Introduction to Deuteronomy

Welcome Prayer Song Silence Introduction to Deuteronomy September 29th, 2024 Okay, folks – onward.

I want to make an admission before we embark on this last book of the Pentateuch, the Law, the Torah of the Tanakh –

I am sort of personally at a place where I can better see the grand play of our amazing God on behalf of human beings whom He made in His image and am so driven to try and share and teach all of these views with others – and my admission here is – sometimes its hard to be motivated to cover these ancient stories in light of understanding the end in the way that matters today.

That said, the history of all that He has done is important to those who want to understand it from the start – and for that reason we soldier on for those seeking to understand and to test all things – something we also see as important for individuals. Our soldiering on through the Tanakh will continue until the end, but I am going to try and summarize more, avoid repeated themes, passages more while highlighting passages that move us forward in our overall understanding of Him and His victory.

The Second Law

And so we come to Deuteronomy. The Greeks called the fifth book of the Law, “Deuteron-omion, which literally means, “the second law,” and where we obviously get the name, Deuteronomy. However, the Jews called the book by the first two words of the text which are, “elle haddabharim,” and are translated to mean, “These are the words.” The book primarily consists chiefly of several speeches delivered by Moses a short time before his deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. and were given to the Nation in the plains of Moab outside the Promised Land of Canaan. What is interesting is this was delivered in the 11th month of the last year of their forty years wandering.

Looking back through Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers and doing some calculations, we are presented with some sobering facts which stand contrary to the traditional view people have of the Nation of Israel in this period which is taught as When God called them out of Egypt they gathered and obediently sought to please Him from the start with some occasional set-backs; And along the way they learned things, repented and really wanted to be His people and proved so over the course of time. This is not so, my friends, as we’ve made clear in the past but today as we enter into Deuteronomy we are going to speak to it once more but this time specifically pointing to the wilderness period that they are about to leave.

Why the Second Repetition?

And we will begin this with a question. Why the second repetition of the Law here? I mean this was a second generation of the Nation as the first Generation to come out of Egypt all had to died in the wilderness and with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, so this audience were all born in the journey? Many say, “well, this was a needed reiteration for them for this very reason and before they enter the promised land YAHAVAH wanted to remind them of why they did and do all that they were didding and doing.

So again, the repeated myth was that the first generation to come out of Egypt were doing all that God commanded them and God was with them. Were they? And if so, weren’t their children equipped with a working knowledge of the Law and all that it meant? I mean God gave them His Law back at Sinai, and they made the tabernacle for sacrifice back in Leviticus, and the Levites were assigned as priests, and all the stuff was prescribed, right? All Good. Good God. Good Nation. His people. Trying, right? (beat)

Moses' Three Main Speeches

So, Moses is outside the Promised Land, and before they enter in he is going to restate the Law and we will see that God kept His promise that Moses would also die before entering in, just like Miriam and Aaron his siblings.

Now there are essentially three main speeches Moses is going to give that make up the contents of his giving the Second restating of the Law. The first speech, contained in chapters 1-4 repeats the main events of the last thirty-eight years in the wilderness coupled with some rather earnest exhortations for obedience to the divine ordinances in the future along with warnings against the danger of forsaking YAHAVAH, the God of their fathers.

We will cover the first chapter today before we conclude as chapters 1-4 serve to introduce Moses’ second speech, which sort of represents the “main body of the book.”

The Retelling of the Law and Moses' Final Speeches

The narrative found in chapters 5-26 revisits the law initially given by YAHAVAH on Mount Sinai with some minor modifications, particularly concerning the Sabbath. During this section, Moses admonishes the second generation on their impending conduct as they prepare to enter and settle in Canaan.

In the following three chapters (27-30), Moses focuses on the solemn sanctions of the law, the blessings promised to the obedient, and the curses destined to befall the rebellious. He instructs them to obey the covenant YAHAVAH made with them, securing the promised blessings for themselves and their descendants through their obedience.

