Deuteronomy (Written)

Deuteronomy 1:26-33
The Goer Before You – HE

When we come to a passage like the one before us, there are certainly several things we might think, “Well, yeah, that would upset the Lord.” There is rebellion, there is impudence, there is accusation, there is cowardice, and there is unbelief.

All in all, in eight verses, Israel could be accused of quite a few offenses against the Lord. The psalmist goes further though. In recounting this very incident, he adds in contempt, complaint, and willful ignorance. Further, he also acknowledges their unbelief.

For which of these should Israel receive their just punishment? There is one which is more offensive to Him than any other because it is a sin which simply cannot be overcome by God who does not force His will upon His people.

Text Verse: Then they despised the pleasant land;
They did not believe His word,
²⁵ But complained in their tents,
And did not heed the voice of the Lord.
²⁶ Therefore He raised His hand in an oath against them,
To overthrow them in the wilderness,
²⁷ To overthrow their descendants among the nations,
And to scatter them in the lands. Psalm 106:24-27

It’s interesting that the psalmist ties the actions of this wicked generation in with the “overthrow of their descendants among the nations,” and that He would “scatter them in the lands.” Nothing of this occurred in the books of Moses.

Rather, after their time of punishment while wandering in the wilderness, He brought them across Jordan and into Canaan. They lived there for many hundreds of years before they were exiled. From there, he brought them back to the land for many more hundreds of years before they were exiled again.

And yet, He speaks of the actions of the people at this time in their history as a reason for the scattering of them those many hundreds of years later. What is this thing, this ongoing thing, which brought them such trouble and disaster throughout their history?

It is spoken of in our verses today. In fact, it is specifically mentioned by Moses by the use of a participle in verse 32. We’ll be there in a due time, but in short, of all of the sins of Israel – both active and ongoing – there is one thing, above all else, which brought about their many woes.

Unfortunately, it is the same sin which permeates their society today, and because Israel is a corporate entity, Israel is corporately affected by it. That will continue into the tribulation period, and it will only be resolved when they are so broken as a people that they have nowhere else to turn.

In their stubborn obstinacy throughout the years, their greatest sin – and the sin which has brought about many, many terrible woes – is the seemingly minor (and yet immensely huge) sin of… unbelief. As Joseph Benson says of this sin –

“…no sin will ruin us but unbelief, which is a sin against the remedy, and therefore without remedy.” Joseph Benson

One cannot obtain a remedy for an ill if he refuses to accept the remedy. It is the consistent, continuous, and ongoing problem for the people of Israel, and it is the same for much of the world’s population to this day – unbelief. This is a truth which is 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. Where Can We Go Up? (verses 26-28)

²⁶ “Nevertheless you would not go up,

v’lo avitem laalot – “And no you would go up.” The spies had gone out, they had acknowledged that the land was good which the Lord had promised, and they had all of the previous experiential knowledge of the capabilities of the Lord – from the signs, to the plagues upon Egypt, to the parting of the Red Sea. They had been given manna and quail.

On and on, He had proven Himself to them. There was no good or reasonable excuse for not simply going in and possessing the land which lay before them. And, as we have seen since Moses came to the burning bush on Sinai, all of these signs and wonders pointed to Christ.

Everything that has been recorded was there to alert the people to the fact that Messiah was coming, and that who He is and what He would do was already revealed to them through these types and pictures. This is no stretch of the intent of the passage. Rather, it is exactly what Jesus Himself said, using the same words –

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!” Matthew 23:37 (WEB)

The people failed to “go up” and receive Him. They had all the necessary information…

^{26 (con’t)} but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God;

va’tamru eth pi Yehovah elohekem – “and rebelled against the mouth of Yehovah your God.” 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.

The action of the people was a direct attack against the spoken word, or mouth, of Yehovah. He had promised the people a land of milk and honey, and He had promised that His Angel would go before them and cut off their enemies.

This was explicitly repeated by Moses in verse 21 where He said, “Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.” That then follows after the words of Joshua and Caleb in Numbers 14 where they said –

“Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” Numbers 14:9

There is a difference in words translated as “rebel” between here and that of Numbers 14. There, Joshua and Caleb used the word marad, but here Moses uses the word marah. The second word, marah, signifies “to make bitter.”

The difference is that the word used by Joshua and Caleb is in the context of breaking a covenant. In essence, “Do not break covenant faithfulness with the Lord.” However, Moses now essentially says, “You brought a state of bitterness to the mouth of the Lord.”

These minute and often almost imperceptible changes of carefully chosen wording open up the narrative so that we can see the full import of what is being relayed. The covenant was broken by the people, it was bitter to the mouth of the Lord, and the resulting covenant punishments would come upon the people. For now, Moses continues the narrative…

²⁷ and you complained in your tents,

Here is a new and rare word, ragan. It signifies “to grumble.” It is only used three times. The second use is in Psalm 106:25 (our text verse), and it refers to this same account. The last time it will be seen, in Isaiah 29:24, it refers to a time when the people will finally gain wisdom and learn proper doctrine.

For now, Moses lays the fault directly on the people there before him. “You complained.” He doesn’t say, “Your fathers complained.” They are the same group of people with the same propensities as their fathers. The complaining in their tents refers back to Numbers 14:1, where the people held a pity party –

“So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.” Numbers 14:1

If you close your eyes, you can almost hear the moaning throughout the camp. The tents’ walls would resonate with the sound of an entire camp of people whining about how bad their existence had suddenly become. But worse is the content of their words…

^{27 (con’t)} and said, ‘Because the Lord hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.

It is the strongest expression found concerning the attitude of the people, expanding upon what was said in Numbers 14. They actually brought an indictment against the Lord, accusing Him of hating them, and because of this He purposely brought them out of Egypt, so that He could have the Amorite destroy them.

It is almost a play on words. The name Amorite essentially means “Renowned.” Here, they accuse the Lord of using these renowned people to wipe out their name so that nothing is left of it. Further, Egypt signifies “Double Distress.”

In this, they are saying they were taken from a place of great distress just to be destroyed in a worse place. The accusations against the Lord are the highest marks of contempt.

²⁸ Where can we go up?

To go up implies entry into the Promised Land. It is always considered an ascension to a higher place when entering Canaan, then Jerusalem, and then the temple, and even into the rooms of the temple, culminating in arrival at the Most Holy place.

The picture of failing to accept Jesus, the way of restoration to God in heaven, is obvious. The words are chosen to show hints of the rejection of Christ by Israel after He accomplished His work, granting them access to restoration with God.

^{28 (con’t)} Our brethren have discouraged our hearts,

Here they use the word masas, signifying “to melt.” Further, the word “heart” is singular akhenu hemasu eth l’vavenu – “our brothers have melted our heart.” It is a collective heart of the people which is referred to. The contrast to the state of Christ on the cross is then seen. From Psalm 22 –

“I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.” Psalm 22:14

The people’s collective heart melted from fear, not trusting in the Lord. Whereas Christ’s heart melted from full trust in the Lord, not fearing the ordeal He faced, but rather petitioning the Lord for deliverance. Israel on the other hand only saw the state of the foe…

^{28 (con’t)} saying, “The people are greater and taller than we;

There is no article before the word. It is an exclamation of awe – “People greater and taller than we.” The word greater speaks of the number of them. But the spies had also told the people of the immense size of some of the inhabitants using the term anshe midot, or “men of measures.”

It is a way of saying they were twice as tall as normal men. Even if it is true that there were men of great size living in the land, the implication is that this is the state of all of them. It is a great exaggeration.

The people were just like any others, but with some exceptions. However, in their cowardice, they magnified the lie in order to stop the heart of even the most trusting soul in regard to the word of the Lord. And more…

^{28 (con’t)} the cities are great and fortified up to heaven;

Again, there is no article before “cities,” and the word “heavens” is plural – “the heavens.” The words are of awe and fear – “…cities, great and fortified, up to the heavens.” It is a hyperbolic statement that goes all the way back to Genesis 11 where the people determined to build a tower “whose top is in the heavens.”

The idea is that those in Canaan were like gods, dwelling in inaccessible strongholds which cannot be defeated. It is undoubtedly the Lord’s intent, as revealed through the author of Hebrews, to show that the work of Christ is contrasted, directly, to this statement of the people here in Numbers and Deuteronomy.

In Hebrews 7, speaking of the priesthood of Christ, and in His mediatorial role which grants His people access to God in heaven, he says, “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26). Paul then uses this notion of Christ’s capabilities, now accessible to God’s people, to explain our abilities now in Christ –

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-6

What Israel was to face in a physical realm is equated directly to what the church faces in a spiritual realm. Where Israel failed to trust the Lord, we are asked to be resolute in trusting Him. The foes we face are far greater, but through Christ, we can indeed prevail.

^{28 (con’t)} moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’

Again, the article is left off and the clause begins with a superlative, v’gam bene anaqim rainu sham – “And moreover, sons Anakim we have seen there.” It is as if this is the epitome of the dangers. “Yes, there are many and huge people. And yes, there are great and fortified cities reaching to the heavens. But even more, this! These fellows are to be feared even more than the rest!”

Anakim comes from anaq, meaning “neck.” Thus, the Anakim are a clan of people known for their unusual long or thick necks, or the adornments on their necks. In stating the name, it shows that their reputation went ahead of them.

There was no need for further explanation. The name itself drew fear from those who heard it spoken. In this, their reputation is elevated to a position greater than even that of the giant, fortified cities already described.

In Numbers 13:22, it was seen that they were associated with the Egyptians. In this, they presented a fearful challenge to Israel. They had left Egypt and the Egyptians behind, but these people are probably a force allied with Egypt through their ancestry, and they will be eager to destroy the people who had destroyed their families at the Red Sea.

But the thinking is confused, because it was the Lord who had destroyed all of the Egyptians at the Red Sea. To fear a group of people such as this, when the Lord had already proven His capabilities, was dismissive of the greatness He had already displayed. What is ironic, is that Moses takes these words of cowardice, and he appropriates them in chapter 9, saying –

“Hear, O Israel: You are to cross over the Jordan today, and go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven, ² a people great and tall, the descendants of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the descendants of Anak?” Deuteronomy 9:1, 2

Moses takes their words and turns them around to make the point to the people who are about to enter Canaan that even if it seems like the obstacles are so great, the Lord is far greater. But he was consistent in this, even when they first were set to enter…

Woe to us, for we shall die
And woe to us that it shall come to pass
There is no hope in the Lord; no need to try
Through this great chasm, we cannot pass 

We might as well go back from where we came
Living there was better than we have it now
We are going to die, either way, just the same
We might as well live it up there; some way, somehow 

Oh! My people, if you know already that you are going to die
Then why not trust Me and take the path that I provide
Is it not better to simply believe? Give it a try!
Just have faith, and I will be your Guide

II. Yet, For All That! (verses 29-33)

²⁹ “Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified, or afraid of them.

Here is a new word, arats. It signifies being in fearful awe, and thus terrified. Moses supplements that with another word with a similar meaning showing how truly terrified the people were.

What Moses now says, through the next few verses, was not recorded in Numbers 14. All it says is that Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the assembly. Putting the two accounts together shows that what is now stated was while they were there humbling themselves in that way.

However, the words now are a repeat of what was said to the people before they had sent out the spies. In verse 21, which we looked at last week, he had already told them to go possess the land and to not fear or be discouraged.

However, in verse 22, they asked first for men to go before them. These men, meaning the spies, had gone before them. Based on their report, it is obvious what would be the outcome. Despite this, Moses’ words were of confident assurance. There was no need to be in any type of fear because of…

³⁰ The Lord your God, who goes before you,

In the Hebrew there is a strong emphatic form used by Moses, Yehovah elohekem ha’holek liphnekem hu – “Yehovah your God the Goer before you, HE.” It was Moses’ way of recalling to their minds what He had already done.

HE had gone before them. HE had taken them through the Red Sea. HE had brought water out of the rock, provided manna each morning, gave quail when desired, and so on. This same God who tended to them before, was THE GOER before them and He would continue to do so…

^{30 (con’t)} He will fight for you,

As background to these words, Moses called to their memory the events which came about after they departed from Egypt. At that time, Israel found themselves in a fearful position. As it said in Exodus 14:10-12 –

“And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. ¹¹ Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? ¹² Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

After their cries of terror, it then said –

“And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.’” Exodus 14:13, 14

This is the same thing that Moses now again conveys to them. The Lord is their God, He is the One who goes before them, and it is He would will fight for them. The battle is decided, and the victory is already attained, if they will simply believe and act. Just as when He redeemed them, so He will follow through and deliver them…

^{30 (con’t)} according to all He did for you in Egypt

Egypt was the enemy, they were in hot pursuit, and the people had nowhere to flee to. And yet, the Lord acted, and He delivered. The event was just a year earlier, and it ended more than two hundred years of waiting, many of them in hard bondage and labor. Of that affliction, they had been personally freed by the Lord.

