Deuteronômio 29

Deuteronômio 29

Clarke - And hath not God given you a heart, etc.? because they suppose that God could not reprehend them for the non-performance of a duty, when he had neither given them a mind to perceive the obligation of it, nor strength to perform it, had that obligation been known. Though this is strictly just, yet there is no need for the interrogation, as the words only imply that they had not such a heart, etc., not because God had not given them all the means of knowledge, and helps of his grace and Spirit, which were necessary; but they had not made a faithful use of their advantages, and therefore they had not that wise, loving, and obedient heart which they otherwise might have had. If they had had such a heart, it would have been God’s gift, for he is the author of all good; and that they had not such a heart was a proof that they had grieved his Spirit, and abused the grace which he had afforded them to produce that gracious change, the want of which is here deplored. Hence God himself is represented as grieved because they were unchanged and disobedient: "O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them and with their children for ever!" See De 5:29, and the note there. Ajith Fernando - The response mentioned here is one that should not have taken place: “But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear” (v. 4). There is a sad and ironic play on words here. Verse 2 says, “You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes …” Verse 2 talks of “the great trials that your eyes saw.” But their response is not seeing. Moses says, “… the LORD has not given you a heart to understand, or eyes to see or ears to hear” (v. 4). This should be interpreted as God’s verdict on their rejection of his ways. Romans 1:24, 26, 28 talk of God giving up people who had refused to acknowledge him to do the terrible sins they wanted to do. Similarly, as the Israelites rejected his ways, God confirmed that choice by not giving them hearts, eyes, or ears to receive his message. (See Deuteronomy: Loving Obedience to a Loving God - Page 603) John Maxwell - Yet, in spite of these displays of supernatural power, the purpose of which was to increase Israel’s faith in God, the people are still untrusting. Notice two contrasting sentences in this section. “You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes” (v. 2) and “Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day” (v. 4). The children of Israel had physically witnessed the direct blessings of God; yet they had not fully understood the implications of God’s saving acts. Their natural eyes were not enough! In Romans 10:21, Paul quotes Isaiah, “All day long I have stretched out My hands/To a disobedient and contrary people,” and gives Israel’s disobedience as the reason for their spiritual blindness (Rom. 11:1–10). (See The Preacher's Commentary - Vol. 05: Deuteronomy - Page 6) JUDICIAL HARDENING Multiple related passages dealing with "judicial hardening" and the related topic of Jesus speaking in parables - Dt 29:4+, Isa 6:9,10+ Mt 13:11-15+ Mk 4:11-12+ Lk 8:10+ Jn 9:39-41, Jn 12:38-40 Acts 28:26,27+ Ro 11:7-10+, 2Co 3:14-15+, Eph 4:17-18+, 2Th 2:10-12+. Here is a summary of these passages on Judicial Hardening: Judicial hardening is when God, in response to persistent unbelief, allows a person’s heart to become spiritually calloused so that they no longer respond to His truth. It is both a judgment for continual rejection and a fulfillment of divine justice, as seen in passages like John 12:40 and Romans 1:24. Stated another way, Judicial hardening refers to God’s righteous act of confirming people in the spiritual blindness and hardness they have chosen after repeatedly rejecting His revealed truth. Scripture shows that when individuals or nations persistently resist God’s Word, He may judicially give them over to deeper insensitivity so that they no longer perceive spiritual truth clearly. This principle appears already in Israel’s history, where despite witnessing God’s mighty works the people still lacked a heart to understand because the LORD had not granted them spiritual perception (Dt 29:4). The prophet Isaiah was told that his preaching would expose and intensify the people’s stubbornness so that they would hear but not understand and see but not perceive (Isa 6:9–10). Jesus applied this same passage to His own ministry, explaining that the mysteries of the kingdom were revealed to receptive disciples but hidden from those whose hearts were dull, and therefore He spoke in parables that both revealed truth and confirmed the blindness of unbelief (Mt 13:11–15; Mk 4:11–12; Lk 8:10). Christ also taught that His coming produces a division: those who acknowledge their blindness receive sight, while those who claim to see become blind in judgment (Jn 9:39–41). John explains that Israel’s widespread rejection of Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy that God would blind their eyes and harden their hearts after persistent unbelief (Jn 12:38–40). Paul later quoted Isaiah to describe Israel’s continued resistance to the gospel, noting that they heard but did not understand because their hearts had grown dull (Acts 28:26–27). He further explains that the majority of Israel was hardened while a believing remnant received grace, describing this condition as a “spirit of stupor” that prevented them from seeing