This small group Deuteronomy 30 Bible study guide contains commentary, discussion questions, cross-references, and application to encourage life change. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.
Deuteronomy 30 Bible Study – Repentance and Restoration
Outline
I. Repentance and restoration (1-10)
II. A choice between life and death (11-20)
I. Repentance and restoration (1-10)
Discussion Questions
• What is this passage about?
• What character qualities of God can you see in this passage?
• Was the curse from God on the nation going to be final?
• What does this passage teach you about the discipline of God?
• What does return (verse 2) mean?
• What is necessary for a person who has sinned to return to God?
• Are confession and repentance the same thing? Why or why not?
• What did God promise to do if they repented?
• What does it mean to have their heart circumcised (6)?
• Do you love God with all your heart and soul?
• Someone comes and asks you, “I want to love God more. How can I?” What would you answer?
• What did God expect of them if He forgave them?
• What do you learn about the heart of God in verse 9?
Cross-References
2 Chronicles 7:14 – If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Luke 13:3 – No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Revelation 3:19 – Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
Psalms 51:12 – Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Acts 3:19-21 – Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.
Hosea 6:1-2 – Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
Jeremiah 4:4 – Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. There is hope – The curse was not final. Though Israel would reject God and God would discipline her in response, this was not the end of the story. A possibility remained for restoration. The curse was a tool used by God to discipline them, wake them up from their apathy, and call them to repentance.
The story of Israel’s rejection of God, dispersion throughout the nations, and final repentance and restoration (Romans 11:26) highlights God’s faithfulness.
God’s promises to Israel would be finally fulfilled. He has not forgotten a single one of them.
2 Timothy 2:13 – If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
Some of these promises will go thousands of years between when they were given and when they will be fulfilled. Those years contain most of the earth’s history. Radios, televisions, smartphones, jets, and spaceships were invented in between. Nations rise and fall. Hundreds of people groups (including many around Israel, such as Edom, Moab, and Philistines) have gone extinct. Yet God remains faithful to His chosen people, the people of Israel.
What Joshua stated for his time will be true for all time.
Joshua 21:45 – Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
It is very encouraging to see that God is trustworthy. We can depend on His promises. Discipline from Him is temporary and specifically designed to call us to return to Him.
Application – There is still hope for you. Even if you have drifted away from God or backslidden, there can be more to the story. If you will repent and turn to Him, He is ready to forgive.
2. Return to the Lord your God – Although God is gracious and merciful, His character does not change. Neither do His righteous standards. God didn’t say, “Come back. I will compromise.” He didn’t say, “Let’s negotiate” or “Let’s meet in the middle.” Throughout Deuteronomy, He commanded them to obey. Here He says, “return…and obey.” The standard does not change. In His desire to have fellowship with Israel, the Lord does not compromise.
While He will forgive, there is still a condition. The condition mentioned in this passage is to return. Then, there is the expectation that the people who return change their ways and obey Him.
The world today likes to celebrate tolerance. Acceptance and inclusion are popular buzzwords. Some more religious types may even appeal to God’s kind character. They may point out the fact that God is love or that Jesus refused to condemn the adulterous woman. However, they forget what Jesus told the adulterous woman after He declined to condemn her. He said, “Go your way and sin no more.” (John 8:11).
While God loves you and forgives you as you are, if you repent, He then asks you to change to be like Him. He never says, “Welcome into my family. You don’t need to change a thing.” The boundaries He sets are firm. If you want to come to God, you must accept His boundaries. Do not claim to believe in and follow God while rejecting the principles He set forth. We have a choice to make. We can choose to follow God or the world, but not both.
God was calling them to repent.
Repentance = turning.
It is turning from sin to the Lord.
The Hebrew word in the Old Testament for “repent” is “Teshuvah” – תשובה.
It means to “return” or “turn back to God.”
Joel 2:12-13 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster. (Has root word for turn שוב)
It is not just stopping down the road we are going. But it is turning back to the Lord. A ship that is not going anywhere will simply drift with the current. Scripture tells us there is a negative thing to avoid and a positive thing to go toward. We need to flee sin pursue Christ (2 Timothy 2:22).