Now this same group of people stood at the door of Canaan. It was they who had been hemmed in on the shores of the Red Sea. The warriors were coming, the battle would be engaged, but the people of the Lord did not have to lift a finger in the process.

All they had to do was, by faith, step between the walls of water on the dry ground and pass through the sea. In doing so, the Lord would be at their head, guiding them, and the Lord would be their rearguard, protecting them. They did, and – by faith – they passed through the sea and to safety on the other shore.

But Moses adds in another note for them to consider. They were not blind and needing to be led by the hand from a foe they could not see or perceive. Rather, the events which occurred did so, as Moses says…

^{30 (con’t)} before your eyes,

The events occurred, they were accomplished solely by the Lord, and He had done it right before their eyes. It wasn’t a story that had been passed down from one generation to the next, embellishing the account as the years passed.

Their eyes beheld the events, and they personally participated in them through a simple act of faith. Moses said this as an appeal. The people were to favor their past experiences, in regard to the power of the Lord, over the current dismal report of the spies about a matter which had not even been beheld by their same eyes.

“You have seen what came about! And this… this is nothing in comparison to what has been. Have faith! Trust in the Lord! It is He who will deliver!” But even that was not the end of the Lord’s tender care for them – by a longshot. Rather, Moses continued to remind the people, as he humbled himself on his face before them, of the other tender acts of the Lord…

³¹ and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you,

This is not speaking of the time of the wilderness wanderings after turning from Canaan. This is speaking of the journey from the Red Sea to Mt. Sinai. It is a general repeat of the words of the Lord in Exodus 19, after the people had arrived at the sacred mountain –

“And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ⁴ ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.’”  Exodus 19:4

Moses is remembering that and reminding the people of it. They had been without water, and the Lord provided water. They had been without rest, and the Lord gave them the Sabbath. They had been without food, and the Lord gave them manna. They had been attacked by Amalek, and the Lord defeated them before Israel.

On and on, every step of the way, the Lord tended to Israel, carrying them upon Himself as they approached the sacred mountain that He had promised they would come to.

One can look at the entire history of Israel. They had been redeemed from Egypt. They had been brought out of the nations and into their own land. Throughout all of their years, they complained and moaned and turned away from the Lord, and yet the Lord kept them as a unique possession.

And eventually, He brought them to the Promise. Christ came, they saw Him, and they interacted with Him. He promised them Himself, the true Manna. He offered of Himself, the true Rock from which the water flowed.

He said that He would give them rest from their weary labors if they only came to Him. He even called the law up to the sacred mountain where He reminded the people of these things when that same law was nailed to the cross. He bore Israel through the wilderness of their years…

^{31 (con’t)} as a man carries his son,

In Isaiah 46, the Lord makes a contrast between His care for Israel and how a man cares for his dead idols. Speaking to them about His care for them, He says –

“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
Who have been upheld by Me from birth,
Who have been carried from the womb:
⁴ Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.’” Isaiah 46:3, 4

And of how man treats his dead idols, He then says –

“To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal
And compare Me, that we should be alike?
⁶ They lavish gold out of the bag,
And weigh silver on the scales;
They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god;
They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship.
⁷ They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it
And set it in its place, and it stands;
From its place it shall not move.
Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer
Nor save him out of his trouble.’” Isaiah 46:5-7

This is the same thought, though less refined in some ways, that Moses presented to the people. Moses is asking the people to remember His care for them, how He carried them, even as a Father carries His son, bearing them upon Himself.

But in not trusting the Lord who had carried them, they were placing their trust either in themselves, or in something, or someone, who had no power to deliver them.

The Lord had proven Himself reliable throughout their walk to Sinai. He had proven Himself reliable at Sinai. And, further, he had brought them right to the doorstep of promise…

^{31 (con’t)} in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’

The words, “until you came to this place,” mean Kadesh in the Wilderness of Paran, where they camped and waited for, and received, the report from the spies. From Egypt to Canaan, the Lord had carried them.

Now, even after the bad report, they were petitioned to trust the Lord, have faith in His abilities, capabilities, and promises, and to step – by faith – into the promised possession.

Here is Israel, sitting on the banks of the Jordan in Moab, and being given a recounting of what occurred, and what brought them to 38 years of disaster and death in the wilderness. In preparation for them to trust the Lord and to enter the promise, Moses will give them the most comforting of words to hold fast to. It is a word similar to what he had spoken to their fathers there in Kadesh –

“The eternal God is your refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
He will thrust out the enemy from before you,
And will say, ‘Destroy!’” Deuteronomy 33:27

Again, and after having gone through the Numbers sermons, we don’t need to go back and review all the details of how what occurred was given to point to Israel’s rejection of Christ. We know this and we know the consequences of it.

Suffice it to say that God brought Israel out for Himself. He brought them through the wilderness of the years leading up to Christ. He gave them every hint of who He would be, what He would do, and how He would do it – even if only in type and shadow.

From there, He brought them through the cross and directly to the promised inheritance. All they needed to do was to believe, nothing more. If so, entry into the true Land of Promise would be theirs…

³² Yet, for all that, 

u-vadavar hazeh – “And in the word, the this.” The structure of the words, and the inclusion of a strong pause mark, known as an athnakh, calls for a paraphrase to grasp the meaning, “And yet, despite all that, and as incredible as it may seem…”

There is a note of utter astonishment at what he is about to say. It is as if Moses has laid the entire presentation out before them from his first appearance to the people in Egypt, through the plagues, through the Exodus, through the wilderness, through almost a year at Sinai – never without the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night – through the giving of the law, the construction of the tabernacle, the ordination of the priesthood, the acceptance of the priesthood in a display of fire from heaven, in the organization of the people around the sanctuary, in the march to Canaan, and in ten thousand details which came about in between these magnificent events, and which were accompanied by the daily giving of enough manna to feed a company of well over a million people… “And yet, despite all of that, and as incredible as it may seem…”

^{32 (con’t)} you did not believe the Lord your God,

The sin of unbelief is laid at the feet of the people there listening to Moses. And his words contain a participle which indicates ongoing, even permanent, unbelief, “You still were not believing.”

It doesn’t matter that his audience was underage at that time and that it was actually their fathers before them – all of whom had now died, minus Moses, Joshua, and Caleb. Moses tells those before him that they did not believe, and the condition persisted. Israel is a collective whole, and the guilt of the congregation is imputed to the whole, even if believing individuals (such as Joshua and Caleb) are excepted from the overall program.

The typology is not to be missed. God had brought Israel out, He had brought them through the law, through the prophets, through the feasts, and through the types and pictures of the coming Messiah. He brought them through the birth of the King, through the confirmation of that by the Magi, through the young Boy who astonished those at the temple, through the miracle at Cana in Galilee, through the healing of lepers, through the restoration of sight to the blind, through the sinless Life which they beheld, through the raising of the widow’s son, and the raising of Lazarus. He had brought them through the events of Palm Sunday, through the passion of His Christ, through the cross and burial, and through the resurrection and ascension of the Lord, and in ten thousand details which came about in between these magnificent events… “And yet, despite all of that, and as incredible as it may seem…”

“You still were not believing the Lord your God…”

³³ who went in the way before you 

ha’holekh liphnekem ba’derek – “The Goer before you in the way.” What is Moses speaking of? The way to the promise – the inheritance. He is speaking of the way to the land where the Lord’s people would dwell. In order to go to that place, the Lord went the way to that place first. One cannot reach the promise without first taking the way to it.

And if the Lord took that way, then that way is the same that His people would take. In other words, what Moses says here is repeated by Jesus in John 14:2, “I go to prepare a place for you.”

Christ spoke of the true Land of Promise – the inheritance. He was speaking of the way to the land where His people will dwell. In order to go to that place, He had to go the way to that place first. And in so going, He made the way clear.

This is because He is not only the GOER, but He is the WAY. Nothing about what lies ahead can be separated from who the Lord is. Understanding the connection, Moses continues by saying to them that the Lord went in the way before them…

^{33 (con’t)} to search out a place for you to pitch your tents,

The Lord led the way in order for the people to follow. The ultimate destination was Canaan, the Land of Promise. The people were led, every step of the way, even to the threshold of the land, by the Lord. The path was clear, the steps forward were set, and all the people had to do was simply believe and press on.

This is an obvious statement reminding the people that they had asked for the spies to be sent. This was not the Lord’s decision, but rather He approved of their request. But it was an unnecessary part of what the Lord was doing. He was going to prepare a place for them. He had gone first, and He had provided the way. Again, “I go to prepare a place for you.”

^{33 (con’t)} to show you the way you should go,

The Lord went first so that His people would know how to arrive at the location He had determined for them. They need do nothing but follow the way which He determined in advance. The march of Israel, and the Lord’s going forth before them was not because the Lord needed to discover something unknown to Him, but to provide a picture of what He was going to do in Christ –

“Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’”
⁶ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:5, 6

The way was to be set, it was to be fixed, and the inheritance was not to be obtained in any other way than at the determination of the Lord. But the way was marked out in such a way that for any who desired to take it, it could be taken…

*^33 (fin) in the fire by night and in the cloud by day.

The fire and the cloud were visible manifestations of the invisible God. The Lord made His presence known so that the people would know He was among them. All they had to do was to accept the Lord’s word at face value, believe that same word, and enter into the promise by following the visible manifestation He provided.

But even with all of those evidences, Israel failed to simply believe. They didn’t believe the Lord at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Paran, and they didn’t believe the Lord Jesus as He revealed His glory to them when He came to dwell among them – He, the visible manifestation of the invisible God.

As Joseph Benson says, and as we partially cited in our opening, “…their disbelief of that promise which was typical of gospel grace; to signify that no sin will ruin us but unbelief, which is a sin against the remedy, and therefore without remedy.”

This is confirmed in Scripture by the author of Hebrews who refers to this very passage while making his case for the people to let go of their unbelief and to come to Christ for the true rest which these types and shadows only anticipated, as seen in Hebrews 3:16-19 –

“For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? ¹⁷ Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸ And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? ¹⁹ So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

Moses, through this discourse, diligently set about to impress upon the minds of the people that the fault of not entering the promise, not obtaining the inheritance, and not receiving the promised rest was entirely their own fault, and the guilt of their actions rested solely upon them.

The author of Hebrews then shows that the fault of the people, and of every evil that has come upon them for the past two thousand years, is entirely of their own making, and the guilt of their actions rests solely upon them.

The Lord provided everything necessary for them to enter, and yet they did not enter in because of unbelief. May that not be said of us here today.

Rather, through a simple act of faith, for Jew or for Gentile, the author of Hebrews clearly and unambiguously states the result with the words, “For we who have believed do enter that rest.” Look to the cross, understand what it means to you as a person, and by a simple act of faith receive the good news of Jesus Christ. Be reconciled to God and enter into the promised rest.

Closing Verse: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
⁵ Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:1-6

Next Week: It is Christ who for us, the victory He did win… (He Brought Us out From There That He Might Bring Us In) (Resurrection Day 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.

The Goer Before You – HE

“Nevertheless you would not go up
But rebelled against the command of the LORD your God
And you complained in your tents, and said
Words which were tragically flawed

“Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land
Of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us
Where can we go up?
That day you all made a terrible fuss

Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying
“The people are greater and taller than we, so we are aware
The cities are great and fortified up to heaven
Moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there

“Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified, or afraid of them
The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you
According to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes
And in the wilderness, so also He did do

Where you saw how the LORD your God carried you
As a man carries his son, in all the way that you went
Until you came to this place
Upon you all that care He lovingly spent

Yet, for all that, you did not believe the LORD your God
Who before you to search out a place went in the way
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

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…

 

²⁶ “Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God; ²⁷ and you complained in your tents, and said, ‘Because the Lord hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. ²⁸ Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’

²⁹ “Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. ³⁰ The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, ³¹ and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ ³² 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.

Deuteronomy 1:9-25
At the Door, Ready to Enter

Deuteronomy 1 has thus far been a marvelous presentation of Christ and what God would do through Him. This continues to be true in the verses ahead today.

God has selected various words, through Moses, to convey to us a panorama of what has previously been much more minutely detailed. And yet, there are obvious changes from the original narrative, some insertions, and many exclusions.

In this, it becomes an obvious point of theological doom for the small-minded people who willingly look to identify the books of Moses, and indeed even various portions, verses, or words, as having come from one source or another, rather than from Moses.

This is an easy way out of doing the hard work of trying to determine why God made those changes, and of what significance they are. But the funny thing is that as easy as it is to take this path, scholars then go and spend countless hours, even entire careers, working on not pursuing the original God-centered path.

In fact, many of them have spent a lot more effort on this futile endeavor than they ever would have if they had simply taken the word at face value and searched it out from that perspective.

Text Verse: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” Psalm 19:7

The psalmist says, “The testimony of the Lord is sure.” He said this because he was sure concerning the testimony of the Lord. One will either be sure of the Lord’s word and pursue it from that perspective, or he will have no faith in the word of the Lord and pursue it from that perspective.

