Topical Bible: Covenant in Moab

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Covenant in Moab refers to the renewal and reaffirmation of the covenant between God and the Israelites, as recorded in the Book of Deuteronomy. This event takes place in the plains of Moab, just before the Israelites are to enter the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua, following the death of Moses. The Covenant in Moab is a significant moment in the biblical narrative, emphasizing the continuity of God's promises and the responsibilities of the Israelites as His chosen people.

Biblical Context

The Covenant in Moab is detailed in Deuteronomy 29 and 30. After the Israelites' 40-year journey through the wilderness, Moses gathers the people to remind them of the laws and decrees given at Mount Sinai (Horeb) and to renew their commitment to the covenant. This renewal is necessary as a new generation has arisen, and they are about to face the challenges of conquering and settling in Canaan.

Scriptural Account

In Deuteronomy 29:1 , it is written: "These are the words of the covenant that the LORD commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant He had made with them at Horeb." This verse establishes the setting and purpose of the covenant renewal, highlighting its continuity with the Sinai covenant.

Moses reminds the Israelites of their history, including their deliverance from Egypt, the miracles witnessed in the wilderness, and the victories over Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites. He emphasizes the importance of obedience to God's laws as a condition for receiving His blessings. Deuteronomy 29:9 states, "Therefore keep the words of this covenant and obey them, so that you may prosper in all you do."

The Call to Obedience and Consequences

The Covenant in Moab includes blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, similar to the covenant at Sinai. Moses warns the Israelites of the consequences of turning away from God, including exile and suffering. However, he also offers hope for restoration if they return to the Lord with all their heart and soul. Deuteronomy 30:2-3 promises, "And when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then He will restore you from captivity and have compassion on you and gather you from all the nations where He has scattered you."

The Choice of Life and Death

A central theme of the Covenant in Moab is the choice between life and death, blessing and curse. Moses sets before the people a clear decision, urging them to choose life by loving and obeying God. Deuteronomy 30:19-20 declares, "I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. So choose life, so that you and your descendants may live, and that you may love the LORD your God, obey Him, and hold fast to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

Significance in Biblical Theology

The Covenant in Moab underscores the faithfulness of God to His promises and the necessity of Israel's faithfulness in return. It serves as a reminder of the conditional nature of the covenant relationship, where blessings are contingent upon obedience. This covenant renewal also foreshadows the New Covenant, where the law is written on the hearts of believers, as prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and fulfilled in the New Testament through Jesus Christ.

The Covenant in Moab is a pivotal moment in the history of Israel, reinforcing their identity as God's people and setting the stage for their future in the Promised Land.

Nave's Topical Index

Deuteronomy 29:1-15
These are the words of the covenant, which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Doctrine of Arbitrary Scriptural Accommodation Considered.
... Of time,"for whereas the Covenant of Sinai belongs to the first of the forty
years of wandering, the Covenant of Moab belongs to the last. ...
/.../burgon/inspiration and interpretation/sermon vi the doctrine of.htm

Moab is My Washpot
... more"a thing contemptible and despicable as compared with the eternal realities
of covenant blessings; yet, for all that, there was a use for Moab, a use to ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/moab is my washpot.htm

Covenant Duties.
... And by their families did Israel in the land of Moab, taking hold upon his Covenant,
present themselves before him.[257] In the marriage covenant husband and ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter iv covenant duties.htm

Covenanting Performed in Former Ages with Approbation from Above.
... The Covenant made on the plains of Moab was confirmed by the oath of God; and the
encouragement of it, that the Lord would be unto Israel a God, afforded ...
/.../the ordinance of covenanting/chapter xii covenanting performed in.htm

Antichrist in Isaiah
... they were outcasts, outcasts from Palestine: "Let Mine outcasts dwell with thee,
Moab; be thou a ... In v.4 the question is put, "Will he make a covenant with Thee ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/1 antichrist in isaiah.htm

Footnotes
... seems to dispose of Koenig's claim that Jeremiah here maintains the Sinai-Covenant
(with the Decalogue) in opposition to the Moab-Covenant set forth in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/footnotes.htm

Authorship of the Pentateuch.
... "These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with
the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which he made ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter ix authorship of the.htm

Manner of Covenanting.
... The records of the transactions at Sinai and Moab, of his covenant with David, and
of his purposes to enter into covenant with his people, as those appear in ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter ii manner of covenanting.htm

Exodus
... The Book of the Covenant, as it is called, is a body of mainly civil but ... The explicit
mention of Philistia, Edom and Moab in vv.14, 15 imply that the people ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/exodus.htm

A Death in the Desert
... of the Lord.6. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, ... ... with another
death and another grave"those of the Leader of the New Covenant, the Law ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/a death in the desert.htm