Deuteronomy (Written)

Deuteronomy 4:8-14
That They May Teach Their Children

In Homestead, Florida, there is a place called the Coral Castle. It was built by a Latvian immigrant to America named Edward Leedskalnin. He was engaged to a sixteen-year-old girl, but one day before the wedding, she bailed on him.

Putting that life behind, in the early 1920s, he moved to America and eventually came to Florida. There, he began working on his home, which was a monument to the lost love of his life.

Ed was only 5 feet tall and weighed around 100 pounds, and yet, the house he built includes blocks of Oolite Limestone, meaning fossilized coral, over 25 feet tall, and weighing over 30 tons. Thus, some of the stones are taller than those in Stonehenge and heavier than the heaviest stone in the great pyramid of Giza.

The entry gate for the house weighs 9 tons and could be spun by a slight push by a child with a single finger. It is carved so that it fits within a quarter of an inch of the walls. In 1986, it stopped working, and so a crew was called in to repair it.

It took six men and a 50-short-ton crane to pull it out. After repairing it, it was set back in place. That lasted about 20 years and it had to be repaired again, but it has never rotated as precisely as it once did.

It has never been discovered how he was able to do the work he did, and his secrets died with him. A lesson we can learn here is that great things must be passed on to another generation, or they will die off and be lost – maybe to never be recovered again.

Text Verse: “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:21-23

In our verses today, both the Lord and Moses note the importance of parents teaching the children what they know concerning the words of the Lord. If we find it a loss to think of not knowing how Ed Leedskalnin did what he did, how much more of a loss should it be considered when the word of the Lord is not passed on to the next generation!

Or maybe even worse than that would be incorrectly passing on the word of the Lord. Who knows, someone who was not trained in the word of the Lord might find a copy of it, read it, and come to find Him in it. That actually will be seen in today’s sermon.

But if someone is incorrectly taught the word of the Lord, the chances are likely that his doctrine will never be corrected. This is evidenced all over the world in people who learned incorrectly, and who continue on in the incorrect pursuit of the word for the rest of their lives.

Let us be sure to not only pass on the word of the Lord, but let us be absolutely sure that we are passing it on properly – to the glory of God who gave it to us in the first place. Such truths as these are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Gather the People to Me (verses 8-10)

The final verse of the previous sermon asked, “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?” That verse forms the middle of the ongoing chiasm which began in verse 3:25 and which will end in verse 4:22.

Moses just asked which nation has God so near to it. It was a rhetorical question which demanded the answer, “No such nation exists.” Starting off where we left off, Moses now continues in this same line of thought by asking another rhetorical question…

⁸ And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law

Moses asked concerning the nearness of God to the people, noting that for whatever reason, they might call upon Him. Now, he asks concerning the “statutes and righteous judgments.” What nation possesses any that are comparable to that which is contained in their law? Again, it demands a negative answer. “There is no such nation.”

The question is dependent on two different thoughts. The first is concerning the statutes and judgments which the Lord first commanded Moses. That was seen in verse 4:5. There Moses said, “Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me.”

The second thought is that it is those same laws that Moses is giving to teach the people. That was seen in verse 4:1, saying, “listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe.” Both rhetorical questions are given in relation to the Lord God.

The Lord is Israel’s God, and He is near to them as a people. And the statutes and judgments find their source in the Lord God. Both of these together are what make them a great nation.

Israel cannot claim the nearness of God as a right to call upon Him unless they acknowledge – meaning hear and obey – the statutes and judgments which He has given. They are a reflection of Him, and a condition of a right relationship with Him.

The two questions asked by Moses show that the greatness of a nation is not truly based on size, military power, wealth, or any other such thing. Rather, it is based on its relationship with God and on its form and structure of government – meaning its statutes and judgments which form the basis of it – both of which are available to Israel.

At times, Israel had great military power, and Israel also had the greatest of wealth – especially under Solomon – but neither of these defined them, and neither of these could save them. Only in holding to the Lord and not false idols, and only in observance of His law and not in deviating from it, could Israel be considered a great nation. Moses says, it is these statutes and judgments…

^8 (con’t) which I set before you this day?

liphnekhem – “before you.” It is second person plural. Moses is setting these things before the people. There was a time when the Law of Moses did not exist. The nations set up kingdoms and governments, and they conducted their affairs according to their own set guidelines. Many of them had noble laws, some of which mirror the laws found in the Law of Moses.

The expectations of God are often natural laws which are known even to those who do not have the law. Paul shows this is true in Romans 2 –

“…for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, ¹⁵ who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)” Romans 2:14, 15

However, not all of what God expects of man is found in nature. And further, with the introduction of sin, corruption of what is right is introduced into even what is evident from nature. Thus, the otherwise noble laws of the nations contained corruptions of what is right, and they also lacked the fulness of what God expected.

This would not be the case with the Mosaic Law. The laws of the nations could not provide life. They could only constrain or guide the people during life. The Law of Moses, however, was given to give life, if it was adhered to. Hence, Moses implored them to be attentive to what he set before them…

⁹ Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself,

raq hishamer lekha u-shemor naphshekha meod – “Only take heed to yourself, and watch your soul exceedingly.” First, this is a double imperative, using the same Hebrew word, shamar, twice. Secondly, the words are second person singular. Each individual, forming a collective whole, is to do so.

They are to watch their actions, and they are to exceedingly confine the actions of their souls. A good parallel to this thought is found in 1 Timothy 6 –

“O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge.” 1 Timothy 6:20    

Thirdly, Moses will again use the word shamar in verse 4:15 in conjunction with the nature of God. No image bears His likeness, and therefore there is to be no image made attempting to reveal any likeness of anything which is to then be worshipped.

It is the soul of the man which is tempted to fall into idolatry, and so each man was to carefully guard his soul from doing so. This is what Moses begins to speak of now…

^{9 (con’t)} lest you forget the things your eyes have seen,

Although all but Joshua and Caleb of those twenty and above had died in the wilderness, those nineteen and younger were spared. Those twenty and above had seen all of the events – from the Exodus through until arrival at the border of Canaan, and yet they forgot what their eyes had beheld.

However, at the time of Moses’ words, those who were around forty-five, up to those who were in their late fifties would have vivid memories of the Exodus, of the giving of the law, of the coming of the manna for the first time, of the water flowing from the rock, of enough quail coming to the camp to feed them all for a month, and on and on and on.

Moses, however, will focus only on the giving of the law for his words here. It is that display, and the events which surrounded it, that established them as the Lord’s people under His rule and authority.

Their young, impressionable eyes would have seen those things. And in seeing, Moses implores them to not forget. And not forgetting was to be based on an active process of remembering by keeping and guarding themselves through observance of the laws that same Lord, through Moses, set before them.

^{9 (con’t)} and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.

In the Bible, when the heart is mentioned this way, it never speaks of the organ which pumps blood, nor does it speak of the seat of emotions as we use it today. Rather, it speaks of the place of reason and intellect. The words here may have been on the mind of the psalmist when he wrote –

“Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11

Each individual was to take heed to himself, and to watch over his soul diligently in order to remember the precepts of the law. If any of you has ever learned another language, you know that unless you actively maintain that language, you will forget it – very quickly. This is what Moses is telling the people.

“If you don’t actively pay heed to the law, and if you do not actively watch over yourself and your actions in relation to the law, the precepts of the law will depart from your mind, and they will be absolutely gone. You will not even have a memory of them unless you are once again schooled in them.”

Further, a knowledge of the law, like a knowledge of maintaining a free society itself, is not congenital. It must be carefully guarded and passed on…

^{9 (con’t)} And teach them to your children and your grandchildren,

v’hodatam l’vanekha v’livne vanekha – “and teach them to your sons, and to your sons’ sons.” This is the first time that Israel is instructed to not only pay heed to the word of the Lord but to actively pass that word on to their children after them. However, the same thought will be seen again several more times throughout Deuteronomy.

If a person fails to keep guard over what he knows, he will forget it, having it crowded out by all kinds of other things that come in and replace whatever that knowledge is. And, even if that person actively and carefully guards his knowledge, unless he passes it on to those who come after him, that knowledge will perish with him.

Further, this isn’t just something that will happen to each individual. Rather, it is something that will happen to the entire nation collectively as well. Even though spoken in the singular, it is referring to the nation as a whole.

Unless the law is remembered and heeded by those under it, and unless it is taught to those who come after them, it will die from both the individual and the collective memory.

While Moses is speaking these words, his coming replacement, Joshua, is sitting right there with him. And yet, we read this in Judges 2 –

“When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10

Within one generation of the exhortation by Moses, the very thing that he implores for them to do is the very thing that they failed to do. An entire generation did not know the Lord, nor those things that He had done, because the parents failed to protect, keep, and pass on that which they knew.

This was corrected, from time to time, through the Lord’s chastening hand, or His active intervention more than for any other reason. But no sooner would they turn back to the Lord, then they would fall away again. One generation to the next, failing to instill in their children the things that would keep them from His wrath.

Eventually, the knowledge of His statutes and judgments was so far removed from them, that they didn’t even know that they existed. This is seen at the time of King Josiah and the entire chapter must be read to understand both the situation, and the ramifications of what transpired because of it. (2 Kings 22).

Moses’ is imploring them to do these things now, because the Lord had already done so forty years earlier. He gave them a display which was intended to impress His glory upon their minds, and which was then intended to be passed on as a truthful account to each subsequent generation…

¹⁰ especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb,

The words “especially concerning” are not in the original, and they an unnecessary insert. Moses is referring to the law, the Source of the law, and beginning of the giving of that law.

It is this Day in Horeb that is the basis of everything Moses is relaying concerning the law. The people stood before the Lord, and they became a people under the law at that time. In verse 9, Moses referred to ha’devarim, the things, that their eyes had seen. Now, he explains what those “things” are that he was referring to.

It is important for us to remember that the giving of the law at Sinai came at the same time of year that the descending of the Holy Spirit came to the church – Pentecost. The two occurrences at this time, spanned by almost fifteen hundred years, was to teach us a lesson. It is a lesson detailed throughout the New Testament.

In Romans, Paul says that the law, which was intended to bring life, actually brought death. Later, Paul refers to this in 2 Corinthians –

“Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? ² You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; ³ clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.
⁴ And we have such trust through Christ toward God. ⁵ Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, ⁶ who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

Again, in Galatians 4, Paul compares the two covenants and calls the Covenant at Sinai bondage, but he says those of the New Covenant are free. In the book of Hebrews, the author time and again speaks of the superiority of the New Covenant over the old, and in Hebrews 12, he specifically refers to the account which Moses will now remember.

We don’t want to get our minds too far away from these New Covenant truths as we evaluate what Moses will say. This is because the very covenant which was promised to be life for the people turned out to be death for them.

It is not that the fault is with the law, but with man’s inability to live by what the law says. The initial giving of this law is what forms the basis of the entire law, and it is that initial giving that Moses appeals to…

^{10 (con’t)} when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me,

This is a condensed version of what is stated in Exodus 19. There, the people were told to consecrate themselves, including not coming near their wives, meaning intimately, and they were to wash their clothes. After the consecration, the Lord was to appear to them on the third day atop Sinai…

^{10 (con’t)} and I will let them hear My words,

The words here tie in with “the things” their eyes saw which Moses referred to in verse 9. The word he used there, ha’devarim, literally means “the words.” When hearing, one doesn’t actually see the words, but to us things are made up of words, and so our minds can make a mental picture of things we hear.

The Lord here says v’ashmiem eth devarai – “and I will let them hear my words.” In the Bible, and in both testaments, the words “see,” “heart,” and “eyes” are used again and again in the same verse. The heart discerns and understands what the eyes see. And sometimes, the eyes see without visually beholding something.

Here we have the Lord, coming to reveal Himself to Israel in two ways – 1) through His spoken word, and 2) in a terrifying display of His glory through sight and sound. This was to impress upon the people that the law, which is being given, did – in fact – proceed from the Lord.

Thus, as much as the sight and sound revealed the power of the Lord, the words revealed the nature of the Lord. The people will not see the Lord, but the words He speaks will convey to them images nonetheless.

It is these mental images that come with the commandments that will – at the same time – be intended for convicting them of holding fast to what they are told, and yet also bring to mind possibilities of breaking the very laws they are to hear.

Paul explains that, in detail, in Romans 7, and it is what we will consider in the verses ahead. The Lord, at the giving of the law, understood this. Because of this – and known to us now, but unknown to Israel at the time – the law is only an interim step in the panorama of redemptive history.

Thus, despite the next words of the Lord, which seem like the purpose of the law, the actual purpose of the giving of the law was to identify this problem in us, to teach us that it is the case, and then – by taking that information – it is intended to lead us by the hand directly to the cross of Christ where we can find grace. Not knowing this at the time, the Lord next says…

^{10 (con’t)} that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

The word lamad (meaning learning, teaching, instructing) that was introduced in 4:1 and which was repeated in 4:5 is used again here two times – learn and teach. As we have seen, it comes from a primitive root signifying “to goad,” which is what is done to prod an animal along. The Lord intends to prod the people through this law to 1) fear Him, and 2) to teach their children.

But this prodding isn’t confined to the land of Israel. Instead of the word ha’ertz or “the land,” He says, ha’adamah, or “the earth.” Though almost interchangeable at times, the word adamah speaks of the ground itself, without distinction to a specific location.

 When under the law, wherever one goes on the earth, he remains under the law. The physical boundaries of the lands of the earth do not end the spiritual confines of the burden of the law.

The same is true with the generations under the law. The burden of the law does not end with the death of the parent. It continues on to the children. Thus, whether the children are taught the law or not, the burden of the law remains. Therefore, the Lord includes them in His words now, both in word and in a visible manifestation…

In the hearing of these commands, I find no hope
Even from the first one I was done in for sure
I used to think I was pretty great, but I see I am just a dope
Compared to God’s standard, I am certainly impure

I tremble to think of my guilt, how it weighs me down
I fear to face God on my own deeds for righteousness
I once thought God would at me smile, but no! It will be a frown
I bear such heavy guilt, My God! I am such a mess 

Oh, but then I heard of Jesus, sweet Jesus
He lived the life that I could never ever live
And He gave it up for sinners like me! Yes, for all of us
In exchange for my life of sin, His perfect life He did give

Oh! What a Savior! What a friend He is to me!
Oh! My Lord Jesus, the One who has set me free!

II. Darkness, Cloud, and Obscurity (verses 11-14)

¹¹ “Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain,

Exodus 19:17 says, “And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.” It can be assumed that this means “all the people,” including women and children.

The entire congregation was brought out and stood before the Lord. Before this, however, they were given explicit instructions –

“You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. ¹³ Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.” Exodus 19:12, 13

That alone would have been terrifying to the people, but the awesome sight they beheld would have been even more so…

^{11 (con’t)} and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven,

The Hebrew is much more expressive, saying, “and the mountain was burning with fire to the heart of the heavens.” It is as if a continuous raging burning reached up beyond the eyesight of the people. The display of a mountain actually burning would be beyond the ability of the people to mentally grasp.

The thought of the fire here is that of judgment burning up everything that approaches it. The law is given, and thus infractions of it bear a deserved penalty. It is the opposite of the picture seen in the coming of Christ –

“Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:13, 14

Though the law burns with fire, that can be quenched through the fountain of water which comes through the grace of God in Christ. But at the giving of the law, there was more. The fire came…

^{11 (con’t)} with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness.

khoshek anan v’araphel – “darkness, cloud, and obscurity.” The imagery here is that of being completely unable to see. The Lord, and everything about Him, is totally hidden from the eyes. This, even though they strain with all intent to obtain the slightest view. It is exactly the opposite of what John writes about concerning Christ –

“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:5

The idea of the word John uses is that the darkness is unable to overtake the light. Though the law brings complete darkness, the grace of Christ brings complete light. Paul speaks of that in 2 Corinthians 4 –

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6

Until the coming of Christ, however, the people were faced with the overwhelming yoke of knowing that the same Lord who presented Himself in judgment and total obscurity did so with accompanying words…

¹² And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire.

