Before we consider the crucial points in the book of Deuteronomy, I would like to give a further word on Deuteronomy 30:11-14.
Verse 11 says, "This commandment which I am commanding you today, it is not too difficult for you, nor is it distant." Notice that this verse speaks not of the word but of the commandment.
Verses 12 and 13 continue, "It is not in heaven that you should say, Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us that we may hear it and do it? Nor is it across the sea that you should say, Who will go across the sea for us and bring it to us that we may hear it and do it?" The pronoun it in these verses refers to the commandment in verse 11. This commandment is the word which, as the breath, proceeds out of the mouth of God.
Verse 14 goes on to say, "But the word is very near to you, even in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it." This verse speaks not of the commandment but of the word.
If we read 30:11-14 without Paul's interpretation in Romans 10, we would not apply these verses to Christ as the Word, much less to Christ as the One who came down from the heavens in incarnation and who, after His death, came out of Hades in His resurrection. In order to have such an understanding of 30:11-14, we need to study Paul's quotation and interpretation of these verses in Romans 10:6-8.
Romans 10:6 says, "The righteousness which is out of faith speaks in this way, Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into heaven? That is, to bring Christ down." This is Paul's interpretation of Deuteronomy 30:12. Seemingly, 30:12 does not speak of bringing Christ down. However, if we consider this verse carefully, we will see that it does refer to Christ. We have pointed out that the "it" in verse 12 refers to the commandment in verse 11. What is the commandment of God? The commandment of God is the word. The Bible as a whole reveals that the word is Christ (John 1:1). Christ is the unique word in the universe; He is the real word. The speaking of any other word is a lie. In Paul's understanding, to bring it (the word) down is to bring Christ down. According to his view of the deeper denotation of Deuteronomy 30:12, the "it" in this verse denotes the word, the word is the word of God, and the word of God is Christ. Hence, to bring the word down is to bring Christ down.