Deuteronomy 30:8
And you will again obey the voice of the LORD and follow all His commandments I am giving you today.
And you will again obey the voice of the LORD
This phrase emphasizes a return to obedience, suggesting a restoration of the covenant relationship between God and His people. The Hebrew word for "obey" is "shama," which means to hear, listen, or give heed. It implies not just hearing audibly but responding with action. Historically, Israel's journey was marked by cycles of disobedience and repentance. This verse promises a future where the people will once again align themselves with God's will, highlighting the enduring patience and mercy of God. The "voice of the LORD" signifies divine guidance and authority, reminding believers of the importance of Scripture as God's spoken word.

and follow all His commandments
The phrase underscores the comprehensive nature of obedience expected from the Israelites. The Hebrew word for "commandments" is "mitzvot," which refers to the laws given by God. These commandments were not merely rules but a way of life that set Israel apart as God's chosen people. Historically, the commandments were given at Sinai and were central to the covenant. This call to follow all commandments reflects a holistic devotion, urging believers to integrate their faith into every aspect of life, recognizing that true obedience is not selective but complete.

I am giving you today
This phrase situates the command in the present, emphasizing immediacy and relevance. The use of "today" in Hebrew, "hayom," often signifies a moment of decision or renewal. It reminds the Israelites that God's commandments are not just historical artifacts but living instructions meant to guide their current and future actions. The phrase "I am giving" indicates God's active role in providing these commandments, underscoring His ongoing relationship with His people. For contemporary believers, it serves as a reminder that God's word is ever-present and applicable, calling for a daily commitment to His ways.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites who is delivering God's commandments to the people. He is the central human figure in the Book of Deuteronomy, acting as a mediator between God and Israel.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, who are receiving the commandments and are being called to obedience. They are on the brink of entering the Promised Land.

3. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who is giving the commandments and calling His people to obedience.

4. The Promised Land
The land of Canaan, which God promised to Abraham and his descendants. The Israelites are preparing to enter this land.

5. Covenant Renewal
The event of renewing the covenant between God and Israel, emphasizing the importance of obedience to God's laws.
Teaching Points
Obedience as a Response to Grace
Obedience to God's commandments is a response to His grace and faithfulness. It is not about earning favor but living in gratitude for what God has done.

The Importance of Listening to God's Voice
The phrase "obey the voice of the LORD" emphasizes the need to be attentive to God's guidance. In a world full of distractions, prioritizing God's voice is crucial.

Covenant Relationship
The call to obedience is rooted in the covenant relationship between God and His people. Understanding this relationship helps us see obedience as part of our identity in Christ.

Repentance and Restoration
The context of Deuteronomy 30 speaks to repentance and returning to God. Obedience is part of the restoration process, showing a heart turned back to God.

Living Out God's Commandments Today
While the specific commandments given to Israel may not all apply directly to Christians today, the principles of love, justice, and holiness remain relevant.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the covenant relationship between God and Israel help us comprehend the call to obedience in Deuteronomy 30:8?

2. In what ways can we "obey the voice of the LORD" in our daily lives, and what challenges might we face in doing so?

3. How does the concept of obedience in Deuteronomy 30:8 relate to Jesus' teachings in the New Testament about following His commandments?

4. Reflect on a time when you experienced restoration through repentance and obedience. How did this align with the themes in Deuteronomy 30?

5. How can we apply the principles of God's commandments to contemporary issues in our society, ensuring that we live out our faith authentically?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 28
This chapter outlines the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, providing context for the call to obey in Deuteronomy 30:8.

Jeremiah 31:33
This verse speaks of the new covenant where God's law will be written on the hearts of His people, connecting to the theme of internalized obedience.

John 14:15
Jesus speaks about the connection between love and obedience, echoing the call to follow God's commandments.

