AN OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY

TEXT: "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!" (Deu. 5:29).

INTRODUCTION

1. It has been 40 years since the events that opened the Exodus--those ten plagues, the crossing of the Red Sea, and Israel's receiving the law at Sinai.

2. It has been 38 years since those 12 spies went into Canaan for 40 days--and the resulting disbelief of God that led to the wandering for a total of 40 years.

3. An entire generation has died--603,448 of that original numbering of the fighting men; only Joshua and Caleb are left of that generation.

4. Now Moses addresses the nation in four orations, four speeches, for the last time--he is forbidden by God to enter the Promised Land, that time has arrived and this is his farewell to the nation.

5. Early in the book he records the plea of God: "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!" (Deu. 5:29).

6. Near the end of the book he records another plea: "(19) I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (20) That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou, mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them" (Deu. 30:19-20).

7. The stage is set now for a 120-year old ruler to speak to the survivors of the wanderings, the new numbering of fighting men, the 601,730 that will enter into the Promised Land.

8. This is a "Book of Remembrance"; it is the record of the renewal of the covenant given at Mt. Sinai to this new generation and an exposition of the greatest commandment: "And tho9u shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might" (Deu. 6:5).

I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT DEUTERONOMY

A. TITLE

1. The Hebrew title is Debarim, "these are the words."

2. The Greek title is Deuteronomion, "second law-giving."

3. The English, Deuteronomy, comes from the Greek.

4. A note: Is this book really "The Second Law," or the "second law-giving"?

a. No--the title in Greek was taken from a mistranslation of Deuteronomy 17:18, "...And he shall write for himself this repetition of the law...."

b. It is correctly translated in later versions, "...that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book...."

c. It is not a second giving or a second law--it is a restatement of the law with a strong appeal for the children of Israel to obey it and to teach it to their children.

B. AUTHOR

1. Moses is the earthly author, God's inspired penman.

2. This is the record of Moses speaking to the children of Israel while they are in the plains of Moab (Deu. 1:1-6).

a. "These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel...in the plain..." (v. 1).

b. "...Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them" (v. 3).

c. "On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying" (v. 5).

d. "The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb..." (v. 6).

3. Some will clamor about the record of Moses' death in chapter 34 means that there was more than one author.

a. That is a possibility--perhaps God had His next appointed leader and inspired author, Joshua, to pen this last section.

b. But equally acceptable--God is the author and could have given Moses himself the words that were recorded prior to Moses' departure.

c. What does matter here--the words recorded are inspired, the true author is God!

C. DATE AND SETTING

1. Somewhere around 1,450 B.C. is the dating of this book.

2. It is written on the plains of Moab, overlooking the Jordan River near Jericho, just before Israel will enter the Promised Land at the end of the 40 years of wandering.

D. AUDIENCE

1. The nation of Israel--specifically the new generation.

2. The new generation was called on by God through Moses to "...remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness..." (Deu. 8:2).

3. It is the recorded call to the nation to obedience as it enters a new land--it is a type for the Christian, as the spiritual nation, to remember and obey God after leaving spiritual wandering and entering the land of promise--the church.

E. PURPOSE

1. To review the law with that new generation ready to enter Canaan.

2. It was not just a simple repetition of the law, it was an application of the law in view of the conditions Israel would meet in Canaan.

3. It was that reminder to remember (Deu. 8:2).

4. But also, to lead them to obedience and warn them against disobedience--obedience is the way of life and blessing while disobedience is the way of curse and death (Deu. 11:26-32; 30:15-20).

