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CHAPTER 9:
Moses again reminds the people of the monumental task that lies before them. He begins this passage with the familiar call to listen: “Hear, O Israel…”. (v.1) He references the children of Anak in verse 2, the giants currently inhabiting the promised land, and whose presence had caused the lack of faith and disobedience on the part of the first generation thirty-eight years earlier. (Numbers 13:22, 28, 33, Joshua 11:21-22) He reminds the people of the power of God that will go before them, acting as a fire that will destroy those heathen nations, as God had promised. (v.3) (Deuteronomy 1:33, 31:3, Joshua 3:11, 5:14, John 10:4) Then Moses picks up the thread that he began in chapter 8, verse 17. He warns the people against the danger of pride that could come in the wake of such mighty victories. (v.4) It’s not because of any inherent righteousness in the children of Israel that God is giving them the promised land. Rather, it’s due to God’s judgment against those wicked nations, as well as the promise that He made to Abraham. (v.5) (Genesis 15:16, 50:24, Leviticus 18:3, 24, Deuteronomy 12:31, 18:9) Upon first reading of verse 5 (“Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart…”), it appears that Moses is contradicting what he told the Israelites at the end of chapter 6, in verse 25. However, the point that Moses is making here in chapter 9 is the same one that he made in Chapter 7, verses 6-8. There was and is nothing that Israel had done or could do that earned or will earn God’s love and favor. God chose Abraham of His own free will to be the father of a great nation, and now the children of Israel are inheriting that promised land because of God’s divine will and choice, not anything that they have done of their own merit to earn it. The righteousness that Moses referred to in chapter 6 is the specific form of righteousness that Israel earns by observing and obeying all of God’s law. That righteousness is what earns them eternal salvation in the eyes of God, and has nothing to do with God’s initial sovereign choice of Abraham and his seed to be a separate and chosen nation above all nations and people of the world. Moses then reviews for the people their disobedience at Mount Sinai as an example of his statements in verses 4-5. (v.6-21) If the Israelites are under any illusions that they have earned the blessing of the promised land because of their own merit and status as a chosen people, Moses quickly dispels them of any such notion. He goes into detail about their sin of idolatry and their rebellion against God by worshiping the golden calf. He also highlights his own role as mediator on their behalf, for God was willing to destroy the people then and there and create a new nation from the seed of Moses. Moses isn’t mentioning this out of any sense of pride or trying to elevate himself as some kind of great leader or savior, but rather to emphasize for the people how close they came to suffering God’s great and terrible wrath. Moses is reminding the Israelites that while God is a just and loving God, He’s also a righteous, holy, and jealous God who will not hesitate to destroy the wicked and the disobedient. He has every right to demand absolute fealty and worship from His chosen people because of who He is! He is creator of all things, including mankind, and therefore God has every right to punish those who rebel against Him by worship false gods and reveling in their sin. Moses is exhorting the people to remember this after they have conquered and settled the promised land, lest they incur God’s righteous wrath through the sin of apostasy and disobedience. Moses closes this chapter with four more examples of the nation’s rebellion and then recounts his mediation on their behalf at Kadesh-barnea. (v.22-29) Once again, he refers to the parents of the generation listening to him now. Their lack of faith at the border of the promised land and the resulting disobedience earned them God’s righteous anger and judgment. It was for the sake of His own name and His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that God did not wipe out the entire nation for the sin of the first generation. (v.26-28) CHAPTER 10: Moses continues his review of the golden calf incident. (v.1-5) The fact that God commanded him to carve out two more tablets of stone indicated that His covenant with Israel still stood. The sin of the people did not change it. The ark referred to in verse 1 was probably a simple box made to hold the tablets for safekeeping until Bezaleel later crafted the actual Ark of the Covenant. (Exodus 25:16, 21, 37:1) Verses 6-11: These are a parenthetical note, fast forwarding through the thirty-eight years of wandering in the desert to the death of Aaron and the ordination of his son, Eleazar. (v.6) Moses also mentions the separation of the tribe of Levi for specific service to the LORD. They are to assist the priests in a supportive role in all things pertaining to the tabernacle. The priests are to bear the Ark of the Covenant, to act as mediators between the people and the LORD their God, and to perform blessings in His name. (v.8) (Numbers 3:6, 4:5, 15, 6:23, 10:21, Deuteronomy 18:5) Because of this, the tribe of Levi has no inheritance of land with the other tribes. “…the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD thy God promised him.” (v.9) (Numbers 18:20, 24, Deuteronomy 18:1-2, Ezekiel 44:28) Verses 12-22: This section is a summary of all that Moses has taught thus far in this second address to the people. He emphasizes once more the simple command from God: to love and fear Him and to observe and obey all of His commandments, statutes, judgments, and precepts found in His law. (v.12-13) (Deuteronomy 6:5, 24, Micah 6:8, Matthew 22:37, 1 Timothy 1:5) God is the creator of all things, from the highest of heavens to the earth itself and all that is in it. (v.14) (Genesis 1:1, Nehemiah 9:6, Psalm 68:33, 115:16) Because of this He is sovereign over all, and He chose Abraham to be the father of a great and chosen nation, a people set apart above all other nations and peoples of the earth. (v.15) Because God has chosen them to be His people, set apart for His special purpose, the Israelites are to “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart…” (v.16). Circumcision was an outward sign of the covenant between the people and the LORD their God, but Moses is emphasizing here that the condition of their hearts