Introduction: Thirty-eight years previous, the children of Israel, gen X, stood at the brink of the Land of Promise and suddenly broke into tears, whining about the giants in the land. For their lack of faith, God destroyed that generation almost in its entirety, leaving less than a handful of believers from them. The next generation, the generation of promise, now stood at the edge of the Land of Promise, with the same concerns. They had to go into the land and face the same peoples. However, the true fight is the spiritual one. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness; against the spiritual [forces] of evil in the heavenlies (Eph. 6:12). The people of Israel are related by covenant to the true God, the Maker of the Universe. If God be for us, who can stand against us? (Rom. 8:31b). But God demands obedience and exclusive devotion to Him.

The emphasis of the book of Deuteronomy is upon the common man and his entrance into the land. The laws and regulations presented herein deal more with the lay person than with the priests. Most of the regulations concerning the priests have to do with the support and distribution of the Levites and the priests.

Authorship: It is possible that Joshua wrote the first five verses of Deuteronomy and it is very likely that he pieced together the last three or so chapters, interweaving it with explanatory narrative. However the majority of Deuteronomy is messages delivered by Moses to the people of Israel. These messages are said to be spoken by Moses in Deut. 1:5 31:9, 22, 24 and this is attested to throughout Scripture by Old Testament writers (1Kings 2:3 8:53 2Kings 14:6 18:12), by the Apostles (Acts 3:22–23 7:37–38 Rom. 10:19) and by our Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 19:7–8 Mark 10:3–5 12:19 John 5:46–47). To assert that He Who is “the Truth” believed Deuteronomy to be the work of Moses and quoted it expressly as such, though it was in fact a forgery introduced into the world seven or eight centuries after the Exodus, is in effect, even though not in intention, to impeach the perfection and sinlessness of His nature, and seems thus to gainsay the first principles of Christianity.

Because the bulk of Deuteronomy is verbal, its literary style, delivery and vocabulary are markedly different from the previous four books. This does not indicate that authorship should be ascribed to anyone other than Moses.

The authorship of Deuteronomy has been disputed by the Graf-Wellhausen hypothesis, which came out of the German universities a century ago. They claimed that writing did not exist during the time of Moses and that the purpose of the book of Deuteronomy was to glorify the priesthood at Jerusalem and to centralize the worship at Jerusalem. Several scholars have concurred, placing the date of the writing of Deuteronomy somewhere between 680–621 bc by a prophet who hid the book in the temple so that it would be found and adhered to. Then, in 621 bc, Hilkiah found this book, gave it to Josiah, and Josiah used this bogus book in order to bring about the religious reform found in 2Kings 22–23. Now let’s be realistic: if there was a prophet who was so intent upon religious reform, he certainly would not have been willing to wait several decades in order for religious reform to occur. Furthermore, why would a person so devious and duplicitous be interested in religious reform? How can these scholars even call this man a prophet? Furthermore, this book is littered with prophecies and a stern warning that if a prophet predicts something and it does not come to pass, then he should be executed as a false prophet. How could someone so duplicitous write such accurate prophecies? Furthermore, archeology has shown that writing predated Moses by easily a millennium. And finally, if the purpose of this book as a forgery was to centralize worship in Jerusalem and to glorify the priesthood, then why is the priesthood only alluded to only a few times and why is Jerusalem not even mentioned at all by name? In fact, Luther wrote: that Deuteronomy was: ...a compendium and summary of the whole law and wisdom of the people of Israel, wherein those things which related to the priests and Levites are omitted, and only such things included as the people generally required to know. Vestiges of this corrupt theory can be found throughout certain reference books; I find it in the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia once and awhile, and throughout the otherwise excellent BDB Lexicon. One reason to write a bogus book of Scripture would be to convey new and different ideas—ideas opposed to known revelation. A good case in point is the Book of Mormon. However, as we examine this book verse by verse, what will become apparent is that there is not the slightest trace, throughout the whole book, of any intention whatever to give a new or second law.

Some claim that this book was written by an earnest student of Isaiah, but one of his repeated topics is the remnant of Israel, a phrase never found in this book; and one of Isaiah’s favorite titles for God is the Holy One of Israel, also not found in this book. My point is that the idea this books is a forgery, written almost a millennium after the fact in order to achieve religious reform is illogical from any standpoint. This is simply a Satanic attack upon God’s Word. If you deny that Moses wrote this, then you deny that this book is God’s Word and that every reference in the Old Testament and New to Moses as the human author indicates that those books are not God-breathed either. The fact of Mosaic authorship is more than just a minor detail.

There are three basic reasons which we will examine: Deuteronomy as a whole is completely consistent with the times of Moses as to geography, local color, nations. (2) Deuteronomy continually asserts the authorship of Moses, which is confirmed throughout the Scripture. (3) The material herein contained are appropriate for a nation on the brink of entering into the Land of Promise; and not with a nation in the desert, a nation occupying the land, or a nation divided in the land. It is a military book of law, a code of conquest designed to take a people into a land to conquer it.

Let’s take this in more detailed points as to why it is most logical for Moses to be the author:

1. The book of Deuteronomy continually claims to be the words of Moses (Deut. 1:1 4:44 29:1). Continually, the use of the 1st person singular is tied to Moses and continually, we are told that Moses spoke these words to Israel (Deut. 1:16, 18 3:21 4:5, 14 5:31 29:5). No other book in Scripture so clearly identifies its author as does this book. To assert otherwise is to completely negate the divine inspiration of God’s Word. That is, God’s Word cannot contain a flaw (other than material which has been added or changed in Scripture); if this were not the words of Moses, then it would be clear that this cannot be God’s Word.

2. There is a distinct paternal vein running throughout the book of Moses, which belies Mosaic authorship. Moses has led these young people, many of them since birth and the balance since their teens and younger. Their parents have died out. There are no elders to consult, they have no parents or grandparents to go to. Therefore, we see continued heartfelt warnings of Moses as one would prepare one’s own child upon separation.

3. Joshua, the successor to Moses, also testifies that this is the writing of Moses, in Joshua 1:7 and throughout the last couple of chapters of Deuteronomy, assuming that Joshua pieced those chapters together (Deut. 31:30 32:44 33:1).

4. Other writers of Old Testament Scripture also attributed the authorship of Deuteronomy to Moses (Judges 3:4 2Kings 14:6 Ezra 3:2 Neh. 1:7 Psalm 103:7 Dan. 9:11 Mal. 4:4). To deny that these are the words of Moses is to deny that the rest of the Old Testament is God’s Word. Furthermore, we have many references to Deuteronomy or to the laws found therein in books which were written after the actual date of Deuteronomy, but prior to the date that Deuteronomy was supposedly forged (Joshua 6:17–18 7:25 8:27, 29–30, 32, 34–35 10:40 11:12, 15 Judges 1:17 17:13) Hosea 4:4 5:10 8:13 9:3 Amos 2:6–8). See either the exegesis of these passages or the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; ©1976; Vol. 2, pp. 116–117 for the exact ties to Deuteronomy. Now how exactly to you make references to a book which has not been yet written or how do you follow the laws and precepts of a book which has not yet been written?

5. As has been mentioned, the most quoted book in the New Testament is Deuteronomy, with such phrases as Moses truly said (Acts 3:22), Moses said (Rom. 10:19), and it stands written in the Law of Moses (1Cor. 9:9). To deny the authorship of Moses is to deny the divine nature of New Testament Scripture.

6. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Creator of the Universe, also quoted from the book of Deuteronomy more often than any other Old Testament book and attributed authorship to Moses when He said Moses permitted (Matt. 19:8), Moses said (Mark 7:10) and Moses wrote (Luke 20:28). To deny that Moses wrote Deuteronomy is tantamount to denying that Jesus Christ is God, our Savior. Most of you have been sheltered and don’t realize that this sort of teaching exists—that Deuteronomy was not written by Moses. In fact, there are many seminaries which teach this blasphemy. The reason we are spending time with it is that the inspiration of God’s Word, the divine nature of Jesus Christ and our salvation all hang upon the authorship of Moses of this book. Remove Moses as the author and this calls into question the most basic issue of our Christian life—our salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Now perhaps you see why this is an important issue.

7. We would naturally expect this book to be filled with issues and experiences personally important to Moses. He refers to Egypt as a house of slaves (Deut. 5:6b); the burden of being the leader and judge of this people (Deut. 1:9–18); the viciousness of the attack of Amalek is recalled (Deut. 25:17); the murmurings of the people against him (Deut. 9:22–24); the construction material of the ark of the covenant (Deut. 10:3); and, of course, there is the mention of those close to him: Joshua (Deut. 3:21, 28 31:3, 7, 14, 23), Aaron (Deut. 9:20 10:6) and Miriam (Deut. 24:9). As has been mentioned the bulk of the first four chapters are historical and throughout the rest of the book, there are personal references and remembrances. No later prophet comes anywhere close to mentioning this much about Moses in his own work; and no later prophet reflects upon this history with the close, personal involvement that we see in Deuteronomy.

8. An example which should be dealt with separately is in Exodus, Moses prays on behalf of the people of Israel when they sinned with the golden calf—however, nothing is said of Aaron. However, in Deut. 9:20, Moses mentions that he prayed on behalf of Aaron as well. This is the sort of additional information we would expect from Moses, but not from a writer from a millennium later. Could all these personal Mosaic features have been introduced by some reformer, priest, prophet, or Levite, in order to invest his collection of laws with a Mosaic dress? Is it probable that such an author would have succeeded in establishing a correspondence so natural, so close in manifold and minute particulars, and so profound? Or is it more reasonable to thin that this result proceeds from a true historical connection between the book of the law and the man whose name it has always borne? On every hand if Deuteronomy is acknowledged to be a great book which exerted great influence, should it not also have a great author? Who can fill that place so worthily as the old and tried leader who brought the Israelites out of Egypt, shared their experiences and laid the foundations of their faith?

9. Other than one remark that Moses was the meekest man on the earth, nowhere throughout the entire Pentateuch do we find a single verse praising Moses until Deut. 34:10 in his eulogy.

10. Another remarkable proof of Mosaic authorship is the sudden intrusion of history when dealing with the Law, e.g., the hiring of Balaam to curse Israel (Deut. 23:4) and the evil attack of the Amamlekites (Deut. 25:17). We would expect to find these things mentioned in the historical section; however, they are so fresh on the mind of Moses that they come out in the area dealing with Law.

11. There are geographical and historical information which suggests the writer was a person who observed these things firsthand. Manley wrote: The account of the journeyings in chapters i-iii is altogether realistic and quite unlike an introduction prefixed to a collection of old laws; it bears every sign of originality. The views described and the features of the omissions are also significant: there is not hint of Jerusalem, nor of Ramah, dear to Samuel’s heart, not even of Shiloh, where the Tabernacle came to rest. Everything points to its historical character and early date.

The detailed geographical observations would be superfluous in a document designed to set religious precedence.

12. Throughout Deuteronomy, there are fervent commands to destroy the Canaanites (Deut. 7:16, 22) and to completely blot out Amalek (Deut. 25:17–19),

commands which would have been archaic if written in the time of Josiah.

13. There are also historical significance to the early portion of Deuteronomy which would have been meaningless had they been written hundreds of years later. Moses mentions the areas where the kings of Bashan dwelt in Deut. 1:4; kings who disappeared from history. Moses comments about the Emmin, a people who also disappeared after his time (Deut. 2:10–11; see Gen. 14:5). Moses gives a brief history of the Horites in Deut. 2:12, a point of interest to his listeners, but entirely irrelevant to an audience a millennium later. And Moses mentions the Zamzummin, a Canaanite race, which was known to his audience, but unknown to history (Deut. 2:20–21). How many writers of forgery would have thought to have included this minutiae?

14. In Deuteronomy, we have an area called the hill country of the Amorites (Deut. 1:7, 19, 20, 44) which, soon thereafter becomes the hill country of Judah (Joshua 11:16, 21). A later author may not have thought to make these changes back.

15. Had Deuteronomy been written as a forgery sometime prior to the reign of Josiah, then we would expect to see something about the divided kingdom or Assyrian oppression. However, the names of Judah and Ephraim only occur once each in the blessing of Moses (Deut. 33) and the Assyrians are not mentioned (however, Assyria is mentioned twice in the book of Genesis). The threat of exile should involve Assyria or Babylonia, and not Egypt (Deut. 28:68). It is almost impossible for someone to forge a document which supposedly existed a millennium previous without in some way betraying his present period of time.

16. Had some prophet written Deuteronomy as a forgery a millennium later, he would have been required to study intensely the previous three books of Moses to retrieve all of the details found in Deuteronomy. That being done, that prophet could have easily cited the pertinent passages from the previous books to centralize the worship in Jerusalem (the men had already been instructed to gather three times a year in a place which God would appoint) (Ex. 23:17 34:23 this is by implication of Lev. 16); to extol the support and authority of the sons of Aaron and the Levites (Num. 3:9–10 4:1–49 8:18–26 81:–18); and to call for the destruction of idolatry (Ex. 34:14–17 Lev. 19:1–8 Num. 25:1–18 31:1–16). What is clear is that in Deuteronomy, there were more references to a place of centralized worship (Deut. 12:5, 11–13) than in the previous books. Since they were about to enter into the land immediately after the completion of the book of Deuteronomy and since the laws previously given applied to both their worship in the desert and in the land, it would only stand to reason that centralized worship would be implied in Exodus, Numbers and Leviticus (recall, they built one tabernacle only) and emphasized in Deuteronomy. The problem with these silly non-Mosaic authorship theories is that their originators never studied the previous books of the Bible very carefully. If Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers are carefully studied, then the precept that Deuteronomy was necessary to centralize worship, to strengthen the priesthood and to stamp out idolatry becomes a flawed foundation on which to build a flawed theory of authorship.

17. At the time of the writing of Deuteronomy, the authority to uphold the Law was placed in the hands of priests (Deut. 17:9), judges (Deut. 16:18) and the elders of Israel (Deut. 21:21). Had this been written during the time of the divided kingdom, the emphasis of enforcement of the Law would have been upon the king of Israel; however, the concept of kingship is discussed once and that in a way to limit and guide one who would later become king (Deut. 17:14–20).

18. During the time of Moses, there were covenants which followed a certain form called suzerainty-vassal treaties (which we have covered before). There was a particular form for these covenants to be written in and it has been shown by several authors that the book of Deuteronomy follows that form, e.g., G.E. Mendenhall, Law and Covenant in Israel and in the Ancient Near East; Pittsburgh: Biblical Colloquium, 1955 and Meredith Kilne, Treat of the Great King, Eerdmans, 1963.

19. Among those who accept Deuteronomy as Scripture—Christians, Jews and Muslims—all have historically accepted this book from its inception as the writing of Moses.

20. Moses had spent forty years out in the wilderness with the Israelites while God destroyed generation X and one thing that he would logically like to leave with this next generation is the fact that they will go into the land and they will conquer it. Thirty-five times in the book of Deuteronomy, we find Moses using the phrase “go in and possess”; thirty-four times he says “the land which Y^ehowah your God is giving you.” It is logical that Moses would continually use these phrases; it is less logical for a writer of several centuries later to do so.

21. Some references appear to come from a period of time subsequent to the time of Moses. Deut. 2:10–12 for instance has information which may not have been known by Moses. However, most scholars see these verses as being parenthetical, added after Israel entered into the land (and very likely by Joshua who would know this information). These short, parenthetical additions are given as explanatory clauses or to update the names of certain cities or groups of peoples.

22. The book of Deuteronomy differs in style, content and vocabulary from the previous three books of the Pentateuch. Most of the quotations in the previous few books were direct quotations from God. God would have a different vocabulary and style than Moses. Furthermore, some of the writing in the previous books was written narrative, therefore naturally differing in style from the oratory message. As a teacher, I have read many student reports and only one written report comes to mind as a report which sounded as though it were spoken. I recall even making a comment to that effect on the student’s paper, noting that it was a very pleasant, readable style. The subject matter of the previous books was very different. Moses dealt with the building of the tabernacle, the numbering of the tribes, the positioning of the troops, the dietary laws, the leprotic laws, etc. etc. Different subject matter requires a different vocabulary. I have personally written hundreds of mathematical worksheets and the vocabulary found in those worksheets are different than the vocabulary found in this book. What would be unreasonable would be to expect that the style found in the previous three books and this book would be similar. This would be like the fact that the Book of Mormon, although written in the 1800's, was written in an old English style, much like the KJV of the Bible. Now that is silly. A book written in America over two centuries after the KJV, which was produced in England, should not be in the same style.

23. Critics charge that the discovery of this book by Josiah was a fraudulent occurrence and that he used this forgery (written by himself or by trusted men of no character) to (a) destroy idolatrous worship, (b) to give greater power and authority to the priesthood and (c) to centralize the worship of Y^ehowah in Jerusalem. (a) First off, objections to idolatry occur throughout the previous four books and the book of Joshua. Josiah (or some priest from his era) do not need to use some forgery in order to support the destruction of idolatrous worship. (b) The priesthood is given very little mention in the book of Deuteronomy; their powers and authority are nowhere specifically increased. (c) Finally, as has been pointed out, the name Jerusalem, does not occur in the book of Deuteronomy. In a book so filled with prophecy, it would be natural in the hands of a forger to name Jerusalem by name as a prophecy.

24. It is said that certain laws found in Deuteronomy differ from those in the previous three books. The easy, general explanation is that some of what is found in the previous three books deal with a nation on the move in the desert and wilderness. A simple example of this is the troop movement and organization surrounding the ark. This is specific to those circumstances at that time. A major change which was about to take place was that Israel would soon settle into her own land and there were be some minor differences due to that.

25. The phrase beyond the Jordan is used to describe the land east of the Jordan, which is where Moses and company were encamped. This would appear to be a phrase used by those living on the western side of the Jordan. However, this was a specific term which means the other-side land and was applied to the portion east of the Jordan, despite the location of the writer or speaker. Today, we still call the land Trans-Jordan, whether we live in the United States, in Israel or in Trans-Jordan.

26. Occasionally, we find the phrase until this day. This can refer to (a) the period of time of Moses, looking back over the past forty years; (b) the perspective of Joshua, who amended the book of Deuteronomy in perhaps a half dozen places. In no case are we ever looking backwards several hundred years.

27. Deuteronomy contains an account of the death of Moses. When we get to the final chapters of Moses, we will find that most of them were pieced together and edited by Joshua, adding in the blessing and the song of Moses. Therefore, to find an account of the death of Moses is perfectly natural and more indicative of an eyewitness account rather than a writer from a time period several hundred years later.

For most of you, it is sufficient to say that Moses wrote the book of Deuteronomy because this is God’s Word and that is what God’s Word says. So the past couple of pages may b=have seemed as though I was beating a dead horse. However, since this theory persists and continually finds its way into Christian literature and Christian seminaries, it is important that it be dealt with carefully. Whereas, the bulk of the quotations found in the previous three books are direct quotes from God which Moses conveyed to the people, Moses spoke to the people in this book in his own words, as moved by the Holy Spirit. Now, don’t get me wrong—he didn’t just start speaking and all of these things came out. We have a written document which recorded what he said, and since voice to print had not been perfected on their computers as of yet, this would indicate the Moses first wrote these dissertations out and then presented them. If you didn’t catch that, let me explain: with their writing materials and their speed of writing, even without vowels, it would have been quite difficult to keep up with Moses and take word-by-word dictation. Since we have this information recorded for us in written form, that would logically indicate that Moses wrote it down first and then read from his notes.

As I had mentioned from the outset, it is likely that Joshua pieced together the last few chapters and possibly wrote the first five verses of this book. A reasonable but distant second choice is Eleazar. I would choose Joshua as my first choice for several reasons: 28. It would be natural for the writer of the book of Joshua to be the one to finished the last few verses of the book of Deuteronomy, since they follow one another historically. This person was likely Joshua. We find the phrase, Moses, the servant of Y^ehowah in Deut. 34:5. Whereas, we do not find this title previously in the Pentateuch, we find is a dozen times in the book of Joshua. This would suggest that the writer of Deut. 34 and the book of Joshua are the same person. Whereas it is possible that any person could write Scripture through the power of the Holy Spirit, eyewitness or not, it is just more likely that the events described were events which one witnessed or was a confident of one who saw these events. The verses Ex. 24:13 and 33:11 indicate a very close relationship between Moses and Joshua. Because we hear the name of Joshua much more often in the book of Deuteronomy than we hear of Eleazar (nine times versus once; and Joshua is mentioned six times in the concluding four chapters), this would indicate that Joshua was more closely associated with Moses.

The Date and Time of Writing: Deuteronomy was written and taught during the last few days (and perhaps weeks) of the life of Moses. Although it appears to me that these messages were likely given during the last week of the life of Moses, one author was of the opinion that Deuteronomy covered a span of forty days (citing Deut. 1:3 to affirm his thinking) and another felt that the time frame herein was approximately a month. Whereas, I do not find forty days represented here, there is also nothing, other than the length of these messages, which would indicate a week either. This would have been written and taught somewhere between 1450–1405 bc. Several authors quote 1406 or 1405 bc as the year in which this book was written. Actually the time period for Deuteronomy is quite easy to determine. The book begins with: And it came to pass in the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that Jehovah had command him to them (Deut. 1:3). This means that 39 years and 10 months after the exodus, we begin the book of Deuteronomy. In this book we have very little by way of narrative—nothing that would indicate any period of time passing. We have the death of Moses and then the people mourn for Moses thirty days (Deut. 34:8). After 5–10 days pass in the book of Joshua, we have the verse: Now the people came up from the Jordan on the 10^th of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho. This means that the time period for the book of Deuteronomy is less than a month. That gives us another month for the mourning at the death of Moses and a few days for the first few chapters of Joshua.

One very interesting theory was set forth by D. Miall Edwards in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, p. 837 and that was that the message of Deut. 5–26 had been covered before by Moses prior to their first attempt at entering the land from the south thirty-eight years previous. It would make sense that Moses had put together a message to inspire them and to bring them into the land and that he possibly taught it while the spies were in the land. The reason Edwards would assert this is the many named places in Deut. 1:1–2 does not confine us to only across the River Jordan from Jericho but mentions that they are eleven days away from Kadesh Barnea by way of Mount Seir, which is where gen X was stopped in its tracks. Edwards writes: If these statements have any relevancy whatever to the contents of the book which they introduce, they point to a wide area, from Horeb to Moab, as the historico-geographical background of the book. In other words, Deuteronomy, in part at least, seems to have been spoken first on the way between Horeb and Kadesh-barnea, and later again when Israel were encamped on the planes of Moab.

The upshot is that these, in part, are twice-baked sermons, which had no effect upon gen X, but did upon the Generation of Promise. This does not mean that Moses just hauled out the sermon from thirty-eight years previous and read it again. He obviously re-worked it somewhat, adding, for instance, the names of the cities of refuge (Deut. 4:41–43 19:1–13), which would not have been named prior to the invasion and conquering of the land to the east.

Tone and Style: The tone of this book is primary hortatory. Whereas, for instance, the categories of laws and regulations which Moses taught can be roughly grouped, they do not all fall perfectly into these categories, as Moses did not approach his addresses to the people as strictly a more organized structuring of the Laws of God, but as one who was exhorting the people to obey the True and Living God. As ZPEB says: [Moses] is not a historian or a jurist as much as he is a religious teacher

The speeches exhibit an unity of style and character which is strikingly consistent with such circumstances. They are pervaded by the same vein of thought , the same tone and tenor of feeling, the same peculiarities of conception and expression. They exhibit matter which is neither documentary nor traditional, but conveyed in the speaker’s own words. Their aim is strictly hortatory; their style earnest, heart-stirring, impressive, in passages sublime, but throughout rhetorical; they keep constantly in view the circumstances then present and the crisis to which the fortunes of Israel had at last been brought. Moses had before him not the men to whom by God’s command he delivered the law at Sinai, but the generation following which had grown up in the wilderness.

The literary style of Deuteronomy is very marked and individual; in his command of a chaste, yet warm and persuasive eloquence, the author of Deuteronomy stand unique among the writers of the Old Testament

Deuteronomy is a hortatory description, explanation, and enforcement of the most essential contents of the covenant revelation and covenant laws, with emphatic prominence given to the spiritual principle of the law and its fulfillment, and with a further development of the ecclesiastical, judicial, political, and civil organization, which was intended as a permanent foundation for the life and well-being of the people in the land of Canaan

There are certain phrases which we find again and again in this book, which would be consistent with the speaker being Moses. We have certain Moses-isms, e.g., as at this day, that is may be well with you, caused to inherit, the land where you are going in to possess it, with all your heart and with all your soul; these are phrases which are almost unique to the book of Deuteronomy. Furthermore, we have a continued emphasis upon listening, learning and obeying. Moses continually tells his students to hear, to listen, to obey.

Title: The name Deuteronomy comes from the Greek word which means Second Law or repetition of the law. Interestingly enough, this name is based upon a Greek mistranslation of Deut. 17:18. The Septuagint reads: And when he is established in his government, the he will write for himself this second law into a book by the hands of the priests the Levites. Second Law is the word deuteronomion (δευτερονόμιον) [pronounced dew-ter-ah-NO-mee-on]. However, what Moses is saying is that the king must write for himself a copy of the law. The other four names of the first four books of the Torah are based upon the Hebrew; this is based upon the Greek. The Hebrew title of this book is Debarim, which means words.

Chronology: The few events described in this book take place during the last week of the life of Moses.

Deuteronomy and the Suzerainty-vassal treaties:

Treaties of the first and second millenniums bc tend to follow a specific format, quite similar to the writing of Deuteronomy. We have 29. a preamble (Deut. 1:1–5); an historical prologue (Deut. 1:6–3:29); Stipulations of the treaty (Deut. 4–26); Deposition of text (Deut. 31;9, 24–26) and the public reading thereof (Deut. 31:10–12); Witnesses to the treaty (Deut. 31:16–30 32:1–47); and the curses and blessings (Deut. 28). In the ancient world, these covenants generally were in the order of witnesses, curse and then blessings; Deuteronomy is curses, blessings, curses and then witnesses.

The preamble of a suzerain-vassal treaty names the speaker, the one claiming lordship over his vassals. In v. 1, Moses is identified, but he is God’s earthly minister and representative (v. 3). Next we would find a historical section, an historic preamble, if you will, that examines the previous relationship of the lord and vassal. Benefits of this relationship to the vassal are often cited (Deut. 2:7 3:3 4:39). The, the most important portion of the covenant were the laws and expectations, which were set forth in the laws, judgments and regulations which we find in Deut. 5:1–26:19. Then we would have the cursings and blessings, which we find listed in Deut. 27–30. Such a treaty would have to be witnessed by representatives of both sides, which is what we have in Deut. 32–33. Every time the Israelites sang the song of Moses, they were a witness to this treaty. There must also be a place where the treaty would be deposited for reference, and that was handled in Deut. 31:9, 24–26, when Moses gave this document to the priests to place next to the ark of the covenant. A treaty which has been written, ratified, and witnessed was considered to be inviolable thereafter. Hence, we have a cursing for anyone who either added to or took from the words of this book (Deut. 4:2). Finally, the document was to be notarized, which was analogous to the recording of the death of Moses at the very end.

The covenant form found in Deuteronomy is much more similar to those covenants found in the second millennium bc than to those used during the period of the Assyria’s dominance, several hundred years later. In fact, the covenant form from the second century bc was likely unknown to the people under the united monarchy of Israel. Kitchen writes: First, the basic structure of Deuteronomy and much of the content that gives specific character to that structure must constitute a recognizable literary entity; second, this is a literacy entity not of the eighth or seventh century b.c. but rather from ca 1200 b.c. at latest. My personal opinion is that this is not necessarily what Moses had in mind when he wrote these messages to the people. This was a logical approach for him, to state the background for his messages, to list the historical relationship between God and Israel, and then to list the laws to which they were to be obedient to. I personally believe that the similarity in the overall structure of Deuteronomy to the suzerain-vassal treaties was a function of God the Holy Spirit.

Points of Interest: There are times when Moses is so moved by the Holy Spirit in his message that he speaks in place of God, a daring effect which few, if any, pastors should use.

Because Moses is speaking to the people in a series of speeches, he places himself in the 1st person, which he never does in the previous three books.

This book as likely the book discovered by King Josiah which precipitated his religious reforms (2Kings 22–23).

Authority and Inspiration: According to the notes of the Scofield Reference Bible, there are 80 references in the New Testament to the book of Deuteronomy; the NIV Study Bible says that there are almost 100 allusions to Deuteronomy in the New Testament; and Zodhiates claims that there are 200 references to this book in the New Testament. In answering the temptations of Satan, our Lord quoted from this book exclusively and in general, He quoted this book more than any other from the Old Testament.

The concept of inspiration is taken further specifically by this book of Deuteronomy: the laws which Moses gives and the statements which he makes are no longer directly from the mouth of God, as we found in Exodus through Numbers. However, they are given the same weight when it comes to authority by Moses and by later writers of Scripture, as we have seen, even though God spoke the laws in the previous books and now Moses is speaking.

One very interesting point is that in previous books of God’s Word, Moses primarily quoted God when speaking to the people. Whatever God told him, Moses repeated this almost word-for-word. However, with this book, there are only a handful of verses which quote Y^ehowah directly. Moses, with this book, speaks God’s Word directly, inspired by the Holy Spirit. Now, this was not some sort of trance-like state and automatic speaking; Moses had studied God’s Word directly from God, so he had the background. Furthermore, in order for all of this information to be recorded, this means it had to be written down. It is much more likely that Moses wrote his discourses first and then spoke them. However, this in no way minimizes the fact that these are the very Words of God spoken through Moses, without distorting the personality, vocabulary or speaking style of Moses and yet without compromising the very Words of God. In Deuteronomy, we find the very essence of the concept of the inspiration of Scripture.

Geography: Moses and the children of Israel have just come up the east side of the Dead Sea, defeating several armies and taking over much of the land east of the Jordan. They are about to go into the Land of Promise and Moses will not be going in with them. Moses prepares several sermons, if you will, and presents these to the children of Israel across the Jordan River from Jericho. They are in a land which used to belong to Moab, but had been taken from them by the Amonites, which land Moses took from the Amonites. There are no movements to speak of, just several gatherings of the children of Israel to hear Moses speak.

Parallels: There are several parallels found when viewing this book as a whole. The people to whom the Law was first given, although they received it with enthusiasm, they rejected God’s Law and were taken out under the sin unto death. Israel, as a nation, received God’s Law with enthusiasm, yet also fell away, and had to be removed from the land several times and the responsibility given to “the next generation”—the church. Finally, in terms of space, three books were devoted to the exodus of Israel and their forty year wanderings in the desert (actually, the time frame which was covered was really two years of that time). The entire book of Deuteronomy is devoted to approximately one week of history of Israel. This parallels our Lord’s life, wherein most of what was written concerning His stay on this earth was the last week. One of the great parallels between the death of Moses and the death of our Lord was the fact that both of them died according to the commandment of God when their work was finished. Moses was still physically strong and his eye was not dim, yet he died as his work on earth was finished. Jesus Christ would have been at His physical peak in His early 30's but he breathed His last as His work was finished.

Important Quotations: “Hear, O Israel! Y^ehowah is our God, Y^ehowah is One! And you will love Y^ehowah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your ability [lit., might]” (Deut. 6:4–5). These two verses are quoted just about every Sabbath in every synagogue. The word for one can mean alone, unity. When a man leaves his mother and father and cleaves to his wife, they become one flesh.

There are two specific commands barring us from adding to god’s Word or taking from it. Most people are familiar with this mandate at the end of the book of Revelation, but not many know about the one in Deuteronomy: “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, in order that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which Y^ehowah, the God of your fathers is giving you. You will not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor will you take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of Y^ehowah your God which I command you.” (Deut. 4:1–2).

In this book we have the Ten Commandments repeated in Deut. 5. This does not mean that Moses ran out of things to say; this is a new generation to whom he is speaking. It is possible that many of them had not even heard Moses before (only a small percentage of the two million could have ever actually heard Moses teach).

For the covenant theologians, there are continual reminders that Y^ehowah would not forget Israel. “For Y^ehowah your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.” (Deut. 4:31). Although covenant theologians teach that the church is really a spiritual Israel and that all these promises have been transferred over to the church, there will always be the Jewish race and there will always be the Land of Promise and God will fulfill His promises to His people, the sons of Israel, and that is not us, the church.

One of my personal favorite quotations from Deuteronomy is: “Do not say in your heart when Y^ehowah your God has driven them out from before you, ‘Because of my righteousness Y^ehowah has brought me in to possess this land,’ but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that Y^ehowah is dispossessing them before you. It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that Y^ehowah your God is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which Y^ehowah swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that Y^ehowah your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people!” (Deut. 9:4–6). God blessed Israel in grace, based upon His own character, just as He does us in the Church Age.

Israel was commanded by Moses in the power of the Holy Spirit not to do what was right in their own eyes (Deut. 12:8). God had given them a clear delineation of what was right and what was wrong. Human viewpoint of morality and correctness of action was immaterial. When Israel began to do what was right in her own eyes caused her to enter into one of the darkest period of her history, the time of the judges, when every man did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6 21:25).

Israel was warned in the book of Deuteronomy not to follow after other gods even if a false prophet or dreamer arose with great signs and wonders. “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ you will not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for Y^ehowah your God is testing you to find out if you love Y^ehowah your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You will follow Y^ehowah your God and you will fear Him; and you will keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. And that prophet or dreamer of dreams will be executed, because he has counseled rebellion against Y^ehowah your God.” (Deut. 13:1–5a).

One of my favorite passages deals with the rebellious teenager: “If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, then his father and mother will seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his home town. And they will say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious and he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of his city will stone him to death; so you will remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear and fear.” (Deut. 21:18–21). There is no time-out or removing his privileges of using the family car for the week; the rebellious teen is executed.

Deuteronomy is filled with prophecies concerning the discipline of Israel: “Now the generation to come, your sons who rise up after you and the foreigner who comes from a distant land, when they see the plagues of the land and the diseases with which Y^ehowah has afflicted it, will say, ‘All its land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and unproductive, and no grass grows in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which Y^ehowah over threw in His anger and in His wrath.’ And all the nations will say, ‘Why has Y^ehowah done thus to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?’ Then men will say, ‘Because they forsook the covenant of Y^ehowah, the God of their fathers which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. And they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they have not known and whom He had not given to them. Therefore, the anger of Y^ehowah burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book; and Y^ehowah uprooted them from their land in anger and in fury and in great wrath, and cast them in to another land, as this day.’ “ (Deut. 29:22–28). Looks at the land of Israel today; doesn’t it appear to be sown with salt? Don’t you see the brimstone flying from the sky into the land? Israel is under discipline.

Outline: Most Christian sources separate the book of Deuteronomy into four addresses of Moses whereas the Hebrew theologians separate this book into eight separate addresses. The latter is the proper way to see the headings of this book, and these eight separate addresses are interspersed with introductory material, a couple of historical events and the last two times God and Moses met face to face prior to Moses being taken into eternity.

1. Moses reviews their history from the Exodus to Kadesh-Barnea, where the people were too afraid to enter into the land (1:6–45)

B. The importance of God’s Word, God’s commandments and the obedience and fidelity of the Israelites (4:1–40)

III. Moses sets apart the three cities to the east of the Jordan for those who have committed unintentional manslaughter (Deut. 4:41–49)

A. Moses repeats the Ten commandments and Moses reminds them of the historical circumstances of the receipt of those commandments (5:1–33)

1. Moses warns them about their contact with the indigenous population of the Land of Promise and about their gods (7:1–5)

3. Exhortation to obey God and to show love as God has shown them love (10:10–22)

V. The third discourse of Moses and the elders of Israel to the people (Deut. 27:1–28:68)

VII. The fifth discourse of Moses spoken to all Israel; Moses turns over his authority to Joshua (Deut. 31:1–8)

VIII. The sixth discourse of Moses, a specific charge to the priests (Deut. 31:9–13)

IX. God speaks to Moses, telling him of his impending death and God speaks to Joshua (Deut. 31:14–23)

X. Moses writes a song and gives the Word of God and special instructions to the Levites (Deut. 31:24–30)

XII. Final exhortation by Moses concerning God’s Word: “It is not an idle word, it is your life!” (Deut. 32:44–47)

XIII. God tells Moses to go up to the mountain to die for breaking faith with Him in the wilderness (Deut. 32:48–52)

Synopsis: Either Moses or Joshua sets the historical scene in the first chapter and then we have recorded several discourses by Moses to the people of Israel. This is one of the few times that Moses spoke his own words as guided by God the Holy Spirit (he did not speak extemporaneously but from his notes). In his first discourse, he recalled the history of Israel and interpreted it. In the second discourse, Moses gave a lengthy set of laws and regulations. In his third discourse, Moses gave the blessings and cursings which were to be read from Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. At this point, he became very prophetical. To understand his prophecies made before (e.g., Lev. 26), recall that Moses was essentially repeating what God had told him to say. However, here Moses is not recounting God’s Word but speaking God’s Word. In his next discourse, Moses gives Israel some historical background and then delivered the Palestinian Covenant. Again, Moses is not repeating word-for-word what God had told him, but is explaining in his own vocabulary the result of his study of God’s Word in reference to the covenant between God and Israel. The Moses turns over the reigns of power to Joshua, gives what he has written to the priests, along with instructions. At the end of Deut. 31, God speaks to Moses and to Joshua directly. Finally, Moses writes a song, teaches it to all of Israel, gives his final blessings to the individual tribes of Israel, and then goes to the mountain and dies on the mountain.

Themes: What sticks out in my mind more than anything else is the warnings delivered by Moses to the children of Israel is the apostasy that they might fall into, against which Moses warns. One of the other great themes of this book is love, which is mentioned twenty-two times in this book. It is often on the basis of love for God that Moses exhorts the Israelites to obey Him (Deut. 7:7–8 8:17 9:4–6). Those who picture a God of vengeance and wrath in the Old Testament and a God of love in the New Testament just do not know what is in the Old Testament. Jesus Christ of the New Testament is Y^ehowah, the God of Israel, in the Old. Because of God’s love for us, we are to obey His Word. And let’s understand one thing: the Law is good. Although I emphasize and overemphasize the fact that God cannot save us by Law, that does not imply that the Law is not good. Of course the Law is good. Do you know where the trouble lies? The trouble is with you and me. Therefore, God must save us only by His grace

“Listen and obey the commandments of God" is a phrase used by Moses several times throughout this book. The Generation of Promise, and those which followed, were to listen to God’s Word and to obey it. We find this phrase, or something similar to it, in Deut. 5:1 6:3–4 9:1 10:12 12:1 20:3.

The devotion of Israel to God is to be more than ceremonial; more than mere obedience to Law. The Israelite was to love his God with all his soul, and his heart and all his might (Deut. 10:12 11:1, 13, 22 13:3 19:9 30:6, 16, 20). In fact, obedience to the Law is more often tied to loving God than to the fear of God (Deut. 5:10 6:5 7:8 10:12, 15 11:1, 13, 22 13:8 19:9 30:16, 20). Ideally, your own child obeys you because he loves you and his trusts you, rather than out of simple fear (which is, of course, a motivating factor).

“Remember God's deliverance of you out of Egypt." Moses continually goes back to what God has done on behalf of Israel—to events observed by his listeners, in order to convince them that Y^ehowah is a God unlike any heathen god. Deut. 5:15 7:18 8:2, 18 9:7, 27 11:2 15:15 16:3, 12 24:9, 18, 22 25:17.

Related to God’s deliverance of Israel is the uniqueness of God and the uniqueness of the relationship between God and Israel. There is no God like the God of Israel and God has chosen Israel above all other nations (Deut. 4:35, 39 5:26 6:4 10:17 32:39). Since Israel was set apart to God, she was not to pursue other gods (Deut. 6:14–15 7:4, 6 8:19–20 11:16–17, 20 30:17–18). This is analogous to being married and then cheating on the one that you love above all others. Therefore, God is jealous of all rivals for His love and He despises all forms of idolatry (Deut. 7:4, 25–26 12:31 13:14 18:12 20:18 27:15 29:24–26 31:16–17).

As has been previously mentioned, Moses desires for this generation to enter into the Land of Promise and to take it. Therefore, Moses uses the phrase “go in and possess” thirty-five times; and thirty-four times he says “the land which Y^ehowah your God is giving you.” I recall that my parents expected me to go to college; I don’t recall them even using the phrase if you go to college; the phrasing they used was when you go to college. Moses does the same thing here.

One of the great themes of this book is the teaching of God’s Word to one’s children. “Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen, and so that they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and to your grandsons. Remember the day you stood before Y^ehowah your God at Horeb when Y^ehowah said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth and that they may teach their children.” (Deut. 4:9–10). “And these words which I am command you today, they will be on your heart; and you will teach them diligently to your sons and you will talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. And You will bind them as a sign on your hand and they will be as frontals on your forehead. And you will write them on the doorposts of your house an on your gates.” (Deut. 6:6–9; see also Deut. 11:18–22). And he said to them, “Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you will command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed, it is your life. And by this word you will prolong you days in the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.” (Deut. 32:46–47). By the way, I wonder if this isn’t the great neglect in the modern home. We talk about the failure of the school and the failure of the church today, and I agree that both have miserably failed in teaching boys and girls, but the real problem is in the home where instruction should have originated.

Point of View: In general, Deuteronomy contains several sermons of Moses spoken to the children of Israel. What is unusual about this content is that Moses often speaks in the first person. When we write and when we speak, we often demonstrate a different vocabulary and, in this case, a different point of view. Although Moses wrote at least the last four books of the Torah, he speaks of himself in the 3rd person throughout Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy (a format followed by most writers of Scripture, with the exception of Luke in the book of Acts and most of the epistles and the book of Revelation). However, in speaking to Israel, Moses does not hide behind the 3rd person but speaks of himself in the first person. At the end of Deuteronomy, we have a song written by Moses, a blessing by Moses for the children of Israel and the death of Moses.

Content: There are portions of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers which are rehashed herein. This is not repetition, per se, as the listeners are a new generation of believers, the generation of promise. Those to whom the rest of the Law was given rejected it and God took them out under the sin unto death. There are times that some of the laws may seem to be a bit different from what had been presented in the previous three books. Some of the material found in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers pertained only to Israel while on foot and while temporarily encamped. Deuteronomy deals in part with their behavior and rituals once they enter the land of Canaan. [Moses]...takes the legislation which the Lord had given to Israel nearly forty years before and adapts it to conditions of settled life in the land to which Israel was soon to go

In the previous three books, there is a fair amount of narrative. This book is primarily the verbal teaching of Moses to the people. Much of this covers their immediate history and their relationship to Y^ehowah, their God. As we have gone through those books, I have interpreted the meaning of their experience. Moses does that throughout Deuteronomy. He reviews the failures of the Israelites and reprimands them; but, much more importantly, he uses their past experiences as a springboard to speak of their future choices. As the NASB notes read: throughout this book, events are charged with meaning. Moses gives a good deal of history; but in nearly every case he relates events to the spiritual lesson which they underscore.

Narrative Content: The narrative in this book is quite limited. There is no movement of the troops of Israel. We have Moses speaking to the people, speaking to the priests, handing the book of the Law to the priests, teaching his song to the sons of Israel, speaking to God, blessing Israel, and then dying.

The New Testament View: As has been mentioned, Deuteronomy is the most quoted book in the New Testament, with the number of allusions being somewhere between 80 and 200. As has been pointed out, our Lord recognized Moses as the author of Deuteronomy. When asked about marriage and divorce, Jesus acknowledges the teaching of Moses in the book of Deuteronomy. They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate and divorce her?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” (Matt. 19:7–9; Deut. 24:1). When tempted by Satan, our Lord quoted exclusively from the book of Deuteronomy (Luke 4:1–13). You know that Satan has hated the book of Deuteronomy more than ever since that time.

One of the standard ways to quote God’s Word is it stands written. The verb is in the perfect tense, meaning that it stands written in the past with results that stand forever. Paul used this phrase when quoting from the book of Deuteronomy in Gal. 3:10: For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it stands written, “Cursed is ever one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them.” James uses the same phrase in Acts 15:15, 17. Our Lord uses the same phrasing to quote Moses in Matt. 4:4, 7 and 10. Our Lord quotes Deuteronomy as authoritative in Matt. 18:16b. Our Lord quotes Moses from Deuteronomy in Mark 7:10 in order to clarify what had been misinterpreted by the scribes.

Finally, as has been mentioned, Deuteronomy is quoted many times throughout the New Testament as authoritative, using the phrases as Moses said (Rom. 10:19) and it stands written in the Law of Moses (1Cor. 9:9). Peter, under great inspiration, said, “Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers; to Him you will listen in everything He says to you. And it will come to pass that every soul that does not heed that Prophet will be completely destroyed from among the people.’ “ (Acts 3:22–23; Deut. 18:15, 19).

Chart: Although an outline was wonderful for me to recall the portions of Deuteronomy and to organize my thinking, I don’t know if anyone else reads the outline. I don’t know that I have ever read another person’s outline. However, there is a section of Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts which I found to be quite informative, and that is their chart on p. 56, which I have stolen, changed considerably and adapted to my own notes:

Heading	Introduction to the book of Deuteronomy	The first discourse of Moses	Moses sets apart the three cities three cities of refuge the east of the Jordan	The second discourse of Moses given to all Israel
Scripture	Deut. 1:1–5	Deut. 1:6–4:40	Deut. 4:41–49	Deut. 5:1–26:19
Writing Style	Introduction	Lecture	Narrative	Lecture
Author	Joshua or Moses	Moses
Topics	The time, the place and recent events	A review and a divine interpretation of Israel’s history and stern exhortation	A refuge for unintentional manslaughter is set aside	The decalogue, ceremonial laws 12:1–16:17), civil laws (16:18–18:22), criminal laws (19:1–21:9) and laws which deal with the family and prosperity (21:10–25:19)
Writing Category	Historical	Interpretive	Legal
Time and Place	Roughly a one week period of time around 1406 bc in the plains of Moab

Heading	The third discourse of Moses and the elders of Israel to the people	The fourth discourse of Moses to the all Israel	The fifth discourse of Moses spoken to all Israel	The sixth discourse of Moses, a specific charge to the priests
Scripture	Deut. 27:1–28:68	Deut. 29:1–30:20	Deut. 31:1–8	Deut. 31:9–13
Writing Style	Lecture
Author	Moses		Moses edited by Joshua
Topics	Blessings and cursings from Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim	Prophecy of the stern discipline to come; the Palestinian Covenant; exhortation	Moses publicly recognizes Joshua and encourages Israel in war	Moses gives the Law to the priests and tells them to read the Law when all Israel gathers
Writing Category	Prophetical
Time and Place	Roughly a one week period of time around 1406 bc in the plains of Moab

Heading	God speaks to Moses, telling him of his impending death and God commissions Joshua	Moses writes a song and gives special instructions to the Levites; The Song of Moses; concluding remarks to people	God tells Moses to go up to the mountain to die	The blessing of Moses to the people	The Death of Moses
Scripture	Deut. 31:14–23	Deut. 31:24–32:47	Deut. 32:48–52	Deut. 33:1–29	Deut. 34:1–12
Writing Style	Narrative	Narrative; song; exhortation	Narrative	Last blessing	Narrative
Author	Moses	Joshua and Moses	Joshua editing (Moses and God speak)		Joshua
Topics	God tells Moses what will occur and tells him to write a song	God’s special protection afforded Israel; severe but tempered discipline of Israel; final vindication	God tells Moses to go die on the mountain and reminds him as to why	Moses blesses the twelve tribes; not necessarily prophetical material	Moses goes to the mountain to die; there is no prophet like Moses
Writing Category	Prophetical				Historical
Time an d Place	Roughly a one week period of time around 1406 bc in the plains of Moab

Final Comments and Conclusions: Because our Lord quoted from it against Satan, you know that this would become one of the most attacked books of the Bible. This is why so much time was spent in this introduction covering the authorship of Deuteronomy. There should be no question in your mind as to the fact that Moses wrote this just as Scripture says. Now prepare yourself for the exegesis of one of the most incredible books of the Old Testament. Enjoy!

Introduction: Deut. 1 begins several sermons given by Moses to the generation of promise. This chapter in particular will cover a time period of one year. We will travel from Mount Sinai to the Land of Promise and end with Israel's failure at the foot of the land promised them by God. The generation of twenty years and older who left Egypt have all died, with the exception of Moses, Joshua and Caleb. The failures covered by Moses were observed by the children of generation X; now Moses will give the divine viewpoint concerning these failures in hopes that the new generation, the generation of promise, will profit by the mistakes of the elders rather than repeat them. In this chapter, as in all of the book of Deuteronomy, Moses will recall events in a topical manner.

These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel, beyond the Jordan, in the wilderness, in the Arabah over against Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban and Hazeroth, and De-Zahab; [Deut. 1:1]

Moses is a very exact person. We already know where he is—he is at Jordan Jericho, across from the city of Jericho where Joshua will invade in a month or so. The phrase, beyond the Jordan, refers to the east side of the Jordan (Deut. 3:20, 25). The term wilderness is a general term, referring to the uninhabited areas that the Jews transversed. The plain, or Arabah—it is a proper noun when used with a definite article as it is here—is the valley which runs from the sea of Galilee down to the Gulf of Aqaba, and this name is retained in the name Wady el-Arabah. These other areas might describe the border of Arabah.

We have never heard of Suph before, and it occurs nowhere else in the Bible. The word means reeds and it might be the area of the Dead Sea which extends southward or the gulf of Aqaba extending northward. In either case, it is south of where Moses and the children of Israel are right now. Another option is tha there are reeds off the Jericho River at that place. Paran is a roughly defined area north-northwest of the Gulf of Aqaba and Hazeroth, a stopping point, was along the Gulf of Aqaba. The city or area of Laban is mentioned only here and some think it might refer to Libnah, although that would be possibly too far north. Tophel is sometimes identified with Tafile, which is fifteen miles southeast of the Dead Sea. I could not even find De-Zahab or Zahab in my Bible dictionaries or encyclopedias. The point of this geography is that these areas are pretty well spread out, however, they likely are the bordering area for Arabah.

J. Vernon McGee gives the brief description of the promised land, including Jerusalem, which he could see from Mount Nebo: What I saw did not look like a promised land at all. It looked like a total waste, and this reveals what has happened to that land down through the centuries. When Moses looked at it, I think he was seeing a green and a good land. Today it is a desert. It looks like the desert area of California and Arizona

The journey from Mount Sinai (or, Horeb) to Kadesh-barnea, would be eleven days. There is a certain amount of irony exhibited by the the author here; from Mount Sinai, to enter into the land, for the average person, would have been an eleven day journey. Israel took over thrity-eight years to complete this same journey.

There are around twenty stops between the wilderness of Sinai and Kadesh-barnea listed in Num. 33:15–36. ZPEB associates Horeb (the Mount of God in Ex. 3:1) with Mount Sinai, which makes sense because the golden calf incident, which occurred when Moses was receiving the Law, was at the foot of Mount Sinai (Ex. 32 Psalm 106:19). However, Horeb is separate from Mount Sinai in Ex. 17:6 in Rephidim, which is one stop away from Mount Sinai (Ex. 17:1–17 Num. 33:14–15). This obviously causes us some severe problems. Horeb is thought to be synonymous with Mount Sinai, but then separated from Mount Sinai. So we need to tackle the Doctrine of Horeb—not finished yet!! Mount Seir is in Edom, where the descendants of Esau, Jacob's twin brother, lived. This places the Jews directly north of the Gulf of Aqaba, along which the Israelites traveled toward the Land of Promise. Kadesh-barnea was their last stop prior to sending the spies into the land. This short travelogue will be the time period which Moses speaks of in this chapter, which begins in Num. 10:11, the date being 2/20/2 ae

and ends with Num. 14:45, perhaps a few months later (with the exception of Moses choosing men to judge under him, which goes back to Ex. 18, not too much earlier than 2/20/2 ae).

These first two verses tie the book of Deuteronomy to the rest of the Pentateuch. If we leave out the areas listed, then we have The sermons of Moses to the people up to the eleventh month of the fortieth year.

And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first [day] of the month Moses spoke to the sons of Israel according to all that Y^ehowah had commanded him concerning them; [Deut. 1:3]

The date of this message is 11/1/40 ae, thirty-eight years after the events herein described, making this roughly 1407 bc. Almost all of the book of Deuteronomy will be a quotation of Moses speaking to the children of Israel. This is his swan song, his farewell sermon. Being that this sermon is about thirty-five pages long, this would have been delivered over a period of several days. Moses will recall this history of the fathers of his listeners and properly interpret this history for them. This verse does not tell us that God specifically commanded Moses to deliver these sermons; Moses took it upon himself, operating under the influence and guidance of God the Holy Spirit, to teach the things to the generation of promise the things spoken by God to Moses and delivered to their parents, gen X.

After his striking down down Sihon king of the Amorite, who was dwelling in Heshbon, and Og, king of the Bashan [or, king of the wide, open area], who was dwelling in Ashtaroth in

Edrei, [Deut. 1:4]

Having only a very rudimentary understanding of the Hebrew language, I am dependent upon my language sources, which occasionally fail me. Here, for instance, Owen's translates this as the king of Bashan, whereas it actually reads king of the Bashan; which accounts for other translations you may have read. Bashan means plain, large open area, champaign; and, as was mentioned back in Num. 33:21, is not necessarily the name given to that country by the natives, but could be a designation given it by Moses or by the Israelites. The definite article seems to indicate that.

The way v. 4 reads, it sounds as though Ashtaroth is in Edrei; however, this is properly understood as Ashtaroth is where Og, king of the Bashan lived; and Edrei is where he died. This is elliptical and it should read: After his striking down down Sihon king of the Amorite, who was dwelling in Heshbon, and Og, king of the Bashan [or, king of the wide, open area], who was dwelling in Ashtaroth [whom he struck down] in Edrei. The and as is found in several of the other codices, helps us somewhat with this understanding. It is clear from Num. 21:33 and Deut. 3:1 that Edrei is where the Israelites defeated Og, king of the Bashan.

Israel has just had two great victories east of the Jordan, conquering a great deal of land which has gone to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and a portion of the tribe of Manasseh. These victories were principally the efforts of the generation of promise. But Sihon would not permit Israel to pass through his border. So Sihon gathered all his people and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. The Israel struck him down with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the sons of Ammon; for the border of the sons of Ammon [was] Jazer. And Israel took all these cities and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all her villages (Num. 21:23–25).

There is a verb in the next verse which is difficult. First let's examine what other translators have done:

The Emphasized Bible ...did Moses take in hand [or, to take upon himself]

to expound this law, saying...

The verb in question is the Hiphil perfect of yâal (ל ַא ָי ) [pronounced yaw-AHL] and BDB gives its meanings variously as to show willingness, to be pleased, to determine, to undertake. In the Niphal, the easier version, this means to be foolish. However, the Hiphil is tougher to follow. We find this verb in the Hiphil perfect in Gen. 18:27 and 31, translated in the NASB venture, and footnoted as undertaken. We don't see this verb again in the Hiphil perfect until Joshua 7:7, where it is translated willing, content. We find this verb several times in the Hiphil imperfect in Ex. 2:21 Joshua 17:12 Judges 1:27, 35 17:11. What appears to be the case is that this is an act of free will, this is an act where a person desires to do something, but it comes not from lust but from contentment from a comfortable position; even from a relaxed mental attitude. I have willingly chosen to translate this willingly chose. Strong's #2974 BDB #383

Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses willingly chose to explain this law, saying: [Deut. 1:5]

God had already given the Law to Moses who had given it to the people. Moses had been enjoined to write it down, which he did, and, we will see later in Deuteronomy, that the Law was, in some way, distributed (not to every person or to every tribe, but the general population did have some access to it, as they will be directed to write verses down and carry them around and learn them. So Moses is not giving them the Law here, but he is explaining it. The Law which Moses spoke of was more than the actual words spoken by God between Ex. 20 and Num. 36. Here, the use of the word Law, goes beyond the Ten Commandments and the ordinances and the divil and criminal laws recorded by Moses. Here, the word law, if we look to what Moses will begin explaining, covers the recorded events of the previous three books of Scripture. How should I put this? God the Holy Spirit definitely, and Moses, probably, recognized that all which had been recorded by Moses in the Pentateuch was the Law of God. Near the end of his life, Moses will definitely realize that he is recording God's Word. That will be the clear indication of Deut. 4:1 and 12:32. Moses teaches, develops, interprets, and adjusts the Law throughout the book of Deuteronomy, applying it to different sets of circumstances (they were in peace outside of their country and how they were looking at entering their land, going to war and being at war for a considerable amound of time. The book of Deuteronomy renews the covenant which God had made with their fathers of the Jews.

Although the book of Numbers appeared to end artificially and abruptly. there is no doubt that this is a new topic or a new book. We have five verses which introduce this book. As you have found out, I am interested in certain details, such as, how did this come to be written down? I have three different notions: (1) Moses wrote his sermons down, much in the way that many studied pastors do, making certain points, referring back to certain doctrines and occurrences, keeping in mind that this is being spoken to an audience. (2) Moses may have verbally put this sermon together and spoke it to his servant Joshua, who wrote it down and Moses delivered it from his notes. (3) Moses may have spoken extemporaneously, which appears to be the case, but then it had to be written down in order for us to have it in the form that we do today. Either Moses wrote this down after the fact (which I find doubtful) or these are the notes that Joshua took. I favor #1 or #3. I like option #1 just because a pastor should have something to say and that comes as a result of study. The idea of a pastor just standing in front of his congregation just winging it, as though God's Word comes directly from him, makes me nauseous. Usually what is delivered under those circumstances is pap, half-truths and a great many inaccuracies. At best, the pastor might evangelize his congregation for the umpteenth time.

Moses did have a different sort of seminary professor than most of us have had (the Lord Jesus Christ Himself); but then his professor was certainly more exacting than ours. In either option, Moses had the student hours behind him. I originally leaned toward option #3, as we smoothly move from the book of Deuteronomy into the death of Moses, into the book of Joshua, both of which were recorded by Joshua. What more natural thing would there have been than to have written the sermons of Moses as he gave them and then continue with a post script? After writing about the death of Moses, then Joshua would have realized that that is part of his duties under Y^ehowah, to record the history of Israel and the doctrine of Jesus Christ. However, there is a passage or two in Deuteronomy (Deut. 31:9, 24) which tell us this was written by the hand of Moses.

One of the things which I find fascinating are the actual nuts and bolts of what is really occurring. I don't believe that I have even seen this addressed in this way? There are over two million Israelites. With a microphone system and a stage speaker, it would have been difficult to address even a quarter of that number. There is no indication that Moses had either, nor have I found yet a supernatural implication. There are millions of Christians on this planet; even in this nation. Only a fraction of those actually have a real interest in God's Word. If there is an inconvenience tied to attending church, such as distance or lack of a nursery, then some will not attend. If they oversleep or don't feel like getting up in the morning, others will not attend. If it is not a friendly church or if there are no activities arranged for the young people or for the single adults or for the retired but still active, then some will not attend. The point here is that not all two million of these Israelites have a strong interest in God's Word and there are certainly inconveniences and things that they would object to. We too often try to lump groups of people together as though they are one person. This is the essential basis of all prejudice. Here we have two million individuals, far greater than their predecessors, but all carrying within them one each old sin nature. Therefore, some would attend these talks of Moses and many would not. We will see a certain amount of repetition in these sermons of Moses—they are given in such a way, that those who attend several sessions will get something new each time, but those who attend only a few, will walk away with important information also. I recall bringing an evangelist into our high school and he spoke six or seven times in a row. The students flocked to see him, some staying for all sessions. He gave the save essential message each time, but each time is was different enough that anyone attending all sessions got something new everytime. I know this, as I attended all sessions.

So we have Moses speaking to a huge group of people, perhaps as many as several thousand during each session. We have complete silence during his message and all the weather conditions are perfectly suited for his message to reach the entire congregation. Furthermore, this information was also recorded, word-for-word, so that others could hear what Moses had to say.

"Y^ehowah our God has spoken to us in Horeb, saying, 'Enough of you—of dwelling in this mount; [Deut. 1:6]

This begins Moses' first spoken discourse as recorded in Deuteronomy. This will continue until Deut. 4:40, wherein we will have perhaps a word of explanation or an appendium (vv. 41–49), followed by his second disertation.

My hypothesis is that Horeb is a designation for several different mountains; but I have not finished its study. Here it makes sense for us to be speaking of Mount Sinai, which is the second longest place where the Jews stayed prior to entering the land (they remained there about a year). The method here is specific. God psoke directly to Moses and told Moses it was time to move out. This commandment was certainly not intended for Moses only, but for all the congregation of Israel. However, Moses, as commander and chief of two million people—was he to wander about from tent to tent saying, it's time to get going? That is impractical. Now it came about in the second year, in the second month on the twentieth of the month that the cloud was lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony; and the sons of Israel set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai. Then the cloud settle down in the wilderness of Paran. so they moved out for the first time according to the commandment of Y^ehowah through Moses (Num. 10:11–13). God had already commanded the children of Israel that when the cloud was lifted up from the tabernacle that it was time to move out. They moved to Mount Sinai under those directions and, having spent a year or so there, were moving out again.

" 'Turn and journey for you, and enter the mount of the Amorite, and to all its neighboring places, in the plain [or, in the Arabah], in the south [or, in the Negev], and in the haven of the sea, the land of the Canaanites, and of Lebanon, to the great river, the river Euphrates; [Deut. 1:7]

This are the places where God has told Israel to go. This is not a travelogue, like Num. 33, but it is a list of that which God would give to Israel. The mount of the Amorite is the area east of the Jordan, around the two seas; the Arabah is the area south, south east of Israel—north, northwest of the Gulf of Aqaba. The Negev is the area directly south and southwest of Israel. The land of the Canaanites is Israel, with Lebanon being slightly north of that on the coast of the Mediteranean. The last phrase is the surprise—this is the common designation for the River Euphrates. Suddenly we are thrown into the middle of the cradle of modern civilization, to the far east of Israel, in the land of Babylon. Even as a border, it is some distance from where we consider to be Israel proper. However, this is the land promised originally by God to Abram. On that day, Y^ehowah made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as gar as the great river, the river Euphrates." (Gen. 15:18). "Every place on which the sole of your foot will tread will be yours; your border will be from the wilderness to Lebanon from the river, the river Euphrates, as far as the Western Sea [i.e., the Mediterranean]." (Deut. 11:24).

" 'See, I have set before you the land; go in and possess the land which Y^ehowah has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them, and to their descendants [lit., seed] after them.' [Deut. 1:8]

This has been God's command to Israel since they left Mount Sinai—they were to go into the land and take it. God gave the land to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to their descendants. It was now to claim this land. Notice that this promise was not fulfilled until after their deaths. God has promises open to us concerning our salvation and our eternal future, the complete fulfillment of which doe snot come to pass until after our death.

"And I spoke to you at that time, saying, I am not able by myself to bear you; [Deut. 1:9]

Moses, on several occasions, had asked God to relieve him of his duties. He was reluctant to lead the Jews in the first place, and faced incredible pressure from their incredible malcontent. Moses appointed men under him on a couple of different instances. Moses was first advised by his father-in-law: And Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is took heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. Now listen to me; I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You are the people's representative before God and you bring the disputes to God. Then you teach them the statutes and the laws and make known to them the way in which they are to walk, and the work they are to do. Furthermore, you will select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you will place them [as] leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties and leaders of tens. And let them judge the people at all times; and let it be tht every major dispute thtey will bring to you, but every minor dispute, they themselves will judge. soi it will be easier for you, and they will bear [responsibility] with you. If you do this thing and God command you [to do this thing], then you will be able to endure, and all these people will also go to their place in peace." So Moses listened to his father-in-law, and did all that he had said (Ex. 18:17–24). This organization petered out because all of the men who were chosen by Moses had died the sin unto death, with a very few exceptions, and Moses had to delegate the responsibility again. So Moses said to Y^ehowah, "Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found grace in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all ths people upon me? Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You would say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You had sworn to their fathers'? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, 'Give us meat that we may eat!' I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is took burdeonsome for me." Y^ehowah therefore said to Moses, "Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the spirit, Who is upon you, and I will place [Him] upon them; and they will bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it all alone." (Num. 11:11–14, 16–17).

"Y^ehowah your God has multiplied you, and, observe, you [all] [are] today like the stars of the heavens for multitude; [Deut. 1:10]

The first phrase of this verse, Y^ehowah your God, occurs nearly 300 times in this book alone, apart from the number of times the proper name of God is used (Y^ehowah). Moses had almost exclusive speaking rights to God, and the people themselves saw many manifestations of God and many miracles, but they did not speak to Him face-to-face. Moses emphasizes that Y^ehowah is their God as well as his; in fact, this phrase downplays Moses' special relationship with God and emphasizes that these Jews have a particularly close relationship with Y^ehowah, God of the Universe. In a very few weeks, Moses will be gone; however, Israel will not fall apart. God gave them their great leader and they still have God. They will not have the gift, but they will still have the Giver, Who is infinitely greater. Therefore, Moses will to emphasize nearly 300 times that, although he will be gone when they enter into the Land of Promise, Y^ehowah their God will lead them and He will fight for them.

