Israel’s New Covenant with God: How Paul Draws on Deuteronomy in Romans
/In our recent sermon series in the book of Romans, Pastor Brice has encouraged us to examine types and shadows of the Old Testament to help us reach the Jewish people around us with salvation. Paul gave us a leg up on that work in Romans 10 and 11, as he was also earnest to draw his brother Israelites to Christ.
The law of the Torah begins with God’s first covenant with Israel at Mount Horeb and ends with His second covenant (Deuteronomy means “second law”) with Israel on the plains of Moab, just before entering the Promised Land of Canaan. Israel could have entered 40 years before, but instead they listened to intel of fearsome enemies and fortified cities and were unwilling to enter and trust the LORD to fight for them. This rebellion earned that generation a death march through the desert for 40 years (Deuteronomy 1:19-30).
On this day 40 years later, that untrusting generation has passed away (except Joshua and Caleb who would enter, and Moses who would not). God has led Israel through the desert, miraculously providing manna to eat and clothing that wouldn’t wear out. Israel has just won a battle against the Amorites, and Moses has laid out the system of laws recorded in the bulk of Deuteronomy.
Now God gives Israel a choice: a life of blessings that flow from loyalty to Him and obedience to His covenant or curses and death brought on by idolatry and unrighteousness. In his farewell address, Moses adjures the people, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live, and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
In Romans 10-11, Paul recalls this foundation of Israel’s covenant to give evidence that God remains faithful to Israel and offers life to those who believe. He quotes Moses’ farewell address, drawing parallels and contrasts between this and the new covenant God offers Israel: “Christ is the end of the law, so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes”. (Romans 10:4)
In Deuteronomy 30:11-19, Moses describes God’s life or death contract. Here are the terms:
Parties: God and Israel only. (Aliens in their cities were obligated to keep the law, too.)
Attainable by understanding: It’s not in heaven, or across the sea. No need to ask, “’Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us that we may obey it?’... ‘Who will cross the sea and proclaim it to us so that we may obey it?’” (v. 11-13) The word of God is the key: “very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so you may obey it.” (v. 14) They had just heard Moses speak it, and it was recorded for their remembrance.
Offer: Long life and prosperity for loving God and obeying his commands, decrees, and laws (v. 16)
Penalty: Death and destruction for disobedience and worship of other gods (v. 17-20)
Paul says the new covenant is similar, but differs, as Christ is the end (Jesus said “fulfillment” in Matthew 5:17) of the Law.
Righteousness is attainable by understanding:
“But the righteousness that is by faith says, Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘Who will descend to the deep?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)…’The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart’”...”That if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:6-10)
For 40 years before the plains of Moab, God had faithfully led, provided for, and given victory to the Israelites who experienced these miracles. But he prevented them from understanding: “To this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes to see or ears to hear.” (Deuteronomy 29:4)
Paul paraphrases this by appropriating Moses’ language and keeping the deeper thought: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so they could not see and ears so they may not hear, to this very day.” (Romans 11:8) On the day the Moab covenant was made, God opened the eyes and ears of Israel to understand it.
The essentials of faith remain the same today: believe the word in your heart, and confess it with your mouth.
Righteousness is offered to all who call on the name of the Lord:
God then extended grace to his elect, his chosen people. He does the same now with Jesus. The Moab covenant was exclusively offered to Israel, but the new covenant is offered to ALL who call on the Lord.
Righteousness is by faith alone, not any work we can do:
The Moab covenant was conditional on obedience to the Law. “Moses describes the righteousness that is by the law: ‘The man who does these things will live by them.’” The new covenant gave clarity on the issue: belief and confession are what is necessary to obtain righteousness.
“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:10)
Believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. This cancels your sin debt.
Confess that Jesus is Lord.
Paul goes on to say these two activities “seal the deal” of eternal salvation for ALL people; of Jewish heritage and not.
In other writings, Paul also revealed more about what led or leads to this point for you:
God created you and selected you as his child from the beginning of time.
God’s Holy Spirit gave you faith to believe.
...and that the rest of your life is the process of sanctification, ending with glorification.
Moses’ voice echoes down through time for Paul, and for us today, “I have set before you life and death...Choose life.” Don’t just sit on the verge of the Promised Land. As each one of Israel chose to enter it, you can, too
(1. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Jamieson, Fausset, Brown 1871)