is more important. The people are to conform inwardly to God’s law by purifying their hearts and minds of all wickedness and cleaving to God alone. That also means they need to give up their pride and stubbornness and humble themselves always before God. (“…be no more stiffnecked.”) (Deuteronomy 9:6, 13) The reason for this is given in verse 17: “For the LORD your God is God of gods, and LORD of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible…”. (Deuteronomy 4:35, 39, 7:21, Isaiah 44:8, 46:9, Daniel 2:47, 1 Corinthians 8:5-6, Revelation 19:16) God is the only true God, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is LORD, the Creator of all things, and He has absolute sovereignty over His creation. Moses has been stressing this point to the people to emphasize two things: 1) the power of God to protect them, provide for them, and bless them for their fealty, obedience, and worship of Him alone; and 2) His great and terrible wrath that will come upon them if they don’t obey and chase after other gods. This same principle is just as true for us today as it was for the Israelites back then. God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. We, as His creation, have neither any excuse nor any right to reject Him in any way, shape, or form. He is just, loving, merciful, and kind. But He is also holy, righteous, jealous, and vengeful against those who reject Him and His deity. Multiple times throughout Exodus, Leviticus, and now Deuteronomy, God makes it clear to Moses that He will not share His glory with any other, and those who persist in their pride and disobedience by worshiping false gods will suffer God’s wrath and judgment accordingly. Moses then concludes his point by stating that God, because of who He is, shows no partiality to anyone, nor does He accept bribes. (v.17) (Acts 10:34) He is a defender and protector of the widow and the orphan (v.18), a specific attribute that is mentioned often throughout scripture, especially in the OT. (Exodus 22:22, Psalm 68:5, 146:9, Proverbs 15:25) Because of this, God expects His chosen people to show that same consideration to the widows and orphans among them as well as those of the gentiles. (v.19) (Deuteronomy 14:29, 24:19-21, 26:12-13, Isaiah 1:17, Jeremiah 22:3, Zechariah 7:10, Malachi 3:5) Just as the Israelites were once themselves strangers in a foreign land, so should they always show love and kindness to the outsiders they meet. Because of all that God had done for the children of Israel, “…these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen…” (v.21), they are to “…fear the LORD thy God…” (v.20), serve Him only, cleave to Him, “…and swear by His name.” (Matthew 4:10) “He is thy praise, and He is thy God…”. (v.21) Only God in His awesome and infinite power could have taken a small family of only 70 people into Egypt and then multiplied them into a vast and mighty nation which now numbers “…as the stars of heaven for multitude.” (v.22) CHAPTER 11: Verses 1-7: The children of that first generation that came out of Egypt had witnessed the mighty acts of God, from the ten plagues to the parting of the Red Sea to the destruction of Pharaoh and all his army. (v.3-4) They had also witnessed firsthand the various miracles performed by God in the way in which He provided for the Israelites during their journey from the Red Sea to Mount Sinai. (v.5) They had seen with their own eyes the judgment of the LORD upon those who had rebelled against Him, such as Korah and all his band. (v.6) And although Moses doesn’t mention it specifically here, we know also that this second generation had witnessed the judgments against those who had worshiped the golden calf as well as those who gave into the fear and doubt of the ten spies. Moses returns to his original point for this second address to the people. He’s speaking to the sons and daughters of that first generation, not their children who were not yet born when Israel came out of Egypt (v.2), nor the very few that remain of that first generation. (Caleb, Joshua, and Aaron’s son, Eleazar, for example.) It is this second generation that is on the threshold of the promised land, and Moses exhorts them once more to “…love the LORD thy God, and keep His charge, and His statutes, and His judgments, and His commandments, alway.” (v.1) Note that Moses emphasizes again in verse 2 that the judgment of the LORD for disobedience is His chastisement of those whom He loves, a point that was made earlier in chapter 8, verse 2. God’s anger against Israel is not arbitrary or capricious. He is not capable of such human failings. Rather, God’s wrath and judgment, like all His other attributes, are always purposeful and borne out of who He is, for He cannot be anything other than perfect. Verses 8-17: The word ‘therefore’ in verse 8 underscores the reason for Israel to continue obeying and observing all aspects of God’s law: not only because of all He has done for them up to this point, but also because of all that He will do after they conquer and settle the promised land. In contrast to Egypt, where the water of the Nile River had to channeled and diverted by man-made networks in order to properly irrigate their crops, the promised land would require no such effort. (v.10) It is always under “…the eyes of the LORD thy God…” (v.12), and He is the one who irrigates all the land with “…the rain of heaven.” (v.11) (Leviticus 26:4, Deuteronomy 28:12) This is crucial, for if the Israelites fail to obey God and keep all of His commandments, then He has the power to stop the rain which, in turn, will cause the crops to fail. (v.14, 17) The resulting lack of harvest will lead to starvation and early death. Moses states in verse 9 that obedience and worship of God will bring long life to the people, a point that he makes frequently throughout Deuteronomy. (Deuteronomy 4:40, 5:16, 33, 6:2, Proverbs 10:27) God’s power over the elements, such as rain, is one way that that promise will either be fulfilled or not. Verses 18-21: These verses, specifically 18-20, are almost word for word verses 7-9 of chapter 6. Much of Deuteronomy is repetition, and the point Moses is emphasizing again here is that the second generation needs to teach the law of God to their children. As he mentioned in verse 2, the third generation had not yet been born when Israel came out of Egypt, so they haven’t witnessed firsthand the mighty acts of God. Therefore, it’s up to the parents to instill in them a love of God and His law in order that the