Discovering Christ In Deuteronomy

Septuagint (The LXX)

- Translated OT Hebrew to Greek

- Called the first 5 OT books the Pentateuch

- From pentad = five & teuchos = tool (The five tools)

De. Calls us to remember who God is & what he has done

Horton Hears A Who --- VIDEO Clip

One day, Horton the elephant hears a cry from help coming from a speck of dust. Even though he can’t see anyone on the speck, he decides to help it. As it turns out, the speck of dust is home to the Whos, who live in their city of Whoville. Horton agrees to help protect the Whos and their home, but this gives him nothing but torment from his neighbors, who refuse to believe that anything could survive on the speck. Still, Horton stands by the motto that, "After all, a person is a person, no matter how small."

There is the kernel of gospel. A person’s a person, no matter how small. Here we find crucial element is God’s scheme of things. It is a basic idea in God’s kingdom. A person’s a person, no matter how small.

- “Deuteronomy” in Heb. Means “The Words”

- From De. 1:1 “These be the words…”

- “Deuteronomy” in Gk means “second law.”

- Coming out of De. 17:18 … a copy of this law

- Written during the very last month of Israel’s wandering

- Begins with a word about Moses (Deut. 1:1-5)

- Ends with the description of his death (Deut. 34:1-10).

Keys

Key thought of Deuteronomy – “obedience”

- Key Word = “Lord your God” 279x Command* 127x

- Dr. Bob Jones, Jr.: God chooses the temperature of your heart with the thermometer of obedience

- Jesus quoted from De. more than any other OT book (at least 14x)

- Example: In His temptation in wilderness - 8:3, 6:16; 6:13-14

- When asked which is the first/greatest command – Mt 22:37, Mk 12:30, Lk 10:27

-De.6:4-5; 10:12

Moses gives 3 Sermons

De. 1-4  Looking Back – Review of 40 yr.

• Spies sent – 1:19-41

• Wanderings & Defeat of Sihon the Amorite, king – ch 2

• Defeat of Og, Land division, Moses forbidden to enter – ch 3

• Obedience Commanded, Love the Lord – ch 4

De.5-26  Looking Up – What God Expects (Review of the Law)

• Commandments, feasts

De. 27-34  Looking Ahead – What God Will Do

• Blessings & Curse

Why Was The Law Given?

• Those living when the law was first given now have died

o Their children needed to be reminded of God’s ways

• To reveal our sin

o Romans 7:7 (AV)

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

• To Bring us to Christ

o We cannot keep the law

o Rom. 3:19-26

The Law of God?

- The Law shows us how holy God is - more clearly through the life of Christ.

- The Law shows us the horror of sin - more clearly at the cross of Christ.

- The Law warns of judgment for disobedience - more clearly of Christ suffering at Calvary.

- The Law points to forgiveness and reconciliation with God - more clearly of Christ's death and resurrection.

22:9-11 Some symbolic meanings - Mixture Forbidden

- Three laws are given back to back that are so different, yet strangely identical. God is saying not to mix things.

- God hates mixture, and wants us to avoid it even in insignificant ways.

- Little compromises always end up leading to worse compromises.

- Does God really care if you plow with an ox and a donkey together?

- They are unequally yoked. 2Cor. 6:14-16

- God hates it when a believer yokes together with an unbeliever

- Does God really care when a garment is made of two materials? - He hates it when people bless and curse with the same mouth.

James 3:9-10

- Does God really care about breeding two kinds of cattle?

- He hates it when people combine Christianity with paganism:

- God hates it when people attempt to pursue Him and money simultaneously:

- Our lives to be marked by holiness and oneness, not mixture.

De. Calls us to remember who God is & what he has done

Deuteronomy 6:4 (AV)

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

- God doesn’t share his god-ness with anyone

- How are you doing with that?