What does it mean to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19)?

Answer

In Deuteronomy 30:19–20, we encounter one of Scripture’s most straightforward messages about the decisions we make and God’s desires for His people: “Today I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants may live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him. This is the key to your life” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20;NLT).

As Moses approaches the conclusion of his ministry, he advises God’s people to opt for life. He explains how to do so: “Love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and cling to him. For the Lord is your life” «that thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.», (Deuteronomy 30:20). Moses reviews the terms of the covenant, explaining to the people of Israel that walking in a covenant relationship with God means making a radical decision to commit themselves wholly to the Lord and His ways (see Exodus 19:3-9;Joshua 24:15-24). To choose the Lord is to choose life.

Choosing life indicates that individuals have a decision to make. We select life by choosing God. When we respond to the Lord with faith, love, and obedience,We receive eternal life. Under the Old Covenant, Israel received a life filled with all of God’s goodness and physical blessings (Deuteronomy 11:26; Deuteronomy 30:2-10; 15; Psalm 21:4-6). Under the New Covenant, believers in Christ receive a life of abundance (John 10:10; Ephesians 1:3-14).

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25). We choose life when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and dedicate ourselves to following Him. He becomes our life (Colossians 3:4). The Lord gives His followers “a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10, NLT). Our obedience to God brings life now in all its fullness, as well as eternal life (John 17:3; Psalm 16:11). But disobedience results in the greatest curse of all—death and destruction now and forever (Matthew 7:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Hebrews 2:2-3).

The life God offers—the life Israel was to choose—was lived out inWorship of God involves purity, justice, fairness toward the weak and poor, and obedience to all the instructions Moses had given. Choosing life meant choosing the Lord’s way over their own. Any other decision would result in tragedy and death.

Moses’ call to choose life was not just about following rules. It was a call to the heart: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 10:12;see also Deuteronomy 6:5;see also Deuteronomy 11:13-14). Jesus echoed this call as the primary and greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37-38).

Loving the Lord is the initial step in choosing life. When we love the Lord, we long to know Him intimately. We hear His voice and follow «To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. », (John 10:3,27) «My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: », (John 10:3,27). One characteristic of the bond between a shepherd and his flock is that sheep always recognize their shepherd’s voice. As we grow to know the Lord intimately, we realize that He is our Great Shepherd «Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlastingGod’s covenant (Hebrews 13:20). Whenever we are tempted to stray, our Shepherd guides us, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” (Isaiah 30:21). We obey and follow the Lord’s voice because we deeply know and trust Him.

Choosing God means choosing life, for He is the giver and sustainer of life, “He gives to all life, breath, and all things,” (Acts 17:25). The Bible tells us that God breathed life into humans, “The LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul,” (Genesis 2:7). Since our lives are a gift from God (Psalm 139:13;Acts 17:28), our highest purpose should be living for Him. Jesus said, “Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it,” (Matthew 10:39, NLT). Choosing life means letting go of selfish desires and living for Him. Like the apostle Paul, we can say, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain,” (Philippians 1:21).s 1:21).