Deuteronomy 29: Renewal of God's Covenant

Deuteronomy 29: Renewal of God's Covenant

Collin Leong. September 14, 2026

(v1-29)  The Covenant Renewed In Moab

(v1) These are the words of the covenant that the LORD commanded Moses to make with the people of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant that he had made with them at Horeb.

Exp: Moses repeat the laws plus additional details in Moab since the first time in Horeb (Mt. Sinai). God wants Moses to renew the Covenant with this current generation. 

(v2-4) Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: "You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharoah and to all his servants and to all his land, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders. But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear."

Exp: Moses recalls the experience some of them had when they came out of Egypt - these are the ones who were 20 years old or less, since the older ones have died in the wilderness. The experience they have is not just the plagues on Egypt, but also in their journey where miraculous signs and their faith tested. 

However, they still lacked "a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear." The have difficulty to grasp God’s truth, not just intellectually but with conviction and obedience. The do not have ability to recognize God’s works and providence clearly. They are not truly listening and respond to God's word. In other words, they lack spiritual discernment.

(v5-6) "I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have no worn off your feet. You have not eaten  bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am  the LORD your God. 

Exp: Moses points out that God has not allowed their clothes or sandal to wear out. They have not ate bread, but they ate manna; they have not drink win, but only water from the rock. In other word their survival depend only on Him, not because of the bread and wine they made themselves. 

Similarly, our spiritual survival depends only on Jesus Christ, for He is the true bread from heaven (John 6:35) and the living water (John 7:37–38).

(v7-9) "And when you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out against us to battle, but we defeated them. We took their land and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites. Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do."

Exp: He reminds Israel that even before crossing the Jordan, God had already given them victories and land east of the Jordan. The defeat of Sihon and Og was proof of God’s power and faithfulness. The land was allotted to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh (Num 32). Believers are reminded that God’s past victories are memorials of His faithfulness. Just as Israel inherited land from defeated kings, we inherit spiritual life and blessings in Christ (Eph 1:3).

(v10-13) "You are standing today before the LORD your God: the heads of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones, your wives, and the sojourners who is in your camp, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water, so that you may enter into the sworn covenant of the LORD your God, which He is making with you today, that he may be your God, as he promised you, and as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

(v14-15) "It is not with you alone that I am making this sworn covenant, but with whoever is standing here with us today before the LORD our God, and with whoever is not here with us today. 

Exp: Moses will make a "sworn covenant" with everyone that is standing in the community of Israel in the land of Moab. A “sworn covenant” is a solemn, binding covenant, confirmed by oath, between God and Israel. God is pledging Himself to be their God, protector, and provider. Israel is pledging obedience, loyalty, and faithfulness to His commands. Though the covenant began at Sinai, Moses is renewing it here in Moab before they enter the land, ensuring the new generation embraces it personally. 

Those who are "not here with us" is referring to those who are not physically at the assembly (perhaps those away on duties) as well as their future descendants who will live in their land. There will be later renewals: Joshua at Shechem (Joshua 24), King Josiah’s reforms (2 Kings 23), Nehemiah’s covenant renewal (Nehemiah 9–10).

In Christ, the new covenant extends beyond Israel to all nations and all who believe (Gal. 3:29).

(v16-18a) "You know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came  through the midst of the nations through which you passed. And you have seen their detestable things, their idols or wood and stone, of silver and gold, which were among them. Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. 

Exp: Moses is warning them not to follow what they've seen in Egypt, where they worshipped idols. The nations in the Canaan land are also idolatrous, and this warning is very relevant to the people of Israel.

(18b-19) Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying. 'I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.' This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike."

Exp:  The phrase "a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit" means that the person/family/tribe whose inner heart is turning away from God, and goes into idolatry and rebellion. It echoes the principle that sin is never private; it grows and infects others like bitter fruit spreading its taste.

Hebrews 12:15 picks up this imagery: “See to it that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.”

The warning is against hidden apostasy - someone who blesses themselves in their heart, saying “I’ll be safe,” while stubbornly rejecting God (v.19). "Sweeping away of moist and dry alike" is a picture of a flood that wipes out everything in its path. God's flood of wrath will not spare the good or bad men if anyone worship the idols. 

Ezekiel 21:3–4: God says He will cut off both “the righteous and the wicked.”  This is because the community did not do their responsibility to stop the person who commits idolatry. Ignoring the sin is also a sin to God. (See Appendix for details.) 

(v20-21) "The LORD will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. And the LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for calamity, in accordance with all the curses of the covenant written in the Book of the Law."

Exp: If he is doing idolatry secretly, where the community doesn't know and didn't punish him, then God will deal with him directly. He cannot hide from his sin. Ezekiel’s vision (Eze 8:7–12) God shows Ezekiel the elders of Israel secretly worshiping idols in hidden chambers, saying, “The LORD does not see us.”

(v22-24) "And the next generation, your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, will say, when they see the afflictions of that land and the sickness with which the LORD has made it sick - the whole land burned out with brimstone and salt, nothing sown and nothing growing, where no plant can sprout, and overthrow like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew is his anger and wrath - all the nations will say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land? What caused the heat of this great anger?'"