Repentance itself is an inward act. It is a change in our heart’s attitude toward sin and toward God. We need to be careful not to confuse repentance with works.
On this, Oswald Chambers said, “The danger is to put the emphasis on the effect instead of on the cause. Is it my obedience that puts me right with God? Never! I am put right with God because prior to all else, Christ died.”
In simple terms, repentance happens when we turn to the Lord in our hearts.
This results in life change.
Life change is evidence of repentance. When we have the right heart and turn to the Lord, we cannot help but live a changed life. Included in this life change is restitution for the offended party if possible.
Reflect – What are some examples of people in the Bible who were not repentant? What are some examples of people in the Bible who were genuinely repentant?
Examples of non-repentance
• Simon the magician – When confronted with his sin, Simon told Peter, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me” (Acts 8:24). Repentance is something personal. It is not something anyone can do for you. He did not cast himself upon the Lord and ask Him for mercy.
• Saul – Saul says the right words. 1 Samuel 15:24 – Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.” But they are empty. He is confessing, saying “sorry,” without any real repentance. He didn’t seek God but wanted to act the same as before. Before the confession, he made excuses and minimized his sin. Repentance is not just saying a quick apology and hoping to move on.
• Cain – Cain was unhappy with the consequences of his sin. Genesis 4:13 – “My punishment is greater than I can bear.” Repentance is not just sorrow over the consequences of sin.
Examples of true repentance
• David – David sought the Lord and asked for mercy from Him (Psalm 51). He realized his sin was against God (and was, therefore, relational, not just doing the wrong thing). Repentance is throwing yourself upon God’s mercy.
• Zacchaeus – When confronted with his sin, he made restitution.
• Prodigal son – He acknowledged his sin and returned to the father, leaving behind the ways of the world. He said, “I have sinned against heaven and before you.” He was willing to accept whatever consequences the father decided on.
Application – Be quick to repent. Repentance is not primarily a verbal confession but a heart change as evidenced in a changed attitude and behavior. Is there anything you need to repent of today?
3. The Lord will restore you and gather you – God does not enjoy disciplining His people, just as parents do not enjoy withholding privileges from their children. But sometimes it is necessary so that a lesson can be learned and growth can take place.
Here we see that God wants to restore His people. Once they repent, He promises to restore them and gather them again. This envisions a time when Israel is scattered among the nations and God restores them to the Promised Land. The framework for this fulfillment is in place with Israel’s rebirth as a nation in 1949. However, there are still more Jews in the diaspora around the world than in Israel. There is still a future regathering that will take place in the end times after Israel repents (Isaiah 11:11-12).
We should take note that when we repent and are restored by God, that does not guarantee that what we will be restored to is exactly the same as what we had before the sin. Sin still results in many earthly consequences. For example, broken marriages or relationships may not heal. But we can be restored into active fellowship with God again.
There is no place too far for God to bring someone back from.
Deuteronomy 30:4 – If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you.
4. The Lord will circumcise your heart –
Romans 2:29 – But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
Rituals do not save anyone. Circumcision was an external symbol of a people set apart to God. However, a person could be circumcised as an infant long before they even knew what it meant. Many people were circumcised but had hard and rebellious hearts toward God.
Other rituals do not save either. Infant dedication, baptism, communion, daily prayer, and Bible reading are all good and important, but they do not save anyone.
Man looks at the outside and God looks at the heart. What is important to God is a contrite heart.
Psalms 51:17 – The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
He wants us to repent from our hearts and place our faith in Him.
Note that this verse says, “The Lord will circumcise your hearts.” We cannot give ourselves a new heart. No person has ever performed heart transplant surgery on himself. The Lord is the one who gives us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). He regenerates us. Therefore if you want a heart like that, you need to ask Him for it!
5. The Lord will take delight in prospering you – Here we see a beautiful glimpse of the Father’s heart. He enjoys giving good gifts to His people.
As a father, I can identify with this. I love giving gifts to my children. I enjoy surprising them with treats. It is deeply satisfying to watch them enjoy what I have provided for them. On the other hand, disciplining or rebuking them is highly unpleasant. Those are tasks I don’t enjoy, though they are also necessary.