The changes in the accounts previously seen and of those in Deuteronomy, rather than showing that they are later additions, clearly demonstrate that they are original. Nobody who would later write another narrative would have made such obviously varied details, nor would they have left out so much of the already provided detail.

The stories mesh harmoniously, and yet they simply give different information that was needed or is now needed, and nothing else. This is the same situation that arises between the three synoptic gospels. They provide exactly what is needed and nothing else.

But such as this will never satisfy the naysayer. If the accounts in those gospels were identical, they would be called forgeries because of that. If there is any perceived difference between them, they will be called forgeries because of that.

One must come to this word looking for truth, and he must do so looking for Christ. When these two thoughts unite, then a right understanding of why things are the way they are becomes evident.

And so, let us do this, as we do each week. Let us search for God’s truth in the passage before us, and let us search for God’s Messiah there as well. Such wonderful treasures 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. How Can I Alone Bear Your Problems? (verses 9-18)

⁹ “And I spoke to you at that time, saying:

Moses uses the word amar, or said, rather than the more common dabar, or spoke. The use of this word implies the need for cooperation rather than a direct word for something to be carried out. With this thought in mind, the next words make more sense…

^{9 (con’t)} ‘I alone am not able to bear you.

This is as much an appeal for help as it is a statement of fact. If a person is walking on a long hike, and he says to those with him, “I am not able to carry this load anymore,” he is implying to the others that he wants their help in carrying it.

It is important to note that Moses’ words here bring about the recollection of two distinct events in his time of leading Israel. The reason this is important is that his words now are actually only recorded after their time at Horeb, as they marched from Sinai to Canaan.

However, the words are not necessarily chronological but in an arrangement of thought. And that thought began while at Horeb. The first event was actually a suggestion from Jethro which occurred at Horeb in Exodus 18 –

“And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. ¹⁴ So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, ‘What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?’” Exodus 18:13, 14

After saying this, he gave advice to Moses concerning sharing the responsibility of decisions of lesser importance with selected men in a top-down pyramid fashion. Moses took his advice and a great burden was taken off of his shoulders.

Although not specifically stated in Exodus 18, it is certain that Moses spoke to the elders at that time of his intentions because of what was suggested by Jethro and which was then approved by the Lord. As it came to be according to the Lord’s will, Moses then conveyed that to the people.

Secondly, and more directly recorded, however, was Moses’ appeal to the Lord while at Taberah. It is a continuation of the relieving of the burden on Moses which began at Horeb –

“Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased. ¹¹ So Moses said to the Lord, ‘Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? ¹² Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, “Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,” to the land which You swore to their fathers? ¹³ Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, “Give us meat, that we may eat.” ¹⁴ I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. ¹⁵ If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness!” Numbers 11:10-15

At that time, the Lord had Moses gather together seventy elders of Israel, and He took of the Spirit that was on Moses and put the same upon them. In this, they were able to share the overall burden of leadership in a different way.

Rather than a top-down structure, it was one which consisted more in mutual cooperation, and which extended laterally at the top. This was conveyed to these chosen men, and they were given a sign that what was proposed had come to pass because, as is recorded –

“Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.” Numbers 11:25

Before going on, let us consider what is being presented. Verse 2 showed what a short journey Israel had to make in order to enter into the Land of Promise – just eleven days. However, it then noted that they are now in their fortieth year since leaving Egypt.

In verses 5-8, the instructions for leaving Horeb and entering into the Land are given, including a brief description of the land. With that came the promise that the land stood before them, the land sworn to their fathers. All they needed to do was go up and receive what was promised.

In verse 9, authority was given to the people. It was not Moses alone who bore it, but people at all levels, meaning tens of thousands of people who were in authority over thousands, hundreds, and tens.

And further, there were seventy at the very top who also possessed the same Spirit that was on Moses. Understanding this, and keeping it at the forefront of our minds, Moses next says to them…

¹⁰ The Lord your God has multiplied you, and here you are today, as the stars of heaven in multitude.

This verse recalls the promises of the Lord that were stated all the way back in Genesis. First, he made this promise twice to Abraham. He first did so in Genesis 15 –

“Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’” Genesis 15:5

He restated the promise when Abraham obediently took Isaac up Mt. Moriah to offer him as a burnt offering –

“Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, ¹⁶ and said: ‘By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— ¹⁷ blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.’” Genesis 22:15-17

The Lord then confirmed the promise to Isaac –

“Then the Lord appeared to him and said: ‘Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. ³ Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. ⁴ And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; ⁵ because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.’” Genesis 26:2-5

Finally, using a similar expression, the sand on the seashore, it is seen that the promise continued through Jacob –

“Then Jacob said, ‘O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, “Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you”: ¹⁰ I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. ¹¹ Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. ¹² For You said, “I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.”’” Genesis 32:9-12

Despite their time of bondage in Egypt, the Lord had faithfully remembered His covenant promises to the patriarchs, and He had fulfilled His words to them through maintaining Israel, increasing them, and then bringing them out of Egypt and towards the Land of Promise.

Moses’ words say, kekokve ha’shemayim larov – “as the stars in the heavens in multitude.” He chose this expression because it cannot be considered hyperbole. At any given time, the human eye cannot see more than three to five thousand stars. But Israel numbered over six hundred thousand fighting men, plus many others.

Moses is reminding the people that the Lord had not only been faithful, but that he had given them both the leadership necessary to take them into the land, and He had given them the numbers to make this possible. With that thought in mind, he next says…

¹¹ May the Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous than you are,

After noting that the Lord had accomplished what He said He would do, Moses next calls for an even greater blessing upon the people. This is not something that was previously said. Rather, it is a parenthetical thought inserted by Moses into his ongoing narrative before he continues with his discourse.

The reason he is saying this now is because of what he has already said in verse 9, and what he will repeat again in verse 12. He acknowledges that he cannot bear the people, and thus such a magnificent increase in the people of Israel would be because they had a true leader, the God of their fathers, Yehovah. It is a spoken prayer for great multiplication – even beyond the promises already fulfilled in the people who sat before him. And further…

^{11 (con’t)} and bless you as He has promised you!

The words are in the same order as were spoken to Abraham in Genesis 12:2. There the Lord said –

“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
² I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
³ I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3

In other words, the blessing is not limited to numbers in physical increase, but it transcends that. The blessing is spiritual in nature. There are many nations which have become great in number, but they lack the blessing of the Lord.

Abraham would become great in number, but he – meaning his descendants – would also possess the spiritual blessing. This is what Moses now again petitions the same Lord, Yehovah, for.

They had the numbers, but they had also been under punishment for rejecting the Lord. He is preparing them for entry into the land and he is calling for their physical increase to be accompanied by the promised spiritual increase. With that parenthetical thought now uttered, he continues with the narrative of what brought them to this point…

¹² How can I alone bear your problems and your burdens and your complaints?

Moses now continues with his narrative, recalling the words of verse 9 where he said he alone was not able to bear the people. It wasn’t just that there was a great multitude that he could not handle, but that the people put their difficulties upon him.

He describes these difficulties as problems, burdens, and complaints. The word translated as “problems” here is a new and rare word, torakh. It is found only here and in Isaiah 1:14, coming from a verb, tarakh which is only found in Job 37:11.

There it speaks of the clouds being saturated with water. One can think of being filled to a maximum capacity, and thus under a weight which cannot be physically tolerated.

And so, what we have here are the three things which were weighing down on Moses. The word torakh describes the people themselves. They are of a capacity that Moses cannot physically bear himself.

The massa, or burdens, speaks of the people’s own burdens which they heaped upon Moses. And the riv, or complaints are the people’s quarrels between themselves, between themselves and Moses, and the between themselves and the Lord.

Moses felt these various negative aspects of the people and their lives in himself. And so, a remedy was spoken out…

¹³ Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men

The word “choose” is acceptable. The Hebrew says, “Give to you.” The people were to give themselves men who would lead from among themselves. One would be expected to only give himself something which is good, and that is what Moses intended for them to do as a collective group.

As we saw earlier, in Exodus 18, Jethro made his recommendation to Moses. There he also highlighted various aspects of the men to be selected. He said that they should, “select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness.”

Jethro looked more to the moral aspects of the men to be selected. Moses speaks here of the administrative or technical aspects of the men. They are to be khakam, or wise. That is a person who already possesses knowledge and then takes that knowledge and applies it in an appropriate manner.

They are to be bin, or understanding, meaning that they can discern a matter, perceive what is appropriate to the situation, and then apply the wisdom they possess to ensure the proper goal is met. And they are to be yada, or knowing. This is experiential knowledge of a matter in order to be able to relay that knowledge on to others as each situation calls for. These men were to be…

^{13 (con’t)} from among your tribes,

There are two particular words which are most often translated as “tribes” in the books of Moses. One is matteh. The other is shevet. They both signify a type of staff or rod, and both come from roots signifying to branch off.

Though very similar in intent, matteh looks more to a genealogical stem and branch, whereas shevet looks to a political one. The first is never used in Deuteronomy, while the latter, shevet, is seen eighteen times.

Moses understands that the genealogical records of Israel have been set. The people have been counted, and the families have been identified and detailed. What he is concerned about is preparing the people for entrance into Canaan, and so his words focus on the political aspect of tribal division. In providing him with a list of such people for these political bodies, Moses says…

^{13 (con’t)} and I will make them heads over you.’

In giving to themselves such people, Moses would then appoint them to be leaders. It would be self-defeating to choose men who were unqualified, and so Moses trusted that those selected would meet the qualifications. Obviously, the idea went over well…

¹⁴ And you answered me and said, ‘The thing which you have told us to do is good.’

This has never been stated before in the ongoing narrative, and so the reason for including the words may not seem apparent, but it is the same reason for everything that has been said, and everything that will be said, all the way through the rest of the chapter.

Nothing was forced upon the people, they agreed to everything that was said, and the blame for all that occurred which brought them under punishment rests solely with them. Here, they agreed with their own mouths to the structure which would govern them.

When the people rebelled against the Lord, it was their leaders, who they agreed to and appointed, who failed to step in and lead the people as they should have. We are, as at all times, being shown typological pictures of Israel’s rejection of Jesus.

It is the leaders who are focused on throughout the gospels and into the epistles. In the leader’s rejection of their responsibilities, all of the people collectively suffered. This is because all of Israel agreed to the very structure of government under which they lived.

¹⁵ So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and made them heads over you, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes.

This corresponds to Exodus 18:25. As suggested by Moses, as authorized by the Lord, and as accepted by the people, Moses made the appointments. In this, two designations are made – sare and shoterim – rulers and officers. The word shoter comes from a root signifying “to write,” and thus it would be a scribe. By implication, it speaks of a type of magistrate. Why is this important?

It is because the same types of people were still leading Israel at the time of Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees fill the same type of offices that had been filled at the beginning.

Though the Pharisees were more to be considered a religious sect they, along with the Sadducees, were considered as leaders to the people. But they failed to submit to the Lord, just as these now-appointed leaders failed to do so.

¹⁶ “Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger who is with him.

Moses now speaks out his words of command which begin with “Hear.” One must listen before he can judge. It is as important for the judge to open his ear to hear a case as it is for him to keep his hand closed from any bribe which may affect his judgment.

And their judgment was to be fairly made between a man and his brother – without partiality, even to a man and a stranger, meaning anyone who dwelt among Israel, but who was not of Israel. Justice was to be blind to the man, or the state of the man. Further…

¹⁷ You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great;

The Hebrew essentially reads, “You shall not recognize faces.” When two come forward to present their cases, it was to be as if they had masks on so that neither could be recognized.

The precept is substantially repeated in Exodus 23:2 and Leviticus 19:15. Whether poor or wealthy, whether unknown or well-known, or for any other such reason, the judges were to remain impartial. But this is one of the reasons that Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23. They devoured the houses of the lowly widows simply because they could.

^{17 (con’t)} you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence,

Here it basically says, “you shall not be afraid from the face of any man.” It doesn’t matter how important he is, how influential he is, how big and scary he is, or for any other reason. The judgment was to be made without fear…

^{17 (con’t)} for the judgment is God’s.

The idea here is that of complete surrender of one’s judgment in such matters because the one judging is answerable to God. The general idea of this thought, though under a different context, is well expressed by the words found in Hebrews 13:6 –

“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

The failing of the rulers at Jesus’ time concerning this very idea is expressed in John 12:42, 43 –

“Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

There was a greater fear of what man could do than what God was sure to do. In this, the rulers failed the people, and the people came under the collective punishment promised in the word.

^{17 (con’t)} The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’

This is what Jesus said to the people. They brought matters up which were difficult. Even the leaders challenged Jesus. And when this occurred, he would lead them right back to Moses, such as in Mark 10:3 when the subject of divorce came about. His first response was, “What did Moses command you?”