The fire of judgment, with implied ceaseless and complete destruction, is where the Lord speaks from. The eyes were unable to see anything in the gloom and darkness which would allow them to know the Lord behind it.

Instead, they only knew Him through the words of law which bring forth death, and that from the midst of the fire of judgment. What a terrible prospect to consider. The display resulted in what I mentioned a few minutes ago. From Hebrews 12 –

“For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, ¹⁹ and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. ²⁰ (For they could not endure what was commanded: ‘And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.’ ²¹ And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ‘I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.’). Hebrews 12:18-21

The people were terrified at what they beheld. And even their leader, who represented them before the Lord was left utterly afraid at the giving of the law. What a marked difference to that which Christ left His people at the giving of the New Covenant –

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

^{12 (con’t)} You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice.

The lesson of the law is found in these words. The law speaks, it speaks words of bondage, expected judgment, and that – then – leading to death. The only place to appeal a violation of the law is to either precepts within it, or to the unseen Lord who gave it in the first place.

The Lord will tell them in the coming verses that because they saw no form, they were not to make any image of anything in order to worship it, serve it, petition it, pray to it, or call it a god. A person under the law was only to worship the unseen Lord.

But for those after the first generation, this means a completely new dynamic is introduced. Without seeing the Lord, or a representation of the Lord, one must have faith that the Lord actually exists.

Such a state will lead to one of a few inevitable paths a person can follow. The first is to believe in the Lord and to follow Him in some measure – be it wholeheartedly, partially, or failingly. The second would be to not believe in the Lord and ignore the commandments of the law. Another would be to not believe in the Lord and obey the law anyway. And so on.

None of these are unlike the state of the believer in Christ today. We have not seen Jesus, and – like those under the law – all we have are the accounts which tell us of what occurred in the past. Either way, whether under the law, or in Christ, the key to a right relationship with the Lord is through faith. David understood this after having violated the law –

“For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:16, 17

The law demanded sacrifices for sin, but David knew that a sacrifice was only as good as the heart attitude behind it. Thus, we can see that the same day that the law was introduced a spirit of self-worth, because of the law, was also introduced.

For those who looked to the law for their justification, it wasn’t because they took to heart the terrible display of judgment which came with the giving of the law. If they did, they too would quake and fear at their infractions of it. Rather, they look to the allowances within the law, or even beyond the law, for their justification.

“Yes, I may have sinned, but this goat will take care of that. And further, the more perfectly I adhere to the law, the more God will favor me.”

This is the principal error of what we might call Pharasaism. It comes from the self-righteous attitude which springs forth from going through the motions of the law without a care about having offended the One who gave the law in the first place. It is what Jesus stated to the people in Luke 18:10-14 –

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ ¹³ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Whether the Pharisee believed in God at all or not, he did not look to God as the source of his righteousness. Rather, he looked to the law, additions to the law, and his observance of those things as his righteousness. The tax collector, like David, looked beyond the law to the Giver of it. “This law cannot forgive me, but You can.”

Unfortunately, the same spirit which filled the Pharisee fills much of the church today. The grace of God, and His tender mercies, are set aside by and through law observance. None of us deserve the grace and mercy of God which is found in Christ Jesus. And we prove that point in one of two ways –

1) We can trust in Christ and only in Christ for our justification, thus proving that we are saved by Christ.

2) We can trust in our adherence to certain precepts within the Law of Moses, thus showing that Christ’s grace does not matter to us.

We cannot have it both ways. The giving of the law of which the Ten Commandments is the basis, demonstrates this to us…

¹³ So He declared to you His covenant

Here it says berito – “His covenant.” There is no exchange between the Lord and the people. It is solely the Lord’s pronouncement. Nothing can be added to it by them. They are words of law coming from an unseen Source, and in a terrifying display of power.

But the display is not the Lord. The display is simply that – an effect produced by the Lord. But the words are a reflection of the Lord. And, as the words form the covenant, then the covenant itself is a perfect – even if incomplete – reflection of the Lord.

If the people were told to not approach the mountain lest they die, then what a greater horror could be expected if they violated the words of His covenant! This is all the more poignant because these were not mere admonitions – “Try to do these things.” These were unalterable commandments…

^{13 (con’t)} which He commanded you to perform,

The display of power was to impress upon the people the terror they should feel at violating the covenant. It was spoken by Him, it was imposed upon them, and they were to understand the consequences for failing to adhere.

^{13 (con’t)} the Ten Commandments;

asereth ha’devarim – “ten the words.” What would happen if the Lord never said, “You shall not murder”? Then murder would not be a violation of the law. And what happens in one’s mind when the words, “You shall not murder” are spoken?

The mind makes a mental image of doing just that. Thus, it shows that we know what murder is. And what is it that we do when we get in an argument with someone and we really hate him. It may be that in our mind, we form an image of killing him, just as we did when we were told to not murder.

This is what Jesus was referring to when He spoke of committing adultery, one of the Ten Words –

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27, 28

This is what the law does. It condemns us through mere thought. And this is what Paul writes about in Romans 7 –

“I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. ¹⁰ And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. ¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.” Romans 7:9-11

It is certain that every person standing there receiving the Ten Words did exactly this as the Lord spoke them out. He said, “You shall have no other gods before Me,” and some of the people’s minds went to the gods they had set up in their tent, or to a god they once worshipped in Egypt.

He said, “Honor your father and your mother,” and some of them at that very moment thought in their minds, “My father is a loser and my mother is pathetic.” On down the line of the Ten Words, each one brought to mind a thought which caused some person to violate it, even while he was receiving it.

This is the infection in us known as “sin.” And it is what Paul refers to. The commandment, which was to bring life, brought death because sin took the occasion by the commandment, deceived them, and killed them, even while they stood there receiving them. But it didn’t end there. The commandment which brought death was made permanent…

^{13 (con’t)} and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.

This is what Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians 3 – the letter, meaning the tablets of stone, kills. Only the Spirit can grant life. The entire history of Israel is given to show us that we need Christ, and that without Him, we will remain in a state of death.

Stone is unyielding and when something is written on it, there it remains. Thank God for the Stone of Israel, Jesus Christ, by whom those commandments were fulfilled, and whose body was then broken for us so that we might be brought out from such bondage and terror and into new life and a heavenly hope.

¹⁴ And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments,

There is an emphasis in the words in regard to Moses – “And me Yehovah commanded at that time.” This is certainly stated this way because of the people’s reaction after hearing the Lord speak out the law –

“Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. ¹⁹ Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’” Exodus 20:18, 19

The display was sufficient to accomplish its intended goal, and so from then on, Moses was given the words of the Lord which he then passed on to the people as instruction to prod them along.

These statutes and judgments began immediately after that in Exodus 20, and they continued on through Numbers. They now resume once again in the book of Deuteronomy. And this instruction was so…

*^14 (fin) that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess.

The intent of these statutes, judgments, commands, ordinances, and so on, was to lead the people through their lives in Canaan. They are a unique and perfect form of instruction – if the people adhered to them. But even from the first days after having crossed the Jordan, they began to violate them.

During the first battle to subdue the land, even during the battle itself, one of the people violated the tenth commandment, coveting, and he also violated other precepts which had been laid down in the forming of the government as well.

This pattern continued all the way throughout the time of the law, and it continued through the time of the coming of Christ as well. And, it continues on in the world today. Where law is given, law is violated. And with the violation of law, there is the imputation of sin.

The only way to be freed from this bondage is to be freed from the law. And in order to be freed from the law, one must be given grace. The law and grace are mutually exclusive. Either one is under law, or he is under grace.

Not only has Israel had innumerable laws laid upon them already, but Moses is going to heap more on them in the many chapters ahead. There is nothing wrong with the law though, Paul says that the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. The problem does not reside in the law. Rather, the problem is in us.

In order to correct this problem, God sent His Son into the world to do what we could not do – live out the law as God expects. The remarkable thing about it is that the law itself proclaims its own ending in Him.

That was seen in our text verse today, and it will be confirmed in our closing verse. For now, please understand that if you are caught up in a church that asks you to come under the precepts of the Law of Moses, you are excluding God’s grace by doing so.

Come to God through Christ and be reconciled to Him through His fulfillment of this terrifying law which was given by an infinitely holy God. His justice must be satisfied, and it will either be through Christ’s fulfillment of it on your behalf, or your failure of it being reckoned to you. Choose wisely. Choose Christ.

Closing Verse: “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:16-18

Next Week: Deuteronomy 4:15-24 Can you shape it with stone, metal, or a wood board? … (The Form of the Lord) (15^th Deuteronomy Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

That They May Teach Their Children

And what great nation is there
That has such statutes and righteous judgments, please do say
As are in all this law
Which I set before you this day?

Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself
Lest you forget the things your eyes have seen; all that has been
And lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life
And teach them to your children and your grandchildren

Especially concerning the day you stood
Before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me
Gather the people to Me
And I will let them hear My words spoken plainly

That they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth
And that they may teach their children
———-of their incomparable worth

Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain
And the mountain burned with fire during my address
To the midst of heaven
With darkness, cloud, and thick darkness

And the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire
You heard the sound of the words all around
But saw no form
You only heard a voice; one that shook the ground

So He declared to you His covenant
Which He commanded you to perform; these He made known
The Ten Commandments
And He wrote them on two tablets of stone

And the LORD commanded me at that time
To teach you statutes and judgments; to you them I did express
That you might observe them in the land
Which you cross over to possess

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

⁸ And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? ⁹ Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, ¹⁰ especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

¹¹ “Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. ¹² And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice. ¹³ So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. ¹⁴ And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 4:2-7
For Whatever Reason We May Call Upon Him

Last week, we got through just one verse, and in all honesty, that could have easily happened again today. There is sufficient detail in verse 2 that it could have been fully fleshed out in a single sermon. But I thought, “If I do this, there will be a rebellion. Eventually, someone is going to go crazy, or shoot me, or both.”

And so, I cut the commentary on verse 2 short. About an hour after having done this, Sergio messaged me and asked if I was sticking with verse 2 alone for the sermon, or if there would be progress. I told him my thoughts about a rebellion and went back to work. He suggested that I not rush it and to just give you one verse. He said that if you have a problem with that, you should email him.

Ok, he didn’t really say that, but a few minutes later, he sent me a GIF of a riot – people destroying a car with the caption, “Rebellion on Siesta Key After 2^nd One Verse Sermon.” I laughed and got back to work.

But two minutes later, a second GIF came in of a black congregation applauding in the Spirit, saying, “While Sarasota Protests, SW Satellite Church in Uganda is Like…” meaning that they were all behind another one-verse sermon.

I think he’s implying that folks in the US are lazy about their theology, but those in Africa cherish the word. Can it be? I dare not try to find out because he sent one more GIF with a picture of a person drowning in emails and a caption, “Charlie the Day After the Sermon,” implying that people will, in fact, be upset enough to email by the hundreds.

And so, I have done my best to shorten the comments of verse 2, and to continue on through the rest of what is now our sermon text.

Text Verse: “Oh, how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.” Psalm 119:97

Meditating on the law of the Lord is what brings out the beauty of the law of the Lord. One cannot meditate on what he does not know, nor can he know unless he first opens the word and reads it.

Sermon typing is to be an active meditation on the word which is then intended to be expressed to others concerning what has been considered and brought forth. I can’t think of any other way of expressing myself in a sermon that has more value than to sit and contemplate each word of each verse and then pass that on to whoever is willing to listen.

It is God’s word and it is given for us to find Christ, and/or to marvel in what Christ has accomplished for us. We will see more of that today as we go through our verses. For now, I would like to remind you of the chiasm which spans the verses we’re looking at.

Deuteronomy 3:25-4:22 – Call upon Him.
Israel’s Instruction (11/07)

a 3:25  Moses wants to cross Jordan
       b 3:26  Lord angry with Moses 
                c 3:27  “Lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east.” 
                      d 4:3, 4  Example of apostasy (idolatry)
                            e 4:5  Taught statutes and judgments
                                f 4:6  Be careful to observe them (judgments)
                                    g 4:7  Great nation
                                            x 4:7  Call upon Him
                                     g 4:8  Great nation
                                 f 4:9  Diligently keep yourself (judgments)
                            e 4:10-14  Taught statutes and judgments.
                      d 4:15-18  Warning of apostasy (idolatry)
                 c 4:19  “Lift your eyes to heaven.”
        b 4:21  Lord angry with Moses
a 4:22  Moses must not cross over the Jordan

We will get through a portion of the verses of this chiasm today, including the central verse upon which it is anchored. What a treasure we have in the word! It is filled with beauty and riches. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Do Not Add to It nor Take from It (Verse 2)

² You shall not add to the word

Here, the “statutes and judgments” referred to in verse 1 are combined into one thought – lo tosiphu al ha’davar – “No shall you add to the word.” The word “you” is plural. It is spoken to all of the people of Israel, and what is conveyed to them is a codified body of law which stands alone – ha’davar, “the word.”

Despite being made up of many words which then comprise the statutes and judgments that must be individually observed, together they form a single unit. This idea is precisely conveyed by James –

“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. ¹¹ For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” James 2:10, 11

Of this, Charles Ellicott says, “The word is the substance of the Law. The words in which it is expressed may be more or less.” He then continues with, “The law of Moses contains in it the germ of all revelation to the very end.”

In other words, what Moses presents here is what will spring forth into new revelation. The prophets, under the law of Moses, would speak forth more to the people which would be considered further revelation within the framework of the law.

For example, Jeremiah, again and again, would come forward to the people and say, “Hear the word of the Lord.” The book of Jeremiah is a revelation of God, and it is authoritative. His words are incorporated into the body of Scripture which issues forth from the Lord.

At times, what he or others said was simply a call to observe what is already laid out by Moses. At times, Jeremiah would reveal something which would occur because of obedience or disobedience to the word, and so on.

It is the word (singular) of the Lord, spoken with words (plural) which become a continued part of the word of the Lord. However, it is – in fact – the word of the Lord. When the false prophets spoke, it was not the word of the Lord.

Based on these things, one might jump to the conclusion that what is presented in the Law of Moses is the complete and completed word of law which stands alone and for all time.

And indeed, there are those who treat it as such, as least in principle. The Jews of Jesus’ time would hold up Moses as the full and finished revelation of God, sticking fast to every precept when it was convenient, but then dismissing what the Law of Moses clearly revealed, and what the prophets later continued to reveal.

Even today, many messianics and Hebrew Roots adherents look at the Law of Moses as still binding in every precept. And yet, even they conveniently dismiss those parts of the law which are inconvenient, or impossible, to observe.

What the Jews of Jesus’ time, those swayed by the false apostles who came forth to reinsert the law as recorded in Paul’s writings, and the pseudo-Christians today who continue to hold to the Law of Moses, fail to see is that the Law of Moses, itself, speaks of its own end. It is merely a steppingstone on the path to a New Covenant, of which Moses Himself speaks of. For example, Deuteronomy 18 says –

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, ¹⁶ according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’
¹⁷ “And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. ¹⁸ I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. ¹⁹ And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.” Deuteronomy 18:15-19

A Prophet like Moses is different than any other prophet who would come under the Law of Moses. Other prophets spoke in accord with the covenant, but Moses spoke out the covenant. Thus, a Prophet like Moses would speak out a New Covenant. Ironically, Jeremiah – a prophet under the Law of Moses – spoke of exactly this –

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— ³² not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. ³³ But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. ³⁴ No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34

Jeremiah spoke the word of the Lord, with words in accord with the word of the Lord, which support Moses’ words concerning a New Covenant. But such a New Covenant would not be, and indeed could not be, a part of the Law of Moses. This is a truth which was completely missed by the scholar Keil –

“Christ also said that He had not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfil (Matthew 5:17); and the old covenant was not abrogated, but only glorified and perfected, by the new.” Keil

He could not be more wrong in this. As we saw ever so clearly last week, the law was glorified in Christ, but only so in His fulfillment of it. And the law could not be “perfected.” As it is from God, it is perfect in what it teaches, even if incomplete in what it presents concerning His revelation of Himself. The law was abrogated in the introduction of a New Covenant.

