Deuteronomy (2) – Lessons for Us

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Deuteronomy (2) – Lessons for Us

Sermon by  Thomas Thornhill Jr


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NOTE: Due to technical issues, there is no pre-recorded audio of this lesson.  We will make available the audio from the live presentation.  We do have the video of this lesson.  TATJR

 

JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE (34)

Tonight, we continue our “Journey through the Bible”.  Currently, we are bringing to its conclusion, the 6th (of 17) time periods of Bible history – the wilderness wanderings.  In our last lesson we found Israel east of the Jordan, preparing to cross over.  Nations in that area have been defeated and the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh  (East) have received their inheritance.  As Israel prepares to cross the Jordan and defeat the land, Moses gives his farewell addresses.  The book of Deuteronomy records several addresses of Moses (I will review some of this in our lesson tonight as I make a point).

Normally, in these studies, I briefly mention applications at the end of a lesson.  Tonight, I want to devote this lesson to applications from us based on the book of Deuteronomy.  Understand that Deuteronomy is the 3rd most directly quoted OT book in the NT (~44 times).  Its message is a call to remain faithful to God with the promise that He would protect and bless them.  BUT, conditionally, if they rejected God (and He knew they would), they would face His wrath with increasing intensity.

Some of the lessons taught in this book:

 

  1. IF God be for us, who can be against us? This is a primary theme of the book as mentioned.  We need to understand that God is able to take care of us.  Recall Romans 8:31, What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  That is the confidence we can have in Him.  Obviously, that does mean that we will not face troubles in this life.  In fact, the opposite is likely if we are faithful to Him (cf. 2 Timothy 3:12).  But know that God is able to deliver us (2 Peter 2:9).
  2. Reminders – the book of Deuteronomy is a reminder to a younger generation of God’s laws to Israel. In fact, we noted that the word Deuteronomy itself means a 2nd giving or reading of the law.
    1. Recall Deuteronomy 17:18 in the LXX speaks of the king wringing for himself “a copy of this law” which is the Greek word deuteronomion.
    2. We need reminders from time to time – cf. Philippians 3:1, 2 Peter 1:12-15, 1 John 2:21, I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
  3. Commandments are more than words
    1. Deuteronomy 5:32, “Therefore you shall be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” Also Deuteronomy 7:12, 8:11 – “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today,…
    2. We have to DO what we are told – Colossians 3:17. Matthew 7:21-23 – Jesus clearly taught this.
  4. Respect God’s boundaries –
    1. 4:1-2 – a call to listen to the commandments of God. Do not add to or take away from them.
    2. In recent studies about authority we have addressed the need to respect God’s boundaries. 1 Corinthians 4:6 – not to think beyond what is written; 2 John 9 – if we transgress His doctrine we do not have God.
  5. Keep yourselves from Idols –
    1. 12:1-5 – one of many passages warning them to utterly destroy the idols of the land. The book is clear about what they are to do and why.  Also the consequences of a failure to do so would bring upon them the wrath of God.
    2. We are to keep ourselves from idols – 1 John 5:21. We may not worship carved or molded images today, but a broad definition of an idol is ANYTHING that we worship OR more concisely, anything that we let stand in our way of putting God first. Colossians 3:5 tells us that covetousness is idolatry. In a sense, we are an idolatrous nation that worships and serves the creature rather than the creator (Romans 1:25).  Just remember, God and Jesus have to come before anything else!
  6. Scripture answers temptation –
    1. When Jesus was tempted by Satan – Matthew 4:1-11, in each instance, Jesus quoted from the book of Deuteronomy (6:13,16, 8:3).
    2. When we are tempted, and given time, we WILL be – we are promised that God will make the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). That way, involves His word.  Within the pages of His word we find, “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).
  7. Parental responsibilities –
    1. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 finds Moses telling the people to, 1. Love God with your all; 2. To keep His words in their heart; and 3. To teach them diligently to their children.
    2. We need to continually teach our children God’s word – by example, informally and formally. Ephesians 6:4, fathers are tasked with bringing up the children in the training and admonition of the Lord. 2 Timothy 1:5 – Paul remembered the faith in Timothy which was first in his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois.
  8. Reading the law often – every 7 years.
    1. Deuteronomy 31:10-11 at the feast of tabernacles, all Israel was to appear before God and the law would be read in their hearing.
    2. While we are not given a specific time, but we know that we are to continually study and read God’s word – 2 Timothy 2:15. This is the only way to ensure that you will not forget His will.
  9. Was God unjust in commanding the destruction of the Canaanite nations?
    1. Deuteronomy 25:17-19 – Israel was commanded that after they inherited the promised land, they were to destroy the Amalekites. The reason is given – they attacked the stragglers (the weak)  while Israel was coming out of Egypt.  It is the Amalekits that YHWH will command King Saul to destroy (some 400-500 years later).  Recorded in 1 Samuel 15, we learn that even then, Saul did not complete the task and was rejected as king by God because of it.  Of interest, is that we read several occasions of Amalekites after Saul’s failure, pointing to the fact he did NOT finish the job.
    2. Similarly, why did God destroy the various Canaanite nations? Because of their idolatry and wickedness.  Some of which is mentioned in Deuteronomy.   You may recall that in Genesis 15:16, YHWH told Abraham it would be 400 years because, “their iniquity is not yet complete.”
  10. Will you make a covenant with God?
