Deuteronomy 30:15-19

The word train in that verse means, “to narrow in” or “to hedge in” or “to limit.” This is what we do as parents—we don’t give our children every option. We limit their choices. God, as the perfect Father, hedges us in. He puts a hedge on either side of us to help direct our course. Jesus even calls this way of life “the narrow way.” We can begin to see that God limits us by narrowing our options. We still have free will, and we must still make the choices, but because of the hedge that God provides, we don’t have as many options as we otherwise might if we were still in this world.

In Deuteronomy 30:15-19, God says that He sets before us life and death, blessing and cursing, and so on. God sets the options before us, and we choose. The options in this case are very broad and far-reaching. On one hand, there is life, good, and blessing; on the other hand, there is death, evil, and cursing. God even counsels us which choice to make—but He leaves the choice to us.

That passage in Deuteronomy 30 links obedience to God’s laws and instructions with choosing life and blessing. “Choosing life” is not a decision that one makes at a single point in time, such as baptism, but rather it is the overall direction and approach, as well as the specific decisions we make at each turn. It is a continual choice.

Deuteronomy 30:15-19

I will mention one more instance in God warning to physical Israel, and the reason I do this is because it is also like so many things are for spiritual Israel's learning as well. Please turn to Deuteronomy 30. I think we know it comes after chapters 28 and 29. That is how it works. We call them the blessing and cursing chapters that tells Israel God's response for obedience and what they can expect if they are disobedient, and then recommending they choose life over death. It is a good recommendation.

Certainly God's Word shows us we have choices to make. To say one does not is a stretch beyond a stretch. There are times like when God hardened Pharaoh's heart that the choice is taken off the table. But for most of our lives and for most individuals we have much control and accountability for what we think and for what we do.