children will obey God and teach their children the same, and so on. Only in this way will the lives of this current generation and all their descendants be long and prosperous in the promised land. (v.21) (Psalm 72:5, 89:29, Proverbs 3:2, 4:10, 9:11) Verses 22-25: Once again, Moses repeats the promise that he has already spoken of in earlier chapters. Only by consistent, diligent obedience to God and loving and worshiping Him alone will the Israelites successfully conquer the promised land. And again Moses uses the word “cleave” in verse 22. It’s not enough for the Israelites to merely obey outwardly. Their hearts must also be right with God, holding fast to Him alone the same way that a drowning man will hold fast to the life preserver. In return, “…the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you…” (v.23), people who are much greater in number and mightier in strength than Israel. These God-given victories will instill a sense of fear and dread in all their enemies, allowing Israel to possess all of the land that God promised to Abraham. (v.24-25) Verses 26-32: The children of Israel have two choices: they can obey the LORD their God and receive blessings as a result, or they can disobey and receive a curse instead. (v.26-28) (Deuteronomy 28:15, 30:1, 15, 19) Such stipulations were common elements of the treaties of the ANE at this time, and this has been Moses’ central theme all along. The specific command in verse 29 refers to a ritual that is spelled out in detail in chapters 27-28. The plains of Moreh (v.30) refers to the place where Abraham first built an altar when he entered the land of Canaan. (Genesis 12:6-7) Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal represent the center of the Canaanite territory, about 30 miles north of where Jerusalem will eventually be built. Thus, Moses is predicting the fulfillment of God’s promise of victory over the enemies of Israel. (v.31) That covenant renewal ritual will serve as a reminder to the people of what will happen if they continue to serve and obey God or choose to disobey and rebel against Him.
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CHAPTER 7:
Moses continues to expand on his initial point about the first and second commandments. After stressing the importance of obedience to the law as a key to long life, blessings, and happiness after conquering the promised land, Moses now stresses the importance of obeying God’s command to utterly destroy the heathen nations that currently inhabit Canaan. If the Israelites do not follow God’s specific instructions – which Moses lays out before them in this passage – the consequences for them will be disastrous. Verses 1-5: Moses begins by listing seven nations that currently reside in Canaan: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. (v.1) (Exodus 33:2) We know from the later books of the OT, especially those of Samuel and Kings, that there are other nations besides these seven inhabiting the promised land, so this list is by no means a complete one. It’s likely that these groups listed here are the mightiest and largest of Canaan, and thus the most important ones to conquer first. Moses confirms at the end of verse 1 that all these people are greater in number and more powerful than the Israelites. But he also confirms God’s plan to deliver all of them into Israel’s hands. (v.2) He then outlines exactly what Israel is to do to their enemies. They are to utterly destroy them, showing no mercy and making no agreements with them. (v.2) (Exodus 23:32-33, Numbers 31:17, Deuteronomy 20:16, Joshua 2:14) Nor are the Israelites to intermarry with any of them (v.3), lest this result in the children of Israel turning away from God and falling back into idolatry and apostasy. (v.4) (Exodus 34:15-16, Joshua 23:12-13, 1 Kings 11:2, Ezra 9:2) Disobedience of this command will bring upon them God’s wrath. Therefore Israel is to “…destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves…”. (v.5) (Exodus 23:24, 34:13, Deuteronomy 12:3) They are to burn it all completely. The Canaanites, remember, are descendants of Noah’s grandson, Canaan (Genesis 9:25-27, 10:6), and we also know from that incident at the end of Genesis 9 that some form of wickedness and perversion had been committed by Canaan against Noah. That’s the reason for Noah’s curse upon him and all his descendants. We also know from passages such as Genesis 19 and the first thirteen chapters of Exodus that most of the major nations of the world at this time were extremely wicked and depraved. They practiced all manner of idolatry, immorality, child sacrifice, and other such abominable sins. We also know this from God’s commandments to Moses throughout the rest of Exodus and all of Leviticus. God revealed to Israel the rebellion and wickedness of the heathen nations around them, and that’s why He had already pronounced judgment against them. Just as in Numbers 31, we are confronted once more by the reality of a loving and just God who is also a jealous and holy God. He will not share His glory with any other, and He will only allow mankind to live in open rebellion against Him for so long before bringing the full measure of His righteous wrath down upon them. That’s the reason for His command to Israel which Moses is repeating again here. Yes, even the children of these nations are to be exterminated, even though that is not explicitly stated here. God had allowed these people to continue for hundreds of years in their sin, giving them multiple opportunities to repent and turn to Him. They knew of Him, yet they rejected Him time and again, and now He is using His promise to Abraham and his seed to also bring judgment against these people who have so long rejected Him. The simple truth of our existence is made clear by passages such as this one. We are at enmity with our holy, righteous, and perfect Creator from the moment we are conceived in our mother’s womb. Without God, we are on our way to Hell, and He has lovingly, graciously, and providentially provided for us a way of salvation. But if we reject it and Him, we will face His righteous, jealous wrath and eternal condemnation for our sin! (Romans 3:23, 6:23) Verses 6-11: The other reason for the commands against idolatry is because the children of Israel are a holy nation, specially chosen by God and consecrated unto Him. This elected status places them above all other nations and peoples of the earth. (v.6) (Exodus 19:5-6, Amos 3:2, 1 Peter 2:9) God did not choose Israel