The Song, Blessings, and Moses' Death

After these speeches, we encounter three significant summaries. First, there is a song commanded by God for Moses to write (chapter 32). Following this, Moses pronounces blessings upon the separate tribes (chapter 33). The book concludes with the account of Moses' death (32:48-52) and burial (ch. 34), narratives believed to be penned by another, likely Joshua.

The distinctive style and method of this book, along with its tone and peculiarities of conception and expression, strongly indicate a single author, with exceptions being the first five verses of the opening chapter and the final chapter.

Stephen's Speech in Acts and Its Significance

Before delving into the first chapter of Moses' speech, we must question why the law was reiterated to the second generation before their entry into the Promised Land. To comprehend this necessity, we can turn to Stephen's speech, the first martyr of the Christian church recorded in Acts 7. Preceding his martyrdom, Acts 6:8-15 describes Stephen's faith, miracles, and the opposition he faced from individuals unable to resist his wisdom and spirit. False accusations against him for speaking against Moses and God eventually led to him standing before the council.

Chapter 7 reveals Stephen's chronological recount of Jewish history, beginning with Abraham. This context helps us understand why Moses needed to reiterate the law before his death. In Acts 7:36, Stephen refers to Moses, stating, "He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years."

The mention of "the wilderness forty years" marks its chronological significance. Stephen goes on in verses 37-38, referring to Moses' prophecy of a prophet from among the brethren and describing the assembly in the wilderness, using the term "church" from the Greek "ecclesia," properly denoting the assembly called out of Egypt.

In alignment with the Septuagint, "ecclesia" appears 44 times in the Old Testament, revealing a deeper understanding of its application, especially in contrast with modern interpretations. Stephen's speech thus sheds light on the importance of restating the law to the new generation poised to enter Canaan, ensuring continuity and faith in their covenant with YAHAVAH.

The Ecclesia and the Wilderness Experience

Trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Do you know what church or called out He was speaking to contextually? It was to the called out of the Old Testament – that ecclesia, as He was referring to what was in existence at that time and not what was to come later through the apostles!

Stephen's Speech and Its Implications

In the case of Stephen’s speech, when he says,

38 This is he, (Moses) that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

It speaks directly to the people called out of bondage to Egypt and has direct application to the giving of the Law at Sinai with the angel representing the God who gave it, as Stephen will say right before being killed,

Acts 7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

The essential idea, therefore, is God gave the Law by messengers or by mediators and Stephan confirms that the forefathers received it, calling it the oracles, which we might add, they also agreed to all that God had said.

Disobedience and Idolatry

Stephan then adds,

39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,

While they complained to want to go back to Egypt, I am beginning to wonder if the line, “in their hearts turned back to Egypt better means they longed for the way they approached life in Egypt more than literally being in or returning to Egypt again.

Listen to the next verse,

40 Saying unto Aaron, “Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

Is this not how they returned in their hearts back to Egypt – they returned to idol worship. Listen to verse 41 as Stephen continues and says –

41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

Here Stephen reminds his audience that was going to kill him how prone their forefathers were in rejecting this God of utter miracles on their behalf and in actually pursuing after other Gods – which was present even within 40 days at Sinai and I suggest continued on throughout the wilderness experience.

Listen to what Stephen adds at verse 42

42 Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?

This is huge, my friends – HUGE – because Stephan speaks Chronologically and speaking of the wilderness experience (the space of 40 years) he literally states what their fathers did AND HOW GOD TURNED ON THEM!

In verse 41 he speaks of them making the golden calf and idolizing the work of their own hands, and then in verse 42 he says,

THEN GOD TURNED,

It seems to me that God never really accepted the Nation that turned on Him at Sinai with that Golden Calf business.

This is also supported by the fact that back in Exodus before the giving of the Law YAHAVAH said in chapter 19:6

Exodus 19:6 And ye (Nation of Israel come out of Egypt) shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

But after the Golden calf incident YAHAVAH excluded all of the Nation from being priests and we then read,

Exodus 32:26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of

Idolatry and Apostasy in the Wilderness

Levi gathered themselves together unto him. So, it seems that the Levites alone had no part in this idolatry and wanted no part of it (save Aaron who made the calf)! The point is, the whole thing, from the giving of the Law, the making of the golden calf and the loss of them being a kingdom of priests, changed waay back then – even before sojourning in the wilderness.

