A SURVEY OF THE BIBLE
(“The Book of Deuteronomy”) (I)
Deuteronomy 1:1-5; 11:26-28; 28:1-14, 20-37 (NASU)
1“These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordan in the wilderness … 3In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the children of Israel, according to all that the Lord had commanded him to give to them … 5Across the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to expound this law …”
(Deuteronomy 1:1, 3, 5)
26“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today; 28and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
(1) Tonight we are taking our first look at the Book of Deuteronomy – which is the fifth and last book of that opening section of the Old Testament known as the Pentateuch.
(2) The English title “Deuteronomy” means “second law” – and is apparently based on an ancient mistranslation of a phrase found in chapter seventeen, verse eighteen, which used to read (something like this): “(in the future) when (your king) sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a second law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.” That mistaken translation was later corrected, so that it now reads, the king “shall write for himself a copy of the law” (c.f. Deuteronomy 17:18).
This misnomer, however, has left some people with the impression that the Book of Deuteronomy contains a “second set of laws” given to the people of Israel by Moses – when in fact, it’s primarily a repetition (and occasionally an elaboration) of laws already given in previous books of the Pentateuch.1
One of the most notable (and obvious) examples would be the repetition of God’s Ten Commandments, first found in Exodus chapter twenty, but restated in Deuteronomy chapter five (c.f. Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21).
(3) It should be noted that this repetition of God’s laws (along with a review of Israel’s history over the past forty years) was originally for the benefit of a new generation of Israelites – many of whom were not alive four decades earlier, when these laws were first given at Mount Sinai.3 Hence, chapter one, verse three says: “In the fortieth year (i.e. the fortieth year after the Exodus from Egypt), (“In the fortieth year”) on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the children of Israel, according to all that the Lord had commanded him to give to them” (c.f. Deuteronomy 1:3) – while verse five adds that, “Moses undertook to expound this law” (c.f. Deuteronomy 1:5).
(4) Moses not only spoke most of the words found in the Book of Deuteronomy, he is also traditionally thought to have written the book – with the exception of the record of his death in the last chapter, which would have had to have been written by someone else – like Joshua, for example (c.f. Deuteronomy 34:1-12).
One piece of internal evidence for Moses’ authorship is found in chapter thirty-one, verse nine, which says: “So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests … and to all the elders of Israel” (c.f. Deuteronomy 31:9) – and then, starting in verse twenty-four, we’re told that: 24“when Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book (he gave it to the Levites to place beside the ark of the covenant)” (c.f. Deuteronomy 31:24-26).
(We dealt with other reasons for believing Moses is the author of all five books of the Pentateuch in an earlier message3 – so we will not repeat any of that here tonight.)
(5) The Book of Numbers ended with the sons of Israel camped in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River, opposite the Canaanite city of Jericho (c.f. Numbers 36:13). In other words, after forty years in the wilderness, a new generation of God’s covenant people is once again on the edge of the land of promise.
The Book of Deuteronomy opens (according to chapter one, verse one) with the Israelites camped “across the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel and Laban and Hazeroth and Dizahab” (c.f. Deuteronomy 1:1). In other words (to make this very simple), the people are still camped in the same general area – i.e. on or near the plains of Moab4 (see Deuteronomy 34:1), where they are making preparations to begin taking possession of the Land of Canaan.
(6) Time wise, then, less than six months have passed between the end of Numbers and the start of Deuteronomy (compare Numbers 33:38 and Deuteronomy 1:3). Nor does it appear that the Book of Deuteronomy advances the historical time-line very far – perhaps only a month or two5 – beginning with one of Moses’ last discourses to the people of Israel (c.f. Deuteronomy 1:3-5), and ending with the record of his death (c.f. Deuteronomy 34:5-6).
Deuteronomy also ends with Joshua taking up the reins of leadership after Moses died (c.f. Deuteronomy 34:9) – which, of course, makes a perfect segue-way into the next book of the Old Testament, which is the Book of Joshua (c.f. Joshua 1:1-2).