One of the problems in the book of Numbers was the vast quantity of Israelites that some scholars have been caused to doubt these numbers. However, there is every indication that there were an unusually large number of Jews. A hundred thousand Jews is large, but not really that unusual, other than they are traveling together as a group. However, two million Jews is an incredibly large number, appearing to the casual observer as the stars in the heavens. When God first made this promise to Abram, Abram had no sons whatsoever. And Abram said, "O, Y^ehowah God, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eleazar of Damascus?" And Abram said, "Since You have given to me no offspring, a son of my house will be my heir." Then, observe, the Word of Y^ehowah came to him, saying, "This man will ot be your heir, but one who shall come forth from your own loins—he will be your heir." And He took him outside and said "Now look toward the heavens and number the stars; you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." Then he believed in Y^ehowah and He determined it to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:2–6; see also Gen. 18:17–19 22:15–18). God repeated these promises to Isaac and to Jacob. And Y^ehowah appear to him [Isaac] and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I will tell you. Remain in this land and I will be with you and I will bless you, for to you and to your descendants will I give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. And I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and I will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed; because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My [designated] responsibilities [for him] and My commandments and My statutes and My laws." (Gen. 26:2–5). And he [Jacob] had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. and behold, Y^ehowah stood above it and said, "I am Y^ehowah, the God yof your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie. I will give it to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, observe, I am with you, and I will keep you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." (Gen. 28:12–15).

"May Y^ehowah God of your fathers continue adding to you, as you [all] [are], a thousand times, and may He continue blessing you as He has promised [lit., spoken to] you. [Deut. 1:11]

The intent of the Hiphil (or, causative) stem likely reads as translated. Young's Translation reads: Jehovah, God of your fathers, is adding to you, as ye are, a thousand times, and doth bless you as He hath spoken to you. However, in this context, it sounds reasonable for Moses to say, "Y^ehowah, your God has multiplied you, and, observe, you are this day as the stars of heaven in multitude. May Y^ehowah, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand--fold more than you are, and bless you, just as He has promised you!" Not only has God fulfilled the promise to Abrahamn to make his seed, these Jews, but Moses wishes that God continue to bless them in numbers. Recall that this time in history was a time when soaring population growth was a wonderful thing.

Even though the bulk of two million Jews had been sentenced to the sin unto death and that had been carried out, there were still a large number of believing Jews who remained. "Your fathers went down to Egypt, seventy persons in all, and now Y^ehowah your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven." (Deut. 10:22).

"How do I bear your [wearisome] pressure by myself, and your burden and your strife? [Deut. 1:12]

It was quite difficult for Moses. He had led the life of a quiet sheepherder for a long time, his chief difficulty in life was his wife—however, he got along quite well with his in-laws. However, the Jews were under a lot of pressure and Moses felt as if he carried the weight of the world upon his shoulders. Every problem that these Jews had were his problems. People seek power for a great many reasons, but Moses did not. He took responsibility for the people under his authority and defended and protected them, although they often had roast Moses for Sunday dinner. A man with authority takes responsibility for those under him. To add to these pressures were the times that these people would complain to Moses and oppose God and God's grace. It was more than any great man could handle.

It might be worthwhile examining these three words. Tôrach (ח ַרֹט ) [pronounced TO-rahk] is a rarely used word (here and Isa. 1:14) with a rarely used verb cognate (Job 37:11); with such scant references, we will have to go with load, burden, wearisome pressure; although there are other Hebrew words which mean that. Strong's #2960 BDB #382. The second word is another word for burden: massâ (א ָ ַמ ) [pronounced mahs-SAW] and it is found throughout the Old Testament consistently translated

burden (Num. 4:15, 19 2Kings 8:9 Isa. 15:1 17:1). Strong's #4853 BDB #672 The last word is rîy^bv (בי .ר) [pronounced ree^bv] and it means strife, dispute, controversy. This word is used often for legal contentions. These are all the legal disputes which the Jews brought before Moses. Strong's #7379 BDB #936 You might at first think that such power and authority would be great. People come to you with their disagreements and you get to tell them how it's going to be resolved. Some love to solve other people's problems. Guaranteed, after years of these disputes, many of them petty and riddled with personal vendettas, that they would become quite wearisome.

"Give for yourselves men, wise and intelligent, and known to your tribes, and I will set them for your heads; [Deut. 1:13]

This is when Moses could no longer handle all the pressure of the continually court cases which were brought before him. Besides all of his great responsibilities, he was the judge and jury for all disputes great and small. It was actually his father-in-law who suggested that he delegate this responsibility to others. What is put into place is a system of leadership and authority.

"And you [all] answered me and said, 'Good [is] is the thing which you have said—[it would be good] to do.' [Deut. 1:14]

Moses actually had to do this on a couple of occasions. Once, when he was overburdened with court cases (this was at the suggestion of his father-in-law) and once when the sheer pressure of leadership was beyond what he could handle and God gave him men below him to delegate authority to.

"And I took the heads of your tribes, mean, wise and known, and I appointed them heads over you, princes of thousands, and princes of hundred, and princes of fifties, and princes of tens, and authorities for your tribes. [Deut. 1:15]

I must say that this sounds interesting—I can see authorities over fifty, but an authority appointed over ten, which is the size of a large, basic family unit or a very small extended family unit—that seems excessive. What I am assuming here is that there responsibilities were very limited. We have two million people who are on the move, spending forty years in a wilderness and desert area. Information has to be disseminated on a regular basis. Not everyone could see the tabernacle, nor could there be much organization when it came to movement. However, this allowed for the dissemination of information. Let me see if I can explain this on a level that we can understand. In teaching for twenty or more years, there were meetings with the entire faculty (roughly 150) and there were meetings with the heads of each teaching department, and they in turn met with their departments (5–20) and explained the pertinent information to their department. So rather than a court system designed for ten people (or even fifty), this was a way that Moses could speak to all of the people or get the word out to all of the people without publishing a daily newspaper or running the information on a computer service that everyone could download or announcing it on the morning show on TV. Depending on what was covered, groups of ten to a thousand would be pretty much the range of crowd size that any one individual could communicate to.

"And I commanded your judges at that time, saying 'Carefully listen to both sides of a dispute [literally, hearkening between your brothers], the you [all] will judge righteousness between a man and his brother and his temporary resident; [Deut. 1:16]

"There will be one standard for you; it will be for the emmigrant as well as the native, for I am Y^ehowah your God." (Lev. 24:22). One of the most revolutionary aspects of Jewish Law was the emphasis upon fairness to be delivered to the temporary resident—the man from another country who was traveling through Israel or who had decided to stay for awhile. In most countries, the immigrant and the alien will be the first people to be exploited. Their treatment by employers, policemen, the court system will often be unduly harsh. Israel was a light to the world—they represented Y^ehowah, the one true God, to the world. God is a God of righteousness and justice and perfection and Y^ehowah was the God of all mankind. Therefore, his servants could not show partiality.

" 'You [all] will not discern faces in the judgment; as the little, so the great you [all] will hear; you will not be afraid of the face of any, for the judgment is God's and the thing which is too hard for you, you [all] will bring near to me, and I will hear it.' [Deut. 1:17]

In both places where the word judgment appears, it is preceded by the definite article. This is not a reference to s specific judgment which is pending; Moses does not have a specific judgment in mind that he is referring to. Here the definite article is one of species, meaning that this refers to any particular judgment that they are faced with.

"You will do no injustice in judgment; you will not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly." (Lev. 19:15). People are prejudice in court cases and disputes for all kinds of reasons. In Houston, there is no zoning, so most neighborhoods are regulated by a neighborhood association. It is not unusual for such an association to come down hard for minor infractions on someone who they do not know or do not like, yet to look the other way for offenses committed by a friend on the board or a member of the board itself. Similarly, neighbors will report offenses of people that they do not know, but rarely report offenses of someone that they know and like. In court cases, some people will favor a particular race over another race, some will take the side of the poor over the rich or vice versa—there are so many ways that justice can be perverted. Our system of justice, based very definitely upon the Mosaic Law, is filled with discrepancies and unfair treatment. Moses urged his people against such favoritism—he urged them to listen to a case based upon the merit alone—to ignore the faces of those they are trying, whether friends, or relatives, or strangers, and to examine the facts and render a just decision based upon what is right. And in any case where a judge felt unable to render a proper verdict, then there was the appellant court, the highest court of the land, the judgment of Moses. This even allowed for a situation where a judge was prejudice and did not want to rule, afraid to rule in favor of his family or friends. Such a case could be taken to Moses.

Such a standard of justice is demanded because the Jews are to reflect the character of their God, Y^ehowah—Jesus Christ, the creator of the heavens and the earth. "For Y^ehowah your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty and the awesome God Who does not show partiality nor does He take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love fore the alien by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. You will fear [and rspect] Y^ehowah your God; you will serve Him and cling to Him and you will swear by His name." (Deut. 10:17–20). This was not a minor point of the Law—this was repeated several times: "You will appoint for yourselve judges and officefs in all your towns which Y^ehowah your God is giving you, according to your tribes and they will judge the people with righteous judgment. You will not distort justice; you will not be partial and you will not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. Justice and [only] justice you will pursue, and you may live and possess the land which Y^ehowah your God is giving you." (Deut. 16:18–20; see also Deut. 24:17).

So you are not a judge or an arbitrator; you are just Charlie Brown, off the street, whose opinion means little even in your own household. Nevertheless, my brothers, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with personal favoritism. For if a man comes into you assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives? (James 2:1–3a, 4). You do this all the time. You have this distorted view of those who are celebrities in this life, whether movie or TV personalities or sports figures, and you think there is something special about them because (1) they entertain you and (2) because they have more money than you can conceive of. These are just people; they have old sin natures; they are unfaithful to their mates and they sin; and many of them will spend eternity in hell. The person wearing trashy clothes or the homeless person—the ones you have spoken disparagingly about—they might be your next door neighbors for all of eternity. These earthly celebrities, as far as your memory goes, will be long gone. Their importance will fade just like the monetary wealth that you accumulated in this lifetime will fade. You are a witness to everyone around you, no matter how inferior or superior you consider them to be. Your giving inordinant defference slights both the rich and the poor alike; the rich feel as though they deserve your adoration because of something they have done, and the poor feel as though you have slighted them. In either case, you have been a poor witness for Jesus Christ.

We have a long history of what results when we judge a person incorrectly. The Jews chose Saul as their king, because he was tall, handsome, seemingly intelligent with what appeared to be some spiritual life. King Saul, Israel's first king, was one of their worst kings. Whe his successor, David, was to be chosen, God told the prophet Samuel: "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for god [sees] not as man sees, for man looks at the appearance, but Y^ehowah looks at the heart." (1Sam. 16:7b).

Moses was the highest authority of the land in the human realm. One of the greatest leaders you can have is a person who has the ability to lead but does not desire that position. Most leaders are warped by lust for power and approbation, as well as greed. Moses was a man of great integrity who would have spent the rest of his life shepherding in Midian had not God specifically called for him to lead Israel.

"And we journeyed from Horeb and traveled all that vast and fearful wilderness which you [all] have seen—the way of the hill country of the Amorites, as Y^ehowah our God had commanded us, and we came in to Kadesh-barnea. [Deut. 1:19]

Even though this movement took place thirty-eight years ago, this is still vivid in the mind of Moses and his hearers; they were in their youth during that time, having known very little other than child slavery in a slightly more hospitable environment prior to this march. However, the descriptors great and terrible, repeated in Deut. 8:15, indicate a graphic recalling of what had occurred before, etched forever in the mind of Moses and his listener. Barnes wrote: This language is such as men would employ after having passed with toil and suffering through the worst part of it, the southern half of the arabah; and more especially when they had but recently rested from their marches in the plain of Shittim, the largest and riches oasis in the whole district on the Eastern bank near the mouth of the Jordan

Moving two million Israelites from point A to point B in a wilderness/desert is a nightmare of logistics. This was simply done through a series of miracles. The books of the Law never hedge on that point. "For Y^ehowah your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years, Y^ehowah your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing." (Deut. 2:7). "He led you through the vast and fearful [or, dreadful] wilderness, serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint. In the wilderness, He fed you manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end." (Deut. 8:15–16; also see Deut. 32:10–12).

The word Amorite is used several ways in the Bible. In Gen. 15:16 and this passage, it refers to the pre-Israelite population in the land of Canaan. The implication might be that the Canaanites, as well as other groups such as the Moabites or the Phœnicians, may have their origins in the Amorite. This general usage of the term, as found in this verse, along with the great similarities in language as found in the Mari texts, is closely related to Ugaritic, Canaanite, Hebrew and Arabic. In fact, there are certain ancient words which are found only in the Mari texts and in the Biblical Hebrew. Rather than indicating a universal trade language (or a language of convenience to facilitate trade), there are likely common origins. Gen. 10:15–16 relates the Canaanites to the Amorites (Canaan was the father of the Amorites). There was, in Gen. 11, a language confusion brought on by the Holy Spirit; so we do not know how many similarities between languages remained. However, this helps to explain why two seperate groups of people, the Amorites (descended from Ham) and the Hebrews (descended from Shem) would have striking similarities in their language—they had the same father, Noah and God obviously allowed some overlap in the languages. The travelogue is from Mount Sinai to the hill country below Judea, south-southwest of the Salt Sea, then across to Kadesh Barnea.

"And I said to you, 'You [all] have come into the hill country of the Amorite, which Y^ehowah our God is giving to us; [Deut. 1:20]

This was the first approach of Israel to the Promised Land. Moses will not be giving a chronological sermon here, because (1) he is not approaching this material chronologically and (2) this is a collection of several sermons given to perhaps slightly different audiences at different times.

" 'Observe, Y^ehowah your God has set before you the land; go up [and] possess [it], as Y^ehowah, God of your fathers, has spoken to you; fear not, nor be frightened.' [Deut. 1:21]

God had given the Land of Promise, the land of Canaan to the Jews, and all they had to do was to go up into the land and take it. God had searched out the land and had determined that it was good. However, he land was filled with degenerate, cancerous groups of people who needed to be wiped out. This was not a racial or a religious or a cultural problem; this was strictly spiritual. The inhabitants of the land had rejected God as god had revealed Himself to them and had chosen to worship the creature rather than the creator. For when they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks; in fact, they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and fourj-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore, God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to an immoral status, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever, Amen (Rom. 1:21–26).

The Jews had just seen the premier army of their time destroyed before their eyes—God buried the Egyptian armed forces under millions of gallons of water before their eyes. God had performed miracle after miracle before the eyes of these people. Therefore, they did not have to fear any of the inhabitants of the Land of Promise.

"And you [all] came near to me, all of you, and said, 'Let us send men before us, and they will search for us the land, and they will bring back [to] us word—the way which we should go up into it and the cities unto which we would come in;' [Deut. 1:22]

Some of the translations translate the last portion of this verse: the way which we must go up into it and the cities unto which we must go in. These verbs are in the Qal imperfect, so I don't altogether follow from whence comes the implied imperitive; however, I though this should be noted.

This verse tells us that the idea of sending out a spy force first into Canaan was an idea of the people. They wanted to know what they were getting into. On the surface, there does not appear to be anything wrong with this particular move—in fact, if anything, it seemed to be a prudent thing to do. Some of those who had the ear of Moses suggested this and he Moses took this idea to God, as he was wont to do. Y^ehowah said, "Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you will send a man from each of their fathers' tribes, everyone one a leader among them." So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the mouth of Y^ehowah, all of them men who were heads of the sons of Israel (Num. 13:2). This is God's permissive will. God knows what the lay of the land is and He knows who the people are who dwell therein. God does not need to have the land carefully reconnoitered. We do not know the motivation of the people, whether they were stalling or being prudent. However, one thing that we learn in the Bible is one of the worst things you can do is appoint a committee to study something and give their collective opinion. The board of decons for a church, with a few wonderful exceptions, are the weakness of the church. Often they stand in opposition to a pastor, sometimes to one who is teaching God's Word faithfully. This is totally wrong in God's plan.

"And this suggestion [lit., the word] is good in my eyes and I took from out of you twelve men, one man for a tribe. [Deut. 1:23]

Moses was to take men who were undoubtedly leaders of the tribes, men upon whom he could depend (or at least, men upon whom he thought he could depend). As things went, these men did what they were supposed to, cooly and professionally, then acted like a bunch of ninnies when they returned.

"And they turned and went up to the hill country, and they came in to the valley of Eshcol, and they spied [lit., tracked or footed] it; [Deut. 1:24]

The land around the Salt Sea is hill country; below that to the west is the valley, which runs to the Mediteranean Sea. This valley area is mostly forested, surrounded by grassland, surrounded by (perhaps) some desert area (although, at that time, it could have been mostly forest). This valley, running through the midst of Israel was the area which was examined carefully by the spies. It is from this valley that the spies brought back the enormous grape cluster. The word Eshcol means a cluster of grapes.

"And they brought with their hand from the produce [or, fruit] of the land, and brought it down to us, and brought us back word, and said, 'Good is the land which Y^ehowah our God is giving to us.' [Deut. 1:25]

This is all in accordance with the promise of God. This particular area, particularly compared to the surrounding regions, was beautiful and prosperous, much more so then than now.

"And you [all] were not willing to go up, and you [all] provoked the mouth of Y^ehowah your God; [Deut. 1:26]

Both the spies, ten of them at least, and the people were guilty of the sin of fear here. The ten campaigned hard to keep from having to go into the land agressively, and the people believed them. Joshua and Caleb, two of the spies, had the wherewithall to know that God would protect them and deliver the land into their hands. God had fulfilled all of His promises to them and they were willing to trust God. Despite the minority report and despite the signs and wonders that they had observed first hand, the people chose instead to fear the giants of the land and refused to go against them.

"And you murmured in your tents, and you said, 'In Y^ehowah's hating us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorite—to destroy us; [Deut. 1:27]

It is amazing how easily these Jews were dissuaded. They had heard two conflicting reports; the minority report of Caleb and Joshua who urged them to go up into the land and to take it; and the majority report that the giants of the land were just too big for the Jews to go in and conquer. The first report agreed with the promises of Y^ehowah and the second did not. The people had free will and they chose to go against the promises of God. After hearing both sides, the people cried and mumbled and complained to one another, and the concensus the next morning was Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the entire congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! And why is Y^ehowah bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?" (Num. 14:1–3). And the irony is that Moses is now speaking to the little ones who their parents said would become plunder. The Psalmist many years later reminds them: They had forgot the God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt—wonders in the land of Ham; awesome things by the red Sea. Therefore, He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen on stood in the breach before Him, to turn away His wrath from destroying them. Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe in His Word, but they grumbled in their tents; they did not listen to the voice of Y^ehowah; therefore, He swore to them that He would cast them down in the wilderness (Psalm 106:21–26).

" 'Where can we go up? Our brothers have melted our heart

, saying, A people greater and taller than we, cities great and walled up [or fortified] to heaven, and also we have see there sons of Anakim.' [Deut. 1:28]

The western Samaritan and the Septuagint codices read greater and more in number than we; however there were very few populations which rivaled the size of the Jewish race. The inordinately large population of Israel has been attacked from several sides, including from fundamentalist Christianity. There are many reasonable arguments put forth to decrease the size of Israel, but then God's promise to make them as the stars of heaven becomes less significant in the process. Furthermore, as things stand, all the numbers in Scripture make sense; reduce the population by claiming that the word thousand stands for family, and the numbers no longer add up.

We have all seen the comedy routine where someone who is afraid faces a man with a gun, and, when later telling others about it, a small .38 seems to turn into a .44 magnum. The Jewish people were likely shorter than average. I hate to put any numbers on this, but let's say their males were along the lines of five foot to five foot six, for the most part. The giants in the land don't have to be seven or eight foot tall. They were likely around six foot tall. Ten of the spies, rather than just calling these people tall, they exaggerated somewhat. They referred to the people of Palestine as Nephilim. "There also we saw the Nephilim—the sons of Anak of the Nephilim—and we became like grasshoppers inour own sight, and so we were in their sight." (Num. 13:33). This is pure exaggeration. The Jews knew of the Nephilim (and that fact is interesting). They were a cross between the human race and angelic creation and the descendants of same. This was at a time when God allowed the co-mingling of angelic creation and mankind (certainly Satan suggested in his appeal trial that, if he could have some hands on ability with respect to the earth, that he would make it greater than what God had first created). The demonic acts included sexual relations with women and the earth became filled with part man, part angel inhabitants. In fact, there was so much violence in the world, that, by the time of Noah, that there were few if any 100% human males on the earth, apart from Noah and his immediate family. All flesh had become corrupted. It was this race that God removed from the earth with a flood (God used water to cleanse the earth). This race of partial man was known throughout the ancient worlds, becoming a part of their mythologies (almost all great ancient peoples have a mythological history of an earth with half-man, half-god beings existing at one time). The accurate account is found in Genesis 9 and these creatures were known as Nephilim; however, these people in Palestine were not Nephilim—that was an exaggeration to the n^th degree. The exaggeration is more apparent by the remark walled up to heaven. The noun is mî^bv^etsâr (ר ָצ ׃ב ̣מ ) [pronounced miv^e-TZAWR] and it is translated strongholds, fenced, fortress. It refers to a city where there have been precautions taken in order to preserve its integrity from attack from without. Strong's #4013 BDB #131 The corresponding verb, which is found here, is the Qal passive participle of bâtsar (ר ַצ ָ ) [pronounced baw-TZAHR], which means walled-up, fenced, fortified in the Qal passive participle; in the Qal active participle, it is translated grape-gatherer (Jer. 6:9 49:9 Obad. 5*). Strong's #1219 BDB #130 The exaggeration is obvious when we are told these cities are walled-up to heaven. It is another one of those portions of the Bible when it is clear that this is not to be taken literally. However, the spies who did not want to go into battle against these giants used this exaggeration in order to similarly disuade the others of their camp.

The reference to the Anakim is first found in Num. 13. We have no genealogy leading us to them. However, they were well-known to the Israelites. These Jews do have an academic background; that is, even during their time in Egypt, even under great slavery, they were aware of some of the things which went on in the outside world and the size and power of the Anakim was legend. Furthermore, the cities in Palestine were fortified. The Jews were not allowed a fortified city; it is likely that the cities in Egypt were not walled so they have the question, how can they go up? Where can they go up? How is it possible to invade this city? The cities are surrounded by great walls and behind the walls are giants. "But the men who had gone up with Caleb [and Joshua] said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us." So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spired out, saying, "The land through which we have gone in spying it out is a land that devours in inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of stature. The people who live in the land are strong and the cities are fortified—ver large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan." (Num. 13:31–32, 28b).

There are two kinds of fear herein exhibited; just a general, unshakable, unreasoning fear—and a specific fear of the inhabitants of Palestine. Moses was oriented to God's plan; however, these people were not. Moses did say this to the children of Israel; however, he did not record this in the book of Numbers. Moses also said this to them when they faced Egypt: But Moses said to the people, "Do not fear! Stand by and see the deliverance of Y^ehowah which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. Y^ehowah will fight for you while you keep silent." (Ex. 14:13–14). God knew about the giants in eternity past and, had Israel marched into the land as per God's command, they would have beaten these giants. He knows about every adversity in our lives and has made provision for them—and God did this in eternity past. He had done the same for Israel, and 600,000 men died, along with most of their wives, because they feared when God told them not to fear.

" 'Y^ehowah, your God, Who goes before you—He will fight for you, according to all that He has done with you in Egypt before your eyes; [Deut. 1:30]

This only stands to reason—the purpose of leaving Egypt was to go to the Land of Promise, which God had promised for centuries to the seed of Abraham and it would be illogical for God to lead the people out of Egypt with great signs against great odds, and then desert the people at the edge of Palestine. The Jews have seen God perform great miracles; why would He not keep His word and continue to perform these miracles, where needed? Moses repeats this promise in Deut. 3:22 and 20:4.

" 'And in the wilderness, where you have seen that Y^ehowah your God had carried you as a man bearing his son, in all the way which you [all] have gone, till you came into this place. [Deut. 1:31]

The movement of two million people through deserts and wilderness in areas which could potentially be filled with enemies, through periods of no food and water, providing such necessities by miracles. The Jews witnessed these things day after day—assisting them in the invasion of Palestine would be a small thing for God to do. Paul spoke to a group of Jews in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch on his first missionary journey: "And for a period of about forty years, He bore them up in His arms as a nurse in the wilderness." (Acts 13:18). Furthermore, Israel is God's forever: "Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel; You who have been borne by Me from birth and have been carried from the womb; even to your old age, I will be the same and even to your graying years I will bear [you]. I am He and I will carry [you]; and I will bear [you] and I will deliver [you]." (Isa. 46:3).

" 'And in this matter you [all] did not place trust in Y^ehowah your God, [Deut. 1:32]

The first generation, generation X, placed little or no faith in God. God made continued promises to the, showed them great signs and miracles, and they refused to trust Him. Moses trusted God in almost all things. When God game him directions, he followed these directions explicitly. Generation X was just the opposite. "Therefore, I was angry with this generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart; and they did not know My ways.' As I swore in My wrath, 'They will not enter My rest.' " (Heb. 3:9–10). Jude was even more harsh than the writer of Hebrews: Now I desire to remind you, thought you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe (Jude 5). How do you think that you will personally fair in this life if you choose not to trust the Lord Who bought you?

" 'Who is going before you in the way to search out for you a place for your encampment, in fire by night, to show you the way in which you [all] should go, and in a cloud by day.' [Deut. 1:33]

God gave these people something that they could all see, each and every day. When they were moving toward the Land of Promise, God led them with a cloud and with fire, and they could all visually see that. Now on the day that the tabernacle was erected, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, and in the evening it was like the appearance of fire over the tabernacle, until morning. so it was continuously; the cloud would cover it, and the appearance of fire by night. And whenever the cloud was lifted from over the tent, afterward the sons of Israel would then set out; and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the sons of Israel would camp. at the mouth of Y^ehowah the sons of Israel would set out and at the mouth of Y^ehowah they would camp; as long as the cloud settled over the tabernacle, they remained camped. Even when the cloud lingered over the tabernacle for many days, the sons of Israel would keep Y^ehowah's charge and they remained camped. Then according to the mouth of Y^ehowah they set out...whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, staying above it, the sons of Israel remained camped and did not set out; but when it was lifted, they did set out (Num. 9:15–20, 22). This cloud and fire thing was mentioned because every Jew who wanted to could, on any given day, go to the tabernacle and see the cloud or the fire. Daily, there was a sign to them that God was faithful; that God could be trusted. This is apart from the daily sign that God provided them with manna.

Here, as in many other areas, the Jews were totally illogical—if God is going to lead them all the way from Egypt to Palestine, it makes absolutely no sense for Him to desert them at the foot of Palestine. We believers find the same thing in our lives. God leads us or deposits us in a particular geographical area, and—perhaps due to a small amount of adversity—we suddenly stop trusting Him, even though he has opened all the doors up until that point in time. God does not take us somewhere and suddenly drop out of sight and leave us to the wolves, as it were. When God leads, He remains with us. Even when we screw up, God remains with us. However, our problems and the mess that we make of our lives are to be solved by Him in His way.

"And Y^ehowah heard the voice of your words, and He was angry, and He swore [to you] saying, [Deut. 1:34]

The night prior to the entrance into the land, gen X cried and complained, bitched and moaned, as they were famous for. Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, "It would have been preferable to die in the land of Egypt or to die in the wilderness!" (Num. 14:1–2). God's stated preference was to kill every Jew and begin His nation anew with Moses. And Y^ehowah said to Moses, "How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? I will strike them down with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they." (Num. 14:11–12). Moses doesn't tell this generation, at least in these messages, that God was ready to kill them all and begin all over again.

" 'Not one of these men of this evil generation sees the good land which I have sworn to give to your fathers; [Deut. 1:35]

God was actually much more graphic than this. And Y^ehowah said to Moses and Aaron, saying, "How long [must I remain] with this evil generation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. Say to them, 'As I live,' says Y^ehowah, 'just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you; your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me.' " (Num. 14:26–29). Moses doesn't exactly sugar coat what God told him; however, he isn't quite as graphic as your corspes will fall in this wilderness. One of the things which this generation X chanted was it would have been better to have died in the wilderness; God heard their voice and answered their prayer, so to speak. However, Moses is speaking to the children who have, over the past thirty-eight years, been bereaved of their parents, so Moses softens what God said; he is a bit more diplomatic because of his audience.

Generation X could not see past the giants and the fortified walls—the land was exactly as God had promised. God had an agenda which deals with the world, not just with the Jews (we might do well to remember that God's agenda still is with the world and it does not confined to ourselves or our church). Part of this plan included the destruction of the cancerous growth of people who recognized the beauty and wealth of Palestine and therein settled. Part of God's plane included their elimination. So far in medicine, the most effective way to stop cancerous growth, when it is possible, it to remove it completely—to cut it out. God must perform such an operation on various groups of people. We see great areas where there is continual warfare. We see great diseases decimating various populations. These things are not random—this is a part of God's plan. This does not mean that every person struck down with a horrible disease is an unbeliever or a believer out of fellowship. God has some of us die in this way as a witness to the unbeliever and to the believer who is out of fellowship. We have nothing to fear from death. Death is immediate deliverance from pain and discomfort, from distress and unhappiness, to perfect happiness and no more sorrow and no more tears. We have this confidence which takes us through the door of death. Our Lord has conquered death.

" 'Except Caleb ben Jephunneh——he saw it, and to him I give the land on which he has walked, and to his sons, because he has fully followed after Y^ehowah.' [Deut. 1:36]

The twelve men who went into the land observed different things. The ten who formed the majority report saw the giants and the fortified cities and did everything in their power to dissuade the children of Israel concerning the movement into Palestine. However, Caleb and Joshua saw the land just as God had promised—they saw the beauty of the land and its great prosperity. The giants and the fortified cities were just a detail. They noticed this and knew that God was able. The key is that Caleb and Joshua knew God's Word and they believed God. Thieme called that knowledge of doctrine and faith-rest. You, as a believer, need to start there, along with the filling of the Holy Spirit. God has tremendous earthly blessings which he has set before you—you need only take them by faith.

Caleb was forty years old when he was sent out to spy the land. At the time of this sermon, he was eighty. It will take Israel only five years to conquer most of the land given them by God, and Caleb will enter the land as strong and as youthful as he was at forty; Caleb told Joshua, "And now behold, Y^ehowah has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that Y^ehowah spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now, observe, I am eighty-five years old today. I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in." (Joshua 14:10–11). That is God's grace. Moses too was blessed with youthfulness and health throughout his 120 years on this earth (Deut. 34:7). This is by no means a promise to any of us, but God does bless by providing strength, health and youthfulness. One of the first people who comes to mind is R.B. Thieme, whose father and uncle all died at relatively young ages; however, he always appeared to be vigorous and in the best of health, with very little change in physical appearence over the final twenty or thirty years of his ministry.

The fact that God has given such strength and blessing to some would be a damn good reason to get with His Word.

Caleb also took this statement to mean that he could claim whatever piece of land that he wanted, and that he did in Joshua 14–15, which we will discuss later.

"Also with me Y^ehowah has been angry for your sake, saying, 'Also, you will not go in there.' [Deut. 1:37]

The Jews rebelled against Moses due to the lack of water—this was the second occasion and this was the second generation, the generation of hope—and Moses made the mistake of striking the rock twice rather than speaking to it (Num. 20:11–12). Such a mistake confused the perfect analogy which God had set up.

" 'Joshua, son of Nun, who is standing before you, he will go up into there; you will strengthen him, for he will cause Israel to inherit [the land]. [Deut. 1:38]

Now here is an interesting thing: Moses, when he failed, immediately asked God to take care of his people and asked God to provide for them a leader. He was not even presumptuous enough to choose a leader on their behalf, knowing that men make serious mistakes in this regard. However, notice what is said as compared to what occurred. The Y^ehowah said to Moses, "Go up to this mountain of Abarim and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. And when you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was; for in the wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My mouth to treat Me as holy before their eyes at the water." (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin). Then Moses spoke to Y^ehowah , saying, "May Y^ehowah, the god of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of Y^ehowah may ot be like sheep which have no shepherd." (Num. 27:12–17). Moses mentions very little of this to the generation of promise. He doesn't go to the Jews and ask, "Do you think this is fair? Don't you think that god is being too hard on me?" Nor does he go to them and tell them that his first thought, hearing that he would not enter the land was for them—that they have a leader. He only mentions that he will not go into the land and that Joshua will be his replacement. Moses was very grace-oriented and, unless backed into a corner, was not going to sing his own praises to the congregation of Israel. Moses gave up his position of leadershp graciously (who knows, perhaps he was relieved). On several occasions, he made it clear that Joshua, son of Nun, would lead in his stead (Num. 34:17 Deut. 3:28 31:7).

" 'And your infants, of whom you [all] had said, "For a prey they are," and your sons who have not known today good and evil, they will to in there and to them I will give it, and they will possess it; [Deut. 1:39]

Moses is speaking to the infants, however, he is speaking of a time forty years ago when God spoke to Moses to speak to the people, and in this way, spoke to this degenerate generation, gen X. God promised that the generation of promise would take the land, and now Moses is speaking to these people prior to their invasion of the land. [Generation X is complaining about their ot in life] "And why is Y^ehowah bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder. would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?" (Num. 14:3). God's response: "Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness." (Num. 14:32).

This passage gives us some clue as to the age of accountability, but we have to be careful here. God had specific duties for the generation of men who were twenty years and older; they were to believe God, enter into the land and take it from the population which lived there. God had given them a specific responsibility and they failed at that responsibility. Those who were nineteen and below were not yet given this responsibility, so they were not yet responsible. I have heard one person place the age of accountability at age twenty because of this passage. We have that age in this place because that is the age cutoff that God assigned specific responsibilities to. However, bear in mind the context and the dispensation. These people did not have the Holy Spirit as we have the Holy Spirit. It is my opinion that today the age of accountability in a civilized society is much younger. I hesitate to place a number on it, but perhaps somewhere between age four and twelve. Children can be saved somewhere between ages three and six. Furthermore, it should be clear to any of you who know anything about young people and drugs that some children begin taking drugs at age eight or ten or twelve and it damages their lives and psyches for the rest of their time on earth. If God allows young people to do this to themselves, then that would be the time that a child has some responsibility in the presence of God.

One thing is absolutely clear: if you have children, you must begin early with them. They need to see you as an example of faith and they need to hear the gospel. They need to understand Who Jesus Christ is and that they must make a decision from their own soul. Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Prov. 22:6). As a child, I was stubborn, self-willed and as hard-headed as children go; and this carried on into my early twenties. However, my parents, who were both unbelievers, gave me some of the very best training and discipline along with their personal consistent daily example of moral behavior. However, although I departed from their excellent teaching on a consistent basis for many years, I returned to it. Luckily, I was not too old before I began to realize that my parents had given me a great deal in the way of love, training and discipline. So all children need consistent training, guidance, your good example, and they need the gospel.

J. Vernon McGee points out that this passage tells us that children who die in infancy are automatically saved. The children who were not faced with the responsibility of going to war under God's direction did not die the sin unto death as did their parents. They were given the exact same chance as their parents had. God allowed them to live and then, when the time was right, placed the decision before them.

What we have in the previous few verses is an example of short-term prophecy. God told Israel to go and take the land; Israel did not, so God withdrew, for that generation the promise of the land. He promised to scatter their corpses in the desert and bring their children into the land. He promised that only Joshua and Caleb would remain from generation X. All of these predictions and prophecies came true. The prophetic aspect of the Bible is both long-term (such as, Lev. 26) and short-term. God's Word must stand, both to the generation that it was written to and to the many generations that follow.

" 'And you [all], turn back and return to the wilderness, in the direction of the sea of Reeds [lit., turn for yourselves, and journey toward the wilderness, the way of the sea of Reeds].' [Deut. 1:40]

If the Jews would not obey God, then there was no reason for them to enter into the land. They could not remain right on the outskirts of the land, or the inhabitants would eventually storm down and kill many of them. Therefore, they had to back off. From the edge of the land, they were instructed to return to Kadesh-barnea. However, in keeping with their habit of disobeying God, they did just the opposite.

"And you [all] answered and said to me, 'We have sinned against Y^ehowah; we, even we, will go up and we will fight, according to all that which Y^ehowah our God has commanded us;' and you [all] prepared for yourselves [lit., gird on each his] weapons of war, and you [all] were ready to go up to the hill-country. [Deut. 1:41]

The verb were ready might be rendered thought it easy. It is a tough call, as this verb occurs only here in Scripture.

This was an interesting turn of events. The Jews whined and cried and refused to go up into the hill country to fight against the inhabitants. So God told them that they would not enter into the land but that their children would instead. This did not set well with the Jews, so they decided that they had two choices: either go back into the desert and wilderness where they had just spent the better part of two years in thirst and hunger or they could attack the inhabitants of Palestine. This was not a choice which God had placed before them—these were options which they manufactured in their own minds. God had already made a ruling and He would affirm that ruling. If this doesn't make sense to you, then you just do not know human nature. Man is not necessarily logical and he does not tend toward making the right decision all of the time. With the facts fully before him, man makes some extremely stupid decisions. There are certain men who are adulterers who give it very little thought; but there are a considerable number of men who realize, sometimes for weeks and months in advance, that a decision to commit adultery could ruin their marriage, break the heart of the woman they love or once loved, and cause years of pain suffering to their children and to themselves for years to come—and then they go right ahead and do it. That is the essence of human nature to know what is right, and then to do just the opposite. In fact, one of the fallacies of sex education in the public schools is that it is thought that if you present this material intelligently before the students that, even if they choose to have sex as minors, at least they will know enough to use contraception. Let me educate you as to how the adolescent mind works. They first of all see this as a green light to experiment, and sometimes they might use contraception (and sometimes they won't). This is human nature. I have talked to fifteen-year-olds who thought that it was okay to get wasted, to drink to excess, just as long as they didn't drive (and, most of the time, they don't drive; but sometimes they do). This generation X of Israel were given the truth day in and day out; they had seen great miracles and they had the leading of God—and whatever God told them to do, sometimes they did it and sometimes they did they exact opposite.

The insidiousness of human viewpoint is lost here in this shuffle. They have been told that they can go and take the land, yet, their leaders influenced them for fear. Moses explains that God would have led them and God would have fought for them, but no more. Here is where human viewpoint creeps in—okay, they could have gone up and taken the land. So now they will—they are not placing their faith in God or in His Word, but, since Moses has told them that they would have been able to conquer the land, the reasoning is that the ability to conquer the land lies within themselves. That is, they are the ones able to conquer the land, apart from God. Let me make this clear: apart from God, you are nothing. You are worthless at best and a spiritual detriment to those around you at worst. No matter how much personal talent that you have, or innate intelligence, or good looks, or favored background, we are nothing in this life apart from God. There are only two things that move us into God's will—and no, it is not sincere emotion and a vow to do good—it is God the Holy Spirit, Whose filling is achieved by naming your sins to God; and the study of God's Word. The psychological hoops you jumped through to walk out in front of everybody and re-dedicate your life; your promises to God to never do this or that again; your fervent emotion—these things mean nothing. This is the charge of the Israelites up into the hill country without God. God left us His Holy Spirit and His Word. Jesus Christ, in the book of John particularly, tells the disciples that He will leave, but His purpose in leaving is to send to them God the Holy Spirit. These are the two things which are left here on earth for us. If you neglect one or both of them, then your life is meaningless. Have you ever accumulated wealth or possessions or a particular possession in a dream, and then you woke up and you did not have it? This is what your life will be; you will stand before God at the end of your life and you will have nothing worthwhile that you have carried from this life into the next. Now, you will have no more sorrow, no more tears, and your shame of wasting your life will be momentary—but you will be picking cotton on my plantation and your life will not have glorified God.

"And Y^ehowah said to me, 'Speak to them: "You will not go up, nor fight, for I am not in your midst, so that [lit., and] you [all] are not struck down before your enemies." ' [Deut. 1:42]

The Jews were out of fellowship. They did not confess their sins to God. They did confess them to Moses, and then immediately went against God's will. Naming your sins to God does not do you a whole lot of good if you put yourself out of fellowship a tenth of a second later. They were operating under the strength of the flesh and they had determined in their minds that they had options which they really did not have. God had not, after that night of great fear, give them two options. He told them that it was time to back up, return to the desert, and their children would come back and take the land. So that there was no confusion, God spoke to Moses and Moses told the people that they no longer had the option of entering into the land and fighting against the inhabitants therein. God would not be with them if they did such a thing and they were enjoined not to go into the land, or they would be struck down by their enemies.

"And I said to you, and you did not listen, and you provoked the mouth of Y^ehowah and you acted proudly, and you went up into the hill country; [Deut. 1:43]

That generation X did exactly the opposite of what God had commanded them to do. In the morning, however, they rose up early and went up to the ridge of the hill country, saying, "Here we are; we have indeed sinned, but we will go up to the place which Y^ehowah has promised." But Moses said, "Why then are you transgressing the commandment of Y^ehowah, when it will not succeed? Do not go up, so that you will not be struck down before your enemies, for Y^ehowah is not among you." (Num. 14:40–42). They were given fair warning that this would not fall within the will of God and they were told that they would not win. However, gen X was not known for listening to God or to reason.

"And the Amorite, who is dwelling in that hill country, came down to meet you, and they pursued you as the bees do, and the struck you down in Seir, [all the way] to Hormah." [Deut. 1:44]

As mentioned back in Ex. 23:28, the meaning of this Hebrew word translated bees has been lost to history. The Septuagint translated it wasp; however, that was likely a guess. It is preceded by the preposition for as, meaning that, in any case, this is analogous. It does not refer to a specific people in history.

The Amorites had the most powerful nation at that time in the land of Canaan, so their name is lent here to represent all of the inhabitants of Canaan (specifically the Amalekites and the Canaanites of the hill country—Num. 14:45). This is the more general usage of the term Amorites, which appears to mean westerner. When someone says to me, a resident of Houston, you people of the South, in reference to myself and those in Houston, he does not take into account that a very large number of us moved here from somewhere else. We are called southerners, although our culture and background are decidedly different. Moses is using the name Amorite in a similar fashion.

When this generation went before the men of Palestine, they, when faced with these men of war without God being with them, turned tail and ran. But they went up heedlessly to the ridge of the hill country; neither the ark of the covenant of Y^ehowah nor Moses left the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and struck them and beat them down as far as Hormah (Num. 14:44–45). The inhabitants of Palestine took this as great sport and pursued them, chasing them but moving slow enough to get them out of the land. They probably didn't know where the encampment of the Jews were and chased them far enough to get close to it. It wasn't that they could not catch the Jews—part of the fun was the chase and the observance of the fear; and, the closer they could get to the encampment of the Jews, the better. This would be an example to the others and there might be some more killing that could take place.

"And you turned back and you wept before Y^ehowah, and Y^ehowah had did not listen to your voice, nor did he give ear to you; [Deut. 1:45]

God is omnipresent, and, even though the rumors were quietly spread throughout the camp, and that those very demonstrative Jews who cried aloud in public as well as the ones who did in private, were all observed by God. Everything that we do is done before God. Now these people have been beaten down and they are in tears again. God made it clear to the people the sequence of events and He made clear to them His power and when He would be with them or not. When they chose to ignore Him, He chose to ignore them. When you are out of fellowship, you have no contact with God. We are very willful in our lives and we make dozens, if not hundreds of wrong choices which strictly reveal our own will and our own lusts. God is not with us in these. God does not stay with us when we push Him away. We have one way back to Him and that is rebound and His Word.

Perhaps you have gone through some difficult times and perhaps it has been because you have been out of fellowship and because you have opposed God's will. And now, the discipline is so great, that you are caused to cry before God. Some people, under various types of psychological pressure, wander up before a church and cry there. Aren't these tears indicative of repentance? Did not the Israelites who cried in front of God after this defeat—was this not repentence before God? We live in a world of tears and tears sometimes are meaningful and sometimes they are not. I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the changing of [your] mind; for you were made sorrowful according to [the norm or standard of] God in order that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to [the norm or standard of] God produces a change of mind leading to a salvation [or deliverance] without regret; but the sorrow of the world produces death (2Cor. 7:9–10). You were wrong, you were disciplined by God, and, it hurt so bad that you are now crying. The key, is this a sorrow caused by hurting, by discipline, by not getting just what you wanted? Or is this a sorrow according to the norm and standard of God? These sons of Israel cried on three occasions with respect to this incident. The night before they were to enter the land; after they realized that they had missed the opportunity to enter the land due to their unbelief and that God had placed them under the sin unto death; and after they had been defeated when they presumptiously attacked the Canaanites of the land. "There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, "Would we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!" "Your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, [those of you] who have grumbled against [God]" And when Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. [Moses is speaking]: "Then you answered and said to me, 'We have sinned against Y^ehowah; we will indeed go up and fight, just as Y^ehowah our god commanded us.' And every man of you girded on his weapons of war, and regarded it as easy to go up into the hill country. And Y^ehowah said to me, 'Say to them, "Do not go up, nor fight, for I am not among you; or you will be defeated before your enemies." ' So I spoke to you, but you would not listen. Instead, you rebelled against the oath of Y^ehowah and acted presumptiously and went up into the hill country. And the Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you and chased you as bees do, and crushed you from Seir to Hormah. Then you returned and wept before Y^ehowah, but Y^ehowah did not listen to your voice, nor give ear to you." (Num. 13:33–14:2b, 29, 39 Deut. 1:41–45). Some criminals, when they are caught or when they are sentenced to jail, weep. Do they weep because they realize they are wrong and wish they could undo the wrong that they did? Sometimes; but, usually, they weep because they were caught and because they will now suffer as a result of that

The next verse is a good verse to expand upon, as it is crucial to the activity of the Jews during their time in the desert:

The Emphasized Bible And ye abode in Kadesh many days,—how many were the days that ye abode [there]!

KJV "So you abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there."

NRSV After you stayed at Kadesh as many days as you did, [we journeyed back into the wilderness, in the direction of the Red Sea... (part of Deut. 2:1 was added here)

Young's Lit. Translation ...and ye dwell in Kadesh many days, according to the days which ye had dwelt.

The first half of the verse is generally correctly rendered: we have the Qal imperfect of yâsha^bv (ב ַש ָי ) [pronounced yaw-SHAH^BV] and it means to remain, sit, dwell. Strong's #3427 BDB #442 Many days is a phrase we first find in Gen. 21:34, which could have indicated a period of time from 5 years to perhaps 20. This prhase is found again in Gen. 37:34 when Jacob has found out (incorrectly) that his son Joseph has died—his mourning for many days went on for years. He still held his children responsible as late as Gen. 42:38, which is quite a number of years later. Many days here was an inordinate amount of time, several years at least. Lev. 15:25 has the same phrase, which may not refer to more than a week or two, but the key is we are talking about an unusual amount of time—more than what is ordinary. They Jews remained at the foot of Mount Sinai for about a year, which was because Moses was obtaining the Law from God. There were two trips involved and this was not a period of many days, as this was a reasonable amount of time. However, the time that they spent at Kadesh-barnea fell under the phrase many days—an unreasonable amount of time.

The emphasize this, we follow this with the kâph preposition, which means like, as;. which in turn is followed by the phrase the days. Then there is the relative pronoun which, and the 2nd masculine plural, Qal perfect of yâsha^bv again.

"And you [all] kept remaining [or, kept dwelling] in Kadesh many days, as the days which you [all] had remained [or, dwelt]." [Deut. 1:46]

There is an emphasis here not just upon an inordinate amount of time, which would have been the first phrase all by itself, but that is followed by a second phrase which further emphasizes the first phrase. This is why The Emphasized Bible translates it as how many were the days that ye abode [there]! This indicates that they spend a great deal of time in Kadesh-barnea; of no other stopping place in the deserft was it said that they spent many days. (Num. 9:19 was likely a retrospective addition to the chronological narative, not added later but added when Moses and the children of Israel were residing in Kadesh-barnea and Moses was recording God's Word for the first time). We will also have the sons of Israel wandering around Mount Seir for many days in the following verse. Joshua used this term many days to describe the amount of time that the sons of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh remained with their children of Israel to conquer the land, even after they had chosen their own territory. This was a period of several decades.

Introduction: Deut. 2 is a continuation of Deut. 1, separated only, perhaps, due to their length. Moses covered the trip from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea rather quickly, and then focused in for most of Deut. 1 on the refusal of generation X to take the land given them by God. Deut. 2 will pick up here and follow the Israelites—principally the generation of promise, around as they travel east of the promised land. The primary purpose of what Moses says to the people is God's faithfulness, His integrity, His omnipotence and His veracity. The children of Israel are about to enter into the Land of Promise and spend seven years taking it from the Canaanites and the other indigenous peoples of whom their fathers were afraid. Since they had seemingly learned from the mistakes of generation X, Moses thought it wise to teach them academically of these characteristics of God through illustration. Because Lot was Abram's nephew, God blessed Lot's descendants with a piece of land. Moses will point out that at one time, giants lived in that land, but God promised the land to Moab and Ammon, Lot's two children, and God gave them that land. IIlustration #2: God gave land to Esau, the brother of Jacob. Great men of war lived there and God allowed Esau to possess it nevertheless. Esau is an also-ran. He was Jacob's twin and the covenant to Abraham went to Jacob, not to his older brother Esau. Still, God was faithful to Esau under the principle blessing by association. Illustration #3: when Israel was opposed by the king of the Amorites, Sihon, God deliver him and his land into the hands of Israel. Chapter 4 will continue a retrospect of the faithfulness of God in war.

Between the second-to-the-last verse in Deut. 1 and this verse, there are the thirty-eight silent years, simply covered in Deut. 1:46: "So you remained in Kadesh many days, the days that you remained." Most of generation X has died the sin unto death. It would seem logical that the generation of promise of Israel would move due north and take the land. When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negev [i.e., the southern region] heard that Israel was coming by way of Atharim, then he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. So Israel made a vow to Y^ehowah and said, "If You will completely deliver this people into my hand, then I will completely destroy their cities." And Y^ehowah heard the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; then they completely destroyed them and their cities. Thus the name of the place was called Chormah [meaning devoted; i.e., devoted to destruction] (Num. 21:1–3). After defeating a Canaanite tribe, it would seem even more logical for the children of Israel to march immediately into the land and to take it. However, God did not take them that direction for two reasons: (1) there were still some Israelites from generation X who needed to be removed (see Num. 21:6 25:9); and, (2) God needed to present the generation of promise with some object lessons. Moses will explain these object lessons in this chapter. Therefore, instead of moving due north into the Land of Promise, Israel moved into the land of Edom.

"Then we turned and then we journeyed into the wilderness, the way of the Sea of Reeds, as Y^ehowah had spoken to me, and we went around the mount of Seir for many days. [Deut. 2:1]

The Sea of Reeds is obviously not the same from the book of Exodus. It apparently referred to any large body of water wherein were reeds. Here, we are either directly south of the Salt Sea or north of the Gulf of Aqaba. The mount or the hill country of Seir is an area south of the Dead Sea. This would indicate a route which is south of the border of Edom.

Here, many days means an inordinant amount of time; in terms of encampment, that was a period of thirty-eight years. In terms of marching in place, this may have been just a week or two. This was the land of Edom, given by God to Esau—and the Jews were therefore not allowed to take it from them.

There remains still a remnant of generation X, and you would think that they would have learned by now. Over the past thirty-eight years, they have seen the better part of two million people die the sin unto death. You would think that would have made an impression. It obviously did not. They think that they should go due north into the Land of Promise and they complain when God does not lead them that way. Then they set out from Mount Hor by way of the Sea of Reeds to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey. And the people spoke against God and Moses. "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loath this miserable food." And Y^ehowah sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died (Num. 21:4–5). Moses does not mention this because it is not a part of what he is teaching this new generation prior to the entrance into the Land of Promise. I mention this so that you can be integrated into the historical context that we have just covered in the book of Numbers.

For some reason, the Israelites moved out of Kadesh-barnea, went into Edom, and circled Mount Seir, being guided by God the Holy Spirit. I don't think that we are specifically given a reason for this particular movement.

" 'Enough of you—the going around of this mountain; for for yourselves northward. [Deut. 2:3]

McGee writes: I have always thought that the Lord has a sense of humor, and I think we can see it here. You see, they didn't know where to go. all they have been doing is just going aroudn and around Mr. Seir. It was sort of a ring-around-the-rosy; round and round they go. finally God says that He is getting tired of that. He says. He says, "Let's quit this round and round business." I'm afraid many Chjristians are doing that very same thing. Because they fail to take God at His Word, they are just marking time, and are on a merry-go-round of activity

God is leading the sons of Israel; however, they are in a holding pattern as many of them are complaining again. They set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Sea of Reeds to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient beause of the journey. And the people spoke against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food [the manna]." (Num. 21:4–5). God had to remove some of these people—principally gen X—to cleanse the children of Israel completely.

God has taken His people due east, until they reached the water running between the Salt Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba (which I believe existed at that time), and they arrived at the southern portion of the mountains of Seir in Edom, in the southern portion of Edom, where there was a more scattered population and less well-defined boundaries. What Israel would like to do would be to travel through Edom along the King's Highway. Moses, from Kadesh-barnea, sent such messengers to Edom, and then set out behind the messengers. From Kadesh, Moses then sent messengers to the king of Edom; "Thus your brother Israel has said, 'You know all the hardship that has befallen us; that our fathers went down to Egypt and we stayed in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptinas treated us and our fathers poorly. But, when we cried out to Y^ehowah, He heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out from Egypt; now observe, we are at Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard; we will not even drink water from a well. we will go along the king's highway, not turning to the right or left, until we pass through your territory.' " (Num. 20:14–17).

We are not positive as to which mountain or mountain range is referred to . There are sets of mountains on both sides of the valley where there was like a river of reeds. Most scholars place Mount Seir east of the valley which runs between the Salt Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. This appears to line up with the end of Num. 20 and the beginning of Num. 21. Then they set out from Mount Hor by way of the Sea of Reeds, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey (Num. 21:4). It would make sense that the Israelites would become impatient because they are moving away from the Land of Promise and had they gone in a circle or two.

" 'And you must command the people, saying, "You all are passing over into the border of your brothers, [the] sons of Esau, who are dwelling in Seir, and they are afraid of you; and you [all] being abundantly on guard; [Deut. 2:4]

The Hebrew appears to be confusing at first. Command is in the 2nd masculine singular, Piel imperative. Context explains what is going on. This is Moses telling the people what God told him to say to them—a quote within a quote within a quote. God, in speaking to Moses, said, "You [Moses] must command the people." We have to be careful not to interpret these few verses as though they are consecutive events. The last verb, being on guard, is in the Niphal perfect rather than a Piel imperative again (which is what I would have expected). Rather than continue this command begun in this sentence with a further command, the Niphal is used instead. The Niphal is usually the passive of the Qal (or common) stem. However, the Niphal also emphasizes the effect of an individual on the group and can refer to an action in progress or development, so we often translate the verb along with the word being.

This is a continuation of the imperative mood, but said in such a way that each individual is charged here to be on their guard. These verses, 2–5 should be read together, so that we are not so far removed from the context and the meaning of what is said.

One of the first hit songs written by Moses if found in Ex. 15 written almost forty years prior to this incident as Moses was guided by God the Holy Spirit. He wrote: The peoples have heard—they tremble; anguish has gripped the inhapbitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed; the leaders of Moab—trembling grips them; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. Terror and dread fall upon them; by the greatness of Your arm, they are motionless as stone until You people pass over, O Y^ehowah; until the people pass over whom You have purchased (Ex. 15:14–16). What we read in this portion of Deuteronomy is the fulfillment of the prophecy of this song. A prophet was to be judged by the people of his time by the prophecies that he spoke and whether or not they came to pass. What Moses said almost forty years ago had come to pass.

The route covered by Israel seems to have been a movement from Kadesh-barnea to Mount Hor, which might be Mount Seir, which they circled for awhile—my guess is that they were waiting for an official statement of permission to pass through the land of Edom

(Num. 20:22 33:37). They marched around Mount Seir (which may have been just a movement below the southern half of these mountains (Num. 21:4 Deut. 2:3–5 Judges 11:18). However, the Edomites refused, so the Israelites proceded southward, skirted the southern border of Edom, and came up along the east border. This was going altogether in the opposite direction from the Land of Promise, causing some consternation on the part of some of the Israelites—mostly the generation X remnant (Num. 21:4).

" ' "Not contending [or, engaging in strife] with them, for I am not giving to you out from their land even as far as the treading of the sole of a foot; because I have given Mount Seir as a possession to Esau. [Deut. 2:5]

Whereas, I have given a fairly literal translations (apart from the word order) of this verse, the NASB gives the gist of it: "Do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, even as little as a footstep because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession." Joshua confirms this seven years later: And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says Y^ehowah, the god of Israel, 'to Isaac, I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau, I gave Mount Sier, to possess it; but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.' " (Joshua 24:2a, 4). Even when King David conquered the the Edomites, they still remained in the land given them by God (2Sam. 8:14). Eventually, under the reign of Jehoram, Edom regained her independence fromIsrael (2Kings 8:20–22). God sets the boundaries for all nations. "The God who made the world and all the things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having predetermined [their] appointed times, and boundaries of their habitation." (Acts 17:24–26).

The sense of the imperative is continued (there must be a grammatical rule to cover this), however contend is in the 2nd masculine plural jussive, Hithpael imperfect. The 2nd person plural is God speaking to Moses to speak to the people of Israel; the jussive expresses volition—it is the command, instruction or granting of permission from a superior to an inferior (when it is spoken from an inferior to a superior, it expresses a request). The Hithpael is the reflexive of the Piel (intensive) stem.

The Israelites have just come from a great victory, they are a little impatient due to wandering again, and now they are going to be taken out of their way because Esau will not let them go through (as we have seen and will see). God wants them all to be on guard, particularly careful not to provoke a confrontation, as God has not given even one footstep of their land to the Israelites. These verses, as I said, are easier to follow when taken together: "Then Y^ehowah spoke to me, saying, 'Enough of you—the going around of this mountain; for for yourselves northward. And you must command the people, saying, "You all are passing over into the border of your brothers, [the] sons of Esau, who are dwelling in Seir, and they are afraid of you; and you [all] being abundantly on guard, not contending with them, for I am not giving to you even one foot print of their land [lit., out from their land as far as the treading of the sole of a foot]; because I have given Mount Seir as a possession to Esau." ' " God had given certain portions of land which were east and south of the Salt Sea to the sons of Lot and to the descendants of Esau, the son of Abram. This is completely blessing by association.

" ' "You [all] will purchase food from them with money and you will eat; and you will also buy from them water—with money—that you [all] may drink." ' [Deut. 2:6]

There are two different words here in the Hebrew for buy. The first is used specifically to buy grain; and the second is used for bartering or trading. Even though the numbers of the Israelites would be intimidating, God carefully instructed them to purchase whatever it is that they need from the Edomites.

"For Y^ehowah your God has blessed [each of] you in all the work of your hands

; He has known your walking in this great wilderness these forty years; Y^ehowah your God is with [each of] you; not one of you has lacked anything [lit., you have not lacked anything]. [Deut. 2:7]

Moses is explaining to the Isralites why God has so commanded them and reminds them of their blessings at God's hand—which is designed as motivation and justification for believing in Y^ehowah. All of the you's in this verse are in the singular. The emphasis is on son of Israel has seen God's daily blessing. I have added this individual emphasis into this verse.

The chief complaint of generation X was that they were out of food or out of water, or didn't like what they had. Moses reminds them that for forty years, despite their complaining—actually, the complaining of their parents—they did not lack anything. Even though they traveled without a permanent residence, two million Israelites in a wilderness-desert, they had all of their daily needs met because God is able. It was only due to their hardheartedness that they did not have certain luxuries that they remembered from Egypt. They Israelites were traveling near trade routes occasionally, and men who traded throughout the east passed by them on a regular basis. God allowed them to do some trading, and they certainly had the wealth with which to work with. However, it is my educated guess that, had they trusted God, they would have been given a lot more in terms of exotic foods, had they been less stubborn. It would be a very little thing for God to cause their paths to cross with the paths of traders on a regular basis—including traders who had come right out of Egypt, carrying with them certain wares, goods and foods peculiar to Egypt. So, when you lack, it is not because God is not able.

David wrote, Y^ehowah is my shepherd; I cannot lack. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside waters of refreshment. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake (Psalm 23:1–3). This is the testimony of all mature Christians. I am certain that you can think of a thousand things that you want right now or think that you need. That's because you are immature. God saw to all of your needs in eternity past. When you are able to bear it, He gives you blessing. He will pour out blessing beyond anything that you can imagine—if you have the capacity to enjoy it. You can't give a three month old baby the bankbook to a savings account in his name containing $10,000,000. He would not appreciate it. You cannot take a three year old and provide them with a Harvard education—they have no capacity for it. When you begin to grow, God will begin to pour. When you reach maturity, God will pour out blessings to you and your family and your associates and your nation like you would not believe. God does not just stop with you. His blessings overflow to all of those associated with you. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil. My cup overflows. Certainly goodness and prosperity and grace will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of Y^ehowah forever (Psalm 23:5–6). The key is capacity and the key to capacity is the understanding of God's Word and God's plan through a pastor teacher and God the Holy Spirit. Running down a church aisle in a fit of emotion gives you an emotional catharsis at best. Praying fervently to God to give you things—please, don't waste your time. Get with His Word first; grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ first—then He will teach you how to pray and what to pray for. And He will pour blessings into your cup beyond anything that you have ever experienced in life.

The spies spent forty days in the Land of Promise, verifying that it was all that God had promised, they returned and enjoined the Israelites not to invade, God disciplined Israel for forty years. "Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness, and your sons will be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness [lit., bear your fornications], until your corpses are finished in the wilderness. According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you will bear your guilt-iniquities a year—forty years—and you will know My opposition." (Num. 15:31–35).

"And we passed by from our brothers, sons of Esau, who were dwelling in Seir, by the way of the Arabah, by Elath, and by Ezion-Geber; [Deut. 2:8a]

Recall that Ezion-Geber is probably further north than what you find on the maps in your Bible, as is the gulf of Aqaba. I believe that there was a sizable river feeding into it (or from it) to the north. Elath is located at the gulf of Arabah also, the north-eastern finger of the Red Sea. Elath means trees and there are still groves of palm trees in that area to justify such a name.

The road of the Arabah here seems to refer to a route which moves north south from the Red Sea on up to the Dead Sea, which would be through the southern Arabah. They likely walked along a trade route there, called the Arabah Road or the way of the Arabah.

The Arabah Road was a road which began around the Gulf of Aqaba and went north to Edom. Then the Jews moved along the southern part of the Dead Sea, going through Edom (= the sons of Esau), around to the east side of the Dead Sea, crossing over Moab. Since the Jews are moving north-south, and we have the verb, to cross over, that indicates that the Way of the Wilderness of Moab is going east-west

What is unimportant to the train of thought of Moses was the response of Esau. The Edomites came out in great force against the Jews, refusing them entry into their land. I am confused by this particular movement by Israel. From some passages, it sounds as though they stayed at Kadesh-barnea, awaiting word from the Edomites; and had to therefore walk around the southern border of Edom and come up from the east side. In other areas, it appears as though they walked part-way into Edom (into an area which was not really populated), and were met by the Edomites in full force, meaning the Israelites had to head wouth out of the land, come up on the west side, and go through between the Salt Sea and the land of Edom. This portion of the route has me a bit confused (and it is personally aggrivating, as Moses, guided by God the Holy Spirit, went to great pains to explain his actual movements in Scripture). Ezion-geber places us south of the Salt Sea, though not necessarily as far south as it is shown on most maps. As I have mentioned before, the Gulf of Aqaba probably came much further north than it does today, with a river flowing into it. Ezion-geber must be in such a place as to provide access to the Gulf of Aqaba, as it is later known for its shipbuilding. This places us, at least for a portion of this trip on the southern portion of Edom.

"And Y^ehowah said to me, 'Do not distress Moab, nor stir yourself up against them in battle, for I do not give to you out of their land [as] a possession; for I have given Ar a possession to the sons of Lot.' [Deut. 2:9]

We have great blessing by association here. Esau and Lot, if you will recall, were not spiritual giants. In fact, they were the also-rans. The great spiritual blessing went to Abraham rather than to his nephew Lot; Jacob, despite being an inferior human being, so to speak, was the heir of God's great promises, not Esau. However, by virtue of being blood relatives, Lot and Esau were both given great tracts of land, possessions which God honored for many generations. God honors this gift to Lot and Esau by retaining a tight leash on Israel, not allowing them to attack or to dispossess the Edomites or the Moabites. The ones in view in this context are the Moabites, Moab being one of the sons of Lot by virtue of an incestuous relationship with his daughter (Gen. 36–37). A point of moderate interest is that the Bible does not contain the history of God giving Ar or the land of Moab to the Moab, son of Lot. In fact, between Gen. 19:36 and this context, the name of Lot is not even mentioned. Furthermore, Lot will only be mentioned six more times in all of Scripture (Deut. 2:19 Psalm 83:8 Luke 17:28, 32 2Peter 2:7). This is the first time that we, several millenniums after the fact, are told that God gave this area to Moab. However, it is possible that there were ancient records, to which Moses had access, which may have mentioned this. Even if this were the case, Moses saw no reason to record this in Scripture until now.

Now the Jews need to sort through this in their own mind—if God has blessed the also-rans, those in second place; if God has provided national boundaries for Edom, Ammon and Moab; if God specifically tells Israel not to invade these areas but to abide by their rulings—how much more will God do for them who are His chosen people?

This passage helps to explain Num. 22–24 and what follows. Balak, king of Moab, sent for Balaam, who was possibly a MIdianite in order to curse Israel. However, Israel does not attack Moab after this incident, but they do attack Midian in Num. 31. Moses, when writing the book of Numbers, does not mention whom God told him not to slaughter—just whom He did. The sons of Israel could have taken that entire land bordering the east of the Salt Sea, but had portions of it not already been given by God to Lot and Esau.