Also, in His parable of the rich man and Lazarus, he said that those whom Lazarus appealed for should hear Moses and the prophets, further telling him that “if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”

Moses was to be the ultimate authority for the decisions to be rendered. When something from the law needed clarification, even at the time of Jesus, they were to go to those who were responsible for the law. This is recorded in Matthew 23 –

“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.” Matthew 23:2, 3 

¹⁸ And I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do.

This encompasses everything passed on to the people after the initial giving of the Ten Commandments. After that awesome display, it then said –

“Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’” Exodus 20:19

His words now cover from that time, all the way through their almost year-long stay at the mountain. After this comes our next thought…                                 

We are on our way to the Promised Land
Taking our leave and heading out
It is a place of beauty and glory, so we understand
To the Lord our God, we shall raise a shout 

Here we are at the Door, ready to enter in
We are ready to take possession of what is promised to us
Restoration and paradise are about to begin
But what is this? Who is this Jesus? 

He claims that He is the Way
How can that be? We demand a sign!
If He will do for us the thing that we say
Only then will we our faith towards Him align

Here we are at the Door, ready to enter in
But is there some other way for our restoration to begin?...

II. The LORD Your God Has Set the Land Before You (verses 19-25)

¹⁹ “So we departed from Horeb, 

This was recorded in Numbers 10 –

“Now it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle of the Testimony.” Numbers 10:11

It is from this point that the thought of verse 2 is to be remembered. Israel was led by the Lord, they had leaders chosen from among themselves, and Kadesh Barnea was an eleven-day journey away. In just eleven days, they were set to begin their entrance into the Land of Promise. That means they should have arrived at that point on the first day of the third month of the second year. Until then…

^{19 (con’t)} and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the mountains of the Amorites,

The term ha’gadol, or “the great,” speaks of the vastness of the area. It stretches so far that it is an eleven-day journey. The term ha’nora, or “the terrible,” speaks of that which is fearful or awesome. The location is so barren and dry that it cannot be plowed and planted. It is a vast wasteland leading to a land of abundance and promise.

One can imagine it comparable to the span of human existence, apart from Christ. There is a vastness to it which extends from the fall until the millennium. And is a terrible existence when compared to that which lies ahead for those of promise.

As we saw in the first Deuteronomy sermon, eleven is the number which marks disorder, disorganization, imperfection, and disintegration. The description given by Moses now beautifully expresses that state for humanity in life apart from Christ.

It is horrible, even to the thought of death, to which this place extended – both before their arrival at Kadesh at several key points where they complained against the Lord – and to after their rejection of the Lord when they were turned back into it to die apart from the promise.

^{19 (con’t)} as the Lord our God had commanded us.

As a people, they had been redeemed from Egypt. Despite the horrid state of what lay ahead, He would be with them, and He would deliver them. And so, He commanded their departure as is recorded in Numbers 10 –

“So they started out for the first time according to the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses.” Numbers 10:13

^{19 (con’t)} Then we came to Kadesh Barnea.

The name Kadesh Barnea, or “Holy Purifying Wanderings,” was not used until Numbers 32, when there was a possible second turning of the people. Before that, it was only known as Kadesh, or “Holy.” Moses uses the full name now to remind them that their disobedience is what brought about their punishment.

The wanderings they had to go through came after, not before, their arrival at the doorstep of Canaan. It is they, because of their own rejection of the Lord, who were not purified to enter the promise, and so they were turned away.

Moses’ words have been, and continue to be, carefully selected to show Israel that what had befallen them was solely their own fault. As this entire account pictures Israel’s rejection of Christ, it is – whether it sounds cold or not – showing them that the misery of the past two thousand years has been a self-inflicted wound. They had been led throughout their history to the Promise, meaning Christ…

²⁰ And I said to you, ‘You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us.

Moses presented to Israel the Land of Promise – “Here it is! You have come to the land which the Lord our God is giving us!” And Moses also presented to Israel the Man of Promise – “Here He is! You have come to the One which the Lord our God gave to us.”

As has been the case each time they are mentioned in this chapter, the name “Amorite” is singular in the Hebrew. It is also prefixed by an article – “The Amorite.” The name signifies, “The Renowned,” and so one can see that it is a typological reference to the Lord. “You have been brought to the Mount of the Renowned,” the One spoken of and who possesses the land.

It is this which is promised to Israel. A dwelling with the Lord. And it is this which Israel turned away from, even though Moses implored them to enter…

²¹ Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you;

The Lord led Israel to the doorstep of Canaan. He set it before them as a gracious offering. And the Lord led Israel to the Door, which is Christ. They were at the threshold, given as a gracious Offering. Moses spoke to them, imploring them to enter Canaan, and Moses, through the law, implored them to enter… “Go!”

^{21 (con’t)} go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; 

Here Moses recalls the word of the Lord God. This was stated many times between Exodus and Numbers. One example is –

“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 3:8

Likewise, the Lord God of their fathers spoke many times of possessing the promise, meaning Christ and His kingdom. Jesus confirms this in John 5 –

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39

The Scriptures are literally filled with hints of the coming Messiah. His manifestation to the people of Israel was as obvious as Israel’s arrival at the threshold of Canaan. “Go, take possession!”…

^{21 (con’t)} do not fear or be discouraged.’

al tira v’al tekhat – “not do fear, and not be discouraged.” The words are a close reflection of John 14:27 –

“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.”

The themes repeat because the Lord is trying to wake His people up to His word, His promises, and the reliability of who He is in relation to them. In trusting in the Lord, there is to be no fear, and there is to be nothing which can allow one to be discouraged. Israel, however, took another path, starting with the next words…

²² “And every one of you came near to me

Moses is speaking to those of the congregation sitting on the side of the Jordan, waiting to enter. All of the those who came before him at that time are now dead, and yet, he says, va’tigrevun elay kulekhem – “and came near to me all of you.”

The leaders speak for the people, and the nation is a collective whole. Thus, the idea conveyed to Moses represents the desire of the collective, and it speaks of all at any time. What the leaders did is as if the people now have done.

^{22 (con’t)} and said, ‘Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us,                 

Taking the original account together with this one, there is an order to what occurred. The idea was given by the people to Moses. From there, he took it to the Lord for the Lord’s approval. The Lord gave them what they wanted, meaning He allowed them free will to choose their own path.

The only reason for such a request is personal fear and trepidation. It is a display of unbelief. The Lord had proven Himself countless times up to this point. He had promised what the land would be like and that the land would be delivered to Israel. Upon entry, their satisfaction would be assured.

But again, a parallel is seen in the leaders of Israel. The Lord, through the law, had led Israel directly to Messiah, and Messiah held the promises which lay ahead. But instead of accepting Him at face value, they asked for more. They directly challenged Him in this, just as Israel is directly challenging the Lord now –

“Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.” Matthew 16:1 

The Land of Promise lay ahead, and Israel asked for proofs. The Messiah stood before them, and Israel asked for proofs. But heaven is received by faith, not by demand. Christ’s answer to them was, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (16:4). And the sign of Jonah was given to them – a year for a day.

Jonah prophesied that Nineveh would be destroyed in forty days, and Jerusalem was destroyed forty years later. Israel failed to believe, and they were under punishment for forty years in the wilderness – a year for each day the spies were gone.

^{22 (con’t)} and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come.’

The spies, instead of bringing these things back as requested, brought back a bad report. The way is given –

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

And the city which is promised is described. The New Testament tells us what the spies should have provided. The gospel and its promises, however, must be accepted, by faith.

²³ “The plan pleased me well;

The Hebrew reads, va’yitav b’enay ha’davar – “And was good in my eyes the word.” Moses had no problem showing them what delights lay ahead because he knew that the Lord could deliver.

And, in fact, the law does tell of what lies ahead. Interspersed throughout the Old Testament are descriptions of what God promises in glory. Those who came to Jesus asked for more though. He was unwilling because they already had the word of the Lord which told them all they needed to know, and they had the further miracles that He had already accomplished throughout Israel. They simply failed to accept what their eyes saw and what the Lord promised to them.

^{23 (con’t)} so I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe.

Just as Jesus designated twelve apostles. The twelve spies were selected to provide details for the people to understand the nature of the glory which lay ahead. The twelve apostles were selected for the same reason. Did Israel accept the positive words of the spies? Did Israel accept the positive words of the apostles?

²⁴ And they departed and went up into the mountains,

It more literally reads, “And they turned and went up into the mountain.” “Mountain” is singular. In understanding the typology, one cannot help but see a hint of what the author of Hebrews says –

“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 12:22-25

The spies were to see the Land of Promise and describe it to the people. The apostles say that those who come to Christ, the true Promise have come to Mount Zion. They have come to JESUS.

^{24 (con’t)} and came to the Valley of Eshcol, and spied it out.

Here, almost all of the details and locations of the journey of Numbers 13 are ignored. The account focuses solely on the Valley of Eschol, the last place noted in the Numbers 13 account. He could have chosen any point among the journeys, but his words single out the Valley of Eshcol. And so, nakhal eshkol, or the Valley of Eshcol, must be again explained.

The word nakhal signifies a wadi where water would flow through during the seasons of rain. That word comes from nakhal meaning, “to take possession,” or “inherit.” Eshcol means “cluster.” But that comes from the word eshek, meaning testicle.

As we learned then, this pictured Christ’s work. Once having been accepted, He took possession of that which proceeds from the spot where man is generated from. In other words, it is a picture of the overriding of original sin in man.

Sin transfers from father to child. The semen, which is generated in man, is what transfers that sin. Christ has, through His work, taken possession of that in all who move from Adam to Him. It is the realization of the kingdom for His people through this act.

This, however, as we will see again, was rejected by Israel, just as Israel, at the word of the spies who went into the Valley of Eshcol, had rejected the promises of the Lord. Moses is giving us a recounting of what brought them to the disaster that followed. That, in turn, is given to show Israel today what brought about their own punishment when they rejected Christ and His work.

*^{25 (fin)} They also took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought back word to us, saying, ‘It is a good land which the Lord our God is giving us.’

This final verse leaves out many of the details from Numbers 13. It is given as a sufficient contrast between the attitude of the people and of the location that they had just trudged through. The land was a great and terrible wilderness, and yet the Lord led them through it. Canaan is a good land with abundant fruit, and it is certain that the Lord could bring them into it.

Further, they acknowledge now that it is not just a good land, but one which Yehovah Elohenu or, Yehovah our God, was giving to them. Thus, to enter is completely and solely, based on an act of faith in the capability, reliability, and grace of the Lord.

If one cannot see that as reflected in the gospel of Christ Jesus, he is not looking very hard. The Lord has already led us through the great and terrible wilderness of our lives. He has promised that He will conduct us into the Promise. And, He has offered it to us by grace. It is not something we can earn apart from Him. It is His, and therefore it must be received as a gift, based on faith.

The Lord our God, Yehovah Elohenu, has done everything necessary to bring us to Himself through the Person and work of Christ. It is now up to each one of us, individually, to accept what He has done, and to enter into the inheritance. It is that simple, and it is waiting for you to do so.

Closing Verse: “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
The Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
Who teaches you to profit,
Who leads you by the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17

Next Week: Deuteronomy 1:26-33 Shall we trust Him? I say, “Yes, certainly!” (The Goer Before You – HE) (4^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.

At the Door, Ready to Enter

And I spoke to you at that time, saying:
‘I alone am not able to bear you, so I did conclude
The LORD your God has multiplied you, and here you are today
As the stars of heaven in multitude

May the LORD God of your fathers
Make you a thousand times more numerous than you are
———- you, His saints
And bless you as He has promised you
How can I alone bear your problems and your burdens
———- and your complaints?

Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men
From among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you
And you answered me and said,
‘The thing is good which you have told us to do

So I took the heads of your tribes
Wise and knowledgeable men, and made them heads over you
Leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties
Leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes too

“Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying
Hear the cases between your brethren, so you are to do
And judge righteously, as I am relaying
Between a man and his brother or the stranger who is with him too

You shall not show partiality in judgment
You shall hear the small as well as the great
You shall not be afraid in any man’s presence
For the judgment is God’s, so to you I state

The case that is too hard for you, bring to me
And I will hear it and judge accordingly

And at that time I commanded you
All the things which you should do

“So we departed from Horeb, and went through
All that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way
To the mountains of the Amorites, as the LORD our God
———- had commanded us
Then we came to Kadesh Barnea, on that fateful day

And I said to you, ‘You have come
———- to the mountains of the Amorites
Which the LORD our God is giving us
———- that land is now in our sights

Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you
Go up and possess it; yes, be encouraged
As the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you
Do not fear or be discouraged

“And every one of you came near to me and said
‘Let us send men before us, and let them for us search out the land
And bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up
And of the cities into which we shall come
———- so it shall be properly planned

“The plan pleased me well
So I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe
———- was made a scout
And they departed and went up into the mountains
And came to the Valley of Eshcol, and spied it out

They also took some of the fruit of the land in their hands
And brought it down to us, that was a tasty plus
And they brought back word to us, saying
‘It is a good land which the LORD our God is giving us

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…

 

⁹ “And I spoke to you at that time, saying: ‘I alone am not able to bear you. ¹⁰ The Lord your God has multiplied you, and here you are today, as the stars of heaven in multitude. ¹¹ May the Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless you as He has promised you! ¹² How can I alone bear your problems and your burdens and your complaints? ¹³ Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.’ ¹⁴ And you answered me and said, ‘The thing which you have told us to do is good.’ ¹⁵ So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and made them heads over you, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes.

