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Well, you can turn to the book
of Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy chapter 1. Deuteronomy chapter 1, as
we continue on in the Pentateuch, as is our custom, tonight we'll
just introduce the book. So I'll just read the first eight
verses in Deuteronomy 1, and then, God willing, next week
we'll take up that section properly, actually from verses 2 and following. So our introduction is basically
based on verse 1. But I'll read the section, and
then we'll look at some introductory matters. Now, when we talk about
Bible introduction, it's usually a consideration of author, date,
historical situation, theological emphases, connections to the
New Testament, if it's an Old Testament book. So those are
the kinds of things that are considered in an introduction
of a particular book. So I'll read beginning in verse
1 of Deuteronomy 1. 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, Hazoroth,
and Disahab. It is eleven days' journey from
Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea. Now it came to
pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first
day of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel
according to all that the Lord had given him as commandments
to them. After he had killed Sihon, king
of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan,
who dwelt in Ashteroth and Edri. On this side of the Jordan in
the land of Moab, 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. 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. "'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.'"
Amen. Well, we'll look at title and
author and then contents. And specifically, with reference
to the contents, basically the historical outline. I'm sorry,
the historical context, then the outline, and then some connections
to the New Testament that I think will be helpful for us to examine
and investigate along the way through the book of Deuteronomy.
Now, in terms of the title, it's simply called Deuteronomy, which
means second law. As long as we don't understand
it's a separate or a distinct law, but a re-giving or a restating
of the law previously given at Sinai in the book of Exodus.
So the second law pertaining specifically to the second generation. So those that would need that
instruction, an exhortation prior to entering into the promised
land. In the Hebrew Bible, it's simply
the first few words from verse 1. So, these are the words is
the title of the book in the Hebrew canon. So, Deuteronomy
and these are the words. Now, in terms of the author,
notice verse 1, these are the words which Moses spoke. Now,
if you read any modern commentary or literature, they pretty much
say that Moses didn't write it, that it's not the context that
Christians have believed it has been over these many, many years,
and that it was a book written much, much later. But we're going
to accept Mosaic authorship as part and parcel of the Pentateuch
as a whole. There's no reason to question
that or to doubt that. There are many references in
the New Testament to the books called the Pentateuch by our
Lord, by his apostles, and they give us Mosaic authorship. So
with reference to just a few of those, if you turn to the
Gospel of Matthew, you see that Jesus appeals to the book of
Genesis when he's asked a question specifically regarding divorce.
So in Matthew chapter 19, at verse 18, I'm sorry, Matthew
chapter 19, verse 3. The Pharisees also came to him
testing him and saying to him, is it lawful for a man to divorce
his wife for just any reason? And he answered and said to them,
have you not read that he who made them at the beginning made
them male and female and said, for this reason, a man shall
leave his wife and mother and be joined to his wife and the
two shall become one flesh. So then, they are no longer two,
but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined
together, let not man separate." So he refers to the book of Genesis
there, and then the book of Deuteronomy in verse 7. They said to him,
why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce
and to put her away? 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. So Jesus assumes
Mosaic authorship of the Book of Deuteronomy, contrary to what
modern commentaries often suggest. Notice in Matthew chapter 22,
specifically at verse 24. Matthew 22 at verse 23, the same
day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him
and asked him, saying, Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies
having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise
up offspring for his brother. Now, Jesus doesn't correct him
on suggesting Mosaic authorship and point him to modern commentaries
that introduce some critical theory in terms of a late date
for the Book of Deuteronomy. He assumes the legitimacy of
the question and gives the response based on Scripture. Mark chapter
12. Mark chapter 12. It's good for
us to know this because, as I said, much of the modern interpretation
is contrary to what you see in terms of our Lord and his apostles. So this is the parallel passage
and notice specifically that Jesus refers to Moses. Verse
26, but concerning the dead that they rise, have you not read
in the book of Moses in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to
him saying, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God
of Jacob. John chapter 1, in the prologue,
the prologue concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, in verse 17, John
makes this statement. He says, for the law was given
through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 3.14, we see the legitimacy
of the book of Numbers and Mosaic authorship, participation in
that era of history. 314, and as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted
up. And then over in John 7 at verse
22. John 7 at verse 22. Well, in verse 21, Jesus answered
and said to them, I did one work and you all marvel. Moses, therefore,
gave you circumcision, not that it is from Moses, but from the
fathers, and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. So again, this
assumption that Moses is the author of the Pentateuch runs
through the New Testament. Acts chapter 3. Acts 3, specifically
at verse 22, a passage we'll notice again when we get to Deuteronomy
chapter 18, but in Acts chapter 3 at verse 22. For Moses truly
said to the fathers, the Lord your God will raise up for you
a prophet like me from your brethren, him you shall hear in all things
whatever he says to you. And it shall be that every soul
who will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from
among the people." And there are many other references in
the New Testament concerning the Pentateuch and Mosaic authorship. One man said, the book of Deuteronomy
is one of the most cited Old Testament books in the New Testament,
along with Genesis, Isaiah, and the Psalms. the Synoptic Gospels
depict Jesus as employing and interpreting the book throughout
his ministry. So questions, answers, interpretation,
a proper hermeneutic in terms of a discussion of the law that
you see in the Sermon on the Mount when he says, you've heard
that it was said to those of old, but I say to you, he is
not suggesting there's a contrast between Jesus and Moses, but
between Jesus and Moses' interpreters who had gotten Moses' law wrong.