"(The Emmin formerly lived in it, a people as great, numerous and tall as the Anakim. [Deut. 2:10]

Vv. 10–12 are obviously an aside, but by whom? The purpose of this aside is to either encourage the Israelites, insofar as the land now occupied by the Edomites and the Moabites were also previously occupied by strong nations which lost them. God gave these lands over to the Edomites and the Moabites, as blessing by association. Now we have several possibilities: these things were said to encourage Israel to believe God and to follow his directions, in which case these verses could have been spoken by God for Moses to say to the people; or they could have been spoken by Moses to encourage the people. Another option is that these three verses could be an aside, either written down later by Moses (either, as something I should have said, or to give more evidence to the reader for following God); or this could have been appended later by Joshua, given for the same reason to encourage the reader. Joshua is a writer of Scripture who may have edited Moses last sermons to Israel, thus giving him the right to insert points of clarification, encouragement, rationalization. At this point, until I examine a few more asides like this, I am leaning toward this being a portion of Moses' message to the people, directly from Moses, who would have had the historical background and training to know these things.

The Emmin may not be the exact name of the people named here (long since lost to history). This is very close to the Hebew word for terror; their name could have come from the word for terror, as this was the persona by which they were known. The Anakim were reknown for their stature and strength. "Hear, O Israel! You are corssing over the Jordan today to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, great cities fortified to heaven, a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you known and of whom you have heard, 'Who can stand before the sons of Anak?' " (Deut. 9:1–2).

"(They [the Emin] are called [lit., reckoned] Rephaim [or, giants]; they also, as the Anakim; and the Moabites call them Emim [or, like the Anakim, they are also regarded as giants, but the Moabites call them Emim]. [Deut. 2:11]

The word found here is r'pha’îym (מי ̣א ָפ ׃ר ) [pronounced r^efaw-EEM] and it can be transliterated Rephaim or translated giants. Here, it is in the plural and without a definite article. We first find mention of this word in Gen. 14:5 where it appears to be a proper noun (it is also lacking a definite article and is found in the plural). It occurs next in Gen. 15:20, with a definite article and in the plural. The context of these verses lends itself to its use as a proper noun. However, here, it does not necessarily refer to a particular race, but to the concept of being really large people, like the Anakim. This word is used accurately by Moses as opposed to the use of the inflammatory name Nephalim, which is actually a reference to half-angel half-man beings. Strong's #7495-7497 BDB #952 (this word also means dead ones). However, the ten loser spies used this particular word to frighten the people of Israel so that they would not have to lead them into battle (these spies were afraid). Moses, since he is speaking the truth, cannot use this particular word when referencing any of the peoples of the land or to the previous occupants of the lands of Edom, Moab and Ammon, because that would be inaccurate.

You may recognize some of these names: the Rephaim, the Zuzim, the Emim and the Horites are all mentioned in Gen. 14:1–17 in that great war of the kings during Abraham's time. They were smaller villages and hamlets at that time and, in order to make up an army, several villages had to band together. At the time of the writing of Deuteronomy, each of them had become full-fledged nations on their own.

The problem that the Jews first had with entering the land was that those who lived there were so large, that they felt unable to conquer them. There was no trust in God. The aside here points out that the Moabites faced a similar enemy, and they were able to triumph, and without the same kind of guidance as God has given Israel (that, of course, is not stated specifically here).

"(And the Horim lived in Seir formerly and the sons of Esau dispossed them and destroyed them from before their face and settled in their stead as Israel will do [or, as did Israel] in regard to the land of their possession which Y^ehowah gave to them). [Deut. 2:12]

Recall that we have examined the Horites (or Horim) back in Gen. 14:6. These are the Hurrians, a non-Semetic peoples who were found throughout the ancient world, primarily in the ancient Near East.

Because the Hebrew lacks a tense system, so the incident in this verse is difficult to place this in time. Will do or did is in the Qal perfect, indicating action which is viewed as from a completed stance; this does not mean the perfect tense cannot be future—the tense, in Hebrew, views an action as a completed whole or as a process, unlike our tense system, which views action as past, present or future. Here, the land is a gift by God to Israel and Israel will take control of the land. From God's point of view, this is a completed action. From the view of Moses, this is an action not yet begun, but he will not view it as a process. Joshua, if looking back after his conquering of the Land of Promise would see this more as a completed action rather than a process. In the English, it appears as though this is definitely a backward glance made after Israel has conquered the land; however, it is not that clear in the Hebrew.

Some commentators look back to the lands which Israel had already conquered east of the Jordan as the historical reference here rather than to the entirety of the land of Israel, which would be conquered seven years into the future. The phrase land of their possession is used specificially in Johsua 1:15 for the land of Gad and Reuben. Their position is that this verse would refer back to the historic event of Num. 21:25–35.

Now let me give you the official verdict as to who actually wrote (or spoke) this portion of Scripture. Recall what is occuring. Moses is speaking to the sons of Israel. They are about ready to invade the land. God has brought these Jews up through three different lands where giants once lived and these lands were given over to their relatives under the principle blessing by association. Moses is explaining to the Jews that these lands that they have travelel through are object lessons. If this is not spoken to the Jews by Moses, the entire purpose of God of bringing the Israelites up through this passageway is defeated. That is, this parenthetical portion, while is sounds like a later addition, is not an addendum, but it states the purpose of God in bringing the Israelites up on the east side of the Dead Sea. It would be silly to add these verses years after the conquering of the Land of Promise because this passage is motivational and it is the impartation of Bible doctrine, which includes God's essence; of which, perfection, omnipotence and veracity are key. God is fully able to ddeliver the land to the Jews—this is His omnipotence; He has promised to give the land to the Israelites—and, since He is veracity, He will honor His promises; and He is perfect, meaning He will perfectly keep His promises and He will perfectly bring all things to pass which He has promised.

This new generation of Israelites have learned from their fathers' mistakes—now they also learn by the successes of their relatives. Therefore, this is not an addendum of Moses or Joshua or anyone else affixed several years later, but is spoken right at this historic moment by Moses to the people, referring back to their personal conquests in v. 12 to Num. 21.

" ' "Now

, arise [all of] you, and cross over for yourselves the Torrent Zered;" ' And we passed over the torrent Zered. [Deut. 2:13]

Most Bibles translate the Hebrew word nachal (ל ַח ַנ ) [pronounced NAHKH-al] with the word brook. We then view this as a pleasant lazy stream of water, perhaps two to ten feet across, meandering along. Nachal refers to a torrent of rushing water through a narrow channel. Strong's #5158 BDB #636 The Torrent Zered runs due east from the southern mouth of the Dead Sea (although, the Dead Sea was likely lower at that time); this torrent is the northern border of Edom and the southern border of Moab.

In a way, the speaker of this verse changes somewhat, and helps to explain the parenthetical nature of the previous few verses. V. 9 is Moses telling the people what God said to him. Vv. 10–12 are a parenthetical break where Moses speaks to Israel, and explains that Israel has traveled this particular route so that they could observe the strength of God's power in the lives of their distant cousins. In v. 13, Moses now returns to a quotation of Y^ehowah, continuing from v. 9. The second portion of v. 13 goes from a 2nd person plural, Qal imperative (an order from God to all of Israel) to a 1st person plural, Qal imperfect, a description by Moses of his and the rest of Israel crossing over the brook Zered. There are no orders from God in this second half of the verse; it is a remembrance by Moses of only a couple of months previous—an action that all of the hearers took part in. So now, this is Moses quoting what he himself said to the Israelites a few weeks or months ago, where he was quoting what God had said to him.

"And the days which we have walked from Kadesh-barnea until that we have passed over the Torrent Zered: thirty-eight years, till the consumption of all the generation of the men of battle from the midst of the camp, as Y^ehowah had sworn to them; [Deut. 2:14]

Israel camped in Kadesh-barnea for thirty-eight years, and then traveled to where they all stand at this time. God's promise to Moses had been to take out the degenerate generation—generation X—which He did over those thirty-eight years. Quite a change took place throughout that year. Due to the sins committed at Peor, the idolatry associated with the daughters of Moab and Midian, we read: And those who died by the plague were 24,000 (Num. 25:9). A census is taken of the new generation—the generation of promise in Num. 26:63–65, with the sobering mention: These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan Jericho. But among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbersed the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For Y^ehowah had said of them, "They will surely die in the wilderness." And not a man was left of them except Caleb, the sons of Jephunneh, and Joshua, son of Nun. Soon thereafter we read in Num. 31:49, after the battle with MIdian, the report to Moses was: "Your servants have taken a census of men of war who are in our charge and no man of us is missing." God has a plan for everyone of us. If our rebellion against this plan becomes too great, God removes us from this earth in the sin unto death, just as He removed gen X.

The bible continually holds up generation X as an object lesson themselves. "And I also swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands, because they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they even profaned My sabbaths, for their heart continually went after their idols. Yet My eye spared them rather than destroying them, and I did not cause their annihilation in the woilderness. And I said to their children in the wilderness, 'Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their oridnances, or defile yourselves with their idols. I am Y^ehowah your God; walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and observe them. And set apart My sabbaths; and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am Y^ehowah your God.' " (Ezek. 20:15–20). In spite of all this they still sinned and did not believe in His wonderful works. So He brought their days to an end in futility, and their years in sudden terror. When He killed them, then they sought Him and returned and searched diligently for God; and they remembered that God was their rock and the Most Hight God their redeemer (Psalm 78:32–35; this Psalm looks at the two generations as one cohesive whole). See also Psalm 106 and Heb. 3–4.

"And also the hand of Y^ehowah had been against them, to destroy them from the midst of the camp, until they were consumed. [Deut. 2:15]

Over 600,000 men had to be killed. Likely, the degeneracy had spread to their wives. This is over a million people that God placed under the sin unto death in the short period of thirty-eight years. This means that roughly seventy-five people died each and every day over that thirty-eight years, most of them while they were encamped in Kadesh-barnea (the other significant plagues which occurred before and after were recorded in Scripture). Even Jude mentions this: Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the lan dof Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe (JJude 5).

"And it came to pass, when all the men of battle had finished dying from the midst of the people, [Deut. 2:16]

The people left Kedesh-barnea while there were still some of generation X alive. In fact, there were as many as 24,000 of that generation remaining. Their influence was felt during the second no-water incident of Num. 20:1–13 (which may have taken place almost any time during those thirty-eight years; an educated guess is that it took place at the end). They complained when they had to go around the land of Edom (Num. 21:4–6), which resulted in a wide spread execution of the sin unto death (the exact number was never specified here). Their final influence upon Israel occurred when they participated in idolatry with the daughters of Moab and Midian (Num. 25:1–9). After this, we have the updated census, and no more deaths from the sin unto death are reported.

This occurred, in time, before the last of generation X died out; however, logically and topically, it occurs afterward, which is how Moses is presenting it here.

" 'And you will come near over--against the sons of Ammon; you will not distress them nor stir up yourself against them, for I am not giving the land of the sons of Ammon to you [as] a possession.' [Deut. 2:19]

Once the Israelites cross northward, through Moab, to the east will be the land of Ammon. God did not give them that land. This is apparently followed by an aside from Moses still spoken to the people, as Y^ehowah will be mentioned consistently in the third person from hereonin. Moses will be in the first person singular and Moses and the Israelites (a good name for a band) will be in the 1st person plural.

"(It was regarded as a land of giants; giants lived in it formerly, and the Ammonites called them Zamzummin; [Deut. 2:20]

Vv. 20–23 are parenthetical again, as were vv. 10–12. They are still being spoken by Moses to the Israelites, but he is pointing out, in between quoting Y^ehowah, that they have traveled through land after land which Y^ehowah had given to their distant cousins (Esau, Ammon and Moab). God gave these lands to them by virtue of the fact that they were related to the Israelites—that is all that was required for God to bless them. Their lands also had giants dwelling in them, and God was able to give the land to them regardless. The point is, God is able. You personally have a lot of asperations. You have things you want to possess, you see someone you want to marry, there is a position you desire, a vocation you want to be in—but you don't have it. What's the problem? The problem is not with God. God is able. God is able to dispossess heavily fortified lands which are ruled by giants and God is able to give these lands to whom He pleases. So God is able to get for you a job, a possession, a marriage partner, etc. This is easy; this is nothing for God. The problem is you. Perhaps you haven't ask God for what it is that you want, perhaps you ask Him out of personal lust; perhaps it is a matter of you not being ready for that particular blessing. 90% of the people who are put into direct contact with their right person mess it up. Some of you, if you were given your right person right now, you would not must ruin the relationship, but you would see to it that the relationship was ruined forever. You men might slug this woman; you might be unfaithful to her; you might brow beat her. There are a hundred ways you would think of to destroy your relationship. You women—you might reject him out and out because he is not as handsom as you think he should be, nor as rich. Or, you may run around on him, bailing out of the relationship because you found someone who is more attractive and richer and sexier, who has more power and prominence. Generation X did not take the land because they rejected what God gave them; as if God could be mistaken. What is your priority in life? Certainly, you might say, God is #1, as though giving Him some sort of declared prominence counts as something. God has given you two things on this earth: (1) the Holy Spirit and (2) His Word. Our Lord Jesus Christ left this earth in order to send back the Holy Spirit, our Helper and our Comforter. Do you rebound—personally name your sins to God—each and every time you sin, so that you are filled with the Holy Spirit? Do you pursue God's Word fervently so that you can understand His purpose for your life in this world. No; what you do, is God puts up a brick wall in front of you and you spend your entire life banging your head against the brick wall. You are stupid. Go with what God has given you. I know how to get along with humble neans, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of gaving abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me (Philip. 4:12–13). God has given you His Spirit and He has given you His Word. Take from both of them and leave the details to Him.

The word for giants is sometimes rendered Rephaim in some translations. The Jews did not enter into the land originally because it was occupied by giants. During this travelogue, it is pointed out to them that giants have occupied most of the land that they are traveling through. In fact, this helps explain to us why the Jews, after the last of generation X died out—why didn't they just cool their heels in Kadesh-barnea, and then head straight north? This portion of Deuteronomy explains why. These other nations that they pass through are object lessons. Giants used to live here in Ar, but God gave that land to Lot; so, descendants of Lot live there now. The Horites lives in Seir, but God gave that land to Esau, so his descendants, the Edomites live there now. Oh, notice this other territory off to your right; giants used to live in that land, but God gave it as an inheritance to Lot, so his other son's descendants, the Ammonites, live there now. Every land that they travel through are object lessons. God gave this land to so-and-so; used to be giants living there; now so-and-so lives there.

The Zamzummites (or, Zanzummin) were possible to Zuzites of Gen. 14:5. The NIV Study Bible claims that their name might mean murmurers, but I don't see any justification for that. It is really not close in spelling to any other Hebrew word.

"([The Zamzummin are] a people great and numerous, and tall, as the Anakim, and Y^ehowah destroyed them before them, and they dispossessed them, and dwelled in their stead. [Deut. 2:21]

What God does makes sense. We cannot always understand His purpose and design, but God is very focused and very purposeful. He does not act without reason nor does He act at random. With generation X, it would not have made any difference how many object lessons they received; they would have failed. Had God hauled them north through Edom, Moab and Ammon, they would still have failed. God revealed tremendous miracles to them as never seen before, yet they failed more miserably than we can even imagine. Day in and day out, they were recipeints of God's grace, and they—every day brought with it miracles of water, food and sustenance on the wilderness hike—and every day, they failed. Not only would an object lesson been wasted on them, but that would have placed Israel in enemy territory with enemies on all sides of them. At Kadesh, Edom hadn't given them much thought, Ammon, Moab, and the Amorites were too far away; the giants of the Land of Promise had killed many of them and chased them off for sport; and Egypt was too far away and at its weakest point to do anything. This gave the Jews thirty-eight years of relative peace, but no prosperity. God took that opportunity to decimate their population.

"(As He has done for the sons of Esau, who are dwelling in Seir, when He distroyed the Horim from before them, and they dispossed them, and [the sons of Esau] dwell in their stead, to this day; [Deut. 2:22]

"(As to the Avim who are dwelling in field inclosures as far as Azzah [or, Gaza], the Caphtorim, who had come out from Caphtor, they have destroyed them, and dwell in their stead). [Deut. 2:23]

In the KJV, the word for field inclosures is transliterated as though it were a proper noun—Hazerim. This is a Hebrew word which should be rendered villages; and it is found that way in Gen. 25:16 Psalm 10:8 and Isa. 42:11. These are generally thought to be a camps for nomads who built walls of stone on the boundaries for protection. A more proper translation might be field inclosures or secured encampments

We have an unfinished protosis and apodosis. It should read, as God has done for them, He will do much more for you, His children of promise. However, the apodosis (the latter half) will go without being said. The point was not lost on the generation of promise, even though it has been totally lost to many theologians throughout history. What you may be wondering is, just who the heck are these Caphtorim? The Study NASB lists them as the Philistines and Caphtor is being Crete. Rotherham calls the Caphtorim Cretans. ZPEB says they are probably related to the Philistines in some way. I don't recall anything about them. Zodhiates names them as the ones who conquered this area, prior to being conquered by Israel.

The first question, is who has destroyed who and who lives in whose stead? The Caphtorim are mentioned early on in Scripture (here and Gen. 10:14 1Chron. 1:12), they were apparently a great people, well-known to the Israelites and throughout the ancient world. Their early mention, but lack of later mention indicates that the Caphtorim were depossesed. They came out of Caphtor, possessed a great deal of the Land of Promise, and then along came the Avim, who are mentioned only a few times in Scripture, but later than this passage, indicating that the Avim destroyed the Caphtorim. The Avim, as is implied by the general context, are a group of people whom you would not expect to overthrow the Caphtorim, whose strength and power was legend. In fact, so well-known, that their former principle residence Caphtor that it is named several times in Scripture (Jer. 47:4 Amos 9:7), whereas the Caphtorim are not. They, like the Philistines, are descendants of Cush (Gen. 1:10). They are not equialent to the Philistines, as the Study edition of the NASB claims, but they are their brothers. Where they dwelt in the Land of Promise, they were completely destroyed. It appears as though their brothers, the Philistines, either lived side by side to them in Caphtor, or took Caphtor from them. The latter seems to be more likely, as in Joshua 3:13, we read: The five Lords of the Philistines: the Gazaite, the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gittite, the Ekronite, and the Avvite. The Philistines appear to have overrun this area and their lords are identified with the areas wherein they have a stronghold. Gazaite is the Azzah that we find here and Avvite is the area first occupied by the Avim. This is less then seven years after Moses has spoken to the Israelites. This would indicate that the Philistines overran their brothers in Caphtor and in the Land of Promise, completely destroying the Caphtorim, who retained such a reputation as to retain the name of their original occupation for centuries afterward. The Philistines occupied certain areas of the land, given in Joshua 3:13. Then mention here of the Avim would actually be a branch of the Philistines. Zodhiates points out that their name means ruins

, although it is only close (the names are fairly different). .Benjamin occupied the area belonging to the Avim (Joshua 18:23). Although dispossessed, the Israelites apparently allowed some of the Avim to remain in the land, and they continued to be heathen in their religion (1Kings 17:31). We find practicially nothing about the Avim in the ZEPB. This is the first time that we have heard of these people and it is unclear as to what has happened to them. They lived in villages as far as Azzah (which is Gaza in the RSV—the same Gaza of the New Testament—and found in Deut. 2:23 1Kings 4:24 Jer. 25:20 47:5).

V. 23 ends the parenthetical aside of Moses to the people. He picks up again with his repeating what God said to him.

" '[All of] You arise and journey and pass over the torrent Arnon; see, I have given into your hand Sihon, king of Heshbon, the Amorite, and his land; begin to possess [it] and stir yourself up against him [in] battle. [Deut. 2:24]

This is not really bonus land, as is sometimes implied. God gave to the Jews the land from this point over to the Euphrates, land which they have never yet possessed. Arnon is a bordering river running east from the middle of the Dead Sea; above it is Ammon and the land which did belong to Moab, then to the Amorites and then to Israel. Below the Arnon river is Moab.

" 'This day I begin to put your dread and your fear on the face of the peoples under the whole heavens, who hear your fame and have trembled and have been pained because of you.' [Deut. 2:25]

The 1st person in this verse will be different from the first person in the following verse. It is God who placed fear in the hearts of the nations around Israel. However, it will be Moses who is the 1st person speaker of the next verse. Because of their great victory of Egypt (although, you will recall that the Israelites did absolutely nothing but stand like scared sheep), the people throughout the anceint world were afraid of them. Even though Esau brought out warriors on their border, this was a bluff. The Moabites and the Midianites, rather than form and alliance and attack, hired Balaam to curse the Israelites. Whoever did make an attempt to oppose the sons of Israel were beaten down (the Amorites and Og, the king of Bashan). God made this promise to Israel some time ago. "I will send My terror ahead of you, and throw all the people among whom you come into confusion and I will make all your enemies turn [their] backs to you [and run]." (Ex. 23:27). Moses recognized this and, inspired by God the Holy Spirit, wrote in his first hit song: "The peoples have heard, they tremble; anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed; the leaders of Moab, trembling grips them. All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. Terror and dread fall upon them; by the greatness of Your arm, they are motionless as stone; until Your people pass over, O Y^ehowah. Until the people pass over whom You have purchased. You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, the place O Y^ehowah which you have made for Your dwelling. the sanctuary, O Y^ehowah which Your hands have established. Y^ehowah will reign forever and ever." (Ex. 15:14–18). Moses later promised the people: "There will be no man able to stand before you; Y^ehowah your God will lay the dread of you and the fear of you on all the land o which you set foot, as He has spoken to you." (Deut. 11:25). Rahab the harlot recognized that the Jews had been given the Land of Promise and could see no reason to oppose them. She said, "I know that Y^ehowah has given you the land and that the terror of our has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melter away before you." (Joshua 2:9). The key here, by the way, is that she was not looking to allign herself with the winner from a human viewpoint, but to align herself with Y^ehowah.

"And I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth, unto Sihon king of Heshbon, words of peace, saying, [Deut. 2:26]

Kedemoth means eastern region

. Moses, seeing no reason to discontinue this peaceful process of movement, continued to deal peacefully with the inhabitants of the rest of the lands in that area. Recall that this area belonged to the Moabites in the not too distant past, and now it was under the control of the Amorites, over whom Sihon was king. Even though there was no prohibition by God against attacking the Amorites, there was no instruction to do so either; therefore, Moses sent messengers conveying the message that the sons of Israel would just pass over this land; they were not looking to take it.

" 'Let Me pass over through your land; in the several ways I go; I turn not aside, right or left; [Deut. 2:27]

The messengers sent from Moses made it clear that this would not be an attack of any sort (the inhabitants are given advanced warning) and it is promised that the Israelites would not veer from the path along the King's Highway.

" 'You will sell me for for money, and I will eat; and you will give to me water for money, and I will drink; only let me pass over on my feet; [Deut. 2:28]

The Israelites would not even take from the land; in fact, their passing through would bring great prosperity to Heshbon, as the Israelites would be paying for a lot of food and drink. We have more details listed here of the content of the message from Moses to king Sihon than was given back in Num. 21.

" 'As the sons of Esau who are dwelling in Seir, and the Moabites who are dwelling in Ar, have done to me, till that I pass over the Jordan, into the land which Y^ehowah our God is giving to us.' [Deut. 2:29]

Although not mentioned before in the book of Numbers, it sounds as though Israel did some buying from the Moabites and the Edomites, even though they did not pass directly through their lands. This may strike you as disharmonious. Au contraire—People of an entire country do not all do exactly the same thing. Even though the people were afraid of Israel and even though their leaders would not allow Israel to travel through Edom and Moab, this does not mean that some entrepeneuers did not bartar with Israel. It doesn't matter if the inhabitants were prejudiced against the Jews or not—the Israelites had money (recall the riches which they received from Egypt) and they were both hungry and thirsty. This would have been a financial boom to these areas, so there would have been a lot of trading going on as the Israelites passed along the borders of Edom and Moab.

"And Sihon, king of Heshbon was not willing to let us pass over by him, for Y^ehowah your God hardened his spirit and strengthened his heart, so as to give him into your hand as this day. [Deut. 2:30]

In studying the pharoah of Egypt, we have learned that God does not reach into the soul of a person and change the negative signals to positive or vice versa. When a person is negative toward the gospel or toward God's plan, their heart become covered over with scar tissue; it becomes a strengthening of conviction against God and His plan. A person who sees combat can become hardened and insensitive to death as he observes so much of it. Sihon was also one who was negative toward Jesus Christ, the God of Israel and his negativity was strengthened enough to go into battle against the Israelites.

There is a strengthening which God gives the heart of a person who is opposed to God's Word. You have a hundred times in the past walked away from a stituation thinking to yourself, I wish that I had done that or I wish that I had said that. You usually didn't wish that because it was the right thing to do or so, it was just such a snappy comback or some an ironically mean thing to do, that you wish that you had thought of it in time. In an emergency situation, you may have, in restrospect, have wished for more strength or more courage, not necessarily, again, to do the right thing, but to follow a course of action that your degenerate heart did not. God gave these men here and throughout the land the courage to stand before God's people; they opposed them and despised them and their God, Y^ehowah. God made certain that they had the strength to act on this negative volition. Many days has Joshua made war with all these kings; there had not been a city which made peace with the sons of Israel, except the Hivite, [the] inhabitants of Gibeon. The whole, they hae taken in battle, for from Y^ehowah it had been to strengthen their heart, to meet in battle with Israel, in order to devote them, so that they had not grace, but in order to destroy them, as Y^ehowah commanded Moses (Joshua 11:18–20).

"And Y^ehowah said to me, 'See, I have begun to give before you Sihon and his land; certainly begin to possess [lit., begin to possess to possess] his land.' [Deut. 2:31]

One of the interesting things about this verse (and v. 24) is that this alludes to a prophecy stated by God to Moses, but it was never recorded in Scripture (until now). This may have been recorded in The Book of the Wars of Y^ehowah and obviously this was something spoken by Moses to the people of Israel. God promised Israel that He would give over Sihon and his land to Israel. What is the significance of this? One of the attacks upon the inspiration of Scripture is that events would come to pass and then prophecy was written in order to predict these events. Under those circumstances, since this particular prediction is quoted twice in retrospect (here and in v. 24), you would think that it would have been inserted and edited into the book of Numbers. However, it was not. Moses spoke it to the Israelites, they heard the prediction, they believed it and they took the land of Sihon. They will later read this verse in Scripture and it will make perfect sense to them. If, as it is alledged, these books of Moses were not written by Moses but written hundreds of years later and then edited hundreds of years after that, what happened here? Moses is here saying, remember when I predicted this? The Israelites do, even though we do not since it was not recorded. Had these books of MOses been so carefully edited, then why is this prediction not edited into the book of Numbers? It couldn't be a matter of forgetfulness; this prediction is quoted twice almost in succession. How could the editors miss that? The reason we don't find this in the book of Numbers is that Moses wrote these things himself—these books were not edited hundreds of years later. There were things which occurred and things which were predicted and things which God spoke to Moses (which he in turn said to his people), that Moses neglected to record, as per his human abilities and as per the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit. The Torah is not a carefully edited set of books which contain a prophecy and then a fulfillment, a prophecy and then a fulfillment. That is strictly human viewpoint from people who grimace at the thought that God could predict something to Moses and then it would come to pass. It is short, simple verses like this one which argue against the concept of successive reduction—that is, against the supposed continual additions and revisions made to the books of Moses. The few times these verses were changed, it fell outside God's plan.

"And Sihon came out to met us—he and all his people, to battle to Jahaz; [Deut. 2:32]

Jahaz was just north of the Arnon Riverf. Sihon did not give the Israelites much choice here. He was feeling over-confident due to his recent victory over the Moabites. He was one of the few peoples who were not afraidd of the Jews. This was a serious mistake on his part.

"And Y^ehowah our God gave him before us and we struck him down and his sons

and all his people; [Deut. 2:33]

The Israelites are about to go into battle for the next seven years to take the land given them by God. What they need is a realization that God would do their fighting for them. In this chapter, Moses encourages the children of Israel by giving them illustration after illustration of God's faithfulness. God has been faithful to the also-ran's and God is faithful to His people Israel.

"And we captured all his cities at that time, and devoted the entire city, men and the women and the infants—we have not left a remnant. [Deut. 2:34]

When something was devoted entirely to Y^ehowah, this meant that it was completely and totally destroyed. Everything that could be destroyed was. There were metals, like gold, silver and bronze, which could not be destroyed. According to the NIV Study Bible, these items were placed into a secure place as God's possession. The other things which were completely destroyed beyond the ability to be used by people—these things were considered to be God's. "Only, no devoted [cherem] thing which a man devoted to Y^ehowah, of all that he has, of man an dbeast, and of the field of his possession is sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holyy to Y^ehowah. No devoted thing, which is devoted of man, is ransomed, it is surely put to death." (Lev. 27:28–29). Sometimes cherem was limited and excluded certain things, such as livestock (see v. 35 3:7 Joshua 8:2). For more information on cherem, see Lev. 1:2 27:28 in this study.

"Only the cattle have we spoiled for ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we have captured. [Deut. 2:35]

The people were destroyed in their entirety. The reason was that they were too degenerate a people to allow to live. Their cancerous essence would have eaten up the Jewish people.

"From Aroer, which is by the edge of the torrent Arnon, and the city which [is] in the torrent, even to Gilead, there had not been a city which [was] too high for us; the whole Y^ehowah our God has placed before us. [Deut. 2:36]

As is stated here, Aroer is a city along the river Arnon. Barne's Notes describes it so: They valley of the Arnon is here deep, and the descent to it abrupt. In roman times it was spanned by a viaduct the ruins of which still remain, and which was probably built on the lines of hte original structure of Mesha (2Kings 3:5). Aroer here must not be confounded with "Aroer, which is before Rabbah (Joshua 13:25). This latter place was "built," i.e., rebuilt, by the Gadites (Num. 32:34); it belonged to taht tribe, and was consequently far to the north of the Arnon. A third Aroer in the tribe of Judah is mentioned in 1Sam. 30:28.

When the Israelites captured Aroer, it belonged to the Amorites. It will be subsequently assigned to the tribe of Reuben (Joshua 13:9, 16). Gilead, here, refers to the city of Gilead. This impression given here is that both of these cities were heavily fortified and the Israelites were able to take them both and all cities in between. The Israelites are about to attack the rest of the Land of Promise, so Moses points out to them that they conquered every city, no matter what its elevation (some were built on mountains and hills to make them difficult to overthrow)—if God gave them the city, then they took it.

"Only, unto the land of the sons of Ammon you have not drawn near, any part of the torrent Jabbok, and the cities of the hill-country, and anything which Y^ehowah our God has [not] commanded." [Deut. 2:37]

Jacob, also known as Israel, from whence the Israelites received their name (they were not called Jews until the country of Judah was established), crossed over this particular torrent years ago in Gen. 32:22. The Jabbok river flows in a three quarters circle moving in a counter-clockwise direction, from the city of Rabbath Ammon flowing into the Jordan river somewhat below the midpoint of the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. The land of Ammon would be found to the east of the Jabbok, whereas the Amorites had captured the land west of its beginning point (it flows north for forty miles or more). According to ZPEB, it drops an average of eighty feet per mile and is more than 2000 ft. below the Gilead Plateau. The northern portion of this river will form a geographical as well as a political division of the area of Gilead. Ammon and Moab were off-limits, as they were the territories of the sons of Lot; and the Israelites were not allowed to overrun Edom, as it had been given by God to the sons of Esau.

Introduction: Deut. 3 continues the message of Moses to his people. He recounts their victory over Og, king of Bashan with more detail than we actually have previously. He will also review the land grant to Reuben and Gad. However, the most heart-wrenching portion of this chapter was his prayer to God when Moses was been told that he will not enter into the land. We only saw a portion of this prayer; we saw Moses requesting that God choose a new commander to lead Israel into the land. However, Moses also pleaded with God to allow him to lead Israel into the land. We will see that in this chapter.

"And so we turned and went up the way [or, road] to Bashan. Then, Og, king of Bashan, came out to meet us, he and all his people, to battle—Edrei. [Deut. 3:1]

Both of these sentences begin with the wâw consecutive; the first I translated and so; the second then. I believe that once they got this far, they were finally on the King's Highway, a request which they had made of Edom some time ago.

Bashan chose not to allow Israel safe passage, although Israel exhibited no threatening behavior. Bashan was aparently content having things the way their were and did not relish the idea of the Israelites dwelling so close to him. He did not necessarily know what the plans of the sons of Israel were; however, it had been their policy, after traveling through or beside the lands of Moab, Ammon and Edom to politely request permission to pass through. However, they were not going to pass through his land, but move due west now, across the Jordan, into Jericho. Bashan chose not to allow them to do that just yet. See the doctrine of Bashan—not finished yet!

"And Y^ehowah said to me, 'Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you will do to him as you have done to Sihon, king of the Amorite, who was living

in Heshbon.' [Deut. 3:2]

To give you a better idea about the tense system in the Hebrew, we have an incident here which, in reference to when God spoke to Moses, occurred in the past—as you have done to him—and one that will take place in the future, with reference to when God spoke to Moses—you will do to him. God is using a past occurence to encourage Moses in a future event; however, do, in both instances, is in the 2nd person singular, Qal perfect. In the English, we translate this will do and have done; but, in the Hebrew, the verbs are exactly the same.

Sihon occupied a smaller territory than Bashan, having just taken it from Moab. Bashan was better established with very well-fortified cities, as we will see, and his people covered a greater area. Whereas Bashan apparently tolerated the movement of the Amorites to the south, he was not going to tolerate the Israelites, as they were greater in number.

"And Y^ehowah our God also

gave into our hand

Og, king of Bashan, and all his people, and we struck him down until there were no survivors [lit., was not left to him a remnant]; [Deut. 3:3]

Moses is still speaking to the generation of promise, holding up to them what is a very recent memory—their victory over Og, king of Bashan. In their movement to Jordan Jericho, the battles with Sihon and Og occurred quickly—they were given no chance to think about it. They were in a situation where they had to fight and there was no time to ruminate. Had they thought about what they were going to do in advance, the defeat of Bashan would have seemed impossible. Og of Bashan was a giant of a man with a powerful fighting force, occupying fortified cities. The armies of Bashan most certainly had some weapons of iron, if Og's bed was made of iron (we will see that later in this chapter).

Now the Jews are going to go into the land, and they already know that it is occupied by giants (according to their fathers and according to the spies who went into the land). The encouragement here is that God has proven to them against two powerful kings and their nations that He can deliver them. The skirmishes with these other kings which ended in victory are to encourage them in dealing with the Canaanites in the land.

To compare, the fight against the people of Bashan from Numbers 21:33–35: Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan, and Og, the king of Bashan, came out with all his people to battle at Edrei. But Y^ehowah said to Moses, "Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you will do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon." So they struck him down and his sons and all his people, until there was no remnant left him; and they possessed his land. As you can see, the recollections are almost word-for-word.

One thing which may bother some of you is the complete and total destruction of these people. During those days, we had a unique situation. Jesus Christ, the revealed member of the trinity, the Creator of the Universe, had allied Himself specifically with the nation Israel. This was made clear in Israel's departure from Egypt, with the use of many signs and wonders. The signs and wonders, as in the gospels, acted as a credit card. As Creator of the Universe, God is able to temporarily suspend the laws of nature and act above and beyond their restrictions. This is done in such a way that only the most hardened of hearts, the most negative volition can know of the miracles and not recognize that these were the miracles of God. During the incarnation, the Scribes and the pharisees did not dispute that a miracle had occurred—they attributed His power to Satan. Og and the people of Bashan have heard of what occurred in Egypt. They are now facing these same people who were led there by God. They had two simple choices: they can send out an embassary and ally themselves with Israel, and thereby be allied with God, or they can go to war against Israel, and thereby go to war against God. It is a simple matter of their volition.

We face the same thing in salvation. In order to be lost, in order to spend eternity in hell, and in order to spend eternity separated from God, we must spend every waking moment holding God at arm's length. We must spend our entire existance on this earth, whether it be twenty years or ninety years, pushing God away, refusing to consider the claims of Jesus Christ and refusing to believe in Him. We must spend our entire lives in total and complete rejection of God (as He is) in order to spend eternity apart from Him. So there is no question about it, when we make God in our own image, that is a complete and total rejection of God as He really is and an arrogant move to deify ourselves. If we desire to know God, if we have a desire to know His plan for our lives, His perfection, and, most importantly, His grace, love and provision, God will reveal these things to us. This is a promise which He will honor in every instance. Jesus therefore answered them, and said, "My teaching is not Mine but His who sent Me. If any man is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or if I am speaking human viewpoint [lit., from Myself]." (John 7:16–17). All it takes is just a few seconds of positive volition, and God will see that the gospel is delivered to you—the gospel being the good news that Jesus Christ has paid the full and complete penalty for the sins and wrongdoing that you have committed and, because of that, God is willing to receive you as His son in Christ; all you have to do is believe in Jesus Christ. We can be Og, king of Bashan, and lose everything that we have ever had and spend eternity in misery. All it takes is a lifetime of negative volition. If you are an unbeliever and you are hearing this, something inside of you is now clicking. You recognize that there is a decision to be made and that this is a decision of utmost importance. Don't put it off; don't think maybe you will consider this later. You have nothing to lose by believing in Jesus Christ right now and everything to gain. Og and his people made a decision against Y^ehowah, the Lord Jesus Christ, and every single one of them will die and spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. What could they have done? Afterall, they were the enemy right? There can always be exceptions. We will see Rahab the prostitute in the next chapter, who, by birth, was an enemy of God, yet she believed in Jesus Christ and she was delivered from the destruction which would come to her people. What comes with that moment of positive volition is greater than any of us can imagine. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we will be delivered by His life (Rom. 5:10).

My point in all of this: don't worry about Og and don't try to over think this. He was given the opportunity to believe in Jesus Christ and to ally himself with the people of God. He chose not to and he paid the penalty, which is death. The issue today is will you believe in Jesus Christ? Will you ally yourself with the people of God?

"And we captured all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them—sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. [Deut. 3:4]

Argob means clods, rich in clods, deep-soiled, fertile. According to Barne's Notes it means stone-heap. H.L. Davies equates it today with the city Râjib. ZPEB also places Argob in the Golan Heights, approximately twenty miles south of Damascus. This verse appears to equate the sixty cities with the region of Argob and with the kingdom of Og in Bashan. Maps place the area of Gilead as running along the eastern portion of the Jordan, with Argob and Geshur being north of that, even with the Sea of Galilee (then the Sea of Chinnereth), and Bashan being north of those areas. Due to its proximity, Argob is sometimes considered to be in Bashan (1Kings 4:13).

When Israel moved on them, Israel moved quickly. It is unlikely that Israel went into each and every city and take it. They were met by Bashan and his men at Edrei. All of the men were destroyed in that battle. Marching into the cities resulted in the deaths of all who lived there: men, women and children. It is not unlikely that some of the cities were deserted when they went into them. Furthermore, these are not cities as we would think, but relatively small, but well-fortified villages. However, to have the power and authority over sixty different communities speaks well of the charisma and leadership and power of Og.

"All these cities were fenced with a high wall, two-leaved door and bar, apart from the very many encampments [lit., cities] of the rural area [Deut. 3:5]

The NASB reads: "All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates and bars, besides a great many un-walled towns." Gates is in the dual, meaning there were two—this is how we get the two-leafed door in from Young's Translation. Bar is in the singular, meaning each door perhaps had a metal bar across it in order to strengthen it. Wall is also in the singular. Besides or apart from these sixty cities, there were smaller encampments which were overrun by the Israelites. The word for cities occurs twice in this verse, although almost every translation translates it as though there are two different words here: cities, towns (The Emphasized Bible, KJV, NASB), towns, villages (NRSV), cities, villages (The Amplified Bible, NIV, Owen, Young). The word for cities is ׳îyr (רי ̣ע) [pronounced eer or geer] and this is used in the very widest sense of a group of people, from an encampment, to a village, to a city. Strong's #5892 BDB #746 The second time ‛âr is used, it is in the construct, modified by the word p^erâzîy (׃ ָר ̣זי ) [pronounced p^eraw-ZEE] and it is found only three times in the Old Testament (here and 1Sam. 6:18 Esther 9:19) and each time translated differently in the Authorized Version: un-walled, country, villages. It should be translated country or rural. With the wide application of the word ׳îyr, the change of the English translation of the word is acceptable. Strong's #6521 BDB #826

The Israelites with Moses now had spent half or more of their lives traveling across the wilderness from Egypt to the Land of Promise. They do not recall a lot of what occurred in Egypt. Much of what they have traveled through is a limestone region, where protection is afforded the occupants by digging caverns into the limestone. In an area of the much harder basalt, the occupants cannot simply dig a cavern out—the rock is too difficult to cut through. Therefore, they built cities and placed walls around the cities. There still exists today a large number of these walled cities of Bashan, along with their black bassalt houses, gates, doors and bolts.

Porter, in Giant Cities of Bashan, p. 84, wrote: Time produces little effect on such building as these. The heavy stone slabs of the roofs resting on the massive walls make the structure as firm as if built of solid masonry; and the black basalt used is almost as hard as iron. Macgregor describes the construction of the houses within. The doors were made of stones seven feet high and six inches thick, with four inch long pivots, turning in stone sockets—even stone window shutters (4'X3'). A bedroom was 14'X9'X11' (high). There were stone rafters for a stone roof and four the six foot thick walls. There were two and even a few three-story homes.

We do not know if these are the same houses as soon by the Israelites or not—in any case, they are likely similar in construction and appearance.

In case you have the picture in your mind of the army of the Israelites going from one city to the next and taking it over—this would be inaccurate assessment of the situation. We have roughly 600,000 men overrunning the area of Bashan, where the armies might enter into twenty cities simultaneously. There is every indication that Israel had one of the greatest populations of any people of that time. They made up roughly 1% of the total world population at that time. Since we today make up roughly 5% of the world population in the United States and Mainland China is almost a quarter of the world population, this should not be a difficult thing for us to fathom (although it is for some Christians).

"And we completely destroyed [lit., devoted] them, as we had done to Sihon, king of Heshbon, completely destroying [lit., devoting] every city, men, the women

and the infants; [Deut. 3:6]

Here, we are not given any details. When the entire population was devoted to Y^ehowah, this means every man, woman and child was killed. We are not told what God had commanded the Israelites; however, there seem to be no reprocussions for this particular situation of destroying every single person who was part of Og's kingdom. In fact, we will run into several instances where, when Israel does not destroy an entire population, that it returns to cause them serious grief. This in no way justifies genocide today, as the movement of Israel into the Land of Promise at that time was guided by God. No other nation, including Israel, can make that same claim today. You may be thinking, isn't the Promised Land the eternal possession of the sons of Israel? Absolutely true; however, the time of God working through the Jewish race was temporarily suspended and inserted is our time, the church age. We live in a parenthetical age, however, it is a great age wherein we operate under the same power source as did Jesus Christ in His incarnation—the Holy Spirit. God will return the land of Israel to the sons of Israel. However, as was also promised in Lev. 26:33, the bulk of the nation Israel is scattered throughout the world, with an identifiable remnant of Israel placed in every single continent on this earth. However, this is a temporary condition. "For the land will be abandoned by them, and will they will make up their Sabbaths while it [the land] is made desolate without them. They, meanwhile, will be making amends for their iniquity because they have rejected My ordinances and their soul abhorred My statutes. Yet, in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them; for I am Y^ehowah their God. But I will remember for them the covenant wit their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am Y^ehowah." (Lev. 26:43–45). Who else but God would have told us this so far in advance?

"And all the cattle and the spoil of the cities—we have kept [lit., spoiled] for ourselves. [Deut. 3:7]

The Israelite army in this instance, destroyed the entire population, and retained their possessions and their cattle. This was the exact same modus operandi which they put in place when warring with Sihon. "And Y^ehowah our God delivered him [Sihon] over to us; and we struck him down with his sons and all his people. So we captured all his [Sihon's] cities at that time, and completely destroyed the men, women and children of every city. We left no survivor. We took only the animals as our booty and the spoil of the cities which we had captured." (Deut. 3:33–35).

"And we took, at that time, the land out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorite, which was beyond the Jordan, from the torrent Armon to Mount Hermon;" [Deut. 3:8]

Throughout Num. 21, the only kings mentioned were Og, the king of Bashan, and Sihon, the Amorite king. The context of this passage would indicate that Og was an Amorite (or, at least, his people were Amorites). All of the land conquered on the east side of the Jordan was given over to Reuben, Gad and part of the tribe of Manasseh. So Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Joseph's son Manasseh, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan, the land with its cities with [their] territories, the cities of the surrounding land (Num. 32:33). This will be covered in more detail in Joshua 12 and 13.

Mount Hermon is about 35 miles north of the Sea of Galilee, at the northwestern corner of the kingdom of Bashan, at the edge of the area given to Manasseh. This is the southern portion of the Hittie empire with Lebanon off to the west at the Mediterraneans. At 9200 ft., it is snow-capped throughout the entire year, the NIV Study Bible describing it as one of the most prominent and beautiful mountains of Lebanon.

Moses, in writing this, recognizing that this is Scripture, departs to us some geographical facts. Sidon is a son of Canaan (Gen. 10:15) and the area that they lived in had been known for hundreds of years (Gen. 10:19). Sidon was on the Mediterranean (Gen. 49:13). The indication is that Mount Hermon could be seen by them. Whereas, this does not appear to be spoken directly to the Israelites and is more likely an aside to the reader, possibly from the hand of Moses or someone within a few hundred years of his time period. Whether or not this verse should be viewed as Scripture is another matter. If it was added centuries later, then it is not really a part of Scripture. The warnings not to add to God's Word imply that some will attempt to do so.

Mount Hermon was the religious center for early Syria—having many Baal sanctuaries throughout—and was named prior to the Exodus. Moses was an expert in many fields, one of them being geography, and he certainly would have learned this in school. Certainly there would have been trading between Sidon and Egypt during Moses' tenure in the Egyptian palace.

"[And we also took] all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, as far as Sal^ecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. [Deut. 3:10]

Sal^ecah (also written Salecah and Salcah) and Edrei were both principal areas of Bashan, the latter being the battlefield when Israel destroyed the armies of Bashan. Sal^ecah marks the eastern border of Bashan. The area which is the Israelites took extends up from Moab as far as Mount Hermon. With all of the cities that remained and the beautiful area, it is no wonder that Reuben and Gad liked it so well.

(For only Og, king of Bashan, had been left of the remnant of the Rephaim; in fact [lit., lo], his bedstead [was] a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbah of the sons of Ammon? Nine cubits its length, and four cubits its breadth, by the cubit of a man.) [Deut. 3:11]

Rabbah is the only city of Ammon which is mentioned by name in the Bible and this is the first occurrence (see 2Sam. 11:1 12:26 Jer. 49:2). It is in existence at the time of writing, but Moses probably did not write this. He definitely did not say this to the children of Israel at this time. That is, the bed of Og would not have been immediately transferred to an Ammonite city after the capture of the area of Bashan. It may have been sold several years later to the Ammonites. Its size is 13.5 feet in length and six feet in width and it would have been constructed out of wood with some iron features, like the iron chariots of Joshua 17:16. Most of the beds at that time—those that existed—would have been made from palm sticks, the palm tree being in greater abundance then than now. However, a man of his size would require something more substantial—hence, the frame being made from basalt.

Some commentaries believe—and this makes more sense, by the way—that this is not some traveling bed on some sort of display, but that it is a sarcophagus and such a sarcophagus would have been built specifically with Og in mind before his death, as the Israelites would not have built one for him. This verse is most likely an addendum to God's Word. This does not mean that it is God's Word or is not; but it is highly unlikely that Moses spoke or wrote this. Although it is possible that Og was removed from that area by some of his followers, it is just as likely that his bed or sarcophagus was removed by a collector or curiosity seeker to put on display in their own country.

Even though we are not certain how this verse came to be placed in Scripture, we do know that it is historically accurate. Throughout the world there are old grave sites, called dolmens, which usually consist of three large stones standing upright and a large stone on top of them. Throughout North German, Denmark, England and North-west France where many of these have been found, they are called giant beds. In 1918, German scholar Gustav Dalman found dolmen in Jordan, near ancient Rabbath-Ammon. This bed was made out of basalt, an extremely hard grey-black stone. Since then, we have found that dolmens are common to the areas around Palestine, most often in the area of Trans-Jordan north of the Jabbok River

Concerning the iron: the black basalt of that area was 20% iron and was possibly what is alluded to here. Iron was used at that time for tools and weapons (Gen. 4:22 Deut. 19:5) by Semitic peoples and by those who lived in the surrounding countries. However, bronze, at that time generally speaking, was the metal of choice for weapons, furniture, and other items. It is variously thought that the Iron Age began somewhere between 2000 bc and 700 bc. Understand, it is not like suddenly, one day, everyone decided to start using iron. That was the technology which would, in some cases, come and go. However, we do know from this, and other passages, that iron was used at this time. Furthermore, the stonework of granite, basalt and kiorite found throughout Egypt fro this time period could not have been done apart from iron tools, even though, by most chronologies, these stone works belong to the bronze age. Israel herself did not use iron at this time, although she came across other nations and peoples which did (see also Joshua 17:16–18). In fact, the Philistines restricted the use of iron implements in Israel (1Sam. 13:19–22), indicating that even several hundred years later, the use of iron had not become an integral part of the lives of the Israelites. The simple explanation is that some nations were in the Bronze Age while other nations were simultaneously in the Iron Age.

Anyone who has ever picked up a copy of National Geographic has no trouble understanding that different nations have different technology levels.

ZPEB identifies Rephaim with the Emim and the Zamzummim and speaks of them as being different from the Rephaim from the time of David. Therefore, we ought to examine the Doctrine of the Rephaim—not finished yet!!

"So, we took possession [of] this land at that time—from Aroer, which [is] by edge of

the torrent Arnon and the half of mount Gilead, and its cities—I have given to the Reubenite and to the Gadite; [Deut. 3:12]

It has already been decided that Gad and Reuben would possess some of the area taken from the Amorites and from Og. Aroer is in the south and Gilead in the north.

"And the rest of Gilead and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I have given to the half-tribe of Manasseh; all the region of the Argob and all of the Bashan—the same is called a land of Rephaim [or, a land of the giants]. [Deut. 3:13]

The Masoretic text reads: all the region of the Argob as far as all of Bashan. The codices of the western targums of Jonathan, the Septuagint, the Syrian and the Vulgate all read all the region of Argob and all of Bashan.

Directly above Moab, half-way up the Salt Sea to the top of the Salt Sea would be occupied by the tribe of Reuben, bordered on the west by the Salt Sea and on the east by Ammon. The land stretching along the length of the Jordan River up to the Sea of Galilee would reside the tribe of Gad, Ammon being its eastern border also. Along the Sea of Galilee and north of that was a larger area, reaching even further to the east than Gad or Reuben's land, was the area set apart for the half tribe of Manasseh.

(Jair ben Manasseh has taken all the region of Argob to the border of Gerhuri, and Maachathi, and called them by his own name Bashan-Havoth-Jair [or, the settlements or villages of Jair], even to this day.) [Deut. 3:14]

ZPEB

claims that this verse has been corrupted for two reasons: (1) the word them has no proper antecendent; and (2) this verse wrongly includes the villages of Jair in Bashan rather than their further southern location of Gilead.

The NIV Study Bible refers to the areas of the Geshur and Maacah as relatively small areas, the former found east of the Sea of Galilee (Chinnereth) and the latter east of the waters of Merom, north of Geshur.

This verse sounds parenthetical due to the last phrase even to this day. If this is an added sentence, it could have been added legitimately, as Joshua might have sometime after conquering the land; or it could have been added illegitimately by some one else. According to Barnes' Notes, until this day is close in meaning to our until now. That is, it does not look far back into the coridoors of time, but might refer to an event or a name only from a few months ago.

I don't know that I buy that, but I include it here for your edification. A study of its occurences might be quite helpful at this time. See the Doctrine of until this day—not finished yet!

It would make sense for Moses or Joshua to add this, as Jair taking this particular area has already occurred (Num. 32:41; see also 1Chron. 2:22). It is a difficult call here, because the two surrounding verses make this verse fall right into place. However, there are two key differences: the phrase even to this day and the lack of the first person pronoun. These two aspects of this verse make this an afterthought—however, this is a contemporary afterthought. That is, the speaker Moses was aware at this time who received the region of Argob. On the other hand, he has portioned this land out to the various families of Manasseh—it would not make sense for Moses to mention Machir in v. 15, but not to mention Jair in the same breath. My take on these two verses is that they have to go together; the use of the first person in v. 15 would be Moses speaking or writing, which means Moses spoke or wrote v. 14. The two families are also mentioned together in Num. 32:39–41.

Machir is one of the families of Manasseh. He is personally a son of Manasseh, who had long since departed from this life. As time passes, his name will be almost equivalent to the name of Manasseh (see Judges 5:14). We have already seen the legal issue raised by his great-great-granddaughters—the daughters of Zelophehad—concerned that because they were not married that they may not share in any inheritance of the land (Num. 27, 31). Under anyone other than God, this would have been a bona fide fear. When we get to Joshua 13:29–31, we will find that part of the Machir family will reside in trans-Jordan and the other half will reside with the rest of the tribe of Manasseh west of the Jordan.

"And to the Reubenite and to the Gadite I have given from Gilead even as far as the torrent [or, valley] Arnon, [the] middle [or, midst] of the torrent [or, valley] and the border, even as far as the torrent Jabbok, the border of the sons of Ammon; [Deut. 3:16]

In this verse, we have the same word translated several different ways: gorge, gorge, River (NIV); valley, valley, river (The Amplified Bible, NASB, Owen); brook, valley, brook (Young). Only the NRSV consistantly gives it the rendering wadi and The Emphasized Bible calls the word ravine. We have looked at the word before: it is nachal (ל ַח ַנ ) [pronounced NAHKH-al] and it means wadi, torrent, torrent-valley. It is rushing water down a narrow channel; today, probably more often than then, it could be a river which is only found during the rainey season. Since a torrent or a river tends to run through a valley area, this word is also used to refer to the valley that a river might run through. Strong's #5158 BDB #636. In this context, it is first found first without a definite article in the construct, meaning the phrase should be rendered as far as valley [or, torrent, or wadi] Arnon. Immediately after the word Arnon we have the phrase middle of the valley [or, torrent, or wadi]. This sounds a bit awkward and several translations render this parenthetically: And to the Reubenite and to the Gadite I have given from Gilead even as far as the torrent Arnon—the midst of this torrent as the border—even to the Torrent Jabbok, the border of the sons of Ammon. The next phrase is literally as far as Jabbok the torrent. This verse gives the northern and southern borders of Reuben and Gad. Reuben is to the east of the Salt Sea all the way to the border of Ammon.

"And the plain [or, Arabah] and the Jordan as [lit., and] the border, from Chinnereth even as far as the sea of the plain [or, Arabah], the Salt Sea, under the mountain slopes of Pisgah, at the east. [Deut. 3:17]

The Sea of Chinnereth is the Sea of Galilee. Pisgah is a high plain area overlooking the Dead Sea. Now might be a good time to look into the Doctrine of Pisgah—not finished yet! This gives us a western and eastern border for the area given to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. BDB gives the meaning of ’ash^edoth (תֹ ׃ש ַא ) [pronounced ash^e-DŌTH] as foundation, mountain slopes. Strong's #794 BDB #78

"And I commanded you, at that time, saying, 'Y^ehowah, your God, has given to you this land to possess it; being armed you [all] will pass over before your brothers the sons of Israel, all the sons of might. [Deut. 3:18]

Moses made it clear that the Reubenites could not just move directly into their new land and rest on their laurels. First of all, they cannot let their brothers cross over the Jordan without their assistance. Second fo all, it is not a matter of the first person who calls the land gets to stop fighting and keep it. This particular verse parallels Num. 32:20–21.

" 'Only your wives and your infants and your cattle—I knew that you had a lot of cattle—they will dwell in in your cities which I have given to you.' [Deut. 3:19]

Notice that throughout this chapter, with the exception of the addended material, that all of this is in the first person. Moses wrote in the third person, but spoke just like any other normal person does—in the first person. He did not speak of himself as the president except in his writings, under the ministry of God the Holy spirit and probably in accordance with the rules of literature in those days. These writings would survive him by thousands of years and are better written in the third person. The phrase, I knew you had a lot of cattle is parenthetical, and was not spoken originally to the tribes of Reuben and Gad but is said here.

"Till that Y^ehowah gave rest to your brothers like yourselves, and they also have possessed the land which Y^ehowah your God is giving to them beyond the Jordan, then you [all] will turn back each to his possession, which I have given to you. [Deut. 3:20]

The term rest as found here is almost a technical theological term. When it comes to day-to-day activity, rest is a cessation from war, with with no external threat of conflict and no internal unrest. It is a time of separation from conflict, from famine, from plagues—a time of peace and prosperity. This is a shadow of the true rest offered by our Lord, a cessation from works for our own salvation, a place of peace and prosperity where God has provided for us. Therefore, let us fear so that the promise does not remain unclaimed of entering His rest, so that on one of you should seem to fall short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as the exodus generation had also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by means of faith in those who heard (Heb. 4:1–2).

In public again, Moses is making certain that everyone knows that the Reubenites were not to move directly into their land, but they were to move along with everyone else until the entire land had been subdued. Moses is not above repeating himself and God has allowed him to repeat himself concerning this topic several times and in Scripture. This alone indicates the importance of repetition. This, is not a prophecy, but an agreement, and it is fulfilled in Joshua 22:4: [Joshua is speaking] "And now Y^ehowah your God has given rest to your brothers [the other tribes of Israel] as He promised them; therefore, turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses, the servant of Y^ehowah, gave you beyond the Jordan."

"And I commanded Jehoshua at that time, saying, 'Your eyes are seeing all that which Y^ehowah your God has done to these two kings—so will Y^ehowah do to all the kingdoms through which you will pass over; [Deut. 3:21]

Jehoshua is Joshua and he has observed God's grace and mercy throughout his life, choosing to follow Y^ehowah rather than man.

V. 21 is both a short-term and a long-term prophecy. God will drive the inhabitants of land out of give their land to Israel. This promise will be repeated with great frequency in Deuteronomy (Deut. 4:38 6:18–19 7:1–2, 17–20, 23–24 9:1–6 11:23–25 12:2, 10, 29–30 18:12, 14 19:1 31:3–6 33:27). We have already seen God promise this to Israel several times before (e.g., Ex. 23:23, 27–28, 31 33:2 34:10–11, 24). This is fulfilled by the book of Joshua (specifically, Joshua 21:44 11:16–20), with continued fulfillment throughout the time of King David. This prophecy will be ultimately fulfilled in the millennium, immediately following the tribulation.

" 'Do not fear them, for Y^ehowah your God, He is fighting for you [or, He is the one fighting for you].' [Deut. 3:22]

Moses here admonishes Joshua as he admonished the Reubenites. Moses, having dealt with over 600,000 degenerates fro the generation of Joshua, he wants to make certain that Joshua is grace-oriented. One of the first things that the Israelites heard upon leaving Egypt was: "Do not fear! Stand your ground and see the deliverance of Y^ehowah which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. Y^ehowah will fight for you while you keep silent." (Ex. 14:13b–14). And Moses continues to remind them: "Y^ehowah, your God, who goes before you, He Himself will fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes." (Deut. 1:30). The Israelites, despite their numerical size, are not a large or a warlike people at this time. In fact, rather than go into war, it was the consensus of opinion of the exodus generation that they should return to Egypt. Moses continually encouraged the people, explaining that God would be the one fighting on their behalf.

The Hebrew word used here is chânan (ן ַנ ָח ) [pronounced khaw-NAHN] means to bend, to stoop over, to show favor, to show grace as a superior would do on behalf of an inferior. Here, this word is in the Hithpael imperfect; which is continuous, reflexive intensive action. It is generally translated besought, to make supplication, to entreat. However, all of these translations are rather dated. A better rendering would be petition for grace, make a request for grace, appeal for grace. Strong's #2603, 2589 BDB #335. Israel did not know that when he was deposed by God that his immediate prayer was for them to have a good leader.

" 'Lord Y^ehowah, You, even You, have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for who [is] a god in the heavens or in earth who acts [or, does] according to Your might? [Deut. 3:24]

There is no angelic being who can function with the strength and graciousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. We often have no realization of God's greatness. "Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?" (Ex. 15:11). "For this reason, You are great, O Y^ehowah God, for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation on the earth is like You people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Thy land, before Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, [and from other] nations and gods? For You have established for Yourself You people Israel as You own people forever, and You, O Y^ehowah, have become their God." (2Sam. 7:22–24).

" 'Let me pass over, I respectfully request of You, and see the good land which [is] beyond the Jordan, this good hill-country, and Lebanon.' [Deut. 3:25]

Off to the east is flat, dry desert area, probably not quite as desolate then as it is today, but still in sharp contrast to the Land of Promise. The more hilly regions toward the Mediterranean Sea had a more temporate climate, a greater amount of rainfall and its many streams kept the land green and fertile (as has been said, the Land of Promise then has been placed under great discipline today, and only the promise of beauty and prosperity can be found there).

This is a prayer that we were not aware of until now. Moses prayed to God, upon hearing his sentence of not leading the Israelites into the land and into battle against the Canaanites, first requested that God allow him to go into the land. Moses didn't even care if he was their leader. He could go in on a stretcher. Moses never needed to be in command; it was a responsibility which he accepted, and sometimes, none to graciously. But he did desire to see this great land. However, in his death, God will give to him a much greater land, a much greater piece of property in heaven.

This prayer of Moses is in keeping with his personality. Moses would both like to see the manifestation of God's glory and power (Ex. 33:18–23) and he does not want to see his people, the Jews, forsaken—he wants to bring them to fulfillment of God's promises (Ex. 32:31–35 Num. 14:12–20).

There are two points you should take down here. With a position of power and authority comes great responsibility. To some people, the mistake that Moses made was understandable and very forgivable; however, there was much more to his action than meets the eye. Furthermore, it should also be noted that even great believers sometimes have their prayers answered no. I am reminded of Paul, who, due to his being in great physical pain, wrote: And because of the extraordinary quality of the revelations [which I received], for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger from Satan to strike me, to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this, I begged the Lord three times that it might stand off from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most galdly, therefore, I would rather boast about my helplessness, that the power of Christ may dwell in me (2Cor. 12:7–9).

"And Y^ehowah showed Himself to be upset with me, for your sake [or, because of you or on your account], and did not listen [and obey] me, and Y^ehowah said to me, 'Enough for you; do not speak to Me [lit., add not to speak to Me] any more about this thing. [Deut. 3:26]

God answers all prayer. This particular prayer, God answered Moses emphatically no. God does not even desire to hear about it again. A no doesn't get much stronger than that. If you have forgotten, what had happened was that the new generation wanted water and there was no water to be found. When this had occurred before, Y^ehowah was upon the rock and Moses struck that rock with his stick and out came an enormous fountain which quickly turned into a river. Moses struck our Lord Jesus Christ with his staff—an analogy to the cross. From our Lord, the rock, came living waters. When this situation occurred again, Moses was told by God to speak to the rock. Once our Lord was judged upon the cross then He is never judged again. He paid for our sins one time and He paid for the sins of all at that one time. For those who desire salvation, they need only speak to the rock and from Him will flow living waters. Moses, although told to speak to the rock, struck the rock twice. Now, God was faithful to the people Israel and brought forth incredible gushing waters, but the transgression of Moses so confused the shadow analogy of salvation that God would not allow Moses to enter into the land. This was a mistake that had permanent consequences. Anyone who confuses the issue and the means of salvation faces permanent and serious consequences.

The Israelites, on both occasions when they whined and complained to Moses about water, were antagonistic and contrary. They were filled with mental attitude sins. On the first occurence, Moses went to God and God gave him the game plan. On the second occasion, Moses was a bit cocky and he did not even go to God, God came to him and told him what to do. Moses allowed himself to remain out of fellowship, angry with the sons of Israel, believing in God's undeserved provision, but not understanding his role. [The sons of Israel] also provoked [God] to wrath at the waters of Meribah, so that it went hard with Moses on their account. Because they were rebellious against His Spirit, He spoke rashly with his lips (Psalm 106:32–33).

I would like to quote from J. Vernon McGee: Our heats go out to this man Moses as he begs the Lord to let him ener the land which has been his goal for forty years. What a lesson this is for us, friends. Though we repent of our sin, we will have to take the consequences of it in this life whether we like it or not

We have all had times where we were in fellowship and someone else's mental or verbal sins or attitude set us off, and we got ourselves out of fellowship through our own mental attitude sins. For Moses, this resulted in disobeying God's specific demands. When Moses said for your sake, he was referring the attitude and the verbal sins of the Israelites from which he sinned himself. And here is rub of leadership. They all sinned; however, Moses, who has led these people through forty years in the wilderness, the great man of his generation, the spiritual Atlas of his day, will not enter into the land, yet all of the people who complained will.

Don't misunderstand, Moses is not giving excuses for what he did nor is he placing the blame for what he did upon the people present. When the incident took place historically, and Moses recorded it, there was not a word about being provoked by the sons of Israel. However, here, and in Deut. 1:37 4:21, Moses places some of the blame upon the people. We do not have enough here for a substitutionary analogy, but what the people should note is that their faithlessness and their actions resulted in their greatest leader being removed from them. Such strong discipline should be sobering, as, deep in their hearts, every Israelite knows of the great faithfulness and sacrifice of Moses.

