Mark Braun in the Deuteronomy People's Bible offers a helpful perspective on recent days' readings about God's giving of his law to the Israelites as well as his promise of blessings or curses depending on whether they kept or rejected the law:
"If one were to read this and other sections of Deuteronomy only superficially, he might mistakenly conclude, 'There must have been a different way to enter God's family before the time of Christ than after Christ came.' One might even suppose, 'The Old Testament is a law book, while the New Testament in a gospel book.' Such views distort the true nature of Israel's relationship with their Lord. In pure grace he chose Israel and initiated the covenant at Sinai; Israel gratefully accepted that covenant. The Lord's covenant gave Israel a view of who they were and what he wanted them to do. To disobey the Lord was to reject the very source of their being; to forsake him was to cut themselves off from life itself. That's why Moses described the decision to obey or disobey God as a choice of life or death (30:15-20). John the Baptizer urged his listeners, 'Produce fruit in keeping with repentance' (Matthew 3:8), and Paul urged the Ephesians: 'Live a life worthy of the calling you have received' (4:1)."
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