So, Jesus speaks very favorably concerning the Pentateuch and
always ascribes Mosaic authorship to it. Now, in terms of the contents
with reference to the history, if you look again at Deuteronomy
1 verse 1, these are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel
on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness. Remember, they're
at the plains of Moab. They're on the east side of the
river Jordan. When we get to the book of Joshua
and they begin the conquest, they march westward. They go
through the Jordan River and then they go to Jericho and they
launch their first campaign there. And we see the story of Rahab
the harlot sort of interposed between chapters one and three
to show us something of God's grace to that shady lady from
Jericho. So they're on the east side of
the river Jordan getting ready to go into the land of promise
to conquer it in accordance with the word of God. Now, in terms
of the role in the Pentateuch with reference to the book of
Deuteronomy, we see the identification of God's people in the book of
Genesis. So Abraham being called out of Ur, the Chaldeans, and
then called to God for service to God, that begins that sort
of separation of a family, a tribe, a people, a nation for God's
special covenant people. So you've got the identification
of God's people in Genesis. In the book of Exodus, you have
the deliverance of God's people. The deliverance of God's people,
and then demand placed upon God's people. So in the book of Exodus,
you have deliverance, you have demand, and then God's dwelling
with the children of Israel. Then, in the book of Leviticus,
you have cultic legislation. There's other things going on
there, but the primary emphasis is on cultic legislation. Laws concerning sacrifice, laws
concerning priesthood, laws concerning holiness and cleanliness, and
the ability to approach the house of the living God. And then the
book of Numbers, as we have recently finished up, we see the journey
of God's people. So God called them to leave from
Mount Sinai, where they were gathered, and then to travel
and go to the land of promise. So basically, in terms of time
frame, The Exodus took place in 1445 BC. Again, a date that
was generally accepted throughout the history of the church, but
in the last century or two has been called into question. But
we'll assume a 1445 date BC. The tabernacle was completed
one year later, according to Exodus 40 and verse 17. The book
of Leviticus, there's no geographical movement. They are at the base
of Sinai. In terms of numbers, it begins
one month after Leviticus concludes with the people still at Sinai.
But according to Numbers 10, 11, they begin to move through
the wilderness to their final destination. And then in chapter
22, verse 1 in the book of Numbers, that's when they arrive at the
plains of Moab. So they're presently at the plains
of Moab. They are poised now to go into
the promised land, to take it in terms of the promise that
God had given. And this book of Deuteronomy
is to serve to instruct and to exhort the people. Now we know
that Moses dies. It's already been mentioned in
the book of Numbers with the succession of Joshua. Joshua
is the appointee that's going to take over for Moses. We know
that historically because once Moses dies, Joshua rises up and
it's Joshua who leads them in the conquest. But with reference
to this book, Moses is going to die. So prior to his death,
he gives a series of exhortations to the children of Israel in
this situation of the plains of Moab, poised and ready to
go on the conquest. It's the second generation. The
first generation was either dead or dying off as a result of their
unbelief, unfaithfulness, and rebellion against the living
and true God. Now, in terms of the particular
role, As I mentioned, east side of the Jordan, the audience is
that second generation, but all subsequent generations. And you
see hints of this in the book itself. It's not written just
for the then known generation or that second generation who
was coming through the wilderness into the land of promise. But
Deuteronomy functions paradigmatically for much of not only the New
Testament, but also the Old Testament. That's a study in itself to look
at the various prophets and in their prophesying see hints,
allusions, even at times quotations of old Pentateuchal references
that Moses had penned. So the audience, them, plus the
future generations. And then in terms of the methodology,
as I said, speeches or exhortations, some have gone so far as to say
that they are sermons. And basically, there are three.
First, there is a historical review in chapter 1 at verse
5 to chapter 4 in verse 43. The second speech deals with
the exhortation to covenantal loyalty. That looms large in
this particular book. Don't go the way of the first
generation, but be faithful, be loyal to Yahweh your God. And that's from 444 to 2868.
And then of course you've got summary and conclusion in 29.1
to 3020. After that, you do have some
following chapters. There you have the succession
of Joshua, and then the death of Moses. So that's a broad sort
of an emphasis on the role of Deuteronomy in the Pentateuch.
