Introduction

When the Book of Numbers ends, the Israelites have come to the border of Canaan, and there is now a pause in the action of the Book of Deuteronomy. The book consists of four speeches by Moses, which we can also see as one long speech that he gives just before they are to enter the land. He repeats much of the law that has been given from Exodus to Numbers for the new generation that has grown up in the desert. Deuteronomy is a covenant document because this second generation must renew the covenant God made with their parents in Exodus.

Although many of the laws are repeated, more justification is often given for them here than before, and thus we see more of God’s heart behind the law. We also see that He is still faithful, even though the first generation was not. Moses encourages the new generation to keep the law after they enter the land (e.g., 30:19-20). He speaks to them as if they were personally present at Mount Sinai (always called “Horeb” in Deuteronomy) when the previous generation received the law. He does this because it is the same people, and they envisioned that all later generations were, in a sense, present when the law was given. This is how the covenant is kept alive in every generation.

Some recurring expressions:

“The land he promised on oath to our ancestors” (v. 6:23) or similar expressions are often mentioned, as the next step is precisely for them to enter and obtain this land.

“The place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name” (v. 14:23) is also repeated several times. The Tabernacle was not to be mobile forever but was to stand in one place. Eventually, this became Jerusalem, but before that it stayed long in Shiloh, where it is set up in the Book of Judges.

Jesus in Deuteronomy:

The “prophet” (18:15-19): John 6:14, Acts 3:22-26 and Matthew 17:5.

21:22-23: “Anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse” → Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (Gal 3:13).

30:11-14 in Rom 10:6-9: Faith in Jesus includes keeping the law since Jesus fulfilled it.

Said about Deuteronomy

“Moses has reached the plains of Moab, knowing that he cannot follow the desert pilgrims into Canaan. The words preserved in this book represent his last opportunity to preach the word of God before the people move on to their new land. He has important teachings to share, and Deuteronomy is not strictly a law book. It is a collection of well-constructed, brilliantly illustrated speeches, based on the message originally given by God to Moses shortly after he left Egypt.” Raymond Brown

“…a book worthy to be read in, day and night, and never to be out of hand, for it is the most excellent of all the books of Moses. It is… a preaching of faith and love… love to God by faith, and love to a man’s neighbor by love to God.” William Tyndale

Why should we bother with Deuteronomy?

• It contains the words of God conveyed by Moses (1:3, 4:5, 10:1-5). It reminds us of the character, authority, and importance of God’s word.
• We need it for our image of God, especially to understand God’s greatness, holiness, and glory.
• It talks about things that are still relevant: honesty in business, how to order society, hygiene, marriage, ecological sustainability, the weak and poor, human rights, equality, injustice, security in the home, animal welfare, and the occult. This is not irrelevant because we live in the new covenant but is God’s good will.
• Jesus uses Deuteronomy about 20 times in the Gospels. He quotes 6:4-5 in Matt. 22:37-38 and calls this the greatest and first commandment.
• The authors of the NT also believed it was important; it is one of the four most quoted books. It is cited in 17 of the books in the New Testament.

Looking back

Genesis 1-4. Understandable from what has happened

Connector

Deuteronomy

Looking ahead

The basis for understanding what is going to happen

Ex. 1: Kings were to abide by the royal law (ch. 17)

Ex. 2: The prophets refer to the covenant curses (chs. 27-28)

Author

• The book itself claims to contain the words of Moses as speaker (1:1–5; 4:1, 44–46; 5:1; 29:1–2) and writer (31:9, 24–26).
• Moses mentions things he remembers personally (1:9–18; 9:22, 25–29; 10:1–6; 24:9).
• Several suggestions for dating: Moses’ time, the time of the judges, under Samuel or late kingship.
• Moses is clearly responsible for the content, but some details and passages were added later, perhaps during the exile in the 6^th century. (Traditional view for the Pentateuch).

