August 02, 2025
The Book of Deuteronomy is the last book of the Pentateuch.
The title of the book in Hebrew, “D’varim,” simply means "Words.” We get Deuteronomy “The Second Law” or “Repeated Law,” from the Greek (Septuagint) and Latin (Vulgate) translations of the Bible.
Moses took the information found in Exodus-Leviticus-Numbers and encapsulates, into one volume, the love and faithfulness of God as well as the laws that will govern the nation of Israel.
God’s love and faithfulness was revealed in his full commitment to Israel. In response, the people were called to give God their unreserved love, loyalty and obedience. They would choose God BECAUSE He had already chosen them.
The influence of Deuteronomy on the rest of Scripture cannot be exaggerated:
• It is the book that will provide the standards by which Israel will judge itself.
• It is the book all future kings will be required to copy and keep with them, “so that he may learn to revere Yahweh his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.” (17:19-20)
• It is the book found discarded and neglected in the Temple during the time of King Josiah (2 Kings 22:8-23:3).
• It is the book that lays the foundation for the messages of the Prophets, including Isaiah and Jeremiah.
• It is the book Jesus will quote in his desert encounter with Satan (8:3; 6:16; 6:13).
• It is the book the Apostles will consider to be of most importance in their own teachings regarding God and His dealings with people.
From a literary point of view, the structure of the book reflects the well-known Suzerain-vassal treaty – a covenant made between a dominant and subordinate party – common in the Ancient Near East. This type of covenant included history, general and specific laws/regulations, divine witnesses and blessings/curses for obedience or disobedience.
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Moses was deeply concerned about this new generation of Israelites. He was keen that they understand their history and their unique relationship with God.
Moses’ primary intent was to motivate this new generation to remain faithful to God because he had always been faithful to them.
Why go to all this trouble? Because they were a forgetful group:
• Ellen White {PP 292-293} - God had promised to be their God, to take them to Himself as a people, and to lead them to a large and good land; but they were ready to faint at every obstacle encountered in the way to that land….. Had they possessed faith in Him, in view of all that He had wrought for them, they would cheerfully have borne inconvenience, privation, and even real suffering; but they were unwilling to trust the Lord any further than they could witness the continual evidences of His power. They forgot their bitter service in Egypt. They forgot the goodness and power of God displayed in their behalf in their deliverance from bondage. They forgot how their children had been spared when the destroying angel slew all the first-born of Egypt. They forgot the grand exhibition of divine power at the Red Sea. They forgot that while they had crossed safely in the path that had been opened for them… They saw and felt only their present inconveniences and trials; and instead of saying, "God has done great things for us” … they talked of the hardness of the way, and wondered when their weary pilgrimage would end.
It was also important that they understand – really understand – why they were where they were.
According to chapter 1:2 – it was just an 11-day journey from Mount Sinai (Horeb) to Kadesh Barnea – the place from which the now infamous recon mission into the Promised Land had been launched.
But for the stubborn distrust of their fathers, this generation of Israelites would have been enjoying the benefits of the Promised Land. Instead, 40 years later – after wandering around in circles – they were camped on the plains of Moab – preparing to enter the Land of Promise ---- again.
Speech #1:
While we were at Mt. Horeb, Yahweh said, “You have spent enough time here. It’s time to move. Go take possession of the land I swore to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob to give to their descendants.” We arrived at Kadesh and it seemed like a good idea to send spies into the land. Even though the report came back that it was, indeed, a good land, you refused to go in. Instead, you grumbled in your tents. I encouraged you and reminded you of God’s faithfulness, but you did not trust Yahweh, your God. When he heard this, he swore that not a man of this evil generation would enter the land. So, what did you do? You decided to go take the land, despite the fact that Yahweh told you he would not go with you. The Amorites came against you like a swarm of bees and defeated you. With that, we turned around and headed back down the road – the way we had come.