Jeremiah said that the sins of the people would be remembered no more. And yet, it is through law that sin is imputed. If the Lord God would no longer remember their sins, then this New Covenant could not be a part of the Law of Moses, meaning the Old Covenant. And this is confirmed, explicitly, in Hebrews with the words, “In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete” (Hebrews 8:13).

And that takes us back to the opening words of the verse, “You shall not add to the word.” Observing the Law of Moses required that it was to be kept, exactly as it was given. But this is the very thing that Israel did as is recorded throughout the prophets, and as is recorded by Jesus’ own words at His time –

“Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
⁸ ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
⁹ And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Matthew 15:7-9

Both the words of the prophets, and Jesus’ words, show that Israel failed in this. They added in words to the word which were not a part of the word, thus violating the word itself…

^2 (con’t) which I command you,

The Lord has spoken out the terms of the covenant, and He has relayed through Moses His expectations to the people. This was seen innumerable times in the previous books with the words, “And the Lord spoke to Moses saying.”

From there, Moses would transmit that word to the people. It is the word of the Lord, from the Lord to Moses, and which is then given to the people. However, Moses now says, “which I command you.” What is to be presented is the word of the Lord, and yet it is not the word from the Lord to Moses, but the word of the Lord through Moses.

Though it is the word of the Lord, it is a completely different way in which the Lord will speak. In Numbers 7, we read –

“Now when Moses went into the tabernacle of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice of One speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; thus He spoke to him.” Numbers 7:89

When there, we learned that the verb was in a particular form, expressing the reflexive voice where the subject of the verb is both performing and receiving the verbal action. A more literal translation would be “…he heard the voice conversing with him” (Pulpit).

In Exodus 33:11, it said that “the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” This means that they had open and free discussion. And, in Numbers 12:8, it said that Moses “sees the form of the Lord.”

The Lord conveyed His word to Moses, and Moses then relayed that which he received. But because Moses is speaking in the first person now in Deuteronomy, “which I command you,” it is still divine revelation, but rather than direct revelation “to,” it is divine inspiration “through.”

It is the word of the Lord, and it is not to be added to. This is why the true prophets were not to be stoned to death as if they were violating the covenant, but the false prophets were. A remarkable example of this is found in Jeremiah 26. Jeremiah prophesied to the people words of judgment, they said –

“And the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and all the people, saying, ‘This man deserves to die! For he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.’” Jeremiah 26:11

However, Jeremiah gave a defense for his words, stating they were, in fact, the word of the Lord and that he was in their hands to do with as they wished. After that, we read –

So the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve to die. For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”
¹⁷ Then certain of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying: ¹⁸ “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:
“Zion shall be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins,
And the mountain of the temple
Like the bare hills of the forest.”’
¹⁹ Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah ever put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and seek the Lord’s favor? And the Lord relented concerning the doom which He had pronounced against them. But we are doing great evil against ourselves.” Jeremiah 26:16-19

The prophet Micah was held to be a true prophet of God. In citing Micah, they had a set precedent which could not be denied without denying that he was a prophet. As Jeremiah’s words both confirmed the word of the Law and were also supported by Micah who confirmed the word of the Law, they could not punish Jeremiah without violating the Law of Moses.

^2 (con’t) nor take from it,

There are two things which are to be considered. The first is the performance of what is given. Verse 1 said, “listen to the statutes and judgments.” To listen means more than hearing. It speaks of hearing and acting. For example, in Numbers 15, it said –

“Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners.” Numbers 15:38

In this, there is the possibility of a sin of commission or a sin of omission. If a person made the tassels as instructed, but put a red thread in them, that would be a sin of commission. He purposefully disobeyed the precept. But if he made the tassels and forgot to put in a blue thread, it would be a sin of omission. Both are violations of the law.

But there is another aspect of the law which is what is now spoken of here, and it is what we have been addressing. There is adding to the law that which is not law, or there is taking away from the law that which is law.

Jeroboam, in order to have the people worship in Israel rather than in Judah, made two golden calves for the people to present their sacrifices and offerings to. He added that which was not law.

King Ahaz, on the other hand, took away the burnt altar made by Moses, replacing it with another, one of pagan design. He both took away from the law that which was mandated, and he added that which was not.

Moses is telling the people to not add to, or take away from, that which he is instructing them, meaning purposeful manipulation of the law. This was so…

^2 (con’t) that you may keep the commandments

If there was an addition to the law, they could not rightly keep the law. If there was a taking away from the law, they could not rightly keep the law. But in leaving the law – as given by the Lord, either to or through the prophet of God – the people could then rightly keep the commandments.

From that point, it would be up to the people to not commit violations of the law and to not omit doing the commandments of the law. But if the law is manipulated, the people could not successfully do either. The law is God’s revelation of Himself, and it was to be treated as such. As Moses says, they are commandments…

^2 (con’t) of the Lord your God

Despite being conveyed from Moses to the people, they are ultimately words which form the word of the Lord. And, that the words of the later prophets are a part of that same word is obvious.

The Lord spoke through them His continued revelation to the people, and the words of those prophets carried the same weight and authority as that of Moses, because Moses was not the source of his words, just as the prophets were not the source of their words. In both, they are the words of the Lord God. This is certain based on Jesus’ own words –

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. ¹⁹ Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-19

Jesus refers to the Law and the Prophets, placing them on equal authority. He then confirms this by combining them into one thought – “one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law.” The word of the Lord to Moses is law. The word of the Lord through Moses is law. And the word of the Lord to and through the prophets is law. For now, these are the words of the Lord through Moses, as he says…

^2 (con’t) which I command you.

Moses had the authority to do so because these are the words of the Lord. However, that authority did not end with his death. Rather, it was a word binding upon Israel even at Jesus’ time. When a question of law arose, Jesus would appeal to the law, asking “What did Moses command you?” (Mark 10:3). Also, He told the people to do what the scribes and Pharisees instructed because they sat in Moses’ seat (Matthew 23:2).

The final authority of the Law was Moses, representative of the law, even if the words were of later prophets. This is because the law is one codified body.

Before we go on now to verse 3, you might wonder why this is so important. Why go through all of this detailed analysis over something so simply stated? It is because one must hang his hat somewhere.

One can hang his hat on Moses and thus be obligated to Moses – wholly and entirely. This is the weight and the penalty of the law. No man may add to it, and no man may subtract from it. If one desires the law, he must live and die by the law –

“And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. ⁴ You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” Galatians 5:3, 4 

Or, one can come to Christ, find life in His fulfillment of the law, and receive His grace and mercy, as provided to under the law – of which He embodies, as we see in John 1:16, 17 –

“And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

This is not an arbitrary, haphazard, way of spending Sunday morning. Rather, it is an encounter with the God of the universe and what His expectations are for fallen man, because His expectations are based on His eternal, unchanging nature.

Any violation of the law is reason for condemnation, but through the law mercy could – at times – be given. At others, the just, righteous, and holy standard of God was to be meted out to the people for their willful disobedience of His word…

Keep the commandments of the Lord your God
This is what you are asked to do
To reject this is thinking that is flawed
These words are life and blessing for you 

And to every word, you are to pay heed
Not missing a single precept, because they all apply
In the doing of them, life has been decreed
So be sure to cross every “t” and dot every “i” 

But be sure not to miss what I am telling you
There is one precept you are surely not to miss
When you fail to do what you have been told to do
Come to my Son, and Him you shall kiss 

In Him it is all accomplished and done for you
Come to Him and be reconciled to Me; so, you shall do

II. Be Careful to Observe Them (verses 3-7)

³ Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal Peor;

To continue the chiasm, which is hidden in these verses, Moses now gives a concrete example of what violating the law calls for. He takes Israel back to what occurred in Numbers 25. Something which was still fresh on their memories, because it only happened a short time earlier.

In this, he says, enekhem ha’root, “your eyes that are seeing.” It is present tense, plural. The events occurred within the time of law, the plan is set, it is unfolding, and those under the law were active participants. And this was at a time when all of the previous generation had died, except for Moses, Joshua, and Caleb.

What occurred was with the new generation – those who were set to leave Kadesh, head towards Canaan, and eventually enter into the Land of Promise. But along the way, they were seduced to worship the Baal of Peor though sexual sin on a large scale. It happened, and one can assume it is exactly what is expected of Israel in the near future.

A temple will be built, the people will live under this covenant, and they will suffer the consequences of violating what this covenant demands. Although we are not there yet, a portion of the people of Israel today can be expected to play the harlot through sexual sin – maybe it will be at the annual gay parade in Tel Aviv. And the nation will suffer the consequences of their actions.

This isn’t idle speculation. The past can be expected to be called forward, and that which has been will be again. Israel was given an example of apostasy leading to death, and it can be expected that they will again be given that same example.

When it comes, it will be to remind them that they, as a collective people, are bound to the covenant… or they can come to Christ and be relieved of its burden in Him.

Moses says it is “what the Lord did.” A plague from the Lord came upon the people because of their harlotry and turning from the law which governed them. In turning from the law, they turned from the Lord. And in doing so, he says…

^3 (con’t) for the Lord your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor.

The events of Peor culminated in the death of twenty-four thousand through the sword and through plague. If this is an event to be repeated once the temple rites begin again, and this is mere speculation, Israel can expect another plague in those who openly sin in some idolatrous and sexual way.

Again, something like the gay parades in Tel Aviv could spawn a sudden plague of death by those who participate in them. But even if this doesn’t happen, the fact that it has occurred in Israel, and that it is recorded in the law, is sufficient to apprise Israel that they are bound under this law of penalty, punishment, and death.

However, in contrast to those who sinned…

⁴ But you who held fast to the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you.

Here, the word of the Lord is equated directly to the Lord. Moses says, v’atem ha’debeqim Yehovah elohekhem – “And you, the clinging ones to Yehovah your God.” It is by violating the law that the people died. It is by not violating the law that the people did not die. And yet, it says they clung to the Lord. The Lord, and the word of the Lord, cannot be separated. What He says is a reflection of who He is.

Further, there is a difference between living and being granted life. The law cannot grant life unless one does, and continues to do, the things of the law – perfectly. However, the law can (and does) bring death. In failing to observe the law, death is assured. This is what is being referred to here.

These people did not die, but it does not mean that they have been granted eternal life. Under the Law of Moses, this is impossible. One must be brought out from under the bondage of the law in order to be granted eternal life.

This is stated by John Lange. Understanding that the law cannot give life, he says that this verse only “points to the kernel of all fulfilling of the law, as a living union with the Lawgiver Himself, from which springs, as here, its fruit, life, and life enduring.” It is what Paul writes of in Romans 5 –

“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, ²¹ so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:20-21

⁵ “Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess.

The words of this verse pick up the theme presented in verse 1. Putting the verses side by side will show you this –

* Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you.

* Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess.

First, he uses the same word here as was introduced there, and which is translated as “teach” and “taught.” It is lamad, coming from a primitive root signifying “to goad.” One uses a goad to prod an animal along.

Moses is thus using the word of the Lord to prod the people. However, in verse 1, it was stated as an ongoing act – “which I teach you to observe.” Here in verse 5, he says it in the past tense, “I have taught you.” Why would he do that?

He then uses the same word, laasot, that he used in verse 1. It signifies “to do.” Moses taught the people the statutes and judgments so that they could do them.

However, in verse 1, he said, “that you may live, and go in and possess the land.” Here, he leaves off “that you may live” and he says b’qerev ha’aretz asher atem ba’im shamah l’rishtah – “in the midst of the land which you go there to possess.”

In verse 1, Moses used a word, maan, which signified that the purpose, or goal, of observing the statutes and judgments was two-fold – 1) to live, and 2) to possess the land. He leaves that off now because he is speaking of those who actually cross the Jordan and who will be in the midst of the land.

This is why he changed it from “teach” to “taught.” He is speaking to them as if they have entered and are in the midst of the land. If the purpose of teaching was to live and to enter the land, then when they are in the land, what was taught should be adhered to.

The typology is not to be missed. Moses, representing the law, will be dead when they enter. Joshua, typical of Christ as the leader who replaces the law, will lead them in. They will pass through the Jordan, meaning passing through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and thus they will have life, and they will dwell in the midst of the land – meaning they will have entered the promise.

This is why Moses speaks of it as a done deal, not one which has a purpose or goal, and that is why he doesn’t say, “that you may live.” In type, life is granted in Christ – pictured by dwelling in Canaan. However, this is only in type.

The group who is going in will fail to act in the manner expected. In fact, Ezra uses almost the exact same wording, “the land which you are entering to possess” (Ezra 9:11), when speaking of the words of law which Israel failed to heed. In their failure, they were exiled, in their return from exile, they again failed to heed.

This is one of the main purposes of the Old Testament after the giving of the law. It is to show that Israel did not – and indeed could not – meet the demands of the law. Encouragement didn’t work, punishment didn’t work, and the attempts of people like Ezra and others to do their best at simply honoring the Lord through their efforts under the law didn’t work.

Israel didn’t learn, they continued to not learn, and to this day, their inability to learn this lesson has cost them greatly. Though they entered the land, they did not enter their rest. And today, back in the land once again, they have not entered their rest.

For now, and having left off “that you may live” from his words, Moses provides, instead, another reason for observing the law…

⁶ Therefore be careful to observe them;

The Hebrew is more specific – u-shemartem va’asitem – “And you shall keep, and do them.” One can keep and not do – “This is our law, but I am not going to do it.” Or one can “not” keep and yet do – “There is no law that says I should do this, but I am doing it because it is right.”

Israel, however, was given the law, they were to keep the law, and they were to do the law. This goes for common person as well as judge. A person could not do the law, and a judge could fail to punish him for that. Or, a person could not do the law, and a judge could punish him for that. In the case of the latter, the law is observed, and it is kept through the judge’s actions.

This is especially seen and highlighted in the times of the kings. When the people were without restraint, and the kings likewise failed to restrain the people, the Lord would intervene to judge because the laws were not kept.

However, at times, kings would come in and take the necessary action to correct the people and the Lord would bless the land. Kings are known in the record by their conduct before the law.

A good king might have the words “and he did right in the sight of the Lord,” recorded in his record. A bad king might have the words, “and he did evil in the sight of the Lord,” recorded in his record. At times, David was used as the standard, and a king’s record might say, “he did right in the sight of the Lord, as his father David had done.” These and other variations are given based on one overarching rule – that of the law…

^6 (con’t) for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes,

In keeping the law, there is – in the law – a promise of blessing from the Lord. When one is blessed, he prospers. There is contentment, wealth, abundance, and so on. When a person is seen in such a state, it is recognized that he must have wisdom and understanding.

In understanding this, the source of that wisdom and understanding is then observed. It logically follows that when a person prospers, the reason for it will want to be seen. In Israel’s prosperity, the framework of law which established them would then be heard and understood.

On the other hand, possessing the law, and yet not doing the law, is of little value. It further shows no wisdom at all. In fact, exactly the opposite is true. Israel had the law, and they – more often than not – failed to do the law.

