Right to Choose:Deuteronomy 30:15-20

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants” (Deuteronomy 30:19, NASB).

On January 22, 1973 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in the case Roe v. Wade that a woman has the constitutional right to have an abortion. Almost fifty years later on June 24, 2022 the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. The court ruled that the federal government could not give women the right to have an abortion in all fifty states. The decision would be left up to each state. Some states already had laws against abortion, but until now they were unable to enforce these laws because of the protection by Roe v. Wade.

The court’s ruling led to a louder outcry for women’s right to abortion on the basis that a woman has the right to choose how she manages her health care, and particularly her right to control her own body. However, opposers of this view hold that the government should hold women who abort their child accountable for murder since she has ended the life of a living yet unprotected fetus in the womb. The purpose of this article is not to argue abortion rights one way or the other. Rather, I want to pick up on the idea that a woman has the right to choose for herself what she wants to do. Further, I ask, does God give any person the right to choose for themselves what they will do with their life? Thus, this article will look to the scriptures for an answer to the question; does a person have the right to choose?

The primary scripture that this article focuses upon is Deuteronomy 30:15-20. Then we will look at other passages of scripture to find out if they support what is said in the Deuteronomy text. The Book of Deuteronomy records the events that take place in the land of Moab just before the Israelites enter into the Promised Land to take possession of the inheritance that the Lord God was giving to them. Their leader, Moses, recounts the events that had taken place in their lives for the past forty years of their wandering in the wilderness. Moses gives them the laws that they are to live by when they enter into the land. He tells them that God promises blessings if they obey Him (Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and consequences if they disobey the Lord. The people will be cursed and all that they have will be cursed (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). One will notice that it takes only fourteen verses to record the promise. It takes fifty-three verses to give detailed descriptions of the curses.

In chapter 29 Moses calls the people together. He tells them their history from their years in Egypt as slaves. God sends Moses to lead them out of bondage so that they can go to the land that the Lord promised their forefathers that He would give to their descendants. The Lord had protected them and provided for all their needs as they wandered in the wilderness. Moses warns the people that the Lord will punish them if they forsake the law and turn to worshiping other gods. God would send them to foreign lands to live as exiles. However, if the people repent and return to the Lord He will bring them back home to the land that He has given to them. In all these warnings and words of encouragement Moses tell the people that they have a right to choose how they will live their lives. Further, they not only have the right to choose; they have the responsibility to choose. If they choose to obey the covenant that the Lord gives to them they will be blessed. If they choose to disobey the covenant, the consequences will be the curses. God offers a covenant, but it is their responsibility to choose. We now look at other scripture passages that show us that we have the right to choose, and the Lord holds us responsible for the choices that we make.

Our first event takes place in the garden when the Lord God created the first man and woman. In Genesis 2:15-17 the Lord places the man in the garden. The garden has many trees with fruit on them. The Lord makes it possible for the man to eat fruit from every tree in the garden. The Lord gives the man free access to all the trees, but the Lord gives the man one restriction. “The LORD God commanded the man saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die. Do you think that the tree had poisonous fruit? I think not. If man was created in the image and the likeness of God he had to have the freedom to choose. Like God, he would have to live with the consequences of his choice. God created the world by the power of His word. He created in stages called days in Genesis 1. At the end of each day God was satisfied with the results. He called it good (See Genesis 1:25). In the same manner the man had to choose whether or not he would use his right to choose in a way to obey the Lord or disobey Him.

The story of the prodigal son found in Luke 15 is a story about a young man that exercised his right to choose. This young son chose to ignore the traditions of his people. Instead of waiting to receive his inheritance after his father had died, he demands his inheritance now. The father sadly gives his son his inheritance. The son leaves home and waste away all that he has. At last he lives among the swine broke and hungry. As the son is starving for food he thinks about his father. His father is a good man. His father has always been a good father. He will go home and admit that he has made a bad choice. He knows that his father has the right to choose. His father owes him nothing, but maybe his father will let him be a servant. The father too has the right to choose. He sees his son coming down the road towards home. The father forgets his dignity. He chooses to love his son and welcome him home. The father’s blessing is that he had regained his son.

The story of the rich young ruler is recorded in all three synoptic gospels (Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-21-29; Luke 18:18-30). The young man asks Jesus what he needs to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells the young man to keep the commandments. The young man feels good about himself and his chances of gaining eternal lift because he has kept the commandments from his youth. Then, Jesus tells the young man to sell his goods, give the money to the poor, and follow Him. The young man exercises his right to choose. He walks away from eternal life because he loves his money. Jesus allows the man to exercise his right to choose. Jesus lets the young man walk away. Jesus uses this event to teach his disciples that their right to choose is often a difficult choice to make.

The gospel of John records several events that challenge us to exercise our right to choose. In each story the person must choose what they will do. Each has its consequences; blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. In chapter 3 Jesus has a conversation with a prominent Pharisee named Nicodemus about eternal life. He must be born of the Spirit. It is Nicodemus’ choice. He can believe Jesus and gain eternal life. He can refuse to believe and remain in the condemnation that every person lives under because of their sins (John 3:16-18). The second story (John 5:5-9) is about a man who has lain on a pallet for thirty-eight years. Jesus sees the man and offers him a chance to walk. The man must choose. He can remain on the pallet and continue to wait for someone to help him to get in the pool. He can believe Jesus; obey His command to stand up and walk. Again, we see that we have the right to choose. We have the responsibility to choose. There are consequences based on our choices.

Finally, in Revelation 22 John describes the new life in the new heaven and new earth. He tells about the river and the Tree of Life that sustains eternal life. Those who have made the right choice will have eternal life with God. The angel tells John that everyone must choose. John is not to interfere with their choices. The angel says to John: “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy” (Revelation 22:11, NASB). Regardless, we will receive the consequences. “Behold I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done” (v. 13).

We can see that the words of Moses to the children of Israel are principles that every person and every community are to live by in every generation. Thus, we should focus less on our right to choose. Instead, we should focus on whether or not what we choose will bring blessings from the Lord of a curse from the Lord. Yes, we have the right to choose. Be careful that you choose to do the things that obey the commands of the Lord.