¹⁶ “Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger who is with him. ¹⁷ You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’ ¹⁸ And I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do.

¹⁹ “So we departed from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the mountains of the Amorites, as the Lord our God had commanded us. Then we came to Kadesh Barnea. ²⁰ And I said to you, ‘You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. ²¹ Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’

²² “And every one of you came near to me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come.’

²³ “The plan pleased me well; so I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe. ²⁴ And they departed and went up into the mountains, and came to the Valley of Eshcol, and spied it out. ²⁵ They also took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought back word to us, saying, ‘It is a good land which the Lord our God is giving us.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 1:5-8
Go in and Possess the Land

Today, Moses will begin his words to Israel concerning what lies ahead. He will repeat the words of the Lord saying, “See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.”

The promise lies ahead, but what exactly is the promise? Is it the land of Canaan? Surely, the Lord promised the land, and He swore to them on oath that they would receive it. However, is that the sum of the promise? Or is there more? The land of Canaan is a small piece of land in the middle of a big world filled with land and people. If that was all there was to the promise, it would be a bit lacking.

Rather, other things are promised in Scripture which extend beyond the borders of Canaan. The New Jerusalem, for example, is rather large. My friend Kathleen emailed me a joke concerning it some time ago –

“A man who lives in the New Jerusalem comes home from work and says to his wife, “I had to go to a meeting across town today.  Boy am I beat!”

Overlooking any theological errors in that, it still gets the point across. Canaan is about the size of a very small postage stamp on a very large box in comparison to New Jerusalem.

Text Verse: “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant,
Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel,
With the statutes and judgments.” Malachi 4:4

Moses is sitting on one side of the Jordan, and he is compiling words which are to become a part of the Law of Moses. But they are only a part of that law. Malachi speaks of Horeb. That is not where Moses is now. Thus, the words here are an extension of that law, but not the whole law.

Israel was admonished to “Remember the Law of Moses.” What does that mean? Were they expected to exactingly follow every precept without fail? Well, yes. But there is more to the Law of Moses than rote observance of the laws, statutes, and judgments contained within it.

We will see this, and we will continue to see this, as we progress through this marvelous book of Law and of Anticipation. Great things 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. Turn and Take Your Journey (verses 5-7)

⁵ On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab,

Beginning our verses, the immediate thought is given to specify where the narrative is taking place. It is in the same place where the book of Numbers ended, b’ever ha’yarden b’eretz moav – “in side the Jordan in land Moab.”

The Christological picture must be presented. Moses is the lawgiver, the land of promise anticipates the place of God’s rest – meaning a restored paradise, or – as we say – heaven. The Jordan, or the Descender, pictures Christ who descended from heaven to earth. Moab means “From Father.”

As the lawgiver, representing the law, is outside of the Land of Promise, and as he will remain there, it signifies that the law can only bring one to the Lord Jesus, but one must go through the Lord, who is From Father – meaning He is the Son of God – in order to enter into God’s promised rest.

The law, as Paul says in Galatians, is a tool which is given to lead man to Christ –

“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

With this understanding…

^5 (con’t) Moses began

hoil moshe – “ventured Moses.” It is a rather rare word, yaal, having been used only three times so far. When Abraham was speaking to the Lord concerning the destruction of Sodom, knowing that Lot was there and desiring to save his life, he used this word twice.  For example, in Genesis 18:27, it said –

“Then Abraham answered and said, ‘Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord:’” Genesis 18:27

This word, yaal, comes from a primitive root and gives the sense of undertaking something as an act of volition. Moses has voluntarily begun to speak out his words to the people of Israel. In this, it is specifically…

^5 (con’t) to explain this law, saying,

beer eth ha’torah ha’zot lemor – “Making distinct the law, the this, saying…” The words are very specific and direct, beginning with a new and rare word, baar. It is a verb meaning to make distinct or plain. It also comes from a primitive root which signifies to dig, and so by analogy it means to engrave.

Figuratively then, it may mean to explain distinctly. However, it is only used two other times, in Deuteronomy 27:8, and in Habakkuk 2:2. Citing those two times will reveal the intent of the word –

“And you shall write very plainly on the stones all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 27:8

&

“Then the Lord answered me and said:
‘Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.’” Habakkuk 2:2

Though it may be that this is simply referring to audible words, distinctly spoken, it is more probable that whether speaking or not, he is very specifically annotating the words of the law. This is what Luke said he was doing in Luke 1:1-4, and it is what Peter said he was doing in 2 Peter 1:15 while writing out his second epistle.

The fact that Moses is making the words distinct indicates that the words already exist. When one inscribes a tablet with words, it is because the words are there already and are simply being transcribed from either another document or from the mind, or so on. The common scholarly sentiment that is drawn from Moses’ words are similar to that of the Pulpit Commentary –

“This exposition of the Law was designed specially for the sake of those who, at the time the Law was first promulgated, either were not born or were incapable of understanding it (Grotius). The expression used by Moses plainly indicates that this book was not intended to furnish a second code of laws different from the former, but simply to explain and enforce what had before been enjoined.” Pulpit Commentary

Though this may be correct to some extent, the fact is that there are many things in Deuteronomy which are not found in the first four books of Moses. Though this may not be a second law, it goes beyond the substance of what has thus far been given.

And further, it is apparent that the first books of Moses were recorded. There are several times where it explicitly says Moses wrote down certain things. Further, the fact that we have the first four books of Moses, and which Jesus and the apostles state are divinely inspired words, it is clear that what is presented in Deuteronomy is more than just an explanation and enforcement of that which had already been given.

Rather, it is both a reiteration and a continuation of the books of Moses. As noted with the use of the word baar, the words already existed, but this does not necessarily mean that they are a repetition of words that are already recorded. Nor can it mean that, merely because of the additions and variations of what will be presented.

Rather, there is an imposition of the will of the Lord upon Moses to write out the words of this book. Moses felt that will, and he ventured to write it out. In other words, this book is given as a true prophetic utterance by the Lord through Moses.

Unlike the countless other times where it says, “And the Lord spoke to Moses saying,” this is a word given not “to” Moses, but “through” Moses. It then may be similar to Genesis, which is clearly ascribed to Moses, but which does not contain the words, “And the Lord spoke to Moses saying.”

What will be presented is in the first person, and yet it is the word of the Lord. Therefore, it is a book of prophecy in its most profound sense as it continues the presentation of the mind of the Lord which began with the words, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This continuation now says…

⁶ “The Lord our God

Yehovah elohenu – “Yehovah our God.” The term speaks of the covenant which united Israel with Yehovah. Though they had been under covenant curses for the past many years for disobeying the Lord, they were still the Lord’s people.

The picture of those years, that of Israel’s second exile and the 2000 years of living under the covenant curses, is exactly the same. The Lord never rejected them, as replacement theologians arrogantly state.

Rather, they were, and they are, in union with Yehovah because of the unbreakable covenant promises He made to them. Their violation of the covenant in no way negates His faithfulness to it.

^6 (con’t) spoke to us in Horeb, saying:

As noted last week, Horeb means “Arid” or “Desert.” The importance of this change of the name from Mt. Sinai to Horeb takes us all the way back to a commentary from Exodus 3. In Deuteronomy 1:1, it mentioned the midbar, or wilderness. Here in this verse it mentions that God dabar, or spoke, to Israel in Horeb.

The word midbar, or desert, is related to the word dabar, or spoke. The term “Mt. Sinai” consistently spoke in picture of the cross of Christ. Israel had rejected Christ’s work and was driven into the midbar, or wilderness. Now, Moses relays what the Lord spoke, or dabar, to Israel all the way back at Horeb, or “Arid.”

With this understanding, we can return to the comments made in Exodus 3. There we noted that Abarim states the following concerning these words –

“These two root-verbs are really quite adjacent in Hebrew thought. Note that the word מדבר (midbar) means wilderness (or desert), and the related verb דבר (dabar) means to speak. When Paul augments Isaiah’s spiritual armor, he adds the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God … Words commonly protrude from one’s mouth, and the mouth is typically a wet place, not a dry place. But it should be noted that the Meribah incident occurred at Horeb (Exodus 17:6), “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Abarim

As can be seen, Moses used the name Horeb, or “Arid,” in Exodus 17. It may seem curious that the place where God is would be defined this way, but what is it that gives life? Water.

The Word of God proceeds from the wet place, the mouth, and the Word of God is where the water of life issues from. Horeb, the Arid place, is where the water came from the rock. Paul in the New Testament says this about that account –

“…all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:3, 4

The word points to Christ. Israel arrived at Sinai and they rejected Christ. They then went into the midbar, or wilderness, to wander until they would again come to the word. Moses is now relaying the word of the Lord, that very word which speaks of Christ. The instruction is given to lead them to Christ.

As noted by Paul, the law is only a tutor to lead the people to Christ. In finding Christ, they will pass over Jordan and into the inheritance, while Moses, representative of the law, will remain outside of the promise.

After all of this, in short, we can say that Deuteronomy is given to lead the people to what they had missed. The intent of the law is to reveal Jesus. It is not an end in and of itself, but a path to find Christ. Jesus said as much –

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. ⁴⁰ But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” John 5:39, 40

But Jesus was even more direct in His words a moment later. He makes it absolutely clear that not only the Scriptures in general, but Moses in particular, spoke of Him –

“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 5:44-47

This is exactly why Malachi 4:4, our text verse today, said that the people were to remember the law of Moses. They were to consider it, find Christ, and come to Christ. It is also why Malachi said “Horeb” instead of “Mt. Sinai.” They had rejected the cross, they needed to go back to the word which issues from the wet place, while in the dry place, and pay heed to the word which issues forth life.

Understanding this, the book of Deuteronomy is a book which is to be searched out with Christ in mind. If it is, then it will make all the sense in the world. For those who cling to the law as a means to an end, they provide their own path to condemnation. For those who pursue it in light of Christ, they will find salvation.

The words which the Lord told them at Horeb, meaning Mount Sinai were…

^6 (con’t) ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain.

rav lakem shevet ba’har ha’zeh – “Long enough you have dwelt at the mountain the this.” The words have not been previously seen in Scripture. The Lord said them, but until now, they have not been recorded. Israel arrived in the Wilderness of Sinai at the beginning of the third month of the first year after leaving Egypt. They departed on the 20^th day of the 2^nd month of the second year. Thus, they were at Sinai a period of 350 days.

Christ had been presented to them in a thousand different ways – in the tabernacle, the sacrificial system, the Feasts of the Lord, and in so many other types and shadows. They had been numbered, ordered, and arranged – prepared as a people for the Lord’s purposes. They had been provided with everything necessary which was needed for the fulfillment of the covenant and it was now time to go forward and enter the Land of Promise.

Israel could have left Horeb and entered Canaan, thus entering their rest. And 1500 years later, Israel could have accepted Christ and entered His rest. They were to depart from there and head toward Mount Zion, leaving the law and finding Christ.

This is what the author of Hebrews says. In Hebrews 12, he tells them that believers 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” (vss. 18, 19)

Rather, they had come to Mount Zion. This is what Israel was told to do. It was time to leave the cross and enter the glory…

⁷ Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates.

Most translations do not adequately translate this verse. It says, “Turn you, and take your journey, and go you mount (it is singular) the Amorite (it is singular), and to all the neighboring (meaning either places or peoples, probably peoples) in the plain, in the mount (it is singular), and in the lowland, and in the South, and on coast the sea, land the Canaanite (it is singular.)”

This is all one thought, explaining the land of Canaan. From there, it then continues with “And the ‘Lebanon,’ as far as the river, the great, the River Euphrates.” In other words, it is the land of Canaan, plus what is beyond it.

The specificity explains the land. The Amorite is used as a catchall name for all of the inhabitants of Canaan. Amorite comes from amar, meaning to utter or say.  Therefore, the name signifies being spoken of, and thus “Renowned.”

The various areas include the Aravah, or the plain, the mount signifies the mountainous area, there is the Shephelah or lowland (a place and a word which is new to Scripture), the Negev, or southern area, and the seacoast. It is an overall description of the layout of the land with its varied types of geography.

The additional words which include Lebanon and the Euphrates are given to confirm the promise first made to Abraham in Genesis 15:18 and which was repeated in Exodus 23:31. This is the first use of the name Lebanon in the Bible.

