Covenant and Future Generations
Deuteronomy 29:6-17
Synopsis Deuteronomy 29:6-17 3/24/2018
Moses once again recounted the manner in which God had brought the Israelites through the exodus. He reminded the people that, although God had made covenant with them on this particular day – the covenant also bound future generations. He clarified that the curses were warnings for future generations as well as the present generation.
Covenant and Future Generations
Moses intimated that idolatry is like a poisonous root. It won’t kill immediately, but it will kill.
Strange as it might seem to us, the temptation was great. To have gods of wood, or stone or metal – gods that could be touched and seen – there must be something to that. And apparently this secret fascination remained resident among some of the children of Israel. Enough so that Moses discerned that it remained as a residue.
To find hope in something other than God; it’s an affront to both the covenant and the reality of God. The Israelites needed to be diligent to get this poisonous root out of the community in order to preserve the future generations.
Engrafting in the Good Root
We imagine ourselves. For some, the imagination focuses on the glory we will one day know – or else it focuses on the shame we will feel at some future failure. We know none of this imagining really helps anyone, yet we can’t let go of it. To let go feels like consenting to a death.
It’s nothing – but we can’t let go.
We feel exhausted. But then someone finds the courage to actually take that step. Suddenly, we are no longer bound by the fear of loss or by the wasted energy of fantasies and imaginations. In fact, with that first step we realize that our imaginings weren’t all that important. In an unanticipated sense of relief, we discover that it’s possible to live without our very demanding, imagined self. And with that, the pressure is gone. But the pressure is gone not for us alone – not just for our generation. Our victory came from a life-giving root. So now, our children and our children’s children might be able step into a freedom that required us to crawl.
So we get rid of our idols – even if they aren’t made from wood, and stone and metal.
If you do boast, consider that you do not support the root; the root supports you. Roman 11:18