Eventually we were ordered to turn north and pass through the territory of Esau’s descendants – Yahweh was not going to give us that land.
Deuteronomy 2:7 – Yahweh, your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These 40 years Yahweh your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.
We travelled along the desert road of Moab and Yahweh told me not to harass the Moabites. He was not going to give us any part of their land – it belonged to the descendants of Lot.
38 years passed. All the previous generation was now dead.
Yahweh told me to leave the Ammonites alone. He would not be giving us their land either – it also belonged to the descendants of Lot.
From Kedemoth, messengers were sent to the Amorite King Sihon of Heshbon, requesting passage through his country.
King Sihon said “no” and brought his army out to meet us in battle. Yahweh delivered him into our hands…. He and his country were destroyed (see Genesis 15:16).
Next, we turned toward Bashan. King Og and his entire army came out to meet us. Yahweh told me not to be afraid of them because he had handed Og, his army and his land to us. We destroyed everything.
King Og was an interesting fellow. He was the only remaining descendent of the Rephaites. His bed was made of iron. It was 13 feet long and 6 feet wide ----- It’s at the museum in Rabbah.
All the territory we took at that time was given to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. The rest of Gilead and the country of Bashan was given the ½ tribe of Manasseh.
I was pleading with Yahweh to let me enter the land, but because of you Yahweh was angry with me and He finally said, "That’s enough. Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and look at the land with your own eyes - west and north and south and east. Since you are not going to cross the Jordan, commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see."
So, we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor.
Moses now turns from the past and begins to point the people’s minds to the future (ch. 4).
Before he gets deep into the laws, Moses reminded Israel that there are benefits to living obedient lives, “Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that Yahweh, the God of your fathers, is giving you.” Obedience was a high privilege – not a burden imposed on the people.
So special was this covenant relationship between God and Israel, that the surrounding nations would be envious, “for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way Yahweh our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?’”
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
One of the sticking points for Israel has been the pull of idol worship. The previous generation had called for the construction of the golden calf and not too long ago, the men of the new generation had been seduced into idol worship by the women of Moab and Midian.
At least 6 times in the past prohibitions regarding idol worship had been spoken to the people:
Exodus 20:3-5a - You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them…
Exodus 34:14 - Do not worship any other god,
Exodus 34:17 - Do not make cast idols.
Leviticus 19:4 - Do not turn to idols or make gods of cast metal for yourselves.
Leviticus 26:1 - Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God.
Numbers 33:51-52 - Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.
So, before he leaves them, Moses spent some time going through the issue again:
“You have never seen the form of Yahweh, so be very careful not to corrupt yourselves by making idols of any shape or form: male, female, birds, animals, fish, celestial objects – do not bow down and worship these things.”
“God brought you out of Egypt to be his people. I will not be going with you when you cross the Jordan and take possession of that good land, so be careful not to forget the covenant – do not make idols for yourselves for Yahweh your God is a consuming fire.”
“After you have lived in the land a long time – if you become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of Yahweh your God and provoking him to anger, I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day…. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. Yahweh will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which Yahweh will drive you. There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. But if from there you seek Yahweh your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to Yahweh your God and obey him. For Yahweh your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.”
“Acknowledge and take to heart this day that Yahweh is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land Yahweh your God gives you for all time.”
Before concluding this 1st speech, Moses set aside 3 Sanctuary Cities on the east side of the Jordan – Bezer for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites.
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Forgetfulness is a problem we all suffer from. We forget all too easily God’s faithfulness in our past, so we are quick to whine when things don’t go as expected in our present.
In Deuteronomy “Remember” is a verb. It is not a touching couch and scrap-book moment, but a call to obedience.
“Don’t forget --- Remember what I have done, remember what I have promised to do, remember what I have told you to do and then do what I have told you to do - obey. More than that, teach what I have taught you to your children and grandchildren.”
Revelation 3:3 – Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Until Next Time……………..