The land of Canaan was meticulously described in Numbers 34, and it did not include this additional designation, nor that of the Euphrates. However, these areas that extend beyond the land itself have been promised and Moses now reconfirms that to the people.

Lebanon means, “Place of Whiteness,” or “White One,” signifying its perpetual snow. It comes from lavan, meaning “white” but which itself comes from levenah, or brick, because bricks turn white when fired. That concept has consistently been used as a picture of works, because bricks are manmade, unlike stones.

Perath, or the Euphrates, means “Fruitfulness,” or “That which makes Fruitful.” Both of these are extensions to what one should expect after coming to Christ. The Land of Promise, Canaan, is obtained by coming to God through Christ.

One is expected to work after coming to Christ, not before. The works are to be an extension of what is received. That is seen, for example, in Colossians 1 –

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰ that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:9, 10

One can see that Moses is anticipating Christ, and then that which stems from life in Christ. Again, the law is not an end in and of itself. This is why these descriptions, along with these additional locations, are now named.

By faith you will receive the Promise and by faith you will stand
It is by grace through faith that this comes about
In this, you will enter the heavenly promised land
And without it, you will forever be kept out 

The Lord is pleased with your faith, small as a mustard seed
Yes, He lets us know that a little bit will do
That simple act is a powerful, mighty creed
With a little bit of faith, God will then see you through 

Have faith and believe the message you have heard
Believe what God has said and He will accept you
And then cling fastly to His wonderful, precious word
Have faith in God, rest in Him, for He is ever faithful and true

II. A Heavenly Inheritance (verse 8)                 

⁸ See, I have set the land before you;

This is immediately speaking of the land of Canaan. The promise was made, and it was for a tract of physical land. However, the promise actually anticipates the true land, meaning the heavenly promise. This will be explained in a minute.

^8 (con’t) go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers—

Israel is a people under the Lord, or in a covenant relationship with the Lord, with Moses as their head. They are instructed to go in and possess the land Yehovah swore to their fathers. This means Canaan.

However, it more assuredly speaks of the heavenly inheritance where the Lord will give rest and dwell with His people. This is the purpose of all that has been seen since Genesis 3 when Adam fell, but restoration was promised.

This promise began to take on specificity with Israel’s fathers, meaning the following men…

^8 (con’t) to Abraham,

l’avraham – “to Abraham.” This was first promised to Abraham in Genesis 12:7, and it was repeated to him several times after that –

“Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.” Genesis 12:7 

^8 (con’t) Isaac,

l’yitskhaq – “to Isaac.” This was explicitly stated to Isaac in Genesis 26 –

“Then the Lord appeared to him and said: ‘Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. ³ Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. ⁴ And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; ⁵ because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.’” Genesis 26:1-5

^8 (con’t) and Jacob—

u-l’yaakov – “and to Jacob.” This was first explicitly said to Jacob in Genesis 28 –

“Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

¹³ And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: ‘I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. ¹⁴ Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. ¹⁵ Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.’” Genesis 28:12-15

Each of these three fathers of the people of Israel was given this promise. It then extended to all the sons of Jacob, as Moses next explains…

^8 (con’t) to give to them and their descendants after them.’

The promise was made, and because it is the word of the Lord, it must come to pass. And so, despite departing the land of Canaan and spending the next 215 years in the land of Egypt, the promise remained. The time finally came when it was to be fulfilled, and the words were spoken out to a man named Moses.

On the sacred mountain, Moses beheld a burning bush, and a voice called forth to Him. When he responded, “Here I am,” the voice then spoke forth what is now being repeated by Moses –

“Then He said, ‘Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.’ ⁶ Moreover He said, ‘I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
⁷ And the Lord 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 3:5-8

The promise was then renewed to Moses in Exodus 6 –

“And God spoke to Moses and said to him: ‘I am the Lord. ³ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them. ⁴ I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers.’” Exodus 6:2-4

From there, the Lord continued to promise this, time and again, in Exodus and Leviticus. In Numbers, the people were prepared for entrance based on those repeated promises, but in Numbers 14, the first note of the giving of the land to Israel isn’t by the Lord. Rather it is by Joshua and Caleb, pleading with the people to not accept the bad report which they had heard from the other ten spies.

The people did reject the promise though, and the Lord thus rejected them. In their rejection, they were punished. These things will be seen and reviewed in the verses ahead in Deuteronomy. However, before we get to them, it must be understood that though this is immediately and literally speaking of Canaan the land, there is more to it than that.

The promise extends beyond the physical and into the spiritual. The land of Canaan was, and it is, only a steppingstone on the way to true glory.

We know this because of what is said first of Abraham in Hebrews 11. There the author explains that the physical land in which Abraham dwelt, and which was promised to him and his seed, was only a picture of something better; something permanent –

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; ¹⁰ for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hebrews 11:8-10

This, however, could be taken as a form of hyperbole, speaking of the promise of the actual land of Canaan in a superlative way. After all, the land was promised to be given actually to his descendants after him, but not to him personally.

However, this would an incorrect assumption. After those words, it continues to speak of Sarah for two verses, relaying that she who was barren had finally bore a child through an act of faith. From there, Hebrews then says –

“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. ¹⁴ For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. ¹⁵ And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:13-16

The author of Hebrews, while speaking of Abraham and Sarah, then backs up to those mentioned before them in his letter – to Abel, Enoch, and Noah – including them in this as well. But to them, nothing was said of the land of Canaan.

There was only the remembrance of Eden, the hope of the promise after the fall, and the anticipation of restoration and rest, of which Canaan was to be a type. These people could not have been seeking Canaan as a homeland because Canaan, as a land, did not even yet exist.

Abel and Enoch were before the Flood of Noah, but more importantly, Canaan is the grandson of Noah. The land which bears his name only bore his name sometime after he was born and after he settled it. Therefore, the promise of Canaan is more than just the promise of a piece of land.

To further explain this, the author of Hebrews then returns to Abraham and speaks of his offering up Isaac, the very son through whom the promise was to continue. But in his words, the author then explains the importance of this –

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, ¹⁸ of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” ¹⁹ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.” Hebrews 11:17-19

From there, the author continues with the stream of human existence, specially marked out by the Lord, as people of faith who believed the promises of the Lord.

He speaks of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Concerning Joseph, it is in regard to his bones – having faith that God would give the land to Israel, and so he – knowing this would be true – gave instructions concerning his bones. They were to be taken back to the land when the promise was realized.

However, it was an act of faith which anticipated more than just the act of carrying his bones back. Faith in the word of the Lord means faith in all of the word of the Lord. Joseph’s faith in the promise for Israel is inclusive of the promise of Messiah.

The Lord spoke of Messiah long before He spoke of the land of Canaan. It was, then, to be understood that the promise of Canaan was to be a promise of Messiah to come. The land, as well as the line, are intricately united in the thought put forth in Scripture in relation to Messiah.

The promise of Messiah is made. The line of Messiah is named and refined throughout the generations. The land is then promised to the line from which Messiah would come. Therefore, obtaining the land by this people of Messiah is as weighty as is the naming and continuance of the line from which Messiah would come.

However, because of these things, and as deflating it may be for Israel the people, who are now back in the land of Israel, neither they, nor the land is the center of attention. Abraham is said to have looked forward to the promise of a city in a heavenly country. That is not the land of Canaan, and it is not obtainable apart from the coming of Messiah.

The same is true with the others mentioned – Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, and even of Moses who is next named and discussed in detail. And who is then further mentioned collectively with all of Israel when it says, “By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned” (Hebrews 11:29).

The whole congregation demonstrated faith, and by faith they were collectively saved. From there, and as we will see in the coming verses of Deuteronomy, they will collectively lack faith, and they will collectively be punished.

However, individually two had faith and they were kept through that time of punishment – Joshua and Caleb. They will enter the land of Messiah along with the collective people of Messiah.

But even then, there is a lack for Israel. The author goes on to speak of the walls of Jericho collapsing, the faith of a Gentile harlot named Rahab, and then of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, and of David and Samuel and the prophets.

Indeed, he goes on to speak in generalities because the list was getting too long. As he says, “time would fail me to tell.” Of all of these people, he notes that even though they had entered Canaan and been people of faith while in Canaan, Canaan was not the end of the story, nor were they the end of the story.

Instead, he speaks of them – all of these multitudes who had lived in Canaan and who had lived lives of faith in Canaan – as understanding that the land was not the goal, nor was it the true promise. In his final words of this magnificent passage of Scripture, he sums up his thoughts by saying –

“And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, ⁴⁰ God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.” Hebrews 11:39, 40

Canaan cannot be the promise, because they neither entered their rest – as he noted in earlier chapters of Hebrews – nor did they receive the promise, despite having lived in the land which has been, and continues to be, promised in the ongoing narrative.

If they lived in Canaan, the land promised to them, and yet they did not receive the promise, then the promise is not Canaan. As this is so, then Canaan is simply a promised step towards the promise. And therefore, the promise is restoration of that which was lost, and that promise is found in the One who can restore man to that promise.

The Garden of Eden was a place. Likewise, heaven is a place. A place, however, is defined by what is in that place. In both, Eden and Heaven, the place is defined by the presence of the Lord. That is the promise, and the promise is only realized by coming to God through Christ.

He is the Hope of what is ahead, He is the Way upon which one travels to arrive at that Hope. He is the Door through which one obtains access to that place. And He is the Presence which fills that long-anticipated place.

In understanding this, we will be able to understand the book of Deuteronomy. It is a book filled with laws, commandments, statutes, and judgments. It is a book filled with blessings and curses. But it is a book which is not an end in and of itself, nor is the law of Moses a book of restoration, except in its fulfillment as found in Christ.

Where will you hang your hat as we continue through this book? Will it be on observance of the laws, or will it be by resting in Christ? Moses will not enter the promise because the law must die outside of the promise.

Only through the death of Christ will we die to the law. And that will only happen if we are in Christ who fulfilled, and then died under, that law. He died for us outside of the Promise so that He can then bring us into that same Promise when He brings us back to Himself.

Closing Verse: “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 4:3, 4

Next Week: Deuteronomy 1:9-25 Will they go through, or will Israel be the great dissenter?…  (At the Door, Ready to Enter) (3^rd 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.

Go in and Possess the Land

Moses began to explain this law, saying
The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying:
‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain
To them He was so relaying

Turn and take your journey
And go to the mountains of the Amorites, so do understand
To all the neighboring places in the plain
In the mountains and in the lowland

In the South and on the seacoast
To the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, so shall it be
As far as the great river, the River Euphrates
Pay heed now to these words from Me

See, I have set the land before you
Go in and possess the land which swore to your fathers the LORD
To Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
To give to them and their descendants after them
———- according to His word

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…

⁵ On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying, ⁶ “The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. ⁷ Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates. ⁸ See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.’

 

Deuteronomy 1:1-4
An Eleven Days’ Journey

Today, we enter into our first sermon from the last book of Moses. Before we go even one more thought, it must be stated that the Law of Moses is not an end in and of itself. It is a part of God’s unfolding revelation, which – by itself – is incomplete.

Unfortunately, the Jews as a collective whole, still reject some or all of the further revelation of what He has presented to the world. But equally unfortunately, so have many supposed Christians, who bear that title in name only.

The New Testament clearly reveals that the New Covenant has superseded the Old. It is done, it is obsolete, it is set aside, it is annulled, and it is nailed to the cross. Christ fulfilled it, He called out “It is finished,” and He died, thus releasing us from the bondage of the law.

However, this does not mean that the law serves no purpose. In fact, without the law, we wouldn’t understand our need for grace. A thousand times a thousand points of theology find their basis in the law as well. And, of the Law of Moses, Deuteronomy holds a very special place. Adam Clarke realized this and penned these words to consider –

“The Book of Deuteronomy and the Epistle to the Hebrews contain the best comment on the nature, design, and use of the law; the former may be considered as an evangelical commentary on the four preceding books, in which the spiritual reference and signification of the different parts of the law are given, and given in such a manner as none could give who had not a clear discovery of the glory which was to be revealed. It may be safely asserted that very few parts of the Old Testament Scriptures can be read with greater profit by the genuine Christian than the Book of Deuteronomy.”

Clarke spoke of “the glory which was to be revealed.” He certainly is referring to Christ Jesus who not only came under this law, but who also gave forth this law, taught this same law to the people of Israel, and who then died in fulfillment of it.

Without knowing Deuteronomy, we cannot appreciate the life of Jesus Christ, nor can we appreciate the things He said and taught to the people He dwelt amongst. And so, as is right and fitting, we begin our trek today through this marvelous piece of literature known as Deuteronomy.

Text Verse: “The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. ¹² And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.

¹³ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
¹⁴ For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:11-14

I chose these words for our text verse because they speak of goads, used to prod us along into an understanding of what God intends for us. In a few minutes, you will hear about a nice pattern which includes the thought of goads in it. The two fit together so well that it seemed natural to cite Solomon here.

