Deuteronomy 29:16-21 – Don’t live presumptuously

Reading Deuteronomy 29:16-21 tell us why it is important to guard our heart with all diligence. Here we see God’s warning to the people of Israel hinting that they should guard their hearts for it was the place where the sins of apostasy and presumption would originate. The message here was clear. Breaking the covenant with God would bring dire consequences. Here Moses gave a description of what would be the consequences.    

To indulge in idolatry was an abomination to God. In verses 16- 17, Moses took them into their past. Although many of them were children then, they would have some impression of what life was like in Egypt. Idols of all materials were prevalent and were readily revered and worshiped. Having seen all that, the children of Israel should know well enough not to indulge in them. Especially when they entered the promised land where pagan idols would once again be aplenty. The first area God wanted them to guard was their hearts. Why? Verse 18 made it explicitly clear. God said, “So that there will not be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of those nations; that there will not be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood.” Plainly put, God was asking them not to hanker after idolatry and then fall away from following Him.

Verse 19 was a warning against being presumptuous. It was possible that with the abundance of God’s blessings some might choose to live presumptuously and turn away from Him. Such people would imagine security amid dangers. To live in such a way was living in self-denial and self-deception. He would say to himself, “I have peace” when there was no such peace. It’s living in a world of make-believe. To such people, God warned of terrible results. Verses 20-21 warned that anyone caught in such sins would not be spared. He would be subjected to divine retribution and cut out from God’s covenant blessing. He would be singled out from all of Israel and made to suffer adversity according to the curses prescribed in the covenant. He would ultimately be obliterated and forgotten.

Three things to take away from this passage. Firstly, we need to let our past educate us. There are lessons there that we can apply in our forward journey. Learning from our past prepares us for the future and teaches us to live wisely in the present. Secondly, we need to be watchful that we do not be influenced to live a life of indulgence. For the people of Israel, idols of all sorts were a constant menace. For us, our idols could be riches, our cars, our house, our spouse, our children, the list can go on ad infinitum. Don’t be distracted by them. Don’t let the bountiful provisions become a curse. Thirdly, we must not live presumptuously. For it will hinder us from putting in our best effort to truly live for God. Watch out for signs of the coldness of heart!