And the WHOLE TIME they were in the wilderness, God gave them up and they went their own way, as Stephen says in verse 42 of Acts 7.

42 Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, “have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?”

Worship of the Hosts of Heaven

Meaning, for the forty years that they wandered in the wilderness, that first Nation, who fell at Sinai, never lived up to offering up sacrifice to the living God (even though it was instituted and all the elements necessary to do it were in place), but instead practiced idolatry and offered sacrifice to the hosts of heaven – I mean, we are going to learn later that the simple Abrahamic practice of circumcision wasn’t even practiced – which is why we will read about them having to be circumcised later here in Deuteronomy.

This shows that while they were in the wilderness, they resorted back to the Egyptian practices in their hearts by, first, Stephan says, “Worshipping the host of heaven.” Which means the stars, or heavenly planets and to prove this Stephan cites a passage from Amos 5:25-26 which he calls, the Book of the Prophets as it contained all the writings of the twelve minor prophets gathered in one volume, and which says,

Amos 5:25 Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? 26 But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves..

The way the line is written is an interrogative way of emphatically saying, “they never did it!” Stephen continues pouring salt into their open wounds and says, referring contextually to those tribes IN THE WILDERNESS and citing the rest of Amos and says,

43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

Worship of Moloch and Punishment

Meaning, you bore with you the tent of the pagan God Moloch, a box or container that held its representational image in the form of an amulet, or charm, or talisman, as a means to protect them from harm by their powers and not the living God’s. In fact, the Hebrew term, moloch means, king and it was a god of the Ammonites, to whom human sacrifices were offered. Moses in several places forbids the Israelites, under penalty of death, to dedicate their children to Moloch, by making them pass through the fire, (and we read about this in Leviticus 18:21; 20:2-5) so there is a great likelihood that the Hebrews were addicted to the worship of this deity while in the wilderness and we will also see this even after they enter the land of Canaan.

Unbelievably, but according to 1st Kings 11:7, Solomon built a temple to Moloch on the Mount of Olives and Manasseh made his son pass through the fire in honor of this same idol in 2nd Kings 21:3,6. We are talking about stuff that completely validates the mindset of these people from the start all the way out to Stephan’s stoning which fortifies what God said He was going to do with all who failed to receive His Son.

Some suppose that this worship Stephan mentions was in honor of the planet Saturn, others the sun, others Mercury, or Venus – whatever it was, we might just call them the hosts of heaven. When Stephan mentions “the star,” of Rephan, which is called, Chiun by Amos, its not easy to determine why both names are used. What we can say, is Stephen, however, cites the Septuagint which uses the term Raiphan instead of the Hebrew, Chiun but why we cannot say.

The Tabernacle of Witness

To finalize this idea up, listen to what Stephan adds in His chronological retellings at verse 44, and reminds his audience of something important, saying,

44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it.

Understanding Israel's Wilderness Journey

According to the fashion that he had seen. And this refers to what that Nation COULD have used and appealed to while in the wilderness – but never did. From all this, we now better understand why the account of their journeys in the wilderness are so scant and all we really read in numbers are a few incidents that serve to further identify this first generation as vile idolaters that were never obedient to YAHAVAH or their verbal commitment to Him at Sinai.

To prove this remember when I passed over Numbers 33 and all I mentioned then was that if you wanted to see all the places that the Nation traveled to and from that would be the chapter to read. We didn’t do it here because it was a whole bunch of cities by name that would have meant nothing to us but more to the point, there was nothing done at all between God and them in those places – He had turned from them as they had returned in their hearts to idolatrous worship. It started at Sinai and they never really got it back. And they were then left to die out until a new, uncircumcised generation of their children replaced them here after nearly forty years.