because they were the mightiest or largest nation on the earth. (v.7) Abraham was one man with a relatively small family. He and Sarah were old and had no children. There was absolutely nothing that Abraham did, nor was there anything special or unique about him, that set him apart from the other men on the earth at that time. God chose him, of all the people on the earth, simply because He wanted to. Abraham and his seed were set apart for God’s pleasure because that’s what God desired of His own free and divine will. It is precisely because of all that God had done for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and all of their children – especially with their deliverance from Egypt and the covenant at Sinai – that Israel should love God and cleave to Him and His law! (v.8) God had made a covenant with Abraham, and because the Lord is perfect – meaning that He cannot commit a sin by reneging on His promise or violating His own spoken word – He redeemed Abraham’s seed by delivering them from their bondage in Egypt and creating a new covenant with them at Mount Sinai. (Luke 1:55, 72-73) This is why Israel can put their whole trust and faith in God. (v.9) He is faithful, and He will always keep His word! (1 Corinthians 1:9, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, 2 Timothy 2:13) Those who love Him in return and keep His commandments will be blessed for “…a thousand generations.” (Exodus 20:6, Deuteronomy 5:10, Nehemiah 1:5, Daniel 9:4) But those who reject Him will suffer His divine wrath and judgment. (v.10) The LORD “…will not be slack to him that hateth Him…”, meaning the ungodly who persist in unbelief will receive their just reward for the wages of their sin. (2 Peter 3:9-10) For all these reasons Israel therefore has no excuse for not keeping “…all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments…” (v.11) of God’s law that Moses has relayed to them. Verses 12-16: Once again, Moses expounds on the infinite rewards of obeying the word of the LORD and keeping all of His law. God will love them, bless them, and cause them to be fruitful and multiply. (v.13) (Psalm 146:8, Proverbs 15:9, John 14:21) Their labors in the fields of the promised land will yield bountiful harvests, and their livestock will also be fruitful and multiply. The nation of Israel will be blessed above all other nations on the earth, increasing in great number with every generation. (v.14) Both the people and the cattle will never suffer a lack of offspring. That last is a unique promise, indicating that it is ultimately the hand of God that causes – or prevents – every single conception in the womb ever since Adam and Eve. It’s important to note here that when Moses speaks of the promise of God’s love in verse 13, he is not saying that Israel must earn God’s love by obeying Him. Remember that God’s love is unconditional. There is nothing we can do of our own ability or merit to earn or deserve God’s love. Just like a parent with his/her child, their love for their child is unconditional, even when that child disobeys and must be punished. The parent’s love doesn’t change based on what that child does or doesn’t do. The same goes for God and the love He has for the children of Israel. Instead, “love” in this context is referring to God’s blessings for Israel. Their obedience to Him would result in extra blessings and provision that they would otherwise forfeit by disobedience. Just as a parent will withhold special privileges or gifts from a child because of disobedience, God will not bless or honor disobedience in His children. Simply put, Israel’s faithful obedience would earn them God’s obligations for His part of the covenant. (v.12-13) “…the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which He sware unto thy fathers…” (v.12) Furthermore, all of the plagues and diseases that had been inflicted upon the Egyptians as judgments would fall upon Israel’s enemies. (v.15) (Exodus 9:14, 15:26, Deuteronomy 28:27, 60) Israel will have complete victory over her enemies because of this, and they are to have no pity or mercy on them. (v.16) Rather, they are to destroy them and all their idols in order to eliminate any temptation to turn from the LORD. (Judges 8:27, Psalm 106:36) Verses 17-24: Moses now reminds Israel of how exactly God will give them the victory over these other nations of the promised land. That same doubt that condemned their fathers could be experienced by their sons. (v.17) Moses is anticipating this, and thus reassures the people of God’s sovereignty and power. He starts by reminding them what God did to Pharaoh and all of Egypt. (v.18-19) The LORD had performed such signs and wonders for both the Egyptians and the Israelites! (Deuteronomy 4:34, 29:3, Psalm 105:5) Based on what God has done for His people in the past, the Israelites can have faith that He will continue to do more of the same as they enter the promised land. Throughout these sermons, there is a note of fatherly concern in Moses’ words, for he knows the people. He knows all too well their penchant for doubt and fear and backsliding. He doesn’t want this second generation to make the same mistake of their parents. The same way in which God laid low the mighty Egyptians is the same way in which He will deliver the heathen nations of the promised land into the hands of Israel. Moses quotes God’s promise at Mount Sinai. (v.20) He will send a hornet among the nations to prepare the way for Israel. (Exodus 23:28, Joshua 24:12) What exactly this is referring to is not clear. As I noted earlier in my commentary of that book, the hornet is a metaphor, and the exact form and nature of this judgment is unclear. What is clear, however, is that the survivors would be so few that they would be running in terror from the oncoming army of Israel, seeking a hiding place to escape destruction. (v.20) Israel shouldn’t be frightened of these nations, but instead remember that “…the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.” (v.21) Israel would not have to conquer all the nations at once, for that would be too much for them to handle. Instead, God will send His judgment upon them piecemeal, giving Israel the victory one by one. (v.22) (Exodus 23:29-30) The kings of these nations will see their lines end with this current generation, for they and their children will be utterly destroyed. (v.24) (Joshua 10:24, 42, 12:1, 23:9) God promises His people that not a single man will be able to resist their army because He has declared