He says that we are to “Fear God and keep His commandments.” Unfortunately, people take verses like that, and others from the New Testament, and they misapply them to the Christian. Such is an error in theology – a serious and eternity-changing error.

We are to understand all things revealed in the Bible in their intended context. In properly understanding God’s dispensations, and in applying verses in the context of those dispensations, we won’t be led down the wrong path concerning what commandments we are to be obedient to, and what it means for us when we fail to do so.

Let us be sure to take the book of Deuteronomy in its intended context. It is a part of the tutoring mankind needs in order to be brought to that marvelous Gift of grace which is found in Jesus Christ our Lord. And believe it or not, that is even revealed in the book of Deuteronomy itself.

The very book which proclaims the laws for Israel, also gives us hints and pictures of its own fulfillment and ending. Marvelous, isn’t it! It’s all 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. An Introduction

The book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Law of Moses and of the Holy Bible. Its Hebrew name is derived from the first words of the book, elleh ha’devarim, which literally means “These are the words.” However, it is generally simply called Devarim, or “Words.”

In Hebrew, the word consists of the letters dalet, beit, resh, yod, and mem which numerically equal 256. This is numerically the same as the Hebrew word, dorbon, or goad, that is a word used by Solomon as he closes out the book of Ecclesiastes, as we saw in our text verse today –

“The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd.” Ecclesiastes 12:11

Therefore, we would be wise to use the book of Deuteronomy to goad us into a better understanding of God’s wonderful story of redemption as it points to the Person and work of Christ.

It is also the same numerical value as the name Amariah, or “Yah Said.” As this book is a recounting of the words of the Lord, that is a most apt description of the book’s contents. It is also the numerical value of the phrases l’olam v’ed, or “forever and ever” which is commonly found in Scripture; and hittiv mealelim, or “to make one’s actions good.”

Both of these in Hebrew have a numerical value of 256. The law stands forever and ever as a witness against man, but one’s actions can be made good through the fulfillment of this law by Another, if that imputation is accepted. Christ fulfilled it, and we can be granted His righteousness through an act of faith.

As far as the dating of Deuteronomy, there is dispute as to when this, along with the other 4 books of Moses, was written. However, the conservative and traditional dating can be figured based on when Solomon’s Temple was built. By tracing back from that day as stated in 1 Kings 6:1, which indicates 480 years from the Exodus, we can assert with relative confidence that it was penned in the year 1405 BC.

The Exodus occurred in the year 2514 Anno Mundi. This is now the ending of the fortieth year since the Exodus, as is noted in Deuteronomy 1:3. Therefore, it is recorded in the 11^th month of the year 2554 Anno Mundi.

The timeframe for the writing of the book goes from the 1^st day of the 11^th month of the 40^th year (Deuteronomy 1:3) until maybe as late as sometime in the twelfth month. This is certain because at the death of Moses, it says that Israel mourned for him for thirty days (Deuteronomy 34:8). After that, the first recorded date in the book of Joshua is the 10^th day of the 1^st month of the 41^st year.

A period of at least three (or more) days preceded that, as is recorded in Joshua 1 & 2. Therefore, Moses died no later than the 7^th day of the 12^th month of the 40^th year, possibly earlier. As his death is recorded in Deuteronomy, the book took five weeks, or less, to be spoken out and recorded. However, the final note that the people mourned for Moses for thirty days must be added to that to complete the narrative.

The English name for the book is derived from the Greek name given to it from the words deuteros and nomos, or literally, “second law.” This Greek title surely means “a copy” or “a repetition,” rather than the actual etymological sense of “a second law,” meaning something different. The English name then comes from the Latin Vulgate translation out of the Greek which says Deuteronomium.

However, both of these ideas spring from Deuteronomy 17:18. In that verse, the king of Israel is commanded to write down his own copy of this law. There, the Hebrew reads, mishneh ha’torah, meaning a copy or double of the law. The Greek translation of that then says to deuteronomion, meaning “this second law,” and thus, “a copy of this law.”

As far as a historical context, the book is given as a reiteration and expansion on the words given by the Lord at Sinai. There are recountings of the events which occurred in the wilderness, and which led the people to their time of punishment for having rejected the Lord. There is also the speaking forth of the commandments of the Lord to the people, imploring them to stand fast on the law and to not deviate from it.

The final four chapters of Deuteronomy include the passing of Moses’ authority from him to Joshua, the next leader of the people of Israel. This is followed by the second Song of Moses, the first having come after the crossing of the Red Sea. And, also found there is the blessing of Moses upon the tribes of Israel. And finally, there is the record of the death of Israel’s great lawgiver upon Mount Nebo, outside of the Land of Promise.

There are, obviously, challenges to the authorship of the book. However, the book ascribes the words to Moses in its first verse. Numerous Old Testament passages ascribe the writings of the books of Moses to Moses, and – more importantly – Jesus cites the words of Deuteronomy and attributes them to Moses. For example, Jesus cites Deuteronomy 24 in this manner –

They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”
⁸ He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. ⁹ And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” Matthew 19:7-9

One must dismiss the words of the Lord Jesus in order to state that Moses was not the author. In doing so, then, all of His words become suspect. The same is true with Paul, who attributes Deuteronomy to Moses in Romans 10:19, and in 1 Corinthians 9:9. Rather, Moses is unquestionably the author of all five books attributed to him.

The location of the writing of the book is outside of the Land of Promise, in the plains of Moab, just across from Jericho – right where the book of Numbers left off. Here, in that location, Moses makes his heartfelt appeal to the people concerning the law he had received and passed on to them.

Rather than statements of law coming directly from the Lord, the words here are generally commandments and admonitions from Moses concerning that same law. For example, in Leviticus 26, a passage which details the blessings and curses which Israel could expect for adherence to the law, the words are in the first person, from the Lord Himself, “I will.”

However, in the parallel passage found in Deuteronomy 28, they are spoken by Moses in the third person, “The Lord will.” Moses is confirming that what the Lord said will, in fact, come to pass. All of the blessings and joy, and all of the curses and horror, that were spoken out to their fathers still apply, even after they had all perished.

Concerning a redemptive context, Deuteronomy is a part of the Law of Moses. It is a law which has, thus far, been filled with pictures of Christ, including His cross. Malachi 4 will state –

“Remember the Law of Moses, My servant,
Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel,
With the statutes and judgments.
⁵ Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
⁶ And he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:4-6

The important thing to remember is that the law of Moses anticipated the coming of Messiah. The prophets continued to call out this fact, and through Jeremiah came the promise of a New Covenant. In the call of Malachi to “Remember the Law of Moses,” it was a call to remember what Moses himself anticipated – Messiah. Deuteronomy is no different.

In Deuteronomy 18, Moses anticipated Another who would come in a manner similar to himself, meaning a Prophet who would also be the instrument through which a covenant would be enacted –

“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 18:18, 19

This is not an unreasonable analysis. Rather, it is exactly what the people of Israel anticipated as they cited the substance of these words when questioning John the Baptist, “Are you the Prophet?” (John 1:21). In other words, Deuteronomy, and the laws contained in it, were anticipatory of Christ.

Paul explains this in Galatians where he notes that the law was a tutor to lead the people of Israel to Christ, the embodiment and fulfillment of this law. The impossibility of the people of Israel to live by the words of Moses is highlighted time and again in Scripture. They – based on the words of Moses – became an object lesson to the people of the world of our desperate need for the righteousness of Christ.

But the Law of Moses itself, and indeed that which is highlighted in Deuteronomy, includes the doctrine of eternal salvation. Corporate Israel, being used as a template for individuals in Christ, is promised to endure despite their infractions of the law. The punishments and curses are inevitable, but the promise of faithfully being kept as a people is highlighted. God will never forsake those whom He has covenanted with.

Although there are several key thoughts and verses in the book, probably the main thought upon which all others hinge is found in Chapter 30 where it says –

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; ²⁰ that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” Deuteronomy 30:19, 20

The failure of the people to do what is said there set the tone for all of Israel’s history, and it defines the mercy of the Lord in both preserving Israel, and in sending the Messiah to accomplish that which they could not do.

The first book of Moses, Genesis, looked to the work of God the Father through Christ in creation – directing that creation in the initial process of redemption.

The second book of Moses, Exodus, then looked to the work of God the Son in Christ in the actual redemptive process, mirroring His own work countless times.

The third book of Moses, Leviticus, highlighted the work of the Holy Spirit applying the purification and sanctification of Christ to the people of God.

The fourth book of Moses, Numbers, highlighted the crucified Savior who rose to lead His people in the wilderness of their lives, ever faithful to bring them along the path of life, difficult as it may be, and despite their faithlessness along the way.

This fifth and final book of Moses, will highlight the deeds of the Savior who fulfilled the laws which the people will be unable to meet. The infection is too deep, the sin is too prevalent in them, and without Messiah, there is simply no hope. But five is the number of grace.

Deuteronomy, though being a book of law, something which excludes grace – if taken in the context of Christ Jesus – is a book which literally exudes it. The grace of God is found in the thought that, “I have revealed to you My standard. Your history will bear out the fact that you cannot meet it. And so, I will meet it for you. I offer you the grace of the fulfillment of it in My Son.”

In all five books of Moses, it is Christ, the anticipated Son of God, who is on prominent display. Nothing is more obvious, and in a thousand different ways this should be evident. When the book of Deuteronomy is complete, the Person and work of Jesus Christ will stand as a testimony to God’s healing of His people through this law. Not in their accomplishment of it, but in His.

If we were to sum up the book of Deuteronomy with a single thought which carries us from Numbers and then into the continued life of Israel, it would be that “The Lord has given His standard to His people, and despite our failure to meet that standard, the grace of God found in Jesus Christ meets it for us.”

And that thought brings us to our final words of this introduction. Though a Prophet was promised by God and anticipated by the people, this is not the highest Christological anticipation and expression to be found in Deuteronomy. Rather, that is found in these words –

“If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, ²³ his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.” Deuteronomy 21:22, 23

Paul cites those words in Galatians and ascribes them to Jesus –

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), ¹⁴ that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Galatians 3:13, 14

The law brings a curse, and Christ fulfilled that law, even becoming a curse for His people. The grace of God is the performance of this law by His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

A new book to study, seeking out its veins of gold
A new adventure as we seek the Lord’s face
Thirty-four chapters set before us, ready to unfold
Lessons for all people, in every generation and every place 

What is in store for us as we begin our trek?
Deuteronomy seems so vast and complicated at this time
Will we have a headache even down to our neck?
Or will the book come to seem glorious and sublime? 

Open our eyes, O Lord, to what lies ahead
Direct the understanding of our eyes and our heart
This is what we petition; looking to be fed
This is what we ask for, today as we start

Show us the riches of Christ in this new book
Be with us as we open it, and for its treasures we look

II. And Moses Spoke (verses 1-4)

The first four verses of Deuteronomy are a form of introduction, giving information concerning the author, the intended recipient, the location, a detailed record of how they came to be here, a note concerning the state of the recipient – meaning an indictment upon Israel – the dating, and the events which immediately preceded the now-to-be introduced account.

These are the words which Moses spoke

elleh ha’devarim asher dibber Moshe – “These the words which spoke Moses.” As we saw in the introduction, the second word, devarim, or “words,” is the Hebrew name of the book of Deuteronomy.

What is explicit is that the book claims to contain the very words of Moses, not something penned hundreds of years, or even a millennium later – as is claimed by revisionist “scholars.” Moses spoke out these words, and they were recorded at the time he spoke them out.

Also, the statement, “These are the words,” are used to make an attachment of this book to the previous books. It is a continuation of the narrative which began in Genesis and now moves forward in time.

Moses, or “He who draws out,” pictures Christ who draws out the words of the Father, as He said in John 14:24, “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”

^{1 (con’t)} to all Israel

el kal Yisrael – “to all Israel.” The recipient is Israel collectively. Though they may have only been spoken to a scribe who penned them, or to a group of leaders who sat as he spoke, the intent is that they are meant for the ears, understanding, and action of the collective whole.

The importance of this is that despite the punishment of the fathers, all who died in the wilderness with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, the collective whole remained as one and was gathered together before their lawgiver.

As the wilderness wanderings clearly reflected the years of punishment and exile that Israel faced after the coming of Messiah, this is a note of the faithfulness of the Lord to keep Israel collectively united as a people, and to bring them to the point where they will, in fact, collectively enter into God’s promised rest.

^{1 (con’t)} on this side of the Jordan

b’ever ha’yarden– “in side the Jordan.” The reference, as always, is from Canaan. Therefore, it should read, “on the other side of the Jordan,” or at best “on the side of the Jordan.”

ha’yarden, or “the Descender,” is a picture of Christ who descended from heaven to the lowest parts of the earth – just as the Jordan descends from the snowy heights of Hermon to the salted water of the Dead Sea. In the first verse of the book, there are already anticipatory pictures of Christ for us to taste and appreciate.