The problem with this is that in the law are listed punishments for not doing the law. Those punishments came upon the people and the nations were quick to recognize why this had come about. The Lord even warned them, through Solomon, of exactly this –

“But if you or your sons at all turn from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, ⁷ then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them; and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples. ⁸ And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and will hiss, and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ ⁹ Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore the Lord has brought all this calamity on them.’” 1 Kings 9:6-9

Either way, the law sets the parameters for how the peoples would view Israel. And the conduct of Israel was guided by the conduct of her leaders. Moses now conveys to them that it is the law, and it is obedience to the law, that will convey a positive image of Israel to the nations…

^6 (con’t) and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’

The psalms speak of the law of the Lord, of the blessings that follow in keeping them, and in the wisdom that is displayed in doing so –

“The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
⁸ The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
⁹ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
¹¹ Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:7-11

Here and elsewhere, this is stated. And throughout the times of the kings, this is validated. This is especially so with Solomon where he is set as the epitome of wisdom and understanding. In this state, the Queen of Sheba sought him out and experienced the truth of what Moses now conveys.

How Israel is viewed by the people of the world is based on this one overarching premise. No one can deny the moral uprightness and greatness of the law. Nations around the world have incorporated portions of it into their own laws.

But the law in and of itself, despite being great, is not what conveys greatness. Rather, adherence to it does. When it is not adhered to, the opposite is true. Israel’s identity is wholly tied up in the law. And, unfortunately, Israel’s failure to adhere to their own law is what brought them scoffing from the nations, exile, and being viewed as pariahs in their places of exile.

But, in their times of obedience, the law provided them something that no other nation had…

⁷ “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it,

The word elohim, or “God,” is a masculine plural noun. It can be translated as “God,” “a god,” or “gods,” depending on the context. Here, the word elohim, and the adjective qerovim, or “near,” are both plural. Therefore, this could be read, “that has God near to it,” “that has a god near to it,” or “that has gods near to it.”

Moses could be saying that there is one God, and that he is especially near to Israel – unlike any other nation. Or, he could be mocking the nations concerning their false gods.

What seems likely is that it should be rendered “a god,” or “gods.” It appears from the next clause that by using the name Yehovah, He is set in contrast to what is stated in this clause.

Either way, the statement is defined by the words “near to it.” No other nation was as close to God, or “gods,” as was Israel, and no other nation had a god or gods that were truly near to it. They were false gods that could not come near. Instead, the nations had to be the ones to draw near. But the Lord, in relation to Israel, was always near. That is explained by Moses saying…

^7 (con’t) as the Lord our God is to us,

ka’Yehovah elohenu – “as Yehovah our God.” The contrast appears to show that the previous clause is referring to false gods. Otherwise, one would think that Moses would say, ha’elohim, or “the God,” as is seen at times. By not using the article there, and by naming Yehovah and calling Him “our God,” he has formed a complete and total contrast to the other nations.

They had no god near, but Israel had Yehovah near…

*^7 (fin) for whatever reason we may call upon Him?

b’kal qareenu elav – “in all we may call upon Him.” These words form the center of the chiasm and they demonstrate that the greatness of Israel is tied directly to the Lord. But the word of the Lord is a reflection of who the Lord is. The two cannot be separated.

Therefore, the greatness of Israel rests solely on their adherence to the word of the Lord, meaning the law. The Lord is near to Israel only when they draw near to Him through obedience to His word. And this, then, brings us directly back to what was discussed in verse 2.

The law, meaning the word of the Lord, clearly and unambiguously spoke of the coming Messiah. And that coming Messiah was clearly revealed in its words. When Christ came, He told them as much –

“Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. ⁴⁶ For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. ⁴⁷ But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” John 5:45-47

Moses wrote about Him, the prophets wrote about Him, and that is because they were inspired, by the Lord, to write about Him. At this time, there is no prophetic revelation from the Lord to Israel because Israel has rejected the Source of prophetic revelation.

If the Lord is near to Israel at this time, it is only in a protective sense, not in the friendly, relational sense that Moses speaks of here. His word says that they have seven more years of this law – the Law of Moses – ahead of them. That is intended to bring them into the New Covenant, and it will come to pass.

At that time, Israel will be as close to their God as the people of God, meaning the church, have been for the past two millennia. Moses asked, what nation has a god, or gods, so near to them?  The answer begs a negative response – “There is no such nation.”

However, through Christ Jesus, a people, even if not a nation, has the God – the true God – near to them. Paul speaks of that in Romans 10 when speaking of those who are the saved of the Lord through the blood of Christ. Citing Deuteronomy 32, he says, “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation” (Romans 10:19).

While Israel has groaned under the punishment of having rejected the Lord, who is the embodiment of this law, the people of the world have streamed to Christ Jesus. He has been, and He remains, as close to us as the simple call out of a prayer under our breath.

When we need comfort, we can talk to Him and He will provide it. When we need reassurance, He is there to give it. And when we need to lay our hearts out to Him for the things we have done wrong, He is there to listen and to forgive.

Israel has missed this because they have missed Jesus. But the church will be called home, the focus of attention will be on Israel, and they will be brought into that sweet fellowship with their God that they failed to receive in times past. This is so that for whatever reason, all will be able to “call on Him.”

Closing Verse: “Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. ²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰ For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, ³¹ even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. ³² For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.” Romans 11:28-32

Next Week: Deuteronomy 4:8-14 Something to consider, ladies and gentlemen… (That They May Teach Their Children) (14^th Deuteronomy Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

For Whatever Reason We May Call Upon Him

You shall not add to the word which I command you
Nor take from it, that you may keep
The commandments of the LORD your God
Which I command you, as my obedient sheep

Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal Peor
For the LORD your God has destroyed, for sure
From among you all the men
Who followed Baal of Peor

But you who held fast to the LORD your God
Are alive today, every one of you still on this earth does trod

Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments
Just as the LORD my God commanded me
That you should act according to them in the land
Which you go to possess, from the Jordan to the Great Sea

Therefore be careful to observe them
For this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight
Of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say
“Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people
———-they have got things set just right

For what great nation is there
That has God so near to it, like a man’s own limb
As the LORD our God is to us
For whatever reason we may call upon Him?

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

² You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. ³ Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal Peor; for the Lord your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor. ⁴ But you who held fast to the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you.
⁵ “Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. ⁶ Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’
⁷ “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? 

 

Deuteronomy 4:1
That You May Live

In our sermon last week, which ended Chapter 3, we were shown a chiasm which continues through much of this chapter, even to verse 22. The beginning and ending parts of that chiasm revealed that Moses wanted to cross the Jordan (verse 3:25), but that he must not do so (verse 4:22).

We have seen, and we certainly will see today, that the reason for this is that Moses is a type, or picture of the law, and thus of those under the law. But in our verse today, Moses refers to “the Lord God of your fathers” when speaking to Israel there before him.

That is referring to those who went before them, including their fathers who received the law. But those who received the law did not enter. And those before them did not have the law, and yet, the Lord promised the land to them.

If he did this, before giving them the law, then inheriting the promise cannot be because of the law. As Paul says in Galatians 3:18, “For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”

Further, Paul says in Romans 4:14 that, “…if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect.” The promise there in Romans 4 is the same promise to Abraham Paul referred to in Galatians 3. To maintain the typology, Moses (picturing the law and thus those under law) is not to cross the Jordan and enter Canaan.

Well then, if God gave the inheritance to Abraham and his descendants by promise, and yet Israel under law will actually go over Jordan and dwell there, it means that the promise is not really the land of Canaan at all. These people and places are given as types and shadows of something greater.

But this still doesn’t explain why the law was given. What purpose did it serve? Paul answers that in his next words of Galatians after speaking of the inheritance, our text verse for today…

Text Verse: “What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. ²⁰ Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.” Galatians 3:19, 20

Paul says the law was “added because of transgressions.” What that means is that the statutes and judgments which Moses will begin to refer to today actually multiply Israel’s guilt before the Lord. They don’t bring the people nearer to God, but rather, they were to show the people the perfection of God and how far short of that standard they actually were.

Thus, in the coming of the Seed, meaning Christ, they could also understand the immense grace of God, the infinite mercy of God, and the immeasurable love of God. But those attributes of God can only be realized by faith in God, not in observing the law.

If someone observes the law, it is done to merit favor or to avoid punishment, but it is not done out of faith. You are going to hear this presented to you so many times, and in so many ways, in the next few minutes that your heads may either spin off or explode, but this is necessary to clearly think through what is presented here on several different levels.

The reason we are going to do this, is in hopes that you, or someone else, will finally be able to say, “Aha, I get it.” We may have heard the story of grace a million times, and yet we may still be clinging to our own selfish means of making God happy other than in simply trusting Him and what He has done.

How many of you refrain from certain types of foods because you believe the Bible tells you to?  How many of you give a tithe because you believe the Bible tells you to? How many of you think your time at church is part of a Sabbath Day worship?

If you think any of these things, you are both wrong, and you are not pursuing grace, but rather you are pursuing a law, attempting to please God through your efforts. You are setting aside grace in the process of living out some supposed law that you think is bringing you nearer to God. Grace is grace. It cannot be merited.

If you are trying to do so, let’s hope that after the countless repetitions of thought that you are about to hear, you will finally give that up and just… trust. May it be so. By grace, and by faith, meaning faith alone for salvation, is a principle point of Christian theology, and it is clearly laid out in God’s superior word. And so, let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Statutes and Judgments

Moses has spent the first three chapters of the book of Deuteronomy recounting the events which brought Israel to the place where they are now. All of what he has conveyed has been given as typological pictures of future redemptive history, and most especially that of the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

Israel was brought out of Egypt and was set to enter into the land of Canaan, they failed to believe the Lord and His promises, and they were turned into the wilderness to perish there. That pictured Israel’s rejection of Christ, and their exile among the nations for these past two thousand years.

The typology has been exceedingly precise and clear. Now, Israel is once again set to enter into the Land of Promise. But Canaan is not the true Promise. Rather, it is only a typological picture of entering God’s rest which comes by believing in Christ Jesus. As the author of Hebrews says –

“For we who have believed do enter that rest.” Hebrews 4:3

He is referring to faith in Christ which makes that possible.

Chapter 3 closed out with verses 23-29 where Moses petitioned the Lord to allow him to enter the land. To understand the context of what will now be presented, those verses, which we evaluated last week, are again given –

“Then I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying: ²⁴ ‘O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds? ²⁵ I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.’

²⁶ “But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me: ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter. ²⁷ Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. ²⁸ But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.’
²⁹ “So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor.” Deuteronomy 3:23-29

Understanding the typology from last week (Moses represents the law, and the law cannot bring people into the promise), the narrative now turns to…the law. It seems almost contradictory. How can it be that Moses, who represents the law and who is forbidden entry into the promise, now issues forth more words of law which he expects the people to be obedient to?

The answer to that question is found in the first verse which introduces the words of law which will span the next twenty-nine chapters, right up until the end of Chapter 32.

“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments

v’atah Yisrael sh’ma el ha’khuqim v’el ha’mishpatim – “And now Israel, hearken unto the statutes and unto the judgments.” The word shama means to hear, but the sense here is to hear and to pay heed to what is heard. And that which is to be hearkened to are the statutes and judgments.

The words are variously translated – decrees and laws, statutes and rules, statutes and ordinances, ordinances and judgments, etc. The first word is khoq, signifying something prescribed or owed.

It comes from khaqaq which is something decreed or even a person or thing which is appointed. That comes from a primitive root meaning to hack, and thus to engrave. These things are appointed and are expected to be obeyed, as any decree would be.

The second word is mishpat. It is a standard or a judgment, coming from shaphat which means to judge or to govern. Moses is now going to relay statutes and judgments for the people to hearken to.

Many of these are going to be repeated from earlier times and will include further recountings of what occurred, and why they were given. In other words, and for example, Moses will repeat the Ten Commandments, which were given to Israel, but He will also recount the many events which surrounded the giving of those commandments.

The end of Moses’ recounting the past is not over, but Moses first recounted the events which led to their punishment before recounting those events that surrounded things which occurred before that time. If this seems out of order, it isn’t.

The Lord, through Moses, is showing Israel in typology what brought them the years of disaster that had happened to them (meaning their rejection of Christ) before showing them again what led them to that point.

So, what led them to it? The law. They had been given the law, and even though they were under law, it is not disobeying the law that brought about their punishment. It was a lack of faith in the Lord that brought it about. That was stated, explicitly and in the most poignant terms, in Deuteronomy 1:32, 33

“Yet, for all that, you did not believe the Lord your God, ³³ who went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day.”

The people failed to… believe. If you remember, the Hebrew was very marked and specific. Moses had recounted what got them to the door of Canaan, and yet – and despite all of that – they failed to believe. Nothing about the law was even said. They simply failed to trust the Lord.

Moses is now going to heap all of the laws back onto the people again, and he is going to add in other laws as well. And yet, it isn’t their failure of the law that excluded them from the promise, and so it cannot be their observance of the law which will – next time – bring them into the promise.

So why is Moses doing this? Because the Law of Moses, this impossible body of statutes and judgments and penalties – and so much more – is given as a body of instruction to teach Israel one thing… that they need grace. Paul says as much in Galatians 3 –

“Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. ²² But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. ²³ But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.” Galatians 3:21-25

The first time, Israel was given the law, and while under the law they were presented Christ – the embodiment of the law. They failed to believe, and they were punished. Israel will again be presented the law – for a final seven years known as the tribulation period.

They will have a temple, sacrifices, and all of the trappings that are a part of the Law of Moses, and they will find that it will fail to bring them any closer to the Lord. Eventually, as a people, they will demonstrate faith, they will come to Christ, and they will enter the promise. It is not the law that will save, but Christ’s fulfillment of it.

This is why Deuteronomy is given. It is a second attempt at bringing the people to understand their need for Christ, just as they will have a second attempt after their many years of exile to realize their need for Christ. In the end, it is about Christ. But how contradictory that sounds from Moses’ next words…

^{1 (con’t)} which I teach you to observe,

asher anokhi m’lamed etkhem laasot – “which I train you to do.” Here is a new word, lamad, which means learning, teaching, instructing, and so on. It comes from a primitive root signifying “to goad.” One uses a goad to prod an animal along. Moses will use this word seventeen times in Deuteronomy alone.

Moses is thus, prodding the people through this instruction to do the things that he will expound to them, and it is for a very specific purpose…

Listen to the statutes and the judgments too
Pay heed to the word you are about to hear
I am going to lay out all that you are to do
Keep them with you always, yes – be sure to keep them near 

Think on all I am going to tell you
Consider what needs to be done
Will you trust in your own ability, these things to do?
If so, you must accomplish them all – yes, every single one 

Think on what I am going to tell you
Consider again what needs to be done
Will you trust in your own ability, these things to do?
Or will you by faith simply trust in My Son?

II. That You May Live

^{1 (con’t)} that you may live,

l’maan tikhyu – “that you may live” is technically correct, but to understand the meaning, one might paraphrase this as, “to the end purpose of your living.” The word maan speaks of a teleological view of things. In other words, “What is the purpose of what is relayed?” In this case, it is that “you may live.”

This is the entire point of the giving of the law – whether it seems like it or not. We can think of the law as a basis for holy living, for moral conduct, for treating others as humans created in the image of God (which is both holy living and right moral conduct), etc.

However, people all over the world do the things of the law, even without having the law, don’t they? All societies, cultures, and nations have codes – written or unwritten – concerning murder, adultery, theft, lying, and so on. But they don’t have life, meaning a right standing with God, through the doing or not doing of those things, do they? No. Paul says as much in Romans –

“For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law ¹³ (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; ¹⁴ for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, ¹⁵ who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) ¹⁶ in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.” Romans 2:12-16

Paul seems to say that people without the law, who have this law on their heart, can live (be right with God) apart from the law by doing these things. But this is not the case. He later says that all have sinned and all fall short of the glory of God. Without Jesus, all stand condemned. Jesus confirms this in John 3:18 –

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:18

Moses sums up what he is going to present, saying to Israel that obeying the law has the end purpose of granting life. It is a general repeat of what was said in Leviticus 18 –

“You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 18:5

Moses repeats this now, but even more, the very last thing he says in this major section of Deuteronomy – a section which goes all the way through Deuteronomy 32 – is exactly the same thing he says now in the first verse of this section –

“Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel, ⁴⁶ and he said to them: ‘Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law. ⁴⁷ For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess.’” Deuteronomy 32:45-47

The only things after this large section of instruction are that Moses will speak out a blessing to the tribes of people in Chapter 33, and then it will record his ascent up Mount Nebo where he dies in Chapter 34. The body of instruction actually ends in Chapter 32.