" 'Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and see with your eyes, for you will not pass over this Jordan; [Deut. 3:27]

Moses was allowed to see the great land which Y^ehowah had given to the sons of Israel, the land which he had promised to lead them to over forty years ago. And Y^ehowah said, I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a lnad flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite." (Ex. 3:7a, 8). And forty years later: Then Y^ehowah said to Moses, "Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. And when you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was." (Num. 27:12–13). And Y^ehowah spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, "Go up to this mountain of Abarim, Mount Nebo which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession. Then die on the mountain where you have ascended, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. For you will see the land at a distance but you will not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel." (Deut. 32:48–52). From that vantage point, Moses would look in all directions and see what was given by God to them. This was the same Pisgah mountain where Balaam was taken by Balak in order to see all of the congregation of Israel so that he could curse Israel. It is from here that Moses will view the Land of Promise, which, at that time, was a beautiful and prosperous land. This did not take place at the time of this verse, but Moses will observe the entire land with his eyes as a climax to his life. It would be the last thing that he did prior to his death in Deut. 34. Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And Y^ehowah showed him all the land, Gilead, as far as Dan, and all Naphtalie and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. Then Y^ehowah said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have allowed you to see [it] with your eyes, but you will not go over there." So Moses, the servant of Y^ehowah died there in the land of Moab, according to the mouth of Y^ehowah (Deut. 34:1–5).

" 'But [lit., And] charge Jehoshua, and strengthen him, and harden him, for he will pass over before this people, and he will cause them to inherit the land which you see.' [Deut. 3:28]

Moses is not to waste his time requesting God to allow him to enter into the land leading Israel. His purpose in life, along with the recording of Scripture and his speaking to Israel, was to strengthen Joshua. This will take place in Deut. 31. Joshua will then lead Israel. Moses did not tell the sons of Israel that he prayed on their behalf for a great leader.

Beth-Peor means the house or sanctuary of Peor. This is likely a direct reference to where the cult practices of demonic, heathen worship was practiced by the Moabites and the Midianites. It was in Peor where Israel had been tempted by their gods (Num. 25:1–3). This general area was transformed from a place of demon worship into a general Israeli base of operations before they crossed over the Jordan (Deut. 4:46).

Introduction: The key phrase to Deut. 4 is the first verse: And now, Israel, listen [and obey] the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to do, so that you may live and [so that] you will go into the land which Y^ehowah God of your fathers is giving you and possess [it]. Deut. 4 will be one of the great portions of Scripture which teaches us about the character of God. Covenant theology—the idea that the church began in the tent of Abraham and that the church is a continuation of and a spiritualization of Israel—is herein refuted. This chapter also marks the end of the first dissertation of Moses. At the end of Deut. 4, we will return to a short narrative where the three cities of refuge are set up by Moses.

Deut. 4 is filled with a great deal of prophecy. Since Moses is speaking to the generation of promise, whose parents were some of the worst failures in the history of Israel, Moses, through God the Holy Spirit, predicts what their history will be. (1) Moses tells the children of Israel that he would die prior to going into the land (Deut. 4:22). (2) Israel would be removed from this land of promise, which they had not even entered into yet (Deut. 4:26). (3) Israel would be scattered throughout the nations of their enemies (Deut. 4:27). (4) Israel would lapse into idolatry (Deut. 4:28; see Ezek. 14:1–7). Finally, (5) Israel would eventually seek and find God during their exile (Deut. 4:29–30). This was partially fulfilled in Dan. 9:3, but will be completely fulfilled during the Great Tribulation.

"And now, Israel, listen [attentively to and give obedience] to the statutes, and to the judgments which I am teaching you to do, so that you [all] may live, and you will go in and possess the land which Y^ehowah God of your fathers is giving to you. [Deut. 4:1]

The Qal imperative of shâma׳ (ע ַמ ָש) [pronounced shaw-MAHĢ] is the simple word for listen and we find it used in that way throughout Scripture (Gen. 3:10 16:11 Psalm 6:8). However, it is also used in the sense of: to listen intently, to listen and obey, to listen and give heed to, to hearken to, to be attentive to (Gen. 3:17 39:10 Ex. 3:18). It is by the context that we can determine whether it is the simple act of listening or the act of listening attentively to and obeying. Unfortunately, the very best single word for the latter meaning is the archaic hearken. Strong's #8085 BDB #1033

After the phrase I am teaching you is the lâmed preposition followed by the Qal infinitive construct of ׳âsâh (ה ָ ָע) [pronounced ģaw-SAWH] which means to do, to make, to construct. Strong's #6213 BDB #793. Where it is found here, it acts just like our infinitive (I only mention this because Bullinger goes off on quite an unnecessary tangent about this phrase—unnecessary, because the correct translation clears up the rendering of the Authorized Version). This is followed by the lâmed prefixed preposition again and our often used 2^nd person plural, Qal imperfect of châyâh (ה ָי ָח) [pronounced khaw-YAW], a verb meanings to live. This word also means to remain, to exist, to survive. The lâmed preposition here denotes purpose and intent. The difference between listening intently to God's Word and obeying it and not is the difference between life and death. This is the secret of the Christian life which seems to have eluded the average believer. "You will walk in all the way which Y^ehowah your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong [your] days in the land which you will possess" (Deut. 5:33). "All the commandments that I am commanding you today, you will be careful to do, that you may live and multiply and go in and possess the land which Y^ehowah swore to your forefathers" (Deut. 8:1). "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. so choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants." (Deut. 30:19). And he said to them, "Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you will command your sons to observe carefully—all the words of this law; for it [the Word of God] is not an idle word for you; indeed, it is your life. And by this word, you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess." (Deut. 32:46–47). "Now fear Y^ehowah and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt and serve Y^ehowah. And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve Y^ehowah, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but, as for me and my house, we will serve Y^ehowah." (Joshua 24:14–15). "And I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, by which, if man observes them, he will live." (Ezek. 20:11). Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of god above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ, I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain (Phil. 2:16). See also Deut. 4:26, 40 16:20 30:16 1John 1:1

In fact, Deut. 4 might be considered the guidon or the point for the entire book of Deuteronomy. The key to this book is listen [and obey] Y^ehowah, your God, O Israel. As noted in the passages quoted, this is the key of the book of Deuteronomy. This continual enjoinder by Moses for Israel to listen to God's Word and to obey God's Word translates into the same message for the Christian today. We are not told to hie ourselves off to some camp, nor are we to tarry for the Spirit, nor are we to witness to ten people a day—we are to listen to and obey God's Word. Our primary advantage which we have over the people of Israel is that we have the assistance of God the Holy Spirit. In fact, God spent approximately 1500 years showing us in His Word that even with God's Word, one must be guided by the Holy Spirit—our imbedded old sin nature is too great an obstacle for any one of us. Without the filling of the Holy Spirit, God's Word, at best, condemns us. If we are not empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing; and if we have not God's Word, we are directionless.

I come up with terrible analogies sometimes, but if the president of a large corporation is lying in a coma, this is analogous to our service without the Holy Spirit. There is no true contact with life; his control of the company is meaningless because he can make no decisions which pertain directly to the corporation. Without the Holy Spirit, we are completely separated from the life of God and have zero impact in this world and in God's plan. Without God's Word in our souls—without Bible doctrine—we are like a year old child who has inherited a huge corporation. We have volition, we have life, we have control over this corporation—however, we have no direction whatsoever, other than our personal needs. The Age of Israel has shown us that God's Word is not enough; and the lives of the vast majority of Christians reveal that the filling of the Holy Spirit apart from God's direction, found in God's Word, gives us minimal impact in this life.

What kept the previous generation out of the land? They did not listen to and obey the Word of God. What kept Moses out of the land? He did not obey the Word of God. Although the land is real and, at that time, was a land of beauty and prosperity, this is also a metaphor for our lives. All we have to do is to listen to and obey the Word of God and God will bring us into that promised land—into a place of great blessing and prosperity. All we have to do is to listen to Him and we will receive blessing and prosperity beyond what we can imagine. In my own life, in the areas where I have been faithful to His Word, I have been blessed greatly; and, in the areas where I have disobeyed His commands, it is there I have lacked.

I like quoting from J. Vernon McGee, because he addresses Scriptural doctrines simply and to the point. If Israel had kept the Law, what a blessing it would have been. But we find here a demonstration in history of a people who were give the Law under favorable circumstances but who could not keep it. No flesh will be justified before God by the Law. Why not? Is it because God is arbitrary? No, it is because the flesh is radically wrong. That is the problem

"You will not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor diminish from it, to keep the commands of Y^ehowah your God which I am commanding you. [Deut. 4:2]

This is far greater than we can imagine. First of all, this tells us that Moses recognized the importance of what he was teaching the Israelites—that is, he recognized that it was God's Word. I personally do my best to consider the different options and to give what I believe is the correct interpretation and reasonable application of any verse. However, this I see as my best attempt, when filled with the Holy Spirit, to communicate God's Word. However, I know that errors will occasionally creep in and sometimes there will be important elements of a passage left out. As an author, I don't expect my work to be changed; however, as a theologian, I would expect that those who learn from me will be able to take what I have given to them and to expand and contract as needed, with an eye toward accuracy.

Moses recognizes that this is God's Word that he is giving to the Jews and therefore he tells them not to add to it nor to take from it. "Whatever I command you, you will be careful to do; you will not add to nor take away from it." (Deut. 12:32). What is the Mishna and the Talmud? They are Jewish additions to God's Word. The Jews obey these far more carefully than they obey God's Word. This has placed the Jewish people under a great curse, a curse that we read about in Lev. 26 and will be given again in this chapter. Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him Do not add to His words, so that he will not reprove you and you be proven a liar (Prov. 30:5–6). God's Word has been completed: I testify to everyone who hears the words of prophecy of this book; if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book (Rev. 22:18–19).

"Your eyes have seen that which Y^ehowah had done in Baal-Peor—for every man who had gone after Baal-Peor, Y^ehowah your God has caused him to be destroyed from your midst; [Deut. 4:3]

We read about this in Num. 25:1–9: While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to prostitute themselves with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and Y^ehowah was angry against Israel. And Y^ehowah said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before Y^ehowah, so that the fierce anger of Y^ehowah may turn away from Israel." So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you must execute his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor." Then, observe, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of al the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a speak in his hand. Then he want after the man of Israel into the tent and pieced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. And those who died by the plague were 24, 0000. Balaam had been called upon to curse Israel and he was unable to do so; however, he had suggested a different tactic of war be taken against Israel—he suggested a cold war, so to speak, where the overtures toward Israel seemed friendly, yet the intention was to disrupt Israel internally. Those who were lured into the degenerate religion of Baal-Peor died the sin unto death.

"And you [all] who held fast [or continued cleaving] to Y^ehowah your God—[you are] alive, all of you, today. [Deut. 4:4]

There were those who went in for the phallic cult worship and those who held fast to God. The relationship between God and believers in His Son Jesus Christ is closely akin to the correct perspective of a marriage. God loves, provides for and protects those who are His. Just as a right man and a right woman are to cling to one another (Gen. 2:24), so a believer is the cling to God, his Savior. Those who held fast to God remained alive and those who did not died the sin unto death, the final end for almost everyone of gen X. This older generation became an object lesson. God destroyed them for their disloyalty to Him—for prostituting themselves to another god—and the remaining generation, the generation of promise, were to remember these things and tell their children these things (see Deut. 4:9).

"Observe, I have taught you statutes and judgments, as Y^ehowah my God had commanded me—to do as God commanded [lit., to do so], in the midst of the land where you [all] are going in to possess it. [Deut. 4:5]

God had specific behavior that the Israelites were to obey, behavior and laws and statutes which would set them apart from the heathen of the land. The laws were given to Moses for the sons of Israel, as we read: These are the statutes and ordinances and laws which Y^ehowah established between Himself and the sons of Israel by the hand of Moses at Mount Sinai (Lev. 26:46; also see 27:34).

"And you [all] will keep and you all will do [them], for that will be your wisdom and your understanding before the eyes of the peoples who hear all these statutes; and they will say, 'Only a people wise and understanding [is] this great nation.' [Deut. 4:6]

God chose, at this point in time, to work through a particular nation, the nation Israel. The laws which it had, coming directly from God, were be fair and just—to those from outside Israel as well as those in Israel. The reasonableness of their laws and the inherent justice was beyond what the heathen knew. This would stand as a witness to all other peoples who came into contact with the nation Israel. Moses calls out to the people and says, "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants. By loving Y^ehowah your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him—this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which Y^ehowah swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give them" (Deut. 30:19–20). "Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you will command your sons to observe [and] to do—all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed, it is your life. And by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess." (Deut. 31:46–47).

The method of evangelism of Israel and the church are quite different. We have been commanded by God to go out into the world and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Israel was not enjoined by God to send out missionaries. They were to obey God's laws and the wisdom of these laws combined with the great blessing that they would receive, would draw people to them. One of the prime examples was the Queen of Sheba McGee wrote: She came from the ends of the earth. There were no jet planes at that time. She made a long, arduous hard trip. If a woman would come that distance under such circumstances, don't you think some men would come to see? And they did. That was the way Israel witnessed to the world

This verse does not mean that every nation around Israel and all the peoples therein loved and admired Israel. This means that the discerning of the land would recognize the wisdom of their laws and their ways. There are religious concepts which would appeal to some. The unbeliever can be quite sharp. A discerning unbeliver can wander into the average church and discount it immediately because (1) they have their hand out all of the time; (2) the church is corny and the pastor is corny; (3) the church, the pastor and the congregation are all phoney; (4) the pastor and the congregation are not particularly bright or discerning; (5) a majority of what is spoken from the pulpit sounds like rehashed fundamentalist slogans; (6) there is no convincing ministry of the Holy Spirit; (7) people running around the church putting their hands on others, calling aloud for the power of Jesus, speaking in tongues, claiming miraculous healings every few minutes either unnerves or serves to amuse the discerning unbeliever; (8) the males sound as though they are carbon copies of the pastor and the females sound as though they are carbon copies of the pastor's wife. I recall being in one church where the females said praise the Lord in exactly the same vocal inflection as the pastor's wife. I don't recall where I was a discerning believer or unbeliever at the time, but I found that to be quite amusing and completely separate from anything to do with spiritual matters. Even as an unbeliever, I clearly recognized that there was no spiritual impact or meaning in religious people imitating the personality of their charismatic leader. I thought it foolish at the time and regard it as somewhat sadly neurotic today.

Now, don't misunderstand me, a pastor does not need to sound as though he is a scholar of the languages and a Harvard graduate, although he should have some in depth training in the former. J. Vernon McGee was one of the outstanding pastors of the 20^th century, and he sounded like a hick from the sticks. His thick southern drawl belied his great theological training, his background in the original languages and his knowledge of God's Word. He was rarely asked to put that into layman's terms because he spoke in layman's terms, yet still conveyed the great truth of the Scripture, as can be attested to by anyone who was heard him or studied under him.

If an unbeliever happens to wander into a church today, for whatever reason, the pastor should be teaching God's Word carefully, with respect, from the pulpit. That is, it should not sound as though the pastor just thought this up after watching some inspiring movie; it should sound as though He has complete respect for God's Word and has spent the last eight hours trying to discern what is being convey in the passage he is teaching. The congregation should be allowed their own speech patterns and personality traits, outside of overt sinful behavior, of course. And if an outgoing person in the congregation wants to say hello to the newcomer without intruding on their privacy, fine; and if a shy member of the congregation does not want to even make eye contact with them, that's fine. When it comes to the gospel, the convincing should be in the hands of the Holy Spirit. There are well over a hundred ways to convey the gospel, there is no pattern that should be adhered to other than the basic truth that Jesus Christ paid for out sins, taking the penalty for them upon Himself, thereby purchasing us from the slave market of sin. The only response required to achieve eternal salvation is to believe in Him. No believer should think that there is a requirement to raise his hand, walk forward to the front part of the church in a gush of emotion (very few shy people were ever be saved if this were a tenent of salvation), to join the church, to be baptized, or to give any public indication whatsoever that believing in Jesus Christ has taken place. Furthermore, no unbeliever should be made to think that he must, right at the moment, dedicate the rest of his life to serving Jesus Christ, as His Lord and Savior. What a person does after salvation is strictly between him and God at that point. If the pastor is teaching solid, correct doctrine, then there is a good chance that a former unbeliever will return. However, progress in the Christian life following salvation is not an immediate transformation, but sometimes a very gradual spiritual growth. Although some people are seemingly transformed overnight, their devotion to God's Word that follows is the key to their true spiritual growth. In short, the unbeliever walking into a church, for whatever reason, should not be struck by the notion that he is in a roomfull of idiots from which he can hardly wait to extricate himself. Simple rules of courtesy and standing back and allowing God the Holy Spirit to do His job is all that is required from you, the congregation.

The Amplified Bible For what great nation is there who has a god so near to them as the Lord our God is to us in all things for which we call upon Him?

The Emphasized Bible For what great nation is there which hath gods nigh unto it,—like Yahweh our god, whensoever we have cried out unto him?

KJV For what nation is there so great, that hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for ?

NASB For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him?

NIV What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?

Young's Lit. Translation For which is the great nation that hath God near unto it, as Jehovah our God, in all we have called unto him?

Surprisingly, there is no definite article with great nation (Young is usually very literal about this).

"For what great nation is there that [has] a god near to it, as Y^ehowah our God, whenever we call to him [lit., For what great nation which it (has) God (or, gods) is near as (or, for) Y^ehowah our God in all our calling unto Him]? [Deut. 4:7]

The meaning is clear—the earth is filled with great nations, those with a large number of people, an impressive culture, great education, a strong military—but none of these nations had Y^ehowah God. They had their national gods, all of whom had demons lurking behind in the shadows, but Israel was led by the real thing, the Creator of the Universe. God was close enough to call to Him and He would answer them. This nearness of Y^ehowah is testified to throughout Scripture: "Am I a God Who is near," declares Y^ehowah, "And not a God far off? Can a man hide himself in hiding places, so that I do not see him?" declares Y^ehowah. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares Y^ehowah (Jer. 23:23–24). Y^ehowah is near to all who call upon Him. To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will deliver them (Psalm 145:18–19; see also Psalm 148:14). The tabernacle was the visible presence of God in the camp, as was the pillar of fire and the cloud; however, any one of Israel could call upon Him. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change, and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea (Psalm 46:1–2). "The God Who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; and He made from one every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His offspring.' " (Acts 27:24, 26–28).

"And which great nation which it [has] righteous statutes and judgments in all the law—this [law]—which I am setting before you today? [Deut. 4:8]

These two lines make up somewhat of a stanza, both of them carrying within them the same sentence structure even though this sentence structure does not fit the sentence exactly (which is why they sound stilted when translated literally). For what great nation which it gods near for Y^ehowah our God in all our calling unto Him? And what great nation which it righteous statutes and judgements as all the law—this [law]—which I am setting before you today? I underlined the portions which were the exact same words in the exact same morphology, attempting to give as literal of a translation as possible. God had set up a system of laws which were both fair and just, reflecting His perfect character. Furthermore, within these laws was a complete Christology, revealing the gospel to millions of people, while keeping it a secret from Satan. And besides this, there were laws of sanitation and quarantine which we have studied which would protect the nation Israel from an internal destruction due to disease. These is no nation which had laws of this caliber, laws which could be instituted in any nation today which would result in an improvement over whatever system of law that they have.

It is clearly and continually emphasized throughout God's Word that He and all that He does is righteous: Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne. Grace and truth go before You (Psalm 89:14). Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live...the sum of Your Word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting (Psalm 119:144, 160). See also Psalm 97:2 119:172.

"Only, take responsibility to yourself and guard your soul to a great degree [or, exceedingly], so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen, and so that they [the things your eyes have seen] do not turn aside from your heart all the days of your life. Furthermore [lit., and] [each of] you will make them known [the things which your eyes have seen] to your sons and to your sons' sons. [Deut. 4:9]

This verse carries with it the 2^nd person masculine singular, Niphal imperative and the 2^nd person masculine singular, Qal imperative of the same verb: shâmar (ר ַמ ָש) [pronounced shaw-MAR] which means keep, guard, watch, preserve. The Niphal is used far less than the Qal stem, and it is translated in the Authorized Version take heed. Such a rendering has little or no meaning to us today, so I have translated this take responsibility. Although the Niphal is generally the passive stem, it is also used to stress the individual effect upon the group.

Each person has solemn and important responsibilities toward their own nation. Even though Y^ehowah is a God of the nation Israel, each individual has a personal responsibility, a personal stake in the righteousness of their nation. Strong's #8104 BDB #1036 Moses continually places upon the Israelites individual responsibility (Deut. 4:23 6:12 8:11, 14, 19). If they, without the Holy spirit, had such a dramatic individual effect upon the nation Israel, imagine our personal impact, seeing that we all have the Holy Spirit?

We tend to, as Christians, get a very distorted view of history and think that history is filled with these great miracles that God continually performed in every generation. Some even think that these miracles continue on today as they did then. This is a total confusion of what the Scripture teaches. There were periods of time when great signs and wonders and miracles occurred—chiefly during the exodus, during the time of Elijah, and during the incarnation of our Lord. I have filled up this verse so that the antecedent for the 3^rd masculine plural suffix and verbs would not be confused. Throughout this verse, we are speaking of the things which that generation of Israelites saw with their own eyes. They are not to forget these things, they are not to let these things depart from their heart (their thinking), and they are to pass on this information to their children and grandchildren. "When your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What [about] the testimonies and the statutes and the judments which Y^ehowah commanded you?' Then you will say to you son, 'We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt; and Y^ehowah brought us from Egypt with a mighty hand. Moreover, Y^ehowah showed great and distressing signs and wonders before our eyes against Egypt, Pharaoh and all his household; and He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He had sworn to our fathers. So Y^ehowah commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear Y^ehowah our God for our good always and for our survival, as today. And it will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all the this commandment before the face of Y^ehowah our God, just as He commanded us." (Deut. 6:20–25). The commandment to teach spiritual information to our children carefully and accurately has never been rescinded: And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and the instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).

Each person listening to Moses and each person who reads God's Word from that generation was charged with a specific responsibility: they all saw the things which Moses recorded in Scripture. It was imperative for them to confirm God's Word. Note how extremely important that is here: these parents who have just witnessed these incredible miracles are to pass this information on down to their children and to their children's children. They were to confirm what was written in God's Word. Moses desired that all that was written down was also witnessed to by the parents to the children. For a few generations, the children would know from God's Word and from the eyewitness account of their own parents of the great things which God did for Israel. The responsibility that a parent has toward his children cannot be overemphasized—particularly in the spiritual realm. When God blesses you with a child, then it is your spiritual obligation to provide that child with a stable home environment, correct and accurate values, and accurate spiritual norms and standards. The parents of the 70's and 80's in particular unleashed a huge number of children on the world without any sort of real training in anything, some males thinking the more women that they impregnated, the greater man that they were. As I have heard it said, "Any male can sire a child; only a man can raise a child." A parent is never encouraged to lay the responsibility for the training of their child on anyone else or upon any institution. One of the rewarding observations of life is to watch grown children move back in with mom and dad because mom and dad did not bother to raise them correctly in the first place.

Allow me to quote from McGee again: The greatest undertaking of any nation is the education of the young. Probably the greatest failure of any nation is the failure in education. Look at America today and see the dismal failure we are making in this matter of education. Now I am not blaming the college and the schools. Do you know where the problem lies? It si right at home. God tells these people, "I want you to teach your children and your grandchildren." The failure to teach is the failure of Mom and Dad in the home. this was the great responsibility which God placed upon every father and mother in Israel. Friend, if you are going to bring a child into this world, you are responsible for that child. Our problem today is not foreign affairs or national economy; our problem is the home. God will hold divorced and preoccupied parents responsible for the vagrants of the world today who never knew the instruction and the love and the concern and the communication from parents. What a responsibility parenthood is! God makes this very clear to Israel. When that nation failed, it failed in the home, and God judged it

"The [lit., a] day that you stood before Y^ehowah your God in Horeb, in Y^ehowah's saying to me, 'Assemble to Me the people and I will cause them to hear My words, so that they will learn to fear [and respect] Me all the days that they are alive on the earth, and their sons they will teach. [Deut. 4:10]

In v. 9, individual responsibility was stressed, which is always the case in God's plan. You in this verse is singular as well. The sons of gen X were gathered at the foot of the mountain as well as gen X. As we have seen, Horeb refers to the general area within which is Mount Sinai. The incident referred to is when the sons of Israel were led by Moses to Mount Sinai. So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were sounds and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai [was] all in smoke because Y^ehowah descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. When the sound of hte trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. And Y^ehowah came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. and Y^ehowah called Moses to the top of the mountain and Moses went up (Ex. 19:16–20).

A portion of doctrine which is too often glossed over is fear of God. The fear of Y^ehowah is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline (Prov. 1:8). We stand judged and condemned before God because of our personal sins, because we are in Adam and bear the penalty for his sin, and because of our old sin nature. God is holy and we are anything but. It is our nature to be in rebellion to God. It is in our nature to glorify and to deify man and to denegrade that which is holy. And because of that nature, we stand condemned before God and, if we had any sense, we would fear Him. When you examine yourself in contrast to His Law, we should recognize our inherent weakness, our inability to keep His perfect Law. "And do ot fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matt. 10:28).

At Mount Sinai, the people received the Law. The Law does not save; the Law, although it is holy, just and good, to us, it is a fearful thing, because it condemns us. The writer of Hebrews contrasts Mount Sinai with Mount Zion, the first which condemns us, the second which accepts us in the Beloved: For you have not come to [a mountain] that may be touched and to a blazing fire, and to a darkness and a gloom and a whirlwind and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which [to] those who heard, begged that no further word should be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned." And so terrible was the sight, Moses said, "I am full of fear and trembling." But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than [the blood] of Abel (Heb. 12:18–24 Ex. 19:12 Deut. 9:19).

Our relationship to God and to His Word is a learned thing. "Assemble the people—the men, and the women and children and the foreigner who is in your area, in order that they may hear and learn and fear Y^ehowah your God and be careful to observe all the words of this Law. And their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear Y^ehowah you God, as long as you live on this land which you are about to cross the Jordan to poassess." (Deut. 31:12–13). "And you will eat in the presence of Y^ehowah your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His Name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the first-born of your herd and you flock, in order that you may learn to fear Y^ehowah your God always." (Deut. 14:23). "Now it will come to pass when he [a king over Israel] sits on the throne of his kingdom—he will write for himself a copy of this Law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. And it will be with him, and he will read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear Y^ehowah his God, by carefully observing all the words of this Law and these stattutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left; in order that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel." (Deut. 17:18–20). Because of our old sin nature, none of us naturally seeks after God—none of us have a natural fear and respect for Him. Left to our own natures, we are irreverent—we reject God and all that He is. We are enemies of God. Even Israel, whom God took as a child and rescued from Egypt—even these people continually rebelled against Him. It took the scattering of their corpses throughout the desert for their sons and daughters to recognize the power of Y^ehowah their God. "And you will eat in the presence of Y^ehowah your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the first-born of your herd and your flock, in order that you may learn to fear Y^ehowah your God always." (Deut. 14:23). "And it [the Law] will be with him {the priest], and he will read it all the days of his life that he may learn to fear Y^ehowah his God by keeping by doing all the words of this Law and these statutes." (Deut. 17:19).

"And you approached and stood at the foot of the mountain and the mountain burned with fire against [possibly, in contrast to] the heart of the heavens—darkness, cloud, and gloom. [Deut. 4:11]

In the various translations, the Hebrew prepositions are often translated rather free-form. That is, regardless of what has come before, the many translators seem to treat prepositions as though they were interchangeable. The one used here is ׳al (ל ַע) [pronounced al ] and it means upon, according to, on account of, beside, in addition to, to towards, together with, against. Strong's #5920–21 BDB #752 Here, the sense is not just together with, in addition to; but against in a hostile sense, as the fire (lightning) is contrasted with—it stands against the darkness, the cloud, the thick gloom. Although very real and literal, all of this is symbolic as well. God's perfect Law is brought into a world of darkness and we see but flashes of light to occasionally clarify that which is real in the darkness in which we live. Having lived in Texas for some time, during some storms, with the clouds and the darkness and the impending gloom, you can barely perceive of the shapes of things—however, these storms will be cut through by these flashes of lightning which, for a split second, will illuminate the entire area. The giving of God's Law was presented against this meteorological back drop. Even though the actual number of people who die in storm and tornado related deaths is relatively few, still, there is nothing like a fearsome storm to instill a little fear into one's heart (admittedly, this will be lost on those who live on the West coast who see very little in the way of horrendous storms). When Moses was to meet with God, this was the scene—a tremendous storm, with little or no rain, but thick darkness, gloom, pierced by fiery flashes of lightning. Now Mount Sinai [was] all in smoke because Y^ehowah descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently (Ex. 19:18).

"And Y^ehowah spoke to you out of the midst of the fire; a voice of words you [all] kept hearing and a similitude [or, form] you [all] continued not seeing [lit., were not seeing]—only a voice. [Deut. 4:12]

The word for form is t^emûwnâh (ה ָנמ ׃) [pronounced t^e-moo-NAWH or tem-oo-NAW] and it means something portioned out, an undefinable shape, a manifestation, a form, a likeness. This word is found in Ex. 20:4 Num. 12:8 Deut. 4:12, 15–16, 23, 25 5:8 Job 4:16 Psalm 17:15* and it is used primarily of the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Strong's #4327 & 8544 BDB #568 During a time when other nations had gods constructed of wood or metals, the Israelites were taught that God was a Spirit, not a form which could be perceived, described and duplicated. This was not a matter of the Jews just simply having a different culture or being raised differently. Recall that after Moses had been up on Mount Sinai for 30 or 40 days, the Israelites talked Aaron into casting a golden calf idol for them to worship (Ex. 32). Therefore, their natural inclination was toward idolatry, as that is how the other nations behaved, including Egypt, from whence they had just come. So, had the religion of Israel been a natural growth out of their culture, it would not have cast aspersions upon idolatry, but rather embraced it wholeheartedly, and passages like this, which suggest that God is a Spirit, would not be found. One of the key differences between the ancient practice of idolatry is you could see an idol; the Israelites, despite their close contact with God, could not see Him. His omnipresence precludes us seeing Him. We can, at best, see a manifestation of Him, e.g., a burning bush or an Angel from Y^ehowah. Because of this and because the fact that Satan is the most beautiful creature to come from the hand of God (if we were allowed to see him, many of us would worship him because of his beauty alone), idolatry is forbidden. Furthermore, we know that "God is spirit; and those who worship Him must worship [Him] in spirit and truth." (John 4:24). And the entire tenor of Scripture, from the Old Testament to the New Testament is that God cannot be represented by idols made from man's hands, nor is He a man of flesh, but He is a Spirit, omnipresent.

Because of God's perfection and holiness, the children of Israel could not look upon Him. The revealed member of the Godhead would have been Jesus Christ, where even just a small portion of His glory would be a blinding white light. And all the people perceived the thunder [lit., sounds] and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw, they trembled and stood at a distance. Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us—or we will die." And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin." So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thic cloud where God [was]. Then Y^ehowah said to Moses, "Thus you will say to the sons of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen that I have spoke with you from heaven.' " (Ex. 20:18–22). The Ten Commandments were given audibly to the children of Israel, the first time. The voice that pierced the darkness, as the lightning, was too much for the children of Israel, and they asked to be shielded from God. One of the few times that they responded in type—they required a mediator—a man to stand between them and God.

Our experience in the Church Age is quite different: For you have not come to [a mountain] that may be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which, to those who heard, begged that no further word should be spoken to them. But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels; to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprnkled blood, which speaks better than [the blood] of Abel. See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned [them] on earth, much less will we [escape] who turn away from Him who [warns] us from heaven (Heb. 12:18–19, 22–25).

In the next chapter, Moses will be giving again to the Generation of Promise the Ten Commandments. Whether this was on his mind at this time or not is a matter of speculation. However, God the Holy Spirit sought to remind this second generation of the miraculous way that they received the decalogue. Those listening were teenagers and younger at the time and the content would not have been as meaningful to them as the deliverance of those words directly from God. So Moses reminds them of the fact that God spoke these words directly to them, and they recall that. In his next message, Moses will immediately give them, for the second time, the Ten Commandments. However, this time the Generation of Promise will be more geared toward the content of the commandments than they were forty years earlier. Moses will allow them some time to let the mode of deliverance to which they were witness gel in their souls before he gives them content. We have this same anticipatory style (as Rotherham refers to it) occurring in Deut. 19 and 20 and in Deut. 31 and 32

V. 12, again: And Y^ehowah spoke to you out of the midst of the fire; a voice of words you [all] kept hearing and a similitude [or, form] you [all] continued not seeing [lit., were not seeing]—only a voice. One of the false theories of the authorship of the Pentateuch is that someone other than Moses wrote these words hundreds of years later. Rotherham asks the question, would any godly man in the days of Hezekiah or Manasseh have dared to invent these details?

Critics don't think these things through. At some point in time, there has to be the first reading of the completed Law of Moses. If it doesn't appear until the eighth century bc, purporting to be an eyewitness account of the history centuries previous which has supposedly been with the Jews for all of those centuries, don't you think some people would get a little suspicious? Now if their parents, and their parents parents, and their parents have attested to the existence and the content of God's Word, then in order for this to be taken as God's Word, the first time this is given a public reading or a public distribution, it will be during the time of those who witnessed the events. The Jews are intelligent people, then as well as now. They wouldn't, as a nation, embrace some book purporting to be God's Word which does not show up in their history until centuries and centuries after the fact. Even the way the Pentateuch is written indicates that the existence of Scripture was an accepted fact in the mind of the author. Moses recorded what God had done and what God said and it was taken immediately as God's Word, as those who read it had observed the historical events which took place. Certainly a cult, which is a minute portion of a population, might cling to some cult publication, e.g., the Book of Mormon, often attributed to the charisma of their founders. However, much more is required for an entire nation to embrace a book as God's Word. We have no historical documentation of any sort to indicate that the Bible was not taken by the Jews as God's Word at any time in their history. Now the literature of the Greeks to the literature of today is filled with author's who have sought to debate the authenticity of Scripture with names such as The Bible Unmasked, Contradictions found in the Bible, etc.; generally, very forgettable books authored by those with an ax to grind, but displaying little or no academic vigor, books that die out after a printing or two, only to be replaced by similar books for the next generation of those suffering from negative volition.

However, we do not have a similar type of literature from that day because the authenticity of Scripture was not an issue to them at that time.

"And He declared to you His covenant which He had commanded you to perform [lit., do]—the Ten Commandments [lit., the ten words]—and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. [Deut. 4:13]

Notice that the Ten Commandments are referred to as a covenant. In Deut. 9:9, they are referred to as the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant. A covenant is a contract between two peoples, but, in this case, it is not a contract for salvation. This covenant, placed between God and His people, falls under the category do these and live. As this chapter began: "And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, in order that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which Y^ehowah, the god of your fathers, is giving you." (Deut. 4:1). Immediately after reiterating the Ten Commandments to this generation, Moses says, "You will walk in all the way which Y^ehowah your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong [your] days in the land which you will possess." (Deut. 5:33). My sons, do not forget my teachings, but let your heart keep and guard my commandments; for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Do not let kindness and truth to leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, so you will find grace and a good reputation in the sight of God and man. Trust in Y^ehowah with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear Y^ehowah and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones. My son, do not let them depart from your sight; keep sound wisdom and discretion, so they will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck and you will walk in your way securely and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden fear, nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes for Y^ehowah will be your confidence and He will keep your foot from being caught (Prov. 3:1–8, 21–26).

There were two sets of tables of the Law. The first one was written by God when Moses was on Mount Sinai for the first time. And when He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God. Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides; they werre written on one side and the other. And the tablets were God's work, and the writing was God's writing engraved on the tablets. And it came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and dancing; and Moses' anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain (Ex. 31:18 32:15–16, 19). After the golden calf incident, during which the entire congregation of Israel was almost destroyed by God, Moses returned to the mountain. Now Y^ehowah said to Moses, "Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered. So he cut out two stone tablets like the former ones, and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai, as Y^ehowah had commanded him, and he took two stone tablets in his hand. So he was there with Y^ehowah forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments [lit., words] (Ex. 34:1, 4, 28; see also Deut. 10:1–4).

"And Y^ehowah had commanded me at that time to teach [all of] you statutes and judgments, for your doing them in the land where to you over [all] are pass over to possess it. [Deut. 4:14]

Notice that Moses' train of thought is topical, not chronological; this would indicate that not all of the Law is in chronological order. In Deut. 3–4, there were sections which would chronologically, as well as logically, lead us from one point to another: e.g., In Deut. 3:1, we begin with the conquest of Og, king of Bashan, in trans-Jordan area and proceed to the new leadership of Joshua and their camping in the valley of Beth-peor. However, in v. 4, we are dealing with the Law of God and have gone back to Mount Sinai and the giving of the Law. In fact although the Ten Commandments were written down on two different occasions, it is looked on here as one instance. That is because the topic of the Law is what is being covered here and not Israel's failure during the golden calf incident.

In the instance of this verse, God had commanded Moses on several occasions to teach the Law to the Israelites—this was not just one enjoiner. Then Y^ehowah spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, and ot all the sons of Israel, and say to them, 'This is what Y^ehowah has commanded.' " (Lev. 17:1–2a). Then Y^ehowah spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'I am Y^ehowah your God; you will not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you will not walk in their statutes. You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am Y^ehowah your God. So you will keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them. I am Y^ehowah.' " (Lev. 18:1–5). "Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them." (Ex. 21:1). Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of Y^ehowah and all the ordinances and all the people answered with one voice, and said, "All the words which Y^ehowah has spoken, we will do!" (Ex. 24:3). Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said to them, "These are the things that Y^ehowah has commanded you to do." (Ex. 35:1). These are trhe commandments and the ordinances which Y^ehowah commanded to the sons of Israel through Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan Jericho (Num. 36:13).

Furthermore, God would have commanded Moses on several occasions, not always recorded in Scripture, to teach the sons of Israel His Law, His commands, His statutes and His ordinances.

The next verse is translated in several ways, and should be examined for its correct rendering, and therefore, correct meaning:

The Amplified Bible Therefore, take good heed to yourselves; since you saw no form of Him on the day the Lord spoke to you on Horeb out of the midst of the fire,

The Emphasized Bible Ye must take diligent heed, therefore, unto your own souls,—for ye saw no manner of form, on the day Yahweh spake unto you in Horeb, out of the midst of the fire;

KJV Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spoke unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:

NASB "So watch yourselves carefully, since you did not see any form on the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire,

NIV You saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully,

NRSV Since you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire, take care and watch yourselves closely.

Owen's Translation Therefore take heed good to yourselves since you saw no form in the day that Yahweh spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire.

Young's Lit. Translation and ye have been very watchful of you souls, for ye have not seen any similitude in the day of Jehovah's speaking unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire.

V. 15 begins with the 2^nd person masculine plural, Niphal perfect of shâmar (ר ַמ ָש) [pronounced shaw-MAR] again. Shâmar comes from a primitive root word which means to hedge about with thorns; and it means keep, guard, watch, preserve; furthermore, in the Niphal—used far less than the Qal stem—it is often translated take heed. Since this rendering has little or no meaning to us today, I often translate this [should] take stock, or take responsibility. Strong's #8104 BDB #1036 Although the Niphal is generally the passive stem, it is also used to stress the individual effect upon the group. This is not in the imperative but rather in the perfect tense. In most instances we would translate this you have taken responsibility, or you have taken stock; however, v. 16 (and v. 19) begin with lest, a conjunction which has the effect of transforming a verb into an imperative. Essentially it means, you will do this; if you don't, then this will happen. Shâmar is modified by the adverb m^eôd (דֹא ׃מ) [pronounced m^eohd] and it means very, exceedingly, extremely, greatly; it brings greater emphasis to the verb. In order for this to make reasonable English sense, I have translated this take careful stock. It would be rasonable to translate this and diligently watch [or guard] your souls; be very watchful of your souls.

This is followed by the lâmed preposition, which means to, for, with regards to. The generally literal Young's Translation and The Emphasized Bible both reveal that the plural of the word for soul is found, as well as the personal pronoun your. There will be a moderately complex thought put together here, spanning several verses. What follows is conjunction kîy (י ̣) [pronounced kee], which means when, that, for. It is used as an explicative, an explanatory, a justificatory or a causal conjunction. Strong's #3588 BDB #471. Kîy will pull together why and how the sons of Israel are to take personal responsibility or careful stock in their own souls.

This is followed by the 2^nd person masculine plural, Qal perfect of the verb to see. and the masculine singular construct of kôl followed by the masculine singular of t^emûwnâh (ה ָנמ ׃) [pronounced t^e-moo-NAWH or tem-oo-NAW] and it means something portioned out, an undefinable shape, a manifestation, a form, a likeness.—a word we just examined in v. 12 of this chapter. Kôl (לֹ) [pronounced kole] means the whole, all of, the entirety of, all, every. This word occurs too often for the Englishman's Concordance to list its appearances. Without the defininte article (as here), kôl can mean all things. In Gen. 9:11, with the negative, it it literally the nought of all things; and we generally give that a more updated translation there is nothing (see also 2Kings 4:2 13:2). Here, in this passage, as well as in Deut. 8:9 28:55 Prov. 30:30, is means (in conjunction with t^emûwnâh) the likeness of anything. Strong's #3605 BDB #481 That is, the children of Israel, despite hearing God's voice give them the Ten Commandments, despite the great thunder and lightning, despite the fear this threw into their souls—they saw no discernable form of God that they could copy with something on earth.

Vv. 10–13 described the miraculous speaking of the Ten Commandments directly from God to the people. This was delivered so that every Israelite, including the youth present at that time, would hear God's Word. With v. 14, Moses then resumes with the other ordinances and statutes which he received directly from God, which he recorded and taught to the people later (Ex. 21–23).

When God gave the Ten Commandments orally to the sons of Israel, the people heard His words and could see the great meteorological disturbances, but there was no form for them to discern. And all the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw, they trembled, and stood at a distance. Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die." And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid, for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you will not sin." So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God [was] (Ex. 20:18–21).

One of the most interesting aspects of human history is that we have all of these busts and statues of various heroes and kings, most notably Cæsar, and descriptions of the physical appearance of many historical figures, including Paul (although it may be spurious); however, nowhere do we have a physical description or a painting or a picture of Jesus Christ as done by a person from the first century. The man who turned the world upside down, whose personal disciples continued for many decades after His ascension—none of them chose to record what He looked like. All we know is that He did have beard, he was very strong (which would include the physical build to accompany His human physical strength) and that he was very nondescript in a manner of speaking—that is, He could blend in with a crowd and not be discerned by His enemies. The paintings and pictures we see are an artists interpretation of our Lord, done long after His incarnation. This is because He is God and God does not desire for us to have any graven images made to Him. Therefore, we would not expect to have any sort of a physical description of Jesus Christ. That picture of Jesus that you have hanging in your hallway with the long hair—this did not come out of the first or even the second century. It is no accident that we do not know what Jesus looked like. God did not give us a picture of Jesus Christ intentionally. Nor will this picture of yours aide you in the worship of Him any more than idols would help the Israelite in their worship of Y^ehowah. It is God's Word in your heart, not a picture on the wall, which will aide you in your worship of Jesus Christ.

"So that you avoid acting corruptly [or, so that you do not cause yourselves to fall into decay; or, so that you do not become spiritually corrupt] and make [or, construct] for yourself a sculpted image [or, a graven image], a form [or, a similitude] of any figure, a likeness of male or a female, [Deut. 4:16]

V. 16 begins with the averting or deprecating conjunction pen (ן∵) [pronounced pen], unfortunately best translated with the Old English lest. I tend to prefer the more modern so that + a negative. It could also be translated for the aversion of, for the avoidance of, so that [you] avoid, in order to prevent. Strong's 6435 BDB #814. This is followed by the Hiphil imperfect of shâchath (ת ַח ָש) [pronounced shaw-KHAHTH], which means to decay, to go to ruin, to corrupt. In the Hiphil, it means to cause themselves to fall into spiritual corruption. Strong's #7843 BDB #1007. Here, they are warned not to fall into idolatry, a topic which we have covered. It is important to see the analogy to today's world. The Hebrews were a very demonstrative people and they would do the same things that we do today, but in a much more demonstrative way. When they fell into spiritual corruption, they would follow other religions by constructing physical idols made out of stone and wood to represent various gods, even to represent the God Who brought them out of Egypt. It was the fathers of those listening who had become particularly spiritually corrupt (Deut. 9:12) and those listening, as well as their progeny, would also become corrupt (Deut. 31:29).

For us, this is parallel to falling into apostasy. This does not mean that we start worshiping a wood, stone or metal semblance of God—this means that we worship something other than the True God of the Universe. This can be an extremely subtle change in modus operandi; the changing of churches to find one which has a better babysitting service or a group for the young unmarrieds or for the new couples or whatever. The doctrine is taken as a part of the involvement with the church, even though it may stand in direct opposition to God's grace and God's plan. There may be demon infiltration of tongues and false signs and lying wonders, but the people are so nice and so loving, that you cannot help but believe them. You may have fallen for the very subtle differences of infused grace as opposed to imputed grace, in order to find a church with more convenient times or a more solemn worship service and ritual execution. These are all idolatry. You should pursue the truth of God's Word, regardless of the kind of church that provides it. It doesn't matter if the pastor is Black, and entire congregation is Black, and you are oriental and there is not an oriental with ten miles of the church—if the pastor is teaching God's Word, you should be there. It doesn't matter if the only way you can listen to God's Word is to sit in a small room with a speaker with your children in the back of the church because there are no child care facilities—if the pastor is teaching carefully God's Word, that is where you should be. It doesn't matter whether this seems to be the most unfriendly church that you have ever gone to and nobody has spoken to you for two months—if the pastor is teaching God's Word, you should go there.

Okay, how do you know? Let me give you a few pointers on how to determine whether or not you are in a church teaching God's Word: (2) The pastor frequently teaches God's Word verse by verse, one right after another, not jumping from book to book or passage to passage, but generally picking a book and moving right through it verse by verse. (3) The pastor treats God's Word with respect. He gives every indication that he believes the Bible to be the very words of God as recorded by man, and his sermons reflect careful study and an intense desire to determine what the meaning of each passage is. (4) The pastor teaches in the literal context of the verse; that is, the pastor does not jump around from passage to passage on a regular basis, supporting his views by quoting a verse here or there. Doctrines must be taught by moving throughout God's Word; however, the bulk of a pastor's teaching should be verse by verse, in context. (5) Whereas, there might be giving, singing, various groups and various activities, and some ritual—the focus and the thrust of the church in both emphasis and time is on God's Word. Teaching God's Word is primary; everything else is secondary. (6) The pastor should not—even if he counsels you—try to run your life. No deacon and no other person in the church who apparently has some authorization of the church, should try to run your life. Now there are forms of behavior which are sinful which should not be known to the other members of the congregation. That is, you are not to come into a church and parade your sinfulness in front of everyone else. This may get you disbarred from the church. No one is trying to run your life in this situation; they are just protecting the other members of the flock who might become confused thinking that the church condones certain kinds of behavior which it does not. If you are the least confused about some aspect of your personal life and its validity in the Christian life, keep it private—do not parade it in front of the congregation, and a Bible-teaching church will not try to personally correct your life for you. Many pastors are confused in this area—they think that the less sin there is in the world, the better everything is; and if they can, by any means, reduce the amount of sin in the world, then they have done good. God is glorified when you choose God's ways over yours—God is not glorified because you have been bullied into some course of action by someone else. (7) A Bible-teaching church should exalt Jesus Christ as the God-man, as our only means of salvation; and that by believing in Him, we are saved forever, despite anything which has occurred in our lives before and after our moment of salvation. When I became interested in the things of God, I believed in Jesus Christ a dozen times or more, to make certain it took. I did not want to leave anything to chance. It took the first time that I believed in Him and placed my trust in Jesus Christ to deliver my soul. Now, you will note the things which I left out: (1) if your church is a vibrant, growing church; (2) if your pastor is on televison or on the radio; (3) if there are good child care facilities; (4) your pastor gives lip service to the Word of God, although he never really teaches much of it. It is important that we separate what is important from what is not.

At the time that I believed in Jesus Christ, I was faced with a strong intellectual curiosity in what I had just done. I do not recall if I was saved first and then started exploring the options or whether I explored the various options and then became saved. I read materials given me by several cults, I listened to various speakers, I ordered tapes, I listened to shows on Christian radio programs. To a new Christian, or to someone who is just beginning, it is very difficult to make a correct choice. I do not think that I was predisposed and tried to filter through all of the material without making a choice based upon human viewpoint. My feeling was that if, for instance, the Children of God cult or the Jehovah's Witness cult were the only true teachers of God's Word, then I should align myself with them. It is a difficult determination to make. Cultic literature generally all sounds reasonable (with a few notable exceptions)—they have their doctrines which they support with passages from God's Word. However, I began listening to the tapes of R.B. Thieme, Jr. (whom I did not like as a person), to the radio program of J. Vernon McGee, and to a radio program by Dr. Duane Spencer. Insofar as I was aware, I did not know of a connection between any of these three people (I later found out that Thieme was acquainted with McGee). However, the basic doctrines of these men were very similar; Thieme and McGee both taught verse by verse through God's Word—and I thought that they must be onto something, if they agree in the most important points of doctrine, they believe that the Bible is God's Word and if they came upon these conclusions independantly. I continued to read literature put out by various cults and studied the pros and cons of it, and eventually placed my time under the ministry of R.B. Thieme for my spiritual growth. I believe that God led me to that point. Of all the people that I knew and all of the people that I listened to, I personally liked Thieme about the least—however, he was teaching God's Word and he did eventually grow on me. For awhile, this meant that the bulk of my spiritual growth came out of a tape box and not in the church that I attended (which held to the same basic important doctrines which I then did, but did not spend nearly enough time teaching God's Word). This is where I also discovered the the majority of those believers who are saved have no interest in God's Word—a fact which totally took me by surprise; but that's another story. Back to our passage:

"A likeness of any beast which [is] in the earth, a likeness of any winged creature which flies in the heavens; [Deut. 4:17]

The only problem in teaching carefully verse by verse, is that sometimes the verses by themselves mean very little. We will need to look at this passage as one contiguous whole (which we will do) and examine the different words which we find here that are variously translated as form, similitude, likeness, graven image, etc. It is foolish that there is an animal or a bird whose image should be taken to worship as though that image represents God. However, what is also ridiculous is to assume that you can create or perceive of God as being in your own image.

"A likeness of any creeping thing in [or, against] the ground, a likeness of any fish which [is] in the waters underneath with respect to the earth; [Deut. 4:18]

Below the earth does not refer to underground streams and systems of water, but to set those who live in the water in contrast with those which live upon the ground, contrasted those the birds who live in the heavens, contrasted with animals who live upon the ground.

Culture has changed over the past several centuries, as these verses do indicate. Although there are cultures who build various physical things that they worship, our idolatry today in most cultures is one of the soul. However, statues of the one-time virgin Mary, pictures of our Lord and similar items, when made a part of one's worship are herein strictly forbidden.

There are certain words that are found in here which mean likeness, similitude, form. They are:

Words for Idols
Hebrew Word	Meaning
T^emûwnâh (ה ָנמ ׃) [pronounced t^e-moo-NAWH or tem-oo-NAW] Strong's #4327 & 8544 BDB #568 Deut. 4:12, 15–17	It means something portioned out, an undefinable shape, a manifestation, a form, a likeness. This word is found in Ex. 20:4 Num. 12:8 Deut. 4:12, 15–16, 23, 25 5:8 Job 4:16 Psalm 17:15* and it is used primarily of the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Peçel (ל ∵ס ∵) [pronounced PEH-cell] Strong's #6459 BDB #820	Peçel comes from a verb which means to hew into a shape, graven image, sculpted image. Ex. 20:4 Deut. 4:16, 23 Judges 18:20 Habak. 2:18
Çemel (ל ∵מ ∵ס) [pronounced SEH-mel ] Strong's #5566 BDB #702	Çemel is taken from a root that means to resemble and it means image, statue, a figure of anything, an idol-image. Found in Deut. 4:16 2Chron. 33:7, 15 Ezek. 8:3, 5.*
Tabnîyth (ת ̣מ ׃ב ַ) [pronounced ta-^bvb^e-NEETH] Strong's #8403 BDB #125	This word means model, likeness, resemblance, pattern, figure. Ex. 25:9 Deut. 4:16–18 1Chron. 28:11 Ezek. 10:8

In the English	In the Hebrew
"And you [all] [should] take careful stock with regard to your souls—because you [all] did not see any form	The masculine singular of t^emûwnâh (ה ָנמ ׃) [pronounced t^e-moo-NAWH or tem-oo-NAW]. Kôl (לֹ) [pronounced kole] means the whole, all of, the entirety of, all, every. Without the definite article (as here), kôl can mean all things. In Gen. 9:11, with the negative, it it literally the nought of all things; and we generally give that a more updated translation there is nothing (see also 2Kings 4:2 13:2). Here, in this passage, as well as in Deut. 8:9 28:55 Prov. 30:30, it means (in conjunction with t^emûwnâh) the likeness of anything. Strong's #3605 BDB #481
in the day of Y^ehowah's speaking to you in Horeb out of the midst of the lightning [lit., fire]—so that you avoid acting corruptly [or, so that you do not cause yourselves to fall into decay; or, so that you do not become spiritually corrupt] and make [or, construct] for yourself a sculpted image [or a graven image],	No definite article; peçel (ל ∵ס ∵) [pronounced PEH-cell]
a form of	The construct of t^emûwnâh (ה ָנמ ׃) [pronounced t^e-moo-NAWH or tem-oo-NAW]
any statue	Çemel (ל ∵מ ∵ס) [pronounced SEH-mel ]
a likeness of male or female,	Tabnîyth (ת ̣מ ׃נ ַ) [pronounced ta-b^e-NEETH]
a likeness	Tabnîyth (ת ̣מ ׃נ ַ) [pronounced ta-b^e-NEETH]
of any beast which [is] in [lit. against]	Bêyth preposition b^e (׃) [pronounced b' ] and it denotes proximity. It is translated in, among, into, against, with, at, through. BDB #88
the earth,	Erets (ץ ∵ר ∵א) [pronounced EH-rets] means earth (all or a portion), land. Strong's #776 BDB #75
a likeness	Tabnîyth (ת ̣מ ׃נ ַ) [pronounced ta-b^e-NEETH]
of any winged creature which flies in the heavens,	Bêyth preposition b^e (׃) translated in, among, into, against, with, at, through. BDB #88
a likeness of any creeping thing in [or, against]	Bêyth preposition b^e (׃) translated in, among, into, against, with, at, through. BDB #88
the ground,	Ădâmâh (ה ָמ ָד ֲא) [pronounced uh-daw-MAWH] and it means ground, soil, tillable earth, surface of the earth. Strong's #127 BDB #9
a likeness of any fish which [is] in the waters underneath with respect to the earth;	Tabnîyth (ת ̣מ ׃נ ַ) [pronounced ta-b^e-NEETH], bêyth preposition b^e (׃), erets (ץ ∵ר ∵א) [pronounced EH-rets] means earth (all or a portion), land. Strong's #776 BDB #75

"And you [all] [should] take careful stock with regard to your souls—because you [all] did not see any form [or, the likeness of anything] in the day of Y^ehowah's speaking to you in Horeb out of the midst of the lightning [lit., fire]—so that you avoid acting corruptly [or, so that you do not cause yourselves to fall into decay; or, so that you do not become spiritually corrupt] and make [or, construct] for yourself a graven image, a form [or, a similitude] of any figure, a likeness of male or a female, a likeness of any winged bird which flies in the heavens, a likeness of any beast which [is] on the earth, a likeness of any winged creature which flies in the heavens; a likeness of any creeping thing in [or, against] the ground, a likeness of any fish which [is] in the waters underneath with respect to the earth." (Deut. 4:15–18).

Charlie Clough comments: Here is the biblical repudiation of every non-Israelite religion. It is not a matter of bigotry; it is a matter of truth. Every religion outside of Israel is formed by human construction built upon depravity. Israel's religion alone is of divine construction built upon grace. Neither Abraham nor his descendants had superior insight to their neighbors; rather, they were chosen by God, through no merit of their own, to be the mediating nation between God and man. All objections to this religious exclusivism, therefore, rest upon ignorance of history, rebellion against God's character, and/or a misunderstanding of gracious election

"And [you all should take careful stock with regard to your souls] so that you do not lift up your eyes towards the heavens, and, having seen [lit., and you have seen] the sun and the moon and the stars and all the host of the heavens that [lit., and] you are compelled [or, drawn away] and [caused to] worship them and serve them which Y^ehowah your God has apportioned to all the peoples under the whole heavens. [Deut. 4:19]

The conjunction lest (translated here, so that...not) ties this verse to the protosis of v. 15. Lift up is in the 2^nd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect—Moses is speaking to each individual. I have translated having seen like an imperfect participle, but it is in the Qal perfect. Owen's has a similar rendering: and when you see. Drawn away is the 2^nd masculine singular, Niphal perfect of nâdach (ח ַד ָנ) [pronounced naw-DAHKH] , which means banish, cast away, cast down, compel, draw away. The Niphal is the passive stem and it means specifically to compel, to be drawn away. The Niphal perfect is also found in Deut. 19:5 30:17 Job 6:13 Jer. 40:12 43:5 49:5 (*listing of all Niphal perf) This same word is found in the Hiphil in Deut. 13:5, 10, where it speaks of a false prophet drawing away, or seducing or compelling the people to worship the creature rather than the Creator. Strong's #5080 BDB #623. This is all followed by the Hithpael (reflexive intensive) perfect of worship. Serve is the simple Qal perfect. The heavens and all that is in them has been divided up or apportioned to or alloted to all of the peoples under the heavens. What is meant here is that every person under the heavens has the stars and the sun and moon; what is implied here is that some of them worship these things. What the Jews have is very special—they have the One Who created all of these things—the Lord God given primarily to them. They are not to worship things given just to anyone.

It does not matter how small or how grand the object is—we are to worship the Creator, not the creation. When speaking of the degenerate heathen, Paul wrote: Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed canimals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever. Amen (Rom. 1:22–25). The stars and the heavens are all creations of Jesus Christ, no more or no less so than the animals on this earth. For that reason, they are not to be worshiped either. During the Age of Israel, there was not a lot of religious tolerance taught. "If there is found in your midst in any of your towns , which Y^ehowah your God is giving you, a man or a woman who does what is evil in the sight of Y^ehowah your God by transgressing His covenant, and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or, the sun or the moon or any of the heavenly host, which I have not commanded, and if it is told you and you have heard of it, then you will inquire thoroughly. And listen carefully [lit., behold], if it is true and the thing [is] certain that this detestable thing has been done in Isreal, then you will bring out that man or that woman who has done this evil deed, to your gates and, that man or that woman, you will stone them to death." (Deut. 17:1–5).

There are reasons for the existence of the starts, the sun and the moon beyond their ascetic value. Then God said, "Let there by light in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from night, and let them be for signs, and season, and for days and years." (Gen. 1:14). It is by these heavenly bodies that we have developed our calendar; by which we calculate time; and with which we determine when we should plant and reap.

What has been covered in the previous four verses is to preclude all forms of idolatry popular during that period of time. There are some denominations which are known for attempting to make Christian doctrine palatable to the heathen by incorporating some of the heathen practices into their doctrine. God never directs us to water down His truth. It would have been easy to assume a few of the idolatrous practices of that day, leaving out those things we would deem inappropriate (such as child sacrifice), and thereby make God's Word more palatable to the Jews and to the surrounding heathen. Vv. 16–19, however, forbids the practice of any sort of idolatry, citing every kind of idolatry extent at that time and specificially prohibiting the same. These verses contain a complete and comprehensive survey of the various forms of idolatrous and corrupt worship practised by the surrounding Oriental nations, and as particularly and successively forbidding them every one.

God is not a religious liberal. All roads do not lead to Rome and all religions are not valid pathways to God

"And you Y^ehowah has taken and he is bringing you out from the iron furnace, out from Egypt, to be to Him for a people, an inheritance, as this day. [Deut. 4:20]

The iron furnace is a reference to the heat of the desert through which they traveled and to Egypt (1Kings 8:51 Jer. 11:4). The iron furnace was used to separate the precious metal from the dross, or the metal from its impurities. One of the more common methods employed to extract silver from ore is cupellation. Silver ores and lead or lead ores are melted together in a furnace, resulting in a lead-silver alloy. The lead combines with the oxygen in the air to form a molten lead-oxide, which draws out the other metal impurities which are also oxidized. This lead-oxide is skimmed away or poured off, leaving silver, platinum and or gold behind. The lead-oxide and the various impurities with it which are removed are called dross. And the word of Y^ehowah came to me, saying, "Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross [metal impurities] to Me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are the dross of silver. Therefore," thus says Y^ehowah God, "Because all of you have become dross, therefore, behold, I am going to gather you into the midst of Jerusalem, as they gather silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into the furnace to blow fire on it in order to melt it, so will I gather you in My anger and in My wrath, and I will lay you and melt you. And I will gather you and blow on your with the fire of My wrath, and you will be melted in the midst of it. As silver is melted in the furnace, so you will be melted in the midst of it; and you will know that I, Y^ehowah, have poured out My wrath on you." (Ezek. 22:17–22). The two principle generations of the exodus, gen X and the Generation of Promise, had to be smelted in the iron furnace in order to remove the dross—generation X—and leave behind the silver and precious metal—the Generation of Promise. The iron furnace speaks of testing, discipline, and purification, resulting in strengthening.

At the judgment of our works, God exposes our works to a similar process. Every Christian has spend much of his lifetime engaged in activity, some of which is divine good and some of which is worthless. God has to separate these things. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet, so as through fire (1Cor. 3:11–15). What is described here is a much simpler process than cupellation described above. Fire is set to our works and what burns is wood, hay and stubble, and what remains is silver, gold and precious stones. That is the symbolic explanation. The differentiation of our works is just as simple; that which we have done while filled with the Holy Spirit will be preserved and that which we have done when controlled by our old sin nature will be burned. It is not a matter of the particular acts; two people can give $20 to a church—one has this act burned and the other has this act preserved to be rewarded in eternity. The key is whether it was done in the Spirit or in the flesh. "For Y^ehowah your God is a consuming fire." (Deut. 4:20a).

"And Y^ehowah had shown Himself angry with me because of your words and He swore to my not crossing over the Jordan, and to my [not] entering the good land which Y^ehowah your God is giving to you—an inheritance. [Deut. 4:21]

Moses never confesses his own sin directly to the generation of promise, but places the responsibility with them. He is fully cognizant of what he did wrong; however, telling them that would do them no good. Only Moses can benefit by knowing what he did was wrong (and we do later when we study God's Word). They can do something about their complaining and bitching and moaning. That is an individual choice over which they have control. The principle here is privacy—the sins of Moses are private, at least temporarily, from this particular generation. After he has died and the Torah has been distributed, they will know more as to what exactly happened (although even then they will not fully comprehend as we do).

"For I am dying in this land; I am not crossing over the Jordan, and you [all] are crossing over and you will possess this good land. [Deut. 4:22]

Before Moses dies, he will be allowed to see this land, but he will not set foot in it.

"[So] you [all] [should] take careful stock with regard to yourselves—so that you do not forget the covenant of Y^ehowah your God, which He has made with you [so that you do not] [lit., and] construct for a sculpted image, a form of anything which [possibly, as] Y^ehowah your God has commanded [or, mandated] you. [Deut. 4:23]

Occasionally, it takes two sources to call my attention to something. Bullinger makes reference to the last verb of this sentence meaning forbid as well as command; however, he really gives no justification for this. Nevertheless, several translations go with this:

Young's Lit. Translation ...concerning which Jehovah thy God hath charged thee:

The verb in question is tsâwâh (ה ָו ָצ) [pronounced tsaw-WAW] and BDB lists its meanings as to lay charge upon, give charge to, charge command, order. The latter two are probably the most consistently used. Strong's #6680 BDB #845. Other than the precedent of the KJV, there is not a lot of reason to use the rendering forbidden, other than it seems to sound better. However, the footnote on this verse in The Emphasized Bible, Rotherham, p. 203, mention is made of a special class of variant readings to which Dr. C.D. Ginsburg subscribes—he suggests that as here is the better reading, as opposed to which. The verse then reads "[So] you [all] [should] take careful stock with regard to yourselves—so that you do not forget the covenant of Y^ehowah your God, which He has made with you, and construct for a sculpted image, a form of anything, as Y^ehowah your God has mandated you." Constructing a sculpted image is the result of forgetting the covenant of Jehovah their God. Which He made with you is tied directly to as Y^ehowah your God has mandated you. The command or mandate of God was simply the forbidding of idiolatry. For a person quickly reading through this passage, forbidden works fine; however, the correct ending to this verse is as Y^ehowah your God has commanded you.

We face the exact same forces every day. Satan and his demon legions are constantly drawing us away from God and from His Word into human viewpoint and the doctrine of demons. It is only through a dose of doctrine every day that we are able to withstand his pull. This is not a game to Satan—he believes that his very eternal life depends upon what he does and he does not intend to allow anyone to stand i his way. You are expendable and once you have served your purpose, you will be abandoned, as well as under divine discipline. It is much easier to determine what is right and to do that. The only difference between this verse and the draw of religion today is that then, the peoples of the earth were more demonstrative (at least those with whom the Jews had contact). Therefore, they depended upon sculpted images which represented deities. The things we worship do not necessarily need to be constructed, as many of us just worship ourselves.