    1. One of the points we made in our previous lesson, was that that the book of Deuteronomy was written in the same format as various treaties.   Recall that Unger’s Bible Dictionary notes of this book:
      1. We Treaty Form. Second millennium b.c. Near Eastern treaties imposed upon a vassal by an overlord or a great king such as a Hittite ruler had a remarkably consistent form: (1) a preamble, identifying the author of the covenant; (2) historical prologue stating previous relations between the two parties (if any), and past benefactions by the overlord; (3) basic and detailed stipulations stating the obligations imposed by the sovereign ruler upon the vassal; (4) deposit of a copy of the covenant in the vassal’s most sacred repository; (5) periodic public reading of the covenant by the vassal; (6) witnesses, generally the gods of the countries involved; (7) curses for breaking the covenant; (8) blessings for keeping it; (9) a formal oath of obedience; (10) a solemn ratification ceremony; (11) a formal procedure for acting against rebellious vassals. Covenants coming from first millennium B.C. sources are the same except that they do not have the historical prologue.[1]
      2. We noted each of these 11 qualities in Deuteronomy.
        1. Preamble – Deuteronomy 1:1-5
        2. Historical prologue – Deut. 1:6-3:29. Moses recounts Israel’s wilderness wanderings
        3. Basic stipulations toward their ruler – Deut. 4-11 –
          More specific stipulations – Deut. 12-26
        4. A copy to be deposited at a sacred place – Deut. 31:9, 26-27 – the book of the law was to be placed beside the Ark
        5. Provisions for public readings of the law – Deut. 31:10-13 – every 7 years, at the feast of Tabernacles, the law was to be read (likely this book).
        6. Witnesses to ensure this – Deut. 31:26 – the book itself served as a witness against Israel.
        7. Curses for breaking the covenant – Deut. 28:15-68
        8. Blessing for keeping it (submission) – Deut. 28:1-14
        9. A formal oath to be obedient – Deut. 29 describes the covenant they were to make with God. Deut. 29:1-2, 9-14, etc. While the formal oath of acceptance is not specified in Deuteronomy, we find several occasions where Israel made such an oath to God – see Exodus 24:7, Joshua 24:24.  Clearly, what Moses spoke in some of these final chapters was intended as an oath they were to make.
        10. A ratification ceremony was to take place after they crossed the Jordan – Deut. 27:5-7 (1-10)
        11. Warnings about their rebellion – Deut. 30:17-19
      3. Our covenant with God. As I considered the makeup of Deuteronomy, I considered how this relates to us as Christians.  When we obey the gospel, we are entering into a covenant with God.  And many of the qualities (while not in a specific book) are prevalent with our covenant with God.
        1. Obeying the gospel is a covenant – we are entering into an agreement with God and Jesus. You are surrendering your life to Him – Roman 6:1-4, 16-18.
        2. Many of the “steps” of the vassal treaty could be applied spiritually to our relationship with God.  NOTE: This is MY loose comparison of their covenant with our lives as Christians.
          1. God is the author of this covenant –
            • He offers salvation to us – John 3:16, Ephesians 2:4-9, Romans 5:6-9.
            • Romans 1:16-17 reminds us that within the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed. It is HIS word.
            • 1 Corinthians 2:9-11 – God has revealed to us His will.
            • Hebrews 5:9 – Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.
          2. We are reminded of our “history” – our former conduct. Ephesians 2:1-3, cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 – and such were some of you.
          3. He instructs us what to do and how to live – Matthew 28:19-20,2 Peter 1:3. The New Testament is filled with instructions about how to live.
          4. A special place – We are to place His law in our hearts, which is His temple. 1 Corinthians 5:19-20 – our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9 – we are a royal priesthood – proclaiming the praises of Him.
          5. Provisions for public reading –
            • We are to gather regularly to study His word (Cf. Acts 2:41, 20:7-8, Colossians 4:16, etc.).
            • Also, on Sundays we partake of the Lord’s Supper to remember His sacrifice for us – 1 Corinthians 11:13-16.
          6. Witnesses to ensure this – first, when we obey the gospel, there are always witnesses. At the very least, the ONE who baptizes you.  Furthermore, we gather regularly to encourage one another – Hebrews 10:24-25, 3:12-13
          7. Warnings of consequences if we fail to remain faithful – the New Testament continually warns us that there are consequences of we do not obey. Romans 2:5-6, Hebrews 10:26-30, etc.
          8. Promises of blessing and reward if we remain faithful – Romans 2:7, 1 John 1:7, 1 Peter 3:8-13 – the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous…
          9. A formal oath to be obedient – Romans 10:9-10, Matthew 10:32-33 – before obeying the gospel, we acknowledge Him.
          10. A ratification ceremony – We are baptized into Christ – Galatians 3:27, Romans 6:3-4, 1 Peter 3:21 – the answer of a good conscience.
          11. Warnings about rebellion -we are to remain faithful until death. This is the length of our covenant. Revelation 2:10 – faithful until death; Hebrews 10:38, 2 Peter 3:9 – the Lord knows how  to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.

And thus we conclude the wilderness wanderings.  The final verses of Deuteronomy 34:10-12 describe Moses after he died at the age of 120, looking at the land of Canaan.  There are so many lessons for us to learn from Israel in the wilderness, and especially Moses’ final book.  While we continue on this earth, we are in a wilderness of sorts.  We are described as sojourners and pilgrims here (1 Peter 2:11).   Are we looking toward the promised land?  Are we living faithfully so as to inherit that promised land?  If not, since you are here it is not too late.  How can we help you? Think about it.

 

 

[1] Unger, M. F., & Harrison, R. K. (1988). Deuteronomy, Book Of. In The new Unger’s Bible dictionary (Rev. and updated ed.). Moody Press.

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