As we come to the end of the book of Deuteronomy, we see the final blessing given to Moses—a glorious view of the promised land. And we are invited to look at God’s larger purposes, as Moses did, by faith. “And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to …
Tread Upon the High Places
Despite the dire warnings God has given Israel through Moses, He does not leave them without a blessing. And we know that in the time of the new covenant, these blessings come to full fruition for God’s final Israel, the Christian church. “And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the …
No Appeal to Scripture
My (hopefully helpful) interactions with Greenbaggins continue apace. This segment includes his response to a recent post of mine (on Eck’s argument against Luther), as well as our continued interaction as he works his way through my book, “Reformed” Is Not Enough. This should not have to be too long a post because I think …
The Song of Moses
We have been anticipating this song, but the time has now come to learn it. The theme of the song echoes many of the themes of the entire book of Deuteronomy. Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth . . . (Dt. 32:1-52). The …
Contra Mundum?
Contra mundum is a nice slogan if you can get it. I have been watching some of the internet discussion in the aftermath of the PCA decision at GA, and I decided I needed to say a little something about the following argument: “All these venerable alphabet combinations have condemned the Federal Vision — URC, …
The Law of Liberty
Although Israel will ultimately fail in their invasion of Canaan, the second Israel will never fail in His invasion of the world. Although the ancient people of God were corrupted by idolatry, the people of God today cannot ultimately fall in the same way. Jesus Christ is victor. “And Moses went and spake these words …
The Rebirth of Israel
This chapter, filled with promise, brings hope to all those battered by the curse of the law. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. And in this place Moses points to the coming glory. “And it shall come to pass, when all these things shall come …
The Secret Things
The covenant is now presented to the people. They will not be faithful to it, and this defection is important in the teaching of the New Testament. “These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel . . .” (Dt. 29:1-29). The first nine verses …
Gold is Heavy, and Hard to Carry
By now all those who have been following the Federal Vision situation in the PCA will have heard that the General Assembly of the PCA approved the report by the study committee. That was not what we were praying for, and so I thought I needed to make just a couple of brief comments here. …
Because They Did Not Eat the Fat, or Drink the Sweet
The covenant sanctions include fearsome curses. This section is significantly longer than the blessings, but given the situation the warnings are to the point. This section is not so much an argument as it is a painted picture—it contains a good deal of repetition. These are warnings, not proofs. The proof comes in the judgment. …