Romans 6:16
Paul discusses obedience leading to righteousness, which aligns with the call to obey God's voice in Deuteronomy 30:8.
Divine Discipline Founded on Known PrincipleD. Davies Deuteronomy 30:1-10
Israel's RestorationJ. Orr Deuteronomy 30:1-10
The Restoration of the JewsR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 30:1-10
People
Isaac, Jacob, Moses
Places
Jordan River, Moab
Topics
Command, Commanding, Commandments, Commands, Ear, Follow, Giving, Hast, Hearken, Hearkened, Obey, Observe, Orders, Return, To-day, Turn, Voice
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 30:1-10

     6734   repentance, importance

Deuteronomy 30:1-16

     5376   law, purpose of

Deuteronomy 30:8-9

     4430   crops

Deuteronomy 30:8-10

     2425   gospel, requirements

Library
June 30. "Therefore, Choose" (Deut. xxx. 19).
"Therefore, choose" (Deut. xxx. 19). Men are choosing every day the spiritual or earthly. And as we choose we are taking our place unconsciously with the friends of Christ, or the world. It is not merely what ye say, it is what we prefer. When Solomon made his great choice at Gibeon, God said to him, "Because this was in thine heart to ask wisdom, therefore will I give it unto thee, and all else besides that thou didst not choose." It was not merely that he said it because it was right to say, and
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

The Spirit of the Law
'For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. 12. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 13. Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 14. But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. 15. See, I have
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Love of God Its Own Reward
DEUT. xxx. 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 cleave unto him, for he is thy life and the length of thy days, that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord God sware unto thy fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give them. I spoke to you last Sunday on this text. But there is something
Charles Kingsley—The Good News of God

The Blessing and the Curse.
Preached on Whit-Sunday. DEUT. XXX. 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
Charles Kingsley—Westminster Sermons

The Jewish World in the Days of Christ - the Jewish Dispersion in the East.
Among the outward means by which the religion of Israel was preserved, one of the most important was the centralisation and localisation of its worship in Jerusalem. If to some the ordinances of the Old Testament may in this respect seem narrow and exclusive, it is at least doubtful, whether without such a provision Monothsiem itself could have continued as a creed or a worship. In view of the state of the ancient world, and of the tendencies of Israel during the earlier stages of their history,
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Distinction Between Exterior and Interior Actions --Those of the Soul in this Condition are Interior, but Habitual, Continued, Direct, Profound, Simple, and Imperceptible --Being a Continual
The actions of men are either exterior or interior. The exterior are those which appear outwardly, and have a sensible object, possessing neither good nor evil qualities, excepting as they receive them from the interior principle in which they originate. It is not of these that I intend to speak, but only of interior actions, which are those actions of the soul by which it applies itself inwardly to some object, or turns away from some other. When, being applied to God, I desire to commit an
Jeanne Marie Bouvières—A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual Torrents

The Prophet Amos.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. It will not be necessary to extend our preliminary remarks on the prophet Amos, since on the main point--viz., the circumstances under which he appeared as a prophet--the introduction to the prophecies of Hosea may be regarded as having been written for those of Amos also. For, according to the inscription, they belong to the same period at which Hosea's prophetic ministry began, viz., the latter part of the reign of Jeroboam II., and after Uzziah had ascended the
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

According to which principle or hypothesis all the objections against the universality of Christ's death are easily solved
PROPOSITION VI. According to which principle or hypothesis all the objections against the universality of Christ's death are easily solved; neither is it needful to recur to the ministry of angels, and those other miraculous means which they say God useth to manifest the doctrine and history of Christ's passion unto such, who, living in parts of the world where the outward preaching of the gospel is unknown, have well improved the first and common grace. For as hence it well follows that some of
Robert Barclay—Theses Theologicae and An Apology for the True Christian Divinity

Entering the Covenant: with all the Heart
"And they entered into the covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart, and all their soul."--2 CHRON. xv. 12 (see xxxiv. 31, and 2 Kings xxiii. 3). "The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul."--DEUT. xxx. 6. "And I will give them an heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God: for they shall turn to Me with their whole heart."--JER. xxiv. 7 (see xxix. 13).
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

Sanctification.
I. I will remind you of some points that have been settled in this course of study. 1. The true intent and meaning of the law of God has been, as I trust, ascertained in the lectures on moral government. Let this point if need be, be examined by reference to those lectures. 2. We have also seen, in those lectures, what is not, and what is implied in entire obedience to the moral law. 3. In those lectures, and also in the lectures on justification and repentance, it has been shown that nothing is
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