Exp: Admah and Zeboiim were near to Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 10:19). Though not named directly, they are understood to be part of the cities destroyed when the LORD rained down fire and sulfur on the plain. (Genesis 19:24–25) What happened to them may happen to Israel in their new land. 

However, Israel was not destroyed by brimstone, because God has mercy on them. Hosea 11:8–9: “How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? … My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my burning anger.” → Here God says He could have destroyed Israel utterly, but His compassion love restrained Him.

Lam 4:6 says Judah’s punishment was even greater than Sodom’s: “For the chastisement of the daughter of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment.”  Instead of being wiped out, they were exiled, the temple destroyed, and lost their nation in 70AD. It seems to imply that sudden death is preferable than long suffering.

(v25-28) "Then people will say, 'It is because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt, and went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they had not known and whom he had not allotted to them. Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, bringing upon it all the curses written in this book, and the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and fury and great wrath, and cast them into another land, as they are this day."

Exp: This probably happened when Assyria and Babylon exiled them to their countries. People who goes to Israel then would say exactly the same thing that Moses predicted. Even today, we are still saying so, based on the biblical history we read about Israel, who were a "stubborn" people (Jeremiah 5:23), who keep ignoring the law though they went through many punishment by God.

(v29) "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."

Exp: Only God has secret things that we do not know - like his will, purposes and judgements He has not disclosed. We will only know when we face Him in heaven. But what we do is no secret to Him - He knows our very mind and heart. We cannot hide from Him.

But God has revealed His law and covenant to Israel, and His gospel to us. This is sufficient for us to believe and obey. If we keep insisting it is not real, then we will be separated from God when we die. 

Key Messages

Deuteronomy 29 is Moses’ covenant renewal speech on the plains of Moab. It emphasizes God’s past acts, Israel’s responsibility to keep the covenant, the seriousness of disobedience, and the hidden things belonging to God. Themes include covenant renewal, remembrance, accountability, warning against idolatry, and the mystery of God’s sovereignty.

1. Covenant Renewal (vv. 1–9)

Moses reminds Israel of God’s mighty acts in Egypt and the wilderness, calling them to keep the covenant faithfully for prosperity in the land.

Application: Believers are reminded that faith requires continual renewal of commitment. Remembering God’s past faithfulness strengthens obedience today. Renewal is not a one-time act but a lifelong posture of devotion.

2. Inclusive Covenant (vv. 10–15)

The covenant is made with all—leaders, tribes, men, women, children, and even foreigners—extending beyond the present generation to those yet unborn.

Application: Believers are reminded that God’s covenant embraces all who come to Him. Faith is communal and generational. Our obedience impacts not only us but future generations.

3. Warning Against Idolatry (vv. 16–21)

Moses warns against turning to idols, describing the bitter root that produces rebellion and destruction. Those who persist in idolatry will face God’s wrath and exclusion from the covenant.

Application: Believers are reminded that idolatry—whether ancient or modern—corrupts faith and leads to ruin. Faith requires vigilance against false gods of wealth, power, or pleasure. Loyalty to Christ alone sustains blessing.

4. Consequences of Covenant Breaking (vv. 22–28)

Future generations and foreign nations will see the devastation of the land and recognize it as the result of Israel’s covenant unfaithfulness.

Application: Believers are reminded that disobedience has visible consequences. Faith requires sober recognition that sin damages witness, community, and legacy. Our lives testify either to God’s blessing or to the emptiness of rebellion.

5. The Mystery of God’s Sovereignty (v. 29)

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

Application: Believers are reminded that faith rests on trust in God’s sovereignty. Not all is revealed, but what God has made known is sufficient for obedience. Faith requires humility to accept mystery and diligence to obey revelation.

In summary, Deuteronomy 29 calls believers to covenant renewal, warns against idolatry, highlights the consequences of disobedience, and affirms God’s sovereignty. It reminds us that obedience is communal, generational, and rooted in trust in God’s revealed Word.

Appendix

1. Ignoring Sin is Sin Itself

It is important that they must punish the person who commits idolatry, which is to put them to death, as specified by Exodus 22:20, Lev 20:1-5. Otherwise God will wipe out the entire tribe or community. 

Exodus 22:20 - “Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the LORD alone, shall be devoted to destruction.”

Leviticus 20:1-5 - "... Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones... And if the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, then I will set my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people..."

Leviticus 19:17 — “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.” → If you fail to confront sin, you share in the guilt. 

Ezekiel 3:18 — God tells Ezekiel that if he fails to warn the wicked, their blood will be required at his hand. Joshua 7 — The sin of Achan (taking devoted things) brought judgment on all Israel until it was exposed and dealt with.

2. References

John 6:35 - “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’”

John 7:37–38 - “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

Ephesians 1:3 - “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”

Gal. 3:29 - “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

Ezekiel 21:3–4 - “Say to the land of Israel, Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am against you and will draw my sword from its sheath and will cut off from you both righteous and wicked. Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall be drawn from its sheath against all flesh from south to north.”

Jeremiah 5:23 — “But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.”