Now, in terms of an outline, it will follow that pretty closely.
I should tell you that there is a a series of studies championed
by one man named Meredith Klein that sees the Book of Deuteronomy
as a covenantal document. And I think that he was pre-seated
by Mendenhall, I think was the fellow. But basically, scholars
looked at the Book of Deuteronomy in light of ancient Near Eastern
treaty documents. And they saw very similar sort
of patterns involved. Now, that thesis has been challenged
to some degree. Noel Weeks is one of the fellows
that I think calls that whole idea into question. But there
does seem to be some merit in that. And basically, the way
that these treaty documents ran and the way that we compare it
to the Book of Deuteronomy is thus. You've got a preamble.
So typically, the preamble is an announcement of what the Lord,
or the suzerain, or the God, had done for the people. And
then the vassal had to respond to that God in a specific way.
So you've got preamble in chapter 1, verses 1 to 4, the historical
prologue, 1.5 to 4.43, and then you have a series of stipulations,
or conditions, or how it is you're supposed to conduct yourself
under the ruler reign of this God. And then you've got blessings,
cursings, and ratification. Again, you see that very clearly
in this book of Deuteronomy. And then a succession plan, and
you've got that. You've got Joshua appointed to
take over for Moses so that the whole situation doesn't die out. So again, not saying that those
ancient Near Eastern documents inform our reading of scripture,
but it is intriguing that it wasn't only the Israelites that
function in a pattern where you had this sort of allegiance to
God and submission on the part of the one giving allegiance.
Now, in terms of just a broad general outline, you've got God's
activity, God's law, and God's covenant. I think that's probably
the simplest way to deal with it. God's activity, which sort
of answers to chapters 1 to 4 in terms of the historical review.
What has God done, and how has God got us here? It's always
good for us to know that. In fact, if you look at Deuteronomy
5, Deuteronomy chapter 5, there's a preamble to this particular
declaration. So prior to the actual Ten Commandments,
you've got a preamble in verse 6 or a historical review. I am the Lord your God who brought
you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
So that's who you're supposed to serve. And that's why you're
supposed to serve Him, and then the Ten Commandments follow that.
So that's an expression of God's goodness, God's graciousness
to them, and God's power and deliverance of them. So the activity
of God, chapters 1 to 4. the law of God, chapters 4 at
the end, to chapter 26. And again, much of the book of
Deuteronomy repeats much of the book of Exodus. And there's also
stuff from Leviticus as well, something that we might expect
repetition, especially with the second generation, especially
with the emphasis that they're about to enter into the promised
land. They're going to inherit that promised land, and they're
going to have to live in that promised land in the way that
God commands. So that is consistent. And in
terms of covenant, one man makes this observation. The purpose
of the book is to repeat, with amendment and clarification,
the basic covenant message of Exodus 20 to 23, a repetition
necessary in light of the historical circumstances which had transpired
in the early 40 years since the Sinai revelation. The adult generation
with whom the Sinai covenant had been made was dead or dying.
So the younger generation needed to hear for themselves and to
respond to Yahweh's covenant claims. I think that's a good
emphasis. It's got God's activity, chapters
1-4, God's law, chapters 4-26, God's covenant, chapters 27-30,
and then God's servants, chapters 31-34. The emphasis there on
Joshua and then Moses. Now, in terms of specific emphases,
if we were to dive in, or we're going to dive in to the text
as we move through it in successive Wednesday nights. Notice that
succession. Just trying to introduce a little. levity here. The introduction
stuff is a bit difficult. I know it's a lot of facts and
figures and things of that nature. But I think we're going to slow
down here. So emphases in the book, the book of Deuteronomy
as a whole. I would suggest first it functions
as a reminder. The emphasis on history is a
reminder to the people. Ralph Davis makes a comment somewhere
in one of his commentaries that amnesia produces apostasy. Amnesia produces apostasy. When we forget God, we don't
do well in terms of service to God. I think that's one of the
reasons why we have the Lord's Supper, one of the reasons why
we have that covenant renewal sort of a meal. One of the reasons
why we have scripture is so that we don't forget God. We're supposed
to hide God's word in our hearts so that we might not sin against
Him. And so the book of Deuteronomy functions as a reminder where
they had been, how they had gotten there, and what God had done
along the way. There's a lot of that going on
in the book of Deuteronomy. I would suggest, secondly, the
book functions as a transition. to transition from the Pentateuch
and the leadership of Moses to the conquest under Joshua. And the questions basically assumed
by the book, I think, are answered by the book. In fact, one man
makes the observation. These are questions. Will the
Lord go with them in the conquest? It's a good question, right?
