Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20030319.htm

DEUTERONOMY: GETTING OTHERS TO BE VICTORS, NOT CASUALTIES
Part XXVIII: Directing The Weak On Restoration In View Of Their Probable Failures
(Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20)
  1. Introduction
    1. In discipling those who do not immediately respond positively to God's truths, it is tempting to give up, thinking our best efforts are futile! However, this is not always the case!
    2. Moses gave the Land Covenant in Deuteronomy 29-30 to people who were insensitive to the value of the divine words and works they had witnessed. He knew they had not proved to be faithful to the Lord, and that they were headed inevitably to sinful failure and divine discipline! Yet, Moses knew God would work through a remnant of the people who would repent and enjoy God's restoration blessings.
    3. His words thus direct the weak on restoration in view of their probable future failures, and guide us in ministering to spiritually weak disciples as follows:
  2. Directing The Weak On Restoration In View Of Their Probable Failures, Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20.
    1. Just before his death, Moses addressed Israel on her need to heed God for blessing, Deut. 1:1-5.
    2. A part of that address described what would need to occur for Israel to be restored once she came under God's judgment for sin. Moses knew this description would be invaluable particularly in the distant future when the people would finally heed the Lord under divine discipline (as follows):
      1. Moses relayed that though God had performed numerous signs and attesting miracles for His people to impress them to trust and obey Him, they still had a spiritually dull heart, Deuteronomy 29:1-3, 5-8, 4.
      2. Knowing the nation was most certainly headed for apostasy and divine discipline as its result, Moses spoke of that failure while also relaying what needed to occur for their restoration; in doing so, he was ministering for the welfare of the remnant who would repent and need restoration insight, 29:9-30:20:
        1. Moses charged the people of Israel that he was making a covenant with them, a land covenant we often call the Palestinian Covenant, Deut. 29:9-17. It detailed what God required from Israel for her to stay in possession of the Promised Land God would give them under Joshua's leadership.
        2. Moses then revealed the consequences of national waywardness from God in Deut. 29:18-29: (a) Waywardness in individual Hebrews would lead to God's personal discipline, Deut. 29:18-21. (b) Waywardness in the nation would produce God's punishment with national captivity, 29:22-29.
        3. However, Moses detailed God would restore the remnant of the people who repented of their sin while in national captivity, Deuteronomy 30:1-10: (a) Moses predicted that, once Israel was in captivity and repented of her sin that had led to this punishment, God would have compassion on them once again, Deut. 30:1-3a. (b) Consequently, He would reverse their captive status, gathering them out of the Gentile lands from which they had been scattered and restore them once again to their Promised Land, Deut. 30:3b-5a. (c) There God would once again bless them, Deut. 30:5b-10.
        4. He then reminded the people that his words of this prophetic announcement were with them to instruct them in their challenges with sin in the future, Deuteronomy 30:11-14.
        5. Finally, Moses solemnly ratified this covenant in the hearing of the people, Deuteronomy 30:15-20: (a) He clarified the purpose of his message at the time was to give them an ample Biblical heritage, revealing God was their All-Sufficiency for all time, Deuteronomy 30:15-19. (b) Thus, God was to be obeyed and loved in all seriousness, and with the totality of one's being, Deuteronomy 30:20.
Lesson: Knowing from his own observations over the years of Israel's bent toward apostasy from God and His Word, Moses looked BEYOND that FAILURE to the HOPE that SOME in Israel would yet REPENT of their future sin. In VIEW of that HOPE, Moses left that FUTURE generation an invaluable HERITAGE -- WORDS of warning and yet of God's promised restoration for repentance.

Application: As the Apostle Paul charged Pastor Timothy to minister with GREAT PATIENCE and CAREFUL TEACHING (2 Timothy 4:2), so WE should leave our disciples a HERITAGE of HOPE in God's FORGIVENESS and RESTORATION once they get beyond inevitable temporary spiritual failures. SOME of those who do NOT seem to respond well to us NOW will in TIME come to REPENT, and will THEN deeply NEED and APPRECIATE our words and testimonies.