Saturday 22 November 2025
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. (vs 19-20)
Background
"Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences" is a quote attributed to the 19th-century novelist Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island. It reminds us that actions have consequences. Today’s passage contains some of the last words of Moses and it's the climax of the book of Deuteronomy. It repeats the now familiar theme for the Bible study readings this week, that of obedience to God. The Israelites had heard the teachings of Moses and entered into a covenant relationship with God. Moses now reminds them that the choice is theirs: whether to obey God, loving God and walking in God’s ways, or to turn away from all they had been taught.
Deuteronomy is the last of the five books at the beginning of the Christian ‘Old Testament’, attributed to Moses and known by Jews as the Torah. It can be seen as the ‘final word’ of the Torah and as especially important in setting the rule of life for the Jewish people.
The Israelites would face very real challenges in keeping faithful to God while living among nations who worshipped other gods. The Bible goes on to document ways in which they did not obey God’s commands. 2 Kings portrays the Israelites as worshipping not only God but also turning to worship idols. Then in 2 Kings 22-23, in response to discovering ‘the book of the law’ (believed to be a form of Deuteronomy), King Josiah called the people back to God. However, this was short lived, and the people did not ‘choose life’ as Moses had urged them to do. 2 Kings 24-25 tells the story of the fall of Judah and the exile of the people. They experienced the warning from our passage today; their hearts were ‘led stray’ and they did not live long in the land that they were promised (vs 17-18).
To Ponder:
- Have there been moments in your life where you have made a faith decision that has been life-changing? What might life have been like if the choice you made had been different?
- What might it mean for you this week to ‘choose life’?
Prayer
Thank you for the gift of life. Help me to appreciate the blessings of each new day and guide me in the decisions I make. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Kate Cambridge
Kate is a presbyter in the Winchester, Eastleigh and Romsey Circuit. In her free time she enjoys doing laundry (!), spending time with her family and wrestling ball point pens off her miniature poodle.