Themes

1. God’s faithfulness in rescuing them out of Egypt (25x)

• He did not choose them because they were greater than other people (7:7), but because He loves them (4:37, 7:8, 7:13, 10:15, 23:5, 33:3).
• They have been hard, lawless, and sinful (9:27), but God has been faithful because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

2. Commandment to love the Lord (12x)

• He primarily wants them to love him (6:5-6, 10:12-13) because he loved them first (10:21-11:1).
• Other gods neither cared for the love of their worshippers nor entered into covenant relationships with them.
• Much focus on surrender: seek/love/serve/keep/turn “with all your heart and all your soul” (9x)
• seek (4:29), love (6:5, 13:3, 30:6), serve (10:12,11:13), keep the law (26:16), turn (30:2, 10)
• Visible objects such as idols (4:15-18, 28) and heavenly bodies (4:19), or invisible spirits (32:17).

3. Prohibition of idolatry (approx. 50x)

• There are no other gods (4:35,39, 32:39)
• If they love him with all their hearts, there will be no room for these.
• Spirits are not gods (32:17, 21)
• Cast bronze figurine representing the god Baal, from Tel Megiddo, dated to the mid-2^nd millennium BC.

4. Call to keep the law (about 40x)

What does it mean to love the Lord? First and foremost, to keep the law and thus walk in His ways (10:12-13, 11:1, 13, 22, 19:9, 30:16).

5. The Land (141x)

• If they keep the law, they will both enter the land and live long there.
• The law is for their good (6:2-3, 8:18, 10:12-13, 11:8, 30:9, 32:47). If they keep the law, it will go well for them in the land and they will be blessed (49x).
• He gives them a good law because he loves them.

If they remember what God has done because of his love for them, and therefore love him and keep the law, they will be able to take possession of the land, live long in it, and be blessed.

Structure

	Speaker	Covenant document
1:1-5	Introduction: Setting	Introduction
1:6 – 4:49	1st talk: What God has done	Historical prologue
Chapters 5-11	2nd speech: Summary and explanation of the law	The Pact general provisions The Pact specific provisions
Chapter 27-28	3rd speech: Blessings and curses	Keeping the Covenant Blessings and Curses Document
Chapters 29-30	4th speech: Covenant renewal	Summary
Chapters 31-33	5th speech: Farewell words	Witnesses
Chapter 34	Ending: Moses dies	Termination

Reflection

God has saved them and asks them to love him by keeping the law and staying away from idols, then they will be well in the land.

a) How do you think it would feel to be this new generation on the border of the promised land and hear this?

b) What is similar and what is different compared to our relationship with God?

First discourse (chapters 1-4): What God has done

The intro – a chiasmus (1:1-5)

“These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—that is, in the Arabah—opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.) In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them [several generations at once: the listeners + all later readers since Israel can always be addressed as you/you (e.g. 5:2-3, 9:7)]. This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab, Moses began to expound [more than read] this law” [Not just repetition, but also updating and reapplication]

Historical review

Chapter 1: The departure from Sinai (Numbers 10), the Exodus and the apostasy (Numbers 13-14).

Chapters 2-3: 40 years later and with the next generation the conquest began with victory over the Amorite kings Sihon and Og on the east side of the Jordan (Numbers 21). These kings are also mentioned towards the end of the book and further in Joshua and other books. (Sihon 31x, Og 22x).

Chapter 4: The final apostasy (Numbers 25), and warning of expulsion if they turn to other gods. But if that happens, a remnant will return if they repent.

Purpose of the speech: To remind them of when they met God at Sinai and became His people, that He is already giving them victories because He loves them, and that their response must be to keep His law.

A reflection of God’s grace toward them thus far. This is the context and motivation for keeping the law he gives them.

Fighting in the country? (for those particularly interested)

Numbers 13:33 says the Anakites are among the Nephilim (“giants” after “giants ” in LXX, more lit. “the fallen ones”). The reference in Genesis 6:4 seems to be just a time reference. They are not the offspring of angels and humans since they were there before too.

2:10-11, 20-21: The Anakites, Emites, and Zamzummites are all counted among the Rephaites.

“Rephaite” also means spirit/ghost/death/shadow. Perhaps because they were so notorious that they “lived on” after their death, or just a linguistic coincidence. They are listed among other common peoples in, for example, Genesis 15:20.

3:11-13: King Og was also a giant. But beds were used for more than sleeping, and may also have been a status symbol.