The First Generation's Downfall

Why is this important? Because when it comes to the first post-Egyptian generation, we only really read about them specifically, first being in Egypt, to then the exodus from Egypt, then to escaping Egyptian pursuers, then arriving at Sinai where in less than 40 days God they turned from God, and God would turned from them, and God would take the priesthood that was supposed to go to every man, and gave it to the Levites, then according to Stephan, God left them off to worship idols in the wilderness for like 39 years, where they never offered sacrifice to Him, never circumcised their sons, and essentially were pagans.

That is why Moses, before dying, choses to rehearse to them the Law the Second Time. What is fascinating, is that this second generation winds up, in the end, being worse – and this trend only foments and putrefies upon itself until their Messiah comes to gather whatever faithful might remain. So, with all of that let’s hit the text as I am going to lead us through reading, skipping and explaining the highlights and principles.

Deuteronomy Chapter 1 Overview

Chapter 1 – Deuteronomy

1 These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

It is believed that the five first verses of this chapter contain the introduction to the rest of the book and that they are not the words of Moses but probably were added by Joshua or some say, Ezra. As stated, they were given in Moab and while it reads Red Sea they were nowhere near it as Sea is not in the original. Remember they started out in Horeb where they received the law – listen to verse

2 (There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)

So, after about thirty-eight years wandering up and down in the vicinity of this place, they were literally very close to both the location of the Promised Land and from where they started. What a beautiful type for so many people who can get so so so close to entering into a relationship with the Living God but always back away and return to the idols that bring them peace and immediate rewards! Verse 3

3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them;

It was a bad year for the family of Moses as Miriam died in the first month of it, Aaron died in the fifth, and Moses was about to die in the eleventh or the last.

5 On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,

6 YAHAVAH our ELOHIYM spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:

And then He tells them where to travel in verse 7. According to Exodus 19:1-2, the Nation came to Sinai in the third month after their departure from Egypt then left it the twentieth of the second month of…

God's Promise and the Rebellion of Israel

The second year, so it appears they had been there nearly a whole year. (At verse 8 Moses says)

8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which YAHAVAH sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

It is really fascinating but there are numerous times where YAHAVAH sticks with these rebellious souls only because of the Promises He made to Abraham which He reiterates to Isaac and Jacob. In several places He Himself will say this and that His protection and blessing of the Nation was not what motivated Him to remain true but His promise to their forefathers.

The Fulfillment of a Promise

At verse 10 Moses says something important for us to consider, saying,

10 YAHAVAH your Elohyim hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.

We know that this was the promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 15:5-6 but what is amazing is Moses says that at this time the promise was fulfilled. Obviously, it was not literally so, so what did Moses mean? Perhaps, instead of being literalists, Moses was speaking of the number of stars visible to the naked human eye from its position on earth? Or, of course, it could have just been Hebrew hyperbole at this point in time but Moses says it had occurred then fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham.

Establishing Order and the Mission of the Spies

From verse 11-18 Moses rehearses how he established order among the men in groups of 1000 100 and ten and how they ought to judge things. At verse 19 he talks about departing from Horeb and then pretty much jumps out to when they sent spies to go into the promised land, twelve of them, one from each tribe and how they returned with a good report and with fruit but at verse 26 Moses says,

26 Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God: 27 And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because YAHAVAH hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. 28 Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there. 29 Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. 30 The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; 31 And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place. 32 Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God, 33 Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day. 34 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying, 35 Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers, 36 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD.

And then Moses adds,

37 Also YAHAVAH was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither. 38 But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. 39 Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it. 40 But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea. 41 Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all that the LORD our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the

Introduction to Deuteronomy

42 And YAHAVAH said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies. 43 So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill. 44 And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah. (which we covered in Numbers 14) 45 And ye returned and wept before YAHAVAH; but YAHAVAH would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you. 46 So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there.

Conclusion of the Introduction

And that concludes our introduction to Deuteronomy and the first chapter.

Prayer and Reflection

Questions/Comments
Prayer

Ray and Dorothy
Richard
All struggling, all searching, all willing and unwilling to hear you.