You're on the plains of Moab. You know what's happened to the
first generation. They were unfaithful. They were rebellious. They were
whiners. They were grumblers. And God killed them. And God
killed them violently. God killed them horrifically
in a whole lot of ways, in ways that we saw as we moved through
numbers, fire coming down out of heaven, the earth opening
up and swallowing them, fiery serpents biting them. There was
all kinds of ways that they went out of this present world. And
so I think this is a good question. In fact, Moses asks the question
in Exodus 33, will you go with us? Basically, the implication
being, if you don't go with us, we don't want to go. Because
if you don't go with us, we're not going to make it. And if
we do make it, we want you to be present with us. So will the
Lord go with them in the conquest? A second question, can they rely
on him to deliver the land to them? Again, a good question
on the plains of Moab, getting ready to enter into the promised
land. They're not entering in by way
of invitation. They're not entering in by way
of a diplomatic treaty. They're entering in by way of
combat, by way of warfare, by way of killing, by way of breaking
things. So it's a legit question, can
they rely on him to deliver the land to them? Of course, Moses
in his exhortations is going to point backwards to show God's
faithfulness, and he's going to point forwards to the reality
that they will, in fact, inherit the land. As well, the book assumes
a question, how should they treat nations in the land? Well, Deuteronomy
7 speaks specifically how they're supposed to treat nations in
the land. They're to utterly exterminate
them. They're to utterly dispossess the land of the Canaanites. They're
to go in, kill people, and break things, and take that land. As
well, how are they supposed to deal with nations outside of
the land? What's their foreign policy supposed
to look like? And again, all these things are
in Deuteronomy. I mean, there's principles for
the king. There's principles for civil society. There's principles
for adjudication. There's all kinds of things developed
even more so than what you see in the book of Exodus. As well,
how might they live productive lives in the land, avoiding the
discipline their parents experienced in the wilderness? Again, good
question. Planes of Moab, getting ready
to enter into the promised land. How is it then that we ought
to live? Well, Moses' exhortations is going to point them to faithfulness
and to loyalty before God Most High. And then as well, what
can they expect from the covenant with the Lord in the future?
In other words, on the other side of this river Jordan, on
the other side of this conquest, what will life look like in the
land with God as our God? Well, as I said, the book of
Deuteronomy answers those questions. In fact, in Deuteronomy chapters
27 and 28, it tells them very clearly, very candidly, very
honestly, and very openly that if you go into the land and you
obey, blessings will flow. But if you go into the land and
disobey, curses will flow. That's the summarized version,
to be sure. But that is essentially what
the book is about answering. Now, thirdly, so we've got the
book as a reminder, the book as a transition, and then thirdly,
the book as an exhortation. Law, covenant, blessings, cursings. And I would suggest, as well,
promise of new covenant. In the Plains of Moab, in Deuteronomy
30, verses 1 to 10, it reads just like Jeremiah 31, 31 to
34. If you're a Reformed Baptist,
you know what Jeremiah 31, 31 to 34 is. It's basically Well, I don't want to use that.
Well, yeah, I'll use the language. Barcelos and Waldron wrote a
book and called it the Reformed Baptist Manifesto. Sounds a little
bit too Mao Tse Tung for me, but the RB Manifesto, and it
was basically an exposition of Jeremiah 31, 31 to 34. Well,
where did Jeremiah get that? He got it from the Spirit, obviously.
but it was preceding him in terms of revelation on the plains of
Moab in Numbers 30 verses 1 to 10. So after the giving of the
blessings and the curses, you've got this promise. It's not called
the New Covenant, but it's got all the features of New Covenant.
You've got this promise of New Covenant, which I think on the
one hand is very encouraging. The promise of Christ coming
to save His people from their sins, but kind of foreboding
and foreshadowing of things not so good in the future for Israel. Blessings, cursings, promise
of new covenant. What's the implication? You're
gonna need a new covenant because you're gonna bungle the old.
You're gonna rebel against God. You are gonna transgress and
all the promises of God's curses in Deuteronomy 28 in terms of
exile are going to happen to you. You're gonna be cast out
of the land. You're gonna be wanderers. You're gonna be subject
to other nations. And so we need to look beyond
that to this promise of a deliverer who's going to come and save
his people from their sins. Now, we've got then, fourthly,
the book as instruction. The book as instruction. And
there's various things that it instructs in. The doctrine of
God. You can turn to Deuteronomy chapter
6, probably one of the most familiar passages in the book of Deuteronomy,
what we call the Shema, which simply means hear or listen in
Hebrew. So in Deuteronomy 6, 4, hear,
O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And then it gives
that response. You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
strength. So hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is
one. Not like the pagans around them, not like the idolaters
around them who had a plethora of gods, a multitude of gods.
No, the Lord our God is one. And that one God demands your
love with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
strength. But as well, Doctrine of God, turn over to Deuteronomy
chapter 32. Deuteronomy 32, there's a lot
in there concerning the Doctrine of God. It's the song of Moses. Notice in Deuteronomy 32 at verse
4, he is the rock. His work is perfect, for all
his ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice.