My conclusion:

The Anakites were tall, but not supernatural giants descended from fallen angels. Nephilim seems to be a term for legendary, powerful warriors (as they are also called in Genesis 6:4). This also solves the problem of the “Nephilim” surviving the flood. A supernatural conclusion is too much speculation.

The point: God has defeated “giants” before, so they don’t need to be afraid of descendants of Anak in the land.

“because of you”? (1:37, 3:26 and 4:21)

• Because of Numbers 20:7-13, 24. Also mentioned as the reason in Deuteronomy 32:51.
• Because they provoked him?
• Psalm 106:32-33 also places some of the blame on the people: “By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord, and trouble came to Moses because of them; for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses’ lips.”
• Moses is responsible for his actions, but it happened because the people were difficult.

Second speech (chapters 5-26): Summary and explanation of the law

Part 1: The Great Exhortation (Ch. 5-11)

• Begins (as in Exodus 20) with the Ten Commandments as the headings of the law (ch. 5)
• Shema (“hear”) — the creed (6:4-5). The word is used 91 times and often implies obedience (as in 11:13, 27-28). “Active listening” (obedience) is a “love language” in this book.
• They are not chosen because of who they are, but only because He loves them. (7:7-8, 10:15)
• The law must be passed on in the family (4:9-10, 6:6-7, 20-25, 11:19)
• They must not forget God (6:10-12, 8:11-14, 17-18)
• They must not be like their parents (9:7 – 10:11)
• All God requires: Fear – walk – love – serve – keep. (10:12-13, an elaboration of 6:5)

Purpose of the speech: To remind them that they are chosen only by God’s grace because He loves them, even though they have been rebellious and defiant, and to emphasize that God primarily wants them to love Him back by keeping the law that comes in part 2 of this speech.

Shema (6:4-5)

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

“The Lord is one” implies:

1. “Exclusivity”: The Lord alone is to be worshiped (5:7-10) (monolatry)

2. “Oneness”: The Lord is the only God (4:35) (monotheism) (Possible translation: “The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.”)

3. “Wholeness”: The Lord is consistent with Himself (Num. 23:19) (consistent)

Heart – soul – power:

• The inner man — life/life force — capacity/abilities.
• “Power” becomes mind and strength in the NT (Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27)
• Describes a wholehearted and complete surrender of all that we are: Emotions, personality, beliefs, will, intellect, intelligence, reason, abilities, resources, choices, etc.
• To let God be Lord of all that we are. He wants all of us, and this surrender is the foundation for, and more important than, everything else.

Reflection (Chapters 1-11)

1. What does it look like when you love God with (and let Jesus be Lord over) your feelings, your beliefs, your will, your abilities, your resources, the choices you make, etc.? Why do you think Jesus calls this “the first and greatest commandment” ? (Matthew 22:37-38)

2. When is it easiest for you to forget God? What can be done to prevent this from happening?

Part 2: The regulations and laws (chapters 12-26)

12-18: How to love God

12: The place of worship — “the place the Lord your God will choose to place his name there” (21x)

13: Punishment for idolatry. God’s written law trumps prophecies/signs/wonders/family if they entice people to worship other gods.

14: Clean and unclean animals and the tithe. A constant reminder to be “separate” from other people (holy).

15: Just social order. On the forgiveness of debts, aid to the poor, and treatment of slaves.

16: The feasts. Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

17-18: More about idolatry, about priests, prophets and the royal law, and about spiritism.

19-26: How to love your neighbor

19: Cities of Refuge (for Involuntary Manslaughter) and Witness Testimony.

20: War. Exemptions and procedures (including offers of peace and sustainable development).

21: Unsolved murders, prisoners of war, inheritance rights and rebellious sons.

22: Adultery, rape and various laws.

23: Holiness, Interest, and Promises.

24: Marriage, Divorce, and Laws of Justice.

25: In-law marriage and various laws.

26: Firstfruits and Tithes.

25:11-12

“In Oxyrhynchos in Egypt, 1/3 of infants died in their first year, half before they were 5, up to 1/3 lost their father before puberty, over half before they were 25. The average 10-year-old had a 50% chance of having any grandparents alive. The colossal mortality placed a high reproductive pressure on both women and men. Reproductive capacity was of the utmost importance for maintaining the population.” Paul Kriwaczek, Babylon (the quote has been translated)

Assyrian laws later stated that one finger should be cut off if a woman crushed a man’s testicle in a fight. But if both testicles had been injured, both of her eyes should be gouged out.