Think of it! The first words of the actual body of instruction of the book of Deuteronomy say that the end purpose of them is so that the people may live. And the last words of that same body of instruction say that in the observance of these things it is their life.

But more, that is based upon the words of the Lord which explicitly say that the man who does the things of things of the law will live. Those words from Leviticus are a set of words that are so important that they are repeated by Nehemiah (Nehemiah 9:29) after their first exile. They are substantially repeated by Ezekiel several times (Ezekiel 20). And, they are repeated twice by Paul (Romans 10:5 & Galatians 3:12).

And yet, Paul explains something to us concerning these words there in Galatians 3 that is contrary to what we already saw in Deuteronomy 1 –

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’ ¹¹ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.’ ¹² Yet the law is not of faith, but ‘the man who does them shall live by them.’” Galatians 3:10-12

Paul cites the very law that Moses is about give, right from Deuteronomy 27:26 –

“Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.” Deuteronomy 27:26

He then cites a prophet who lived under the law, and who thus prophesied words of law –

“Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk shows that attempting to be justified before God on one’s own merit, something that the law requires, is prideful, and that the soul of one who is prideful is “not upright in him.”

As this is so, then it is not – nor can it be – that observance of the law will bring life. If it does not bring life, then it – by default – will bring death. Paul says that in Romans 7:7-12 –

“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” ⁸ But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. ⁹ I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. ¹⁰ And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. ¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. ¹² Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.”

Moses has said, right at the beginning of his giving of the law, and he will then repeat, right at the ending of this giving of the law, what the Lord said in His words of law – that the purpose of the law is for the granting of life. Can anyone disagree with that? No. It is explicit.

And yet, Israel did not enter into the promise. And more, not only did they not enter the promise, it wasn’t at all because of a matter of law. The Lord never commanded the people to go into Canaan, despite the translation of Deuteronomy 1:26. There it said –

“Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 1:26

Rather, and as we saw at that time, the Hebrew said, va’tamru eth pi Yehovah elohekem – “and rebelled against the mouth of Yehovah your God.”

The “mouth of the Lord” can mean a commandment, but in this case the Lord did not “command” the people to go up. Instead, He promised to go before them. The implication is that they would believe Him and His promises and willingly follow His lead. But they did not.

They failed to have faith that the Lord would lead them and fight their battles for them. In failing to believe, they cut themselves off from the promise. From there, they found death in the wilderness instead of life in Canaan.

But then that brings us to the next thought. Were they under law while in the wilderness? The answer is “Yes.” The entire time that they were wandering there, they were under law. They certainly observed the Sabbath and were bound under the precepts of the law, and yet they could not fulfill the law entirely.

This is because the law included certain observances that can only be fulfilled while in Canaan – such as certain aspects of the Feasts of the Lord. And so, they were under law, but they were so in an imperfect manner.

This is the same as it was for Israel after their rejection of Christ during their dispersion. They were bound to the law, and yet they could not truly be obedient to the law.

When the Lord said that all would die in the wilderness, it isn’t just true for the thirty-eight years after failing to enter Canaan. It was also true for every one of them who was exiled after rejecting Christ. The law that was to bring life, was found to bring death – both while they lived in Canaan, and during their time exiled from Canaan.

But those who were in the wilderness, and who were dying could be spared. Remember the account of the fiery serpents! It says the people spoke against Moses (meaning the law) and so the Lord sent fiery serpents among them. After acknowledging their wrong, Moses prayed for the people. At that time, it said –

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.’ ⁹ So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.” Numbers 21:8, 9

It says that whoever looked to the bronze serpent lived. He found life. But Moses says here in Deuteronomy 4 that in observing the law, they would live. But these people found life not through the law, but through an act of faith alone.

And who is it that made the serpent and put it on a pole? Moses! It was Moses who – at the direction of the Lord – did so. Moses, the lawgiver, put the serpent on the pole. And it is the law – the penalty of the law – which necessitated Christ being placed on the cross. This is seen first from Jesus’ words –

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:14-17

And then from the words of Paul –

“In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. ¹³ And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, ¹⁴ having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:11-14

Jesus says that Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. Moses, the “law,” did so because the Lord told him to do so. Jesus equates what happened there to what will happen to Him – He would be lifted up. As Moses is a type of the law, what Jesus is implying is that it is the law, the word of the Lord through the law, that necessitated that He would be lifted up.

But those who looked to the snake lived, not because of the law, but because of faith in looking to the serpent on the pole. Jesus is implying through the analogy, and explicitly stating through His words, that the world is saved through faith in His being lifted up, not through direct obedience to the law.

Paul then speaks of circumcision, a precept of the law (Leviticus 12:3), as being fulfilled in any who are in Christ, and that in this forgiveness, Christ wipes out the handwriting of the law, meaning He annuls it for that person.

And how is this possible? It is because God has taken the law “out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Did any of this – either at Moses’ time, or in the life of a believer now – occur through obedience to the law? Absolutely not. It came by faith in God’s provision.

If you can see it, when Moses put the serpent on the pole and lifted it up, he was – for all intents and purposes – nailing the law he had been given to that pole, crucifying it. Why?

Because first, the Lord said that the man who does the things of the law would live. Moses repeats this, saying that by observing the law you will live. And yet, the people who looked to the serpent on the pole – without doing a single deed of the law – lived.

If people found life without the law, then the law was no longer needed. This is what every Jew – few as they may be – who have come to Christ over the last 2000 years has discovered. The law died to them because they died to the law through Christ.

If Moses was astute, he may have said to himself, “The people have this law (under which they were condemned to die), which is supposed to bring life, and they are all dying around me, except for those who look at this bronze serpent. What on earth do we need the law for then?”

If he were exceedingly astute, he might have then said, “The law, which is supposed to give life to the man who does the things of this law, is summed up in the faith he has in looking to this serpent. This serpent embodies everything that the law was intended to provide. And it came from the Lord by an act of grace.”

If Moses figured that out, which the Bible does not even hint at, then he would have understood one of the main premises of the gospel as explained in detail by Paul –

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:4-9

And this is what occurs with every Gentile as well. Paul already said it, as we cited earlier, “And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death” (Romans 7:10). This is exactly why Leviticus 18:5 is so important. Again –

“You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 18:5

While evaluating that verse, it was noted that there is a definite article before “man.” And further, it used the word adam, instead ish. Both mean “man,” but in using the word adam, it speaks of a human being, the species. It is speaking of a specific man, “if the man does.” Paul explains who the Man is –

“For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15.21, 22

Adam died because of the law. God gave him a law, he disobeyed it, and he died. Paul says that through that man, meaning Adam, came death. The Lord says that if the Man does His statutes and judgments, He will live. Christ did the Lord’s statutes and judgments and He lives.

Jesus, and the apostles also, show that faith in Him means that we shall be made alive. If that is said to people who are alive – because only those who are alive can hear it, then it cannot simply be speaking of physical life.

As Paul says, “all in Adam die.” It is a confirmation of the doctrines we call “original sin” and “inherited sin.” Adam sinned, sin entered the world, and we have all inherited his spiritually dead state.

Paul cannot merely be speaking about people who had physically died, because he then says, “even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” But that includes us, who are physically alive right now. And so, it must be speaking of spiritual life, and thus eternal life.

We cannot even begin to speculate on whether Moses realized this or not. All we can know is that Moses repeats the words of the Lord concerning life for the people being found in doing the statutes and judgments set before them, and that some of the people lived, not by doing those, but by looking in faith to a serpent on a pole.

The words are given so that you may live
But you must think on them and consider what to do
These innumerable laws are presented, to you them I give
And in doing them, life shall be granted to you

But consider well what this means to you
Every precept must be exactingly completed and done
The man will live who these things doing he does do
Yes, he will live when he does every single one 

Can you pass muster in doing these things you are to do?
Can you accomplish them all – yes, every single one?
There is another option laid out for you…
Trust in the doing of them all by My own precious Son

III. Possess the Land

Having said all that we have said thus far, all of which is true and proper, it must be observed that the words of this verse are in the second person plural. Moses is speaking to Israel. When he said, “the statutes and judgments which I teach you,” the word “you” is plural. The word “you” in “that you may live” is also plural, and so are the words of the next clause…

^{1 (con’t)} and go in and possess the land

Of this verse, Charles Ellicott says, “Life is put before possession. The penalty of the broken law is death.” This depends on what Ellicott is speaking of. If he is referring to physical life, the statement incorrect. Breaking the law depends on what law is broken.

However, if what he says is speaking of the truth of the law itself, then he is correct. In Adam’s breaking of the law, death was the result. Any infraction of God’s law incurs spiritual death, but as we are born in that condition, it hardly matters. It simply means that we will never be made alive by breaking the law.

However, in this, Ellicott would continue to be correct. Life is put before possession. One cannot obtain the inheritance without first being given life. One believes in Christ unto salvation (the granting of life), and then the inheritance is realized. They may actually occur at the same time, but the logical order is life and then possession.

The verb “and go in” is plural as is the verb “and possess.” Moses is speaking to Israel as a collective body. But the fact is that once in the land, the people failed to do the statutes and judgments of the Lord, and yet they – as a people – have continued to live, even though individually they have either 1) trusted in Messiah and been granted eternal life, or 2) they have continued to die physically, and also to remain spiritually dead forever.

After entering Canaan, they lived in the land up until the time of the prophet Jeremiah. At that time, they were exiled to Babylon, as promised. Eventually, they were brought back to the land, also as prophesied.

After the return, Nehemiah went to accomplish a task in Judah, and during his time there, he repeats Leviticus 18:5 in the context of none of the people having done what was expected –

“But after they had rest,
They again did evil before You.
Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies,
So that they had dominion over them;
Yet when they returned and cried out to You,
You heard from heaven;
And many times You delivered them according to Your mercies,
²⁹ And testified against them,
That You might bring them back to Your law.
Yet they acted proudly,
And did not heed Your commandments,
But sinned against Your judgments,
‘Which if a man does, he shall live by them.’
And they shrugged their shoulders,
Stiffened their necks,
And would not hear.
³⁰ Yet for many years You had patience with them,
And testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets.
Yet they would not listen;
Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
³¹ Nevertheless in Your great mercy
You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them;
For You are God, gracious and merciful. Nehemiah 9:18-30

Nehemiah cites Leviticus 18:5, speaking of a singular man, but without the article – “if a man does…” No man had. All had died. The rest of the time, he is speaking of the people collectively – they, them, etc.

And more, not only had a man not done the things of the law, it implied that no man had done the things of the law – meaning that all of Israel had failed to do the things of the law. One plus one equals two. If they had not – meaning none of them – then the promise of Moses in Deuteronomy cannot have been attained.

Further, the people were exiled a second time, but the record shows that a Man (THE Man) had done the things of the law. That is the purpose of the gospels. It is to show that THE Man came, He fulfilled the law, and therefore the promise can be obtained.

However, Israel collectively rejected THE Man, and they were exiled again. Their exile demonstrates that one of two truths must exist: 1) Either no man did the things of the law, and thus Israel did not do the things of the law, or 2) a Man did do the things of the law and they rejected that.

The answer to which is true is obvious based on the gospels, and also on the words of Acts and the epistles. However, because Moses’ words are to Israel collectively, and because they are now back in the land, even though they had not been doing the things of the law, nor are they now doing the things of the law, then there must be a purpose for them being there.

This is evident from our final words of this opening verse of Deuteronomy 4…

*^{1 (fin)} which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you.

The land is given to Israel by the Lord God of their fathers. If the land is given to Israel, which it clearly is stated here, and if they may live (meaning not die), and that they may both go in and also possess the land, then – as was clearly seen in our last of three Leviticus 26 sermons – Israel will someday come to Christ.

They are under the law right now, whether they are observing it or not. They will be under the law during a period of observing it – meaning with a temple, sacrificial rites, and etc., and yet they will continue to be bound by the law which they cannot meet. For a third time, as Paul says, “And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death” (Romans 7:10).

If they cannot meet the law, and if the law brings death, and yet Moses says that through observing the law they may live, then it must mean through the Man who did the things of the law. Their life, the collective life of Israel, is bound up in the observance of the law. But it is only so in regard to Jesus Christ’s fulfillment of it – nothing more. THE Man has done the things of the law.

It doesn’t matter if it is singular you, or plural you all, the same truth holds for both. By deeds of the law, no man – and no nation – will be justified in God’s sight. For all of the detail of our words today, for all of the carefully and precisely stated words, and for all of the logic that had to be applied to certain points, one truth is inescapable – the law promises life, but it only brings death.

This does not mean that the Lord deceived Israel. It means that they misunderstood what the promises entailed, and that they failed to observe what the very promises of the law speak to – both from Moses and from the later writings. That which it speaks to is the incarnation of God in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Does the law truly bring death? Well, yes. Jesus Christ was born under the law, He lived without violating the law, and thus He could have lived in that capacity forever. But the law even brought death to Christ – not for His violations of it, but for ours –

“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. ¹⁵ As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
¹⁷ “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” John 10:14-18

Thank God for Jesus Christ who was willing to die under that law so that we could die to the law. My hope and great desire for you is that you will contemplate what this means, and then that you will decide to trust Jesus, by faith alone, for your salvation.

The sin in man must be judged, or man must be judged in sin, but either way, our sin will be judged. Be wise and discerning and ask God for your sin to be judged at the cross of Calvary in the sinless Man who became sin so that we could become the righteousness of God in Him. May it be so, and may it be today – to the glory of God and to the saving of your soul.

Closing Verse: “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, ²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:21-26

Next Week: Deuteronomy 4:2-7 It applies to all – be it a Janice or a Jim… (For Whatever Reason We May Call Upon Him) (13^th Deuteronomy Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

That You May Live

Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments
Which I teach you to observe, that you may live
And go in and possess the land
Which the LORD God of your fathers is going to you give

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you. 

 

Deuteronomy 3:21-29
Speak No More to Me of This Matter

Last week, we saw a short chiasm which helped us determine what was going on in the passage that was set before us. In today’s passage, another chiasm starts, and it will continue about halfway through Chapter 4. We’ll lay it out now and then you can contemplate it as we go through the verses.

Deuteronomy 3:25-4:22 – Call upon Him.
Israel’s Instruction (11/07)

a 3:25  Moses wants to cross Jordan
       b 3:26  Lord angry with Moses 
                c 3:27  “Lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east.” 
                      d 4:3, 4  Example of apostasy (idolatry)
                            e 4:5  Taught statutes and judgments
                                f 4:6  Be careful to observe them (judgments)
                                    g 4:7  Great nation
                                            x 4:7  Call upon Him
                                     g 4:8  Great nation
                                 f 4:9  Diligently keep yourself (judgments)
                            e 4:10-14  Taught statutes and judgments.
                      d 4:15-18  Warning of apostasy (idolatry)
                 c 4:19  “Lift your eyes to heaven.”
        b 4:21  Lord angry with Moses
a 4:22  Moses must not cross over the Jordan

Chiasms are not only interesting curiosities, but they serve various purposes as well. They can help us to more fully understand a passage. They can reveal a central point which the Lord wants us to focus on. They demonstrate that a wisdom and purpose is behind what is written, and that the passage isn’t merely a hodge-podge of disconnected ideas. And so on.