A consuming fire is how God appeared to the Israelites when He spoke with Moses: And to the eyes of the sons of Israel, the appearance of the glory of Y^ehowah was like a consuming fire on the mountain top (Ex. 24:37). God, when He leads Israel and destroys the heathen before them, it will be as a consuming fire: "Know therefore today that it is Y^ehowah your God who is crossing over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and He will subdue them before you, so that you may drive them out and destroy them quickly, just as Y^ehowah has spoken to you." (Deut. 9:3). It is because of God's power and ability to destroy those whom He chooses that our worship should be filled with reverence and awe: Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). "Sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling has seized the godless. Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?" (Isa. 33:14). God being identified with fire identifies Him with judgment: For after all, it is just for God to repay with affliction those wh afflict you and relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealedfrom heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (2Thess. 1:6–9).

Just as jealousy would burn the soul of any man in love with an unfaithful woman, God's soul burns in jealousy when Israel chases after other gods (I am speaking anthropomorphically). "You will not follow after other gods—any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, for Y^ehowah your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise, the anger of Y^ehowah your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth." (Deut. 6:14–15).

"When you have [lit., sire or beget] sons and grandchildren [lit., sons' sons], and you [all] have become old [possibly, fallen asleep] in the land and you have caused yourselves to become corrupt [or, you have caused yourselves to become spiritually corrupted] and have made a sculpted image, a form of anything and have done the evil thing in the eyes of Y^ehowah to provoke Him to anger; [Deut. 4:25]

Become old is the word yâshên (ן ֵש ָי) [pronounced yaw-SHANE] and, in the Kal and the Piel, it means to sleep (Gen. 2:21 Judges 16:19 Job 3:13 Jer. 51:39). The adjective (spelled the same as the vocabulary form of the verb) also pertains to sleeping (1Sam. 26:7 1Kings 3:20). However, in the Niphal, this word means old, remains long, being stationary or inactive. Strong's #3462 BDB 445.

Here we again have the word shâchath (ת ַח ָש) [pronounced shaw-KHAHTH], which means to decay, to go to ruin, to corrupt. Here, in the Hiphil perfect, it means to have caused themselves to fall into spiritual corruption. Strong's #7843 BDB #1007. Moses knows that in the future, the Israelites would fall into spiritual decay through idolatry. Some parents have the foolish idea that if their children are going to do certain things no matter what, then they are wasting their breath to tell them not to. For instance, for some parents, it is a given that a child at the age of 18 will go out and experiment with alcohol with his friends, so, no matter what they say, he is going to do that anyway. Therefore, they offer little or no resistance. This may carry over into drug usage, sexual experimentation, driving like a complete idiot in their new car. Moses knows that these people will fall into idolatry, but he does not stop telling them what is right and what is wrong. I am speaking to people who will hear these words and totally ignore them. Does this mean that I should not teach God's Word? Absolutely not! I have a responsibility, Moses had a responsibility, and all parents have a responsibility. There are times that we may not be able to do anything about the behavior of our children—still, this does not let us off the hook as parents to provide them with the best counseling, the best parenting and the best descipline that we are capable of. This is application that you, as an individual, would not have noticed without a teacher pointing it out to you. Moses will now point out what the consequences are:

"I have been caused the heavens and earth to testify against you this day: that [lit., and] you, in perishing, will perish quickly from upon the land [lit., earth] which you are crossing over the Jordan there to possess it. You will be caused not to lengthen days upon it but, in being destroyed, you will be destroyed. [Deut. 4:26]

There are the doublings of two verbs in this verse, making it particularly powerful. Moses tells them that they will perish and that they will be destroyed. To begin this verse, we have the Qal infinitive absolute and the Qal imperfect of â^bvad (ד ַב ָא) [pronounced aw^b-VAHD] which means to perish (Lev. 26:38 Esther 4:16 Joel 1:11) Strong's #6 BDB #1 The final verbs of this verse are the Niphal infinitive absolute and the Niphal imperfect of shâmad (ד ַמ ָש) [pronounced shaw-MAHD] and it means to be exterminated, to be destroyed. Strong's #8045 BDB #1029. The word translated earth and then land are the exact same word; however, a consistent translation in this verse would sound funny to us. When the Jews will turn to the religion of those around them, God will remove them from the land.

There were several occasions when Moses called upon heaven and earth to bear witness to the free will of the Israelites. "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants." (Deut. 30:19). "Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to witness against them. For I know that after my death, you will become corrupt and turn from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days, for you will do that which is evil in the sight of Y^ehowah, provoking Him to anger with the work of your hands." (Deut. 31:28–29). The witness of the heavens and the earth was not the witness of some land and a great sky, but this was the witness of man and of angels. All of mankind were called to witness against the Israelites as they have access to God's Word and to these words in particular; all of angelic creation was asembled to observe Israel and the choices that she made.

As has been pointed out in this context, one of the things which will lead the sons of Israel astray will be false religion. "For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of Y^ehowah will be kindled against you, and He will quickly destroy you." (Deut. 7:4). "And it will come to pass if you ever forget Y^ehowah your God, and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. Like the nations that Y^ehowah makes to perish before you, so you will perish; because you would not listen to the voice of Y^ehowah your God." (Deut. 8:19–20).

"And Y^ehowah will scatter you among [or, in] the peoples—and you [all] will have been left [or, allowed to remain] men of counting [less literally, few in number]—among [or, in] the nations, where Y^ehowah drives you; [Deut. 4:27]

I believe the correct rendering of this verse allows us a brief aside. The men of counting (indicating a small population) refers to those who remain in the land, not to those who are among the nations. This verse begins with Y^ehowah scattering the Jews among the peoples, mentions that there will be only a countable number left in the land, and resumes with the scattering in the nations. That is, few in number does not pertain to the number of Israelites found in the nations to but to the number of Israelites who remain in the land God gave them.

God will, on several occasions, drive the Jews out of the land, for a variety of reasons, one of which is idolatry. This is marvelous to see this particular prophecy given prior even to their entrance into the Land of Promise. "Moreover, Y^ehowah will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you will serve other gods, [gods of] wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known. And among those nations you will find no rest, and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there Y^ehowah will give you a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and despair of soul." (Deut. 28:64–65) "When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and you have delivered them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near; if they take thought in the land where they have been taken captive, and change their minds and make supplication to You in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying 'We have sinned and have committed iniquity; we have acted wickedly.' If you return to You will all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and pray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name, then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven, Your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their transgressions which they have committed against You, and make them [objects of] compassion before those who have taken them captive, that they may have compassion on them—for they are Your people and Your inheritance which You have brought forth from Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace." (1Kings 8:46–51; see also Lev. 26:27–35 Deut. 29:14–29 2Kings 17:5–20 Psalm 106:24–27 Micah 1:16). As our nation becomes more corrupt, we may even find ourselves invaded and scattered. With God's truth comes a great deal of responsibility.

You may point out that the Jews are in the land now. You are mistaken; a very small percentage of the population of Jews are in the land and they face continual bloodshed and difficulty; and their land is no longer a land flowing with milk and honey. When God brings them back into the land, then, after seven years, we will see great peace and prosperity. What we have there is a population of Jews just as we have such a population found in almost every nation under the heavens. There will be no peace for them in that land and there will be no prosperity in that land. Don't misunderstand me—we are not to add to their difficulties, unless we desire severe discipline from God. Even though the Age of Israel has been suspended for a time, God will still discipline us for anti-Semitism.

"And there you will serve [other] gods, work of men's hands—wood and stone that neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. [Deut. 4:28]

These things are but symbols, standing for, at best, nothing, and, at worst, demon personalities. They have no life of their own. Why should the nations say, "Where, now, is their God?" But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold—the work of man's hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak; they have eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but they cannot hear; they have noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but they cannot feel; they have feet, but they cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throat. Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them (Psalm 115:2–8).

This curse is promised throughout these messages of Moses. "Y^ehowah will bring you and your king, whom you will set over you, to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will serve other gods, wood and stone." (Deut. 28:36). "So I will hurl you out of this land into the land which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers; and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will grant you no grace." (Jer. 16:13; see also Deut. 28:64 29:17). What they would do would be no worse than a person with a statue of Mary or a statue of our Lord. It is equivalent to following other faiths today, apart from the faith delivered to us by Jesus Christ.

"And you will seek from there Y^ehowah your God and you will find him if you seek after him with all your heart and with all your soul. [Deut. 4:29]

God is not attached to the land of Israel, not even during that time. God gave that particular piece of real estate to the Israelites, but He remained the God of all mankind, the God of Creation. He was working through the Jews. Even when the Jews were scattered, God would not be far removed from them. He is no further away than their own positive volition: "So it will come to pass when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call to mind in all nations where Y^ehowah your God has banished you, and you return to Y^ehowah your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, then Y^ehowah your God will restore you from captivity and He will have compassion upon you, and He will gather you against from all the peoples where Y^ehowah your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there Y^ehowah your God will gather you, and fro there He will bring you back. And Y^ehowah your God will bring you into the land wich your fathers possessed, and you will possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers." (Deut. 30:1–5).

This applies just as well to the Gentile of any age and to the Jews of the Church Age: "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; and He made from one blood every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined appointed times and boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His offspring.' " (Act. 17:24–28). Even though Paul spoke this to a crowd of Gentiles, this now also applies to the Jew, scattered throughout the world in various nations, maintaining their racial identity. During their exile in the Jewish Age, there will be some supergrace heroes who will call upon God and He will lead them back into the land.

This next point is rather difficult to make. We are in the angelic conflict and there have been several programs which God has run. During the Age of Israel, the Israelites were given the Law—God's perfect Law—by which they could regulate their lives. Certain generations had seen incredible miracles from the hand of God. However, Israel failed again and again. This is because in us dwells no good thing. Our degeneracy and our sinfulness is far beyond what most of us realize. The Israelites did not have the Holy Spirit to guide them—the Holy Spirit was given to a very small percentage of believers during the Age of Israel—and this is why they continually failed as a nation. God came to Israel with His Law and later with His Son, and Israel rejected both. In the Church Age, we have two tremendous advantages—we have the complete revelation of God to man and we can, in any instant, be filled with the Holy Spirit, which guarantees that portion of our life results in divine good.

"In distress [or, tribulation] to you and all these things have found you, in the latter days [lit., in the end of the days], then [lit., and] you [all] will turn back to Y^ehowah your God, and you [singular] will listen [and obey] His voice [lit., in (close proximity to) His voice]; [Deut. 4:30]

Distress here is the word tsar (ר ַצ) [pronounced tzahr]. In the singular, it generally seems to mean distress, tribulation, trouble (1Sam. 2:32 Job 15:24 Psalm 3:1); in the plural it means enemies, adversaries, those who would cause distress and trouble (Gen. 14:20 Deut. 33:27 33:7 Job 19:11). Strong's #6862 BDB #865 In my distress, I called upon Y^ehowah and cried to my God for help. He heard my voice out of His temple and my cry for help before Him came into His ears (Psalm 18:6). Then they called out to Y^ehowah in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distresses (Psalm 107:6; see also v. 13).

All these things are their serving foreign gods—gods of wood and metal (vv. 25a, 28), they have provoked God to anger (v. 25b), and God has scattered them throughout the Gentile nations (v. 27). Once all of these things have come to pass, then the Jews will return to the Lord Who bought them and obey His voice. This has a near and a far fulfillment. The near fulfillment is when the Israelites are removed from the land in 586 bc and they return 70 years later under Zerubbabel. The far fulfillment is still to come. God has scattered the Israelites throughout all of the nations and they will not be returned until the time of tribulation. "Remember the word which You commanded Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens; I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.' " (Neh. 1:8–9).

God has given the Land of Promise to the Israelites for an eternal possession. They do not possess the land now, nor will they until our Lord returns. However, in the latter days, the Israelites will return to Y^ehowah, Who is Jesus Christ, and the land will be given to them for an eternal possession. Until then, "The anger of Y^ehowah will not turn back until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; in the last days, you will clearly understand it." (Jer. 23:20). Afterward, the sons of Israel will return and seek Y^ehowah their God an dDavid their king; and they will come trembling to Y^ehowah and to His goodness in the last days (Hos. 3:5).

"For Y^ehowah your God is a merciful God; He will not fail you, nor destroy you nor will He forget the covenant of your fathers, which He had sworn to them. [Deut. 4:31]

Moses has just described despicable behavior which would result in the Jews being scattered throughout the Gentile nations, yet he points out that God will not fail any one of them (you is in the singular), nor will He destroy them (you again is in the singular, but this is taken as the entire Jewish race) and God will never forget the covenant which He made to their fathers. There are several denominations and cults which spiritualize Israel and think that they are the fulfillment of the covenants made by God to Israel. We are not! Those in the Church Age belong to an entirely different program. We are not unrelated, by any means, but we are not equivalent to the Jewish race. God has promised that the Jews would remain on this earth and maintain their racial identity, and they have. God will never forget the covenant which He has made to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. One of Satan's programs is to eliminate the Jewish race. From where do you think comes all of this anti-Semitism? Satan would like to completely destroy the Jewish race—then God could not keep His promises which He has made to the Jews and God would be shown to be a liar. Throughout God's Word, we will continually be reassured of Israel's place in history. But Zion said, “Jehovah has forsaken me, and Jehovah has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me...Behold, I will life up My hand to the nations and set up My standard to the peoples, and they will bring your sons in their bosom and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders, and kings will be your guardians and their princesses your nurses. They will bow down toy you with their faces to the earth, and they will lick the dust of your feet, and you will know that I am Jehovah. Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame...Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away, and the prey of the tyrant will be rescued, for I will contend with the one who contends with you and I will save your sons. And I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh, and they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine, and all flesh will know that I, Jehovah, am your Savior, and your redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” (Isa. 49:14–16, 22–23, 25–26). God has not forgotten Israel and God will never forget Israel. No man can study the Old Testament or the book of Revelation, and think even for a moment that Israel is no longer in God’s plan.

The sons of Israel would fail God over and over again; however, Y^ehowah is compassionate. "The Lord, Y^ehowah God, [is] compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in grace and truth, who preserve grace for thousands, who forgive iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave [the guilty] unpunished." (Ex. 34:6b–7a). Covenant theologians, those who believe that the church is the spiritual Israel and that God has completely cast Israel aside, ignore God's Word: To Abraham, God said, "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. And I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." (Gen. 17:7–8). "Y^ehowah, your God, is the one Who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you." (Deut. 31:6b). "For Y^ehowah your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy your nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them." (Deut. 4:31). Go's grace extended to all nations, even during the economy of Israel. Jonah was called by God to evangelize the Assyrians in Ninevah, and he chose to go the other way because he knew that if they responded to his message, then God would bless them and not discipline them. And he prayed to Y^ehowah and said "Please, Y^ehowah, was not this what I said while I was still in my country? Therefore, in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in grace and one who relents concerning calamity." (Jonah 4:2). Let your character be free from the love of money; keep on being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never not ever not never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you." (Heb. 13:5 Deut. 31:6).

"For I am with you," declares Y^ehowah, "To save you. For I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you; only I will not destroy you completely, but I will chasten you justly and will by no means leave you unpunished." (Jer. 30:11). "Yet in spite of this when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them; for I am Y^ehowah their god. But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am Y^ehowah." (Lev. 26:44–45). God knew in eternity past that the Jews would fail—over and over again. Prior to their entrance into the land, God spoke of their dispersion amongst the Gentile nations due to their apostasy. If God did not know what Israel would do, then God is not God. Today, we have exactly what God predicted: (1) the sons of Israel remain with us even to this day; (2) they are scattered throughout the Gentile world just as God had predicted; (3) they are under severe discipline; and, most importantly, (4) God has not forgotten them nor has He forgotten His covenant to Abraham, Isaac or to Jacob. The land of Canaan will be their everlasting possession; it will become a land once again flowing with milk and honey, rich in prosperity. And it will not be occupied by members of the church but by the sons of Israel, just as God had promised. We do not have to spiritualize God's promises to Israel; He will keep them in the same literal sense in which He gave them.

"For, inquire, I implore you, with respect to the former days [or, days past] which have been before your face, from the day that God created man [or, Adam] upon the earth, and from the [one] end of the heavens even unto the [other] end of the heavens—has such a great thing ever come to pass? Has [such a great thing] ever been heard of? [Deut. 4:32]

Former days is a simple idiom meaning past history. The phrase from one end of heavens even unto the other end of heavens refers to s sweeping look of one who begins where the earth seems to touch the heavens in one direction around to the opposite compass point where the earth seems to touch the heavens there; this sweeping look takes in all of the earth and all of the heavens, making this idiomatic for the entire universe. Although I hesitate to say this dogmatically, there appears to be good reason to believe that what has occurred here on earth is unique throughout the entire universe. That is, there are no extra-terrestrials, there are no other planets where there is life; God did that here and the other planets and solar bodies are simply "...for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it came to pass (Gen. 1:14b–15). Again, I am not entirely convinced of myself of this, but I would lean toward this interpretation rather than one which allows for life similar to ours on other planets. Whether something will come of the other planets off in eternity is another matter altogether.

The Israelites are enjoined by Moses here to examine the history of all mankind, going back all of the way to Adam; they are to examine what has occurred throughout the universe, from one end of the heavens to the other end. Has there ever occurred in the past, anywhere anything like the promises which God has made to the sons of Israel? What has happened to Israel is absolutely unique—the promises which God has made to Israel are absolutely unique. Denominations tend to move toward covenant theology because they do not examine verse by verse all of the Old Testament, which again and again testifies to the uniqueness of Israel's place in history.

"Has a people heard the voice of God

speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard—you [in particular]—then lived? [Deut. 4:33]

The Israelites have heard, most of them listening to Moses right then—had heard God speak to them out of the lightning from the sky when He spoke to them the Ten Commandments in Ex. 20; yet they were still alive. Then God spoke all these words. And all the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes [lit., fire] and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen, but do not let God speak [directly] to us, or we will die." (Ex. 20:1a, 18–19). Speaking of the Ten Commandments, Moses said, "These words Y^ehowah spoke to all your assembly at the mountain from the midst of the fire; the cloud, and thick gloom, wiht a great voice, and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. And it came about, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders, and you said, 'Behold, Y^ehowah our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice form the midst of the fire; we have seen today that god speaks with man, yet he lives. Now then, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of Y^ehowah our God any longer, then we will die. For who is there of all flesh who has heard the vocie of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we and lived?' " (Deut. 5:22–26). Most of us in the Church Age have no concept of the absolute holiness of God; and those who talk personally to Jesus while washing dishes, supposedly hearing His voice; and those who view Jesus as their best pal—they never will have even a clue as to the absolute holiness of God. The fact that these people heard the voice of God and were still alive—this is a wonder in itself.

"Or has God attempted to go to take for Himself a nation from the midst of a nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a strong hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors—according to all that Y^ehowah has done with respect to you, in Egypt before your eyes? [Deut. 4:34]

God is in the plural, but treated as though it is singular when referring to the Godhead. Some translators render this verse as or has any other god attempted to... However, this is incorrect. The Hebrew word is ělôhîym

(מי ̣הֹל ֱא) [pronounced el-o-HEEM] and this word can refer to the Godhead or to foreign gods. Context inevitably points out whether this is the God, the Creator of the Universe, or foreign gods, which are the result of fertile imagination at best and representative of demons at worst. There will either be the word other associated with the Hebrew word (Ex. 20:3 23:13 Joshua 24:2); there will be a modifying word to indicate that gods is different from the God (Ex. 18:11); the word gods is specifically differentiated from Y^ehowah in the immediate context (Ex. 22:19); God would be associated with a singular verb (Deut. 4:34) and gods with plural verbs (Ex. 32:1, 23); gods will have plural antecedants (Deut. 8:19–20) whereas God will not (Deut. 9:3); or gods will be modified by foreign or of the Gentiles (Gen. 35:2, 4 Deut. 31:16 2Kings 18:33). Strong's #430 BDB #43 Since there are no modifying phrases and since attempted is in the 3^rd person masculine singular, we are speaking of the God in this context. Furthermore, we have the lâmed prefixed preposition and the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix which refers back to God; therefore, God cannot be viewed in the plural here. At no previous time in history of the God of the Universe picked out a nation as He did Israel.

The trials mentioned in this verse do not refer to the hardships incurred by Israel during their travels through the desert, but rather to the plagues which were inflicted upon the Egyptians. Context specifies here that these things mentioned, the signs, wonders, etc., are God's direct hand—His Presence, if you will—in delivering Israel out of Egypt.

"You, even you, have been shown [this], to know that Y^ehowah, He [is] God; there is none else besides Him." [Deut. 4:35]

In ancient times, each nation had its own pantheon of gods, just as, today, each group has their own religion, some nations having hundreds of different religions. Nowhere in the Bible are we urged to find the truth, even the small specks of truth which may be found in other religions. God's exclusivity is a constant of Biblical theology: "Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that Y^ehowah, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is not other." (Deut. 4:39). [God is telling Moses what to say to the pharaoh of Egypt]; "For this time I will send all My plagues to your heart and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth." (Ex. 9:14). There is no one like You among the gods, O Y^ehowah; nor are there any works like yours (Psalm 86:8). "Remember the former things long past. for I am the Mighty One and there is no other; I [am] God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times, things which have not been done, saying, 'My purpose will be established and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.' " (Isa. 46:9–10). There is no one like You, O Y^ehowah; You are great and great is Your name in might. who would not fear You, O King of the nations—indeed, it is Your due! For among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like You! (Jer. 10:6–7). Jesus answered, the foremost [commandment] is, ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; and you will love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ " (Mark 12:28–29).

Some people are confused by God's exclusivity and the trinity. There are three members of the trinity, all having the same perfect attributes, including love, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, perfect righteousness, and perfect justice. However, there are three personalities. There is God who is in contact with man, the God Who we see, generally, Y^ehowah in the Old Testament (as well as the Angel of God, the Burning Bush, the Pillar of Fire), and Jesus Christ in the New Testament, also known as the revealed member of the trinity. It is our Lord Jesus Christ Who performed the divine act to secure our salvation. There is God the Father, Who is a Spirit and cannot be seen—the One Who planned our salvation. Finally, there is God the Holy Spirit, Who reveals all divine truth to us, incluidng the means of our salvation. "Come near to Me, listen to this: from the first I have not spoken in secret; from the time it took place, I was there. And now Lord Y^ehowah has sent Me and His Spirit." (Isa. 48:16).

"From the heavens, He has caused you to hear His voice, to admonish you, and on earth, He has shown you His great fire, and His words you have heard out of the midst of the fire.

[Deut. 4:36]

In this verse, we have the verb yâçar (ר ַס ָי) [pronounced yaw-SAHR] and it means to discipline, chasten, admonish; in this situation, they were not being disciplined because they heard the voice, but the Law of God was an admonishment to them. Strong's #3256 BDB #415

We have already seen that God had spoken the Ten Commandments directly to all of the children of Israel. They were not a means of salvation-righteousness—although they were to be adhered to—they were laws which must be followed to insure the privacy and freedom of all. "Then You did come down on Mount Sinai and You spoke with them from heaven; and you gave to them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments." (Neh. 8:13). The writer of Hebrews warns the Jews of his day, even as he warns us: See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking, for if those did not escape when they refused him who warned [them] on earth, much less [shall we escape] who turn away from Him who [warns us] from heaven (Heb. 12:25).

"And previous to that [or, and a basis to that; lit., and underneath that] He loved your fathers, so He choose in their descendants [lit., seed] after them and so He [caused (you) to be] brought you out, in His presence [lit., face], by His great power, from Egypt; [Deut. 4:37]

The beginning of v. 37 is a questionable reading. The Massoretic text has a conjunction, an introductory preposition or adverb and conjunction are difficult to get a fix on; so allow me to give you what other translators have done:

The people to whom Moses is speaking have just spent forty years being brought out from Egypt to where they are now. Even though this is an accomplished fact from divine viewpoint, it is presented in the Hiphil (causative) stem, imperfect tense because to them, it was a process. "Y^ehowah did not place His love on you nor did he choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples; for you were the fewest of all peoples [when He chose your fathers]. But it was because Y^ehowah loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, Y^ehowah [therefore] brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slaves, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt." (Deut. 7:7–8). "Take note: heaven, and the heaven of heavens, the earth and all that is in it belong to Y^ehowah your God—yet on your fathers did Y^ehowah place His affection to love them; and He chose their descendants after them—you above all peoples, as [things tand] this day." (Deut. 10:14–15). The movement of the Jews was miraculous, inasmuch as God gave them a visible presence that traveled with them—the fire by night and the cloud by day. And He said, "My presence will go [with] you and I will give you rest." (Ex. 33:14). And the Angel of His Presence [Jesus Christ] delivered them; in His love and in His grace, He redeemed them; and He lifted them and carried them all the days of old (Isa. 63:9b). "But Y^ehowah, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you will fear, and to Him you will bow yourselves down, and to Him you will sacrifice." (2Kings 17:36).

And just so you don't miss it, this is the first mention of God's love in the Bible. However, God's love is not a secondary theme only mentioned in Deuteronomy, but it will play a prominent part in this book, as well as throughout Scripture. "Y^ehowah did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because Y^ehowah loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, Y^ehowah brought you out by a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Know therefore that Y^ehowah your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and his grace to a thousandth generation wit those who love Him and keep His commandments." (Deut. 7:7–9; see also, Deut. 5:10 7:13 10:15 23:5)

"To dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, from before your presence [lit., face], to [cause to] bring you in to give you their land, an inheritance, as [He is doing] this day. [Deut. 4:38]

The peoples dwelling in the land given to Israel were groups of highly degenerate people who would act as a cancer upon society. God removes such cancerous groups so that His Word will be free to be taught and free to take root.

"And you know today and you have caused to return with regard to your heart, that Y^ehowah He [is] the God, in the heavens above, and on the earth beneath; there is none else; [Deut. 4:39]

Most translations render the first two verbs in the verse as imperatives; however, they are both in the perfect (completed) tense. However, to give you a taste of what others have rendered:

The Amplified Bible "Know, recognize and understand therefore this day, and turn your [mind and] heart to it...

The Emphasized Bible So then thou must consider to-day, and bring it back to thy heart...

Young's Lit. Translation 'And thou hast known to-day, and has turned it back unto they heart...

Possibly there is an idiom here referring to coming to a point of understanding or knowledge based upon reminating and thinking and turning this matter over in one's mind as Moses speaks. In a review of all of the information which Moses has presented, information which they have confirmed with their own eyes, the Israelites realize that there is no one like God in all the earth, above or below.

"And you will keep His statutes and His commandments which I am commanding you today, so that it will be well to you, and to your sons after you, and so that you will prolong days on the land which Y^ehowah your God is giving to you forever [lit., all the days]." [Deut. 4:40]

This is the conclusion to the first message given by Moses, which began in Deut. 1:6.

Deut.	The Topics Covered in Moses' Sermon
1:6–11	God leads the Israelites and sets the land before them
1:12–17	God organizes Israel
1:18–25	God commands them to take the land; the sons of Israel organize a reconnaissance mission
1:26–33	The Israelites fail miserably by refusing to enter into the land
1:34–40	God pronounces judgment upon them (and Moses)
1:41–46	Apart from God, the sons of Israel charge into the land and are soundly defeated
2:1–23	God leads the Israelites east of the land, pointing out object lessons as they occur
2:24–3:11	God leads the Israelites in battle and they defeat Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon and they defeat Og, the last of the giants, the king of Bashan
3:12–20	The land east of the Jordan is given to Reuben, Gad and a portion of the tribe of Manasseh with the understanding that they will assist in the taking of the rest of the land
3:21–29	Moses, because of his failure, appoints a new commander of the Israeli forces
4:1–40	In view of what has transpired and the things which the Israelites have seen, they are encouraged to keep the commandments of God

Notice that the topics covered by Moses are generally in chronological order, with the very notable exception of his own failure, which he mentions twice—the first time out of chronological order. This last chapter was a recap of what the Israelites should obey God, with various reasons pointed out to support that. V. 40 is the grand conclusion to the last several chapters: "And you will keep His statutes and His commandments which I am commanding you today, so that it will be well to you, and to your sons after you, and so that you will prolong days on the land which Y^ehowah your God is giving to you forever." One of the many promises found in the Bible is the extension of one's life when they exhibit positive volition toward God's Word and obedience to same. God uses believers for many different things, including to ambush other believers; however, those who He can use the most are those who's souls are filled with doctrine. "But you will not worship their gods nor will you serve them, nor will you do according to their deeds; but you will utterly overthrow them, and break their pillars in pieces. And you will serve Y^ehowah your God and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness form your midst." (Ex. 23:24–25). "You will walk in all the way which Y^ehowah your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong [your] days in the land which you will posses." (Deut. 5:33). "For it [God's Word] is not an idle word for you; indeed, it is your life. And by this word, you will prolong your days in the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to posses." (Deut. 32:47). The Jew prolonged their individual lives through obedience to the Word; and they prolonged the amount of time that they would remain in the land as a nation through that same obedience.

Notice specifically the message of just this particular chapter. Moses speaks of the fear of Y^ehowah in vv. 10–11; he forbids all types of idolatry in vv. 12–19; he points out the unique relationship between God and Israel (vv. 20–36), giving Israel good reason to fear God (see vv. 24, 26, 36), yet is determined to end on a note of hope, grace and promise (vv. 37–40). However, throughout this entire message, one would be blind to miss the continual punctuation of the commands to learn and obey God's laws (vv. 1–2, 5–6, 8–9, 13–15, 23–24, 39–40).

We pause for a moment from this sermon and go into a narrative passage, one of the few in Deuteronomy. Moses has a few things to take care of prior to his death and prior to the entrance of the Israelites into the land. One of those items of his to-do list is that of determining the cities of refuge on the east side of the Jordan. Recall that God had determined that there would be cities of refuge set up for those who committed involuntary manslaughter. Now, the accompanying laws were very specific. If anger and a deadly weapon were involved, then it is no longer involuntary manslaughter (see Num. 35:6–34 and Deut. 19:1–13 for the specifics).

At that time, Moses set apart [lit., divided, separated or severed] three cities beyond the Jordan, towards the east [lit., sun-rising]. [Deut. 4:41]

The adverb which begins this verse indicates that this was the next thing that Moses did after his sermon. He had been given a command, and, although he could not go into the land and set the other cities apart, he would set these cities apart as per God's commands. This was in the land of Reuben, Gad and the partial tribe of Manasseh, where the Israelites were presently encamped. See Deut. 19:2–29 for more details.

The fact that Moses is now spoken of in the third person does not indicate that this portion of God's Word was edited by someone else anymore than it means that Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers were written by someone other than Moses. As some have done many times, an author, in narrative, refers to himself in the third person. However, the sermon of Moses is essentially a direct quote, and in public speaking, Moses refers to himself in the first person, as do most people when they speak of their own experiences to an audience. A slight exception to this rule is noted in the twentieth century United States when the President of the United States speaks of himself in the third person as the holder of the office of presidency.

For the fleeing away of the man-slayer, who kills his neighbor unintentionally, and he had not hated him heretofore, and he will flee to one of these cities, and he will live. [Deut. 4:42]

The word heretofore is literally from yesterday, the day before yesterday (there are actually two words and a preposition, the latter word referring to the day before yesterday. This is idiomatic for times past, heretofore, aforetime.

Notice that animosity cannot be a part of the equation. You don't get to fall into some confrontation with an enemy and accidentally kill him. I believe that the Hebrew word which meant with knowledge came to mean, when appended with the negative, unintentionally. I wonder if there were laws by other countries which took into consideration involuntary manslaughter?

Bezer, in the wilderness, in the land of the plain [or, Mishor] of the Reubenite; and Ramoth in Gilead of the Gadite; and Golan, in Bashan of the Manassahite. [Deut. 4:43]

Each of the three tribes had a city of refuge within their borders; a place for one who is guilty of unintentional manslaughter to flee to in order to receive an impartial rendering of a decision. According to Barnes’ Notes, the land of the plain could be rendered as a proper noun, land of the Mishor, due to the definite article (found here and Deut. 3:10 and Joshua 13:9). This is the flat land running from Jericho far into Arabia, which was quite a contrast to the more rugged land west of the Jordan and the mountainous area north of there around Bashan. According to the NIV Study Bible, Bezer was about 20 miles east of the northwest(northeast?) corner of the Salt Sea; Barnes' Notes indicates a great deal of uncertainty concerning its location. Golan is east of the Sea of Galilee.

And this [is] the law which Moses had set before the sons of Israel; [Deut. 4:44]

This sounds like some general conclusion to the Torah itself or an introduction to the next few discourses of Moses. Moses has moved from first person to third person. He recognized the historical and doctrinal import of the information that he was recording, so he spoke of himself in the third person, which we have already examined. It is not a matter of psychosis or Moses disassociating; writers will often speak of themselves in the third person. However, when speaking, with a few exceptions, most people will speak of themselves in the first person. It is a common differentiation between the recording of history and verbal discourse and it means nothing in particular; that is, there is no implication that there is any kind of editing occurring here. Furthermore, the recording of this material, unlike most of the Pentateuch, takes place immediately after the occurrence, probably within the same week, if not the same day. God has told Moses that he is not long for this world and Moses is now trying to get everything done which God has set before him.

These [are] the testimonies and the statutes, and the judgments which Moses had spoken to the sons of Israel, in their coming out of Egypt, [Deut. 4:45]

It sounds as though Moses is bringing this book to a close. It is as though he has recorded the first four books, has gotten this far into the fifth book, and feels that his previous message was good and it was his last. So now all there is to do is to put the period at the end of the sentence.

Beyond the Jordan, in the valley opposite [lit., over-against] Beth-Peor, in the land of Sihon, king of the Amorite, who dwells in Heshbon, whom Moses and the sons of Israel struck down, in their coming out of Egypt. [Deut. 4:46]

This is only half of a sentence. This ends v. 45, telling from where Moses spoke this last message (Deut. 3:39). Num. 21:21–25 gives us some the details of the taking of that land.

Furthermore [lit., and] they possessed his land, and land of Og, king of Bashan—two kings of the Amorite who [are] beyond the Jordan—the east— [Deut. 4:47]

This tells us that Og and Sihon were both kings over the Amorites, even though Og was the last of the Rephaim (the giants).

From Aroer, which [is] by the edge of the torrent [or, wadi] Armon, even to Mount Sion, which [is] Hermon, [Deut. 4:48]

This gives the boundaries of the land. Mount Hermon was called Sirion (possibly Sion?) by the Sidonians and Senir by the Amorites Deut. 3:9). Sion is the proper noun found in this verse, not Zion. Barnes’ Notes also points out that Sion should not be confused with Zion. Just so you can see these similar nouns in the Hebrew:

English	Sion	Zion	Sirion	Sidon	Senir
Transliteration	Sîyôn	Tsîyyôwn	Siryôn	Tsîydônîy	S^enîyr
Hebrew	ןֹאי ̣	ןֹו ̣צ	ןֹי ׃ר ̣	י ̣נֹדי ̣צ	רי ̣נ ׃
Pronunciation	see-OHN	tsee-YOHN	sir-YOHN	tsee-dô-NEE	sen-EER
Strong's #	7865	6726	8303	6722	8149
BDB #	673	851	976	851	972

As you can see, although these are fairly close words in the bastardized English transliteration, in their more accurate transliterations and in the Hebrew, these are all fairly dissimilar words.

And all the plain [the arabah] beyond the Jordan eastward, even to the sea of the plain under the springs of Pisgah. [Deut. 4:49]

This is just a further description of the land which, so far, had been captured by the Israelites.

I ntroduction: Deut. 5 repeats the covenant of the Ten Commandments, a covenant originally given to generation X and to the generation of promise. This was a covenant meant for all of Israel, and, to a certain extent, all of mankind. However, it was given specifically to those God brought out of Egypt. The Ten Commandments defined righteousness and freedom in a nation. This generation heard God's voice, but they were young, mostly teenagers and children, many below the age of accountability. Now they were very accountable to God and Moses reiterates the commandments to them. How much of the population that Moses spoke to at any given time is difficult to determine. There are two million people, half of which are female and perhaps a third or a fourth are children. In any case, there are 600,000 adult males. Anyone who has been to a football game understands the logistics of speaking to four thousand people or sixty thousand people. Scripture never explains to us the mechanics. Our Lord spoke to five thousand and four thousand on two different occasions, leading us to believe that Moses perhaps, under the best of conditions, with the best academic discipline (which he had) spoke to 10,000 to 60,000 at most. If he only spoke to four or five thousand, I would not be surprised. You see, in any given Christian community defined by whatever geographical barriers you would like, there is only a small percentage of them who really have any interest in God's Word. 1-5% is not abnormal; 10% would be unusually high. This is what struck me when I first became a Christian. There aren't many believers who give a rat's ass about God's Word. They may give a lot of lip service to God and His Word, but when it comes right down to it, their interest in it is nil. So, although there were nearly two million believers in the nation Israel, there were perhaps 2000-10,000 who were positive toward God's Word.

As was said, the bulk of this chapter will be a repetition of the Ten Commandments. One program which I personally recall of J. Vernon McGee's, had the most interesting aside concerning God's Commandments: You hear, as I do, a great many people say that they live by the Ten Commandments, and that's their religion. If you quiz such people, as I have done several times, you will find that what they really mean is they have voted for them—they have heard them and they think they are good. But they certainly are not keeping them and are not doing them

As was discussed in the preface, we do not know how many attended this speaking engagement of Moses. Although there is every indication that there were almost 100% believers in this mobile nation (as was true with generation X), the number who have any interest in doctrine will be significantly lower. So a call to assemble was made and a few thousand attended.

"Hear, Israel, the statutes and the judgments which I am speaking in your hearing [lit., ears] today, and you will learn them and you will take responsibility to do them. [Deut. 5:1b]

Take responsibility is the word shâmar (ר ַמ ָש ) [pronounced shaw-MAR] and it means keep, guard, watch, preserve. We have looked at it a couple of times recently. Since this is followed by to do them, it flows better than the other renderings. Neither learn nor take responsibility are in the imperative but in the perfect; however, the word hear is, drawing the other two verbs into the imperative sense. McGee, ever the simple man, tells us that there are three parts to our relationship to the Word of God: we listen to it, we learn it and we obey, or do it.

We have a very common, but unusual word to us, here: kârath (ת ַר ָ ) [pronounced kaw-RAHTH] and it means cut off, cut down. (Gen. 17:14 Lev. 17:10 Deut. 19:5 Judges 6:28, 30). I have included texts for every verb stem where the word is found in the Hebrew. However, the same word is used to make a covenant (Gen. 15:18 21:27 Ex.24:8) and it is only found in that sense in the Qal stem. BDB's explanation is the cutting up and distribution of the flesh of the victim for eating in the sacrifice of the covenant...the calf which they cut

and they cite Jer. 34:18, where this word is found twice in both senses. Strong's #3772 BDB #503.

Notice that this covenant is not a covenant between God and Abraham or between God and Isaac, but this was a covenant made specifically between the exodus generations and Y^ehowah, the God of the Universe. These Ten Commandments were a freedom code, defining freedom for a nation of people under God, a code, if we adopted, would improve our nation (or any other nation) substantially. However, this covenant was made specifically with this generation of people, and therefore to all of Israel, the nation. God said to them, "You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and I bore you on eagles wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and guard [or, keep or take responsibility for] my commandments, then you will be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you will be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Ex. 19:4–6a). And this is almost the final admonition to the children of Israel given in the book of Malachi, one of the last messages recorded to Israel: "Remember the law of Moses, My servant, statutes and ordinance which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel." (Mal. 4:4).

"Not with our fathers [only] did Y^ehowah make this covenant, but with us—we, these; all of us [who are] alive here this day. [Deut. 5:3]

According to The Emphasized Bible, not with our fathers is a well-known idiom which means not with our father's only.

Moses is speaking with the editorial we. He identifies himself with his audience, who were below the age of twenty when the Ten Commandments were first given (many were below the age of accountability) and this covenant was not a covenant made only to their parents. Their parents are dead and they are alive. Moses will repeat this covenant to them, not as a seperate and new covenant, but as a ratification of what already applies to them. This covenant was first delivered to their fathers, who are all dead now, but it was given to all of Israel.

The Ten Commandments are a freedom code designed for a nation, not for a shepherd family wandering. This freedom code is designed for those who are alive; not for the dead. These laws were given specifically to the nation Israel, first to those present and to those (I can see Moses giving a sweep of his hand to include those in the camp who were not in attendance that day) throughout the camp of Israel. In fact, it is this verbiage in this passage which indicates that all of Israel is not in attendance. Remaining alive referred to only those of the generation of promise, with a couple exceptions. These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar, the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. But among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For Y^ehowah had said of them, "They will in dying, die in the wilderness." And not a man was left of them, except Caleb ben Jephunneh and Joshua ben Nun (Num. 26:63–65).

The covenant had been made forty years ago and it was now confirmed. Israel, in order to receive the blessing of association with God was bound to God as their sovereign ruler and to His Law as their Law. When a woman is married, she accepts her husband as sovereign and receives the blessing that goes with that relationship and the cursing which goes with violations of that relationship. The key is making a wise choice, which Israel has done in choosing Y^ehowah. These were the seed which founded Israel and ratified the covenant made with them thereby obligated succeeding generations to the same covenant. Recall: So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words which Y^ehowah had commanded him. And all the people answered together and said, "All that Y^ehowah has spoken, we will do!" And Moses brought back the words of the people to Y^ehowah (Ex. 19:7–8).

This, however does not mean that this particular covenant will last forever. In any contract, the parties to that contract can agree to another contract. "Behold, days are coming," declares Y^ehowah, "When I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. My covenant, whic they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares Y^ehowah. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares Y^ehowah. "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it, and I will be their God and they will be My people. And they will not teach again each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know Y^ehowah,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares Y^ehowah. "For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jer. 31:31–34). So much more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. For if the first covenant has been faultless, there would have been no seeking for a place for a second. When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, "This is the covenant that I will make with them. After those days," says the Lord, I will put My laws upon their heart, and upon their mind I will rite them. And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin (Heb. 7:22 8:6–7, 13).

Now, having quoted these verses, I want to make certain that I do not mislead you here. The way that I have strung these verses together, I have made it seem as though the New Covenant spoken of in Jeremiah is the same one in Hebrews. This is not the case. The covenant promised in Jeremiah is the New Covenant to Israel which will go into effect in the Millennium, when ...the earth will be full of the knowledge of Y^ehowah as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:9b). However, there is the actual fulfillment of the promise delivered to Jeremiah in the Millennium and there is the covenant spoken of in Hebrews which is, in a manner of speaking, a fulfillment of that spoken of in Jeremiah. Therefore, we should examine the Doctrine of a Covenant—not finished yet!!

"Y^ehowah spoke to you face to face in the mount, out of the midst of the fire. [Deut. 5:4]

The phrase face to face is an idiom—this is simply to ascertain, as God does not have a face. However, what is implied here by this phrase is great intimacy and exclusivity. This was not an everyday occurrence in the life of mankind. We have damn few instances recorded in God's Word of God the Father speaking to a group of people (the other instance which comes quickly to mind is on the Mount of Transfiguration). This is the only time in human history when God spoke to this many people directly. You might say, well, He ought to do it more often and things would go a lot more smoothly down here on planet earth. Recall that 99.9% of the adults who heard God's voice here died the sin unto death.

The Ten Commandments were spoken by God to the entire congregation of Israel. God is omnipresent and they received those commandments from God as if God spoke face to face with them. God obviously has no face, but the commandments were spoken so personally to each and everyone of them that this frightened the congregation of Israel. Moses asked in the previous chapter: "Has a people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard it, and survived?" (Deut. 4:33).

"[While] standing between Y^ehowah and you, at that time, to declare to you the word of Y^ehowah—for you [all] have been afraid on account of the face of the fire, with the result that [lit. and] you [all] have did not go up on the mountain—to say, [Deut. 5:5]

With the exception of the last two words, this verse was an aside by Moses to the people. God spoke to them directly, frightening the people (Moses will say more about this later), so that Moses had to be a mediator between God and man, to stand between God and all of Israel, and receive the Word of God and declare it to them. They were all young when they heard God's voice, so Moses reminds them it was at that time. So it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning, that there wre thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who [were] in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai all in smoke because Y^ehowah descended upon it in fire, and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently (Ex. 19:16–18). Moses was told by God to keep the people from going up onto the mountain to see Him. The people were gathered en masse in front of the mountain with the priests and Moses standing between them and the mountain. Then they heard the voice of God, each and every one of them, as though God were a man speaking face to face with them.

" 'I, Y^ehowah, your God Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery [lit., slaves]. [Deut. 5:6]

Rotherham points out that using the word slaves here is the use of the concrete for the abstract. What that means is that it is valid to render this as Egypt, the house of slavery

What will be spoken is a covenant, or a contract, between God and the people of Israel; God identifies Himself, party of the first part, and the people, those brought out of the land of Egypt, party of the second part. Moses reads these commandments to this generation again, as many of them were quite young at the time that they heard them. Deuteronomy is, as has been discussed, several messages to the generation of promise, who saw these things occur in their youth, but did not completely understand their meaning and implication. Moses clarifies their time in the desert and their relationship to God then and now.

" 'There will not be with reference to you other gods before my face. [Deut. 5:7]

This verse begins with the negative, the 3rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect of hâyâh (ה ָי ָה ) [pronounced haw-YAWH] which is equivalent to our verb to be. This is followed by the lâmed prefixed preposition and the 2nd person masculine singular suffix. This should not read you will not have any god or you will have no gods because the verb is not in the 2nd person and the 2nd person pronoun is part of a prepositional phrase—it is not the subject. Elohim, as we have said, can mean God or gods. Here it means gods because it is modified by the plural adjective other. This verse literally ends with against My face or before My face; some Bibles reasonably render this before Me or before My presence. The preposition ׳al (ל ַע ) [pronounced al] can also mean because of, on account of; so this could read: There will not be with reference to you others gods because of My presence. A reference to God's face is anthropomorphic; but the meaning is clear—this is God's abiding Presence, different and personal to Israel. All religion is either self-worship, worship of the creation (animals, stars) or worship of Satan and his demon army. God placed His Presence within the boundaries of Israel which precluded all that is profane—that is, the worship of the creation rather than the Creator.

Notice that the first commandment is not to believe in God—it is a prohibition against idolatry. Those of the exodus generation had just seen signs and wonders which precluded the idea of God not existing. That really was not an option to that population. It was not until several hundred years later is atheism ever mentioned in Scripture (Psalm 14:1). The exodus generation had seen irrefutable proof that God existed and those in Egypt saw irrefutable proof that Y^ehowah was that God.

Every commandment, including the fourth commandment,

has its counterpart in the New Testament. Most people ignore this commandment, thinking that certainly they are not guilty of idolatry—nobody around there house has made or bought an idol that they worship. However, whatever you place ahead of God is idolatry; which means, whatever you place ahead of God's Word is idolatry. I knew a young lady who once began giving me her top ten things in life, naming God as #1 on her list. She went to church once a week, most of the time, and spent little or no time in God's Word. It doesn't matter what you say and, believe it or not, the key is not even church attendance. When you actually love someone—when they are first on your list, you want to spend quality time with them and you want to get to know them. There is only one way to spend quality time with God and to get to know Him and that is through His Word as taught by a pastor teacher who spends most of his time studying God's Word, cutting it up into small enough pieces for you to eat.

In the church age, this prohibition of this commandment is even stronger than what is stated here. Anything which is placed before God is idolatry. Therefore begin to render impotent the things upon the earth: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed—which amounts to idolatry (Col. 3:5). For this you all know, that every fornicator or immoral person, or one who is greedy [or, covetous]—who is an idolater—has no inheritance in the reign of the Christ and God (Eph. 5:5). This is not the only place in the Bible with lust for things and immorality are in the same context as idolatry. Now these things happened as examples for us, that we should not crave wrong things, as they [the exodus generation] also craved. And do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play." Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and 23,000 fell in one day (1Cor. 10:6–8). For most people it is money or their job or their family or things which they place ahead of God. In fact, for most people, it is all of those things and a few others which are placed ahead of God. And if you are in a state of lust, God's Word tells you that you are in idolatry. Just in case you don't grasp how it is that you are in idolatry when you are in sexual lust, let me make this simple. You have a choice each and every second whether to be in fellowship or out of fellowship with God. The difference is between being filled with the Holy Spirit and not. When you are consumed with sexual lust (or, actually, any sin), you are choosing to be out of fellowship. When you retain that status without rebound—without naming your sins to God— you are in idolatry. You have placed that lust, that sin, above God and above fellowship with Him.

" 'You will not make for yourself a sculpted image—any likeness which [is] in the heavens above or which [is] in the earth beneath or which [is] in the water under the earth. [Deut. 5:8]

The or's in this verse are all and's; however, the negative changes them into or's (this is a principle of logic as well as a grammatical principle for some languages). Another way to read this verse is: "You will not make for yourself a sculpted image—any likeness which [is] in the heavens above and [you will not make for yourself a sculpted image—any likeness] which [is] in the earth beneath and [you will not make for yourself a sculpted image—any likeness] which [is] in the water under the earth." Most of the codices (the Septuagint, western Samarian, the Syriac, the Vulgate and the targums of Jonathan) read " 'You will not make for yourself a sculpted image, nor any likeness which is in the heavens above or which is in the earth beneath or which is in the waer under the earth.' "

Only a creature can be approximated with a sculpted image; God cannot be approximated with some statute or idol; God can make us in His image because He can make the immaterial part of us—just as He is spirit. This is how we were made in His shadow-image. However, we cannot turn around and make God in our image or even approximate His image because we cannot construct the immaterial spirit—we can only construct very pathetic likenesses of what God has created and foolishly call them God or associate them with God.

" 'You will not bow down to them and you will not be caused to serve them, for I [am] Y^ehowah your God—a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers against children and [or, even]

against third and against fourth [generations] with reference to those hating Me. [Deut. 5:9]

People have trouble with the third and fourth generation curse, partially because they have not seen this verse translated properly, and because they ignore the last couple words in this verse. All it takes is just one generation of people who oppose God to cause damage to the next three generations of children. In the United States the children of the 60's were unquestionably one of the most self-centered, self-serving generations ever in our country. I do not know much about the spiritual foundation of the parents of the baby boomers, but those who followed them pursued the creature rather than the Creator (with very few, but wonderful, exceptions). Our nation has gone absolutely downhill since then; their children and their children's children being essentially Godless, with most of the believers having little or no real interest in God's Word. Drug use and hedonism is rampant among the young people today, as are sexually transmitted diseases. As one person said, sexually transmitted diseases can be, for all intents and purposes, wiped out in one generation. All it takes is for one generation to embrace the Biblical boundaries of marriage—sex with one person, their right man or right woman, after marriage, and not before—and sexually transmitted diseases could no longer be transmitted. However, today, and for the last couple of generations, we have young people who believe that sexual involvement is some sort of a right that comes with puberty, and not a sacred act belonging to marriage. I've heard people speaking of trying different sexual partners to prior to marriage, comparing it to trying on shoes before buying them. I've seen teenagers, when their parents are attempting to save them a great deal of heartache, act like it is some sort of personal imposition or enormous sacrifice to go without sex during their teen years. This all came out of the free love, promiscuous generation of the 60's. We have seen where casual and even not-so-casual sex led these people in terms of the breakdown of the family, resulting in hedonism, gangs, rampant teenage crime, greed, and homosexual activity. All it takes is one generation of degenerates to leave their mark for the next three generations. But don't forget to notice those last words: with reference to those hating Me. God does not arbitrarily curse one generation and the three suceeding generations—He curses those who hate Him, which is often a result of the first generation being self-serving, self-centered and self-deluded.

" 'Yet [lit, and] showing grace to thousands, to those loving Me and to those keeping [and guarding] My commandments [Deut. 5:10]

My commandments is written his commandments; however, it is spoken My. Rotherham calls the word his a clear corruption of the Scriptures, as it reads My in Ex. 20:6. The mistake found here clearly reveals how much reverence was given to the reproduction by hand of Scripture (I know that you did not understand that). Here is the difference between the two words: My commandments = mîts^eôwthây (י ָת ׃צ ̣מ ) [pronounced mits-o-THAY (?)]; His commandments = mîts^eôwthâw (ו ָת ׃צ ̣מ ) [pronounced mits-o-THAW (tahv?)]. The only difference is the last letter and some scribe at some time made a slip of the pen, and turned a yodh into a wâw. It was known that this must have been the case; however, under no circumstances did the many subsequent scribes want to change it back; they did not want to change God's Word—that is how much reverence that they had for the Scripture. So, as was said, this was spoken in the synagogues as My commandments; however, it will be forever written his commandments.

The first occurrence of grace was not in the New Testament, but God is immutable and He has always been a gracious and loving God. Israel was totally undeserving of His grace yet God poured His grace upon them. Similarly, we in the Church Age are equally undeserving, yet He graces us out as well. This verse is added just in case someone is still confused about the four generation curse. God's grace abounds to those who continue to love Him.

God's love of Israel is a major theme found throughout this book of Deuteronomy. "Y^ehowah did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because Y^ehowah loved and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, Y^ehowah brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt." (Deut. 7:7–8). "Yet, upon your fathers Y^ehowah set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them—you above all peoples, as [it stands] today." (Deut. 10:15). We also have the love of Israel for God commanded: "And you will love Y^ehowah your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deut. 6:5). "And now, Israel, what doe Y^ehowah your God require from you, but to fear Y^ehowah your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve Y^ehowah your God with all your heart and with all your soul, to keep Y^ehowah's commands and His statutes which I [Moses] am commanding you today for your good." (Deut. 10:12). Furthermore, love for the foreigner is enjoined in this book: "So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt." (Deut. 10:19; see also Lev. 19:18). But when the Pharisees heard that He [Jesus] had put the Sadducees to silence, they gathered themselves together and one of the, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, "Teacher, what is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "You will love the Lord your God will all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. And a second is like it, You will love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the entire Law and the Prophets."

" 'You will not lift up [the] name of Y^ehowah your God in regards to emptiness, as Y^ehowah will not aquit him who lifts up His name in regards to emptiness. [Deut. 5:11]

This is God speaking (Moses is quoting Him), yet He sometimes speaks of Y^ehowah in the first person and sometimes in the third. This is easy to understand when one realizes that we have a triune God, one in essence and three in personality. The Presence of Y^ehowah in Israel is the second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ. However, the name Y^ehowah can be applied to any member of the trinity. See the Doctrine of Y^ehowah in the Trinity—not finished yet!!

At the very least, this is a prohibition of using the name of Jesus Christ lightly or any other name which refers to Him; our speech is not to be peppered with Oh my God, I swear to God or Jesus Christ! Deut. 6:13 and 10:20 will be explained when we get there. But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be yes and your no, no; so that you may not fall under judgment (James 5:12). God has given you greater gifts and blessings than you can imagine—now, in some cases, He has to bang you over the head to get your attention, but what He has already given us is beyond our comprehension. Jesus Chris has taken upon Himself the punishment for our sins and, through one short, simple act of human volition, we are able to gain salvation and blessing throughout eternity. As you cannot imagine the blessing which God has set aside for us, you cannot imagine the pain, grief and absolute horror of our Lord coming into contact with our sins and receiving the judgment for them—the judgment which we deserve. How can you be so callous as to use His name lightly to spice up your conversation? Just get a vocabulary and treat Jesus Christ, the King of King and Lord of Lords, and God the Father with the respect due to them.

" 'Keeping the Sabbath day—to set it apart' [as that which Y^ehowah your God commanded you] [Deut. 5:12]

As that which Y^ehowah your God commanded you is not found in Ex. 20:8; This is added by Moses, speaking as inspired by the Holy Spirit. Some of the believers in the audience knew the Ten Commandments and, when we know something, we tend to turn our minds off when we hear it again. For any person whose mind wanders as they know these commandments, Moses grabs them with this statement. He is not adding to the Word of God as he is speaking God's Word. When the Old Testament is quoted in the New, the speaker or author sometimes gives a paraphrasing of the text, sometimes quotes it even though it does not directly apply to the situation at hand, and sometimes quotes the Septuagint, even when there is a difference between the Septuagint and the original version. Under the guidance of God the Holy Spirit, which all writers of Scripture were, this is acceptable. When done in order to support some personal theory, this is a misuse of Scripture. One of the strengths of God's Word is that one can even hear verses from The Living Bible, which translation is an affront to anyone with an I.Q. over 85, and these verses will have the power and truth of God's Word come through loud and clear. The key here is motivation and guidance of the Holy Spirit, rather than the act of adding a phrase to the Ten Commandments.

I need to speak to the 1% now, so most of you don't have to worry about the next paragraph: doing that which is clearly sin, even if you feel led by the Holy Spirit is still sin. You cannot do that which is wrong and then claim your motivation is pure and you have been led by God the Holy Spirit. You are delusional. You need the therapy of God's Word and your best action in life is no action. How can I explain this? You can do that which seems right and good, but if your motivation is wrong and you are not filled with the Spirit, then that act is wood, hay and stubble, to be burned on the last day. You can do that which is sin, and think you are, under your own personal delusion, doing what is right. That sin puts you out of fellowship (which you probably were already) and was judged on the cross. Thieme explained it in this way, giving four scenarios: you can do a right thing in a right way, a wrong thing in a right way, a right thing in a wrong way, and a wrong thing in a wrong way. The first option is divine good and it is the production of gold, silver and precious stones. When you do a right thing in a right way, it is like having your own gold factory and you produce chunks of gold which stay with you as wealth forever. However, the latter three options are acts of human good and sin and sin was judged on the cross, human good was rejected, and human good will be burned at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

The Sabbath was a day of rest; they were to sit back and to do nothing. God did all of the work. Prior to man coming on the earth, God created everything for man. Man was to rest and enjoy the earth and enter into a perpetual Sabbath at his creation. However, man's sin caused man to have to work with the sweat of his brow. The Sabbath is a memorial to God, just as the seventh day rest period is a memorial to God's act of creation. It was no accident that every country in the world from the beginning of recorded history has observed a seven day week. This was one of the first commands given to the human race as a memorial to God's work on man's behalf. We are to take a hold of the cross as well, wherein God has done all of the work, we can only take what He has provided for us.

The principle of the Sabbath was simple—for six days man worked. We covered the Doctrine of the Sabbath back in Ex. 20. To sum up, the seventh day is Saturday—Saturday means seventh day; and this is the only commandment of the Ten which is not reiterated in the New Testament. Whereas the Jews worshipped on the seventh day, we, in the Church Age worship by giving on the first day of the week, and we take in doctrine and are filled with the Holy Spirit seven days a week.

" 'But the seventh day—a Sabbath to Y^ehowah your God. You will not do any work; [not] you nor your son nor your daughter; nor your male slave or your female slave; nor your ox nor your donkey nor any of your cattle; nor the sojourner who is within your gates; in order that your male servant may rest and your female servant, as well as you. [Deut. 5:14]

Note that the Israelite is to allow his servant the opportunity to rest as he was a servant himself in the land of Egypt. The Sabbath illustrates salvation to us—God does all the work and we rest in Him. Salvation is for everyone, including the servants of the people of Israel and including those visiting the nation Israel.

This was for the entire nation Israel and everyone in Israel at that time. The point was that God had done all the work. Salvation was for everyone—God's rest was for everyone. Therefore, let us fear so that promise does not remain unclaimed of entering into His rest, so that no [lit., any]

one of you should seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they [a reference to the Exodus generation] also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not mixed with faith in those who heard. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "As I swore in My wrath, they will not enter My rest." although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has thus said somewhere concerning the seventh day, "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works." And again in this [same passage], "They will not enter My rest." Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of obstinance. He again fixes a certain day, "Today," speaking through David after so long a time, just as has been said before, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rest from his works, as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one fail through the same example of disobedience (Heb. 4:1–11 Psalm 95:11 Gen. 2:2 Psalm 95:11, 7). This rest, taught from the almost the beginning of creation, was one where man rested because God did all of the work.

" 'You will remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt and then Y^ehowah your God brought you out to here by a strong hand and by an outstretch arm. Therefore, Y^ehowah your God commanded you to do [or to make] the day of the seventh [possibly, to make this a day of rest]. [Deut. 5:15]

Translated literally, the end of v. 15 is a little more abstruse. Most translations render this to keep the Sabbath day; to observe the Sabbath day. The word for Sabbath and the word for rest differ only in vowel points so it is possible that this should read Therefore, Y^ehowah your God commanded you to make a day of rest.

Of the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath was the very first delivered to man. The original rationale was that God had worked for six days and had provided in those six days everything that man, in his uncorrupted state, would need. Furthermore, there is a significant divergence between the parallel passage in Exodus and this one. After the command to observe the Sabbath, Ex. 20:11 reads: "For in six days Y^ehowah made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore, Y^ehowah blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." The rationale given here in Deuteronomy was that God brought them out of Egypt—God again did all of the work. Therefore, they should rest when He commands them to rest as a commemoration to His work. Now why the change of rationale? (1) This is actually a change in the Sabbath, a portion of the full metamorphous of the Sabbath. (2) When God first gave the commandment to observe the Sabbath, it was given to all man as a commemoration of God doing all of the work. (3) In perfect environment, God did everything for man and then created man. (4) In the corrupted earth, God would do everything on behalf of man to provide him a way of escape. So the Sabbath continued for all mankind after the Fall. (5) However, although the original Sabbath was continued with the original rationale, the rationale changed to match the change in the Sabbath. What change was that? (6) The Sabbath became the property of the nation Israel, as representatives of God here on earth. "So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live. And I also gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am Y^ehowah Who sanctifies them." (Ezek. 20:10–12). (7) So, even though every nation follows a seven day week, based upon the six days of creation and the seventh day of rest, the Age of Israel saw the responsibility for keeping the Sabbath to fall upon the shoulders of the Jews in the land and this was not specifically given to any other group of people. (8) So that is the key: the Sabbath was originally given to all mankind and, at Mount Sinai, it was given specifically to Israel. Man still observes the seven day week, although he does not realize that this is in commemoration to the six days of God's restoration and one day of rest. (9) In the Church Age, the only day which has some unusual significance attached to it is the first day of the week. However, it does not supplant the Sabbath day, it is just a day which has a very slight prominence in the Church Age. (10) So what happened to the Sabbath? It changed again. It was a memorial to what God had done and was a sign of what God would do on our behalf. We can only take what He has done for us—we cannot add to it and we cannot work for it. (11) In the Church Age, the Sabbath is the rest that we enter into at salvation—we have entered into His rest; we have rested from our works. (12) The whole key to salvation is resting from one's works. The original Sabbath looked forward to this rest as well as backward to the rest commanded by God. (13) God's rest in the Church Age is believing in Jesus Christ, depending upon His work on the cross and resting from our works. (14) We do not retain the literal Sabbath day in the Church Age; i.e., a day of worship and of no work. Therefore, let not one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day; [These are] things which are a shadow of what is to come; but the substance [or, reality] belongs to Christ (Col. 2:16–17). (15) Therefore, the change in the rationale here was to closely ally Israel with the Sabbath day and such a command is no longer incumbent upon the human race in general.

This time of rest commemorates the fact that God has done all of the work on our behalf. The legalism of the Israelites changed the keeping of the Sabbath into a work in itself.

" 'You will honor your father and your mother as Y^ehowah your God commanded you, that your days in the land may be prolonged and that is it well with you [in the land] which Y^ehowah your God is giving you. [Deut. 5:16]

We find these next commandments quoted throughout the New Testament, both together and separately, in this same basic order and sometimes transposed. One of the great failures of the Jewish people in their relationship was their relationship to each other. Their great additions made to the Mosaic Law made it possible for children to neglect their parents, for so-called spiritual giants to be filled with a variety of mental attitude sins, and for people to think that they had some in with God because they followed the Law to the letter, even though they rejected the Lord Who bought them.

The place of the Mosaic Law in our lives and its meaning should never be misconstrued. The Law is holy, just and good. It gives us a basic framework for protecting the freedom, rights and property of those in a national entity. Any nation which uses these laws as a basic framework for their own laws will prosper and be blessed by God. However, these laws do not save us, they do not qualify us for eternal life with God. They condemn us. If we had only the tenth commandment, we would all be condemned by it. However, when we view the Law honestly, we should come to the conclusion that we don't measure up. Try as we might, we are unable to fully obey the Law. Our inherent sinfulness always stands between us and God. It is here where we realize that we need a Savior, we need God's mercy and forgiveness, and we can only approach him on the narrow path of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

This fifth commandment speaks to divine institution #3—family. Family is the basis for freedom and human maturity and growth. When the nuclear family breaks down, so does society. The family unit is much more important than whether there is a Democrat or Republican in office, a conservative or a liberal. Although Israel was guided in its political system, we are given no such mandate today to fight, vote or campaign for any particular type of political system. This doesn't mean that we should be apolitical—it just means that what you are as a father, as a mother—as a family unit, is a thousand times more important than the person that you vote into office. It wouldn't matter much whether you got to choose every candidate for every office you desired; or if I had the same opportunity—the difference here would be negligible. However, how we operate within the realm of our family, our faithfulness, our dedication, our providing for, our love, our guidance—these are issues of real impact. This is an unusual commandment to give at this time for several reasons: (1) notice that this commandment is put forth to the generation of promise, whose parents were slaughtered in the wilderness by God for their degeneracy—their sons and daughters are told to respect, honor and obey their parents. (2) The parents of this generation are all dead. (3) This is a commandment given to young people, not to the older generation. This is a commandment for people who are just coming into God consciousness and they are just becoming responsible for their decisions. They are taught respect for their parents.