and hearing spiritually (Ro 11:7–10). This hardening also appears as a veil over the heart when the Scriptures are read apart from Christ (2Co 3:14–15), and as a darkening of understanding caused by hardness of heart that separates people from the life of God (Eph 4:17–18). Ultimately, persistent rejection of truth can lead God to give people over to deception itself, allowing them to believe what is false because they refused to love the truth and be saved (2Th 2:10–12). Thus judicial hardening demonstrates both human responsibility and divine judgment: when people continually resist God’s light, He may righteously confirm them in the blindness they have chosen. Deuteronomy 29:5 "I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandal has not worn out on your foot. I have led: De 1:3 8:2 your clothes: De 8:4 Ne 9:21 Mt 6:31,32 and thy shoe: Jos 9:5,13 Mt 10:10 Deuteronomy 29 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries YAHWEH'S PERFECT LEADING AND PERMANENT APPAREL Now God Himself speaks (presumably all Israel heard this) reviewing what they saw (I believe) to stir in their hearts a desire to truly understand spiritually what they saw and experienced. I have led you forty years in the wilderness - For 40 years Yahweh had not misled them. This should have prompted a trust in His words declared in the covenant in Deuteronomy. Thompson on the pronoun you - Strictly, very few of those who stood that day in Moab had known the experiences of the exodus and only some had lived through the wilderness events, for the old generation had died (Nu 14:28–35). Hence the you must be the corporate Israel. But the Israel of any age was always a part of the corporate Israel and might share the experiences of the past by seeking to identify herself with that former Israel. Hence in the corporate sense Yahweh could say: I have led you forty years … you have not eaten bread … that you may know that I am Yahweh your God. But rebellion and disobedience would prevent Israel in any age from discerning the providential hand of God in her national life. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandal has not worn out on your foot - Some items of clothes bear the label "Permanent Press" but here Yahweh's apparel bears the label (so to speak) permanently persistent! Rashi makes the interesting comment that the clothes and shoes grew as the children grew! (cf. Dt 8:4; Neh. 9:21). Deuteronomy 29:6 "You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or strong drink, in order that you might know that I am the LORD your God. eaten bread: De 8:3 Ex 16:12,35 Ne 9:15 Ps 78:24-25 have: Nu 16:14 Nu 20:8 1Co 9:25 1 Cor 10:4 Eph 5:18 Deuteronomy 29 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Psalm 78:24-25 He rained down manna upon them to eat And gave them food from heaven. 25 Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance. 1 Corinthians 10:4+ and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. Joshua 5:12 The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year. Exodus 16:35+ The sons of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. Deuteronomy 4:35+ “To you it was shown that (strategic term of purpose) you might know (yada - know intimately and experientially) that the LORD, He is God; there is no other besides Him. YAHWEH PROVIDED FOOD AND DRINK You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or strong drink, in order that (strategic term of purpose) you might know (yada - know intimately and experientially) that I am the LORD your God - Israel’s unusual diet during the wilderness years was intentional and instructive, designed by God to teach them a spiritual lesson. Yahweh continues the description. During the forty years after the Exodus, the Israelites did not live in normal agricultural conditions. They had no fields to grow grain, no vineyards to produce wine, and no settled economy. Instead, God provided their food directly and miraculously. Moses emphasizes that Israel did not live by normal human means of sustenance. The second generation had experienced daily manna from Heaven and water from a rock that followed them (what that means is unclear, but what is not unclear is that except for a couple of "no water" tests, Yahweh supplied water in a hot and dry environment for 40 years!). nor have you drunk wine or strong drink, Wine and strong drink normally come from cultivated crops like grapes or grain. The absence of these beverages highlights the same point: Israel was not sustained by human production or prosperity, but by God’s direct care. Their wilderness experience removed the normal securities of settled life so they would learn complete dependence on God. in order that (strategic term of purpose) you might know (yada - know relationally, intimately and experientially) that I am the LORD your God - This phrase reveals the purpose of the wilderness experience. God was teaching Israel to recognize Him as their covenant Lord and provider (cf that you might know in Dt 4:35+). God used the wilderness years to teach His people that He alone is their sustainer and provider. They were to learn that life and blessing come not from material abundance but from trusting in Him. Thompson comments that "For the obedient man there was abundant evidence of God’s care for Israel. For the disobedient the very facts of the divine activity would make plain the power of God."