Ch. 12: The place of the Lord’s dwelling

Activities at the site:

• Sacrifices (vv. 6, 11, 14a, 27)
• Keeping a meal (v. 7) and eating the tithe (v. 18)
• Rejoice before the Lord (v. 18)

Activities mentioned elsewhere:

• Seek the face of the Lord (31:11)
• Hearing the Law being read (31:11)
• Learning to fear God (14:23)
• Celebrating Holidays (Chapter 16)
• Resolving difficult legal disputes (17:8-13)
• Bringing a thank offering of the firstfruits (26:1-11)

The tabernacle was first set up in Gibeon (Joshua 9:27), then in Shiloh (Joshua 18:1), and finally in Jerusalem.

“The Law of the King” (17:14-20)

“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites 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.”

1. An Israelite

2. Don’t acquire many horses and have contact with Egypt

3. Don’t take many wives

4. Don’t collect silver and gold in large quantities

5. Should have his own copy of the law, read it all his life, hold fast to every word and live by them – so he learns to fear God, and not set himself higher than his countrymen.

In other cultures, kings had all the power and could not be judged by any law. This royal law is unique in the ancient world.

A new Moses (18:15-19)

God will speak through a new prophet like Moses because the people cannot bear to hear God directly.

Jesus is the Prophet (John 1:21) who represents God perfectly, but who came as a man so that we could endure hearing God. (Acts 3:22-26; Matthew 17:5, John 12:47-50).

The same connection between hearing and living is found both in Deuteronomy (e.g., 4:1, 5:27) and in Jesus (John 5:24-25 and 6:63).

“The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him. And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.” The Covenant Terms Summarized (26:16-19)

Reflection (Chapters 12-26)

1. What impression do you have of these laws? Do you understand how they were for the good of Israel? What, if any, is difficult?

2. Moses spoke God’s word to Israel because they could not bear to hear God directly, and God Himself came as a man in Jesus so that we could bear to hear Him and thus live. What does this connection to Deuteronomy tell you about the importance of listening to Jesus?

Third speech (chapters 27-28) Blessings and curses

About individuals—based on the Ten Commandments (27:15-25)

12 curses because of:	The Ten Commandments
v. 15: Makes an idol	You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
v. 16: Dishonors one’s father or mother	You shall honor your father and your mother.
v. 17: Move boundary stones	You shall not steal.
v. 18: Leading the blind astray v. 19: Withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.	You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
v. 20-23: Sleeping with one’s father’s wife, animal, sister, or mother-in-law.	You shall not commit adultery.
v. 24: Kills a neighbor v. 25: Kill an innocent person for bribes	You shall not murder.
v. 26: Do not keep the law	All

Chapter 28

Curse	Plague in Egypt
“The Lord will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured.” (v. 27, see also v. 35)	Disease, plague, and boils (Exodus 9:9)
“Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will eat none of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken from you and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue them.” (v. 31)	Death of livestock (Exodus 9)
“Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand. A people that you do not know will eat what your land and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel oppression all your days.” (vv. 32-33)	Oppression (Exodus 1-2)
“You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it.” (v. 38)	Grasshopper (Exodus 10:1-20)
“You will have sons and daughters but you will not keep them, because they will go into captivity.” (v. 41)	Loss of offspring (Exodus 12:29-33)

Third speech (chapters 27-28) Blessings and curses

The curses will serve as a sign (28:46) that they have strayed from God. Being carried away from the land by an enemy will be the final and greatest consequence. Chapter 28 becomes especially important for understanding the prophetic books.

Purpose of the speech: Motivate them to keep the law by pointing out how good life will be if they do and how bad it can be if they don’t (and how this is meant to wake them up)

Important!

1. Both the blessings and the curses are part of the covenant Israel made with God and are not part of the new covenant. We cannot lift them out of this context and expect God to bless us materially if we have much faith and are “good Christians,” or be afraid that He will curse us if we are not.