(7) Finally, by way of introduction, it should be noted that much of the content of the Book of Deuteronomy appears to involve a renewal of the covenant God made with His people at Mount Sinai6 – only now this covenant is being renewed with a second generation of Israelites. Hence, in chapter four, verse twenty-three, Moses warns the people to: “watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you …” (c.f. Deuteronomy 4:23) – while in chapter five, starting at verse two, he says: 2“The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb (which is another name for Mount Sinai). 3The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers (which is a reference to the patriarchs, not the previous generation of Israelites)7 (“The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers”), but with us, (even) with all those of us alive here today” (c.f. Deuteronomy 5:2-3).
(8) Because God is renewing His covenant with Israel – and because the previous generation broke that covenant almost as quickly as God made it with them – (therefore) we find a great deal of emphasis being placed on obedience. Hence, at one point (in chapter eleven, starting at verse twenty-six) Moses says: 26“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today; 28and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way … I am commanding you today …” (c.f. Deuteronomy 11:26-28). Later, in chapter twenty-seven, starting at verse nine, he says: 9“Be silent and listen, O Israel! This day you have become a people for the Lord your God. 10You shall therefore obey the Lord your God, and do His commandments and His statutes which I command you today” (c.f. Deuteronomy 27:9-10). (This theme of obedience is a recurring one throughout the entire book.)
A GENERAL OUTLINE AND OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
(1) We turn, then, to a general outline and overview of the Book of Deuteronomy – starting with the fact that the first five verses of chapter one serve as a brief introduction, that gives us the basic historical context for what’s to follow (c.f. Deuteronomy 1:1-5).
For example (according to verse three), it’s been forty years since the people of Israel left Egypt (v. 3) – while verse four reminds us they fought with and defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan (v. 4) – and now (according to verses one and five) they are camped on the east side of the Jordan River, in the land of Moab, near the border of the land of promise (vs. 1, 5).
One notable piece of information given to us in verse two is that: “It is (an) eleven (day) journey from Horeb (i.e. Mount Sinai) by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea” (which would have been close to the border of the land of Canaan) (c.f. Deuteronomy 1:2) – or, as the NIV says: “It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by (way of) the Mount Seir road.”
The irony, of course, is that those eleven days turned into forty years (v. 3), because of the disobedience and unbelief of that first generation of Israelites. Hence, verse two serves as a sobering and startling reminder of what can happen when people do not take God and His laws seriously!
(2) The rest of chapter one (starting at verse six), through most of chapter four, contains the first of three discourses by Moses, which dominate the rest of the book (c.f. Deuteronomy 1:6-4:40)
(a) Much of the material in this first discourse involves a review of Israel’s history, from the time the people left Mount Sinai (c.f. Deuteronomy 1:6-7) until the present – with special emphasis on the disobedience of the peoples’ forefathers, that led to their spending forty years in the wilderness (c.f. Deuteronomy 1:19-46) – as well as their taking possession of the lands of Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, and giving them to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh (c.f. Deuteronomy 3:1-29).
(b) This first discourse ends (in chapter four) with an extended exhortation to obey God’s laws1 – lest this second generation of God’s covenant people suffer a fate similar to that of their rebellious forefathers. As one writer said: “This (historical summary) serves as a reminder of what God has done in the past, and as a warning of the kind of judgment that will befall Israel in the future, should this new generation choose to follow in their father’s rebellious footsteps.”8 Hence, Moses says (starting in verse one): 1“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and … judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you” (c.f. Deuteronomy 4:1-2). And again, toward the end, he says (starting in verse thirty-nine): “Know therefore … and take it to your heart, that the Lord … is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other. 40(Therefore) you shall keep His statutes and … commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the Lord your God is giving you …” (c.f. Deuteronomy 4:39-40).
(3) Moses’ second address is found in chapters five through twenty-six (c.f. Deuteronomy 5-26) (keep in mind that these divisions are not precise – and that commentators do not all agree as to exactly where each address begins and ends).1
(a) This section of Deuteronomy consists of numerous laws having to do with the peoples’ relationship to God, and each other – laws that are to guide the conduct of God’s covenant people when they enter the land of promise. Hence, Moses opens this address by saying (in chapter five, verse one): “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and … ordinances which I am speaking today … that you may learn them and observe them carefully” (c.f. Deuteronomy 5:1) – while later, in chapter six (verse one) he says: “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it” (c.f. Deuteronomy 6:1).
(b) Indeed, being able to stay in the land and enjoy its blessings is tied directly to obeying God’s commands. Hence, Moses says (in chapter eleven, starting at verse sixteen): 16“Beware that your hearts are not deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them. 17Or the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its fruit; and you will perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you” (c.f. Deuteronomy 11:16-17).