God enjoys blessing us. He must also enjoy it when we fully appreciate those blessings and, in turn, bless others.
Application – Take a moment to step back and appreciate the heart of our Father God toward us. When you feel times are tough, remember that He delights in giving you good gifts and bringing joy into your life! That knowledge can help give you peace in the midst of difficulties.
6. Turn to the Lord with all your heart and your soul – God did not want half measures. We are not to have one foot in His kingdom and one foot in this world.
Matthew 6:19-21 – Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Reflect – What would it look like if you turned to God with your whole heart and soul?
II. A choice between life and death (11-20)
Discussion Questions
• What did Moses mean by saying that his command was not too hard?
• What did he mean that it was not “far off?”
• What can we learn about how God communicates to us from verses 12-14?
• Are there any commands of God that you need to know and don’t? If so, where can you go for the answers?
• The word was “very near” to them. How about you?
• If it is very near to you, what should you do?
• What choice was laid before the people (15)?
• How did their choices affect their descendants? How do yours affect your family and offspring?
• We have many choices to obey or disobey God every day. How can you increase your likelihood of making the right choices?
• What is the short-term results of obeying God? How about the long-term?
Cross-References
Hosea 4:6 – My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Romans 10:6-10 – But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. This commandment is not too hard for you or far off – The Israelites had heard God’s commands multiple times. They were explained in clear language that could be easily understood. Many of these commands were also to be written publicly so they could be seen by all (Deuteronomy 27:8).
The law was not mysterious. Neither was it distant. Neither was it so complicated that only highly educated of literate people could grasp it. Knowledge of right and wrong was not the issue. No one could claim ignorance. The question was only whether they would obey what they knew was right or not.
It is important for authorities to make the rules clear and straightforward so that they are easily understood. A parent should not give convoluted rules to a two-year-old. More likely, a parent would say, “Do not hit others.” After having given the instruction in plain and simple language, it is the responsibility of the child to obey.
Let us bring this principle to our own lives today. God’s commands are even closer to us. We have far more access to Scripture than they did. In addition, God has revealed far more of His plans to us. There is zero reason for a believer to remain ignorant of any Biblical issue. Besides Bibles and apps, there are many wonderful ministries teaching Scripture, answering questions, and training in apologetics. He has given us all the knowledge we need about Him (2 Peter 1:3). All we have to do is pick up a Bible and read it.
Application – What is an area of spiritual life that you need to be better equipped? How can you use the knowledge He has given in the Word to become better equipped in that area?
2. I have set before you life and good, death and evil –
Moses reemphasizes the choice set before the nation. They can obey God, walk in His ways, and receive a blessing. Or they could rebel against Him, worship false gods, and be cursed.
Joshua presented the people with a similar choice before he died.
Joshua 24:15 – And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
God gives us a choice.
Reflect – Is the choice a one-time choice or continual?
3. Choose life that you and your offspring will live – This choice not only affected them but also their offspring. It is a reminder that we do not live our lives in a vacuum. Our decisions affect those around us, especially our family.
Many statistics, for example, show us that children who grow up without fathers are more likely to do drugs, become alcoholics, turn to crime, be incarcerated, and divorce. A father who abandons his family negatively influences them for multiple generations.
Parents have the responsibility to make wise choices that will keep their children safe and give them every opportunity to know the Lord. That extra responsibility should help motivate those with dependents to diligently seek the Lord.
4. Hold fast to Him – He is our anchor, our rock, our refuge, and our fortress. The world is unstable. The quicksand of relativism and materialism is all around us. If we rely on ourselves, we will not be able to overcome the pressures and temptations around us. Our only hope is to hold fast to Him.
The good news is if we ask Him to, He will, in turn, hold us fast. This is a beautiful song by Keith and Kristin Getty titled “He Will Hold Me Fast.”
When I fear my faith will fail
Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail
He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold
Through life’s fearful path
For my love is often cold
He must hold me fast
Chorus:
He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast
Reflect – How does the fact that He will hold you fast encourage you? What are some practical ways you can hold fast to Him?