Another thing they do is to demonstrate that what is written came from a single source, not from varying authors at varying times. This is especially important to remember when reading commentaries by supposed scholars who say things like, “This verse was added many years later,” or “This was definitely not written by Moses.” Humbug.

The reason for this is that most of these chiasms have only been found in recent years. Thus, it demonstrates that what is there was original all along. We have a sure word in the Word of God.

Text Verse: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
⁸ The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
⁹ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” Psalm 19:7-9

The psalmist said that the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. A lot of supposedly wise scholars are actually very simple. And a lot of people who read the law are as well, because they don’t read it as it was intended to be read – meaning as an anticipatory step on the way to Christ.

An online member of the church, Paul Steiner, posted one time, “Cure your lobotomy with Deuteronomy.”

Even the simple can be made wise through understanding the law, and even someone who is dull enough to seemingly have been lobotomized – like many Bible scholars – will benefit from what the law presents, if… if it is taken in regard to the whole body of Scripture.

As I have said to you, many times, the law is not an end in and of itself. Rather, it is a steppingstone on the path to God’s final, full, and finished revelation of Himself in the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

The Lord asks us to look to the law as a way of learning of our need for Jesus. If we can do that, we will be in the sweet spot. And so, that is what we will do again today. You see, He is the embodiment of this law, and He is what this law anticipates.

We shall see this for sure as we open and contemplate the verses set before us. We can cure our lobotomy as we continue through Deuteronomy. Yes, great hints of Christ are to be found in His superior word. And so, let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. From Kings to Kingdoms (verses 21 & 22)

²¹ “And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying,

In the previous passages, Moses recounted the defeat of Sihon, king of Heshbon and Og, king of Bashan. After that, we were presented last week with a recounting of the division of the lands east of the Jordan, and the instructions to the people concerning their responsibilities in helping subdue the lands west of Jordan.

Only in the completion of that campaign, could they truly be considered as acceptably possessing the lands to the east of the Jordan. As Moses finished his words to them, he said, “Then each of you may return to his possession which I have given you.”

With that understood, Moses now turns his direction to what lies ahead, across the Jordan. He knows already that he will not cross Jordan. He will repeat, in just a couple of verses, the substance of that. But before he does, he introduces Joshua into the narrative.

Joshua has been mentioned only once so far in Deuteronomy. In Chapter 1, it said –

Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
³⁹ ‘Moreover your little ones and your children, who you say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there; to them I will give it, and they shall possess it. ⁴⁰ But as for you, turn and take your journey into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.’ Deuteronomy 1:38-40

A word of encouragement and a fuller explanation of the details concerning Moses not crossing the Jordan are now given. This is necessary for several reasons. First, it is to again confirm that Joshua is the chosen person designated to lead Israel, and it is to provide typology concerning the law in relation to the work of Christ.

Concerning his words to Joshua, he now recounts them…

^{21 (con’t)} ‘Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings;

enekha ha’root – “your eyes, the seeing.” It is not past tense, but rather present. We would say, “your eyes that are seeing.” Of this, Charles Ellicott says, it “may also serve to remind us of the fact, that though the Law was given by Moses, no eye saw its full breadth and grasp until it came into the hand of Jesus, the antitype of Joshua.”

The redemptive plan is set, it is unfolding, and those under the law were participants in that plan. So, it is true with us today. Our eyes are seeing the passing of redemptive history as it winds towards the next dispensation in time, and which will ultimately lead us to whatever eternal state the Lord has prepared for His people.

The words here have not been recorded before, and so they must be inserted into the narrative that has previously been given in Numbers 27. Because there is an active sense to the words in the Hebrew, what occurred in the battle which is now past is only a part of the ongoing narrative of the life and times of Israel.

What happened to Sihon and Og was a part of that narrative, and the land that they once possessed is a part of it as well. But more, Joshua’s eyes will continue seeing the effects of what has happened in relation to what will continue to happen. It is as if time is a movie that can be beheld until it reaches its end.

 For Joshua at that time, his eyes were seeing what the Lord was doing through the defeat of Sihon and Og. Thus, surely…

^{21 (con’t)} so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass.

The Lord’s past performance is the principal indicator of the surety of what will come about in the future. Just as He defeated these two great kings, so He will do to any and all of the kingdoms which were yet to be engaged in battle.

The boundaries of the land had already been detailed in Numbers 34. If the boundaries were specified, even before they crossed the Jordan and into the land, then it means that the Lord had already gone before them to determine what would be theirs.

As there were kings and kingdoms within those borders, it means the Lord had already granted them into Israel’s hands. If someone bought a piece of property with specific borders, say a lot for selling cars, it would make no sense to say, “This land is yours, but all of the cars on the lot have to remain where they are. You have no right to them or to remove them.”

Rather, with the grant of the land comes full right to the land and to that which is on the land. Because the borders of the promised inheritance have been named, then what is in that inheritance has also been granted – fully and completely – to Israel. Joshua is being encouraged by this thought.

Moses will repeat this to Israel shortly before he closes out the book of Deuteronomy. In Chapter 31, it says –

“The Lord your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before you, just as the Lord has said. ⁴ And the Lord will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites and their land, when He destroyed them. ⁵ The Lord will give them over to you, that you may do to them according to every commandment which I have commanded you. ⁶ Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:3-6

The ongoing and unfolding plan which God has set in motion will come to pass. The foes are already defeated as far as the Lord is concerned. As Moses understood this, so Joshua was to understand it as well. Therefore, he continues…

²² You must not fear them,

lo tiraum – “You (all) must not fear them.” The previous verse was spoken to Joshua alone, but now the words are in the plural, and it is thus an address to all who will be under Joshua. Israel, though having a leader, is a collective whole. Where Joshua leads, Israel must follow, and they must do so without fear…

^{22 (con’t)} for the Lord your God Himself fights for you.’

The words are in an emphatic form, “For the Lord your God, HE, fights for you.” Again, the words are second person, plural. They are directed to the entire congregation under Joshua, but who is himself under the Lord.

Though Israel will, in fact, be in the battles, it is the Lord who would be the unseen Force behind the victories. But it is also true that He would stand against them if they failed to obediently follow Him. This will be seen just after the battle of Jericho.

As long as Israel was properly aligned with the Lord, the Lord would be with Joshua, and thus with Israel. This will be repeated again by Moses later in Deuteronomy –

“Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, ‘Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.’” Deuteronomy 31:23

It can be seen that Israel and the Lord, and what happens between them, are completely interconnected. The Lord has a plan which is set, and which will come to pass, but that plan includes all of the obedience and victory which Israel displays, and it also includes all of the disobedience and defeat that Israel receives.

The connection between the two is based on the covenant which exists between the two. They are inseparable because the word of the Lord, and the promises of the Lord, reflect who He is. Even if Israel violates her side of the covenant, that in no way negates the Lord’s faithfulness to it.

For those who fail to understand this, they become enmeshed in a world of irresponsible theology which claims the rights to the covenant promises of God even at the exclusion of Israel – the very group to whom the covenant promises were made.

Until those covenant promises are fulfilled, and until Israel enters the New Covenant in Christ, the Lord will continue to work in and through this otherwise disobedient nation. In the end, His plans and purposes for them as a collective whole will be realized.

You are great, and mighty are your deeds
You have done things more marvelous than we can tell
Out of You comes beauty, and from You wisdom proceeds
Trusting in You will keep us from the very pit of hell 

You have made everything beautiful in its own way
You have blessed the earth with abundance for us
You bring forth the sun, day unto day
And You brought forth for us Your Son, Jesus

Great are You, O God, and greatly are You to be praised
And we shall forever seek after You
With arms stretched out and with our voices raised
We love You, our God – You are ever Faithful and True

II. The Prayer of Moses (verses 23-29)

²³ “Then I pleaded with the Lord

va’eth-khanan el Yehovah. The word is khanan, and it signifies to be gracious or show favor. Correctly, it would be translated, “And I entreated for grace unto Yehovah.” Grace is getting what you do not deserve, and Moses did not deserve the favor he was asking for, having disobeyed the Lord at the waters of Meribah at Kadesh.

However, it is worded as it is for a specific theological purpose as well. Moses pictures the law. The law and grace are mutually exclusive. If one is under law, he is not under grace. And if one is under grace, he is not under law. The law, petitioning for grace, is a petition which cannot be granted.

^{23 (con’t)} at that time,

This exchange most probably fits between Numbers 27:14 and 15, where it says –

Now the Lord said to Moses: “Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. ¹³ And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. ¹⁴ For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

Insert Moses prayer into the chronology here.

¹⁵ Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: ¹⁶ “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, ¹⁷ who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”

What seems likely is that the Lord told Moses that he was to see the land and then be gathered to his people. Moses, hoping for the grace of being allowed to cross over, and seeing to the end that which he had begun, petitions the Lord. The Lord denied his request, and so Moses knowing the decision was set and fixed, petitions for a competent leader to replace him…

^{23 (con’t)} saying:

Here is contained the second of only two times Moses petitions something specifically for himself from the Lord. There are many times he begged for the people, and there are times when he asked for relief from the burdens laid upon him. However, this is a petition for something additional to be granted, rather than being taken away.

The first was in Exodus 33, and it is tied into this request in a slightly hidden way. In Exodus 33, we saw this –

And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”
¹⁹ Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” ²⁰ But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” Exodus 33:18-20

The same word Moses used in this verse, khanan, was used twice by the Lord in that exchange in Exodus. “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious.” Moses, remembering that now, petitions the Lord based on His own acknowledgment of His graciousness, hoping that he will receive it from Him.

However, to maintain the typology, the request must be refused. Moses, the man of Law, anticipates all who are under law. If that is where they choose to hang their hat, then they are excluded from what Moses will now petition the Lord for. This is exactly what John penned in the very first chapter of his gospel –

“And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:16-18

Just a moment before writing those words, John had written –

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

The glory that Moses asked to see, he was denied, and the grace that he now petitions for will also be denied. The law and those under the law have no part or portion with those who receive the gift of God found in the grace of Jesus Christ.

Moses, not seeing the end from the beginning, and not understanding the typology which he was fulfilling for God’s unfolding story of redemption, now makes his petition for grace…

²⁴ ‘O Lord God,

Moses says, Adonai Yehovah – “My Lord Yehovah.” It is the first time the expression has been used since Genesis 15, during the time of Abraham. It is a personal, but formal touch to carefully introduce the petition. It also, quite clearly, dispels the myth that the Hebrews of old never pronounced the divine name. They did, and they did so because it is His name.

^{24 (con’t)} You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand,

The words now are not limited to the conquering of the two kings east of the Jordan, but they are inclusive of everything that has occurred since he first stood before the burning bush and the divine name was revealed to him. The Lord at that time said –

“I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. ⁸ So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.” Exodus 3:7, 8

The Lord had promised two things: 1) to bring them out from Egypt, and 2) to bring them into Canaan. Thus, the Lord had only begun to show Moses His greatness and His mighty hand. Only when they had been given rest would the process be considered complete. But Moses knew that it would, in fact, be completed…

^{24 (con’t)} for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds?

Moses’ mind reaches back almost forty full years to what he had written after being brought through the waters of the Red Sea –

“Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders?” Exodus 15:11

He is not acknowledging the actual existence of any other gods, but that the nations of the world simply believed there are other gods, worshipping false gods as such. The question is rhetorical, and it demands a negative response – “Though there are other gods to the mind of man, truly there is no other god.”

The sentiment is found elsewhere in the Old Testament –

“Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
Nor are there any works like Your works.
⁹ All nations whom You have made
Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And shall glorify Your name.
¹⁰ For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God.” Psalm 86:8-10

It is also found in the New –

“Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. ⁵ For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), ⁶ yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.” 1 Corinthians 8:4-6

²⁵ I pray, let me cross over

The chiasm which we noted in our opening comments begins with this verse and it will continue all the way through verse 22 of the next chapter. Moses desires to cross over…

^{25 (con’t)} and see the good land

ha’arets ha’tovah – “the land, the good.” It speaks of the entire land of which the boundaries were delineated in great detail in Numbers 34.

Moses knew as much of the land as any person who had never actually been there. He had received the Genesis account from the Lord and had probably read it through many times in the years of wandering in the wilderness.

Further, he had the account of the spies who had gone forth about 38 years earlier, and that account had likewise been put into writing. It would have been read from time to time as one would pick up a cherished book and read it again and again.

From the descriptions he had received, he knew the land was good indeed, and he desired to see it himself – that beautiful land…

^{25 (con’t)} beyond the Jordan,

b’ever ha’yarden – “in side, the Jordan.” The meaning is to be determined from the context, and the context is the side which he was not currently in. He was on one side of the Descender, and he desired to cross over to the other side.

One can see the yearning of the law to receive the promise in Christ, the true Descender, but the law cannot do so. Only Christ, who embodies the law, can allow for one to cross over. Man, under law and apart from Christ, cannot obtain the inheritance.

^{25 (con’t)} those pleasant mountains,

ha’har ha’tov ha’zeh – “the mountain (it is singular) the good the this.” Moses looked to the land itself as the promise, and he desired to see that which God had promised. He didn’t understand that the land itself only looked forward to a greater Promise. But the words speak of that Promise.

In coming to Christ (symbolized by crossing the Jordan), one comes to the Mount where Christ dwells. Moses goes from the general to the specific first speaking of the good land, and then the good mountain.

The good mount is the place where the ark of the covenant will rest, but that mount represents the city in which it rests, and that – in turn – represents the whole land and its inhabitants. That is seen in the words of Hebrews 12 –

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, ²³ to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, ²⁴ to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” Hebrews 12:22-24

Moses is thinking of geographical locations, but the Lord is using his words to connect us to greater spiritual truths. In coming to Christ, one comes to Mount Zion.

^{25 (con’t)} and Lebanon.’

v’ha’levanon – “and the Lebanon.” This is the same phrase used in Deuteronomy 1:7. Lebanon means “Place of Whiteness,” coming from a word which signifies a brick, because bricks whiten as they are fired. Thus, it signifies works.

But as was seen in Chapter 1, this doesn’t picture works for salvation, but works which stem from salvation. One does not work in order to merit God’s favor. Rather one’s works are acceptable only after having received His grace. Paul explains that in Colossians 1 where those who have believed in Christ will then be fruitful in every good work.

Moses desires to see the glory, but as a picture of the Law, it cannot be so…

²⁶ “But the Lord was angry with me on your account,

This appears similar to what was said in verse 1:37 –

“The Lord was also angry with me for your sakes.”

However, a completely different word, translated as “angry,” is used. In Chapter 1, the word was anaph. Here it is the same word used in the last verse, translated as “cross over,” avar. It appears to be a play on words, “Let me cross over, over the Jordan, but the Lord crossed over me.”

Also, a different word is used concerning the blame. In Chapter 1, “on your account” came from a word signifying a rolling motion, as if the deeds of the people rolled around and ended up harming Moses. However, here the word is maan, which speaks of purpose or intent.

One cannot help but seeing the work of the Lord here. The law cannot bring one to the inheritance, and so the Lord crossed over the law (pictured by Moses) for the sake of His people.

He was born under the law, He lived out the law, and He died in fulfillment of the law – thus crossing over it for us. As it says, “on your account,” meaning, because of their sins. It was with the purpose or intent of the people that he did this.

^{26 (con’t)} and would not listen to me.

The Lord will not listen to those who live under the law. Rather, He hears the word of faith. This is exactly what Paul speaks of in Romans 10 –

For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” ⁶ But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) ⁷ or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:5-9

The Lord only hears the law when it is in relation to its fulfillment in Christ Jesus. It is a word of faith, and that alone, which brings one into the Promise of God…

^{26 (con’t)} So the Lord said to me: ‘Enough of that!

The Lord says, rav lakh – “much to.” It is similar to what was said in Numbers 16 when the Levites accused Moses and Aaron of taking too much upon themselves. Moses then repeated the same words back to the Levites, showing that they had gone too far in their grab for power.