To the young child, his parents are as God. A child is to learn love, guidance, discipline and sacrifice from his parents. A mother and a father are real life illustrations of God to the child. The child cannot even begin to fully comprehend the love of his parents for him. And, if the parents have any character at all, they are the first persons to tell their child Who God is.

With the Church Age, a great many relationships were expounded upon. Children, obey your parent in the Lord, for this is the [just and] honorable thing. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise) that you may be prospered and that you may live long on the earth. And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the integrity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eye service, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will, render service, as to the Lord, and not to me, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. And, masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him (Eph. 6:1–9). Since we do not have slavery, per se, this divine laws concerning slaves and masters can be applied in the workplace between labor and management. Since most of us are in labor, note that you should do your job as to the Lord—as though He were your boss and you were doing your job in order to please Him. A parallel passage is found in Colossians: Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is commendable in the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, that they may not lose heart. Slaves, according to the norm of all things, obey those who are your masters according to the norm of the flesh, not with external service, as those who please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord, rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality. Masters, grant to your slaves justice and equal proportions, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven (Col. 3:20–4:1).

This is an attack against human volition. Once a person is murdered, then his volition no longer functions and he can not longer believe in Jesus Christ. This does not preclude killing in war nor does it preclude capital punishment—this is a mandate against first and second degree murder. A soldier in war has the duty to kill the enemy. As Thieme has said over and over again, a Christian with doctrine should be the best killer in his outfit. Keep in mind, Israel is about to enter into the land of Canaan and will be under strict orders from God to kill their enemies. In fact, in many cases, they will be commanded to kill their enemies and their women and children as well. The commandment not to kill was also one of the first recorded commandments delivered by God to man. But remember, the penalty was capital punishment. "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood will be shed." (Gen. 9:6a). "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'You will not commit murder,' and 'Whoever commits murder will be liable to the court.' But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother will be guilty before the court; and whoever will say to his brother, 'Raca,' will be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever will say, 'You fool,' will be guilty [and cast] into hell fire." (Matt. 5:21–22).

A difference between the Ex. 20 version and this version is the leading conjunction found in this and the next three commandments. It would be reasonable to translate this neither will you commit adultery. Neither is a common rendering of the conjunction plus the negative. The western Samaritan, the Septuagint and the Syriac lack these conjunctions. My educated guess is that they are matching these Ten Commandments with Exodus in this situation. However, I think the primary difference is one of speaking. When these are listed as commandments in stone, there would be no conjunction. However, a person delivering these commandments orally would have a tendency to include the conjunction. This would either be a Hebraism or a particular speech pattern of Moses at that time. Therefore, the and remains as this is likely the way it was spoken. In terms of meaning, it does not affect this passage one whit.

You have heard that it was said, "You will not commit adultery." But I say to you that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matt. 5:27–28). This is an attack against marriage. Few marriages of even right man/right woman can survive when one or the other of the two parties commits adultery. The enormous numbers of people committing adultery today has ruined the family and the second divine institution of marriage. And when you have sex outside of marriage, prior to marriage, you have committed adultery against your future husband or wife and your marriage will suffer because of that. In fact, it is for reasons of sexual promiscuity (which is having one or more partners prior to and/or during marriage), that many people never hook up with their right man or their right woman. There is a perfect time for a lot of things to occur and meeting one's right person and hooking up with them might have but a month or a year window. A sexual relationship with anyone during this time will have ruinous affects upon your relationship with that person. When one-half of the married people have cheated on their spouses during marriage and a third of those (or more) cheated on their spouses before marriage, we have all but destroyed the institution of marriage. The marriage between right man and right woman can be the greatest thing in the world—a daily illustration of God's love and faithfulness. Yet this same marriage can be transformed into a life of hell if one or both partners have committed adultery either before or during their marriage.

I am personally convinced that in a nuclear family where there has been no divorce and where sexual experience is confined to marriage for both the adults as well as their children, that the number of those who believe they are homosexual becomes negligible—perhaps a portion of 1%. It is in a society where sexual promiscuity is touted as a right, as a human need in or out of marriage, that homosexuals might make up as much as 5% of the population. As a society becomes more and more degenerate, that number can grow increasingly high (as in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah when homosexual males made up nearly 100% of their population).

If you are a young person, wait for God to provide you with your right person. You don't need to go looking and you don't need to experiment. Your body will not detonate or self-destruct when you choose not to have sex outside of marriage. Your mind should be consumed with God's Word, and allow God to deal with the details of your life. One of my favorite quotes from Thieme is the key is not finding the right person; the key is being the right person. You develop your character through listening to God's Word, through remaining in the Spirit and through your volition.

We are bombarded daily with television, movies, music and commercials which encourage us to seek sexual partners. 99% of the sexual relationships portrayed in the medium are those between unmarried people. The so-called responsible position is to be in love first. God's Word tells you to be married first. If you have found a person who, if you were a male, you would give your life for; and, if you are a female, you have found a person to whom you are willing to surrender your voliton to, then you have probably found the right person. The key is character, not physical attraction and personality. That is when you get married and enjoy a sexual relationship for the rest of your lives. If the other person has no character (or, if you have no character) you have doomed your relationship.

Property is a right of all men, whether regenerate or not. In a degenerate society, there will be an increase of stealing and vandalism. Notice how all of these things seem to increase or decrease together. A society never sits still. It moves closer or farther away from God. Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have to share with him who has need (Eph. 4:28).

The Emphasized Bible Neither shalt thou testify against they neighbour with a witness of falsehood.

Young's Lit. Translation Thou dost not answer against they neighbour—a false testimony.

I didn't catch this until I was reading through the footnotes for Rotherham's The Emphasized Bible. He gives an alternate rendering of one word which got me started. When you see the better translations essentially agree, I tend not to examine the verse more carefully as to its correct rendering. The first problem is the word for false is not found anywhere in this verse. Is that a surprise or what? Furthermore, no one is bearing, lifting or carrying anything. Only Young catches this and Rotherham footnotes it.

In the Hebrew, that word is ׳ânâh (ה ָנ ָע ) [pronounced ģaw-NAWH] and it generally means to answer. It is found well over 300 times in the Bible: Gen. 18:27 Ex. 4:1 Deut. 1:14). This word occasionally has a very technical meaning of giving a response in court, as in Deut. 19:18. This is perhaps its rarest usage in Scripture. It can mean words which stand as a witness against someone (Deut. 31:21 Ruth 1:21 2Sam. 1:16). The key in this usage seems to be (1) in context, this stands alone—it is not the answer to a question, and (2) a negative is associated with ׳ânâh. Strong's #6030 BDB #772. This word is found here with the bêyth preposition of proximity and here it means against. Witness is the word ׳êd (ד ֵע ) [pronounced ģaide] and it is a word used outside the courtroom (Gen. 31:44 Ex. 22:13) as well as in (Deut. 17:6–7, 19:18). It is a statement given as truth, a solemn testimony or something which stands as a testimony or memorial to a fact (e.g., Gen. 31:48 Deut. 31:19). Strong's #5707 BDB #729. The last word is particularly interesting, as we have already seen it in the third commandment. Shâv^e (א׃ו ָש ) [pronounced shawv^e] and it does not mean false. It means vain, empty, worthless. Strong's #7723 BDB #996. This does not have to be testimony in court, although that is implied here.

Now you may wonder why I do this—you're thinking, well, it means just about the same thing once you are all done with all that Hebrew gobbledegook. So let me answer that in points: (1) It does not mean the same thing exactly. (2) This is God's Word—this is the only testimony of truth left on this earth for us and we would do well to ascertain its exact and correct meaning and interpretation. (3) Often, one Scripture is compared with another to clarify the meaning of a particular word, sometimes a nuance or a usage is examined and it would be nice to have a translation which is consistent and accurate so that these comparisons can be done by a person without a working knowledge of Hebrew. (4) Sometimes the meaning of a very important or somewhat obscure passage depends upon the meaning of another verse. If the other verse is poorly rendered, then the meaning of the obscure verse is difficult to ascertain. (5) Finally, given the choice between doing something right or half-assed, assuming that you have the time and the ability, do it right.

" 'And you will not answer against your neighbor—a worthless [or, empty] witness [or, testimony]. [Deut. 5:20]

This is the commandment against lying—specifically against someone as a solemn witness. However, just as adultery and murder are extended to include sexual lust and hatred, this can be extended to include lying in general. You do not lie to make yourself look good or to remove personal guilt. Lying lips are an abomination to Y^ehowah; but those who deal faithfully are His delight (Prov. 12:22). Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its practices (Col. 3:9). "You will not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another." (Lev. 19:11).

" 'And you will not desire your neighbor's wife and you will not desire your neighbor's house, his field, and his male servant and his female servant; his ox and his donkey; and anything that is your neighbor's.' [Deut. 5:21]

Notice that in this verse, as opposed to its parallel passage, we have the additional work field. Whereas the Israelites had houses in Egypt, they did not own the fields that they served. They labored on fields for the Egyptians as slaves. They are about to enter the land and God is going to give them a land grant. That is, every Israelite will own a piece of land. Therefore, Moses, as guided by the Holy Spirit, adds field to this commandment. Certainly you have looked at someone else's house, the lot that it was on, the neighborhood that it was in, and you lusted for it. Just rebound that sin and move on.

According to Edersheim, the word desire is awaked from without by that which is seen to be beautiful and desire springs from within, from the evil inclinations. In the Hebrew, desire is the word châmad (ד ַמ ָח ) [pronounced khaw-MAHD] and it means to desire, to covet, to take pleasure in. It is found first in Gen. 2:9 and 3:6 in the Niphal participle (desirable). Strong's #2530 BDB #326. The other word is âwâh (ה ָו ָא ) [pronounced aw-WAWH] and it means to desire, to crave, to lust. This latter word is not found in Exodus and makes its first appearance in the Bible in Num. 11:4, 34 34:10 Job 23:13 This is the word used of the desire of David for water in 2Sam. 23:15. Strong's #183 BDB #16 My reasonable guess is that châmad is a something desirable seen from the outside and that âwâh is the festering lust for it on the inside.

For this: "You will not commit adultery, you will not murder, you will not steal, you will not covet;" and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in the saying, "You will love your neighbor as yourself." Love does not evil to a neighbor; love, therefore, is the fulfillment; [it is] law (Rom. 13:9–10). And He [Jesus] said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." (Luke 12:15). Let your character be free from the love of money. Keep being content with what you have, for He Himself has said, "I will never not never not even never desert you nor will I ever forsake you." (Heb. 13:5). But godliness is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment. for we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. and if we have foot and covering, with these we should be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction, for the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by intensely desiring for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many categories of pain (1Tim. 6:6–10). We do not need to lust because, God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it stands written: "He scatters abroad, He gave to the poor, His righteousness abides forever." (2Cor. 9:8–9 Psalm 112:9).

As has been pointed out several times before, the Law is not designed to save man. Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, that we may be jjustified by faith in Christ, and not bythe works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified (Gal. 2:16). McGee said: The Law actually is like a plumb line to determine the verticality of a crooked wall. The Law is a mirror that is held up to the heart. It is a headlight on a car to show the way into the darkness and to reveal the curves ahead. The Law is a mirror held up to us. We are to look in it, and it will reveal to each of us that we are sinners. The mirror in the bathroom will show the smudge spot on the face, but the mirror won't wh off that spot. The Law can show us our sin, but it cannot save us. In no way can the mirror remove the smudge spot. We must come to the basin and wash it away. The Law is the mirror that tells us to start washing. It tells us to come to Christ. It is the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, that will wash us and keep on cleansing us from all sin. The important thing is not whether you approve the Ten Commandments or what you think of them; the important question, my friend, is: Have you kept them? If you are honest, you know that you haven't measured up. That means you need a Savior. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isa. 1:18).

By the works of the Law will no flesh be justified in His sight; for through the Law [is] the realization of sin (Rom. 3:20). It is the Law which condemns us. It is the Law which tells us we are lost. "Cursed is every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law—to perform them." (Gal. 3:10b Deut. 27:26). The Law is a school bus which takes us to Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:24–25). What shall we conclude? Is the Law sin? Hell, no! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said "You will not covet." (Rom. 7:7 Ex. 20:17). Keeping just nine out of ten commandments is not good enough. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one [transgression], he has become guilty of all. For [you see], He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder." Now, if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law (James 2:11 Ex. 20:12, 14).

As I had mentioned earlier, there are a number of different scenarios which God set up by way of examples for us. It was not that He had to try this, and it didn't work; then he tried that, and it didn't work, so He tried something else. He will demonstrate that man, apart from the indwelling Holy Spirit, even raised up from a young age with the Law, cannot kept the Law. The debater between genetics and environment is certainly not solved, but this shows clearly that no one can claim that if someone is raised from an early enough age under the perfect Law of God, then they will be able to follow it. Everyone is born with an indwelling old sin nature and no matter how good the environment, that aspect of man does not change. Man is born in rebellion to God, and, apart from the work of God the Holy Spirit, man remains in rebellion against God. "If you had only paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea." (Isa. 48:18).

"Y^ehowah spoke these words to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness—a great voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. [Deut. 5:22]

These Ten Commandments were not the end of God's revelation to man. They give us a bare bones outline for the function of Israel as a priest nation under the economy of the Jewish Age. These do not define sin, per se, nor are the only laws a nation is to have. They are a framework for national freedom and they are a basic honor code for a people of God.

And when He [God] had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God. And it came to pass, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the [gold] calf [or idolatry] and dancing; and Moses' anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. Now Y^ehowah said to Moses, "Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered. So he cut out two stone tablets like the former ones, and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai, as Y^ehowah had commanded him, and he took two stone tablets in his hand. So he [Moses] was there with Y^ehowah forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And He [God] wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments [lit., words] (Ex. 31:18 32:19 34:1–2, 28). It is my guess that the dramatic moment of breaking the tablets when Moses came down and saw the behavior of the Israelites may not have been altogether in God's will. However, God did not discipline him for that; He must made Moses cut out the tablets of stone this time. Moses would be less likely to drop them after that. This is conjecture, by the way.

As has been discussed, God did not run out of room on one tablet and write commandments 6–10 on the second. Each tablet contained all ten commandments.

"And it came to pass as you [all] heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, and the mountain burning with fire, that you [all] would come near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders, [Deut. 5:23]

Moses is not really speaking of those present, but of their parents. The you here refers to Israelites—these Israelites came near to God, after having seen the great signs and wonders and after hearing God's voice.

"And then you [all] said, 'Look, Y^ehowah our God has shown us His glory [or, splendor] and His greatness; and His voice we have heard out of the midst of the fire; this day we have seen that God does speak with man, and he [man] [continues to] live. [Deut. 5:24]

Said is in the imperfect tense, meaning that the various elders came up at different times and said these things to Moses. This is a compilation of the various things said by them to Moses. The Old English behold was closer to the way that they spoke, in a more formal language than we do today—the Brits would have, in recent times, said, "See, here." We might say, "Look." It doesn't mean that we want someone to look at something with their sense of sight—we want them to pay attention to what we are saying; we want them to look at what we are saying. So, God spoke to all of Israel out from the midst of the fire, and the Israelites still lived. That was their first point.

" 'And now therefore, why should [lit., do] we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we continue to hear the voice of Y^ehowah our God any more, then [lit., and] we will die. [Deut. 5:25]

This is not a reference to gen X several years later when they began to die like flies in the desert. This is the comments of their elders at the time that God spoke directly to all of them. And all the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw, they trembled and stood at a distance. Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but do not let God speak [directly] with us, or else we will die." (Ex. 20:18–19).

Let me tell you one of the concerns that I had in the back of my mind. When I read God's Word, I read it semi-critically. I am certainly biased, but correctly so. However, occasionally the thought comes to me, what if all this was a sham on Moses' part. What if he's hoodwinked this people? Maybe he went up on the mountain and it took him forty days to carve out the ten commandments on the stone himself. This passage and similar passages help to show why that would not have been the case. The people heard God speaking to them—this is two million people; this is a miracle which modern science has a difficult time duplicating. When there are 60,000 people in a football stadium, can they all hear what is going on? It has only been in recent decades that we have a sound system which could reach the majority of people in a football stadium. At this time, there was what appears to be lightning flashes, possibly thunder—in any case, there is a great deal of unusual commotion about the mountain, yet they all hear the voice of God. Moses, in this message, points this out. He is verifying the history that they lived through and the people listening are not objecting to what he is saying, because its true—they were there, they saw it all occur. This was also recorded and there was some distribution, although nothing like we have today, and there were no objections that we are aware of as to the content of this book or of the content of the rest of the Pentateuch. It would be difficult for one man, no matter how charismatic he is, to write a history which is totally fallacious and not have a portion of the roughly one million people who were alive when this history took place object to the content. Charismatic leaders in cults appeal to small portions of populations—never to a population as a whole. Those charismatic leaders whose cult gains a wide following, such as the Mormons, has some truth mixed in with the lies, and the historical events which led up to the genesis of the cult has become past history. Such as, Joseph Smith, like any charismatic leader, even as goofy as his story was, could appeal to a few people. Throw in some truth and another charismatic leader (Brigham Young), and you end up with a larger following. However, this was Moses speaking to the people of Israel and they can confirm in their minds, yes, this did happen or it did not. They were there. They heard the voice of God and there was no question in their minds that that was what they had heard.

After the Ten Commandments, the Israelites were stunned. The last commandment was a killer: you will not covet; or, in more modern English, you will not lust; you will not desire; you will not envy; you will not crave. On the one hand, they understood the truth of what they heard; on the other hand, they recognized themselves as all being guilty. Furthermore, they were scared to death. Moses had to speak to them on many occasions and they knew that only a small portion of them were actually able to hear what Moses had to say. However, here, they all heard the voice of God and it frightened them tremendously. The people told their elders to go speak to Moses immediately. They were concerned about the lightning, the voice of God, their own sinfulness. A quasi-normal person would be scared witless in a similar situation. The elders, due to being prompted and some of their own accord, went to Moses immediately concerning God's voice. The audience to this message of Moses were all there; they all witnessed these things, as they heard God's voice.

" 'For who of all flesh [is] he who has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire like us—and [still] lives? [Deut. 5:26]

What had occurred on Sinai was unprecedented. There was no history, written or spoken, where a large group of people had heard God's voice directly like this. God has always worked through mediators prior to this, and would continue to do so. This should raise some questions in your mind as to why.

Why Does God Work Though Mediators?

(1) God is holy, perfect righteousness and justice. (2) We are sinful, devious and corrupt. (3) A perfect God cannot come into direct contact with imperfect man. This would result in our immediate destruction. (4) God came in the form of a man, experiencing all the pain and trials and tribulation of living upon this earth, and then He took upon Himself our sins and paid the penalty for all the wrong that we have done and ever will do. (5) God, the Son, became our mediator: One equal to both man and God. (6) This for us is an historic fact. However, there are 3000-8000 years of history which occurred prior to the cross. God has given them the gospel as He has given us the gospel. (7) The Old Testament people heard the gospel in several ways, but it was all in shadow form. The cross was future, God chose not to reveal the cross to Satan, but He had to reveal it to all of mankind. (8) Therefore, God worked in shadows of what was to come, and through the Holy Spirit, revealed the gospel to individual man, as man observed the animal sacrifices or as man thought of the continual mediator relationships, all of which represented Jesus Christ as our great Mediator between God and ourselves. (9) However, there would always remain the objection if God had spoken directly to me where it was unquestionably God's voice, then I would believe and I would do whatever He asked of me. Human history removes all human and demonic objections to God's character and plan. These Israelites, two million of them, heard the voice of God. Those who had reached the age of accountability and who heard God's voice rebelled against God anyway and died the sin unto death in the desert. (10) These are the same ones who saw great signs and wonders when God removed them from Egypt. How many times have you heard someone say, if God would just come down and show me a great sign, then I would believe. If God wants me, then He can prove to me He exists. Generation X is a case history of those who saw great and incredible signs and God killed them in the wilderness because of their degeneracy and negative volition. (11) Everyone who has positive volition toward God will hear the gospel. The only to assure yourself a place in the Lake of Fire is to spend 100% of your time on earth rejecting God as He really is and spend 100% of your life rejecting Jesus Christ as your Savior. You must be unwavering in your lack of faith toward God. (12) For most people, prove to me that God exists is a deception. It is a excuse that they think gets them off the hook. Haven't you ever caught a child red-handed (or, even, almost red-handed) and they are in trouble because they just broke something or they have just done something wrong, and they look at you with these big, wide sincere eyes and they tell you that they didn't do it? Children, due to their old sin natures, learn to lie at a very early age—even in the face of unquestioning damning evidence, they will lie to get themselves off the hook. And, here is the extraordinary part of human nature—people whose weakness is lying will come to a point where they partially believe their own lies. They bury their own guilt that deep inside their souls; inside their scar tissue. This is the person who tells you, prove to me that God exists, and I will believe in Him. Or, all God needs to do is prove to me He exists, and I will believe Him. That is a smokescreen. God will make Himself known to anyone on positive signals. It won't necessarily be in a dramatic, miraculous way—99% of the time it is not; but He will make Himself known. Everyone on positive signals when they actually hear the gospel for the first time know there is a decision to make. (13) Generation X is an example of people who would have believed in Jesus Christ no matter what. God not only impressed them with signs and wonders, but gave them tremendous responsibilities commensurate with these signs and wonders and they were spectacular failures, with only a small handful of exceptions. (14) God has allowed the greatest super creature of all time, the most intelligent, charismatic and attractive super creature of all time to rule over the earth. Man was given this responsibility and man defaulted to Satan. With all of Satan's creature genius, it is demonstrated in human history that his plan results in nothing but human misery, suffering and death. (15) For all men who have positions of power who operate apart from God, it will be shown that their fleeting moment in the sun, regardless of how much good they even sincerely wanted to do, will result in human misery, suffering and death. (16) Have you not noticed that every time a politician, albeit sincere, attempts to solve a problem, five more problems arise because of his solution? (17) The welfare program was instituted by some whose intentions were thoroughly humanitarian. They had not clue one that this would result in many generations of people who would be raised under welfare and think that this nation owes them a living, whether they choose to work or not. And, if they choose to go out and get pregnant, they sincerely believe that this government should pay for the birth of their children and assist them financially for the next twenty or so years to raise them so that they can also go on welfare. I use this by way of example of a program whose founders had intentions which may have been very sincere and humanitarian, but had not the foresight to see where it would lead. (18) Finally, this passage, where all of Israel heard the voice of God, helps to explain why God has had several different programs or dispensations or economies on this earth. Human history will show to all of those who survive it that God is perfect, righteous and good; and that His plan is perfect righteous and good; and that His judgments are perfect, righteous and good. And, at the end of human history, there will be no possible objections remaining as to God's character, motives or perfection. Every possible objection and every possible scenario will have been played out, and it will be demonstrated unquestionably each and every time that God is perfect and that we can always place our complete trust in Him.

" 'You approach [or draw near] [to God] and hear all that which Y^ehowah our God says, and you—you [personally] will speak all that which Y^ehowah our God has spoken to you, and we will listen and we will do it.' [Deut. 5:27]

Qâra^bv (ב ַר ָק ) [pronounced kaw-RA^BV] is a word which we have seen several times in the past and it means come near, approach. It is incorrectly translated offer, sacrifice. Here, as in many other passages, its meaning is clear. The people want Moses to go near to God. They aren't asking him to sacrifice anything; it just that hearing the voice of God has them scared witless. Qâra^bv is in the imperative. They are ordering him to go directly to God and leave them out of this direct communication. BDB #897 Strong #7126 Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen, but let not God speak to us, or we will die." (Ex. 20:19).

"And Y^ehowah heard the content [lit., voice] of your words, while you were speaking to me, and Y^ehowah said to me, "I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you; they have spoken correctly [lit., they have done well all which they have spoken]. [Deut. 5:28]

The word while is the bêyth preposition, generally translated in, into; proximity is is indicated with this preposition. When bêyth is followed by an infinitive construct, it forms a periphrasis for the gerund,

generally translated as a verb and conjunction in the English. The proximity implied is more one of time. Therefore, the literal in their being created of Gen. 2:4 could be reasonably rendered while they were created or when they were created. The implication of this kind of phrasing could also be translated after that, as in Gen 33:18 Ex. 3:12 13:17 (again, the proximity is one of time rather than of place). Proximity of time does not mean within a few minutes or a few hours. If the event spoken of, such as the exodus, took a long period of time (forty years), that period of time is treated as a block of time and proximity of time is relative to the length of time referred to (Deut. 4:25 23:5 Joshua 5:4 2Kings 2:1).

BDB #88

This was the literal translation. God is omniscient. After hearing the Ten Commandments, the people sent hand fulls of representatives to Moses, some coming to him of their own accord, requesting to stand between them and God. This request was pleasing to God. God is pleased when we go to the Mediator who stands between ourselves and Him.

" 'O that their heart had been shown to them, to fear Me, and to keep My commands all the days, that is may be well with them and with their sons—to a long duration [or, eternity]! [Deut. 5:29]

As we have seen repeatedly, gen X was a waste of a generation—all believers and all in reversionism. They were an embarrassment to the family of God. God loathed that generation. They were accurate and they were correct in asking Moses to stand between them and God; this was the right thing for them to do. If only they would have stayed with this—to keep Moses as their intermediary, to obey all of God's commands given through Moses. They would have lived long in the land and the divine consequences would have lasted forever.

For a nameless person to become involved with drugs and crime, you are happy to hear when they receive the just rewards for their actions. However, if you have had children and, regardless of the reason, they have turned to drugs or to crime or to an unsavory lifestyle, your heart goes out to them. Because of the pain they will cause themselves, you hurt as well. Even if you are put in the position where you must turn them in or you must take action which will cause them pain, the pain is yours as well. Anthromorphically speaking, this is how God feels. "But My people did not listen to My voice; and Israel did not obey Me. So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices. Oh that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways. I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries...I would feed you with the finest of the wheat and I would satisfy you with honey from the rock." (Psalm 81:11–14, 16). Thus says Y^ehowah, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; "I am Y^ehowah your God, Who teaches you free enterprise [lit., to profit]; Who leads you in the way you should go. If only you have paid attention to My commandments; then your well-being would have been like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Your descendants would have been like the sand and your offspring like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence." (Isa. 49:17–19). "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who murders the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not!" (Matt. 23:37).

Again and again it is repeated to Israel in this great book Deuteronomy: trust God, follow His commands and He will prosper you. "And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, in order that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which Y^ehowah, the God of your fathers, is giving you." (Deut. 4:1). "So you will keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which Y^ehowah your God is giving your for all time." (Deut. 4:40).

" 'Go, say to them, “Return to your tents [lit., Turn back for yourselves, to your tents].” [Deut. 5:30]

Deuteronomy is also famous for quotes within quotes within quotes. Moses is quoting what God told him to say to Israel.

" 'And you, stand here with Me and I will tell you all the commandments [lit., word] and the statutes and the ordinances which you will teach them and they will do them in the land which I am giving them to possess it.' [Deut. 5:31]

This is all paralleled in Exodus: Now Y^ehowah said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment [lit., word] which I have written for their instruction." (Ex. 24:12).

"And you all have observed to do as Y^ehowah your God had commanded you; you [all] will not deviate from it [lit., turn not aside, right or left]. [Deut. 5:32]

Moses is now speaking directly to the people of Israel. God is giving them a perfect, holy and just Law. They are not to add to it or subtract from it, nor are they to deviate from it. With the Mishna and the Talmud, the Israelites went into over-think and, in their attempt to specify the Law, they essentially added to it, took away from it and deviated far from what God had intended. "And do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods, to serve them." (Deut. 28:14). [God commanding Joshua]: "Only be strong and very courageous. Be careful to do according to all the Law which Moses My servant command you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the Law will not depart from your mouth, but you will study it day and night so that you may be diligent to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success." (Joshua 1:7; see also Joshua's farewell address in Joshua 23).

"You will walk in all the way which Y^ehowah your God had commanded you, so that you [all] will live and [so that] it is well with you, and [so that] you [all] will have prolonged days [lit., and you may live long—days] in the land which you [all] possess." [Deut. 5:33]

It was very simple for Israel—obey God and prosper, disobey Him and suffer discipline. Our lives are equally simple. God's promises to Israel were not just for that period of time long ago, nor were they all transferred over to the church. "Observe, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath, and in [My] great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. They will be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may revere Me always, for their own benefit, and for [the benefit of] their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will place the fear [reverence] of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. And I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. For, thus says Y^ehowah, Just as I brought all this calamity on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them." (Jer. 32:37–42).

Introduction: Our Lord said, "If you love me, then keep My commandments." (John 14:15). God's love, His Law and obedience to the Law are all intertwined, and nowhere is this better illustrated than in Deut. 6. It is in this chapter where we find God's greatest commandment, which reads: You will love Y^ehowah your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might (Deut. 6:5). The way we manifest our love toward Him is in our obedience to his commandments. And God's commandments are not an arbitrary collection of do's and don't's designed to take the fun out of living. God delivered them to Israel out of love—to give Israel some precise boundaries and to provide for human freedom in that nation. Our understanding of God's love is furthered by the New Testament, where, rather than lead us with His omnipotence, God becomes a man and dwells among us, suffering the same things that we suffer and much more. Finally, the ultimate show of His love is the death of our Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf: Herein is love—not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1John 4:10).

"And this—the commandment—statutes and the ordinances which Y^ehowah your God commanded to teach you to do in the land which you are going over there to possess it. [Deut. 6:1]

In the Hebrew, this verse stands completely apart from Deut. 5:33. Whereas the previous verses were filled with fairly common Qal perfect and imperfect verbs, this verse has three infinitive constructs. With the prefixed preposition lâmed, these verbs can indicate purpose, result, explanation or an imminent event.

The commandment, statutes and ordinances are the Word of God which is to be taught to the people. Moses does not affix the personal pronoun to the word commanded, as this is his swan song and others will take over the teaching ministry from here. To teach is purpose; to do is result and purpose; to possess is an imminent event.

For the next several chapters, Moses will expound somewhat on the Ten Commandments, not necessarily explaining each one, but he will deal with the importance of learning God's Law, of teaching God's Law to their sons, of the obedience of the Israelites to the Law. He will focus primarily upon idolatry as illustrative of the Law, as when one places anything before God, the rest of the Law becomes inconsequential. That is, the person who does not recognize the God Who brought them out of Egypt to the Land of Promise, and the person who does not both worship and fear Y^ehowah, will have no reason to obey the rest of the Law, as it specifically came from the God of Israel. Barne's Notes expresses this quite well: Moses proceeds to set forth more particularly and to enforce the cardinal and essential doctrines of the Decalogue, the nature and attributes of God, and the fitting mode of honouring and worshipping Him. Two objects are indicated (vv. 2, 3), the glory of God and the welfare of man, as the grand aims he has in view

"So that you fear Y^ehowah your God, to keep all His statutes and His commands, which I am commanding you—you and your son and your grandson [lit., sons's son], all days of your lives, and so that your days are prolonged. [Deut. 6:2]

Moses generally speaks to individuals. Those to whom he is speaking are all found in the singular. This is very personal. In reference to his audience, only lives is plural (but it has with it a singular possessive pronoun). To each and every person listening, Moses is commanding him personally, and Moses is commanding that person's son, and that person's son personally. The purpose of them keeping these commandments is to prolong their days in the land. The time that they spend in the land will correspond directly to their obedience to God's Word. "And now, Israel, what does Y^ehowah your God require fromyou, but to fear [or, revere] Y^ehowah your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve Y^ehowah your God with all your heart and with all your soul, to keep Y^ehowah's commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your God?" (Deut. 12–13). A recurring theme throughout the Old Testament is obedience to God's Laws and reverence toward God based upon what Israel has already observed: "Only fear [or, revere] Y^ehowah and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. But, if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away." (1Sam. 12:24–25). And all this came about due to Abraham's simple obedience to God; [this is God speaking to Isaac]: "Remain in this land and I will be with you and I will bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. And I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and I will give to your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants, all the nations of the earth will be blessed—because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My expectations, My commandments, My statutes and My laws." (Gen. 26:3–5).

"And you have heard, O Israel, and you will take responsibility to do, that it may be well with you, and that you may be prospered with many children [lit., multiply exceedingly], as Y^ehowah, God of your fathers, has promised [or, spoken to] you—a land flowing with milk and honey. [Deut. 6:3]

One of the most common words in the Hebrew is the relative pronoun ’ăsher (ר ∵ש ֱא ) [pronounced ash-ER], which I generally translate which, when or who. It is a particle of relation, a sign of relation or a connecting link. As a connective, it can mean so that, in that, since, for that, inasmuch as, forasmuch. Strong's #834 BDB #83. In this verse, it follows the verb to do. Moses has taught these Israelites for forty years; they have heard it directly from God's mouth. They are to continue listening to His Word and taking the responsibility to do these commands—and the result will be prosperity.

God had promised Abraham, several centuries previous, that his seed would be great in number and greatly prospered: And He [God] too him [Abraham] outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens and list the starts, if you are able to list them." And He said to him, "So will your descendants be." (Gen. 15:5). "Indeed, I will greatly bless you and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the and which is on the seashore; and your descendents will possess the gate of their enemies. And in your descendants, all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." (Gen. 22:17–18).

This verse is very elliptical. It begins with the Qal imperative of shâma‛ (ע ַמ ָש ) [pronounced shaw-MAH] is the simple word for listen. Moses calls out to the people in a loud voice: LISTEN, O Israel! Then, the literal translation is Y^ehowah our God; Y^ehowah one! One can mean unique, only. Let me give you some of the other translations:

The Amplified Bible Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord—the only Lord.

Jesus Christ "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord" or "The Lord [is] our God; the Lord is one." (Mark 12:29b)

Whether our Lord quoted from the Septuagint or from the Hebrew Bible and translated (they would both be pretty much equivalent), the word for one occupies 1½ pages in Arndt and Gingrich. One in the Greek can mean one [as opposed to a larger number], [one] alone, the whole in contrast to the parts.

This could read: Y^ehowah our God, alone, apart from all else, unique [is] Y^ehowah! Therefore, this God to Whom the Israelites are related is unique, alone, apart from all else. All of these are applicable. Whereas we are not in the immediate context of idolatry, this idolatry was mentioned in Deut. 6 and will be covered again in chapter 7. There is no comparison or similarity to any national deity. Barne's notes read: This weighty text contains far more than a mere declaration of the unity of God as against polytheism; or of the sole authority of the Reveleation He ahd made to Israel as against other pretended manifestations of His will and attributes. It asserts that the Lord God of Israel is absolutely God, and none other. He, and He alone, is Jehovah the absolute, the uncaused God; He Who had by His election of them made Himself known to Israel.

In retrospect, we know now that this speaks of Jesus Christ, the God of Israel, Who is the Unique Person of the Universe.

But how about the word in the Hebrew? ’Echâd (ד ַח ∵א ) [pronounced eh-KHAWD] and it means one, but it can also mean a composite unity. We have seen this word used specifically in that way in Gen. 2:24: For this cause a man will leave his father and his mother and he will cling to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. See also Gen. 34:16, 22 Strong's #259 BDB #25. There is an adjective in the Hebrew which means single, solitary, only one. That is yâchîd (די ̣ח ָי ) [pronounced yaw-KHEED]; Strong's #3173 BDB #402

Although there were hints of a triune God in the Pentateuch (chiefly in the first two chapters of Genesis), this is a doctrine which would have perplexed the Israelites. It perplexes theologians and laymen alike today. However, the Bible is given as progressive revelation. That is, Noah did not know about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross any more than he knew about the Church Age and the Tribulation. Noah understood sacrifice and trust in Y^ehowah God, and he had a much better understanding of the dispensation in which he lived as well as the previous dispensation than we do. However, we have a better understanding of the person and character of God. God is one in essence and three in person. In the garden, in Sodom and Gomorroah, in the desert, Y^ehowah is the revealed member of the trinity—the person of the Godhead with Whom man had visual contact. The idea of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit was not completely grasped by the Israelites. However, Moses is calling attention to the uniquesness of their God, how He stands apart from all else. Just as Jesus Christ stands apart and alone, separate from all other supposed deities, such as Shiva, Buddha, etc., Y^ehowah God stood apart, alone, separate from all other gods of Canaan. It was not a matter of different people using different names for the same God—the difference was that they worshipped different deities. The Israelites worshiped the True God of the Universe and the heathen of the Land of Promise worshiped Satan and his demon corps (the same is true when Christianity is contrasted with other religions).

When it comes to human viewpoint, certainly the more liberal of us would think that every religion is just a local manifestation of sincere men worshiping the same God. When I was young, I thought the same thing. It is normal to assume, particularly when young and unlearned, that all roads lead to Rome and all religions teach essentially the same thing and worship essentially the same God—they just have different names for Him. However, that is not according to divine revelation. God has been quite specific with Israel—He is their God an dHe is the only God. The heathen in the land with their own way of worshiping God and their own deities—God orders Israel to destroy them. You may or may not like that—but that is divine viewpoint. God is not a liberal and all roads do not lead to Rome.

Isaiah had much to say concerning the uniqueness of Y^ehowah of Israel. Yet, at the same time, Isaih spoke of the Truine God. Actually, God had much to say and Isaiah quoted Him. Thus says Y^ehowah, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you out from the womb: "I, Y^ehowah, am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by Myself and spreading out the earth—who wa with Me?" For thus says Y^ehowah, Who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it. He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited): "I am Y^ehowah, and there is none else! There is no other God besides Me; a righteous God and a Savior—there is none except Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other. I hae sworn by Myself; the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back. That to Me, every knee will bow, every tongue will swear. Come enar to Me, listen to this: from the first I have not spoken in secret; from the time it took place, I was there. And now the Lord Y^ehowah has sent Me and His Spirit." (Isa. 44:24 45:18, 21b–23 48:16). To that last phrase, let us add the words of our Lord: "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom You have sent." (John 17:3). Therefore, concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us, there is one God, the Father, from Whom are all things; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom are all things, and we through Him (1Cor. 8:4–6).

The first word of Deut. 6:4 is sh^ema‛ (ע ַמ ׃ש ) [pronounced sh^e-MAH] and it means to hear, to listen. Strong's #8085 BDB #1033. This verse is known as the Jewish confession of faith and it includes Deut. 6:4–9 11:13–21 Num. 15:37–41. Although the whole force of the context of this chapter is the pre-emminence and uniqueness of Y^ehowah our God, those of the Jewish faith take this to be an emphasis upon their monotheistic faith (which is certainly a part of their understanding of this passage). At the end of v. 9, we will read through this lturgy.

Just as this verse—"Hear, O Israel, Y^ehowah [is] our God, Y^ehowah is one!"— has become a legacy of the Jewish faith, we have: [There is] one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one confidence of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all (Eph. 4:4–6). As James warned, it takes more than belief in one God to save: You believe that God is one—you do well. The deomons also believe and shudder (James 2:19). Our Lord clarifies this: "You believe in God? Believe also in Me. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote of Me." (John 14:1b 5:46).

"And you will love Y^ehowah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your ability [lit., might]; [Deut. 6:5]

The imperative came from v. 4; the Qal perfect is a continuation of this imperative. Possibly, the force of the verb could be: and you should love Y^ehowah your God... God has done for Israel beyond what is possible for them to imagine. God is worthy of their love and devotion. Directly connected to loving God is God's Word. You cannot separate the two. We can only love who we know and you can only know God through His Word.

I must confess that here, as in almost every other commandment, I fall short of what God expects—and not by just a little, either. To love God with all my heart, soul and might? With all that I know, I know enough that I fall far short of what is expected of me in this verse. Sometimes I think of particular believers and I immediately know that I am not keeping the commandment of this verse. If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brothr, he is a liar, for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God Whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also (1John 4:20–21).

The Old Testament is filled with commands; a common question which our Lord probably fielded more than once is which if the commandments was the most important. Since the Bible is the mind of Christ and inspired by the Holy Spirit, this would have been one of the easier questions for Him. And one of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He [Jesus] had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?" Jesus answered, "The foremost is 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; and you will love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You will love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these. On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets" (Mark 12:26–31 Deut. 6:4–5 Lev. 19:18 Matt. 22:40). In the book of Luke, this was quoted by a lawyer who was trying to justify himself; he possibly had heard the interchange recorded in Mark or one similar to it. And, observe [that] a certain lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And He [Jesus] said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" And he answered and said "You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul , nad with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And He said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." (Luke 10:25–28 Lev.18:5 19:18 Deut. 6:5).

One of the more interesting quotes from the Old Testament is found in 2Kings. Josiah was one of the few good kings over Judah (the southern kingdom). However, because he ruled over a degenerate people, what he did was short-lived. But it is important to note the Biblical slant on him: And before him there was no king like him who turned to Y^ehowah with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to the Law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him (2Kings 23:25). Also see Joshua 22:1–5.

From Barnes' Notes: As there is but One God, and that God Israel's God, so Israel must love God unreservedly and entirely. The "heart" is mentioned as the seat of the understanding; the "soul" as the centre of will and personality; the "might" as representing the outgoings and energies of all the vital powers

We owe our entire being to God. It is He Who has given us life and breath; and it is He, although we stand in complete rebellion against Him, Who died on our behalf, taking upon Himself the sins which we have committed and suffering the equivalent of eternal punishment for us all. His sacrifice on our behalf is despite the fact that our entire being is set at emnity against Him. God has made the same sacrifice on behalf of every person on this earth, which gives us the rationale for: We love because He first loved us. If someone says "I loveGod" and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should also love his brother (1John 4:19–21).

"And these words which I am commanding you today will be on your heart; [Deut. 6:6]

The heart in this verse, and elsewherre, is not our emotions, but our entire thinking. You will therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul (Deut. 11:18a). [Concerning the righteous]: The law of his God is in his heart; his steps to not vacillate (Psalm 37:31). I have treasured Your Word in my heart, that I may not sin against You (Psalm 119:11). The Israelites are to have God's Laws imprinted upon their souls and they are to operate under those laws. Notice that love for God in the previous verse is immediately tied to Bible doctrine in this verse. Moses is speaking doctrine to these people. If you have doctrine in your soul, you will fear, love and respect God. The less doctrine in your soul the more that you try to work God—to play Him. The heart here refers to the entire mentality of the soul. He [Moses] said to them, "Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you will command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this Law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed, it is your life. And by this word you will prolong your days in the land (Deut. 32:46–47a). One of the great blessings of the millennium is that God's Word will be in Israel's heart—it will automatically be a part of her soul: "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declared Y^ehowah. "I will put My Law within them, and on their heart I will rite it, and I will be their God and they will be My people." (Jer. 31:33).

"And you will will repeat them to your sons, and you will speak of them while sitting in your house, and in your waking in the way, and in your lying down, and in your rising up; [Deut. 6:7]

Notice that this verse does not read you will study the Bible every Sabbath day or you will study the Bible every Sunday; God's Word is a daily part of their lives. They are to think doctrine in the morning and in the evening, throughout the day, and they are to teach these words to their children. It is obvious that you cannot always study God's Word day and night; however, it should be studied enough until you constantly think doctrine. If you are concerned about divine guidance and do not feel as though you have a grasp of it; then you are weak in doctrine. In teaching high school, I noticed that if one student was able to tutor another, the tutor often got more out of the lesson than the tutored. He was forced to put his understanding into definable terms and to explain what he knew to a person a level below. When you teach your children doctrine (hopefully not legalism), you gain a certain amount in your teaching. Furthermore, you are a god to your children. I don't mean that in a blasphemous way. You are their first and main contact with maturity, character and love. This is why God is called our Heavenly Father. You have few if any responsibilities which are greater than the impact which you have on your children. Our society is falling apart and the chief reason is the disintegration of the family unit. Some children may have greater material things than we could have imagined in our childhoods; but without love, guidance and teaching, these children will grow up to have damaged souls. "Only take responsibility to yourself and guard your souls diligently, so that you do not forget the things which you eyes have seen and so that these things do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and to your grandsons." (Deut. 4:9). And Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Prov. 22:6).

"And you will bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they will be as frontlets between your eyes. [Deut. 6:8]

Today, the equivalent would be to carry around note cards with Scriptures to memorize; promises to know and to call upon God to fulfill. Or, if you don't want to be carrying the note cards, this is like memorizing a verse in the morning and repeated it mentally throughout the day. This would be your notebook which you would refer to from time to time. This would be God's Word permeating your soul. The Israelites tended to be very demonstrative in their worship and in many of the things that they did, so they took this verse literally and tied what are called phylacteries to their foreheads and left arms. Our best guess is that this practice began sometime after their exile to Babylon.

These are two small leather boxes which contained the text of four passages (Ex. 13:1–10 13:11–16 Deut. 6:4–9 11:13–21). Our Lord spoke of these in Matthew: "The Scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore, all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say and they do not do. They do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels [of their garments]." (Matt. 23:2–3, 5).

However, even though I am a literalist, this is not the key to this verse. The words found here are a figure of speech, as in Ex. 13:9: "And it will be a sign to you on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead, that the Law of Y^ehowah may be in your mouth; for, with a powerful hand, Y^ehowah brought you out of Egypt." I believe what we have here is a marriage between ownership, action and thought. My educated guess is that some Jewish slaves of Egypt may have been branded on the hand or on the forehead to indicate their ownershp to a particular family. Since God purchased them, this became a sign of His ownership.

In any case, the hand is related to that which we do and the head is related to that which we think. Doctrine should permeate our actions and our thinking. That is the correct interpretation of what God expects of us. Unbelievers should have a respect for you based upon your job performance, your kindness and your consideration. You do not need to preach to them; however, your personal integrity should set you apart. Your actions as a father, as a mother, as a student, as an employee, as an administrator, should set you apart from everyone else. You shouldn't be the fanatic that everyone avoids or the scary fundamentalist; you do not need to argue every point of doctrine with other Christians, nor do you need to trash the lives of the unbelievers with whom you work and associate (they are sinners by nature; obviously they are going to sin and obviously, some of those sins will offend you). Many of the unbelievers with whom you come in contact will spend eternity in hell and there is nothing that you can say or do that will change that. Others, you will have the good fortune to lead them to Jesus Christ. However, many of the unbelievers that you come in contact with, despite the fact that their souls are filled with human viewpoint, should respect you and not view you as some self-righteous religious fanatic to be avoided at all costs. Everything that you do and everything that you think should be a product of doctrine in your soul.

"And you will write them on door-posts of your house and on your gates. [Deut. 6:9]

First we have to deal with the words found here. The Jews use the word translated door-posts to designate the square piece of parchment upon which Bible passages are written, which are then rolled up and placed into a small cylinder of wood or metal and then attached to the right-hand side of the door post of every door to the house. On one side of this parchment, the Biblical passage is written, and on the other side we find the Hebrew word for Almighty written. This has been a long-standing Jewish tradition. Today, the passage cannot be seen, but Almighty can through a piece of glass. As a pious Jew or his company meanders about his house, they touch this cylinder or he kisses his finger and recites Psalm 121:8 in the Hebrew.

However, this word means door posts (Ex. 12:7, 22 21:6).

Their environment is to be surrounded in Bible doctrine. Today, we might put verses from the Bible on stickies and place them on our computers. However, again the key is not some external action, but the learning of God's Word and writing His doctrines on our hearts. 99% of Christians today completely underestimate the importance of Bible doctrine. In some churches, the act of giving is overemphasized, far beyond doctrine. Listen, you cannot give until you have doctrine in your soul. If your church spends more time with ritual than it does in God's Word, it is confused. If your church evangelizes the congregation each and every day that you meet, it is confused. Salvation is a part of doctrine and we should all fully understand the gospel so that we can teach it; however, evangelizing the church is not our primary calling (a pastor is to do the work of an evangelist; but that is not his soul duty). In fact, if the study of God's Word comprises just a portion of your worship, then you are confused. Moses, under the power of God the Holy Spirit, told these people to write the commandments on their door posts and on the gates. In the Church Age, we are to rebound; silently name our sins to God as often as need be, whether once a day or once a minute, in order to be filled with the Spirit; and we are to study God's Word. Now, nowhere are we ever commanded to dig out God's Word for ourselves. There are some who will have no duties within a church other than to show up, listen to God's Word and split. However, if we desire to know God's Truth, He will provide a pastor-teacher to teach us. We need to look over the Importance of Bible Doctrine——not finished yet!!

God's Word should be the thrust of your life. You soul needs to be washed in God's Word each and every day. Satan and his demon army continually will bombard you with their doctrines and the people you know will bombard you every waking moment. Advertising, radio, television, movies, education—every medium of communication today is geared to fill your soul with human viewpoint and doctrine of demons. Do you think that you have the ability after being armed with a fifteen minute sermon (75% of which is evangelism, announcements and meaningless tripe) twice a week from church to stand against all of that? Moses had God's Word. He did not tell the people: "Listen to it now, concentrate, and that should do you for another week or so." "And these words, which I am commanding you today, will be on your heart [the thinking of your soul]; and you will teach them diligently to your sons and you will talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way [along the roadside near your house] and when you lie down and when you wake up [in the mornings]. And you will bind them as a sign on your hand and they will be as frontals on your forehead. And you will write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deut. 6:6–9 11:18–20, as well). Moses did not take God's Word lightly and made it clear that learning Bible doctrine was not an option, nor was it a minor aspect of the spiritual life.

A personal observation from 1996: I have seen a lot of my students from high school come to school having memorized commercials. They are one of the most product-oriented groups that I have eer seen. They will verbally play back commercials to one another, sometimes playing opposing parts in the commercial. I recall a beer commercial in particular. They carry the advertising logos on the outside of their clothing. I have seen other students criticized because the manufacturer of their clothing was unfamiliar to their peers. "Who made those shoes? Where did you but that shirt?" As a result of the commercials and as a result of the way life is portrayed on television and in the movies, I see children who are twelve years old and somewhat older smoking cigarettes, drinking beer, chewing tobacco, having sexual relationships, and if they or their parents could not buy them the products that they wanted, they would steal to obtain them, as well as to obtain money for drugs. Our advertisers have hit upon just what it takes to grab the attention of our youth and to mold and exploit them. They are bombarded with these images and notions day and night and they so respond. They are motivated to do things because they are cool, not because they are right. If you similarly thought of God's Word when you got up, when you go out, when you come in and when you go to sleep; if God's Word was a part of your actions and deeds—you would sin less, you would be under less divine discipline and you would be happier. Furthermore, God would bless you as never before.

Recall that these previous few verses are the beginning of the Jewish liturgy known as the sh^ema‛ (ע ַמ ׃ש ) [pronounced sh^e-MAH], which is the first word found in Deut. 6:4. Sh^ema‛ means to hear, to listen. Strong's #8085 BDB #1033. The Israelites read this sh^ema‛ twice daily—when they wake up and before they go to sleep—crediting that tradition to Moses from v. 7 (which is an incorrect interpretation of that verse; as we saw, that verse emphasized the importance of thinking doctrine constantly). The sh^ema‛ reads: "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God—the Lord is one! And you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words, which I am commanding you today, will be on your heart; and you will teach them diligently to your sons and you will talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie doen and when you rise up. And you will bind them as a sign on your hand and they will be as frontals on your forehead. And you will write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deut. 6:4–9). "And it will come to pass, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and the late rain that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil. And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle and you will eat and be satisfied. Beware, so that your hearts are not deceived and so that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them. Or the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its fruit; and you will perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you. You will therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you will bind them as a sign on your hand, and they will be as frontals on your forehead. And you will teach them to yours sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you will write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied on the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens [are] above the earth." (Deut. 11:13–21). The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel and tell them that they will make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they will put the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. And it will be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them and not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, [and] in order that you may remember to do all My commandments, and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord your God." (Num. 15:37–41).

"And it will come to pass when Y^ehowah your God brings you into the land which He had sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to you; [to bring you to] cities great and good, which you have not built; [Deut. 6:10]

From this verse until the end of the chapter we have two great temptations which Israel will face. They have been out in the desert dependent upon God for their every need. In fact, God has caused many miracles to occur in order for them to survive. As they enter into the land and begin to enjoy the good life, they will be tempted to forget God in the midst of their prosperity and they will be tempted to pursue the gods of the indiginous heathen. The balance of Deut. 6 will be Moses warning them concerning both of these sins.

V. 10 begins a prophetical sentence which will run for three verses. Vv. 10–11 are the first half of a temporal clause, which typically begin with and it will come to pass when. Although these two verses will be filled with verbs, they will be in the imperfect or the perfect tense (or as modifying participles) and it will conclude with an imperative. Moses is saying that when these things occur (and he will list them), then [a word which will be implied by the change of verb tense] you will do this. V. 12 will be the conclusion of this temporal clause.

God has been promising generation after generation that He would bring the Israelites into a land flowing with milk and honey. In that land, God would alternately prosper and punish the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Israelites are about to see the fulfillment of promises which reach back several hundred years into their history—this is the Generation of Promise—the first generation to set foot in the land, to take it. God is bringing them into this land, to take over cities and home that they did not build. This would be fulfilled in the time of Joshua: "And I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities which you did not built; and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive yards which you did not plant." (Joshua 24:13). The Psalmist also celebrates this: And He brought His people forth with joy—His chosen ones with a joyful shout. He gave them also the lands of the nations, that they might take possession of the peoples' labor, so that they might keep His statutes and observe His laws. Hallelujah! [lit., praise the Lord!] (Psalm 105:43–45).

"And [when Y^ehowah your God brings you into] houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and wells dug which you have not dug, vineyards and olive yards which you have not planted, and you have eaten and been satisfied; [Deut. 6:11]

Some might object to the fact that these Jews will go into this land, kill most of the people and take their possessions. This is first of all, God's idea, not theirs. We are dealing with a cancerous people, these who occupy the Land of Promise. They will continue to pull down all those people with whom they come in contact. In Genesis, we saw how degenerate the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had become. Their homosexual population was nearly at 100% and they were clearly believed that it was reasonable to commit forcible rape on any new person with whom they came into contact (Gen. 19). This population of the land, we will find, was involved in child sacrifice to their local deities. The demons had so hardened them, that, in order to appease their gods, they would kill their own baby sons and daughters and offer them to the demons. Such a people should be destroyed. Furthermore, the Jews had just spent 400 years in the land of Egypt digging wells which were not their own, planting fields which were not their own, and building houses which were not their own. As they did this, God prepared a land and homes for them.

Like much of the Old Testament, this is analogous to our spiritual future. We are working here on earth, digging wells, as it were, which we will not own, building houses that we will not live in forever. However, as we work down here, doing that which is temporal, building things which we only live in for a short time, our Lord Jesus Christ is preparing a place for us so that, at our death, we will soon possess great things which we did not build: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God—believe also in Me. In My Fathers's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, you may be also." (John 14:1–3).

A further analogy to us in the Church Age: even in the realm of spiritual matters, sometimes the things which we do have no spiritual impact. We build things, so to speak, which will crumble into dust. "For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of Living Waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." (Jer. 2:13). For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it will be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, we will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1Cor. 3:11–15).

Like much of the Old Testament, there are hidden analogies in each situation or passage, as well as applications and implications. Even though the Church Age is not mentioned in the Old Testament, and even though the exact nature of our Lord's work on our behalf is found only in shadow form in the Old Testament, any church could properly teach the Old Testament and still prepare the congregation for all that God has for them. Here, by implication and application, God has provided us with everything that we have and we ought to be thankful to Him for every bit of prosperity and adversity which we enjoy. "When you have eaten and are satiated, you will bless Y^ehowah your God, for the good land which He has given you." (Deut. 8:10). I mentioned adversity; for some of us, adversity is the only way that we learn. As I am certain I have mentioned, I was brought to Jesus Christ at a time when I felt I was under terrible adversity and heartache. Remove those pressures and I likely would not have come to Jesus Christ. Unbelievers often must be put into a place of hurting before they will consider the claims of Jesus Christ on their life. And, even though believers can learn through God's Word and God will provide them with His doctrine, most believers learn things the hard way—they are disciplined; God has to knock them in the head a few times to get their attention.

In addition to being thankful to God for our prosperity, we are to share that which God has given us: "And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance among you, and the alien, the orphan and the widow, who are in your town, shall come and eat and be satisfied, in order that Y^ehowah your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do." (Deut. 14:29).

One of the greatest deterrents to learning God's Word and to leading a life of devotion to God is prosperity. Most people cannot handle prosperity. Put you in a 6000 square foot house with servants, a limosine and chaffeur, a huge bank account, and you would say goodbye to God so quickly your head would spin. Human nature is such that when things are going well, we tend to forget the Lord Who bought us and the God Who daily sustains us. There is nothing in the world wrong with having wealth—the Bible never speaks disparagingly of those who do. However, those who have an exaggerated opinion of themselves because they have wealth, even if they built it up from a $25 savings bond—these are those with whom the Bible takes issue. Now, if all you have is a ratty old car on its last legs, a crummy apartment and the clothes on your back—that is all the prosperity you are able to handle for right now. How many people have you talked to who have fantasized what they would do when they win the lottery? How many of you have fantasized what you would do when you win the lottery. Now, I realize that the first thing that you think is that you'll give 10% to the church; but you don't spend much time thinking about that—that is thrown in there as an incentive to God to let you win. It is not something that you would actually do nor is it anything that you dwell upon. But the first thing that you would do, in all actuality, is quit your job—that is what most people who engage in these fantasies talk about. You would quit your job, buy stuff and travel. God has given you the job where you are. He has placed you there for a reason. Winning or coming into a large sum of money entails a great deal of responsibility and integrity far beyond anything most of you are capable of grasping. Anyone who has a great many of the possessions of this earth has a tremendous burden and responsibility before God to use this wealth wisely. These Israelites are about to be placed into an environment far beyond anything they could imagine. Recall, they have just spend the better part of their lives, forty years, camped out and/or wandering through the desert, living on manna. For gen X, that was the sum total of their ability to handle prosperity. They couldn't even handle that. So, as the first part of this temporal phrase, God tells Israel that when they have moved into these houses which they did not build (many of them could barely, if at all, even remember living in a house), when they ate from the gardens which they did not even have to cultivate, when they have had a tremendous meal with a variety that they could not recall having before—when these things come to pass—they are not to forget the Lord Who bought them. They are not to lose sight of the giver through the gifts. The source of their future prosperity is Y^ehowah their God. When God has prospered you, where will your soul be? Where will your heart be? Will it be consumed with your daily affairs and your wealth and your possessions?

"[Then] guard yourself [or, take personal responsibility] so that you do not forget Y^ehowah [your God]

Who caused you to be brought out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of slaves. [Deut. 6:12]

This is the #1 problem with those to whom God has given prosperity—they forget the God Who gave it to them. They become more and more consumed with their possessions, that they spend less and less time operating under divine guidance, using God's Word. Whereas, we today may have viewed Israel's life as more Spartan than we are used to, to them is would be like winning the lottery. It would be equivalent to you trading in the keys to your automobile that only occasionally gets you from point A to point B to a chaffeur-driven stretch limosine and your crummy apartment in a questionable neighborhood has been replaced with a 4500 sq. ft. home in River Oaks. This is what they will face. This is the prosperity test, a test which several Christians face. Some fail and some succeed; but this test often separates, as they say, the men from the boys. The spiritually mature from the unstable opportunist.

The emphasis of this passage is the relationship between Israel and God is that God does all of the work—God promises and God delivers. Moses expounds on this theme soon thereafter: "Guard yourself so that you do not forget Y^ehowah your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances an dHis statutes which I am commanding you today; so that, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived [in them], and when your herds and your flocks multiply and your silver and gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied—then your heart becomes lifted up, and you will forget Y^ehowah your God hwo brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves. He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, [through] firery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint. In the wilderness, He fed you manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you at your end. Otherwise, you mihgt say in your heart, 'My power and the strengrth of my hand made me this wealth.' But you will remember Y^ehowah your God, for it is He Who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as this day." (Deut. 8:11–18). "Hear, O Israel! You are going to cross over the Jordan today to go into dispossess nations greater and mightier than you—great cities fortified to heaven; [to dispossess] a people great and tall, the sons of Anakim, whom you know and of whom you have heard, 'Who can stand before the sons of Anak?' Know therefore today that it is Y^ehowah your God who is crossing over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and He will subdue them before you, so that you may drive them out and destory them quickly, just as Y^ehowah has spoken to you. Do not say in your heart when Y^ehowah your God has driven them out before you, 'Because of my righteousness Y^ehowah has brought me in to possess this land.' But because of the wickedness of these nations Y^ehowah is dispossessing them before you." (Deut. 9:1–4).

"You will fear [or, reverence] Y^ehowah your God, and you will serve Him, [Deut. 6:13a]

We have touched on the fear of God in Deut. 4:10, but I think that it is about time that we examined the Doctrine of the Fear of God—not finished yet!!

I know that when I quote some verses, I occasionally will leave the end of a verse out or the beginning of a verse out. I do this because they are not pertinent to the point which is being made. The vrse separation in the Bible, while, on the one hand, quite handy, is not inspired, and is sometimes quite arbitrary. In the three temptations of our Lord, Satan took Him to a high vantage point and showed him the kingdoms of the world and offered these kingdoms to Jesus Christ without going to the cross. Satan is the ruler of this world, which, therefore, made this a valid offer. Again, the devil took Him [Jesus Christ] to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; and he said to Him, "All these things I will You, if You will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You will worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.' " (Matt. 4:8–10 Deut. 6:13a).

In his one chance to tempt our Lord, Satan was rebuffed twice from the book of Deuteronomy. Because of that, Satan hates this book, but his attacks are subtle. His attack at the end of the 1800's which is carried on until today is called documentary hypothesis. This theory supposes that Moses did not write the Pentateuch, but that it was composed nearly a millennium after his death by a whole slew of characters. Someone wrote most of the verse where we find the Sacred Tetragrammaton (Y^ehowah); someone else composed most of the verses where we have the name Elohim used for God; the priestly code was written by perhaps several priests, someone during the time of King Josiah, and the other books were written by someone who was aware of the first two sets of compositions, but not the priestly code. Somehow, all of these different writings were mixed together and the final product was almost immediately accepted as God's Word. If you are not a seminary student, you well may never have heard of this theory—and you haven't missed a thing. This is the way that Satan attacks. Then, many Old Testament professors in seminaries teach this as truth. What better way to attack what claims verse after verse to be God's Word than to say, it wasn't written by Moses, as he claimed. Another attack of Satan is the implication that the Old Testament is no longer relevant to where we are today. I would hope that through just the past ten or so verses, you can see the relevancy of Deuteronomy to your life today. And this is the proper understanding of this book; some cults confuse the Law with grace and end up with a confusing mixture of both—again, another attack by Satan. This is one of the great books of the Bible, and yet, after being a Christian for some twenty-five years, I can recall hearing a consistent teaching of this book one time on one program—Through the Bible Radio by J. Vernon McGee.

None of those in Satan's demon army will give Israel their prosperity. This is a gift from God. The relationship between God and Israel was unique and Israel, in the land, was to revere the God Who gave them the land; their service was to be to Him. This brings up two doctrines: the Doctrine of Israel's Service to God—not finished yet! And you may want to review the Doctrine of Oaths and Swearing—not finished yet!! (from Num. 30?).

"And you [all] will not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are in your vicinity [lit, round about you]. [Deut. 6:14]

"And it will come to pass that if youever forget Y^ehowah your God, and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish [just] like the nations that Y^ehowah makes to perish before you, so you will perish; because you would not listen to the voice of Y^ehowah your God." (Deut. 8:19–20). There was no religious liberalism allowed in Israel—even in the days of Jeremiah, our Lord said, "And do not go after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will do you no harm." (Jer. 25:6). So that we do not misapply that: Israel was a nation chosen by God above all other nations to represent Y^ehowah to the world. God's Word was written by Israelites (with perhaps the exception of Luke) and preserved by same. In the United States, our relationship to God is somewhat different. Even though we are similar to Israel inasmuch as we are a client nation—that is, we do a great deal of evangelism throughout the world from the base of our country—the United States is not a Christian nation (despite the fact that we were founded by nearly 100% Christian men and women). The church has the special relationship to God that Israel once had. There are certain areas of legalism and sin which, although acceptable in the world, are not acceptable in the confines of the church. Whereas, we might accept someone who was blatantly homosexual in the world, allowing a person like that to continue in the church and simultaneously flaunting his immorality before the congregation would be a different matter. We would certainly allow someone who believed in the speaking of tongues or someone who believed that all religions are valid (such as those who belong to the Unity church) out in the world—however, these things would be unacceptable and not taught in this church. Idolatry was not allowed in Israel just as idolatry is not allowed in the church.

As we have seen, idolatry takes several forms. You may have read this a hundred times and each time you have thought to yourself: Right here, I am okay with God. I practically never pray to heathen gods; I don't carry around a little idol in my glove box; and I don't have some portion of my home dedicated to idol worship. Idolatry is the act of placing anything before God and His Word. You chose to watch a football game instead of going to Bible class? You are in idolatry. You skipped Bible class in order to attend a financial seminar which promised to net you millions? You are in idolatry. You went on a date with the most beautiful woman (or, the richest, most handsome man) that you have ever met before, but this entailed missing Bible class? You are in idolatry. When you go on positive volition toward the gospel and later, positive volition towards God's Word, be prepared—Satan and his demon army will place every temptation in your path to dissaude you from being saved and from pursuing God's Word. I can recall several temptations, all delivered at various crucial points in my Chrisitian life—some of which I fell for and lost ground over and a few of which I overcame.