Righteous and upright is he. That's a catechetical response
to what is God. That's perfections. That's attributes. And when it says rock, it means
he's stable. He doesn't change. He's impassable. He's trustworthy and faithful. His work is perfect for all his
ways are justice. This is not only a celebration
of God's perfections, but it also endorses what Moses has
promised to them vis-a-vis blessings and curses. God is faithful to
bless those who are obedient. God is faithful to curse those
who are disobedient. Paul makes a similar observation
in 2 Timothy 2 about those who deny God. God can't deny Himself,
but men, when they do, will reap His judgment. As well, notice
in verse 6, do you thus deal with the Lord, O foolish and
unwise people? Is He not your Father who bought
you? Has He not made you and established
you? That's beautiful, New Testament
type language that God, this one described in verse 4, this
rock, this perfect one whose works are perfect, this God of
justice, truth. He's got no injustice. He's righteous. He's upright. He's your father
and he has bought you. He has redeemed you. He has brought
you out of the land of Egypt. Notice as well in verse 15, Or verse 11, rather, as an eagle
stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its
wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the Lord
alone led him, and there was no foreign god with him. I've
heard, and I've never had any time to really dig in, but apparently
the relationship between an eagle parent and the eagle young is
a very special one. So hopefully by the time we get
to Deuteronomy 32, I'll do my homework and try to flesh that
out a bit. But apparently there's something
to that, not that Moses is invoking that, but this is scientifically
that an eagle cares for its young like few others sort of do in
the animal kingdom. And then back up just a bit,
verse 10. He found him in a desert land
and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness. He encircled him,
he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. And
there's that reference, as an eagle stirs up its nest. So again,
it speaks of this God of justice, this righteous and upright one,
in very familiar language of father, and one who bought them,
and one who cares for them, and is concerned about them. Notice
as well in verse 21, we see the other edge with reference to
God's wrath. They have provoked me to jealousy
by what is not God. They have moved me to anger by
their foolish idols, but I will provoke them to jealousy by those
who are not a nation. I will move them to anger by
a foolish nation, for a fire is kindled in my anger and shall
burn to the lowest hell. It shall consume the earth with
her increase and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
We're going to see something along the way in our study in
the Pentateuch that we've already seen to some degree is that the
Bible uses language that's accommodated to man. When Moses says that
God has moved or God moves from one state to another, that's
spoken in the manner of men. God is unchangeable. God is impassable. In other words, what Scripture
does is it speaks to us in language that we can get our minds wrapped
around. We always need to make sure that who God is is first
and foremost in terms of priority. What God does is explained in
language that is accommodated to us. But Scripture tells us
that God is unchanging, God is impassable, God is without parts. See, all those things are taught
us in Holy Scripture And so when we come to passages like this,
we'll make the occasional observation with reference to theology proper.
And then notice as well in verse 36, For the Lord will judge his
people and have compassion on his servants when he sees that
their power is gone and there is no one remaining bond or free. He will say, where are their
gods? The rock in which they sought refuge, who ate the fat
of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings.
Let them rise and help you and be your refuge. Now see that
I, even I am he, and there is no God besides me." That's Isaiah. Isaiah says that a lot, doesn't
he? Where do you think Isaiah got that? There's a lot going
on in terms of the Old Testament use of the Old Testament. There's
a lot of emphasis on the New Testament use of the Old Testament,
and that's a good emphasis. We should know how New Testament
authors use the Old Testament. But it's also very helpful to
know how Old Testament authors use Old Testament authors as
well, how they interpret, how they apply, and how they bring
that to bear on their particular audiences in redemptive history.
So verse 39, now see that I, even I, am he and there is no
God besides me. I kill and I make alive, I wound
and I heal, nor is there any who can deliver from my hand.
For I raise my hand to heaven and say, as I live forever, if
I wet my glittering sword and my hand takes hold on judgment,
I will render vengeance to my enemies and repay those who hate
me. I will make my arrows drunk with
blood and my sword shall devour flesh with the blood of the slain
and the captives from the heads of the leaders of the enemy.
Notice how it ends. Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his
people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants and render
vengeance to his adversaries. He will provide atonement for
his land and his people. So there's a celebration in the
Song of Moses on who God is, on what God does, and how God
relates to his old covenant people. So theology proper is big in
the book of Deuteronomy. I would suggest, secondly, in
terms of instruction, the promise of God, most visibly represented
in the book of Deuteronomy in terms of the land. Land was a
central feature in Old Covenant religion. God made the promise
to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God brought His people out of
Egypt. God brought His people through the wilderness. God brought
His people to the plains of Moab. God instructs His people. And
then God brings His people into that land that He had promised.