This same theme was also struck in Moses first address, when he said (in chapter four, starting at verse twenty-five): 25“When you become the father of children and children’s children and have remained long in the land, and act corruptly, and make an idol in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of the Lord your God so as to provoke Him to anger, 26I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You shall not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed. 27The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord drives you” (c.f. Deuteronomy 4:25-27).
(c) Many great (and familiar) passages of Scripture are found in Moses’ second address. Here’s a sampling.
In chapter six we have what’s called the Shema – which became a kind of basic confession of faith for the Jewish people9 – starting in verse four: 4“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (c.f. Deuteronomy 6:4-5). When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment in the Old Testament Law was, He quoted these two verses (c.f. Mark 12:28-30).
In chapter seven (verse six) Moses says: “… you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (c.f. Deuteronomy 7:6). Centuries later, when the Apostle Peter said we Christians are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession …” (c.f. I Peter 2:9), he was quoting (at least partially) from the Book of Deuteronomy (see also Deuteronomy 14:2).
In chapter eight, verse three, Moses reminded the people that the Lord “humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but … by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord” (c.f. Deuteronomy 8:3). Many years later, when Jesus (having been without food for forty days) was tempted by Satan to misuse His power to turn stones into bread, He resisted the temptation by quoting this verse (c.f. Matthew 4:2-4).
The command to “diligently teach God’s laws to our children” comes from the Book of Deuteronomy – in fact, it’s repeated at least four times (c.f. Deuteronomy 4:9-10; 6:6-7; 11:18-19; 32:46) (and you know what repetition means in Scripture).
Likewise, when Jesus said: “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me” (c.f. Matthew 26:11, NIV) – He was quoting from the Book of Deuteronomy (c.f. Deuteronomy 15:11).
And finally, in the New Testament, when people said of Jesus: “This is truly the Prophet (capital “P”) who is to come into the world” (c.f. John 6:14) – they were referring to a prophecy Moses spoke of in this second discourse, in which he reminded the people (in chapter eighteen, verse eighteen) that God had said to him: “I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him” (c.f. Deuteronomy 18:18) (which was, or course, a reference to God’s Messiah – whom we know to be Jesus of Nazareth).
(4) Moses’ third and final address begins in chapter twenty-seven and runs through chapter thirty (c.f. Deuteronomy 27-30).
(a) This address is dominated by a series of blessings and curses – blessings if the people diligently obey the Lord, and are careful to do all that He has commanded (c.f. Deuteronomy 28:1) – and curses if they do not (c.f. Deuteronomy 28:15). Hence, the people are exhorted throughout this third address to “obey the Lord your God, and do His commandments and statutes which I command you today” (c.f. Deuteronomy 27:10) – so that the promised curses might not fall upon them. Indeed, Moses closes his final address by saying (in chapter thirty, starting at verse nineteen): 19“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. SO CHOOSE LIFE in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them” (c.f. Deuteronomy 30:19-20).
(b) Here, then, is a sample of the blessings God promised if the people obeyed His laws and commands (starting in verse one of chapter twenty-eight):
1“Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God: 3Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. 4Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. 5Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 6Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. 7The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways. 8The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you. 9The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. 10So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you. 11The Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. 12The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, 14and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them” (c.f. Deuteronomy 28:1-14).
(c) And now, here is a sample of the curses God promised if the people did not obey His laws and commands (starting in chapter twenty-eight, verse twenty):
20“The Lord will send upon you curses, confusion, and rebuke, in all you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken Me. 21The Lord will make the pestilence cling to you until He has consumed you from the land where you are entering to possess it. 22The Lord will smite you with consumption and with fever and with inflammation and with fiery heat and with the sword and with blight and with mildew, and they will pursue you until you perish. 23The heaven which is over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you, iron. 24The Lord will make the rain of your land powder and dust; from heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed. 25The Lord shall cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you will go out one way against them, but you will flee seven ways before them, and you will be an example of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 26Your carcasses will be food to all birds of the sky and to the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away. 27The Lord will smite you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors and with the scab and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed. 28The Lord will smite you with madness and with blindness and with bewilderment of heart; 29and you will grope at noon, as the blind man gropes in darkness, and you will not prosper in your ways; but you shall only be oppressed and robbed continually, with none to save you. 30You shall betroth a wife, but another man will violate her; you shall build a house, but you will not live in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but you will not use its fruit. 31Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat of it; your donkey shall be torn away from you, and will not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you will have none to save you. 32Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, while your eyes look on and yearn for them continually; but there will be nothing you can do. 33A people whom you do not know shall eat up the produce of your ground and all your labors, and you will never be anything but oppressed and crushed continually. 34You shall be driven mad by the sight of what you see. 35The Lord will strike you on the knees and legs with sore boils, from which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head. 36The Lord will bring you and your king, whom you set over you, to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods, (of) wood and stone. 37You shall become a horror, a proverb, and a taunt among all the people where the Lord drives you” (c.f. Deuteronomy 28:20-37).
