“And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. And He will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full.
Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you.”-Deuteronomy 11:13-17
The Old Testament is full of passages like this. God will say, ‘If you do this, I will do this. If you don’t, then I will do this.” It seems like God is more dependent on man’s actions than man on God’s actions. Is God setting up a system of works-based salvation? There are many conditional statements setting apart those who act one way vs. others who act another way. There are many ultimatums declaring people as sinners or as holy, and these statements are based on the peoples actions. So, is this a works-based salvation? That if the people could just love God more, serve Him more, do this or that less, and do this or that more, then they would be right in the eyes of God. But the New Testament says that salvation is by grace through faith and not by works, so that no man may boast. (Eph. 2:1-10) Does mean that there is a contradiction in the Bible?
No way, not possible.
God chose these people, not because of their righteousness but because of His choice. He chose to love them. Simple as that.
“Yet the LORD set His heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.” – Deuteronomy 10:15
Why does God love the Israelites? Not because they are righteous and so easy to get along with, but because He loves them. He loves them, because He loves them. Great logic, huh?
“Know, therefore, that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people. Remember and do not forget how…” – Deuteronomy 9:6-7
Moses then goes on to remind the Israelites of all the ways that they had rebelled against God. He goes on and on about how messed up they are and how it is only by God’s choice that they are His people, not because they did something special.
Ok, so they are His people because He chose them, but what about God commanding them to do certain things or they would be cursed? Does that not mean that His love is based on their response in obedience? If God says, “if, then”, then His actions seem to be based on their actions, not His choice, right?
Moses after bashing the people towards the end of Deuteronomy 10 says some important words for us to understand this mystery.
“And now, Isreal, what does the LORD your God require of your, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good? … Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. For the LORD your God is God of gods, and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God … You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve Him and hold fast to Him, and by His name you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.” – Deuteronomy 10:12-22
Moses says look. Look at the LORD your God. How beautiful! How powerful! How awesome! How strong! He chose us! The God who did all those things chose to speak to us and love us. The God, who is faithful to keep the promise of a multitude of offspring to our father Abraham, loves us. Moses says remember. Remember that all that God has done has been for your good. His commandments and statutes are not burdens, but a way to joy. God commands obedience, because God is after our highest joy. Himself!
God has already chosen these people, so salvation is not the issue. Their joy in Him is the issue, and obedience is the best way towards that joy.
By God’s Grace, not our righteousness.
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