it so! (v.24) They can have faith in His word because of who God is, because of what He has promised, and because of all that He has done for them ever since their miraculous deliverance from Egypt. Verses 25-26: Moses then returns to the theme of this whole passage. After God has given Israel the victory over her enemies, they are to completely destroy the altars and images of the false gods that will be found throughout the homes and palaces of the cities of these heathen nations. (v.25) That word “desire” appears again in verse 25. Those idols are carved with gold and silver and other precious metals that are abundant in the promised land. But the Israelites are not to be tempted to take that gold and silver for themselves. (Proverbs 23:6) God, through Moses, is giving a specific warning to His people, forbidding them from taking as spoil whatever was used to make those graven images. Since the gold and silver would not be consumed in the fire, it’s unclear what is to be done with it after all else is burned away. The verse doesn’t say, and it ultimately doesn’t matter. The point is that the people are to leave that precious metal alone, lest it be a temptation for them to turn away from God. Moses reminds the Israelites once more that any form of carved image representing any deity is “…an abomination to the LORD thy God.” (v.25) If any Israelite disobeys by bringing such an idol into their home, he and all his family will suffer the same wrath and judgment from God that He will soon be bringing upon the nations currently inhabiting the promised land. “…lest thou be a cursed thing like it…” (v.26) Idolatry is the primary sin that earned those nations God’s judgment, and Israel is to “utterly detest” and “utterly abhor” such a “cursed thing”. (v.26) (Deuteronomy 13:17) CHAPTER 8: Moses now expands on his earlier point about the blessings that will come from obedience to God and all His commandments. He reminds the people of what God has already done for them in the forty years that they spent wandering in the wilderness. (v.2) (Deuteronomy 2:7, 29:5, Psalm 136:16, Amos 2:10) Moses then gives another reason for that judgment against the first generation: “…to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart…”. (v.2) (Exodus 16:4) It wasn’t that God was ignorant of what lay in the hearts of His people, but He desired to expose their commitment to Him or lack thereof. For the children of that first generation that came out of Egypt, the forty years of wandering in the desert was an opportunity for them to prove their devotion to – and their faith in – the LORD. Moses gives a specific examples of this in verses 3 and 4. God allowed the people to suffer a lack of food so that He could demonstrate His power and providence in providing manna for them. (v.3) This also demonstrated that the Israelites they should “…not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD…”. (Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4) Nor did their clothing or their shoes wear out, and, aside from the specific judgments of disease that caused the death of the first generation for their disobedience, the physical health of the Israelites also was providentially maintained by God. (v.4) (Deuteronomy 29:5, Nehemiah 9:21) As a father disciplines His son, so the Lord God disciplined His chosen people. (v.5) (2 Samuel 7:14, Psalm 89:30, Proverbs 3:11-12, Hebrews 12:5, Revelation 3:19) This was a necessary response to the disobedience of the parents of the ones listening to Moses’ sermon now. The example of their fathers and mothers was not to be repeated by them. Because of how God took care of them for the last four decades they could trust and believe that He would give them the victory over their enemies in the promised land. But if they did not fear God and keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the precepts of His law, they could expect to be chastened by the LORD their God. (v.6) (Deuteronomy 5:33) Moses then gives a more detailed description of the promised land. It is more than just a land flowing with milk and honey. The scene pictured in verses 7-9 must have surely whetted the hearts and imaginations of the people listening to Moses. In stark contrast to a barren, dry desert, the promised land as described by Moses is filled with fountains of fresh water; fertile, green hills that are perfect for planting all manner of bountiful crops and vineyards as well as providing pastures for livestock; mountains that will yield forth stones for building and precious metals that will bring wealth to the nation. The Israelites will have more than enough to satisfy not only their physical needs, but their hearts as well. It is a land wherein they can settle, put down roots, and rear their children in happiness and peace. And for all that they must remember to always thank the LORD their God, because it is only He that can provide all of that. (v.10) (Deuteronomy 6:11-12) The inherent danger, though, in receiving such rich and bountiful blessings from God is that Israel could become complacent and prideful. Moses warns them to “…forget not the Lord thy God…” (v.11), nor the keeping of His law. In contrast to the harsh conditions of the desert where Israel had to depend on God for every basic need (v.15-16), life in the promised land would be one of comfort and ease. (v.12-13). If they weren’t careful, the children of Israel could easily forget where they came from and all that God had done for them. (v.14) (Psalm 106:21, Proverbs 30:9, Hosea 13:6) Too often in this life, when God has been good and blessed us with many things, we forget that it is only by His hand that we prosper at all. We begin thinking of our success and our wealth as our own achievements rather than gifts from the LORD. (v.17) Moses warned the Israelites to never forget that it is God who provides all things, and that the wealth of the promised land was being given to them because of the covenant He made with their father, Abraham. (v.18) (Proverbs 10:22, Hosea 2:8) If Israel does forget God and falls back into idolatry, then they will suffer the same fate as the heathen nations which they are about conquer and destroy. (v.19-20) (Daniel 9:11-12) Chapter 5:
