Deutoronomy

What do you see in this book that tells you about the Original Reader?

      The original readers were God's “very own people” and his “special possession” as it says in Deut 4:20. Moses says that they are people who have been in rebellion in Deut 9:24. Moses declares that they will be the ones to go over the Jordan River. All they have to do is obey and not do as their parents did (Deut 11:31-32). They were waiting just west of the Jordan River, but had not yet crossed into the Promised Land. They were a people who had no law, government, or any way to sustain themselves. Moses was telling them what God had given to them to meet their needs in these areas.

What do you see in this book that tells you about the author?

      In Deuteronomy we know that the author Moses, is about ready to die. God tells him so in Deut 32:50. Moses never gets to experience the Promised Land, but only gets to see it from Pisgah Peak. The last chapter tells us a little about Moses. Chapter 34 tells us that God buried him in an unknown place in Moab and he died at 120 years old in the land of Moab. The book of Deuteronomy is his farewell address to the people. He wont be joining them on their journey across the Jordan River and is giving them some last instructions.

What are the main themes, and repeated ideas in this book, and what is a one sentence summary of the main idea?

      What I see being repeated a bunch of times are the phrases “you must,” “be careful,” and the word “listen.” Moses was writing to them to give them instructions on how to live in the Promised Land. In this book he repeats things he's said before and he gives new instructions for them. This is the main thing I see throughout the book. Moses is clear in his purpose. He has been their leader for 40 years and he knows that he is leaving them soon. This is his last chance to give them all that he can so that they can go forward on the right foot.

Some of the things he asks of them that come up often are to completely wipe out the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. He made this very clear and told them it was because he didn't want them to be tempted to worship their gods. He tells them that the Lord will go before them. He made it clear to them many times that God would wipe out their enemies. They had nothing to fear about the nations they were going to fight, because God was fighting for them.

Summary: Deuteronomy is about Moses pleading with his people to simply trust God and obey Him in his last speech before he dies.

What is the primary reason this book is written

      The primary reason Moses has written this book is to establish God's covenant with His people. He is telling them all the things they cannot do, all they things they should do, and all the things they are permitted to do. God is fulfilling His previous covenant with Abraham. Israel is now a great nation, God has been with them the whole way and the land God has promised is about to be theirs. Moses warns them many times to stay away from idolatry and to always obey the Lord. I think it's Moses' last attempt to get the people to trust and obey their God. He gives them all the warnings he can and tells them of all the blessings they can receive if they obey. He fights for his people until he dies in Moab.

What does this book show about the character and nature of God?

      In Deuteronomy we see God as the one who fights, cares for, and leads the people in Deut 1:29-33. Moses says that God cared for them “just as a father cares for his child” in verse 31. Moses also says of God in Deut 2:7 that God had watched over them during the whole forty years they were in the wilderness. The Lord is the one who fought. He is the one who fought for the Israelites and destroyed there enemies. Deut 2:20-23 shows very clearly that Moses gives all the credit to God. God comes near to us when we call and as Moses describes in Deut 4:7, and in 4:24 He is a “devouring fire; he is a jealous God.” Deut 4:29,31 gives an awesome picture of who God is. It says, “if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him” and also, “for the Lord you God is merciful....he will not abandon or destroy you.” God is telling the Israelites that He is not too distant that He wont hear them and that He will have mercy on them because of the covenant he made with Abraham. Moses knows a lot about who God is. He had intimate moments with Him. In Deut 10:10, he convinced God not to pass judgment on the Israelites. Moses' interceding actually changed things and God shows that He listens to us. He is moved by our prayers and our cried. Moses almost goes through all of God's characteristics and tells us all about His nature. It really is like reading the psalms. Though they are spaced out between the pages of the book, this book tells us so much about the God of Israel. A couple of times in chapter 15 God gives Israel a way to protect the poor from extreme poverty. He protects the poor from being abused by the rich and cares for the way people are treated.

What does this book show about God's redemptive plan for mankind?

      The book of Deuteronomy is another piece of the puzzle to God's redemptive plan for mankind. What happens in this book is the fulfillment of what God originally promised to Abraham. God leads this great nation to the Promised Land. This is what God meant when He told Abraham about having children as numerous as the stars. God is making good on His word. The only thing that we are missing is the crushing of Satan's head. We knew that this comes much later, but everything else has come about. The Israelites just need to cross the Jordan river and conquer the land which God promises that they will do.

Personal Application

      I think what I saw today more than I have before, is that God cares about how society functions. He cares about the family, because the family effects every sphere of society. If the family dynamic of a country is chaotic that will effect every other sphere. He cares about arts and media and he cares how the rich treat the poor. He cares about the details of how a government functions. All of these things can be redeemed and He actually gives us a blueprint of how these things can work well. I'm excited to read Lauren's book about transforming nations and to see the power of the Word of God in the world. It's exciting that God's word can shape a nation and can bless a nation if they follow the principles laid out in it. The bible isn't only for shaping individuals but also for shaping nations. I guess the actual application comes in the desire to see how the bible does this. To see how it transforms entire nations. To study the bible in a way where I am looking for ways that God has already designed that shape nations into places that are stable, that function, and that bring peace to a land. I never really realized the enormous power of this book that we carry.