The Lord is saying that Moses could only go so far and no further. He had seen enough of what the Lord was doing, and the matter was settled. Again, one can see that the law can only take one to the promise, but it cannot get them into the promise. Only Christ can take one the rest of the way.

^{26 (con’t)} Speak no more to Me of this matter.

It is a perfect picture of what Paul writes concerning the law –

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. ²⁰ Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:19, 20

Those under the law cannot speak of entering the promise. The law only provides a knowledge of sin, but not how to correct that sin.

²⁷ Go up to the top of Pisgah,

aleh rosh ha’pisgah – “Go up to the top of the Pisgah.” Pisgah signifies a cleft. Thus, it is The Cleft. It comes from the word pasag, meaning to pass between. That, in turn, comes from a root signifying to cut up. Thus, pasag figuratively means, “to consider” or “to contemplate.” This is a spot where Moses could pass through to view the land, but only from a distance…

^{27 (con’t)} and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east;      

The directions are given based on the layout of the land that he views, not based on the position where he is standing. The directions are:

1) yamah, “westward,” but meaning seaward, and signifying the Mediterranean Sea. The word yam, or sea, comes from a root meaning “to roar.” Thus, it signifies the direction from which the roaring of the Mediterranean waves comes.

2) v’tsaphonah, “and northward,” signifying the hidden, or dark direction, because in the northern hemisphere, the north is the last area to receive the sunlight.

3) v’temanah, “and southward,” signifying to the right, and thus demonstrating that the south is right in relation to one standing in the land looking east. It is from the perspective of where the Lord would dwell in Canaan, not from where Moses stood.

4) u-mizrakhah, “and eastward, signifying the direction from which the sun rises, to which Moses’ back would be facing.

^{27 (con’t)} behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan.

The thought of this verse is precisely stated by the author of Hebrews. He describes those who lived by faith before the coming of Christ, saying –

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Hebrews 11:13

Moses was the man of law, but he was also one who lived by faith. To maintain the typology of those who came before Christ, even if living in faith, Moses was allowed to see the promise from afar off, but he was not allowed to cross over the Jordan. The law can have no inheritance in the promise. The typology must be maintained. That typology, however, continues after Moses…

²⁸ But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him;

Joshua means “The Lord is Salvation.” In this picture, he is typical of Jesus the Man. The law cannot pass over the Jordan, but a Man must cross over in order to bring the people in. However, Moses is told to encourage and strengthen him.

It is by the fulfillment of the law, including through His death under the law, that man can be brought to the promise. But Christ, in His human nature, needed encouragement and strengthening in His work under the law.

In Luke 9, Jesus was transfigured, and at that time, Moses and Elijah appeared and, as it says, “spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:31). In the same chapter, it then says, “that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). Thus, He was encouraged by the lawgiver (Moses), as well as the prophet of the law (Elijah) fulfilling the typology here.

Later, in Luke 22:43, while Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, it says that “an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.” Christ Jesus, under the law, was both encouraged and strengthened in order to continue His work of fulfilling the law…

^{28 (con’t)} for he shall go over before this people,

There is an emphasis here on the word “he.” “He it is that shall go over before this people.” The emphasis is to clearly show that Moses would not be the one to take the people in, but rather “The Lord is Salvation,” which is what “Joshua” means, would do so. He would go before them to bring them in…

^{28 (con’t)} and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.’

Again, the same emphasis is on the word “he.” “And he it is that shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.” The Lord, not the law, will bring the people in, and the Lord, not the law, shall cause them to inherit. Again, the picture is exactingly fulfilled as seen in the words of Paul –

“Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,” who is Christ. ¹⁷ And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.” Galatians 3:16-18

It is by Christ, and by Christ alone that the promise is received, and the inheritance is obtained…

*^{29 (fin)} “So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor.

Beth Peor means “House of Peor.” Peor comes from the verb paar, meaning “to open.” Thus, it is the House of the Opening. It was a place known for a temple to the Moabite god known as Peor.

The reason for including this final sentence, is that this is the ending of recounting the narrative which brought them to this place. It is from this spot that Moses will finish out the book of Deuteronomy, and then it is in this spot where Moses will be buried, as is seen in Deuteronomy 34:5, 6 –

“So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. ⁶ And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day.” 

This word, paar, is used in Isaiah 5 when speaking of Sheol, the pit of death, opening its mouth beyond measure to receive those who reject the Lord. When under law – whether trusting in the law for righteousness, or in rejecting the law and satisfying one’s own desires – the inevitable outcome is death.

No matter which way one goes, man under law is condemned and will die outside of the promise. It is only through coming to Christ who fulfilled the law, and who embodies it on our behalf, that we can be made right before God.

In following Him, we will cross over His life, and be brought into the promise. This is – again – the theme set before us in these seven verses today. The Lord keeps giving us the same pictures, again and again and again because we are otherwise slow to learn.

He asks us to wake up from our slumber, our life of ignoring Him, or our supposed life of personal righteousness because of how good we are, and to come to Jesus with our hands empty and our hearts opened wide to Him.

In this, God will be pleased to call us His children and to provide us with a home in the true Land of Promise for all eternity. Think of it! People under the law are doing exactly what Moses did – whether intentional or not.

They are observing the law in an attempt to obtain the inheritance. Why would anyone observe the law if there was nothing to be gained from it? I have a Jewish friend right now who is dying of cancer. The last time I spoke to him, I tried – yet again – to convince him of his need for Christ.

He wrote, please don’t speak to me about Jesus anymore. The funny thing is that I printed out Isaiah 52:13-53:12, removing the verse numbers so that he wouldn’t know it was from the Bible. I said what do you think about this? Who is this referring to?

His answer was, “Jesus.” He knew that. It was obvious. I asked him, “Where did that come from?” His answer, “I have no idea.” I said, it is in your Bible – it is from Isaiah. He acknowledged that his own Scriptures refer to Jesus, and yet he does not want to hear about what his own Scriptures tell him.

And so, his last statement to me will testify against him at the judgment. I want to enter the promise, but I want to do it by my own effort under the law. And the Lord has said to man – “Speak no more to me of this matter.”

There is no inheritance for the soul who desires to merit God’s grace, because grace cannot be merited – it must be received. How stubborn we are to reject the offering of God in Jesus Christ and to say, “I can do better than what You promised, what You accomplished, and what You offer. Speak no more to me about this JESUS.”

It is a sad and self-condemning choice. Be wise, be prepared to meet your God by coming to Christ, and you will be brought near to Him through His precious shed blood today.

Closing Verse: “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’ ¹¹ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.’ ¹² Yet the law is not of faith, but ‘the man who does them shall live by them.’” Galatians 3:10-12

Next Week: Deuteronomy 4:1 Only the evaluation of one verse will I give… (That You May Live) (12^th Deuteronomy Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Speak No More to Me of This Matter

“And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying
‘Your eyes have seen; yes, you know it is true
All that the Lord your God has done to these two kings
So will the Lord do to all the kingdoms which you pass through

You must not fear them; this you shall not do
For the Lord your God Himself fights for you

“Then I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying:
So to Him I was then relaying

‘O Lord God, You have begun to show
Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand
———-from You such great power proceeds
For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can
Do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds?

I pray, let me cross over and see the good land as it stretches on
Beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon

“But the Lord was angry with me on your account
And would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me:
‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter
It is decided and that is it. Can’t you see!

Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes
Toward the west, the north, the south, and the east
Behold it with your eyes
For you shall not cross over this Jordan
———-only with your eyes shall you on this beauty feast

But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him
For he shall go over before this people, prepared for war
And he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see
“So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

²¹ “And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. ²² You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you.’

²³ “Then I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying: ²⁴ ‘O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds? ²⁵ I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.’

²⁶ “But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me: ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter. ²⁷ Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. ²⁸ But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.’

²⁹ “So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor.

 

 

Deuteronomy 3:12-20
Until the Lord Has Given Rest

The words of this passage speak of possessing land, the division of the land, and the possession of other land by the rest of Israel at a future point. However, there is a difference between the land given to those on one side of the Jordan and those on the other.

It’s not really apparent at first, but the difference is there. We will see that especially as we look over the final three verses of our passage today. In fact, it is so hard to notice this on a cursory, or even on a very close reading, that our minds tend to skip right over the subtlety of what is being conveyed.

It is, however, something that is reflected in the words of Paul to the Ephesians in a roundabout way. He is speaking to the Gentiles, but what he says pertains to what is tucked away back here in Deuteronomy. His words of Ephesians 2 form our text verse today…

Text Verse: “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— ¹² that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:11-13

Paul speaks of the covenants of promise. But more exactly, the Greek reads, diathēkōn tēs epangelias, “the covenants of the promise.” The word covenants is plural, while the promise is singular. The law is not of promise, and the inheritance is not of the law. Paul explains that in Galatians 3.

Therefore, the covenants of the promise, though maybe inclusive of the law, are not directed by the law. The law is simply a covenant which leads to the promise, hopefully, for those under it. I say “hopefully” because Paul also explains that the law was simply given as tutor to lead people to Christ. It does not, however, automatically do so.

In fact, the law is one of the greatest hindrances to a relationship with Christ if it is used as a means of earning God’s favor through personal merit, something which excludes grace. The law is supposed to show us that we need grace, not that we can obtain favor through it.

This same thought is seen in our verses today. As I said, it is so well hidden in there that it will take a marvelous little pattern, an unusual literary form, to draw out what is actually being conveyed.

Such interesting things as different types of literary forms are used by God to teach us wonderful lessons right out of His superior word. And so, let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Land East of Canaan (verses 12-17)

¹² “And this land, which we possessed at that time, 

The words of Moses now return to the thought left off in verse 3:10, where verse 11 was a descriptive insert. From 3:8-10, it spoke of the conquest, and now it speaks of the result of that conquest. The division of the land which was won in battle is now described.

It says they “possessed” the land. The word speaks of an inheritance. Up until this point in Chapter 3, Moses has used two words lakad and laqakh, saying they “took,” and they “captured” the lands. Now it says yarash. It is the result of the seizing of the land. It has become an inheritance.

These two Amorite kings were disinherited from the land, and Israel took possession of it, thus it became the inheritance of Israel, to be passed on from then on.

That was originally recorded in great detail in Numbers 32. Reuben and Gad came forward to petition Moses for the land because of its suitability for livestock, and they had a great deal of livestock. After obtaining assurances from them that they would assist Israel in securing their own possessions, Moses agreed to grant them this land. That grant extends…

^{12  (con’t)} from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon,

As has been seen, Aroer means “Stripped,” “Bare,” or “Naked.” The noun meaning “river,” is nakhal, and it implies a wadi which flows during the times of rain. The word is from the verb nakhal which speaks of obtaining as an inheritance or possession.

Arnon comes from ranan, which signifies to give a jubilant, ringing cry, and thus “Rejoicing.” From that point, and with the Arnon as the boundary…

^{12  (con’t)} and half the mountains of Gilead and its cities,

As elsewhere, the Hebrew is singular, mountain, and Gilead is prefixed by an article, “the Gilead.” Gilead means, “Perpetual Fountain.” Included in this tract of land were the many cities which had been conquered by Israel.

Other than any damage incurred while being besieged, they remained intact. Thus, they were to profit off the labors of those they defeated in battle. All these…

^{12  (con’t)} I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites.

All of this is the southern area of the land conquered by Israel outside of Canaan proper. This was specifically recorded in Numbers 32:33, along with a separate inheritance –

“So Moses gave to the children of Gad, to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land with its cities within the borders, the cities of the surrounding country.” Numbers 32:33

It is the half tribe of Manasseh, spoken of there, that Moses now recounts the details concerning their grant…

¹³ The rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og,

This is the northern portion of the land which was conquered. It included everything remaining of the Gilead and also all of the Bashan, or Place of Fertile Soil. Moses describes that as, “the kingdom of Og.” He was disinherited from the land and Israel received the land for an inheritance, Moses specifically says…

^{13  (con’t)} I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh.

The reason for this land grant was explained in Numbers 32 –

“And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. ⁴⁰ So Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt in it. ⁴¹ Also Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them Havoth Jair. ⁴² Then Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and he called it Nobah, after his own name.” Numbers 32:39-42

That region is next further described by Moses…

^{13  (con’t)} (All the region of Argob, with all Bashan, was called the land of the giants.

As we saw in the previous sermon, Argob means, “Stony.” The words of this clause are difficult. The word translated as “region” was introduced in verse 3:4. It speaks of a measuring cord which would be used to define a specific parcel of land.

Thus, “region of the Argob,” is not different from “all Bashan,” but it is the same thing. This is certain, because the word Argob is prefixed by an article in this verse. Therefore, a literal translation would say, “All of the region of the Argob, namely all the Bashan – the that was called ‘land of Rephaim.’” It is a descriptive record of what had been, and which now belonged to the tribe of Manasseh.

The Rephaim – the great and tall race of people – were subdued by Israel outside of Canaan. Therefore, the battles inside of Canaan would not be the difficult task their fathers claimed it would be a generation earlier. By faith in the Lord, the possession would be theirs.

¹⁴ Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, 

These words are an expansion of what we just read a moment ago from Numbers 32. Jair, or Yair, means, “He Enlightens.” It is he who is specifically given credit for having defeated the entire region known as Argob. This region is then explained as reaching…

^{14 (con’t)} as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites,

The name Geshur comes from an unused root meaning to join. Thus, it may mean “Bridge.” They may have been located at a spot which forded, or bridged, the Jordan. Maakah comes from a verb which means to press or squeeze. Thus the name signifies “Oppression.” These people groups would border the land given to Manasseh. Jair took the region…

^{14 (con’t)} and called Bashan after his own name, Havoth Jair, to this day.)

The difficulty of the previous verse seems to be taken away in this verse. And a new difficulty is introduced. First, the region known as Argob is the same as the Bashan. It is this entire region that Jair called after himself, Havoth Jair.

The word Khavoth is the plural of the name Khavah, or “Life.” It is the same name as Khavah, or Eve, Adam’s wife. It is often translated as “the towns of Jair,” probably because a town or city is where the bustle of life occurs. Thus, we could paraphrase this as the “Livings of Jair.”

Secondly, the new difficulty is that the words, “unto this day,” are claimed by numerous scholars to indicate that this is a later insertion into Deuteronomy. There is no reason to assume this.

Though it may seem odd for Moses to say this only a few months after the land was subdued, it is a simple as saying, “He called the cities he defeated by this name, and I have now formally given him the land, and the name shall remain according to his decision.” The same expression ad hayom ha’zeh, has already been used in verse 2:22, and there is no reason to assume that was an insertion.

¹⁵ “Also I gave Gilead to Machir.

This was cited from Numbers 32 when we looked at verse 13. Machir is specifically given Gilead. Machir means something like “Salesman.” To him is given the Gilead, or “the Perpetual Fountain.”

Machir is named here, even though he is dead. He was the firstborn son of Manasseh (Joshua 17:1) through his Syrian concubine (1 Chronicles 7:14), and he stood as representative of Manasseh on this side of the Jordan. Thus, the northern half of Gilead was given to him.

In these words, we have a marvelous picture of Israel’s conversion, which is still ahead in redemptive history.

Jair – He Enlightens; Manasseh – He Shall Forget; Argob – Stony; Bashan – Place of Fertile Soil; Havoth Jair – Livings of He Enlightens; and Gilead – Perpetual Fountain.

Christ, or He Enlightens, the Son of He Shall Forget – speaking of forgetting the sins of Israel, shall have victory over the Stony hearts of Israel (Ezekiel 36:26) in the Place of Fertile Soil (signifying their readiness to receive Christ), and will afterward call them the “Livings of He Enlightens.” They will dwell in the illumination of Christ, and they will possess the Perpetual Fountain – the water of Life that will forever issue forth from the throne of God.