^{1 (con’t)} in the wilderness,

bamidbar – in the wilderness. Here begins a parenthetical thought. This is not speaking of the area where Moses and Israel now are. Rather, it is speaking of where they have been before getting here. In the Bible, the wilderness signifies an uncultivated area, not specifically a barren desert. It is a place of God’s grace and of closeness to God, but it is also a place of testing.

For some, such as Israel, the testing resulted in disobedience. For others, such as when Christ was tested, it is a place of fellowship through obedience. The wilderness and the law are closely connected because it is by law that testing is accomplished.

^{1 (con’t)} in the plain opposite Suph,

ba’aravah mol suph – in plain opposite Suph. The names which are now mentioned are indeed perplexing. Israel is in the same location where Numbers ended, and yet the description is entirely different. Further, Deuteronomy 4 provides a completely different description of this same spot, saying –

“Now this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel. ⁴⁵ These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which Moses spoke to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt, ⁴⁶ on this side of the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel defeated after they came out of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 4:44-46

Therefore, the names which are given have two possibilities. The first is that they are unknown locations in the area Israel is now at. Or, they are a summary of what has occurred over the past 38 years.

The latter is certainly correct. As with the term “in the wilderness,” everything here mentioned does not tie in with the location where Moses and Israel are now. Rather, it ties in with where they have been. Thus, it forms a map which is then explained in verse 3.

This may be confusing, but it is showing the results of Israel’s rejection of Christ. The names ask for us to consider them. The word “plain” is aravah, coming from arav, to darken. It is identical with arav, meaning a pledge or surety. The name Suph means, “reed.” However, it comes from the verb suph, signifying to come to an end, or cease. This an abbreviated form which is referring to yam suph, or the Red Sea.

^{1 (con’t)} between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

ben paran u-ben tophel, v’lavan, v’khatseroth, v’di zahav – There are two things being said, not one. It reads, “1) between Paran, and 2) between Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di-Zahav.”

Paran was the first main stop after leaving Sinai, as was recorded in Numbers 10:12. Paran comes from the same root as porah, meaning a branch. But the idea from which it comes is that of ornamentation. That is found in the root of both words, paar, signifying to beautify or glorify. Thus, it means “Glorious.”

It was there, back in that area, that the Lord had deposited His covenant law, a law which Paul calls “glorious” in 2 Corinthians 3. Paran was named in anticipation of Messiah where the Lord would once again deposit a New Covenant in human form in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Tophel is found only here in Scripture. It comes from taphel, meaning whitewash, and thus it conveys the sense of being foolish. In Matthew, Jesus equated the scribes and Pharisees as whitewashed tombs, and in Acts, Paul called the high priest a whitewashed wall. Both give the sense of the law being used as a pretense.

Laban comes from lavan, meaning white, but that comes from a word which signifies a brick, because bricks whiten as they are fired. The word has consistently pictured works.

Hazeroth means villages, and it implies a place of many people. It was seen in Numbers 11:35. And finally, Di-Zahab is actually two words which signify “Abounding in Gold.” It is only seen this one time in the Bible. Gold usually gives the imagery of the divine, of the eternal nature of things, and holiness. However, here it carries another signification.

And so, we have six named places which are given to draw a map of the plain which Israel trekked on their way to Canaan, but which is recorded in reverse. Paran, or Glorious, is on one side to their right, and the other locations are on the other side, to their left. All of this is said to be opposite Suph, meaning opposite the Red Sea.

The Red Sea of this verse, and Mount Seir of the next verse, are both stated together in verse 2:1. Therefore, there must be a picture being given.

Before Israel enters the recounting of the law, a recounting of what occurred before they arrived at their current location will take place. “In the wilderness” is speaking of their time after leaving Sinai. The wilderness signifies a place of God’s grace and yet of testing. It is in the plain, a place of pledge or surety. They will reach their goal, even if there is an extended delay before it comes.

It is opposite Suph, the place of ceasing, or the end, which speaks of the end of their bondage in Egypt. Mentioning this was to call to mind recollections of the bondage from which they had been redeemed. And, it is between Paran, or “glorious,” and between “whitewash,” “works,” “villages,” and “abounding in gold.”

Everything looks to the nature of the law and how it is contrasted. On one side is the glory of Christ, who fulfilled the law – signified by entrance into Canaan, and on the other side is the futility of returning to the law instead of towards Christ.

Either one can use the law in a negative way, or in a positive way. If one uses the law as a personal means to an end, as Israel did, then there is only futility. But if one uses the law as a means of learning and having it lead to Christ – who embodies the law – then there will be reward. The law doesn’t change either way, but the destiny of the person does, based on how he uses it.

In other words, what the specificity of all of the locations and geographical descriptions is pointing to is the need for Christ, the only One who was able to do the works of the law. It is trust in Him and His works – and only that – which can satisfy.

The final place mentioned, Di-Zahab, or “Abounding in Gold,” is actually the starting point. The locations to the left of Israel work backward in direction, as if Israel is turning from the Lord and back to the law. It takes the reader back to Sinai where the people worshipped the golden calf.

At that time, Moses took the calf, crushed it to powder and threw it into the brook that came down from the mountain. There he made the people drink of the water which bore the sin of their idolatry. Hence, the place was “abounding in gold,” as the name implies.

As one can see, Paran to the right looks to the promise of Christ. While Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab to the left look to life under the law and apart from Christ. The indictment for rejecting Christ is next seen…

² It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea.

Distances are computed based on how long they take to travel. Here, following the path – which was just described by Moses – under normal conditions, Moses shows that it would take eleven days to go from Horeb, meaning Mt. Sinai, to Kadesh Barnea.

Horeb means “Arid” or “Desert” which, interestingly, is similar to Zion, the mountain of God, which in one sense means “Dry Place.” It is the main name that will be used throughout the book of Deuteronomy. Horeb will be used 9 times, while “Mount Sinai” will be used only once.

The words of this verse may indeed mean that Israel actually only traveled for eleven days in the stops that are recorded in the Numbers account. Kadesh Barnea is the last stop before entering into the Land of Promise on that route.

It is the very stop where the spies returned and gave a bad report, and it is the place where Israel rejected the Lord and they were sentenced to wander until all that generation was dead.

A journey which would normally take eleven days, after which one would step into the Land of Promise, thus, turned into thirty-eight years. The words are recorded by Moses as a caustic indictment upon Israel for their faithlessness in rejecting the Lord. As for the number 11, Bullinger defines it saying –

“If ten is the number which marks the perfection of Divine order, then eleven is an addition to it, subversive of and undoing that order. If twelve is the number which marks the perfection of Divine government, then eleven falls short of it. So that whether we regard it as being 10 + 1, or 12 – 1, it is the number which marks, disorder, disorganization, imperfection, and disintegration.” EW Bullinger

If Israel had simply believed the Lord and trusted His word, on the twelfth day, they would have walked into the land and begun to subdue it. And such is true with Israel when they rejected Christ. If they had simply believed the word and received their Savior, they would have entered the promise. Instead, they found 2000 years of disorder, disorganization, imperfection, and disintegration.

As far as the term, derek har Seir, or “way of Mount Seir,” that doesn’t mean they traveled via “Mount Seir,” but rather, “which leads to Mount Seir.” I note that to avoid any confusion because, otherwise, the map of travels would make no sense.

Seir comes from sear, or hair. Hair represents awareness. Man is a cognitive being and Israel should have been aware of both the presence and the power of the Lord, but they rejected both and suffered because of it.

Here, the name Sinai is changed to Horeb, or Khorev. It means “Arid” or “Desert.” Kadesh Barnea is given its full name here. It means “Holy purifying wanderings.”

The people could have been purified and ready for entrance into Canaan, but in their rejection of the Lord, they entered into thirty-eight years of holy purifying wanderings. And all of that time, they were within only a few miles of the inheritance.

One can see that despite the past two thousand years of Israel’s rejection of Christ, they have been, literally, within a step of Him. All that any Jew needed to do was turn and call out and He would have heard.

For Israel by the Jordan, now that those years of wandering were ended, they were to be schooled, once again, in the law which was to be their guide in Canaan.

³ Now it came to pass in the fortieth year,

These words go back to before the parenthetical thought which began in verse 1. Moses is said to have spoken to Israel on the side of the Jordan. After that, came that parenthesis, and now the narrative resumes.

This is an especially notable year for the people, because it was explained to them in advance how long they would be under punishment. That was recorded in Numbers 14:34, 35 –

“According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection. ³⁵ I the Lord have spoken this. I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.”

The Lord graciously counted the first year and two months – from the Exodus and the time at Sinai – into the total. This is also the year that Aaron died, on the 1^st day of the 5^th month. And, it will be the year of Moses’ death.

^3 (con’t) in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month,

This is the Hebrew month Shevet which is in the January/February timeframe. As Israel left Egypt on the 15^th day of the first month, the expectation, if Israel is to take the Lord literally – as they should – is that they should pass into Canaan, the Land of Promise, in just about two months from this date. For now, it is said…

^3 (con’t) that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him as commandments to them,

This then begins the formal words which explain the purpose of Deuteronomy, even if those words have not yet begun. Moses will restate and expand upon what was previously instructed.

The words, though from Moses, are divinely inspired, and they both complement what has been received, and they bear the full weight and authority of what was directly spoken by the Lord. Jesus, Paul, and the author of Hebrews all show that the Law of Moses is a unified whole and is to be taken as such. Before entering into that discourse, however, one more point of detail is given. It is that…

⁴ after he had killed Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon,

The “he” here is debated as to whether it is speaking of Moses or the Lord. Either way, the Lord led Moses, Moses led Israel, and Israel was the Lord’s instrument of battle. Therefore, ultimately, it is the Lord who accomplished the feat. This is noted elsewhere as such in Deuteronomy.

It is also repeated by the Gibeonites in Joshua 11, by Nehemiah in Nehemiah 9, and it is stated by the psalmist in Psalm 135 and again in Psalm 136. It is the Lord who provides the victory.

The battle against Sihon is recorded in Numbers 21:21-31. Here, like Numbers 21, it explicitly says that Sihon dwelt in Heshbon. This is important to note because of what it also says there –

“For Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and had taken all his land from his hand as far as the Arnon.” Numbers 21:26

As noted, when we were in that chapter, Heshbon once belonged to Moab, but it was acquired by Sihon during a battle with them. This included all of the land up to the Arnon itself. Thus, it was not improper for Israel to take possession of that land.

The rule of war is that land lost in a battle which one has initiated is no longer theirs. Instead, it transferred to Sihon, and from Sihon it transferred to Israel. Neither Moab nor Ammon require explanation or payment for this transfer. But this land will become a point of contention at the time of the Judges, and Jephthah will recount what occurred here to defend Israel’s rights to it.

*^4 (fin) and Og king of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth in Edrei.

The battle against Og is recorded in Numbers 21 as well. The name Edrei refers to the place where Og was slain, not where he lived. That is recorded in Numbers 21 –

“And they turned and went up by the way to Bashan. So Og king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. ³⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.” ³⁵ So they defeated him, his sons, and all his people, until there was no survivor left him; and they took possession of his land.” Numbers 21:33-35

The reason for including these two battles is to show that the Lord, not Moses, is the true leader of Israel. Though Moses will soon be dead, the instructions he is now to give are from the Lord, and the battles which brought them safely to this place were also won by the Lord. These battles will be recounted in the first two chapters.

The Lord led Israel all the way through their time of punishment, preserving them despite their rejection of Him. He then defeated any enemies that could have potentially stopped them from entry into the promise.

No obstacles at all remained, and all they have to do is to listen to the words of the Lord, accept them in light of Christ’s fulfillment of them, and then put the law behind them, signified by the coming death of Moses. From there, they will be prepared to advance through the Descender, meaning Christ, and receive their inheritance.

Though these things are yet future for Israel, they are sure to come about. The book is written, and it shall come to pass. Until then, God has been working out salvation on an individual basis for both Jew and Gentile.

It is offered through what these many types and pictures look forward to – Jesus Christ. It is He who can bring the weary soul to its place of rest, and it is offered through a simple act of faith. In faith we receive His accomplished work, and in faith we will be carried through to our meeting with Him some wonderful day.

As this is so, have faith. Call on Christ and be reconciled to God through Him.

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 1:5-8 Something they were to do, but which they rejected out of hand… (Go in and Possess the Land) (2^nd 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.

An Eleven Days’ Journey

These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel
On this side of the Jordan (in the wilderness
In the plain opposite Suph
Between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab)
———-is where he made his address

It is eleven days journey from Horeb, as we now know
By way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea, is how to go

Now it came to pass in the fortieth year
In the eleventh month, on the month’s first day
That Moses spoke to the children of Israel
According to all that the LORD had given him
———-as commandments to them, as to them He did say

After he had killed Sihon king of the Amorites
Who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, as well
Who dwelt at Ashtaroth in Edrei
On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, east of Israel

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…