This chapter is a kind of conclusion (epilogus) of all the previous exhortations about the first commandment. For he repeats and inculcates the benefits they received in Egypt and in the desert, and he promises that they shall receive the land and also benefits in the future, if they keep the commandments of God and serve no other gods. For this first commandment he has acted and practiced until now, therefore he is also so concerned about it that he commands to take it to heart, to bind it as a sign on the hands and before the eyes, and that the children should be taught, as he also did above [Cap. 6, 6. ff.], because in this commandment the children are to be taught.
In the first commandment, the whole concept and the fulfillment of all the following ones is contained. Thus, we see that Moses did not omit anything that would serve the understanding of the first commandment, as he treated everything abundantly that can promote faith and everything that hinders it. In the following he will treat the customs and the ceremonies of the works of this commandment.
But he also interpolates some promises, namely, that if they cling to the Lord, he will drive out the nations that are stronger than they are, likewise, all the lands on which they set foot will be theirs, likewise, that he says [v. 25], "No one will resist you.
and: "Your fear and terror the Lord your God will cause to come over the whole land into which you will enter"; then besides the promises also the curse. Yes, both at the same time, blessing and curse, he commands to be proclaimed on the mountains Grisim and Ebal, of which we will say later what all belongs to the last final speech. He also adds what the promised land is like, as a kind of promise, namely, that it is not like the land of Egypt, but the Lord takes special care of it, for His eyes look upon it from the beginning of the year until the end, so that He may hang them by faith in God, and they should know that rain will fall on this land if they believe, by the grace of God; but if they do not believe, there will be a lack of rain.
It is known that Egypt is not moistened by rain, but by the flooding of the Nile, which takes place annually in summer. This miracle of God has been disregarded because it happened so frequently, as it does with all other things. For by this Egypt has a wonderful difference against other countries. But this promised land has mountains and valleys, so it is not fertilized by the flood of a river, but by moistening rains from heaven, not that other lands are not also moistened and supplied in the same way, and the eyes of the Lord do not also take care of them from the beginning of the year to the end, as in this land, since He gives food to all flesh [Ps. 136, 25.], and, as it is said in the previous chapter [v. 18.], "giveth meat and raiment unto strangers," and "filleth the hearts of the children of men with meat and gladness," Apost. 14, 17. but that no people have a promise of God concerning this. God gives everything to everyone, but to this special people he also gives the word of promise that they should not live on bread alone, as other peoples do, but also on the word, and that they should not only care for their belly on earth, but much more also for their spirit, so that they would not think that the land was given to them to fatten themselves in it like pigs, and would not rather believe that they were fed by the word of God and received everything through the word of God, that is, that they served God. So not for the sake of the land itself.
but for the sake of the people who are in it, God cares for them and looks to them to rule them by faith in it, as it says elsewhere: He did not choose the people for the sake of the place, but the place for the sake of the people [Ex 20:24]. For he did not choose Abraham and his seed for the land which he had promised him, but chose the land for Abraham's sake, to give it to him.
But the land means the kingdom of Christ, which was previously possessed by ungodly devils and teachers and work drivers, but is freed from sins and errors by the word of the Gospel. In this land, we live by faith in such a way that we feel with a confident and trusting conscience that God will take care of us and keep the eyes of His grace open over us. After that it is fertilized with rain of heavenly teaching. For it is not by the work or word of man, as in Egypt, that the moistening waters are brought, but it is moistened by the speech of God alone from heaven 2c.
It is also said elsewhere about the early rain and the late rain that the early rain is the first rain, the late rain the following one, because thus there are happy seeds and all things the abundance, if after the rain comes clear weather and sun warmth, but after that, if the heat becomes strong, rain follows again. For constant rain spoils everything just as much as constant heat and warmth. So also the teaching must not only be practiced among the people, but also the work of faith must be practiced according to the teaching. But where the power is slackened by work and suffering, the heart must be raised up again, strengthened and comforted by the teaching. This is how man grows in the knowledge of God. Otherwise, if one only teaches and does nothing, it is just as if it rained constantly, so that everything would be choked and dried up. Again, if one does and suffers, and does not teach, it is just as if the heat were constantly burning, so that the power of the spirit would slacken and be extinguished. So both are necessary, early rain and late rain, namely teaching and admonishing, Rom. 12:7, 8: "If anyone teaches, let him wait for teaching; if anyone admonishes, let him wait for admonishing."