There is no reason to assume this is stretching the picture. The names are set, they are given, and they perfectly fit the typology of what has thus far been presented in the Numbers, and now Deuteronomy, account. Next, as was seen in verse 3:12 and which is now expanded on here, Moses says…

¹⁶ And to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave from Gilead

This is the northern border of the land of Reuben and Gad. Where the land of Machir the son of Manasseh ended, is where the land of Reuben and Gad would begin. That would extend south to…

^{16 (con’t)} as far as the River Arnon, the middle of the river as the border,

There is minute and almost tedious specificity here, adding to what has already been stated. It speaks of the middle of the River Arnon, something which seems almost superfluous, but the reason for this is what was said in verse 2:36 –

“From Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and from the city that is in the ravine, as far as Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us; the Lord our God delivered all to us.” Deuteronomy 2:36

Because this city of the Moabites was located in the middle of the ravine, Moses is saying that the land, even to the middle of the river, belongs to Israel, but it does not include the whole river and ravine. Israel was given no land of the Moabites, and this is now confirmed by Moses.

This is the southern border of their land, and it is based on a wadi which flows down from the mountains of Moab to the west and ends at about the middle of the Dead Sea just across from En Gedi. So far, the northern and southern borders have been named, and the western border is obviously the Jordan and the Dead Sea. All of this land then extended…

^{16 (con’t)} as far as the River Jabbok, the border of the people of Ammon;

The Jabbok River flows north and south for some distance and eventually flows west. This river, today known as the Zarqa River in Jordan, was to be the border between the Ammonites and Reuben and Gad.

There are water rights on two sides of this land grant – between Israel and both Moab and Ammon. But with a city in the very ravine of one of the borders, the specificity of this verse had to be stated. Instead of being either superfluous or a later addition, it is an absolutely necessary part of the words of Moses.

¹⁷ the plain also, with the Jordan as the border

The aravah, or plain is the flat land that ran on the eastern side of the Jordan River. The plain, right up to the Jordan, belonged to them, but the Jordan itself is the border of their land, with Canaan on the other side. Next, it says…

^{17 (con’t)} from Chinnereth 

Chinnereth is the Sea of Galilee. The name Kinereth comes from kinor, meaning a type of harp. The reason for the name is the shape of the sea, which looks like a particular type of harp when viewed from above. This would be the northwest corner of their land. That western border would then extend from there southwards…

^{17 (con’t)} as far as the east side of the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea),

This is the western border as it extends southward. It would go all the way down, along the Jordan, and end about halfway down the Sea of the Arabah, meaning the Salt Sea where it would terminate at the middle of the Arnon River…

^{17 (con’t)} below the slopes of Pisgah.

Here is a new word, ashedah, translated here as “slopes.” The word comes from eshed, signifying a foundation or a bed, but that comes from a word signifying an outpouring. Therefore, it means either springs or slopes.

Pisgah, or ha’pisgah, meaning “the Pisgah,” signifies a cleft. It is a high area where there is a cleft in the mountain. Because of this, the word “slopes” seems to make more sense than “springs.” It is this spot, Pisgah, which is on Mount Nebo, from which Moses will survey the land of Canaan before he dies.

Oh, weary soul, there is a fountain of Life waiting for you
If you will just come to Him and receive the Gift
There are nail-scarred hands of the One, Faithful and True
And in taking them, your spirit He will lift 

It is He who descended from heaven to give us life
He walked among us and provided the way
No more enmity with God; no more strife
In coming to Him, there dawns a new day 

After His walk, He died on Calvary’s tree
And descended to the lowest parts, our debt to pay
By God’s power, He was raised – justification for you and for me
And now, through Him, we are provided the Way

II. Unpacking a Mystery (verses 18-20)

¹⁸ “Then I commanded you at that time, saying: ‘The Lord your God has given you this land to possess. 

The words of these next three verses are very precise and speak in a rather remarkable way of promises, possession, and performance. But they are almost mysterious when looked at and considered carefully. While typing up this sermon, I realized there is a decidedly chiastic structure to these next three verses –

With the division of the land east of the Jordan settled, Moses now recalls the agreement made in Numbers 32 concerning the land which has been divided up as mentioned here. This division, despite being settled according to set boundaries, will actually only take full effect after Canaan is subdued and with these tribes having participated in that 7-year conquest.

A clue to the mystery presented in these verses is actually the first words of them, “Then I commanded you at that time, saying.” It is Moses who commanded. Moses is the lawgiver, and thus he represents the law.

Understanding that, the words, “The Lord your God has given you this land to possess,” are conditional. That is based on what was stated in Numbers 32:29, 30 –

“And Moses said to them: ‘If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben cross over the Jordan with you, every man armed for battle before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead as a possession. ³⁰ But if they do not cross over armed with you, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.’”

In Numbers 32, English translations say, “all your armed men,” or “every man.” But the Hebrew does not say this. Instead, the Hebrew was carefully hyphenated and said, “every-armed.” That precise wording was necessary to show that not all men would go.

Rather, only every man that was to go would be armed. Moses was specific, because otherwise, after he died, a dispute could arise that he intended for every man to go, thus leaving the women and children to build and defend the cities. It would immediately force these tribes to give up this land grant.

Instead, though, some would stay while others will go to battle. After the faithful service of these men, drawn off from the whole, they would then have earned their right to return and possess, with their brothers, the homes and lands which had been tended to during their time of war. Those very specific words are now qualified by Moses…

^{18 (con’t)} All you men of valor shall cross over armed before your brethren, the children of Israel.

The order of the Hebrew is more specific. It says, “drawn off, you shall cross over before your brothers – the sons of Israel – all men of valor.” Actually, only a portion of the men crossed over, about forty thousand out of almost one hundred and eleven thousand. They would be drawn off from the whole.

Further, these who are drawn off were to be bene kayil, or “sons of valor.” The army would be selected based on several requirements. Here, it is specifically noted concerning their willingness and ability to wage war. This will be more specifically defined, however, later in Deuteronomy 20.

When we get there, we will see several reasons for being exempt from warfare including this from Deuteronomy 20:8 –

“What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.”

No cowardly person was to serve in the army because when he turned and fled, it was bound to be that another, and then another, and then another would follow suit. Just as bravery leads to bravery, so cowardice leads to cowardice. Therefore, only the men of valor were to go. And more…

¹⁹ But your wives, your little ones, and your livestock

Rather than saying, “A portion of your men, your wives, and your little ones,” Moses leaves off those men who would not join in the battles. Instead, he only notes the wives, little ones, and livestock.

The word taph, or little ones, normally means small children. They are those who require protection. Here, he is certainly extending it to any who are defenseless. It could be that by using these three examples of helplessness, he is truly looking to cut out any who were cowards. If they were to be included among those three groups, they were certainly not wanted in the battles for Canaan.

As men rotated in and out of the battle, it would be a note for the men to remember and willingly volunteer to join the forces in Canaan rather than be left out during the entire campaign and face the shame of having failed to join in the conquest. This is especially so because of what was originally said to the leaders of these two tribes when they proposed receiving their inheritance outside of Canaan –

 ^“And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: ‘Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? ⁷ Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? ⁸ Thus your fathers did when I sent them away from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. … And look! You have risen in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. ¹⁵ For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people.” Numbers 32:6-8 & 14, 15

The implication at that time was that they were a bunch of cowards. Once that issue was resolved, and with that still on Moses’ mind, one can see why he is so specific in his words now. And that underlying tone continues with the following words…

^{19 (con’t)} (I know that you have much livestock)

When these tribes came forward to make their initial proposal, there was a heavy stress on the word miqneh, or livestock. It set the tone for the entire passage to be understood. They had a lot of livestock and they used that as their excuse to stay in the land east of the Jordan –

“Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that indeed the region was a place for livestock, ² the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, ^3’“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Shebam, Nebo, and Beon, ⁴ the country which the Lord defeated before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.’” Numbers 32:1-4

With that memory still fresh on his mind, Moses recalls their words and returns them to their ears. How he conveys his words isn’t known. It could have been in a comical way, as if the whole misunderstanding was cleared up and he was jokingly stating it, “I know you have much livestock!”

Or, it could be that he really thought they were cowards and so he is subtly reminding them of it – “I know you have much livestock…”

If the latter is correct – and it seems likely based on his inclusion of this now – then his note concerning the wives, children, and livestock were to forever remain a pricking reminder in their minds that they needed to man up and conduct themselves as such henceforth.

This is especially so, because the chiasm centers on the idea of their livestock. It appears to be an emphasis that is to be taken to heart and remembered as a point of shame which should spur them on to act with bravery in the battles to come. Either way, of the defenseless ones, Moses says that they…

^{19 (con’t)} shall stay in your cities which I have given you,

Again, the words are conditional. Moses has only given them the cities if they fulfill the commitment they had promised before the Lord. There would be a sufficient number of people to have all of the land cared for, protected, and for rotation of troops in and out of battle. All they needed to do was act in accord with the promise.

In verse 18, it said, “The Lord your God has given you this land to possess.” Now Moses says, “your cities which I have given you.” The word of Moses is the word of law. Unless his words were directed through him by the Lord, it would be a wholly inappropriate statement to make.

But rather than inappropriate, one can see the uniting of the word of the Lord with the spoken word of Moses, the prophet of the Lord. The thought concerning the conditional nature of Moses’ words is next brought to the forefront…

²⁰ until the Lord has given rest

The word “until” is given to remind them that they were under obligation to participate in the campaign to the end. However, it is also a note of surety that it will happen. The words, “until the Lord,” can only mean that the Lord has purposed and thus it will come to pass.

And more, the thought continues with “until the Lord has given rest.” Not only will the endeavor come to pass, but it will end with a set result. The Lord will give nuakh, or rest, as the completion of the campaign that is yet to begin. And that state of rest will be..

^{20 (con’t)} to your brethren as to you,

They had received their inheritance, and with their inheritance, they had received their rest. However, the men of war were to not rest until the other tribes of Israel were also given the same. That is next noted with the words…

^{20 (con’t)} and they also possess the land

Here, the word yaresh, or to inherit, is again used, as it was in verses 12 & 18. Canaan is their inheritance, and when it is subdued, they will have their rest in the land. The thoughts are united as one. Possessing the land is to possess the inheritance, and possessing the inheritance is to obtain the rest.

For all of the other tribes, Moses says that their rest would come from possessing the land…

^{20 (con’t)} which the Lord your God is giving them beyond the Jordan.

There is a unity of thought in the words of these verses. It said both in verse 18 and here, “the Lord your God.” However, in verse 20 it said, “until the Lord has given rest to your brethren.” Their Lord is also the Lord of those on the other side of Jordan.

And again, in verse 3:8, it spoke of defeating the enemies b’ever ha’yarden, or “in side the Jordan,” while speaking of the eastern side. In this verse it again says, b’ever ha’yarden, or “in side the Jordan,” while speaking of the western side. The Lord is the Lord of both sides, and He is the Lord of both groups.

There is one Israel on the side of the Jordan, regardless of which side it is, and the inheritance for each side is given to both by the Lord. For those on the eastern side, once those in Canaan had obtained their possession…

^{20 (con’t)} Then each of you may return to his possession

The conditional nature of the promise is again seen in these words. The inheritance is granted, but only through obedience to the word. For those on the other side, no such note is stated. All it says is that if they cross the Jordan, the Lord will give them the land to possess. The inheritance is assured by simply faithfully trusting in the Lord.

For those who are to receive their inheritance east of Canaan, they must follow the command of Moses. In their obedience to his word, they may then each return to his possession…

*^20 (fin) which I have given you.’

Again, it is Moses who says that he has given the possession to them. In verse 18, it said the Lord had given them rest, but it was through Moses that this came about. After the Land of Promise was subdued, they returned to where they had settled. That is recorded in Joshua 22, and it again says that Moses gave them the land –

“Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, ² and said to them: ‘You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. ³ You have not left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. ⁴ And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan.’” Joshua 22:1-4

What this is certainly telling us is that man has been given an inheritance from the Lord – all men, including and particularly Israel. But one inheritance is of the law, and one is of the promise. One is earthly, and one is heavenly.

Only those of promise – whether Jew or Gentile – will receive the Lord’s inheritance, meaning the heavenly inheritance. This is why there is the stress on Moses being the one to give the inheritance to those outside of the Land of Promise. They had to earn their inheritance, and it is only an earthly one.

However, those destined for the Land of Promise are granted it through simply believing the Lord and trusting in His work to receive what is offered. The chiasm which spans these last three verses clearly shows us this.

What is it that you are looking for? If it is livestock and worldly wealth, you will have to earn that. But if it is a heavenly inheritance, then you must receive it by faith in the Lord. The two stand in opposition to one another.

Israel is Israel. They are the same group on either side of the Jordan, but only some of Israel will inherit the promise. And for those Gentiles who come to the Lord by faith, they are brought into the commonwealth of Israel to receive the same heavenly inheritance that Israel – the Israel of God – will receive.

The verses are clearly laid out for us to see this, and we must pay heed to what we have seen and heard today. You can be granted an inheritance through law and be separate from the inheritance of the Lord. Or, you can cross the Jordan, come through Christ, and receive the Land of Promise by a simple act of faith.

Choose wisely, and be sure to choose quickly. Life is a passing vapor, and then it is gone. Come to Christ and receive that which is already waiting for those who are willing to do so.

Closing Verse: “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ. ¹⁷ And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.” Galatians 3:16-18

Next Week: Deuteronomy 3:21-29 I’m getting tired of this chatter… (Speak No More to Me of This Matter) (11^th Deuteronomy Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Until the Lord Has Given Rest

“And this land, which we possessed at that time
From Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, and all its sites
And half the mountains of Gilead and its cities
I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites

The rest of Gilead, and all Bashan
The kingdom of Og, I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh
All the region of Argob, with all Bashan
Was called the land of the giants; so the people did say

Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob
As far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites
———-yes, in the direction that way
And called Bashan after his own name
Havoth Jair, to this day

“Also I gave Gilead to Machir
Lots of land for sheep to shear

And to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave
From Gilead as far as the River Arnon
The middle of the river as the border, as far as the River Jabbok
The border of the people of Ammon

The plain also, with the Jordan as the border
From Chinnereth as far as the east side
Of the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea)
Below the slopes of Pisgah; a land spacious and wide

“Then I commanded you at that time, saying:
‘The Lord your God has given you this land to possess
———-so to you I tell
All you men of valor shall cross over armed
Before your brethren, the children of Israel

But your wives, your little ones, and your livestock
(I know that you have much livestock) – yes, it is true
Shall stay in your cities which I have given you
Until the Lord has given rest to your brethren as to you

And they also possess the land
Which the Lord your God is giving them beyond the Jordan
———-Yes, when they do
Then each of you may return to his possession
Which I have given you

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

¹² “And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, and half the mountains of Gilead and its cities, I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites. ¹³ The rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh. (All the region of Argob, with all Bashan, was called the land of the giants. ¹⁴ Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and called Bashan after his own name, Havoth Jair, to this day.)

¹⁵ “Also I gave Gilead to Machir. ¹⁶ And to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave from Gilead as far as the River Arnon, the middle of the river as the border, as far as the River Jabbok, the border of the people of Ammon; ¹⁷ the plain also, with the Jordan as the border, from Chinnereth as far as the east side of the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), below the slopes of Pisgah.

¹⁸ “Then I commanded you at that time, saying: ‘The Lord your God has given you this land to possess. All you men of valor shall cross over armed before your brethren, the children of Israel. ¹⁹ But your wives, your little ones, and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall stay in your cities which I have given you, ²⁰ until the Lord has given rest to your brethren as to you, and they also possess the land which the Lord your God is giving them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may return to his possession which I have given you.’