(d) I was struck by two things, as I read this partial list of blessings and curses. First, no area of life was left untouched – i.e. the blessings that come from obeying the Lord reach to every aspect of one’s life – and, so do the curses that result from disobeying Him.
(e) Second, we are foolish if we think this blessing-curse scenario is no longer in effect. We are foolish if we think God no longer blesses those who obey Him, and curses those who don’t. I’m not suggesting every “good” thing that happens to us is directly tied to our obedience – because often times God is just gracious (c.f. Matthew 5:45) – BUT, we are foolish if we think there’s never a connection between the two.
Likewise, I’m not suggesting every “bad” thing that happens to us is the result of our having sinned against the Lord (c.f. John 9:1-3) – BUT, we are foolish if we think that’s never the case. What was it Paul told the Corinthians? – 27“whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and … blood of the Lord … 29For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30For this reason (i.e. because of your sinful attitudes and behavior) many among you are weak and sick, and a number (even) sleep” (i.e. they had died!) (c.f. I Corinthians 11:27-30).
It’s still true that God blesses His people when they obey Him – and often brings trouble into their life when they don’t (remember what happened to David). “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, (or) death and adversity”, Moses says (in chapter thirty, verse fifteen) (c.f. Deuteronomy 30:15) – 19“So choose life … 20by loving the Lord your God … obeying His voice, and … holding fast to Him …” (c.f. Deuteronomy 30:19-20).
(5) The final four chapters of the Book of Deuteronomy bring Moses’ ministry and life to a close (c.f. Deuteronomy 31-34).
(a) In chapter thirty-one, Moses commissions Joshua to take over the reins of leadership, saying in part (in verse seven): “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance” (c.f. Deuteronomy 31:7).
(b) In chapter thirty-two we have a song God told Moses to write (c.f. Deuteronomy 31:19-21; 32:1-43). However, it’s not a very happy one – since its primary theme is the future apostasy of Israel, and God’s subsequent judgment (although it does end on a note of hope).10 Hence, this song is described as “a witness … against the sons of Israel” (c.f. Deuteronomy 31:19, 21).
(c) In chapter thirty-three we have Moses’ final words to God’s covenant people – in the form of a blessing on each of the tribes of Israel. Hence, verse one says: “Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death” (c.f. Deuteronomy 33:1).
(d) And finally, in chapter thirty-four (starting at verse one), we have the record of Moses’ death (most likely written by someone else, as a kind of addendum to the Book of Deuteronomy):
1“Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4Then the Lord said to him, ‘This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, “I will give it to your descendants”; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.’ 5Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. 6And (God) buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day. 7Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. 8So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days … 10Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11for all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, 12and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel” (c.f. Deuteronomy 34:1-8, 10-12).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1The New Geneva Study Bible: The Fifth Book of Moses
Called Deuteronomy; p.240.
2http://spamfreeurl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/bible
school_deuteronomy.pdf
3http://www.wpcpca.org/Archive/07-26-09-pm.html
4The New Geneva Study Bible: Footnote on Deuteronomy
1:1; p. 241.
5MacArthur: The MacArthur Bible Handbook; p. 49.
6Mathison: From Age to Age (The Unfolding of Biblical
Eschatology); p. 71.
7The New Geneva Study Bible: Footnote on Deuteronomy
5:2; p. 249.
8Mathison: Ibid; p. 72.
9MacArthur: The MacArthur Bible Commentary; p. 207.
10IBID; p. 239.