"He is the Rock, his Work is Perfect, for all his Ways are Judgment, a God of Truth, and Without Iniquity, Just and Right is He.
Deut. xxxii. 4, 5.--"He is the Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are judgment, a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he. They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children," &c. There are none can behold their own vileness as it is, but in the sight of God's glorious holiness. Sin is darkness, and neither sees itself, nor any thing else, therefore must his light shine to discover this darkness. If we abide within ourselves, and men like ourselves,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Disciple, -- Master, what are Heaven and Hell...
The Disciple,--Master, what are heaven and hell, and where are they? The Master,--1. Heaven and hell are the two opposite states in the spiritual realm. They have their origin in the heart of man and it is in this world that their foundations are laid. Since man cannot see his own spirit, so neither can he see these two states of the soul. But he has experience of them within him, just as he feels pain from a blow and perceives sweetness from eating sweetmeats. The wound caused by the blow may increase
Sadhu Sundar Singh—At The Master's Feet

The Everlasting Covenant of the Spirit
"They shall be My people, and l will be their God. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me."--JER. xxxii. 38, 40. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

Covenanting Confers Obligation.
As it has been shown that all duty, and that alone, ought to be vowed to God in covenant, it is manifest that what is lawfully engaged to in swearing by the name of God is enjoined in the moral law, and, because of the authority of that law, ought to be performed as a duty. But it is now to be proved that what is promised to God by vow or oath, ought to be performed also because of the act of Covenanting. The performance of that exercise is commanded, and the same law which enjoins that the duties
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

"Now the End of the Commandment is Charity Out of a Pure Heart, and a Good Conscience, and Faith Unfeigned. "
[It is extremely probable that this was one of the probationary discourses which the author delivered before the Presbytery of Glasgow, previous to his ordination. The following is an extract from the Record of that Presbytery: "Dec. 5, 1649. The qlk daye Mr. Hew Binnen made his popular sermon 1 Tim. i. ver. 5 'The end of ye commandment is charity.'--Ordaines Mr. Hew Binnen to handle his controversie this day fifteen dayes, De satisfactione Christi."--Ed.] 1 Tim. ii. 5.--"Now the end of the commandment
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet
We shall now, in conclusion, give a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet. After an introduction in vi. 1, 2, where the mountains serve only to give greater solemnity to the scene (in the fundamental passages Deut. xxxii. 1, and in Is. 1, 2, "heaven and earth" are mentioned for the same purposes, inasmuch as they are the most venerable parts of creation; "contend with the mountains" by taking them in and applying to [Pg 522] them as hearers), the prophet reminds the people of
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Josiah, a Pattern for the Ignorant.
"Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place."--2 Kings
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

The Blessings of Noah Upon Shem and Japheth. (Gen. Ix. 18-27. )
Ver. 20. "And Noah began and became an husbandman, and planted vineyards."--This does not imply that Noah was the first who began to till the ground, and, more especially, to cultivate the vine; for Cain, too, was a tiller of the ground, Gen. iv. 2. The sense rather is, that Noah, after the flood, again took up this calling. Moreover, the remark has not an independent import; it serves only to prepare the way for the communication of the subsequent account of Noah's drunkenness. By this remark,
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Right Understanding of the Law
Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.' Exod 20: 3. Before I come to the commandments, I shall answer questions, and lay down rules respecting the moral law. What is the difference between the moral laud and the gospel? (1) The law requires that we worship God as our Creator; the gospel, that we worship him in and through Christ. God in Christ is propitious; out of him we may see God's power, justice, and holiness: in him we see his mercy displayed. (2) The moral law requires obedience, but gives
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Commerce
The remarkable change which we have noticed in the views of Jewish authorities, from contempt to almost affectation of manual labour, could certainly not have been arbitrary. But as we fail to discover here any religious motive, we can only account for it on the score of altered political and social circumstances. So long as the people were, at least nominally, independent, and in possession of their own land, constant engagement in a trade would probably mark an inferior social stage, and imply
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf.
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Deuteronomy 30:8 NIV
Deuteronomy 30:8 NLT
Deuteronomy 30:8 ESV
Deuteronomy 30:8 NASB
Deuteronomy 30:8 KJV

Deuteronomy 30:8 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Deuteronomy 30:7
Top of Page
Top of Page