Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 163:650 (Apr 2006)
Article: Was Israel Unable to Respond to God? A Study of Deuteronomy 29:2–4
Author: Michael A. Grisanti

BSac 163:650 (April-June 2006) p. 176

Was Israel Unable to Respond to God?
A Study of Deuteronomy 29:2–4

Michael A. Grisanti

Michael A. Grisanti is Associate Professor of Old Testament, The Master’s Seminary, Sun Valley, California.

In light of various Old Testament passages (as well as the New Testament’s emphasis on the newness of the Holy Spirit’s ministry after Pentecost), some writers have suggested that God commanded Old Testament Israel to do certain things for which He did not provide special enablement. In a word Israel was “doomed to fail.” Deuteronomy 29:41 affirms that in spite of all God’s many acts of faithfulness toward Israel, the nation failed to understand the larger purposes of His action. The reason seems to be that God had not given them “a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear.” This article seeks to demonstrate how God’s far-reaching demands of His chosen nation cohere with passages that imply to some that Israel was unable to live in accord with those expectations. Did Yahweh enable Israel to fulfill His expectations of them, or did He leave them on their own for that task? And how does Deuteronomy 29:4 relate to this problem?

The Context of Deuteronomy 29:2–4

The Book of Deuteronomy begins with an overview of God’s dealings with His covenant nation from their time at Mount Sinai

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through their encampment on the plain of Moab (chaps. 1–4). Chapters 5–26, the heart of the book, address the requirements of Israel’s covenant with Yahweh. In chapters 5–11 Moses repeated the Ten Commandments and called the nation to lead a life of absolute loyalty to their covenant Lord, and in chapters 12–26 he detailed some of the specific covenant stipulations God demanded of His people. In chapters 27–28 Moses set before his fellow Israelites the potential consequences of their conduct: blessing for obedience or cursing for disobedience. Then in chapters 29–30 Moses challenged them to renew their commitment to this covenant relationship with Yahweh.2 These two chapters are a call for Israel to ratify the covenant that had just been presented in chapters 5–28.You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
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