Israel will allow some of the heathen peoples to remain in the land. They will not clean house completely. In any race, there are attractive men and women and the most likely person to lead you astray when it comes to your relationship with God is the person, or persons, with whom you fall in love. This, for many of you, will become one of your greatest areas of testing. They will be of a different faith, or they will believe in God, but not in Jesus Christ; or, they might even be Christian, but this obsession with doctrine that you appear to have—isn't that just a little too much? The men of Israel will be continually threatened by the women of other cultures. They will have their gods and their religions and their idols. They may not ask their new found men to totally give up their God, but to attend the woman's church once and awhile; to understand that religion is a function of culture, not of truth. It's what you're brought up with; and they are sincere. And this will be the downfall of the men of Israel.

"For Y^ehowah your God, in your midst, is a jealous God—[therefore, revere Him], so that the anger of Y^ehowah your God will not burn against you and [so that] He [won't] destroy from the face of the ground. [Deut. 6:15]

We have a figure of speech here known simply as exaggeration. God is not going to ever completely destroy the Israelites. He will take them out of the land and scatter them throughout the nations—but God will not anihilate them. Bullinger also identifies exaggeration as an hyperbole

Throughout the Bible, we have seen the anthropopathism jealousy associated with God: "For Y^ehowah your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." (Deut. 4:24). "You will not worship them or serve them [idolatrous gods of the heathen of the land]; for I, Y^ehowah your God, am a jealous God." (Deut. 5:9a). "Take the responsibility so that your hearts are not deceived and you turn away and serve other gods and worship them. Of the anger of Y^ehowah will be kindled against you." (Deut. 11:16–17a). God is betrothed to Israel. Just as any husband who is in love would be jealous to the point of rage if his wife was seeing another man, so is the relationship between God and Israel when Israel is pursuing other gods. God does not feel jealousy nor does He act in rage; however, to the Israelites, this explains His behavior on the level which the Israelites could understand. Any man who has been in love can understand falling into a jealous rage and even destroying the person whom he is in love with. The anthropopathisms of jealousy, anger and rage explain quite nicely the behavior of God toward Israel.

Israel represents God here on earth, at least during that dispensation. When they get to the point that they are completely contrary to His plan, then God removes them from history. Israel got to a point during the time of our Lord when the very one who represented Him in shadow form, the High Priest, with the support of much of the populace of Israel, sought the life of our Lord. Today, we have an analogous situation: believers who are too far out of fellowship are also removed from this earth. Sometimes God lets them remain as object lessons and sometimes God keeps them around to tempt other believers. So we, just like Israel, have good reason to fear God; He can remove us in an instant; he can make us feel pain as we cannot imagine. If we choose to serve Satan, God sometimes turns us over to our master as a part of the sin unto death. There are all kinds of paths that we can take which lead us to this type of destruction; here, the illustration is idolatry, and, as we have seen, idolatry is essentially putting anything or anyone before Jesus Christ, our God.

"You [all] will not put Y^ehowah your God to the test as you tested [Him] at Massah; [Deut. 6:16]

Recall that when the Israelites began their journey in the wilderness, they came to a point of no-water. Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by states from the wilderness of Sin, according to the mouth of Y^ehowah and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. There, the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water that we may drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Y^ehowah?' But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, "Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt? To kill me and my children and my livestock with thirst?" So Moses cried out to Y^ehowah, saying, "What will I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me. Then Y^ehowah said to Moses, "Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you will strike the rock, and water will gush out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Isreal. And he named the places Massah [lit., test] and Meribah [lit., quarrel], because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested Y^ehowah, saying, "Is Y^ehowah among us or not?" (Ex. 17:1–7). Their salvation from believing in Jesus Christ, and their failure to follow this up was commented upon by Paul: And all drank of the same spiritual drink, ofr they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. Neverthesless, with most of them, God was not well-pleased, for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us, that we should not crave wrong things, as they also craved (1Cor. 10:4–6).

Our Lord quoted this particular verse when He was confronted with Satan during His third temptation. And he [Satan] led Him to Jerusalem and set Him on the highest point of the temple and said to Him, "Since you are the Son of God, cast Yourself down from here, for it stands written: He will give His angels charge concerning You to guard You. And, On their hands they will bear You up, so that you do not strike Your foot against a stone." And Jesus answered and said to him, "It is said, 'You will not tempt the Lord your God.' " (Luke 4:9–12 Psalm 91:11–12 Deut. 6:16a).

"And you will keep [lit., in keeping, you will keep] the commandments of Y^ehowah your God, and His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you; [Deut. 6:17]

A part of being related to the True God of the Universe is behaving as though you are. There is nothing more embarrassing to the Christian community than to have a Christian who is a very public figure fall from grace. It allows unbelievers to point the finger and chide him, calling him a typical hypocrite, fueling their own negative volition. This is why God holds those who are in the public eye more accountable, as it were, than those who are not. Those who evangelize or those who teach His Word are subject to strict discipline for their shortcomings. And God sees to it that they are exposed and that they are disciplined. One of the great Christian evangelists of our time was Billy Graham, who personally sought to do God's will in all things, and recognized the importance of his own behavior. We are all sinners and we will all sin—however, the more public you are, the more you are connected to the dissemination of God's Word, the more you will suffer for your shortcomings. With the privilege of getting His Word out to those who need it, comes great reward and blessing and great discipline as well.

As the one nationon the earth to whom God had come, the Israelites were enjoined continually to keep and obey God's commandments to them. "If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandment so as to carry them out, then I will you you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit." (Lev. 26:3–4). You have ordained You precepts that in keeping them, we should keep them. Oh that my wyas may be established to keep You statutes! Then I will not be ashamed when I look upon all Your commandments. I will give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments. I will keep Your statutes; do not forsake me utterly! (Psalm 119:4–8). In fact, in this famous Psalm portraying the march into slavery of the faithful, this theme is repeated several times. "O Y^ehowah, that I remember You name in the night and keep You law. This has become mine that I observe Your precepts. I understand more than the aged because I have observed You precepts. Redeem me from the oppression of man that I may keep You precepts. Make Your face sine upon Your servant and teach me Your statutes. Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble. I hope for Your salvation, O Y^ehowah and I do Your commandments. My soul keeps You testimonies and I love them exceedingly. I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies for all my ways are before You. Let my cry come before You, O Y^ehowah; give me understanding according to Your word. Let my supplication come before You. Deliver me according to Your Word (Psalm 119:55–56, 100, 134–135, 165–170).

"And you will do what is right and good in the eyes of Y^ehowah, so that it will be well with you, and will go in and possess the good land which Y^ehowah had sworn to your fathers; [Deut. 6:18]

God has promised the Land of Promise to the seed of Abraham. It does not have to be this particular generation. The previous generation, generation X, could have entered into the land and enjoyed this gift, but they chose not to. These promises will be fulfilled eventually—Moses is encouraging this generation to be the one which takes the land given to them by Y^ehowah. "Know therefore today, and take it to your heart that Y^ehowah, His is God inheaven above and on the earth below; there is no other. So you will keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which Y^ehowah your God is giving you for all time." (Deut. 4:39–40). "Take the responsibility to listen to all these words which I command you, in order that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of Y^ehowah your God." (Deut. 12:28). The land that God gave Israel was much different then than it is today: "Therefore, you will keep the commandments of Y^ehowah your God, to walk in His ways and to revere Him. For Y^ehowah your God is bringin you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegraniates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat foot without scarcity, in which you will not lack anything; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can mine copper. When you have eaten and are satiated, you will bless Y^ehowah your God for the good land whihc He has given you." (Deut. 8:6–10).

"To drive away all your enemies from before your face, as Y^ehowah has spoken. [Deut. 6:19]

This is a continuation of the previous verse; doing what is right and good in the eyes of Y^ehowah entails driving out their enemies from the Land of Promise. As has been discussed, those who inhabited the land were a cancer upon humanity, practicing such religious rites as child sacrifice. Such people should be removed from the earth. "When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you will drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high palces; and you will take possession of the land an dlive in it, for I have give the land to you to possess it." (Num. 33:51b–53). God would see to it that Israel would be victorious: "I will send My terror ahead of you, and throw into confusion all the people among whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn backs to you [running in defeat], and I will send hornets ahead of you, that they may drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites and the Hittites from before your face." (Ex. 27–28). And this was fulfilled a scant seven years later: And Y^ehowah gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers and they possessed it and lived in it; and Y^ehowah gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them; Y^ehowah gave all their enemies into their hand (Joshua 21:43–44).

"When your sons asks you hereafter, saying, 'What [of] the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments which Y^ehowah our God had commanded you?' [Deut. 6:20]

A theme of this chapter is the passing on of this information to their sons and their sons' sons. The quote here is literally, what the testimonies and the statutes and the ordinances which Y^ehowah our God command you? Here, there has been a reasonable amount of interpretation as to the general understanding of this verse; a look at other translations will reveal that:

NASB 'What IdoI the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments mean which...'

Young's Lit. Translation What are testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which...

As you can see by the italics found in the KJV and the NASB, the word mean is not found in this verse. It is a matter of interpretation, a great deal of defference being given to the original KJV (this occurs a lot in difficult translations). However, the interrogative found here means that the door has been opened for a dozen different questions about God's commands, including what does this mean or, why was this commandment given or, what are the circumstances concerning the giving of this commandment or, at what point in time was this commandment given etc. Any question or comment is an opening between a father and son for discussion. The father should always be prepared to answer all questions concerning the Law of God.

"Then you will say to your son, 'We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and Y^ehowah brought us out of Egypt by a strong hand; [Deut. 6:21]

Upon their leaving Egypt, Moses called for the attention of generation X and the Generation of Promise when he cried out: "Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slaves; for by a powerful hand Y^ehowah brought you out from this place." (Ex. 31:3b).

This verse tells the son the circumstances under which the commandments wre given—the Israelites were slaves to the Egyptians and God rescued them with His omnipotence. The many ordinances and festivals which were observed by Israel were all designed to provoke conversation between fathers and sons. Just why are we doing this? is to be the question of the son. When God gave Israel the festival of the Unleavened bread, He added, "And you will tell your son on that day, saying, 'It is because of what Y^ehowah did for me when I came out of Egypt.' And it will be a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the Law of Y^ehowah may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand, Y^ehowah brought you out of Egypt. Therefore, you will keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year." (Ex. 13:8–10; see also 10:2–2 13:12–14).

" 'And Y^ehowah gave signs and wonders, great and sad, on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his house, before our eyes; [Deut. 6:22]

Prior to the deliverance of Israel, God had to force Pharaoh to let them go. This was not an easy matter, as no one had exhibited this much negative voltion against God as Pharaoh did, in view of all the signs and wonders which he had seen. The great impression of God's power was to be made with Pharaoh, the nations round about and with Israel. "Has a people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard and survived? Or has a god tried to go to take for himself a nation from within a nation by trials, by signs, and wonders, and by war and by a mighty hand and by an outstretched army and by great terrors, as Y^ehowah your God id for you in Egypt before your eyes?" (Deut. 4:32–34).

Speaking of Pharaoh's negative volition, there are people in this world, that no matter what happens to them, no matter how God speaks to them, they are 100% completely negative toward God's Word and salvation. They don't want to spend eternity with God in heaven because they do not want to spend even five seconds with God here on earth. If you don't want to give God a hearing, if you choose not to believe in His Son Whom He sent on your behalf, God has given you the freewill to make that choice; however, we are responsible for that choice. In order to avoid God's Presence in eternity, we must push God, as He truly is, away from us for every moment of our lives.

" 'And He brought [or, led] us out from there, in order that he might bring us [to here], to give to us the land which He had sworn to our fathers. [Deut. 6:23]

There are two different words in this verse generally translated to bring. First in this verse, there is the Hiphil (causative) perfect (completed tense) of yâtsâ’ (א ָצ ָי ) [pronounced yaw-TZAWH] and, in the Hiphil, it means to cause to go out, to lead out, to bring out. It is found well over a thousand times in the Bible. Strong's #3318 BDB #422 Then we have the Hiphil perfect of bôw’ (א ) [pronounced bo] which means, in the Hiphil, to take in, to bring, to come in with. It is translated quite consistantly by the KJV in the Hiphil stem as bring. It generally requires a direct object, as it is the object which is being brought somewhere. Strong's #935 BDB #97 I mention this because the redemption of a slave has both the aspect of removing the slave from his life of servitude (bringing him out) and delivering him to a life of freedom (bringing him into). The Israelites were not brought out of Egypt for the purpose of wandering throughout the wilderness. God brought them out of Egypt in order to bring them into the Land of Promise. In our case, we have been purchased from the slave market of sin. We carry with us the imputed sin of Adam, our own old sin nature and the stain of our person sins—any one of which condems us before God. However, not only are we delivered from that three-fold count against us, but we are brought into a life of blessing. Salvation is more than just the cleansing from sin. Jesus Christ died for our iniquities, but he was also raised for justification. Jesus...Who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification (Rom. 4:24b, 25). God's great plan calls for more than just our deliverance from sin; it is a deliverance to justification. As usual, we find a spiritual parallel between our lives today and the lives of the Israelites then.

Shâ^bva‛ (ע ַב ָש ) [pronounced shaw^b-VAH] means to swear, to take a solemn oath, and often to extract an oath (from someone else). It is very close to the word seven and could be translated to seven oneself, to take an oath seven times, to bind oneself seven times (or, by seven things). It is found primarily in the Niphal stem, which is known as the passive stem. However, this is not always the case. Several verbs in the Hebrew (fought, swore, remained, entered) are found in the Niphal stem, although their action in the English carries a simple active connotation. Shâ^bva‛ is one of these words—it is found in the Qal stem one time (Ezek. 21:23), approximately 150 times in the Niphal and about 30 times in the Hiphil. In the Niphal perfect, God is the subject and in the Niphal imperfect, man is the subject. Strong's #7650 BDB #989

Some Bibles end the quotes within quotes here (they are partially a matter of interpretation); however, I believe that vv. 24–25 are a continuation of the response that an Israelite should give to his son when asked about the Laws of God.

" 'And Y^ehowah commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Y^ehowah our God, to [the] benefit [or, good] to ourselves all the days, to keep us alive, [as He has] in this day; [Deut. 6:24]

The two to's in this verse are both the lâmed prefixed preposition and they could be rendered in regards to. To keep us alive is the lâmed prefixed preposition and the Piel infinitive construct of châyâh (ה ָי ָח ) [pronounced khaw-YAW], and it means to live, to preserve one's life, to keep alive. The phrae as He has is interpretive, but not found in the original Hebrew. This could be more accurately rendered: And Y^ehowah commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Y^ehowah our God, to benefit in regards to ourselves all of the days, to preserve us alive in this day. Following God's precepts and fearing Him are to the benefit of Israel all of their days on the earth and it is this action which will preserve Israel to this day. "And now, Israel, what does Y^ehowah your God require from you but to revere Y^ehowah your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve Y^ehowah your God with all your heart and with all your soul—to keep Y^ehowah's commandments and His statutes which I [Moses] am commanding you today for your benefit?" (Deut. 10:12–13). One of the great themes of the book of Deuteronomy, one which Moses repeats time and time again, is obedience. "And you will again obey Y^ehowah and observe all His commandments which I command you today. Then Y^ehowah your God will prosper you abudnantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your womb and in the offspring of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground, for Y^ehowah will again reyoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers. If you obey Y^ehowah your God to keep HIs commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law; if you turn to Y^ehowah your God with all your heart and soul, for this commandment which I command you today is not unobtainable for you, nor is it out of your reach." (Deut. 30:8–10).

" 'And it is [the doing of these statutes] righteousness for us, when we observe to do all this commandment before Y^ehowah our God, as He had commanded us.' " [Deut. 6:25]

Here, as in v. 1, the singular of commandment seems to stand for the entire Law of Moses, as though it were one commandment. We find a similar usage in Deut. 7:11: "Therefore, you will keep the commandment and the statutes and the judgments which I am commanding you today, to do them." See also Deut. 15:5.

Furthermore, their obedience made them righteous. Here, we have to be careful. They Israelites were not saved by keeping the Law, just as we are not saved by works. However, once we are saved, God does have a plan for our lives which includes works. We can go along with that plan or we can go off and do whatever it is that we feel like doing. This would mean that we have received salvation sanctification, but we would have no temporal sanctification. That is, our actions would not set us apart as God's. Their actions in following the Law and fearing God set the Israelites apart from the other peoples of the earth. This caused them to be temporally righteous. The difference is simple. You might be chosen for the varsity team. This is salvation. If you sit on the bench all year long, that is equivalent to having no temporal righteousness. You are not involved with the game, although youare on the varsity team. However, those who play are analogous to those who followed the precepts of God—they have temporal righteousness. In no wise are we saved if we try to keep the Law. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin—-you are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murer." Now if you do not commit adultery but you do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the Law (James 2:9–11 Ex. 20:13–14). But Israel, pursuing the Law by righteousness did not arrive at the purpose of that Law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone Rom. 9:31–32).

Because of what our Lord did on our behalf on the cross, when we apprehend Him by faith, we stand righteous before God, as one who has fulfilled all the requirements of the Law (as Jesus fulfilled the Law). For Christ is the end of the Law with reference to righteousness to each one because he believes—if you confess with your mouth Jesus Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom. 10:4, 9).

Introduction: Deut. 7 sandwiches a set of blessings which will be afforded those who obey God between warnings and instructions concerning the conquering of the land and the peoples therein. We will examine such diverse topics as intermarriage, warfare, gross religious practices and God's exclusive relationship with Israel.

"When Y^ehowah your God bring you into the land where you are going to possess it, and He has cast out many nations from your presence—the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Perizite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, seven nations more numerous and mighty than you; [Deut. 7:1]

Although I cannot find it, it seems as though we have already covered the Hittites in a doctrine and we have definitely covered the Amorites. See the Doctrine of the Girgashites, the Doctrine of the Perizzites. At the time of Abram, those occupying the land, in addition to the peoples already named, were the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites and the giants (the Rephaim). The Hivite was not mentioned in that list of Gen. 15:18–21. Gen. 15 took place 800 years prior to the exodus, so there would have been some changes in occupancy. Some tribes were perhaps overrun by others; some amalgamated, the Rephaim may have been just a general name for some of the occupants of the land. Some tribes may have been forced out, may have relocated. Moses, during the 38 years at Kadesh-barnea, in a study of the information yielded him by the spies and through whatever trading they might have done, knew what tribes were in the land and their rough sizes.

Canaan was the father and his sons (or grandsons) became the Hittites, the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites and the Hivites (among others—Gen. 10:15) And Canaan, along with his progeny, were the ones to settle the Land of Promise—hence, its common name, the Land of Canaan.

Ra^bv (ב ַר) [pronounced rahb] means much, many, greater, more numerous. Strictly speaking, you could not make a case that each population exceeded 2,000,000, but there was certainly a fighting force greater in numbers to Israel's. Furthermore, their expertise and experience in warfare was superior to that of Israel's. This does not mean that these seven nations were the only ones to occupy the Land of Promise, but they were certainly the primary nations to be found in Palestine. As Paul said, "And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance." (Acts 13:19). The area was a much more fertile area, but this allows for a huge number of people in this general area. As of 1978, Israel had 2.9 million, Jordan had 2.3 million, Syria had 5.9 million, and Lebannon had 2.8 million. Given that these tribes were spread out perhaps beyond the boundaries of the land, this population is not too much different than it was in those days. However, we will see, in the chapter of Joshua, a good deal of elimination of the tribes which opposed Israel—their population will go from 14 million to probably less than 4 million.

The idea that these various groups grew into a population in excess of 2 million is not difficult to fathom; the Israelites did the same in a lot less time. The families named above were one ro two generations after the flood whereas Abram was perhaps ten generations after the flood and he began slowly (one son to whom applied the promise). What is more difficult to grasp is the huge number of people in that area. However, more of it was livable then and it was not unlike California in its beauty, climate and prosperity.

When it comes to the actual battle and the leading into battle, this is always attributed to God and God's man in charge. "It is Y^ehowah your God who will cross ahead of you; He will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, just as Y^ehowah has spoken." (Deut. 31:3). "Hear, O Israel! You are crossing over the Jordan today to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than you—great cities fortified to heaven; [and] a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know and of whom you have heard, 'Who can stand before the sons of Anak?' Know therefore today that it is Y^ehowah your God who is crossing over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and He will subdue them before you, so that you may drive them out and destroy them quickly, just as Y^ehowah has spoken to you." (Deut. 9:1–3). You [God] with Your own hand drove out the nations, then You planted them [the Israelites]. You afflicted the peoples then You spread them abroad. For by their own sword, they [the Israelites] did not possess the land; and their own arm did not deliver them; but Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence—for You gave grace to them." (Psalm 44:2–3).

"And Y^ehowah your God will place them before you [lit., to your face], and you [will be caused to] strike them down—you will completely [and utterly] destroy them [lit., you in devoting them will devote them]. You will not make a treaty [lit., covenant] with them nor will you be gracious to them. [Deut. 7:2]

In this verse, we have the Hiphil infinitive absolute and the Hiphil imperfect of the verb châram (ם ַר ָח) [pronounced khaw-RAM] which is usually translated completely devoted to, devoted to, or completely destroyed, the connection between the two seemingly disparate meanings is that it is completely removed, either from man's use or from the planet earth. Strong's #2763 BDB #355 (& 356). Certain enemies of Israel were devoted entirely to God and were therefore totally destroyed.

What is suggested here is rather strong. And it is repeated several times elsewhere. "Only in the cities of thees peoples that Y^ehowah your God is givng you as an inheritance, you will not leave anything that breathes alive. But you will place them under the ban of cherem—the Hittie and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as Y^ehowah your God has commanded you in order that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against Y^ehowah your God." (Deut. 20:16–18). There will be warfare with absolutely no mercy. God knows the hearts of these people. They will all have an opportunity to be saved. However, generally speaking, only one person will be on positive signals and that is Rahab the prostitute, whom we will meet early in the book of Joshua. However, the others who live in this land will be degenerate beyond rehabilitation. For this reason, it was generally the case that Israel would destroy all or most all of the peoples: "Now, therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately; but all the female children who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves." (Num. 31:17; also see Deut. 2:33–35 Joshua 11:11). One of the most interesting parallelisms is offered in a blessing by Moses in Deut. 33:27: "The eternal God is a dwelling place and underneath are the everlasting arms; and He drove out the enemy from before your face and He said, "Destroy!"

If there were even a spark of interest in things divine, God would have kept these people alive to hear the gospel message through Israel. However, even the religious among them—in fact, especially the religious among them—had no interest in what was truly divine. "You will make no covenant with them or with their gods. Thei will not live in your land, so that they will not make you sin against Me; for serving their gods will certainly be a snare to you." (Ex. 23:32–33). There was to be no bonds between Israel and the Canaanites—not social, religious or political. "Since Y^ehowah your God walk in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to place your enemies before your face; therefore, your camp must be set apart and He must not see immorality among you or He will turn away from you." (Deut. 23:14). This is one of the reasons there is some confusion in the Land of Promise today. There are very conservative, almost radical Jews, who adhere to this. Prior to the birth of our Lord—primarily during the seizing of this land, was this verse to be vigorously followed. Today, there are Jews in the Land of Promise just as there are Jews in almost every nation under the sun. However, they are not there because God has regathered them there and has given them the land. They are there out of human tenaciousness and God's grace.

Liberals do not like this. They have this thought that there is this innate good in all mankind and that with a little education, anyone can be brought around to whatever it is they think they should be brought around to. At one time, the trump card of the liberal was education—all that had to be done is to present a person with the facts, and they could (and would) then make an intelligent choice. We see this little ditties on television all the time; a 30 second sound byte from some celebrity giving us information that will solve this problem or that. However, it appears as though education does not seem to produce the effect that we want. AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases are still rampant; children are having their own children at a younger and younger age; and young people are becoming increasingly more disinfranchised with law and authority. A recent addition to the great icon of education has been therapy—if someone is having problems adjusting, then all they need is some good therapy to solve their problems. One wonders how long it will be until we have state-supported therapists on demand, mandated for criminals of certain offenses. God knows the end from the beginning. There are groups of people who cannot be rehabilitated. We were given a glimpse of them when we examined Sodom and Gomorrah in the book of Genesis. God did not send down additional angels to provide therapy and education for those people. God burned them with fire. This is the correct, Biblical response to some criminals and most often the correct stance to take in warfare.

God gave these people 440 years to reform. Recall that in Gen. 15:16 told Abraham that his descendants would not return to this land until the fourth generation because the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. God gave these people about 440 years to clean up their act, to turn from their sins to Him. They knew of the coming of the sons of Israel and they knew of God's power as demonstrated in Egypt. They had more than enough time to change their minds and attitudes. As McGee put it: Do you know any other landlord who will give his tenant that long a time to pay his rent/ God gave them a time of mercy that last for 430 years. Then the cup of iniquity was full, and the judgment of God fell upon them. So let us not have a false kind of pity for these nations Rather, let us learn from these events. God is a God of mercy and of love in the Old Testament as well as He is in the New Testament

" 'And you will not join in marriage with them; you will not give your daughter to his son, and his daughter you will not take to your son; [Deut. 7:3]

Moses has begun to paraphrase what Y^ehowah had commanded him in Ex. 34:15–16, as we will see with the change of person in v. 4a.

The key here is not racial purity—the key is spiritual purity. Racists sometimes use passages like these to support segregation and to prohibit inter-racial marriages. Segregation and integration are not the true issues here. Although I did not know any Blacks during the times when we were more segregated, it is my guess that they were a lot stronger spiritually. This is not to say that segregation is right or wrong; it is a non-issue. If you are brought up in an era of segregation, you remain segregated; if you are brought up in an era of integration, then you integrate. We saw in Num. 12 that Moses was married a second time late in life to possibly a Black Egyptian. This precipitated a minor rebellion from Miriam (who got impressionable Aaron to go along with her). The Jews were raised among Egyptians, most of whom were dark-skinned. A mixed multitude went out with the Israelites when they left Egypt—these would be mostly Egyptians who recognized Y^ehowah as God. And, as has been pointed out, the commentators who have blamed this mixed multitude for all the problems of Israel have got it all wrong. It was gen X which was to blame, and it is upon their shoulders that the Bible clearly places this blame. In this verse, Israel is told not to intermarry because these people are in a highly degenerate state. This does not mean that their men are not handsome and their women are not beautiful. But they are empty shells, thoroughly turned against the God of the Universe. It was here where many of the Israelites failed: And the sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and they took their daughters for themselves as wives and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. And the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of Y^ehowah and forgot Y^ehowah their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Then the anger of Y^ehowah was kindled against Israel, so that He sold them into the hands of the Cushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years (Judges 3:5–8).

" 'For he [the son or daughter of the Canaanite] will turn away your sons from following [lit., after] Me and they [possibly, he] will serve other gods;' [Deut. 7:4a]

We have a very unusual change in speech here. Moses is speaking in the place of God, possibly even quoting himself. The only two passages similar to this first portion of v. 4 are Num. 14:43 and 32:15. "For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you, and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch as you have turned back from following Y^ehowah. And Y^ehowah will not be with you." (Num. 14:43). "For if you turn away from following Him, He will once more abandon them in the wilderness; and you will destroy all these people." (Num. 32:15). Both speak of turning away from following Y^ehowah and both are stated by Moses with God in the third person. What this implies is that Moses is quoting himself as an authority, as a writer of divinely-inspired Scripture, and can therefore place God in the first person.

That is, Moses recognizes that what he has written is God's Word and he can therefore quote it as if he were quoting what God has said.

The Massoretic text has the plural they shall server other gods; whereas this is in the singular in the western Samaritan, the Syriac and the Vulgate.

This first half of v. 4, along with Deut. 29:26 31:16, 20, 29 32:15–21, 32–33, 37–38 predicts that intermarriage with the Canaanites would turn Israel away from God, to the point of warning that the vine of Israel would become like the vine of Sodom and Gomorrah (Deut. 32:32). This was fulfilled several times (Judges 2:11–13 3:6).

Here is the rationale given: he (referring to he or she)—this is the non-Israelite in the marriage—will turn away your sons (which can, in proper Hebrew, stand for sons and daughters) from following Y^ehowah, the God of the Israelites. There is no racial motive given here. "So take the responsibility to love Y^ehowah your God. For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you; know with certainty that Y^ehowah your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you; but they will be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which Y^ehowah your God has given you." (Joshua 23:11–13). It was in this precise area where Solomon failed to be near as great as his father David. Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh; Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which Y^ehowah had said to the sons of Israel, "You will not associate with them, neither will they associate with you, for they will certainly turn your heart away after their gods." Solomon held fast to these in love. And he had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 mistresses, and his wives turned his heart away. For it came to pass when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to Y^ehowah his God, as [had been] the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites. And Solomon did what was evil in the sight of Y^ehowah and did not follow Y^ehowah fully, as David his father. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech, the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. Thus he did also for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrifice to their gods. Now Y^ehowah was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from Y^ehowah, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice (1Kings 11:1–9; see also Ezra 9:1–3 Neh. 13:23–27). What about mixed marriages in the New Testament? The Scripture is quite clear here as well: A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes—only in the Lord (1Cor. 7:39). Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers—for what partnership has righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? (1Cor. 6:14).

And so that we are completely clear on racially-mixed marriages, Ruth was a Moabite who married Boaz, a Jews. Their son was Obed, who sired Jesse, who sired King David (Ruth 4:5, 13–22). Furthermore, she was in the line of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 1:1, 5–6). See also Mal. 2:10–17 and Matt. 19:4–6. In the case of differences based entirely upon race, the Bible makes no distinction. Throughout the Bible, there are people distinguished not by race, but by the nations that they belong to. Differentiating between people due to skin color is artificial and not recognized in the Bible, since there are, as we know, heavily-tanned Caucasians who are darker than very light Blacks. It is clear that we have all been descended from Adam (Gen. 1:27 2:20 Rom. 5:12–21) and we have all been descended from Noah (Gen. 7:23 9:18–19). "He made from one blood, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined appointed times and boundaries of their habitation." (Acts 17:26). In other words, racial distinctions are man-made, they are not ordained by God.

One of the things which we have observed with the Catholic religion is its assimilation of other religions and cults into its own practices. Most of the things which we associate with Easter and Christmas were incorporated by the Catholic religion from pagan cults.

V. 2 prohibited political treaties, v. 3 prohibited social contracts and v. 4 prohibited shared religious rites between the Israelites and the Canaanites in the land. "Take the responsibility to make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, so that it does not become a snare in your midst. But, you are to tear down their altars and smash their pillars and cut down their Asherim. For you will not worship any other god, for Y^ehowah, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. Therefore, you will not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they play the harlot with their gods, and sacrifice to their gods and someone invite you to eat of his sacrifice; and you take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons to play the harlot with their gods." (Ex. 34:12–16). Again, this is so clear, that you have to watch out for the 1% who cannot correctly divide the Word of God. This applies to one point in time, the overrunning of the land by Israel. Today, we follow the words of Paul: Therefor, concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols: we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no god but one. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us, there is one God, the Father, from Whom are all things, and we [live] for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom are all things, and we [live] through Him. However, not all men have ths knowledge; but some, geing accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak, is defiled. But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care, so that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. (1Cor. 8:4–9).

"And the anger of Y^ehowah will burn against you and He will quickly destroy you. [Deut. 7:4b]

Moses returns to referring to God in the third person in this portion of the verse.

For several chapters, Moses has warned the Israelites against falling into spiritual adultery. "For Y^ehowah your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise, the anger of Y^ehowah your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth." (Deut. 6:15). The quickest way for this to happen is through romantic involvement with those outside of God's plan. Satan looks to neutralize us in this life by confronting us with great sexual lust and with those who stand in opposition to God (although their opposition can be very subtle, as Satan is capable of great subtlety). In marriage, when a believer hooks up with an unbeliever or with a believer in reversionism, his—and I use his to refer to either men or women—Christian life is continually compromised. Such a Christian will generally fall by the wayside, or spend their entire lives just trying to keep their spiritual head above water. What I mean is that from such a marriage, there are so many opportunitites to do that which is wrong and in total opposition to God's Word, including compromising His Word, divorce, adultery, spousal abuse, neglect. When married to an unwitting agent of Satan, the opportunities to screw things up are continual. In most cases, the marriage leads the believer astray and God has to remove them through the sin unto death. The Israelites failed in this area, as was recorded in Judges 2:2–4: "And as for you, you will make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you will tear down their altars." But you have not obeyed Me; what is this you have done? Therefore, I also said, 'I will not drive them out before you; but they will become [thorns] in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.' " And it came to pass when the angel of Y^ehowah spoke these words to al the sons of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.

"But this you will do to them: you will pull down their altars and you will break their standing pillars [into pieces] and you will cut down their shrines [or, Asherim], and you will burn with fire their graven images; [Deut. 7:5]

There were quite a number of different cults surrounding Israel. However, we come across Asherah quite frequently. Therefore, we should examine the Doctrine of Asherah—not finished yet!!

Peçel (ל ∵ס ∵) [pronounced PEH-cell] is an idol which is a carved or engraved image; it can possibly refer to a molten image which would have had the finishing touches put upon it by a chisel.

The word found in this verse is listed under a different Strong's number (#6456) but it might just be the plural form of a word which may or may not be Hebrew originally. Strong's #6459 BDB #820

This verse pertains directly to the Israelite of that day. The nations they were about to dispossess were in complete and total degeneracy—they worshiped the creature rather than the Creator. Israel was a theocracy, a nation ruled directly by God; and this was done through Moses as requested by the people (recall that when God spoke to all of the people, they requested for him to speak to Moses and for Moses to speak to them). Nevertheless, they were a nation ruled by God, Who spoke to Moses, who spoke to them. This arrangement will continue through Joshua. God has spoken to them directly to destroy the religious idolatry of the peoples they are about to dispossess. And with regards to their own who develop an interest in other religions: "If your brother, your mother's son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or you friend who is as your own soul, entice you secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods (whom neither you nor your fathers have known—of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end).' You will not yield to him or listen to him; and your eye will not pity him, nor will you spare or conceal him. But you will certainly kill him; your hand will be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. So you will stone him to death because he has sought to seduce you from Y^ehowah your God, Who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves." (Deut. 13:6–10; see also Deut. 16:21–22).

We are not given any sort of a similar command today. Our command would be to eschew all that is false, but we have no right to infringe on the religious rights of someone else, no matter how totally wrong they are. Passages in the gospels and the book of Acts do not pertain to this application here because what Jesus and the Apostles did in the temples were because the temple spoke of our Lord; the Old Testament was filled with prophecies concerning the coming of our Lord. However, we are not given a similar command to go out and to attack in any way the religion of another person. I say all of this for the 1%. Even though the Old Testament is rich with contemporary application, we must constantly recognize that God had a different program going on at that time.

On the other hand, God's will for the Israelites under these circumstances was unequivocal. Every trace of heathen religion was to be removed from their borders. The destruction of all forms of creature worship was to be total. "And you will tear down their altars and smash their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you will cut down the engraved images of their gods and you will obliterate their names from that place." (Deut. 12:3; see also Ex. 23:24 34:13). As discussed, the prohibition against intermarriage was one which was given due to spiritual repercussions, not racial ones.

"For you [are] a holy [set apart] people to Y^ehowah your God; [and]

in you Y^ehowah your God has chosen to be to Him a people of personal treasure out of all the peoples who [are] on the face of the ground; [Deut. 7:6]

Although the phrase a peculiar treasure seems quite familiar to me, it is found only five times in the Bible when used with the nation Israel (Ex. 19:5 Deut. 7:6 14:2 26:18 Psalm 135:4). Ç ^egullâh (ה ָ ֻג ׃ס) [pronounced s^egool-LAWH] comes from a verb which means to shut up, to close up. This adjective is a reference to personal treasure which one would shut up, put away, close up, place under lock and key, as it were. The KJV inconsistently renders this peculiar treasure, special, peculiar in these five places. It is found also in 1Chron. 29:3 Eccl. 2:8 and Mal. 3:17. In all eight places, this can be rendered consistently as personal treasure. Strong's #5459 BDB #688.*

I gave this verse a fairly literal rendering, although I changed the word order somewhat to correspond with the English placement of subjects and verbs (which is the reverse of the Hebrew order). When God chose Israel to be His, He knew in advance how they would behave. He knew that they would all believe in Him, yet, in regards to generation X, they would not pursue Him, but continually rebel against Him. He knew that the house of Israel would pull further and further from Him, finally, during the time of our Lord, try to be saved by keeping the Law. He knew that there would be a few—very few—super grace heroes to step forth, our of the house of Israel, but that their greatness would stand for millenniums to come.

In this verse, as well as in others, Israel is clearly given pre--eminence over all other nations in its personal relationship to God. "Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you will be My personal treasure among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine." (Ex. 19:5). "He will place you high above all nations which He has made, for praise, fame, and honor; and you will be a people set apart to Y^ehowah your God, as He has spoken." (Deut. 26:19). "But you, Israel, [are] My servant—Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham, My friend. You whom I have taken fro the ends of the earth and called from its remotest parts, and said to you, "You are My servant. I have chosen you and not rejected you. do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, certainly I will help you; I will uphold you with the righteousness of my right hand." (Isa. 41:8–10). See also Gen. 17:7 Ex. 8:22 Isa. 43:1 Ezek. 20:5–6. Today, we are under a different dispensation, where Israel has been temporarily set aside. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, [separated] from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the worship service and the promises, from whom are the fathers and from whom is the Christ, the One in the flesh Who is over all, extolled by God forever (Rom. 9:3–5a). Peter, through God the Holy Spirit, speaks to the Jews outside of the Jewish Age, but as to believers in the Church Age: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people—a personal possession, that you may procliam the virtures of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. For you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1Peter 2:9–10 Deut. 10:15 Isa. 61:6 Ex. 19:6 Hosea 1:10).

"Y^ehowah has not placed His love in you and then has chosen [in] you because of your great abundance out of all of the peoples, for you [were] the least of all of the peoples; [Deut. 7:7]

The Amplified Bible The Lord did not set His love upon you and choose you, because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the fewest of all people;

The Emphasized Bible ...not because ye were more in number than any of the peples did Yahweh become attached to you, and make choice of you,—for ye were fewer than any of the peoples;

KJV The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people;

NASB The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.

NIV The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you beacause you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.

NRSV It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the Lord set his heart on you and chose you—for you were the fewest of all peoples.

Young's Lit. Translation Not because of your being more numerous than any of the peoples hath Jehovah delighted in you, and fixeth on you, for ye are the least of all the peoples.

In terms of general meanings, these vary but little. However, a literal translation is dificult for several reasons. The word translated set his love, delighted, attached is châshaq (ק ַש ָח) [pronounced khaw-SHAHK], which means be attached to, love. This is always used with the bêyth preposition and an object of the preposition. The prefixed preposition bêyth means in, into, at, by, with, against; proximity is implied. We find it used this way in the Qal stem in Gen. 34:8 Deut. 7:7 10:15 21:11 Psalm 91:14 (Isa. 38:17 is likely a misreading). However, there is no bêyth preposition in 1Kings 9:19 or 2Chron. 8:6. We find this same word used with respect to constructing the tabernacle in Ex. 27:17 38:17, 28.* Although I am not entirely convinced, I think that the word attached basically covers the meaning of this word and that there are different ways of attaching things, the method corresponding to the preposition given. When used in a nonconstruction sense, the idea of attachment is still very much a part of the meaning, although it may have to be implied until I can find a suitable rendering. Right now I am going to go with placed his love in, set his love with (taking into account the preposition which follows). Without that preposition, I would go with the rendering desire. Strong's #2836 BDB #365.

This is followed not by the wâw conjunctive but by the wâw consecutive, meaning and then, and so, so then. Châshaq is in the Qal perfect, referring to a ocmpleted action; the next verb is in the Qal imperfect, indicating a continued action. Bâchar (ר ַח ָ) [pronounced baw-KHAHR] means to choose and is pretty consistantly rendered that way throughout the Authorized Version. However, it is also followed by the bêyth preposition, which is generally not translated. With the bêyth preposition, it can refer to divine choice (Isa. 44:2 Ezek. 20:5 1Sam. 10:24) or to man's choice (Deut. 30:19 Prov. 3:31 Isa. 66:3). Strong's #977 BDB #103.

The order of these two words is important, as well as their tense. God placed His love, His desire in a point in time in Israel. He set His love in Israel as a completed action. Then He would select Israel or choose them. We have to have God's love within us—that is, we must be accepted in the Beloved; and then God chooses us. What follows is grace. It is easy to bet on the strongest and the best. God placed His chips on the weakest of nations. Israel had been subdued in slavery for four centuries and they had a slave metnality. They began accumulating a population many generations after the nations named in this passage, and therefore, they were fewer in number. God knew exactly what would occur in His relationship with Israel and still chose Israel for all time. Just because God has set Israel aside for a short time, don't think that we, as the church have somehow inherited their position. God didn't, after 1600 years, suddenly decide, "You know, I made a terrific error with those Jews. I mean, they seemed alright at first, but I just don't know what happened to them. I think that I am going to go with plan B instead and see how this works." God is not man. He does not choose a people and then cast them aside forever. He knew exactly what He was doing. We make bad choices; we choose husband or wives or careers which are total mistakes; we do things in our lives that cause us problems for decades to come. God does not make mistakes. Choosing Israel was a part of His perfect plan. They are only temporarily on the sidelines and any Jew today who chooses to believe in Him will be saved. From the stand point of hte gospel, they [the Jews] are enemies for your sake, but form the standpoint of God's choice, they are beloved for the sake of the patriarchs; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you, they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He might show mercy to all (Rom. 11:28–32). He will remember His covenant forever. The word which He commanded to a thousand generations; that covenant which He made with Abrahm and His oath to Isaac. Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel, as an everlasting covenant (Psalm 105:8–10).

As has been mentioned, the great races of that day were begun soon after the flood. Wthin two to four generations after the flood, we had the beginnings for the major nations of Moses' day. The Jews began long after that and had spent the bulk of their growth under slavery. For this reason, despite their phenomenal population growth, they were considered the least of all peoples. God chose them apart from any human merit, which is how He chooses us. "Do not say in your heart when Y^ehowah your God has driven them out from before your face, 'Because of my righteousness Y^ehowah has brought me in to possess this land.' But because of the wickedness of these nations [that] Y^ehowah is dispossessing them before you." (Deut. 9:4).

"But on account of Y^ehowah's loving you, and His keeping the oath which He had sworn to your fathers—[it is because of these things that] Y^ehowah has brought you out by a strong hand and so He is redeeming you from a house of slaves, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. [Deut. 7:8]

We have a parallel set up in this verse. God brings the Jews out—Qal perfect; this is followed by the wâw consecutive and then the Qal imperfect of redeem. God brought the Israelites out of Egypt in one fell swoop, but He continues to redeem them. God had sworn to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that He would bring their seed into this Land of Promise. Because God's love has been placed in them and because of his promises that He made to their fathers, because of these things, God brought them out with a strong hand and continues redeeming them. Everyday, God must preserve the Jews and lead them through the troubles and particularly through Satanic attack. This is the protection and redemption which God provides.

You cannot underestimate the power of God's promise to Abraham. We make various promises and some we keep and others we do not. God's character does not work that way. Moses stood in the gap between God's wrath and the people of Israel, holding before God a promise: "Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and you said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken, I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.' So Y^ehowah changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people." (Ex. 32:13–14). Nor can we underestimate His unfailing love: "Yet, on your fathers, did Y^ehowah set His affection to love them and He chose their descendants after them—you above all peoples, as this day." (Deut. 10:15). "Because Y^ehowah love his people, He has made you king over them." (2Chron. 2:11b).

"And you have known that Y^ehowah your God—He [is] God, the faithful God, keeping the covenant, and the kindness, to those loving Him, and to those keeping His commandment—to a thousand generations. [Deut. 7:9]

In this verse, commandment is written in the singular, but it is spoken in the plural.

The God of Israel is the God of the Universe. He is immutable. When He swears to something, then He will perform it. There will be a new Jerusalem and God will regather all of Israel into the land in the Millennium. Until that point in time, we will be in the Church Age (with the exception of the Tribulation, which is a continuation of the Jewish Age). When people love God and keep His commandments, then He remains faithful to a thousand generations. This is, in essence, saying for all time. There is an incredible impact when a generation loves and serves and obeys God, and that impact is felt for centuries. The United States was founded by Protestants—born-again Christians. Our population, as originally settled, was perhaps as high as 97% born-again believers. Now many of them were small-minded and petty, but just being regenerated gave the United States a great beginning and much of the blessing which we have today is in part due to their spiritual place. Some looked merely to escape the stifling Church of England and of Rome, in order to worship God as they believed correct. Because of this, we have become one of the greatest nations on the earth. In our short history, we have seen the banner carried by the client nation to God handed off from England to us. Even though we were enemies in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, England was a client nation who eventually lost her client nation status. She passed the baton to us and we have carried this for over a century. Where it will go from here is hard to tell, but as far back as the 1970's I have heard various people predict that Russia could become the next client nation to God. Some made that prediction just because it seemed so preposterous at first. From the changes which have occurred there over the past couple decades and the positive volition which they have shown, such a transfer of the baton is not unthinkable. It is clear that we are a nation on its way down.

We have heard of the three and four generation curse; however, this is the thousand generation blessing. All it takes is one obedient generation, and there is blessing for a thousand generations. This is teaching through exaggeration, but it gets the point across. Negative volition, although devasting, is limited. It tends to wear itself out in a few geneations. However, there is nothing more fantastic than positive voltion toward God's plan. This goes on for hundreds of years. "Oh Y^ehowah, the God of Israel, there is not God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, [no one] who is keeping [your] covenant and showing grace to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart." (1Kings 7:23b). Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and Your dominion [continues] throughout all generations (Psalm 145:13). "But there will be a showing of kindness to thousands, to those who loe Me and keep My commandments." (Ex. 20:6). He remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations (Psalm 105:8). Then Y^ehowah passed by in front of him and procliamed, "Y^ehowah, the Y^ehowah God, [is] compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in grace and truth—Who preserves grace for thousands, who lifts up punishment, rebellion and sin; yet He by no means leave [the guilty] unpunished, punishing the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the thrid and fourth generations." (Ex. 34:6–7). The last verse quoted combines both the grace of God and His perfect justice.

Some people, when they read portions of the gospels, have no idea how closely what our Lord says parallels what is found in the Old Testament. However, He made promises similar to those made by God, making His authority equal to God or, to the unbelieving Jew, sounding absolutely blasphemous. "He who has My commandments and keeps them, is he who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." (John 14:21).

To quote McGee: What is man's answer to the love of God? It is obedience. God will bless any people who respond to His love by obedience

"And recompense to those hating Him, to his face [lit., faces]; to destroy him, He

does not delay; to the one hating him—to his face[s] He will recompense him. [Deut. 7:10]

I believe that, like the word pants, face in the Hebrew is in the plural, even though it is a reference to one person's face in this case. There is a certain poetry here:

The verb translated complete, repay, recompense, reward, restore is a two-edged sword. People are recompensed or rewarded for evil as well as for good. Shâlêm (ם ֵל ָש) [pronounced shaw-LAME] cuts both ways. God rewards those who have done evil to their faces; and He rewards those who have participated in divine good to their faces. BDB #1022 Strong's #7999. According to recompensing, He will recompense: wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies—[even] to the coastlands, He will recompense (Isa. 59:18).

One is reminded of the promises made in Lev. 26:27–28: "Yet, if in spite of this, you do not obey Me, but acti with hostility against Me, then I will act with wrathful hostility against you; and I, even I, will punish you seven times for your sins." When it comes to repaying evil with what it deserves, this is God the Father's prerogative, not ours: "Vengeance is Mine, and retribution. In due time, their foot will slip, for the day of their calamity is drawing near and the impending things are hastening upon them." (Deut. 32:35). Or, how about: A jealous and avenging God is Y^ehowah. Y^ehowah is avenging and wrathful. Y^ehowah take vengeance on His adversaries and He reserves wrath for his enemies (Nahum 1:2). And it came to pass when the ark set out that Moses said, "Rise up, O Y^ehowah, and let Your enemies be scattered and let those who hate You fleet from your face." (Num. 10:35).

And there are some, like me, who pray for vengenace upon certain ner-do-well's. God will take care of that, but in the proper time frame. But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. Howev,er to not let this one [thing] escape your notice, beloed, that with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to a change of attitude (2Peter 3:7–9). God does not seek vengeance on those who oppose Him when we believe it is time. If we have been put under pressure by some jackass who is either out of fellowship or an unbeliever, and we are sick and tired of it, we are ready for God to immediately punish them. We want God to squash them like a bug. However, God does not work that way—God takes His vengeance when the time is correct. What if God took us out of this life before we believed in Him? This wouldn't be that good of an idea, all of a sudden. But there was a portion of out life when we were in complete and total rebellion against God. Furthermore, we spend time out of fellowship—sometimes for weeks in complete and total rebellion against God. We will get punished, but perhaps not removed from this life (although we may certainly deserve that). God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come in a change of mental attitude.

"And you will take responsibility [to keep] the commandment, and the statutes and the ordinances which I am commanding you today to do to them. [Deut. 7:11]

This is our good friend, the verb shâmar (ר ַמ ָש) [pronounced shaw-MAR] which means keep, guard, watch, preserve. It means not only know the law, the precepts, the Word of God, but to observe it and to obey it and to guard it. This word occurs approximately 500 times in the Old Testament. Shâmar comes from a primitive root word whch means to hedge about with thorns; although it is often translated keep, I believe that a better translation would be to guard, watch, preserve. Here we find this verb in the 2nd person masculine singular, Qal perfect tense. I have translated this take responsibility to keep. Strong's #8104 BDB #1036

The Israelites will be a part of God's judgment against these degenerate peoples occupying the land. Moses is making it clear how they must deal with the indignous peoples of the land. Just as God will reward them for their faithfulness and their obedience, God will also, through their obedience, strike down the other nations for their degeneracy. Notice that Moses is not afraid to repeat himself here. So far in this particular message alone, Moses had told the Israelites this in 13 different verses (Deut. 5:1, 29–33 6:1–3, 17, 24–25 7:9).

"And it will come to pass, because you [all] hear these judgments, and you have kept and done them, that Y^ehowah your God will keep with respect to you the covenant and the grace which He had sworn to your fathers; [Deut. 7:12]

For this generation to take the land successfully, they had to obey the judgments given them by God. If they did not go into the land and take it, that would not have meant that God did not keep His promises, as He did not specify which generation would be given the Land of Promise. This is what made this a conditional covenant. No matter what, the descendants fo Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would receive the land. However, the generation to do so would be the generation to fulfill this portion of the covenant to God. Generation X began strongly. Actually, they faltered a few times, but when God gave them their assignments concerning the building of the tabernacle and the donating of the gold and silver to build same, they did just exactly as they were told. Had they kept that up, things would have been find for that generation.

Three fairly lengthy passages describe the fact that obedience will result in blessing: Lev. 26:1–13 and Deut. 28:1–14 30:1–10; the middle passage I will quote: "Now it will come to pass if you carefully listen to the voice of Y^ehowah your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, Y^ehowah your God will place you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessing will come upon you and overtake you, if you will listen to the voice of Y^ehowah your God. Blessed you [will be] in the city and bless you [will be] in the field. Blessed [will be] the fruit of your womb and the produce [lit., fruit] of your ground and the produce [lit., fruit] of your livestock—the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. Blessed [will be] your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed [will be] when you come in and blessed when you go out. Y^ehowah will give to you your enemies who will rise up against you—struck down before your face; in one way they come out to you and in seven ways they flee from you. Y^ehowah commanded with you the blessings in your store-houses, and in every putting forth of your hand and He has blessed you in the land which Y^ehowah your God has given to you. Y^ehowah will establish you to Himself as a holy people, as He had sworn to you when you keep the commands of Y^ehowah your God and have walked in His ways; and all the peoples of the land have seen that the name of Y^ehowah is called upon you, and they will be afraid of you. And Y^ehowah has made you abundant in good, in the fruit of your womb and in the produce [lit., fruit] of your cattle and in the produce [lit., fruit] of your ground, on the ground which Y^ehowah had sworn to your fathers to give to you. Y^ehowah will open to you His good treasure—the heavens—to give to rain of your land in its season and to bless all the works of your hand, and you will lend to many nations and you—even you—will not have to borrow. And Y^ehowah will give you for head and not for tail; and you have only been above and you are not beneath, because you have heard the commands of Y^ehowah your God which I am commanding you today and you have kept and done [them]. Furthermore, you have not turned aside from all the words which I am commanding you today, [to the] right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them." These are not parallel passages insofar as they will match up verse for verse; they simply list the blessings which follow obedience, which is quite the long list, when you place these passages end to end.

"And he has loved you and He has blessed you and He has multiplied you, and He will bless [or, has blessed] the fruit of your womb, and the fruit of your land, your grain, and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle, and the young of your flock,

upon the land which He had sworn to your fathers to give to you. [Deut. 7:13]

All of these things God has given to this generation of Israel from eternity past. Christmas is coming up; you have purchased a gift for your mother and you mailed it. She has not opened the package yet nor has she received it yet. However, when speaking to a friend, you say, "Yeah, I got my mom thus and so for Christmas."—past tense, because, insofar as you are concerned, this is a done deal. You would not say, under the same circumstances, "I will be getting this for my mom;" nor would you say, "I'll be giving this to mom for Christmas." You will speak of it as an event which has already come to pass. Some of these blessings have already been delivered to this generation of Israel and some are still to come. Nevertheless, God gave these things to them in eternity past. Therefore, all of these blessings are given in the perfect tense.

The phrase grain, new wine and oil is often used to describe the blessings of their own land. Up until that point in time, the Israelites had been wandering the wilderness desert area and before that, they had farmed someone else's land. This speaks of the produce of their own land, the grain from the fields, the wine from the grapes and the oil from the olive groves. "And it will come to pass, if you listen to my commandments which I am command yo today, to love Y^ehowah your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, that I will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and the late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil." (Deut. 11:13–14; see also Gen. 27:28 Num. 18:12 Deut. 14:23 18:4).

The promise of blessing through a population increase is found in Lev. 26:9 Deut. 13:17 Deut. 30:5 reads: "And Y^ehowah your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you will possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers." Generation X possessed this land by promise.

"You will continue to be blessed [or, to receive blessing] above all the peoples—there is not in you a barren man or a barren woman; nor among your cattle; [Deut. 7:14]

The absolute status quo verb to be is found twice in this verse: first in the 2nd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect—however, it follows the Qal passive participle of to bless. That means that blessing is emphasized. Then to be occurs again with the negative, in the 3rd person, Qal imperfect.

Recall what God had promised Abraham: "And I will make you exceedingly prolific [Abram was in his 90's at the time of this promise and without any children] and I will make nations from you and kings will come forth from you." (Gen. 17:6). At that point in time in history, a great blessing was that of being able to have children (it is still that way today, to a certain extent). We hear of couples who agonize over not being able to conceive and some right man/right woman marriages dissolve because of this. Every person of the Generation of Promise was able to have children. "There will be no one miscarrying or barren in your land; I will fultill the number of your days."

(Ex. 23:26). This accounts for the great increase in population enjoyed by Israel over a very short period of time. But the sons of Israel [then living in Egypt] were fruitful and increased greatly and multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them (Ex. 1:7). Recall what Moses said to the people at the beginning of his first recorded sermon in the book of Deuteronomy: "Y^ehowah your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. May Y^ehowah, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand fold more than you are, and bless you, just as He has promised you!" (Deut. 1:10–11). This promise of fertility would be fulfilled immediately and in the millennium.

"And Y^ehowah has turned aside from you every sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you have known, will He place on you; and he has placed them on all those hating you. [Deut. 7:15]

The Jews just came out of a land infested with all kinds of disease, and with great potential for continued disease. This diseases were placed upon the Egyptians by God. However, God saw to it that these diseases did not affect the Israelites. And He [God] said, "If you will carefully listen to the voice of Y^ehowah your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, [then] I will place none of the diseases on you which I have placed upon the Egyptians, for I, Y^ehowah, am your healer." (Ex. 15:26; also see 23:25). Later, in their rebellion against God, God killed many of the Jews with the sin unto death, using disease as the instrument of that death. He still saw to it that the innocent were not punished with the guilty. Furthermore, there is the implicit promise of this verse to send plagues upon the current enemies of Israel as they take the land. The alternative to what God has offered them is disobedience; "Y^ehowah will strike you down with the boils of Egypt and with tumors and with the scab and with the itch, from which you canot be healed. Y^ehowah will strike you dow with madness and with blindness and with bewildernment of the heart." (Deut. 28:27). These lack of diseases would both have an immediate and a far (millenial) fulfillment (see also Deut. 28:4, 11).

"And you will consume all the peoples whom Y^ehowah your God is giving over to you; your eye will have no pity on them and you will not serve their gods, for they are [lit., and] a snare to you. [Deut. 7:16]

This verse is the antithesis of what you would think a kind and loving God would require. However, these people whose land the Israelites are taking are a thoroughly lost people. At their best, they would ensnare the Israelites into worship of false gods. At their worse, they will lie dormant for years like the AIDS virus, and then spring up and destroy Israel. God had spoken to them about this forty years previous. "And I will fix your boundary from the Sea of Reeds to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the silderness to the Euphrates River, for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you. You will make no covenant with them or with their gods. They will not live in your land, or else they well make you sin against Me; for in serving their gods, it will be a snare to you." (Ex. 23:31–33).

There are some who see man as evolving and that this was man in a fairly unevolved state. This is incorrect. Despite the horrors of war, we are not in a society where war can be outlawed. Many of us were foolish in the 60's and thought that by marching down a few streets carrying placards and flowers that we would somehow end war. While not an act to be entered into flippantly or casually, war will remain a part of human society forever. Man is not evolving and we will never reach a state where war is no longer a part of our lives. There are times when we are partiuclarly blessed by God and war might skip a generation, or we might be involved in only limited warfare, or we may not have to do battle within our own country. However, war is a fact of life and there are some instances where we have no choice. The easy illustration is HItler, who gave us no choice. Our attack upon the Japanese was also justified, even though it is possible that several leaders of hte United States may have had advance warning concerning Pearl Harbor. I wouldd even dare say that at any point in time when genocide is attempted against Jewish population, we should be there with as much force as we can muster. All attempts of genocide against the Jews are promoted by Satan.

In the time period which we are studying, whether to war or not is a simple matter. God had determined that certain peoples had to be removed from the earth, and He placed this responsibility into the hands of His people. Since God is not speaking to anyone directly today, it is not quite as easy. However, at this point in time, the Canaanites and their first cousins in the land had reached a point of degeneracy which is almost beyond our comprehension. God did not grant His people the right to conquer as much land as possible—they had a specific geographical location and specific peoples that they were allowed to attack and to conquer. Other nations would certainly come to the Jews for their spiritual light. Unfortunately, the Israelites did not completely eliminate all of their enemies in the land, so we will later read: And the sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and they took their daughters for themselves as wives and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their god. And the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of Y^ehowah and forgot Y^ehowah their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth (Judges 3:5–7; see also Ezra 9:1–3). In fact, they did not destroy the peoples, as Y^ehowah had commanded them, but they mingled with the nations and learned their practices and served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughter to the demons and shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons and their daughters (Psalm 106:34–38).

Y^ehowah Will Cause Israel to Defeat and Dominate the Indigenous Peoples of the Land

"If you say in your heart, 'These nations are more numerous than I—how am I able to dispossess them?' [Deut. 7:17]

Erotesis [pronounced ER-o-TEE-sis] is asking a question where an answer is not expected. Moses is taking the view of the Israelites and asking a question in the affirmative negation. That is, the question is put in an affirmative, but the answer implied is a strong negative. Israel is saying, "How am I able to dispossess them?" and what is meant is, "It does not seem possible that we are able to take this land from the indigenous population."

Moses, in counseling the people of Israel, sounds completely natural and in character, considering the times and his relationship to the people. However, if this book were written centuries after the death of Moses, as some have supposed, this verse seems silly and not in keeping with the fact that the Israelites did go into the land and had dsipossessed the Canaanites long before.

Their fathers, in spying out the land, found a land filled with giants and greatly fortified cities, even beyond what they had seen in Egypt. Their fathers, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, though that there was no way that they could dispossess the indiginous population. Moses was aware that these men would have second thoughts and doubts. As you recall, the majority report of the spies was: "The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of stature. There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephalim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." (Num. 13:32b–33).

"You will not be afraid of them; you will surely remember that which Y^ehowah your God has done to Pharaoh, and to all Egypt; [Deut. 7:18]

Most of these people who are of the age to fight came out of Egypt and saw the great signs and wonders which God did in Egypt, to take Israel out of Egypt. There is a fighting population of young men between 20 and 40 who have only heard of this from their fathers. However, it is clear to those who are forty and older than God has powers beyond what we can imagine and, since He has brought the Israelites this far, He will give them the land as well. The sons of Israel need to heed what Joshua had said forty years previous: "If Y^ehowah is plesed with us then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against Y^ehowah; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them and Y^ehowah is with us. Do not fear them." (Num. 14:8–9). They need to take hold of what God had promised them: "And you will take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to inherit." (Num. 33:53). Moses would continue to reason with the people concerning the strength of Jesus Christ Who led them out of Egypt: "Y^ehowah your God Who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes." (Deut. 1:30). For us today, we have the words of the Psalmist: Seek Y^ehowah and His strength; sweek His face continually. Remember His wonders which He has done, His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth (Psalm 105:4–5).

"The great trials which your eyes saw, and the signs and the wonders and the mighty hand and the outstretched arm [by] which Y^ehowah your God brought you out—so Y^ehowah your God will do to all the peoples concerning whom you are afraid before their face; [Deut. 7:19]

Moses is speaking to the Generation of Promise, here, and not to their sons (although some of their sons will be the proper age to go to war). All the elders observed these signs and wonders performed in Egypt; therefore, despite the great size of their opponents, Israel is not to be concerned nor are they to be afraid. Moses reasoned with these people. Israel was unique. "Or has God tried to go to take for Himself a nation from within [another] nation by trials, by signs and wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm and by great terrors as Y^ehowah your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?" (Deut. 4:34). It is important that this people continually refer back to what they saw: And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, "You have seen all that Y^ehowah did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his servants and all his land; the great trials which your eyes have seen, those great signs and wonders." (Deut. 29:2–3). Psalm 136 is a memorial to the works of God, from creation to His deliverance of Israel.

"And furthermore Y^ehowah your God will sent also the hornet among them, until those remaining and those who are hiding from before your face perish; [Deut. 7:20]

The hornets are identified in BDB as allies of Israel. That seems unlikely as we read nothing of alliances of Israel in the book of Joshua which are beneficial to Israel. We are not that certain of the rendering of this word and it is found only in Ex. 23:28 and Joshua 24:12. We covered this in much greater detail in Ex. 23:28. There are two verbs in this sentence which have definite articles and are in the Niphal participle; since they are joined by an and, and they seem to both take the action of the second main verb, they act as the subjects of the verb, the Qal infinitive construct of perish. I originally chose to place from before your face with this verb, rather than a continuation of those who are hiding; however, the contrast of v. 23 indicates that this modifying phrase should go with hiding. It would be a good idea to see how other translators handled this:

The Amplified Bible Moreover, the Lord you God will send the hornet among them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you are destroyed.

The Emphasized Bible Moreover, also the hornet will Yahweh thy God send among them,—until they are destroyed who are left remaining and who are hiding themselves from thy face.

KJV Moreover, the Lord thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.

NASB Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet against them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you perish.

NIV Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished.

NRSV Moreover, the Lord your God will send pestilence against them unti even the survivors and the fugitives are destroyed.

Young's Lit. Translation And also the locust doth Jehovah they God send among them, till the destruction of those who are left, and of those who are hiding from thy presence;

Both Young's Translation and The Emphasized Bible tend to be literal, even to the point of preserving the word order, which sometimes causes the language to seem convoluted (because it is to an English-speaking person). The emaning of any of these translations is fairly clear, in any case: those who remain alive in the land and those who are hiding from the Jews—they will perish from before the face of the Israelites.

What may help is to go back to Exodus and look at a few verses: "Behold, I am going to send an angel before you, to guard you along the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Be on your guard before Him and obey His voice; do not be rebellious toward Him, for He will not pardon your transgression, since My Name is in Him. For My Angel will go before you and bring you to a land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will completely destroy them. I will send My terror ahead of you and throw all the people among whom you come into confusion, and I will make all your enemies turn backs to you [in retreat]. And I will send hornets ahead of you, that they may drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites and the Hittites before you; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you." (Ex. 23:20–21, 23, 27–28, 31b). Who are these hornets? The translation is but a guess; probably based upon the Septuagint's rendering of wasp, which could be an educated guess itself. However, even though we do not know the definite meaning of this word, it is in the feminine singular. However, the feminine gender when in the singular is occasionally used to represent a collective noun. For instance, we have the masculine singular travelor; but the feminine singular of that noun is translated caravan.

This hornet simply refers to the Angel of Y^ehowah and to the terror of Y^ehowah. These are things which preceeded Israel into the land over which Israel had no control. It is because of God going into the land first that the Israelites will be able to conquer it. And what is most important here, as the NIV Study Bible points out, is the effect of the hornet preceeding the Israelites into the land.

