Chronological Bible Study – Mar. 11

Key Themes (Deuteronomy)

The book of Deuteronomy is the fifth and final book of the Pentateuch and serves as a series of speeches delivered by Moses to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. Deuteronomy is essentially a reaffirmation and restatement of the laws given earlier in the wilderness, emphasizing the covenant relationship between God and Israel. It focuses on obedience to God’s commandments, the importance of covenant loyalty, and the consequences of faithfulness and unfaithfulness. The key themes include:

1. Covenant Renewal and Commitment: A central theme in Deuteronomy is the renewal of the covenant between God and Israel. Moses reminds the people of the covenant established at Mount Sinai and urges them to recommit themselves to following God’s laws. This theme emphasizes the importance of loyalty to the covenant and the need for each generation to embrace it wholeheartedly.
2. Obedience to God’s Law: Deuteronomy strongly emphasizes the need for Israel to obey God’s commandments as a condition for receiving His blessings in the Promised Land. The book contains a detailed restatement of the law, including the Ten Commandments, and stresses that obedience to these laws is essential for maintaining a right relationship with God. This theme highlights the idea that obedience is not just about following rules but is an expression of love and reverence for God.
3. Blessings and Curses: Deuteronomy outlines the blessings that will come upon Israel if they obey God’s commandments and the curses that will befall them if they disobey. This theme underscores the concept of divine retribution, where obedience leads to prosperity, peace, and success, while disobedience brings disaster, exile, and suffering. The blessings and curses serve as a powerful reminder of the serious consequences of the choices the people make.
4. The Centrality of Worship and the Shema: Deuteronomy stresses the importance of worshiping God alone and the central role of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), which declares the oneness of God and calls for love and devotion to Him with all one’s heart, soul, and strength. This theme highlights the exclusivity of worship due to God and the foundational role of love for God in the life of Israel.
5. The Role of Leadership: The book of Deuteronomy provides guidelines for various types of leadership, including kings, priests, and prophets. Moses emphasizes that leaders are to be examples of obedience to God’s law and that they must lead with justice, humility, and fidelity to the covenant. This theme underscores the importance of godly leadership in guiding the nation according to God’s will.
6. Memory and Teaching: Moses repeatedly instructs the Israelites to remember their history, particularly God’s mighty acts of deliverance, such as the Exodus from Egypt. The importance of teaching these events and the law to future generations is a key theme, ensuring that the covenant is passed down and that the people remain faithful to God. This theme highlights the role of collective memory and education in maintaining the covenant relationship.
7. The Love and Grace of God: Deuteronomy frequently reminds the Israelites of God’s love and grace, which are the foundation of their relationship with Him. God chose Israel not because of their merits but because of His love and faithfulness to the promises made to their ancestors. This theme emphasizes that the covenant is based on God’s initiative and love, and that the people’s response should be one of gratitude and obedience.
8. The Promised Land as a Gift and Responsibility: The land of Canaan is portrayed as a gift from God, a fulfillment of His promises to the patriarchs. However, Deuteronomy also emphasizes that the land comes with responsibilities—namely, to live according to God’s commandments and to maintain the covenant. This theme reflects the idea that the land is both a blessing and a trust, contingent upon Israel’s faithfulness.

The book of Deuteronomy serves as a powerful conclusion to the Pentateuch, reaffirming the centrality of the covenant, the importance of obedience, and the necessity of teaching and remembering God’s law. It prepares the Israelites for life in the Promised Land by reminding them of their identity as God’s chosen people and the responsibilities that come with that identity. Through its themes of covenant renewal, obedience, leadership, and divine love, Deuteronomy provides timeless lessons on the nature of a faithful relationship with God.

What I Noticed Today (Deuteronomy 1-2)

The book of Deuteronomy is more than a repetition of the laws and commandments that God passed on to Moses at Mt. Sinai. In Deuteronomy, Moses not only restated much of the law but applied it to their way of life in the Promised Land.

The Israelites owned the land-based on God’s grace. They possessed the land through God’s power. But they could only enjoy the land by being obedient to God.

Deuteronomy 1

In verses 1-5, the book opens with Moses’ address to the people in the wilderness across the Jordan River in the 40^th year, on the 1^st day of the 11^th month since their exodus from Egypt.

In verses 6-8, the Lord our God spoke to Moses instructing the Israelites to proceed into the Promised Land.

In verses 9-18, Moses recounted the Lord’s promise to multiply the Israelites into a great nation and bless them. Moses appointed leaders from among each tribe over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens to judge the people. Any cases that were too difficult for them were to be brought to him.

In verses 19-46 God promised to give them the Promised Land. But the people, lacking faith, wanted to spy out the land. Moses selected 12 men, one from each tribe to spy out the land. The men returned saying the land was good, but ten of the men said they were afraid to go up and conquer the land. The false report from the ten spies caused the people to turn away from God. The penalty for their rebellion was to wander the desert until all the fighting men had died. The two spies who were not afraid to conquer the land, Joshua and Caleb, were the only ones of this generation who would enter the Promised Land.

• Despite the Lord’s rejection, the people decided to go up into the Promised Land anyway. The Amorites came out against them and defeated them.

Deuteronomy 2

In verses 1-7, 40 years past and all the fighting men of the first census had died when God directed them to turn north and go through the country of the descendants of Esau.

• They were told to avoid making trouble with the people of Esau because this land was given to them as their possession.

In verses 8-14, the Israelites journeyed past Edom and Moab:

• The Israelites were to pass by the Edomites and travel toward the land of Moab.
• But the Israelites were not to fight with the Moabites either since this land had been given to them as their inheritance.

In verses 16-23, the Israelites journeyed past Ammon:

• The Lord spoke to Moss and instructed the Israelites to journey past Moab toward the Ammonites.
• They were not to fight with the Ammonites because the Lord had given them this land as their inheritance.

In verses 24-37, the Lord instructed the Israelites to take possession of the land of Sihon the Amorite King of Heshbon:

• Moses sent messengers to Sihon asking permission to travel through the land, but the Lord had given Sihon a stubborn heart.
• Sihon sent his army out against the Israelites, and the Israelites did battle with Sihon the Amorite king of Heshbon, defeated him, and took possession of his cities. They completely destroyed the people, took the livestock, and took plunder from all the cities for themselves.
• But the Israelites avoided all the lands and people where the Lord had forbidden them.

Some thoughts for additional consideration:

• A lack of faith at Kadesh Barnea kept the people out of the Promised Land for 40 years! How much of our lives do we waste by not following God in faith!
• God told the Israelites who to leave alone, and who to battle. How often do we do battle with the wrong people, either by doing battle with those whom we should leave alone, or not doing battle with whom we should?!

What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.

Tomorrow: Day 71 Deuteronomy 3-4