It shows His faithfulness every step of the way. Notice in Deuteronomy
chapter 1. Deuteronomy chapter 1, again,
that sort of filial, familiar, communal language applied to
God with reference to His people and His faithfulness to His promise.
Deuteronomy 1.29, 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. When you read through the book
of Joshua, there are instances and times where the spotlight,
it's only on God. It's not on the ability of the
soldiers. We're going to come up to that
in Gideon in the next reading in Judges 7. Whittle down the
troops. I'm sure that Gideon, as a military
commander charged with a particular task, didn't want to hear get
rid of a lot of your troops. Why would I do that? That doesn't
make sense. It's counterintuitive to the
whole battle thing. And yet God says, whittle them
down. Why? So that when the victory comes,
we don't praise the great army. We praise the great God who moved
that few to accomplish his purposes. But back to verse 31. And in
the wilderness where you saw, love this language, 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.
That's a beautiful figure with reference to God in terms of
his care for Old Covenant Israel. Now brethren, when we went through
the book of Numbers, did we notice that they always appreciated
that? Did they interpret the wilderness
as if it was God the Father carrying them along in their journey?
That's not how they interpreted it at all. They whined, they
grumbled, they complained. They wanted meat. They wanted
gods to give them that meat. They wanted to go back to Egypt
where they had plenty, as far as they were concerned. But theologically,
what was happening in the wilderness is that God, like a father to
his son who falls, he picks him up and he carries him through
the wilderness. So land looms large in the book
of Deuteronomy in several references. And I think, again, to underscore
the promise of God is yea and amen. One man in a great little
book called Dominion and Dynasty. I can't remember. I think it's
Stephen. Stephen Dempster. If one of the
supreme blessings is to possess the land, one of the ultimate
curses is exile. Exile comes up a lot in Deuteronomy
28. If you ever wonder why you're
reading Deuteronomy 28, why is it that they're going to be cast
out of the land? Because land was a central feature in Old
Covenant religion. And if they were cast out of
the land, it was an absolutely negative sanction upon them.
So back to Dempster. If one of the supreme blessings
is to possess the land, one of the ultimate curses is exile.
And even the great Moses will find himself on the outside looking
in. He will only be able to see the
land of Canaan from a distance. His exile from the land is due
to disobedience. And so will theirs be. So when
we get to Deuteronomy 27 and 28, when we see the promise of
blessings and the promise of curses, we've read, or hopefully
you've read, the rest of the Old Testament, and you'll realize
they didn't get the blessings because they were disloyal, unfaithful,
and because they ate the conduct of the Canaanites, God raised
up foreign oppressors for them and drove them out of the land.
Not just the book of Judges, where the foreign oppressors
came, God raised up a savior or a judge, to vanquish their
enemies, but at the time of the Assyrian captivity and the Babylonian
captivity, that was God's condemnation and God's just punishment for
them having violated His covenant. And that carries on into the
New Covenant. The surrounding of Jerusalem
by the Roman armies prophesied by Jesus that happened in AD
70 is in accordance with the curses pronounced by God in the
book of Deuteronomy. So they were exiled. You do right,
you live in the land. You do wrong, you're cast out
of the land. And then I would suggest the
book as instruction with reference to the worship of God. Now the
apparatus is present. They've got the tabernacle, they've
got the priesthood, they've got the legislation, they've got
the sacrifice. There's another dimension that
the book of Deuteronomy starts to hone in on, and that's the
sanctuary. So Deuteronomy chapter 12 emphasizes
a central sanctuary, where all Israel would come to worship
God. And part of that was preventative
maintenance. God knows that if you don't come
to that place that is appointed to you, you might just get a
hankering to worship wherever you feel. And wherever you feel
isn't necessarily the best place to worship, because there might
be some Canaanites there with Baal or Asherah or one of their
deities. You might just bow down with
them. So the central sanctuary was to bring the children of
Israel together, it was to have a functioning priesthood, it
was to have a functioning sacrificial system, but it functioned as
preventative maintenance. God doesn't want you to just
get taken up with the pagans around you, say, well, they pray
to Baal, they don't have to travel all this way, they pray to Baal,
they get rain the next day, so I'm gonna go ahead and join them.
No, central sanctuary, you respond to where God has commanded you
to respond. And then finally, I want to just
deal briefly with the typological significance. And by this, I
don't mean strict types. Perhaps illusion might be better.
Some things that we'll notice as we move through the book.
Jesus says in John 5, 46 to his religious opponents, if you believed
Moses, you would believe me for he wrote about me. So Moses wrote
about Jesus. That's as clear as can be. That's
not a difficult passage to interpret. What do you mean, Jesus? I mean
that Moses wrote about me. That's a pretty simple passage
to deal with. Now, obviously, the ones to whom
he spoke got outraged by that. They didn't think that was true,
and they just got even further entrenched in their hatred and
despising of him. But in 1 Corinthians chapter
10, the Apostle Paul indicates that Christ was with them in
the wilderness. Christ was present with his people.