Moses’ second address to the people makes up the bulk of the book of Deuteronomy. (Chapters 5-26) Moses is about to give a detailed review of the whole law, beginning with the ten commandments here in chapter 5. I have often wondered as I read scripture why there is so much repetition of certain verses, passages, or historical accounts. Several different verses in different chapters of Proverbs, for example, are either identical or very nearly so, and the books of Kings and Chronicles give almost the same historical accounts of the kings of Israel and Judah leading up to the Babylonian captivity. Chapter 5 of Deuteronomy is nearly identical to Exodus 20. Moses begins his second address by repeating the ten commandments, and those ten verses are very nearly identical, word for word, with the corresponding verses in Exodus 20. The simplest answer is that God put together His word in a specific way, including all the passages that either repeat or echo others, because that’s what He wanted. While it may seem redundant to readers of our present time, oral repetition – such as what Moses is doing now for the second generation of Israel – was a common practice in the ANE, due primarily to the lack of abundance of paper and ink with which to keep written records. That doesn’t mean there was no system of reading and writing at this time, obviously, but it was often much easier to pass on large amounts of information and knowledge – such as the law of God – to a large group of people by oral tradition rather than large, bulky scrolls to which only a select few of the people had access. Keep in mind, too, that the whole book of Deuteronomy is Moses’ last message to the children of Israel, and it’s been almost forty years since the law was first given at Mount Sinai. It was necessary for him to remind the second generation of the importance of the law and all that God had commanded them to do, both before and after they enter the promised land. The first generation had failed God through the sin of rebellion, lack of faith, and disobedience of the law, and they forfeited the promised land as a consequence. Moses didn’t want the same thing to happen to their sons and daughters, hence the reason for this last book of the Pentateuch. Verses 1-5: Moses begins with the command to “Hear” in verse 1, a word used frequently in this book. Israel is to do more than just passively listen to Moses words. The exhortation “Hear, O Israel” is an imperative, a plea to take these words to heart and apply them to their lives. Moses again refers to the law as a covenant in verse 2, reminding the people of what they and their fathers had agreed to at Horeb. (Jeremiah 31:32, Hebrews 8:9) He makes this specific point in verse 3, emphasizing that the covenant was not made void by the disobedience of the first generation. Those present listening to him now also agreed to obey and follow the law. Moses then recalls the scene at Mount Sinai with the fire, thundering, and darkness, and the voice of God that spoke from the midst of it all. (v.4-5) Moses had to stand between the people and the mountain to relay the word of the LORD because of the people’s fear. (v.5) (Exodus 19:9, 20:21, Galatians 3:19) Verses 6-21: Moses now reviews the ten commandments, the basis of the whole law. Verses 7,8,11,12,16,17,18,19,20, and 21 are either identical – or very nearly so – to verses 3,4,7,8,12,13,14,15,16 and 17 of Exodus 20. (Refer back to that chapter of my commentary for a detailed discussion and analysis of each of the commandments.) When comparing the two passages, there are some minor differences. 1) The word “remember” is used in Exodus 20:8 when referring to the sabbath day, but here in verse 12 the word “keep” is used instead. Moses further elaborates in verse 15 that one of the reasons for this observance is to remember their time of slavery in Egypt and how God delivered them through His power and might. In Exodus, however, he had compared the observance of the sabbath to the creation week when God rested on the seventh day. 2) Moses uses the phrase, “As the LORD thy God hath commanded thee” twice here in Deuteronomy, when giving the fourth and fifth commandments. But, for obvious reasons, that phrase was not in the corresponding verses in Exodus. This is in keeping with Moses’ theme of reminding the people of what God had already laid out for them forty years earlier. In light of all the sin committed by the Israelites in that time, Moses is now emphasizing obedience to what God had already commanded them to do. 3) The order of things that one should not covet in verse 21 is reversed from that given in Exodus 20:17. There it’s the neighbor’s house that is mentioned first, not his wife. Not only that, Moses uses a different Hebrew word here in Deuteronomy when referring to the coveting of someone else’s wife. The KJV translates it as “desire” rather than “covet”. While both words carry almost the same meaning, “desire” in this context refers to sexual lust, a more specific kind of coveting that God is warning His people to not give into. The other reason that Moses begins with a reiteration of the Decalogue is that it forms the outline for the rest of his second address to the people. As noted earlier, these ten commandments are the basis of the whole law of God. And also, as noted in my commentary of Exodus 20, the first four pertain to one’s relationship to God while the last six govern one’s relationship to his fellow man. Verses 22-33: This section recalls the incident from Exodus 19 where God had initially called the whole congregation to meet with him up on Mount Sinai but they were too afraid because of the thundering, lightning, and fire. While the people had acknowledged God’s greatness and glory (v.24), they were fearful of being killed by the fire if they came any closer (v.25-26). Rather than trust God and obey His command to come further up the mountain, they gave into their fear and held back. Instead, they told Moses to go up the mountain to meet with God, promising that they would obey all the Lord’s commandments. (v.27) While God was not pleased with the people’s lack of faith, He did delight in their willingness to obey His word. (v.28) His desire is that this would always be characteristic of them and all future generations. (v.29) (Deuteronomy 11:1, 32:29, Psalm 81:13, Isaiah 48:18) This is why Moses is bringing it up again here. The first generation failed to keep that desire for God’s word and obey all that He commanded them to do. Moses doesn’t want the second generation to make the same mistake, a point that he emphasizes in verses 32-33. That phrase, “…the LORD your God hath commanded you…” appears in both these verses. Only by obedience to the law of the Lord would Israel first be able to conquer