put them all. Additionally, Wright's prayer
went viral, with thousands of emails, which republished and critiqued the
prayer, circulating on the internet.
That Pastor understood we as the American people will suffer
the consequences of the choices we make or just as often the choices we refuse
to make. Back in our text, Moses has one more appeal to the Israelites, it is
in the form of a challenge
Challenge of Choice - Deuteronomy 30:19-20
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that
I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose
life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD
thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto
him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in
the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to
Jacob, to give them.
Mose’s Challenge To Choose
Moses knew it was not enough to just lay the choice before
God’s people. There had to be a challenge. A challenge to act and to make the
choice now and every time they would make a choice in the future. His challenge
is powerful and direct, he tells them, “I call heaven and earth to record this
day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and
cursing: therefore, choose life!”
Then Moses draws the reason for making this choice to the
ultimate in vs. 20. That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou
mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy
life,
The choice they were about to make was so important,
important to their conquest of Canaan, important to the settling of the land,
important to their keeping the land and important to the generations that would
follow them. Their choices on that day counted, it meant something because the
choices they would make were about God, and their relationship with Him. “He is
their life.”
Nothing in all the world was more important.
Our Challenge Today
When you think about that ceremony, the tribes standing upon
those mountains, and the symbolism of blessing and cursing, you can’t help but
ask yourself, what mountain am I choosing to stand upon today? Our choices will
place on the mount of God’s blessing or His cursing. As it was then with Moses
and the Israelites, it is the same with us today. Once again, there is no
middle ground. No place where we can choose not to choose.
Nor is it enough just to know and understand the choices. We
must answer the challenge just as they did. We must the right choice about our
relationship with God and about following Him, today and every time we are
confronted with the choice between God’s will and Word or the world’s.
Is this hard, is it vague or obscure, does it take years of
research and scholarship? According to Moses, Deuteronomy 30:14 the word is
very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
This is the simple rule of choice for us today. So, hear
once again the challenge of Moses, it is as clear today as it was those thousands
of years ago, “Choose Life!” Choose life because “He is thy life” and there
can’t really be any other choice. No choice is more important for today and for
eternity.
Choose life! Choose eternal life. Choose life and God’s blessing
for your family. Choose life when you choose your friends and choose life when you
forgive your enemies. Choose life, do what God’s Word plainly tells us, in all
things and you will find the blessings of God will fill your life.
In the Book of Revelation, when Jesus wrote his letters to
the Seven Churches of Asia, by the hand of John, one phrase is sent to every
single church. We read it Rev 2 verses 7, 11,17, and 29 then in chapter 3:
verses 6, 13 and 22. What is this one phrase that it is so important that every
single church no matter its circumstance was to hear and respond to.
Revelation 3:13 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches." That is a challenge to every person to make
the right choice. It is a challenge to hear the words of Jesus Christ as they
are given to us by the Holy Spirit working through the Bible, working through the
sermon, working through our hearts. If you are hearing this then the Holy
Spirit is speaking to you. Listen and then make the right choice.
In the final appeal to the Church of Laodicea, Jesus says in
Revelation 3:20-22
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To
him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also
overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
Just as Moses stood before the nation of Israel and told
them to Choose Life, Jesus stands at the door of the church and knocks, He
knocks at our will, he knocks at our heart, he knocks and that knock is a
challenge to make the right choice. Choose life, choose to open the door and
let Jesus give us life.
Conclusion
What choice will you make today? You need to quit stalling, quit waiting and choose life in
Jesus Christ You need to answer the challenge, make the choice and put your
faith in Christ this morning, right now, right here.
Perhaps there are other choices that involve the path God
would have you walk, and you’re stalled at the crossroad. It’s time to choose
life, let Jesus Christ take your hand
and lead where He wants you to go.
Whoever you are and whatever you are struggling with this
morning I stand before you and without doubt tell you, that you will never go
wrong if you choose life and follow Jesus Christ in all things.