There was guidance provided by him. He names Christ specifically.
The presence of Christ in the sanctuary, the Deuteronomy chapter
12, central sanctuary, points forward in terms of the tabernacle
to the temple. Both tabernacle and temple point
forward to Jesus, because the whole concept of tabernacle and
temple is God's dwelling. And so it's in Jesus that we
have the dwelling place of God. And so the book of Deuteronomy,
with its emphasis on sanctuary, its emphasis on worship, its
emphasis on gathering together before your God, should remind
us of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus makes that statement in
John chapter 2, destroy this temple and in three days I will
raise it up. Well, they're perplexed and amazed, and it's taken us
so long to build this temple, and you're going to raise it
up in three days? What does John the theologian tell us? He was
speaking about his body. It's going to be dead, and in
three days, he's going to be raised up. So tabernacle and
temple were not an end in themselves. They pointed forward. They typified
and prefigured our Lord Jesus Christ. That's why I typically,
at this point, make a negative commentary on what's called dispensationalism. Because in dispensational theology,
there's a future rebuilt temple. which is to go exactly backwards
in redemptive history. The temple had significance as
a pointer to, as a prefigure of, and typical of our Lord Jesus. Now that Jesus has come, we don't
go back to the shadow, we don't go back to the temporary, we
have the permanent, we have the substance. I would suggest the
priestly office of Christ. Now again, there's more in Exodus
and Leviticus in terms of direct legislation governing the priest,
but that there's an extant priesthood operating in a tabernacle setting,
or at least preparing the people for that, typifies the priestly
office of our Lord Jesus Christ. I would suggest the kingly office.
And again, direct typology, no, but things that we should think
about. Look at the principles governing kings in Deuteronomy
17. Deuteronomy chapter 17, specifically in verse 18. After several prohibitions
concerning the kings, he's not supposed to multiply weapons,
women, or wealth. Because if he multiplies weapons,
women, or wealth, it might lead to apostasy. And that's kind
of the thing that you see in 1 Kings 11 with old Solomon. I'm not suggesting he was an
apostate, but he did multiply wealth, he did multiply weapons,
and he multiplied women, and that's not a good thing in terms
of Deuteronomy 17. But notice in verse 18, Also
it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that
he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book from the
one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and
he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn
to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the
words of this law and these statutes." Wouldn't the history of Israel
been much different if every king obeyed that precept? I can't
imagine Manasseh took that one seriously, or Ahab. I can't imagine
that those defecting kings in Judah took seriously that responsibility. But our Lord Jesus has the word
of God in him. The Lord Jesus governs according
to his word. Again, not a strict type, but
typical to some degree. And of course, the prophetic
office, this is strictly typical. The announcement of Moses in
chapter 18 at verse 15, we already see it applied in Acts 3.22.
We don't need to turn back there. As well, Matthew 17, excuse me,
verse 5, Mount of Transfiguration. This is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased. Hear Him. And that's precisely
Deuteronomy 18, 15. This prophet, hear him. Him you
will hear. As well, the role of Christ as
true Israel. Turn back to Deuteronomy 8. Deuteronomy
8, Pastor Cam mentioned this on Sunday night, I think I might
have mentioned it a time or two as well, that Adam was a type
of Christ, but so was Israel. In fact, Adam and Israel were
similar types of Christ. Christ is the second or last
Adam, and Christ is the true Israel. And if you look at Adam,
he's placed in a garden. He's placed in paradise and given
a prohibition. Then you look at, you know, and
he's given a test, as it were, a probationary period. Well,
so was Israel. They went into the wilderness.
They were tested by God, given a probationary period. How did
they fare? Well, when you get to the book of Matthew, for instance,
Jesus is driven out into the wilderness by the Spirit of God,
and he undergoes a test or probation. Notice in Deuteronomy chapter
8 verse 1, every commandment which I command you today you
must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply and
go in and possess the land of which the Lord swore to your
fathers. And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you
all the way these 40 years in the wilderness to humble you
and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would
keep his commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you
to hunger, and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did
your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall
not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of the Lord." Again, it's not as powerful,
perhaps, as a John 15, when Jesus says, I am the true vine. Basically,
I am what Israel failed to be. But it's powerful when you compare
this with Matthew chapter 4 and Jesus is put in a similar probationary
period where Jesus has a lack of food and the devil comes to
him and tempts him and he resists. And how does he resist? He takes
this particular sword out of the sheath and he swipes at the
devil with it. He invokes this passage. That's
not accidental. There's a direct link and connection
there. Jesus is what Israel failed to
be. I would suggest as well, again,
these might be a few more obscure than what we're normally used
to, but the maltreatment of Jesus in the gospel record, if you
look at Deuteronomy 21, Deuteronomy chapter 21, maybe we're looking at links
that we ought to discover more when we pass through the book.