the promised land and then have peace and long life within it. Chapter 6: Verses 1-3: Not only would obedience of the law bring peace and long life, but it is also meant to teach the children of Israel to “…fear the LORD thy God…”. (v.2) (Exodus 20:20, Deuteronomy 10:12-13, Psalm 111:10, 128:1, Ecclesiastes 12:13) Proverbs 9:10 says “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” The law of God is meant to give wisdom and knowledge to the Israelites, and, in the process of taking to heart all its statutes and judgments (v.1), the people would learn to fear God. The Hebrew word for “fear” in verse 2 is “yârê’” which in this context means “to stand in awe of”, according to the Brown-Driver-Briggs Bible dictionary. Strong’s concordance also defines it as “a healthy reverence or dread”. Those who fear God are not only in awe of Him and His holiness, but they also revere and dread His power and judgment. That’s why Moses warned Israel at the end of chapter 4 what would happen to them if they did not obey the law of the LORD. They were to always possess a healthy and reverential fear of God’s wrath because of the covenant they agreed to at Mount Sinai. If they disobeyed His statutes and judgments as they had done quite frequently since their exodus from Egypt, then they would continue to incur His anger and judgment for their sin. There are numerous references throughout scripture, especially in Psalms and Proverbs, to the wicked and rebellious who do not fear God’s wrath. That is why pride is such a deadly sin, for it denies the power of God and His right to judge those who disobey His law and rebel against His righteous authority over all His creation. The fear of the LORD is to be passed onto all generations. (v.2) (Deuteronomy 4:40) This was something the first generation out of Egypt failed to do. Had they obeyed God and possessed the faith of Caleb, Joshua and Moses, they would have lived longer and reaped the rewards of the promised land. Instead, their disobedience cost them their lives. A long, healthy, and prosperous life is one of the blessings of obeying and fearing God, a point that Moses emphasizes in verse 3. The phrase, “Hear therefore, O Israel…” is repeated again. (v.3) As mentioned before, the word “hear” in this context means more than just passive listening. It’s an exhortation of active listening, to take to heart what Moses is teaching and to apply it to one’s life. This is why he immediately follows that phrase with the command, “…observe to do it.” This implies a conscious, active decision on the part of the listener, a choice to obey the statutes and judgments that Moses has been preaching about since the beginning of chapter 5. Why? So that their lives in the promised land will be long, peaceful and prosperous. Not only that, the nation would “…increase mightily…” because of obedience. (Genesis 22:17, Deuteronomy 7:13) This was part of God’s promise to Abraham in His initial covenant: a nation that would be as great in number as the stars of the heaven and the sands upon the seashore. The implied opposite of this promise is that disobedience and failure to keep the fear of the LORD would bring about death, war, famine, disease, and a host of other negative consequences, which is exactly what happened in the years following the reign of King Solomon. Israel failed to obey God and His law, and their lives were in constant peril at the hands of the heathen nations around them. Peace and long life are a reward only for the humble who consistently seek God’s face and obey all His statutes and judgments. The bounty of the promised land is mentioned again at the end of verse 3, a “land that floweth with milk and honey.” Verses 4: This verse has been labeled as “The Shema”, which comes from the Hebrew word “shâma’”, meaning to “to hear”, and it’s considered a key verse in the OT by the Jews. It has become a confession of faith, recited twice daily by devout Jews, and it simply and clearly affirms the monotheism of God. He is one LORD, and there is none other like Him. He is the only true and living God, creator of the heavens and the earth, and He is sovereign over all things. (Deuteronomy 4:35, Mark 12:29, John 17:3, 1 Corinthians 8:4-6) Notice Moses’ command once again: “Hear, O Israel…”. He is imploring the people to not just listen with their ears, but to take to heart his words; to meditate on this principle that God is the only true and living God, and there is none other like Him in all the earth or in the heavens. He is LORD of all, the only LORD, and, because of His sovereignty, He is to be worshiped alone. This is the reason for the first and second commandments. They are the most important of the Decalogue, and the foundation of all the Mosaic Law. Verse 5: Moses’ next point connects directly to verse 4. Because of who God is, and because of His sovereignty, and because of all that He has done for them and will do, the Israelites are to love Him above all else, with all their heart, soul, and might. Jesus affirmed this as the first and greatest of all the commandments. (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27) According to the Moody Bible Commentary, “The heart was generally associated in Hebrew thinking with the mind, the soul denoted the innermost being or emotions, and might refers to doing the previous two injunctions exceedingly (literally ‘very, very much’). The repetition of the word ‘all’ shows that Israel’s commitment to the Lord was to be undivided and complete.” Verses 6-9: The Hebrew word for “heart” is “lêbâb”, which means, “inner man, mind, will, soul, or understanding”, according to Brown-Driver-Briggs and Strong’s Concordance. Moses is commanding the people to always be thinking about and meditating on the word of the LORD and to apply it to one’s innermost parts. (v.6) (Deuteronomy 11:18, Psalm 119:11, 98) Like the seed that is planted deep in fertile soil, the commandments of the law of God are to be planted deep in one’s heart where they will eventually grow and blossom. Furthermore, the parents are to teach all these statutes and judgments to their children by instructing them every day throughout the day. (v.7) (Deuteronomy 4:9, 11:19, Ephesians 6:4) Verses 8-9 are not meant to be taken literally, but the form of Judaism that took hold by the time of Jesus’ birth had led most Israelites – especially the Pharisees – to create phylacteries and mezuzoth. These were tiny boxes with words of scripture written on miniature scrolls, and the