Year 7, Day 180: Deuteronomy 29

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Deuteronomy 29 really begins Moses’ wind-up to the finale.  This is a bit amusing to say, of course, because Deuteronomy is in itself a summary of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.  Therefore, we’ve really entered into the summary of the summary.

As Moses speaks this chapter, I was struck by the realization that the adults who are alive at this point may have memories of the plagues in Egypt.  Remember that God promised Moses that they would wander in the desert for 40 years, just long enough to let all – save two, of course – in the rebellious Hebrew generation die.  It’s easy to think that all the people who left Egypt in the Exodus are dead.  But that isn’t true at all.  Only the adults who left Egypt are dead.  This new generation of adults, who are about to take possession of the Promised Land, were the youth and children of the Exodus.  These people saw the plagues, but they saw them through the wonder, amazement, and terror of the eyes of children.  I wonder if that isn’t part of what allowed them to remain faithful in God’s eye?

As I moved into that thought more deeply, I began to think of all the things they saw through the amazement of a child’s eye.  Of course, there are the plagues.  But there was also Moses on Mt. Sinai, the water from the rock, manna from heaven for forty years, the pillar of fire, the pillar of smoke, the parting of the Red Sea, and I’m sure a couple of things that I left off the list.  Imagine seeing all of that through the wonder of a kid.  Oh, there’s one more thing, a point which this chapter emphasizes more than other places in the Bible.  Their clothes never wore out.  I can’t imagine having a pair of sandals for 40 years and seeing them still function!  I can’t imagine having the same shirt, belt, socks, etc for 40 years and not seeing them wear out.  This is no small miracle.  I know how hard people – namely, myself – can be on clothing.  It never wore out.

I am flabbergasted by all of the ways that the people of that generation saw God’s handiwork.  They saw it like no other generation – except perhaps those who were alive to know Christ.  Yet, I know that they are called the wicked generation because they had this great witness and they still rebelled against God.

Except, of course, the children.  Their eyes caught what God was doing.  They were able to remain faithful.  They were awed by His presence.  They kept the faith kindled in their hearts.  Oh, to be like a child again in innocence and faith.

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