Notice in Deuteronomy 21, 18, if a man has a stubborn and rebellious
son and will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of
his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not
heed them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of
him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate
of his city. And they shall say to the elders
of his city, this son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He
will not obey our voice. He is a glutton and a drunkard.
"'then all the men of his city shall stone him "'to death with
stones, "'so you shall put away the evil from among you, "'and
all Israel shall hear in fear.'" Now we'll deal with that in its
historical context and in its application with reference to
the modern situation and all that sort of a thing, but maybe
keep your finger there, because we're gonna go back to chapter
21, but keep your finger or your pencil there and go to Matthew
chapter 11. Matthew chapter 11. Intriguing,
the language that Jesus employs seems to suggest this background.
Thus indicating that what his opponents were saying was that
he is worthy to die. He ought to be executed. So notice
in 1116, but to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children
sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions and
saying, we played the flute for you and you did not dance. We
mourn to you and you did not lament. For John came neither
eating nor drinking and they say he has a demon. The son of
man came eating and drinking and they say, look, a glutton
and a wine-bibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners, but
wisdom is justified by her children." I think the allusion suggests
that's the kind of stuff that they were hurling at our Lord
Jesus, which, as you see there in Deuteronomy 21, is a capital
offense. So they weren't just a little
bit irritated with his weird theology. They weren't just a
little bit irritated with his claims to being God. They looked
at him like a winebibber and a glutton, one that needed to
be executed for the sake of civil society. And then back to Deuteronomy
chapter 21, We see the atonement of Christ for his people, or
at least Paul did in the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 21
verse 22, if a man has committed a sin deserving of death and
he is put to death, notice the juxtaposition of these two passages,
by the way, very intriguing. If a man has committed a sin
deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him
on a tree, 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 has given you as an
inheritance, for he who is hanged is accursed of God." Galatians
3. Galatians 3. The Apostle Paul
appeals to that passage in a passage that deals specifically with
the atoning work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice in 3, 10,
for as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse,
for it is written, curse it is everyone who does not continue
in all things which are written in the book of the law to do
that. If you've ever heard Pastor Cam or I teach on covenant, we
typically say the old covenant was not an administration of
the covenant of grace. It was a covenant of works. And
why? Because curse it is everyone
who does not continue in all things which are written in the
book of the law to do that. But that no one is justified
by the law in the sight of God is evident. It's always been
that way. Abraham believed God. It was
accounted unto him as righteous. The battle cry for the Protestant
Reformation began with the prophet Habakkuk. But that no one is
justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for the just
shall live by faith. Yet the law is not of faith,
but the man who does them shall live by them. 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,
that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles
in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith." And I would suggest that The last two observations,
the promise of the new covenant with Christ and his people, that's
Deuteronomy 31 to 10. Christ isn't mentioned, new covenant
isn't mentioned. When you look at that passage,
you compare it with Jeremiah 31, and you compare it with what's
happening in the new covenant, and the historical placement
of Deuteronomy 30, just after the pronouncement of blessings,
cursings, and then in 29, covenant ratification, 30 suggests, again,
positively, good things are in the future. But negatively, you're
going to need those good things because you're not a covenant-keeping
people. We need to look to the one who
is the covenant keeper. And I would suggest, finally,
the Deuteronomy 6, 5 emphasis, the devotion to Christ as the
living and true God. Love Him with all our heart,
soul, mind, and strength. Well, let us pray. Our Father
in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you that all scripture
is given by inspiration of God and that it's profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. And we look forward to going
through this book of Deuteronomy. We pray your Holy Spirit would
guide us, that we would see Christ in this book, and that we would
stand in awe at our great living and true God, even Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit. We praise you, we pray that you'd
go with us now. We pray for those traveling,
that you would bless them with safety. We pray for the sick
among us, that you would encourage and strengthen them, and for
the elderly folk that are unable to come out to church. May they
continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ. And we pray in his name, amen.
I was wondering about the writings of Moses writing them. You wrote
Moses writing them too. Do you know the timeline that
says to me, write I don't think that Mosaic authorship
of the Pentateuch forbids editorship. Just like the Psalms of David
doesn't demand that everything that is in the Psalms is written
by David. In terms of timeline, I don't know. He might have had
a moleskin. He jotted down notes along the way. You know, I mean,
when you read the Book of Numbers or you read, you know, it seems
like, you know, action-packed all the time. I'd imagine there
was some downtime. You've got, you know, many, many,
many people. Everybody's fed and eating or
sleeping. Moses probably writes along the
way. That would be the way I would see it. What? A mole scan. That's those little notebooks.
Didn't you know that?
