Question 1

What does it mean that life and death, good and evil are set before them?

Accepted Answer

When Moses says that life and good, death and evil are set before the people, he is talking about the results of their response to God’s commands. If they love the Lord, walk in his ways, and keep his commandments, they will enjoy life, growth, and blessing in the land. If they turn their hearts away and follow other gods, they will face death, trouble, and loss of the land. God is not playing games with them. He is clearly showing the two paths and their outcomes.

Question 2

What does it mean to love the Lord your God and walk in his ways here?

Accepted Answer

In this passage, loving the Lord your God is not just a feeling. It shows itself in walking in his ways and keeping his commandments, statutes, and judgments. To walk in his ways means to shape daily life by what God has said is right, from worship to how they treat others. This love is meant to come from the heart and then flow out into obedience. God links love and obedience together and promises that this path leads to life and blessing in the land.

Question 3

Why is turning the heart away and serving other gods so serious?

Accepted Answer

Turning the heart away means refusing to listen to God and being pulled toward other gods. This is more than a small failure. It is leaving the true God for idols. In this passage, that kind of turning brings a clear warning: “ye shall surely perish” and “ye shall not prolong your days upon the land.” Idolatry is treated like breaking a marriage bond with God. It cuts the people off from the blessing he promised and brings judgment instead of the good he was ready to give.

Question 4

What does it mean that heaven and earth are called to record this day?

Accepted Answer

When Moses calls heaven and earth to record, he is using strong, picture-like language. He speaks as if the sky above and the ground beneath are witnesses to what God has set before Israel. The idea is that this choice between life and death, blessing and cursing, is public, solemn, and cannot be denied later. They cannot claim they did not know. The whole creation around them is pictured as standing by while God, through Moses, clearly lays out the covenant terms and their consequences.

Question 5

What does “therefore choose life” mean if people are weak and sinful?

Accepted Answer

“Therefore choose life” is a real call to turn toward God, to love him, obey his voice, and cling to him. The wording can feel hard because people by nature do not do this on their own. This verse has been understood in more than one way, but the passage itself points to two things: God truly sets life before them and commands them to take it, and he also is the one who is their life and length of days. So any real choosing of life comes as he works in their hearts.

Question 6

How is God described as “thy life, and the length of thy days”?

Accepted Answer

God is called “thy life, and the length of thy days” to show that their very existence, their time on earth, and their blessing in the land all depend on him. He gives life, keeps it, and can prolong it, even though human life is fragile and marked by sin. He also makes life rich by his presence and kindness. Because he holds their breath and their future, it makes sense that they are urged to love him, obey his voice, and cling to him instead of chasing other gods.

Question 7

What was happening when Moses spoke about entering the land?

Accepted Answer

Moses spoke these words as Israel was about to cross the Jordan and take the land God had promised to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He himself would not go in with them, so he is giving them a final charge. They stand between wilderness wanderings and settled life in a good land. At this moment, Moses reminds them that staying in the land with blessing is tied to loving God and keeping his commands, while turning away to idols will lead to losing that land.

Question 8

How does this passage apply to someone reading it today?

Accepted Answer

This passage still shows that God clearly sets before people the way of life with him and the emptiness of turning away. While the land promise here is specific to Israel, the pattern is the same: God calls people to love him, listen to his word, and cling to him, rather than trust idols of any kind. It also reminds us that any real obedience flows from the heart and that God himself is our life. It invites us to respond to his word with love, trust, and steady obedience.

Deuteronomy 30:15

¶ See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

The Choice of Life or Death

Choose Life

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Deuteronomy 30:15

¶ See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

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The Choice of Life or Death

Choose Life

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