2. God will never curse us because “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.’” (Gal. 3:13, Deut. 21:23)

3. God has already “blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3)

Fourth sermon (chapters 29-30): Covenant renewal

The covenant is renewed because it applies to this and later generations as much as to the parents who were present at Mount Sinai (29:1, 14-15).

29:22 – 30:5: A description of the land after the covenant curses have struck it and of how God will gather them again if they repent. (exile and return)

30:6 – After this conversion (in exile) God will circumcise their hearts. This is the only way they will be able to keep the covenant. Prophets in the exile period look forward to this (Jer 31:31-34, Ezek 36:24-27), which came with Jesus (Col 2:11, Phil 3:3).

30:11-14

• They have had the commandments read, explained, and written down.
• Paul uses v. 14 to refer to “the message concerning faith that we proclaim” — because “Christ is the culmination of the law” (Rom. 10:4-9). Everything in the OT is ultimately about Jesus, who both fulfilled the law and kept it for both Israel and us (Matt. 5:17, Rom. 8:4).
• Salvation is so available to us that all that is needed is to believe and confess (Romans 10:9)
• The Covenant Renewal → a new covenant

Ending:

“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 30:19-20

The law is life and blessing.

Purpose of the speech: To get this generation to choose life and good (the law), and to motivate later generations of readers to do the same.

Fifth speech (chapters 31-33): Moses’ farewell words

Chapter 31: Joshua is appointed as leader

The Lord will continue to be with them through Joshua (vv. 3, 6-8, 23)

God and Moses know that they will break the law after Moses is dead (vv. 20-21, 29)

Chapter 32: Moses’ Farewell Song

A warning about idolatry, but also about God’s goodness if they repent.

Chapter 33: Moses blesses the people

Moses’ last words are a blessing over the tribes of Israel (→ Genesis 49)

Purpose of the speech: To provide reassurance that Joshua will take over, to teach them a song as a warning against idolatry, and to bless them.

Conclusion (ch. 34): Moses dies

“There arose not again a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. Remember all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to do in Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, and the mighty hand, and all the great and terrible deeds which Moses did in the sight of all Israel.” 34:10-12

What does Deuteronomy say about the character of God?

God wants our undivided love.

4:24 — “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

He is merciful, faithful, and trustworthy.

4:31 — “For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.“

He shows love and punishes hatred.

7:9-10 — “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. But those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction; he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him.”

He is big and inspires fear.

7:21 —  “Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God.”

He is powerful and terrifying, impartial, incorruptible, doing justice to and loving the weak.

10:17-18 — “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.”

He always does what is right and is without deceit.

32:4 — “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”

Jesus in Deuteronomy

Highlights and fulfillments at the end of the book.

• There is a longing for a new Moses (18:15-19) who will come and stand as close to God and do as great things as Moses has done.
• Jesus came as a man so that we could endure hearing God and live if we listen to what he said.
• Moses dies outside the land because of the people’s sin (1:37, 3:26, 4:21).
• Jesus dies outside the city for the people’s sins
• Joshua is filled with the spirit of wisdom (34:9) and will carry on the legacy of Moses and take them into the land.
• Joshua is the same name as Jesus. The new Joshua takes us into the real promised land. (Heb 4)

“…a careful study of Deuteronomy will pay off many times over as the New Testament testifies again and again to the relevance of Deuteronomy to our lives today.” David Broderick

Application of Deuteronomy as the Word of God

As followers of Jesus, we must follow our Master in his view of the Bible. He called Deuteronomy and the rest of the Old Testament “the word of God” (which the Old Testament itself says it is), and he gave the apostles (including Paul) authority to apply the message to new situations. Deuteronomy encourages us to trust that God knows best and that his will is good for us — also for future generations. This inspires us to hold on to, for example, the Bible’s ethics of marriage, even though it is in tough times at the moment. It comes out of God’s good will in the Old Testament and how it is explained in the New Testament.

Reflection

1. Grace is always the context of salvation and the motivation for living according to God’s will, and it “teaches us” to live godly lives (Titus 2:12). Is it God’s grace that motivates you to live according to His will? In what way, or why not?

2. Moses spoke God’s word to Israel because they could not bear to hear God directly, and God Himself came as a man in Jesus so that we could bear to hear Him and thus live. What does this connection to Deuteronomy tell you about the importance of listening to Jesus?