II. AN OUTLINE OF DEUTERONOMY

A. MOSES LOOKS BACK--REVIEW OF THE JOURNEY (1-4)

1. Review of Horeb and Kadesh (1).

2. Review of Moab, Ammon, and the Amorites (2).

3. Review of Bashan (3).

4. Review and exhortations (4).

B. MOSES LOOKS UP--REAFFIRMATION OF THE LAW (5-26)

1. Laws of Sinai restated (5).

2. Laws of basic principles reaffirmed (6).

3. Laws of purity reaffirmed (7).

4. Laws of obedience reaffirmed (8-11).

5. Laws of worship reaffirmed (12).

6. Laws of service reaffirmed (13).

7. Laws of sanctification (14).

8. Laws of seven year release affirmed (15).

9. Laws of feasts reaffirmed (16).

10. Laws of offerings and kings reaffirmed (17).

11. Laws of Adamic covenant reaffirmed (18).

12. Law of refuge cities reaffirmed (19).

13. Laws of warfare reaffirmed (20).

14. Laws of personal relations reaffirmed (21).

15. Laws of sexuality reaffirmed (22).

16. Laws of assembly reaffirmed (23).

17. Laws of theft reaffirmed (24).

18. Laws of punishment and procreation reaffirmed (25).

19. Laws of thanksgiving reaffirmed (26).

C. MOSES LOOKS OUT--REEMPHASIS OF RESPONSIBILITY (27-30)

1. Reasons for responsibility (27-28).

2. Reestablishment of responsibility (29).

3. Results of responsibility (30).

D. MOSES LOOKS FORWARD--REMINDER OF DUTY (31-34)

1. The charge of Moses (31).

2. The song of Moses (32).

3. The blessings of Moses (33).

4. The death of Moses (34).

III. THE ONE WORD THEME OF DEUTERONOMY: OBEDIENCE

A. DEUTERONOMY HAS A THREE POINT APPEAL

1. Know God ...

2. Love God ...

3. Obey God.

B. OBEDIENCE

1. Obedience from a heart of love encompasses the whole of man.

2. "Obedience is the call of the past, the duty of the present, and the guarantee of the future."

C. DISOBEDIENCE

1. In Deuteronomy 28, the fearful consequences of disobedience are foretold.

2. There is remarkable prophecy of Israel's future enslavement to other nations, their idolatry, the captivity of their children, their terrible distress, famine and tribulation, cannibalism, scattering among the nations.

3. The subsequent fulfillment of these predictions in the tragic history of the Jews is one proof of the divine inspiration of the Bible.

D. GOD'S CALL: OBEDIENCE; BUT THE CHOICE WAS THEIRS AND NOW IS OURS

1. Moses' final charge was an appeal for them to choose obedience and life, "that thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest cleave unto him; for he is life, and the length of thy days" (Deu. 30:15-20).

2. The example is to us, and the choice is now ours:

a. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (Jam. 1:22).

b. "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Heb. 5:9).

c. "(7) And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, (8) In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (9) Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power" (2 The. 1:7-9).

IV. THE PICTURE OF CHRIST IN DEUTERONOMY: HE IS THE PROPHET LIKE MOSES

A. JESUS IS THE PROPHET LIKE UNTO MOSES (Deu. 18:15-18).

1. Jesus is the Prophet of God (John 1:24; 6:14; 7:40-41).

2. Jesus is the Lawgiver (Rom. 8:2).

3. Jesus is the Deliverer (Gal. 1:4).

4. Jesus is the Intercessor (Heb. 7:25).

B. JESUS IS SEEN IN THE CURSE OF THE CRUCIFIXION (Deu. 21:22-23).

1. Jesus is the one who redeemed those cursed under law--"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law..." (Gal. 3:13a).

2. By becoming the one cursed on our behalf--"...being made a curse for us..." (Gal. 3:13b).

3. And confirmed by quoting from this very passage of Deuteronomy.

C. JESUS IS THE SPIRITUAL BREAD (Deu. 8:3).

1. Christ quotes from Deuteronomy in His defense to Satan during His temptation, indicating that man was to live not by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Mat. 4:4).

2. Jesus before He came to this world as a man was "the Word" (John 1:1).

3. This same "Word" identifies and clarifies this type, concluding that He is "the bread of life" (John 8:31-35).

CONCLUSION

1. "(12) And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, (13) To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?" (Deu. 10:12-13).

2. The same question is still asked today--spiritual Israel must still answer: What does the LORD our God require of us?

3. Or more personally: What does the LORD my God require of me?

4. The example of Deuteronomy is answered to us in the New Testament statement: "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).