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Deuteronomy 30 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
I was drawn specifically to verse 6 of this chapter because it relates closely to the process a believer undergoes within the New Covenant.
“Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
Deuteronomy 30:6 NASB
We know that through the Holy Spirit, our hearts are changed and we are empowered to love the Lord God with all our heart and soul. We also know that we are free from sin and death. But I found myself asking, what did this mean to Israel in this context?
First, there were several points to consider leading up to this verse.
- They will return to their senses (v. 1)
- They will return to the Lord (v. 2)
- They will listen to His voice (v. 2)
- God will restore them (v. 3)
- God will bring them into their land (v. 5)
Finally, we come to verse 6 where God states that He will be the one to “circumcise their hearts.” When we simplify the text to this degree, it can seem transactional. In fact, the first three points above are all the responsibility of Israel and the next three are what God will do for them in light of their obedience. We must remember, however, that God desired a relationship with His people from the very beginning. It was not meant to simply be a transactional relationship based on only following the law. This is clearly seen through God’s sacrifice of Jesus despite humanity’s constant hostility toward Him.
So, this brings us to the main question. If Israel rejected God, Jesus, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit through the early church, what is meant here when God says He will circumcise their hearts? Paul speaks about this in the book of Romans.
For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” 27 “THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.”
Romans 11:25-27 NASB
I like how the Jewish New Testament Commentary addresses this question…
“Why is what Sha’ul [Paul] says here a secret truth that was not understood until he explained it? Because one would have expected Israel to be the first nation to be saved. Israel has had advantages enjoyed by no other people (Rom 3:1-2, Rom 9:4-5), the Gospel itself is “to the Jew especially” (Rom 1:16), and God has promised Jewish national salvation (Eze 36:24-36, Mat 23:37-39, Act 1:6-7). Why, then, is he doing the unexpected, making the Gentiles “joint-heirs” (Eph 3:3-9) with the Jews? In order to give the fullest possible demonstration of his love for all humanity and not Jews only.
But the entering of the Gentiles in their fullness, like any other major historical process, such as the Renaissance or the Industrial Revolution, is an event that necessarily must occupy a considerable period of time. Sha’ul’s [Paul’s] prophecy is being fulfilled at this very moment. The Gentiles are entering in their fullness right now. Evangelism has been worldwide for several centuries; parts of the Bible have been translated into some 2,000 languages; a quarter of the world’s population count themselves part of Christendom; and although many unreached peoples remain, the breadth of representation has never been greater. So it is not surprising that with the rise of Messianic Judaism as a conscious worldwide movement within the Jewish people, we are starting to see all Israel saved.”
Jewish New Testament Commentary