former was bound to one’s forehead by straps or cords while the latter was bound to the doorposts of one’s home. (Exodus 13:9, 16, Deuteronomy 11:20, Proverbs 3:3, 6:21, 7:3) The point of Moses’ command here is that the law of God was to be so much a part of everyday life for the people that they would constantly be talking about and thinking about its words. The same is true for us today. We should be reading and studying our Bible daily so that its words sink into our hearts and minds, causing us to meditate on them throughout the day. We should be memorizing those words as much as we can so that when the devil’s snares and temptations appear before us we have a defense. That process of reading, study, and memorization also is key to the ongoing process of our sanctification following salvation. The more we feed the spirit and starve the flesh, the more like Christ we will become. Verses 10-15: Moses now warns of the consequences of not doing what he commands in verses 6-9. The Israelites would be inheriting cities of great wealth, rich and fertile farmland, and all manner of goodly possessions that currently belong to the Canaanites. In other words, they will be reaping the rewards and bounty of someone else’s labor, and Moses warns them not to become complacent in their new life of prosperity. This is always the risk for the believer who is richly blessed by God. It becomes too easy for us to neglect the Lord’s commandments, to turn away from our Bible study and church attendance and daily prayer life. We quickly forget the source of all our blessings and prosperity and instead put other things at the center of our lives. (Deuteronomy 8:11) Along with all their houses and material wealth, the Canaanites would also be leaving behind their false gods, idols that were carved from wood and stone, as well as the high places and groves that were built to house them. (v.14) There would also be other nations outside the promised land that would be a snare to the Israelites because of their false religions and practices. Moses reminds the people to fear God alone, to serve Him only, and swear only by His name. (v.13) (Deuteronomy 13:4) Jesus quotes this verse to Satan when rebuking him. (Matthew 4:10, Luke 4:8) The consequences of not obeying this command are stated in verse 15: “For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you…”. (Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 4:24) God’s jealousy is a natural extension of His holiness, and He will not share His glory with any man or anything that man makes. If the Israelites worship anything or anyone other than the LORD their God, they will suffer God’s wrath, and He will wipe them “…from off the face of the earth.” This is not to say that He will break His promise to Abraham, but it does mean that He will destroy an entire generation and start anew with their children. This is, in fact, exactly what happened with the first generation that came out of Egypt. God sentenced them to forty years of wandering in the wilderness until they all died because of their disobedience and lack of faith. It’s also important to note that phrase from verse 15, “among you”. God is dwelling among His people in the tabernacle, and He had promised to continue dwelling among them after they entered the promised land. (Exodus 33:3) In a similar manner, believers today have God dwelling within them in the form of the Holy Spirit, and the consequences for sin and disobedience are no different for us than for the Israelites. If we persist in idolatry, lack of faith, or all manner of other such sin, God will chastise us as a Father disciplines His children. Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost, and the LORD our God will not share His glory with any other. We are to put Him first in our lives, above all else! Verses 16-19: Moses expounds on this point by warning the Israelites against testing the LORD’S patience as they did at Massah. (1 Corinthians 10:9) Instead, the people are to “…diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God…” (v.17). (Deuteronomy 11:22, Psalm 119:4) Obeying God requires a commitment of one’s whole heart and mind, a daily conscious decision and effort to choose God and forsake all else. The children of Israel, like believers today, are easily tempted by their sin nature to wander from God, and Moses is exhorting them to strive daily to stay true to the LORD their God. They are to “…to do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord…” (v.18) because only obedience would bring them the fulfillment of God’s promise to their father, Abraham, as well as a multitude of other blessings and long life. (Exodus 15:26, Deuteronomy 8:7) It would be by God’s power and providence that Israel would successfully conquer all their enemies in the promised land. (v.19) (Numbers 33:52-53) Verses 20-25: Moses now circles back to the point he made in verse 7. The parents are to instruct their children on the testimonies, statutes, and judgments of the whole law of God. (v.20) (Exodus 13:8, 14) They are to always remember where they came from and how God delivered them from bondage in Egypt by His divine power and might. (v.21) (Exodus 13:3) They are to remember His signs and wonders that He displayed to both the Egyptians and the Israelites in order that His covenant with Abraham would be fulfilled. (v.22-23) Lastly, they are to instruct their sons and daughters just as Moses is instructing them now, to keep the law of the LORD, because only through obedience will come happiness, blessings, and long life. (v.24) (Deuteronomy 10:12-13, Job 35:7-8, Jeremiah 32:39) Not only that, but obedience to the law will also be “…our righteousness…” (v.25) (Deuteronomy 24:13, Romans 10:5) By “…keeping all these commandments before the LORD our God…” the Israelites would be declared righteous. This verse is one of the many clues throughout the OT that confirm eternal salvation as a combination of faith plus works in this dispensation of the law. (Ezekiel 18:20-22, 24, Habakkuk 2:4) Unlike believers today in the NT dispensation of grace, those in the OT were not saved by faith alone, nor was their salvation secure. If they did not keep the law and maintain their righteousness by the daily, weekly, and yearly sacrifices in the tabernacle, they could lose their salvation. Examples of this are clearly seen in the lives of King Saul and King David. (1 Samuel 10:6, 15:22-23, 16:14, Psalm 51:11) |
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