"You will not be terrified on account of their presence [lit., faces], for Y^ehowah your God [is] in your midst, a God great and fearful [or, imposing and awe-inspiring]. [Deut. 7:21]

I recall from Sunday school in my youth that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament were, in a manner of speaking, two different Gods. The One in the Old Testament was somewhat of a violent, fire breathing, revenge taking dictator and the One in the New Testament was a let's hold hands, smile and sit out in the flowers kind of God. God is immutable. His character has never changed from the Old to the New Testament. In some situations, we observe what, at first, seem to be contradictory character traits: "Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty and the awesome God, Who will keep a covenant and grace." (Neh. 9:32). His character and essence are so vast, that we see only bits and pieces of it depending upon the circumstances. This should be easy to comprehend. When we are exposed to difficult circumstances, we may seem one way. When life is easy and we have no immediate problems, we may appear to be somewhat different. When we are offered a chance to somewhat compromise between right and wrong, yet there is great gain to come from it, we might behave yet a different way. We are the same person, but the circumstances change, so we appear to be different. There are circumstances which will reveal God's justice, others which will reveal His love, and others which will demand His vengeance. Our God is always a God to be feared and revered. As our Lord said, "And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but, rather, fear Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matt. 10:28). This is the New Testament mirror image of our passage. The Israelites were not to fear those in the land, as Y^ehowah was in their midst. For Y^ehowah Most High is to be fears—a great King over all the earth (Psalm 47:2).

For those who are under judgment, God is one to be feared. However, this did not mean that God favored the Israelites over all others. "He [God] executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alient by giving him food and clothing. So, therefore, show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. You will fear Y^ehowah your God; and will serve Him and cling to Him and you will swear by His name." (Deut. 10:18–20).

This is a continual reminder to retain the divine perspective. God brought them to this land, God has promised them this land, so it does not matter who occupies it, God will see that they are ferreted out and killed. The war is not simply between Israelites and those who now occupy the land, but between God and the forces of darkness—a conflict whose outcome has already been determined.

"And Y^ehowah your God will clear away these nations from before your face little [by] little—you will not be able to finish them quickly, so that the beast of the field does not multiply against you [Deut. 7:22]

Nâshal (ל ַש ָג) [pronounced naw-SHAHL] means draw away, clear away in the Qal; cast off in the Piel or the Hiphil. Strong's #5394 BDB #675. One of the meanings of yâkôl (לֹכָי) [pronounced yaw-COAL] is to be able, to have the ability, to have the power to. Strong's #3201 BDB #407. This is followed by the Piel infinitive construct of kâlâh (ה ָל ָ) [pronounced kaw-LAWH], which means to complete, to bring an end to, to finish (Piel meanings). Strong's #3615 BDB #477

This is an interesting consideration. There is a large enough indigenous population so that there is no fear of wild animals, apparently a real concern in those days. There is also a high animal population in this area. Certainly many wild animals were killed for food and possibly some for sport, otherwise their population would not be a consideration. This was also made mention of in Ex. 23:29–30: "I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become desolate, and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land." This gradual removal of the Canaanites will mostly take place in the seven years it took Joshua to conquer the land, but it would never be complete.

"And Y^ehowah your God will place them before your face and he will throw them into chaos—a great chaos until they are exterminated [or, annihilated]. [Deut. 7:23]

Young's Translation here is quite weak—it reads: and Jehovah thy God hath given them before you, and destroyed them—a great destruction—till their destruction. It sounds as though we have the noun used twice and its verb cognate once. However, there are three different words here. As we have seen in the past, nâthan (ן ַת ָנ) [pronounced naw-THAHN] is a Hebrew verb which is translated 84 different ways in the Authorized version. It actually means give, place, put, set. Strong's #5414 BDB #678. In v. 20, they were hidden from the face of Israel; here, God will place them before Israel.

Then we have this verb hîym (םי ̣ה) [pronounced heem]—also, hûm (םה) [pronounced hoom]—to which, BDB gives the meanings murmur, roar, discomfit. The Authorized version gives the following noun cognate, mêhûmâh (ה ָמה ׃מ) [pronounced m^ehoo-MAWH] five different translations (vexation, tumult, destruction, trouble, discomfiture) out of the twelve times it occurs in Scripture. These are not close enough for all of them to stand. Here, what we are seeing is widespread panic due to the loud noise of war. We'll go with chaos. Verb: Strong's #1949 BDB #223 Noun: Strong's #4103 BDB #223. Shâmar (ר ַמ ָש) [pronounced shaw--MAHR] means to be exterminated, to be destroyed in the Niphal; to annihilate, to exterminate in the Hiphil. Strong's #8045 BDB #1029.

This verse is a prediction, not dissimilar to the prediction found in Ex. 23:27: "I will send My terror ahead of you, and will throw all the people into whom you come into confusion, and I will make all your enemies turn back to you [and run]." And this prediction has been fulfilled many times over, one example being Joshua 10:10–11: And Y^ehowah confounded them before Israel and He struck them down with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. And it came to pass as they fled from before the faces of Israel, they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that Y^ehowah threw large stones from heaven upon them as far as Azekah, and they died—more who died from hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword. By the way, these hail stones are examples of the hornets sent ahead by God.

As I have pointed out before, I have an interest in the nuts and bolts of a passage; who delivered the message, under what circumstances; when was it recorded. Here, it would be my person conviction that Moses, even though he wrote the book of Exodus, still went back to it and studies Ex. 23 in particular prior to giving this message to the Israelites. There are so many parallel verses that we know Moses is not speaking extemporaneously (similarly, Deut. 5 was almost a word-for-word quote from Ex. 20).

"And He will give their kings into your hand,

and you will make their name perish from under the heavens; no man will station himself in your presence until you have caused them to be annihilated. [Deut. 7:24]

We have a parallelism between vv. 23 & 24. God will set the people before the face of Israel and He will give the kings into their hand. It is the same verb found in the 3rd person masculine singular, Qal perfect each time (it is suffixed with the 3rd person plural in v. 23). We have another and different word often rendered destroy. ’Â^bvad (ד ַב ָא) [pronounced aw^b-VAHD] in the Qal stem means to perish (Lev. 26:38 Esther 4:16 Joel 1:11); in the Piel it means to destroy (Num. 33:52 Deut. 12:2–3); in the Hiphil it means to cause to languish, to cause the destruction of, to put to death (Num. 24:19 Joshua 7:7). Strong's #6 BDB #1. Here it is in the Hiphil perfect, but probably read as the Hiphil infinitive construct.

The prophecy of this verse was given several times in several ways: "There will no man be able to stand before you; Y^ehowah your God will lay the dread of you and the fear of you on all the land on which you set foot, as He has spoken to you." (Deut. 11:25). And Y^ehowah said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them will stand before you." (Joshua 10:8). See Ex. 23:31 as well.

This verse is fulfilled several times; among them: And Y^ehowah said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors." (Joshua 6:2). Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring these five kings out to me from the cave." And they did so, and brought these five kings out to him from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon. And it came to pass when they had brought these kings out to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of th men of war who had gone with him, "Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came near and put their feet on their necks. Joshua then said to them, "Do not fear or be dismyed! Be strong and courageous, for thus Y^ehowah will do to all your enemies with whom you fight." So afterward, Joshua struck them down and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees; and they hung on the trees until evening (Joshua 10:22–26). "For Y^ehowah has driven out great and strong nations from before you; and, as for you, no man has stood before youu to this day. One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for Y^ehowah your God is He Who fights for you, just as He promised you." (Joshua 23:9–10). And Y^ehowah gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them; Y^ehowah gave all their enemies into their hand. Not one of the good words which Y^ehowah had spoken to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass (Joshua 21:44–45). Also see Joshua 10:42 12:1–24.

What we should examine now is the Religion of the Canaanites—not finished yet! Also, let's look at Degeneracy and the Land of Promise—a part of the above doctrine.

"You will burn with fire the graven images of their gods; you will not desire the silver and gold upon them, nor will you [lit., and you will] take [it] to yourself, so that you will not be ensnared by it, for it [is] the abomination of Y^ehowah your God; [Deut. 7:25]

The negative of the first clause applies to the second clause as well. All that is connected with the idol is considered an abomination to God, including the gold and silver which was used to plait the idol with. This exact situation occurred with Achan when Joshua invaded the land. We will study it in Joshua 6:17–19 7:1, 16–25. Barnes believes that Paul was making a similar reference in Rom. 2:22, when he wrote: You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? Riches always have the potential of turning around the believer, as we will see with Gideon in Judges 8:22–27. This is why more believers are not rich—most could not handle the prosperity test in the realm of wealth.

"And you will not bring in an abomination into your house, or [lit. and] you will be devoted [i.e., under a ban of destruction] like it; you will absolutely detest it [lit., in detesting, you will detest it], and you will completely abhor it [lit., in abhorring, you will abhor it], for it [is] devoted [transliterated, cherem—under a ban of destruction]." [Deut. 7:26]

The Israelites, despite the richness of an idol found, are to recognize that it is under the ban—that is, it will be given completely over to Y^ehowah and those things under cherem were completely destroyed before God. God requires minimal contact and destruction. Perhaps I could draw an analogy. Let's just say you discovered a lasrge quantity of uncut heroin, worth millions of dollars on the street. Regardless of the value of the drug, it would be under cherem. It is to be turned over to the police and eventually destroyed. How much it is worth is not even a slight consideration.

We were originally exposed to the concept of cherem in Lev. 27:28–29: "Nevertheless, any thing dedicated to God [until it dies] which a man sets apart [transliterated: cherem] to Y^ehowah out of all that he has, of man or animal or of the fields of his own property, will not be sold or redeemed. Everything dedicated to God [until it dies] is most holy to Y^ehowah. No one who is dedicated to God [until it dies] will be ransomed—he will certainly be put to death." The last sentence is any man or group of people put under the ban, or under cherem; no amount of money will redeem them—they must be put to death. "And nothing from that which is put under the ban will cling to your hand, in order that Y^ehowah may turn from His burning anger and show mercy to you, and have compassion on you and make you increase, just as He had sworn to your fathers." (Deut. 13:17).

I ntroduction: Much of the early portion of Deut. 8 is quoted in the New Testament or we find several parallel passages in the New Testament. We also will see that Israel was a much different land during that time period. The difference between prosperity and scarcity in a land is often something as simple is water, or the lack thereof. Israel had, at one time, a great many streams and rivers, meaning it was once well-watered by rain. This is strictly a matter of God's choice. He has set up certain natural laws, however, after years of schooling, the best predictor of the weather tomorrow is the weather today—and when you go by that prediction, you will be right as often as your weatherman. Throughout the last two-thirds of this chapter, Moses will point out instance after instance where the Generation of Promise should have good reason to trust God.

"All of the commandment [or, the entirety of the decree] which I am commanding you today, you [all] will take responsibility to do, so that you [all] will [continue] live [or, living], and you [all] will multiply, and you [all] will go in and you [all] will possess the land which Y^ehowah had sworn to your fathers; [Deut. 8:1]

This new generation is to listen carefully to what Moses was commanding them that day. The series of and's along with the continued use of the 2nd person plural, Qal perfect of three verbs led by the Qal imperfect of live is a linguistic method of emphasis. The result will be continuing to live in the land, to increase their population, to enter into the land and, finally, to be able to wrest the land from the indiginous population.

In looking at this verse and the continued use of command or commandment in the singular, a better translation might be decree. This might better give meaning to the continued use of singular of this noun. God views His commandments to Israel as a unified whole. All of them together are His decree for Israel. He didn't sit around and think up a dozen commandments; then, after a little more thinking, decide we need some laws about homosexuality; and then, God does some more thinking, and decides, we also need some laws about the tabernacle. This was one decree which came from the mouth of God. We perceive it in parts, as that is how our minds work; however, the Law came forth as a decree from God just as the heavens and the earth were all created instantly by the decree of God.

This particular verse parallels Deut. 4:1, which reads: “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, in order that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which Y^ehowah, the God of your fathers, is giving you.” Or, as God said to Moses: “Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you will be My personal possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine.” (Ex. 19:5). This kind of relationship to God was always know—that is, obey God and prosper: “If they hear and serve [God], they will end their days in presperity, and their years in pleasures.” (Job 36:11). Also see Deut. 6:24 30:16 Psalm 16:11 Ezek. 20:19.

"And you will remember the entire journey [lit., all the way] which Y^ehowah your God has caused you to go [or, has led you] these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, to test you, to know that which [is in] your heart, if you will keep [guard, or take responsibility for] His decree

or not. [Deut. 8:2]

These men and women are about to enter into a land prepared for them by God. Israel will become the representative of God here on earth. God had to take them through the wilderness for several reasons—the reasons listed here were to examine those He left alive carefully, to examine them to their very souls, to determine if they would obey God's Word or not.

Moses will repeat the purpose of the forty years in the wilderness—to humble and to test the Israelites in Deut. 8:16. One of the very first tests was in Ex. 15:22–27, where Israel face thirst due to the bitters waters of Marah. V. 25 specifically calls it a test. God’s appearance to Israel to give them the Ten Commandments was also by way of testing them. Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us or we will die.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.” (Ex. 20:19–20). We recall one of the most important tests of all, when God asked Abraham to offer his uniquely-born son (Gen. 22:1–18). God’s omniscience is not limited by time; therefore, God has known from eternity past what is in our hearts. Therefore, this would be a good time to examine the Doctrine of Testing—not finished yet!!

God will often remind Israel that it was He Who led Israel through the desert into the Land of Promise. “And it was I Who brought you up from the land of Egypt. And I led you in the wilderness forty years, that you might take possession of the land of the Amorite.” (Amos 2:10). See also Deut. 2:7 29:5a Psalm 136:16. We are also to look back at what God has done for us: I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you were perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philip. 1:6).

I love quoting McGee on these verses: Why did God test Israel in the wilderness? It was to humble them and to prove what was really in their hearts. That explains why God puts you and me through the mill. Sometimes He puts us in the furnace and heaps it on very hot. Why? To test us and to humble us. Little man is proud, he’s cocky, he is self-confident, and to be frank, he is an abomination! Listen to the boasting and bragging and the pride with which little man walks the earth. So God must take His own people and put them through the mill in order to humble them and to prove them

"And then He had humble you, and then He caused you to hunger, and then He had caused you to eat the manna (which you had not known; even your fathers have not known), in order that to cause you to know that man does not live by bread [or, food] alone, but by all of [the] proceedings [lit., produce or fruit] of the mouth of Y^ehowah does man live. [Deut. 8:3]

We have three wâw consecutives here, followed by a Piel (intensive stem) imperfect and then two Hiphil (causative stem) imperfects. There is a marvelous play on words here. Unregenerate man thinks that his lives because He eats the produce or the fruit of the land—he eats what the land issues forth. The manna which God fed them with was unknown up until that time and is still unknown today (there have been a lot of guesses by scholarly men, but they are wrong). God commanded it to come forth and it came forth. The manna was the fruit or the produce of His mouth. Manna was analogous to His Word. The Israelites were to eat of the manna, just as they were to partake of His Word—at least once a day. Although we have examined this before, allow me to remind you that (1) manna had never been seen by the Israelites before; (2) it was everywhere they wandered in the wilderness, through every kind of landscape; (3) it would disappear when they enter into the land and are able to produce food from the land; (4) it would spoil and breed worms on the second day if kept, but the manna gathered on Fridays would last two days, through the Sabbath; and, (5) there was enough to feed two million people. Much as it would be great to find some kind of food and say that is manna, it just won't fly. Manna was a supernatural phenomena. Just as the Israelites were forced to subsist on food which came at God's command, they would also be required to live by the eating of His Word. This is why manna here is called the produce or fruit of God's mouth. How many Christians today live by means of the produce of God's mouth? Damn few.

This verse means that life consists of more than eating and drinking and the clothes that we wear. And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for life—to what you will eat; for for your body—to what you will put on. For life is more than food and the body [is more than] clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; and they have not storeroom nor barn; and yet, God feeds them; how much more aluable you are than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his life’s span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why are you anxious about other matters? Consider the lilies, how they gorw; they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. But if God so [clothes] the grass in the field, which is [here] today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more [will He clothe] you. O men of a little faith! And do not seek what you will eat, and what you will drink, and do not keep on worrying. For all these things the Genitles of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek for His kingdom and these things will be added to you.” (Luke 12:22–31). Our very life is sustained not by food, but by every Word which is the produce of God’s mouth. The manna was a type, if you will, of the Word of God. The Israelites would not be able to sustain their lives for forty years without this manna. Our spiritual lives cannot be sustained without regular meals on God’s Word. Once or three times a week is not enough. We must join in with David, who wrote: Make me know Your ways, O Y^ehowah; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day. Remember, O Y^ehowah, Your compassion and Your graciousness—for they have been from eternity past (Psalm 25:4–6).

There is always the 1% who must be dealt with. After they read or hear one passage out of God’s Word, then they go out and practice it. This passage from Luke is not a call for you to quit work and go out and sit on a park bench and dedicate that time to God. God told Adam, “Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil [or, sorrow], you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it will grow for you. And you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face(s), you will eat bread till you return to the ground, because form it you were taken; for you are dust and to dust you will return.” (Gen. 17b–19). Paul told the Thessalonians: For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone will not work, neither let him eat (2Thess. 3:10). In other words, at salvation, we don’t quit work and sit around waiting for God to provide. The key to the passage in Luke is not one of have faith and do not work; the key is emphasis. If the emphasis of your life is upon providing for your basic needs to the exclusion or to the undermining of your dependence upon God, then your values are wrong. Our lives should reflect our dependence upon God and our trust in Him. Our lives should not be characterized by constant worry about obtaining food and clothing and shelter. This was the exact problem of gen X; they could not place their needs in the hand of God. They whined and complained instead: And the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the sons of Israel said to them, “It would hae been preferable for us to die by Y^ehowah’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat; when we ate bread to the full—for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger.” (Ex. 16:2–3). Our lives should feed upon God’s Word. “I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” (Job 23:12).

There are times when God must humble us; when He leaves us to operate on our own. Yet, You have rejected us and You have brought us to dishonor; and you did not go out with our armies (Psalm 44:9). “Do not Go up [to battle the Amalekites and the Canaanites], or your will be struck down before you enemies, for Y^ehowah is not among you.” (Num. 14:42). When we get to a point where we think we have caused our own prosperity; where we think we have fought all of our own battles; where we think we are self-reliant, God removes a small portion of His support: Before destruction, the heart of man is haughty; but humility [grace-orientation] before honor (Prov. 18:12). The proud man will be abased and the arrogance of man will be humbled. And Y^ehowah alone will be exalted in that day (Isa. 2:11). “But if they have not become humble [grace-oriented] even to this day, nor have they feared nor walked in My law or My statutes, which I have set before you and before your fathers, therefore, thus says Y^ehowah of the armies, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am going to set My face(s) against you for woe, even to cut off all Judah.’ ” (Jer. 44:10–11). There are also times when God provides for us (in fact, quite often), when we are way out of line. And Y^ehowah spoke to Moses, saying, “I have heard the gurmblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight, you will eat meat, and in the morning, you will be filled with bread; and you will now that I am Y^ehowah your God.’ “ (Ex. 16:11–12). However, do not forget: “The [one in] exile will soon be set free and he will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking.” (Isa. 51:14). For Y^ehowah will not abandon His people; nor will He forsake His inheritance (Psalm 94:14). Though he fall, he will not be utterly cast down because Y^ehowah is the One holding his hand (Psalm 34:24).

Most of us have heard Deut. 8:3 quoted before. When Satan tempted our Lord, he attacked the function of our Lord’s deity in God’s plan. Now I don’t expect you to fully grasp this, but it was not a part of God’s plan for our Lord to use His deity essence in order to satisfy his own personal needs, to resist temptation, or to negate personal suffering and tragedy. I do not know how much of this Satan understood, but he certainly understood that if God came to earth as a man, how meaningful is that if every time He was hungry, He snapped His fingers and had an orange juice and a burrito? So, our Lord depended upon the Holy Spirit, Whom we are given, for all personal needs. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “Since You are the Son of god, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It stands written, ‘Man must not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ “ (Matt. 4:2–4).

As an aside, when it comes to the translation here: the Authorized Version inserts word into this verse, because it is found in the Septuagint, which is what our Lord quoted in Matt. 4:4 and Luke 4:4. So the KJV reads: And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which you knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live (Deut. 8:3). This is why we find the word word in italics in the KJV.

"Your clothing has not worn out from off you, and your feet have not swelled these forty years; [Deut. 8:4]

A miracle which probably went unnoticed by most until now was the fact that their clothes lasted them for forty years. Moses [speaking in the place of God; this is dramatic license] points this out again in Deut. 29:5: “And I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandal has not worn out on your foot.” Nehemiah quotes Deut. 8:4 in Neh. 9:21. The Israelites, upon leaving Egypt, received clothing, as well as silver and gold, from the Egyptians (Ex. 12:35). However, since they were going to be carrying this with them, forty years worth of clothing would have been quite a huge amount. Furthermore, they did have sheep and oxen; therefore, they had the material for clothing with them. They likely used some of this to bartar with the Moabites and other nomatic tribes. And, the children outgrew their clothing, of course, but the bulk of their clothing—the clothing which they wore—lasted forty years, and, through the wandering that they did, their feet did not swell up. Out of two million people walking in a wilderness for several years, someone is going to have foot problems. In this population of two million, no one had foot problems. These are quiet and less than spectacular miracles; miracles that would have gone unnoticed had they not been pointed out by Moses. However, God provides for our most menial needs in ways that may not seem to be all that spectacular. You job, your clothes, your shelter and your car are things which you often take for granted—yet these are things which God has provided for you, despite your worthless spiritual life. These are given to us as a part of provisional grace or logistical grace. These are the things which we do not deserve, we do not work for—yet God provides them for us apart from our spiritual lives.

McGee’s comment: Imagine having a suit of clothes that would not wear out. I know the ladies would not like this at all. Year after years the wife could tell her hubby that she needed a new dress, and year after year the busband could say the one she was wearing looked brand new. I tell you, after that went on for forty years, the women would be pretty far behind in the styles

When your diet is limited (recall that the Jews primarily ate manna), the lack of vitamins could bring on a case of beriberi, a symptom of which was swollen feet.

They didn’t have to walk to be in danger of this. However, God saw to it that the manna they received was vitamin enriched and provided for their every bodily need. God’s Word, our spiritual manna, provides the same perfect nourishment for our souls. It is through the study of His Word, through a pastor-teacher, that we gain great insight on the life that we lead.

"And you have know, with your heart, that as a man disciplines his son, Y^ehowah your God has been disciplining you; [Deut. 8:5]

There are times when God disciplines us, that we either refuse to recognize that we are being disciplined, or, we keep asking God why when, with a short search of the heart, we know why. When a child is disciplined by his father, it is difficult for the child, to be spanked by the hand that has provided for him—however, the discipline is absolutely necessary. Children grow up to be out of control when they are not disciplined. Some need it more than others and there is no magic formula—but without it, you destroy the child's future. There are as many as one out of ten parents—or more—who medically discipline their children. Their behavior is out of control—the child does not know that he can effectively control his own behavior—so the child is given ridalin, so that he can be managed medically. A parent who obtained speed on the street and then gave it to his child would be guilty of all kinds of wrong and would be severely punished by the law. However, this is thought to be today as normal.

This does not mean that you have a command from God to beat your children. The New Testament warns us: And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). Paul again warns the Colossians: Fathers, do not exasperate your children, that they may not lose heart (Col. 3:21).

As further application, there are different types of discipline. Our Lord said of David, “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men—but My grace will not depart from him.” (2Sam. 7:14–15a). Spanking, although quoted often, and absolutely necessary, is not the only way that a child is to be disciplined. “Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth, He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire.” (Deut. 4:36). Discipline here is simply hearing the voice of God.

The Israelites learned that they required discipline. And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness—and [those] to whom He swore that they should not enter into His rest, but to those who were disobedient? And so we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest] because of their unbelief (Heb. 3:17–19 Psalm 95:11b). “For forty years, I loathed [that] generation, and said they are a people who have gone astray in their thinking [lit., heart]. And they do not know My ways. Therefore, I solemnly promised in My anger, ‘Truly, they will not enter into My rest.’ “ (Psalm 95:10–11). “If they violate My statutes and do not keep My commandments, then I will visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes.” (Psalm 89:31–32). Do not despise the discipline of Y^ehowah or loathe His reproof; for whom Y^ehowah loves He reproves, even as a father [reproves] the son in whom he delights (Prov. 3:11–12). This verse, as written in the Septuagint is quoted by the writer of Hebrews: My sons, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord nor faint when you are reproved by Him. For those whom the Lord loves, He disciplines, and he scourges [with a whip] every son whom He receives. It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom [his] father does not discipline? But if you are without ddiscipline, of which you all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, he had earthly fatehrs to dsiscipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they ddisciplined us for a short time as seemedd best to them, but He disciplines us for good, that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet, to those who have been trained by it, afterewards, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Heb. 12:5b–11). A growing Christian learns to respect the discipline that he receives: I know, O Y^ehowah, that Your judgments are righteous and that in faithfulness, You have afflicted me (Psalm 119:75). Observe, how happy is the man whom God reproves; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty (Job 5:17). As Jesus Christ told the church in Laodicea: “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; become hot, therefore, and change your mind.” (Rev. 3:19). The Generation of Promise observed their fathers being disciplined by the sin unto death because of their continued rebellions. They were disciplined themselves when they participlated in these rebellions; however, God is able to determine who can be disciplined and will learn from it and who can be disciplined and will then do it again as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

"And you will keep [or, guard or take responsibility for] the decree [or, command] of Y^ehowah your God, to walk in His ways and to fear [and, revere] Him. [Deut. 8:6]

The imperative is not used very often in the Hebrew; the ten commandments are primarily in the Qal inperfect (I believe there is a perfect tense thrown in there and maybe a Hiphil stem). This sentence is presented in the same way—keep is in the Qal imperfect, which is the simple active stem, and the action of the verb is seen as continuous or applied at various points in time. To walk and to fear are both in the Qal infinitive construct, indicating purpose or result. The stance taken in the verse, and repeated throughout the Bible, is that the suffering that the Israelites went through was a matter of humbling, testing and discipline, absolutely necessary to them and because God, even though He disciplined them, also provided for all of their needs—because of these things, they were to take the responsibility for the decree of God, His Law delivered to them, to live as God expected them to live, and to have a healthy reverence for God.

God told Solomon: “And if you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days.” (1Kings 3:14). In exasperation (I am speaking anthropopathically), our Lord said, “But My people did not listen to My voice; and Israel did not obey Me. So I gave them over to the stubborness of their heart, to talk in their own devices. Oh, that My people would listen to Me. That Israel would walk in My ways! I would quickly subddue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries.” (Psalm 81:11–14). And Moses in this verse, basically repeats what he had already said several times before: “You will walk in all the way which Y^ehowah your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong days in the land which you will possess.” (Deut. 5:33). And Moses will repeat this once again: “And now, Isreal, what does Y^ehowah your God require from you, but to revere Y^ehowah your God, to walk in all His ways and to love him and to serve Y^ehowah your God with all your heart and with all your soul; to keep Y^ehowah’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?” (Deut. 10:12–13).

"For Y^ehowah your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of torrents of waters, springs, and of deep waters [or, raging seas]—their coming out in valley and in mountain; [Deut. 8:7]

This is a description of the Land of Promise which is in great contrast to its condition today. I have mentioned in the past that Palestine was a lot different during the time of Moses and David than it is today. If one would examine the Los Angeles area in the early 1900's, in the 40's and in the 90's, it would be like seeing three different areas. It began as a desert; water was brought in and it grew into one of the most beautiful areas in the world in a short few decades; and later, the overburdening of population have caused it to turn to one of the smoggiest, congested, overcrowded, and generally one of the more unpleasant areas of the world. We have several words for water in this verse, so we will quickly examine them all:

Nachal (ל ַח ַנ) [pronounced NAHKH-al], a word we have examined before, is usally rendered brook. We see a pleasant lazy stream of water, perhaps two to ten feet across, meandering along. Nachal refers to a torrent of rushing water through a narrow channel. Strong's #5158 BDB #636 Today, probably more often than then, it could be a river which is only found during the rainey season. Since a torrent or a river tends to run through a valley area, this word is also used to refer to the valley that a river might run through. Here, to indicate that we are not speaking of a valley, but of a torrent, nachal is in the construct and is tied to the word for water. The word water is mayim (ם̣י ַמ) [pronounced MAH-yim] is the simple word for water found everywhere in the plural. Strong's #4325 BDB #565.

׳Ayin (ן.י ַע) [pronounced ĢAH-yin] is a word with three different meanings. It means a spring in this context (this word very occasionally is a proper noun standing for a particular location; however, it generally means eyes). Its use is determined entirely by context, and both uses are found in the same context continually: spring (Gen. 49:12 Ex. 15:27 Num. 33:9); eyes (Gen. 49:22 Ex. 15:26 Num. 33:3). Strong's #5869 BDB #745.

The final word is t^ehôwm (םה ׃) [pronounced t^e-HOME] and it is a surging mass of water, either a sea or a subterranean water-supply. I will translate it deep waters. Strong's #8415 BDB #1062. Finally, after listing four different words indicating an abundance of water, this water is said to be going through the valley and the mountain. This indicates a great deal of rain. The Dead Sea is no big whoop. If it does not support life, it is just a huge hole of contaminated water. However, the indication here is that the water flows throughout the hills and throughout the valleys, which requires rain to place it there in the first place. In Deut. 11:11–12, Moses later says, “But the land into which you are about to cross to possess it, a land of hills and valleys, which [land] drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which Y^ehowah your God cares; the eyes [possibly, springs] of Y^ehowah your God are always in it, from the beginning even to the end of the year.”

In any case, it is quite the extreme opposite as we would see Palestine today. Palestine is a desert—a land under great judgment—that a lot of very foolish men fight over. It is no longer the Land of Promise, the great oasis in the midst of a desert, that we find here. It has been under millenniums of judgment, meaning little or no rain.

Will Durant wrote: The climatic history of the land tells us again how precarious a thing civilization is, and how its great enemies—barbarism and desiccation—are always waiting to destroy it. Once Palestine was “a land flowing with milk and honey,” as many a passage in the Pentateuch describes it. Josephus, in the first century after Christ, still speaks of it as “moist enough for agriculture, and very beautiful. They have abundance of trees, and are full of autumn fruits both wild and cultivated...they are not naturally watered by many rivers, but derive their chief moisture from rain, of which they have no want.” In ancient days the spring rains that fed the land were stored in cisterns or brought back to the surface by a multitude of wells, and distributed over the country by a network of canals; this wa the physical basis of Jewish civilization. The soil, so nourished, produced barley, wheat and corn, the vine throve on it, and trees bore olives, figs, dates or other fruits on every slope. When war came and devastated these artificially fertile fields, or when some conqueror exiled to distant regions the families that had cared for them, the desert crept in eagerly, and in a few years undid the work of generations. We cannot judge the fruitfulness of ancient Palestine from the barren wastes and timid oases that confronted the brave Jews who in our own time returned to their old home after eighteen centuries of exile, dispersion and suffering.

It is not the land of the Israelites because God has them under discipline. God told Jeremiah, “And I brought you into the fruitful land, to eat its fruit and its good things, but you came and defiled My land and My inheritance you made an abomination.” (Jer. 2:7; see also 3:20–25 Ezek. 20:6–24). No matter how many Jews return to Palestine, they will constantly be at war and the vast majority of Jews will be scattered throughout the rest of the world, finding no country of their own. God promised them a long time ago: Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe in His Word, but grumbled in their tents; they did not listen to the voice of Y^ehowah. Therefore, He swore to them that He would cast them down in the wilderness [this is gen X] and that He would cast their seed among the nations and scatter them in the lands [these are the Israelites today] (Psalm 106:24–27). The few places which treat the Jewish people hospitably are blessed greatly (the blessings given to us are based a great deal upon our general treatment of God's people).

Note that God waited a long time before describing this land as one of an abundance of water. He spoke in more general terms in the past; that is, a land flowing with milk and honey. Here, Moses, speaking through the Holy Spirit, has become much more descriptive. You will see this in the next couple verses as well. Now is the time to more specifically describe the land—prior to this, it would have been just holding a carrot in front of gen X—a carrot that they would never have. For the rest of Israel, the Generation of Promise, God waited until now to allow them to hear more specifics. Otherwise, their thirty-eight years roasting at Kadesh Barnea, living in tents, living at the edge of the desert, would have caused them to become most impatient.

"A land of wheat and barley and vine and fig and pomegranate; a land of olive oil and honey; [Deut. 8:8]

We do not tend to view Israel as a nation of farms and orchards—however, this is what is was during those times. When you take an area of very pleasant weather and give it a great deal of rain, that land will naturally be agriculturally prosperous. This would sound like a phenomenal array of choices, given that the Israelites had lived primarily upon manna for most of the past forty years. This passage and the one quoted from Deut. 11 are the most descriptive passages concerning the Land of Promise. Only the spies who went into the land thirty-eight years previous have any clue as to the great prosperity of the land. The returned with a cluster of grapes carried on a pole which required two men to carry (Num. 13:23, 27). This is a tremendous variety of food stuffs from which the Israelites could cook a great many things, and trade for a great many others. We will not have a description of the land like this until we come to the millennial Israel.

Because of the great grape vines, Israel once was a great producer of wines. In the records of the battles of Thutmosis III, we have mention of the great wine production in both Palestine and Syria. Since God has withheld the rain from the land, the growing of huge grapes has all but ceased, halting the production of wine.

"A land which [is] without scarcity—you will eat bread in it and you will not lack anything in it; a land whose stones [are] iron, and out of its mountains you will dig copper; [Deut. 8:9]

In it is a 3rd person feminine singular suffix affixed to the word eat which refers back to the land, which is in the feminine, and not to bread, which is masculine.

According to the NIV Study Bible, the mountains of southern Lebanon and the area east of the Sea of Galilee and the area south of the Salt Sea could be mined for iron. Copper and iron were found in great quantities of the Arabah, south of the Dead Sea. There are copper mines which date back to the time of Solomon and possibly earlier. 1Kings 7:45–46 names Zarethan as a center for bronze works during Solomon’s day. We have found bronze objects which date to before Solomon’s time and we have copper works at Timnah in the Negev

Barnes notes that the Israelites do not seem to have much of a history in mining (supported by 1Sam. 13:19), although mining certainly took place during the times of Canaanite occupation. Barnes points out that traces of iron and copper works have been discovered by modern travelors of Lebanon and in other parts of Palestine. The district of Argob contains iron-stone in abundance

The Jews only survive in Israel today partially our of a huge welfare grant which we, the United States, give to them, which provides for their military and probably for some of their sustenance. Besides, God wants them to be spread throughout the world, and the near east is part of that world.

"And you will eat and you will be satisfied and you will bless Y^ehowah your God on the good land which He has given to you. [Deut. 8:10]

We have a great contrast to their time in the desert, where they were hungry, they were under discipline—where God had humbled them with discipline. In the land they will eat without scarcity of food (God will no longer find it necessary to provide them with manna), they will be satisfied with the food, and, if their spiritual life is good, tht will be reflected by their prayers which thank God for what they have been given. Moses has already described much of this to them: “Then it will come to pass when Y^ehowah your God bring you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you great and splendid cities which you did not build, and house full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you will eat and be satisfied; then watch yourself, so that you do not forget Y^ehowah Who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves.” (Deut. 6:10–12).

In fact, here, we ought to look at the word bless. It is presented in Scripture and in churches too often as this vague religious term of little consequence. That is, if you cannot express what it is that it actually means, then it doesn't mean anything to you. When man blesses God, man recognizes that God has provided him with what he has received. Blessing, in this case, is gratitude and recognition of God's provision which comes out of God's character. When we say a blessing at meal time, ideally this is what we are doing. When God blesses us, He is providing us with prosperity which overflows from His perfect character. When we bless other men, we are asking for God to give them His blessings—His prosperity and grace.

Remember Y^ehowah in Prosperity, or You Will Perish as Will the Heathen of the Land

"[Continue to] Take personal responsibility, so that you do not forget Y^ehowah your God in regards to not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you this day. [Deut. 8:11]

V. 11 begins with the Niphal imperative of shâmar (ר ַמ ָש) [pronounced shaw-MAR] and it means keep, guard, watch, preserve. It means to know the law, the precepts, the Word of God, to observe it and to obey it and to guard it. I have translated this take responsibility. Although the Niphal is generally the passive stem, it is also used to stress the individual effect upon the group. The Niphal also describes an action in progress, so the verb is accompanied by the word being; in this verse, due to the imperative, I used the addition of continue to. This is followed by the lâmed prefixed preposition and the 2nd masculine singular suffix. Instead of rendering this to you I have inserted the word personal. Strong's #8104 BDB #1036. For personal reference, other translators have rendered these words as be careful (NIV); beware (The Amplified Bible, KJV, NASB); take heed to thyself (Young’s); take heed of yourselves (Owen’s); take care (NEB, NRSV); and take heed (RSV). This is followed by the averting or deprecating conjunction pen (ן∵) [pronounced pen],

best translated with the word lest. I prefer the more modern so that + a negative. It could also be translated simply else, or for the aversion of, for the avoidance of, so that [you] avoid], in order to prevent. Strong's #6435 BDB #814

The idea here is that the Israelite become so overpowered by this great prosperity—they become so enamored by the gift, that they lose sight of the giver. We have almost the same construction in Deut. 4:9: Only continue to take personal responsibility and guard your soul diligently so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and so that they [the things your eyes have seen] do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; also make them known to your children and your children’s children. As we have seen back in Deut. 4:9, the call of God to the Israelites to remember His past redemptive acts is a continuing theme throughout this book.

As has been mentioned many times before, God has all the material blessings that we could even imagine, yet He does not pour them out upon everyone because most believers could not handle material prosperity. King David could; King Solomon became obsessed with it, attempting to turn his material wealth into happiness. Solomon did have several years of spiritual lucidity; however, the bulk of his life was wasted, much of his life dissipated on wealth. The Israelites are about to receive blessings as they have never seen or, in some cases, barely remember even the likes of which. In all of this, they must continue to recognize the Giver—the Provider of these great gifts.

"So that when you have eaten and are satiated and you have built good houses and you have lived in them; [Deut. 8:12]

This verse continues the thought of v. 11. The word pên (ן ֵ) [pronounced pane] begins this verse as well. The negative aspect of this conjunction will be brought into v. 14. Agur, in Proverbs, wrote: Keep deception and lies far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, so I that don’t become full and deny [You] and say, “Who is Y^ehowah?” Or, so that I am not in want and steal, and profane the name of my God (Prov. 30:8–9). So Agur mentions two areas wherein we might lose sight of God—in both riches and poverty. We might forget God in riches and we might steal bread and profane His name in poverty. In Hosea 13:4–6, God tells the Israelites that they forgot Him due to being satiated: Yet I [am] Y^ehowah your God since the land of Egypt; and you were not to know any god escept Me; for there is no Savior besides Me. I cared for you in the wilderness in the land of drought. In their pasture, they became satiated; and being satiated, their heart became proud; therefore, they forgot Me. God has an alternative for those who forget Him when He gives them prosperity: “Therefore you will serve your enemies whom Y^ehowah will send against you—in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things—He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you. Y^ehowah will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down, a nation whose language you do not understand.” (Deut. 28:47–49). Much of the end of this book will be devoted to the alternative to trusting in Y^ehowah.

"And when your herds and your flocks multiply and silver and gold is multiplied to you, and all that you have is multiplied; [Deut. 8:13]

Again, v. 13 is a continuation of the prosperity that the Israelites will enjoy. There are two kinds of wealth mentioned in this verse: the herds and flocks are animals which can be traded, used for food and used for clothing. There are the necessities in life, which the Israelites will own in abundance. Gold and silver is wealth beyond being financially comfortable. This is surplus wealth and savings and investments. This is wealth which is not absolutely necessary to have in order to be successful and prosperous, but it is a sign of superabundance. I don’t mean that in a negative way. God does bless some with incredible worldly wealth. However, Bible doctrine says to you: “Seize my instruction and not silver; and knowledge rather than choicest gold. For wisdom is better than jewels and all desirable things cannot compare with her!” (Prov. 8:10–11). This in no way implies that it is wrong to have great wealth; this states priorities—if your priority is Bible doctrine and you just happen to be wealthy, there is nothing wrong in that.

"And your heart has been lifted up, then [lit., and] [see that you don't] forget Y^ehowah your God—the One bringing you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of slaves. [Deut. 8:14]

The negative with forget comes from the word lest from v. 12. Rather than use the Old English lest , I have chosen to render it so that + a negative. The occupation hazard when one becomes prosperous is that t they think they have done something themselves—their heart is lifted up. They forgot God their Savior (Psalm 106:21a). At best, they think they deserve it; at worst, they think they deserve it and they think that they earned it through their own great craftiness and financial wizardry. In either case, they forget the Lord Who bought them and blessed them. Don’t forget the words of Paul: For who regards you as superior? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? (1Cor. 4:7). God’s alternative is: “Therefore, observe: I will bring strangers upon you—the most ruthless of nations. And they will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendor [i.e., their opulent wealth].” (Ezek. 28:7).

The second part of this verse could be translated basically three different ways (the examples below give only one way—as was the case with all the translations which I checked):

The Amplified Bible ...Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage;

The Emphasized Bible ...who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of servants;

KJV ...which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the hosue of bondage;

NASB ...who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

The other translations are similar; each translates this as though there is a relative pronoun here following the phrase Y^ehowah your God. The NASB and the NIV in the following verses change this somewhat in the next verse, even though the basic Hebrew set up is exactly the same. Note what we have beginning v. 15:

The Emphasized Bible ...who caused thee to journey through the great and terrible desert,...

However, the middle of v. 14, the beginning of v. 15 (and mid-v. 15 and the beginning of v. 16) all have the same pattern of Hebrew words: there is a definite article and the Hiphil (causative stem) participle, with a 2nd person masculine singular suffix. A definite article plus a participle is a phrase which is normally a verb, but is translated like a subject involved in an action. V. 14b should be rendered the One bringing you; v. 15 should begin with the translation the One leading you. I have so translated it throughout the next few verses.

"The One leading you in the vast and fearful wilderness—burning serpent, and scorpion, and thirst—where there is no water; the One bringing to you waters from the flinty rock; [Deut. 8:15]

Gâdôwl (לד ָ) [pronounced gaw-DOLE] means great in quantity, great in magnitude and extent, [or, vast ]. Strong’s #1419 BDB #152. What is generally translated terrible is the definite article and the Niphal participle of yârê’ (א ֵר ָי) [pronounced yaw-RAY] which is the verb for fear; in the participle, with the definite article, this acts like an adjective and should be translated dreadful, fearful. Strong’s #3372–3 BDB #431.

Moses draws their attention to Y^ehowah their God Who performed these many miracles. In v. 15 we have a sharp contrast between the land where they wandered and the Land of Promise. V. 7 speaks of this land is having a great deal of water; however, the way they traveled was bereft of water.

We have seen all of these images several times before: the great and terrible desert (Deut. 1:19 2:7); the burning serpent and scorpion (Num. 21:6); and water was brought forth from the rock once for generation X (Ex. 17:6) and once for the Generation of Promise (Num. 20:11—see also Psalm 78:15 113:8).

"The One causing you to eat manna in the wilderness, which you fathers had not known, in order to humble you, and in order to test you, to do you good in your latter end, [Deut. 8:16]

V. 16 actually has a relative pronoun, which refers back to manna. Prior to this forty year stay in the desert, none of the Israelites had eaten anything like the manna mentioned here. God could have provided them with tremendous meals with a great deal of diversity—however, they were being tested for their performance and their volition, and gen X failed miserably. However, the Generation of Promise were greatly prospered by this testing. They made the correct choices and they would take the land.

We have already spoken of manna and its supernatural qualities in Deut. 8:3 (see also Ex. 16). As for discipline, we have also covered that; let me repeat Heb. 12:11: All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet, to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

"And [so] you will [not] say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand has made for me this wealth [lit., strength].' [Deut. 8:17]

V. 17 goes back to vv. 12 and 14, where the verbs are in the 2nd person masculine singular—the lest of v. 12 follows these verbs throughout. What we have is a 2nd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect which begins v. 12 and is preceded by the conjunction lest. The continuous action of this verb means that lest, while they are eating, their heart is lifted up and they forget (v. 14) God, and they say in their hearts (v. 17). The previous three verbs are in the 2nd person masculine singular, Qal perfect, which speaks of resultant actions which we do not want to occur. What we have is over 60 Hebrew words strung together into a single thought, held together by conjunctions, prefixed prepositions, proper verb forms, spoken to this crowd and they are able to follow the entire thought process. Later, a man separated this one continuous thought into six verses—so much for evolution!

The last substantive in this verse is chayil (ל ̣י ַח) [pronounced CHAH-yil ] and it means strength, valour, power; as well as that which is gotten through strength—i.e., wealth. Because one nation is stronger than a nation which it defeats, then it is able to rob them of their wealth. Therefore, chayil is used here as a metonymy

for wealth. Strong’s #2428 BDB #298.

This verse carries with it the curse of wealth—those who have money generally think that they have done something particularly cleaver in order to obtain it. At worst, they think that they were smart enough to earn this money; at best they think they somehow deserve it because they have been so good that God just can't help Himself. We see clearly that the Israelites did not deserve this wealth, that God has given it to them out of His grace, because He had promised it to their fathers. However, Moses warns the Israelites not to be deceived—God has given them all of this out of His grace.

Moses will tell the Israelites in this same message: “Do not say in your heart when Y^ehowah your God has driven them out before yyou, ‘Because of my righteousness, Y^ehowah has brgouth me in to possess this land;’ but [it is] because of the wickedness of these nations Y^ehowah is dispossessing them before you.” (Deut. 9:4). In fact, even though this generation will take the land, subsequent generations, even those listening (or, not listening to Moses right now) will fail miserably. There are even many in this Geneation of Promise who partook of the rebellions of their fathers; however, God obviously spared them. “For I know your rebellion and your stubborness; observe, While I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against Y^ehowah—how much more then after my death?” (Deut. 31:27). Deut. 9 will take a good hard look at this generation.

"And you will remember Y^ehowah your God, for it [is] He Who is giving to you power to make wealth, in order to establish His covenant which He had sworn to your fathers as today; [Deut. 8:18]

This is the concluding principle to the previous six verses—the remembrance and recognition of the God Who has brought them this far and has done these miraculous things on their behalf. It is the blessing of Y^ehowah that makes [one] rich; and He adds no sorrow to it (Prov. 10:22). “For she [Israel] does not know that it was I [God] Who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil; and lavished on her silver and gold—they made into Baal.” (Hosea 2:8). We have already had several case histories delineating God’s specific blessing to them. Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And Y^ehowah blessed him and the man became rich and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy (Gen. 26:12–13). Because we know, “Y^ehowah makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. He raises the poor from the dust ; He lifts the beggar from the dung heap, to cause them to dwell in a place of blessing with nobles and to inherit a seat of honor.” (1Sam. 2:7–8a). See also Psalm 25:13 112:1–3.

One of the reasons that we have the feast of the first fruits is simply to recognize that God is the One Who provided the great wealth for the sons of Israel. Deut. 26 will cover the offering of the first fruits in the land. “ ‘And now, observe, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which You, O Y^ehowah, have given me.’ Then you will set it down before Y^ehowah your God and worship before the face of Y^ehowah your God. And you and the Levite and the alien who is among you will rejoice in all the good which Y^ehowah your God has given you and your household.” (Deut. 26:10–11). The blessings of obedience will be given in the first portion of Deut. 28.

When the nation of Israel is in the land and is being prospered, then you can know it is obeying God. When it is not prospering in that land, it is an indication that it is not obeying God. Look at Israel today and make your own decision

"And it will come to pass, if in forgetting, you forget Y^ehowah your God, and you go after other gods and serve them and worship them—I am testifying against you today that you [all] in perishing will perish; [Deut. 8:19]

Moses has both predicted great blessing for this generation, but additionally warns them. This warning is recorded in Scripture and stands for all time. It is similar to that found in Deut. 4:24–30 6:14–15 and 30:17–19, which reads: “But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods an dserve them—I declare to you today that you will certainly perish. You will not prolong [your] days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter to possess it. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing the the curse; so choose life in order that you may live—you and your descendants.”

Serving another god (or, gods) was not the only sin which Israel could commit. Oppression of the helpless is another way they could be tossed out of the land. “If you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and you do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin; then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.” (Jer. 7:6–7). See also Jer. 13:9–11 25:4–11.

"As the nations whom Y^ehowah is causes to perish from before your faces, so you [all] will perish, because you [all] did not listen to the voice of Y^ehowah your God." [Deut. 8:20]

The same God Who will destroy the indigenous is also capable of destroying the Israelites. And he [Manasseh; the king, not the tribe] did evil in the sight of Y^ehowah, according to the abominations of the nations whom Y^ehowah dispossessed before the sons of Israel (2Kings 21:2). Ezek. 5:5–11 describes Israel’s future in reversionism: “Thus says Lord Y^ehowah, ‘This is Jerusalem; I have set her at the center of the nations, with lands around her; but she has rebelled against My ordinances more wickedly than the nations and against My statutes more than the lands which surround her; for they have rejected My ordinances and have not walked in My statutes. Therefore,’ thus says the Lord Y^ehowah, ‘Because you have more turmoil than the nations which surround you, and have not walked in My Statutes, nor observed My ordinances, nor observed the ordinances of the nations which surround you, therefore,’ thus says the Lord Y^ehowah, ‘Observe, I, even I am against you, and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations. And because of all your abominations, I will do among you what I have not done, and the like of which I will never do again. Therefore, fathers will eat sons amon you and sons will eat their fathers; for I will execute judgments on you, and scatter all your remnant to every wind.’ “ This passage becomes even more graphic, which we will study far in the future. See Dan. 9:9–19 as well.

With light comes responsibility. Israel had God’s Word; she had His commandments, His decree for her future. Because she had access to these things and turned away from God, Israel has suffered more tragedy than thos nations surrounding her. When we are given God’s Word and an understanding of the true conflict in which we are engaged, this creates in us a responsibility. You might think that you will head that problem off at the pass and just not attend Bible class. When you do that, you will never know what hit you! You will be continually under discipline; you will be involved in a frantic search for happiness, and your life will be tragically cut short by the sin unto death. If you are quarterback for a football team, it helps to know the rules. If you’re going to be out on the field, you might as well know how to play the game. God’s Word is a manual which tells us how to play the game.

Introduction: Deut. 9 Deals specifically with why God is giving the Land of Promise to the Israelites. It is not because of their goodness and righteousness but because of the degeneracy of those in the land. The first fifth of this chapter tells the Israelites that it is because of the corrupt nature of the indigenous tribes that they have been given the land; not because of their own righteousness. To make his point, Moses spends the balance of the chapter showing where Israel is deficient. He covers their idolatry in detail for 15 verses, then mentions four other incidents, without going into any great detail. Finally he reveals to them his own personal plea to deliver them. They did not realize, but God almost began from ground zero with the Israelites, offering to make from Moses himself a nation.

Moses Warns the Israelites Not to Be Self-deluded as to Why God Is Bringing Them into the Land

“Listen, O Israel, you are passing over the Jordan this day [lit., the day], to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than you; cities great and fortified up to the heavens. [Deut. 9:1]

Today is actually a definite article and the word day. This does not mean that within this next 24-hour period of time, Israel is going to invade the Land of Promise. The day means that sometime in the very near future; it is like saying the time is at hand, the day of reckoning is here. It could be immediate but it does not have to be. This is simply the time that Israel will go into the land. This is probably the case throughout the Old Testament?

Bullinger has a different take on this verse. First we must clearly understand that during this twenty-four hour period of time, the Israelites are not going into the land. So we have to determine what is meant and how did the Israelites understand what Moses was saying. Bullinger says this is a metonymy of the verb. The action is put in for the declaration or the permission or the promise of that action. For instance, in Gen 35:12, God says, “And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac.” God in His decrees has given Abraham and Isaac this land—however, at that point of time, they had not received it (although, from God’s standpoint, they had). They had received the promise of the land; God had declared to them that day that He would give them the land. Jer. 1:10: “I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms to root out, to pull down and to destroy and to throw down.” Israel was not at that time over the nations and kingdoms—Israel has not pulled down, destroyed or thrown down much of anything at the time of Jeremiah—this is a declaration of the promise that they would do that in the future. Deut. 9:1 is a declaration what they will go over the Jordan to dispossess the nations now living in the land

We have another metonymy in this verse, where the possessor is put in place of the thing possessed. That is, the Israelites will not possess the nations but they will possess the land which these nations now possess. It is possible that you hear or read these verses and give it no thought; but this is what is meant, although what Moses said is slightly different when taken literally (and I am a literalist when it comes to the Bible—that does not preclude, however, various figures of speech).

Near the end of this verse we have the Qal passive participle of bâtsar (ר ַצ ָ ) [pronounced baw-TZAHR], which means walled-up, fenced, fortified. The verb itself means to cut off, to make inaccessible, to enclose. Strong's #1219 BDB #130. The preposition here is the bêyth preposition of proximity, justifying the use of the English to, up to (bêyth is usually rendered by, against, in, into).

Hear, O Israel is a call made by Moses to God’s people several times throughout Deuteronomy (4:1 5:1 6:3–4 20:3). It is a call to their specific attention.

The nations which Israel will defeat will be (1) numerically superior to them (Deut. 4:38 9:1); (2) those nations are better equipped and better prepared to go to war (Deut. 4:38 9:1); (3) their cities are fortified with high walls, making them appear to be impregnable (Num. 13:28b Deut. 9:1); and (4) their population is physically superior to Israel’s (Num. 13:28a). In terms of human viewpoint, the Israelites do not stand a chance. Ten of the spies who went into the land 40 years ago were essentially correct. They may have been overly dramatic, but they told the truth. Going strictly by human viewpoint, the Israelites would have been best to set up shop in Kadesh-Barnea and to remain there: “ ‘Where can we go up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large and fortified to heaven. And, besides, we saw the sons of the Anakim there.” ‘ “ (Deut. 1:28). However, God has given them the land, so divine viewpoint is that they go into the land and take it: “For you are about to cross the Jordan to go in to possess the land which Y^ehowah your god is giving you, and you will possess it and live in it.” (Deut. 11:31). “It is Y^ehowah your God Who will cross ahead of you; He will destroy these nations from before your face and you will dispossess them.” (Deut. 13:3a).

“A great and tall people—the sons of Anakim, whom you, even you, have known; and whom you, even you, have heard: ‘Who can stand their ground before the sons of Anak?’ [Deut. 9:2]

There is a great deal of redundancy in this verse. That is, there are more words found here than proper grammar demands. For instance, it is proper to say sons of Anak or the Anakim, but sons of Anakim is redundant. The verbs know and hear both have 2nd masculine singular suffixes; Moses also twice throws in the 2nd person singular masculine pronoun as well. The Holy Spirit is not redundant; this is said by way of emphasis, to slow down and make a point—the Israelites are going to go in and take the land from the Anakim; these are the same Anakim who frightened Israel in the past to the point where they cooled their heels for forty years in the desert while God killed a million of them. This is almost tongue in cheek. Gen X originally discovered the Anakim in the land and were afraid to go and take the land. Now in the land we have the sons of Ankim—one generation later and there are now more of them.

As the ten spies spoke more and more about the futility of going into the Land of Promise and taking it, the Anakim (Num. 13:22, 28), who were legitimately a very tall people (Num. 13:32), became giants and, after the stories had made their rounds, had become like the gods of Gen. 6—the Nephilim, who were the historical basis of the mythological gods (Num. 13:33). As you will recall, God had allowed consorting between angelic and human creatures; He even allowed fallen angels to impregnate Homo sapiens; and from that union came the gods of mythology (most of whom are, as a matter of fact, a union between human mothers and gods of the heavens).

Once these rumors started throughout the camp, as the driving force of the campaign to not go into the land, they dreamed up a slogan—slogans are always a good replacement for thought—who can stand before the sons of Anak? If you have just met someone who has, inside of five minutes, quoted you three or more of the following, (mixed or matched): song lyrics, commercial jingles, a popular television or movie phrase (or any popular saying or proverb); then head the opposite direction. You are dealing with a person who cannot think, but allows others to do his thinking for him. One of the bulwarks in the hippie movement was a proliferation of sayings and slogans. Make love, not war; power to the people; if it feels good, do it; no more war! When the philosophy of a generation can be properly represented with a few stock sayings, you have a generation in trouble. The fathers of those present sent their persistent cry throughout the camp: Who can stand before the sons of Anak? It is a wonder that, as they repeated that phrase, God did not strike them dead on the spot.

Caleb did not have a press secretary. He did not develop a slogan. He stated his case simply: “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will certainly overcome it.” (Num. 13:30b). Time proved Caleb to be right. Then Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab and from all the hill country of Judah and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. There were no Anakim left in the land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain (Joshua 11:21–22). This would be a good place to examine the Doctrine of the Anakim—not finished yet!

“And you will know this day [lit., the day] that Y^ehowah your God—the One passing over in your sight [lit., in your faces], a consuming fire. He will destroy them and He will humble them in your sight [lit., in your faces], and you will dispossess them and you cause them to perish quickly, as [lit., in which] Y^ehowah has spoken to you. [Deut. 9:3]

We have seen the noun pânîym (םי ̣נ ָ ) [pronounced paw-NEEN] before. It is generally in the plural (even though it refers to one face, as the face has several features—we similarly use the word pants when we are speaking of a singular object). However, this can be preceded by several different prepositions. With the lâmed preposition, it means in the sight of, or, more literally, in your face. With mî (- ̣מ ) [pronounced me] it means from before your face, out from before your face. Strong’s #6440 BDB #815 (lâmed is BDB #510; mî is Strong’s #4480).

Moses expresses divine viewpoint here, as he did in Deut. 7:23–24: “But Y^ehowah your God will deliver them before you, and He will throw them into great confusion until they are destroyed. And He iwll deliver their kings into your hand so that you will make their name perish from under heaven; no man will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them.” The Israelites were able to leave Egypt because God had taken them out of there. God will do the same for them when it comes to dispossessing these heathen in the land. As God spoke to Moses to say to the people: “For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand and you will drive them out before you.” (Ex. 23:31b). He will cross over the Jordan with them and they will, through God’s guidance and help, annihilate the indigenous populations.

Furthermore, what the Israelites want is God, their consuming fire, to pass before them. Moses has told the people of Israel that God is a consuming fire (Deut. 4:24) and this is what they saw with their own eyes (Ex. 24:17). What they do not want is this consuming fire to descend upon them in judgment, as occurred in Num. 11:1: Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of Y^ehowah; and when Y^ehowah heard, His anger was kindled and the fire [or, lightning] of Y^ehowah burned among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp. Also see Num. 16:1–35, where the fire of God consumes some of those who allied themselves with Korah in his rebelion against Moses.

When I study God’s Word, one of the authors I particularly enjoy referring to is J. Vernon McGee. I love to be able to slip in a quote from his messages on the radio. His comment on this verse: God takes the responsibility of putting them out of the land. God is the Landlord. He is the Creator. He has a right to do this. When I hear a fellow who is liberal in his theology complain about this, I feel like saying, “You little pipsqueak, you keep quiet. You and I are just little creatures down here.” God is the sovereign Creator; we are the creatures

“You will not say in your heart, in Y^ehowah your God’s driving them away from before your face[s], saying, ‘Y^ehowah as brought me in to possess this land because of [lit.., in] my righteousness,’ whereas because of [lit., and in] the corrupt nature [or, malevolence] of these nations is Y^ehowah driving them out from before your face [s]. [Deut. 9:4]

We have several Hebrew words and clauses to sort through here. We have the prefixed preposition bêyth used twice in apposition to each other, held together by the common wâw conjunction. B^e ( ׃) [pronounced b^e] seems to have both causal force with a disjunction implied here, as the first phrase is spoken from the standpoint of the Israelite (my righteousness) and in the second, the Israelite in the third person (your face). Other translators have dealt with it in the following ways:

We also have in this verse the word rîsh^e׳âh (ה ָע ׃ש ̣ר ) [pronounced rish^e-ĢAWH] and usually translated wickedness. However, that word has become Old English, and means less to us today. Therefore, let’s update this translation with malevolence, corrupt nature, reprehensible. There is a masculine and feminine side to this which I need to deal with eventually. Strong’s #7564 BDB #958.

One of the things that the Jews must learn immediately is God’s grace. God chose them knowing exactly what they would be like; all of their short comings and failures. God chose them out of grace. Moses will explain to them as carefully as he possibly can that the Canaanites are an extremely corrupt people, whereas the Jews did not overflow with righteousness. In fact, Moses will clearly point out to them how many times that they failed and this will be the first time that he will reveal to them that if it were not for his intercessory prayer, God might have destroyed them from the face of the earth. This is not Moses saying see what a wonderful thing I did for you; it is Moses pointing out the extent of their own personal corruption and how God viewed that corruption. It is only through God’s grace that these people are standing on one side of the Jordan, ready to enter and to take the land.

“You are not going in to possess the land because of your righteousness and because of the integrity of your motivation [lit., uprightness of your heart] for Y^ehowah your God is dispossessing them from before you [lit., your faces] because of the corrupt nature of these nations and [especially] [lit., for the sake of] to fulfill the promise [lit., word] which Y^ehowah had sworn to your fathers—to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. [Deut. 9:5]

Again, we must delve into the Hebrew. The purpose of this careful examination of the Hebrew is (1) the translation which I give might be somewhat different than your English version; (2) I tend to change the word order to give this a better English flow; and, (3) and there are nuances which are lost when moving into the English, particularly in the way of emphasis.

You will notice the word which I have inserted, especially. The Hebrew language emphasizes words in several ways: (1) by placement, (2) by doubling a verb, and (3) by inserting an unnecessary word. We have the phrase and to carry out the word. This could be stated simply with the wâw conjunction, the lâmed preposition and the infinitive of a verb. The lâmed plus the infinitive of a verb denotes purpose or cause. One of the reasons for God displacing the nations from before Israel and bringing Israel in is the fulfillment of promises which He made to Abraham and to Isaac and to Jacob. However, here we have the wâw conjunction and the preposition l^ema׳an (ן ַע ַמ ׃ל ) [pronounced l^e-MAH-ģahn], which means for the sake of, on account of, to the intent of, in order that. If we had just the lâmed preposition and the infinitive, this would be covered. However, the use of this preposition emphasizes the cause or purpose of the action. Strong’s #4616 BDB #775.

We have another pair of what would seem to be redundant prepositions. Kîy (י ̣ ) [pronounced kee] means that, for, when, because. This is followed by the prefixed preposition bêyth, which has, in this context, tended to mean because. The word order of the Hebrew runs like this: ...to possess their land for because the corrupt nature of these nations Y^ehowah your God is driving them out from before your faces... However, the emphasis is upon the corrupt nature of the indigenous nations, so that comes first in the sentence. The kîy goes with Y^ehowah and the action of the verb. When it is rearranged, it reads: for Y^ehowah your God is dispossessing them from before you because of the corrupt nature of these nations. Strong’s #3588 BDB #471. When we reorder the words of this verse so that we have a better flow in the English, the apparent redundancy disappears.

Finally, a verb we find here is the Hiphil infinitive construct of qûwm (םק ) [pronounced koom]. In the Qal stem, it means to stand, to rise up (Gen. 37:7 Ex. 33:10 Prov. 28:12). It also means to establish a vow, to cause a vow to stand, to confirm or to fulfill a vow (Num. 24:17 30:4 Jer. 44:29). In the Hiphil it means, among other things, to establish, to fulfill, to cause to stand, to perform a vow, a commandment, a promise (Gen. 6:18 17:7 26:3 Num. 30:14). Strong’s #6965 BDB #877.

One of the many passages that the Israelites should have studied and repeated to their children was: “You will not think [lit., say] in your heart, in Y^ehowah your God’s driving them away from before your face [s], saying, ‘Y^ehowah as brought me in to possess this land because of [lit.., in] my righteousness.’ You are not going in to possess the land because of your righteousness and because of the integrity of your motivation [lit., uprightness of your heart]. And you will know that God is not giving you this land because of your righteousness. (Deut. 9:4a, 5a, 6a). But if it is by grace, it is no long on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Quite correct—they were broken off for their unbelief and you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear (Rom. 11:6, 20–21). For who regard you as superior? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? (1Cor. 4:7).

The upshot of this is that God is bringing them into this land for two primary reasons 9neither of which has anything to do with their personal righteousness): (1) The indigenous population is corrupt to the point where they must be removed from this earth; and, (2) God has made a promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob which God will keep. God is removing the indigenous population because of their heinous religion, which, as we have seen, involves child sacrifice and prostitution. Leviticus carries one of the many indictments of the Canaanites who were in the land: “Neither will you give any of your offspring to cause them to pass over to Molech, nor will you profan the name of your God—I am Y^ehowah. You will not lie with a male as those who lie with a female; it is an abomination. Aso, you will not have intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor will any woman stand before an animal to lie with it—it is a perversion. Do not defile yourselves by any of these things, for by all these, the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled, for the land has become defiled. Therefore, I have visited its iniquity upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants. But, as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments and you will not do any of these abominations—[nor] the native, nor the alien who temporarily resides among you; (for the men of the land who have been before you have done all these abominations and the land has become defiled); so that the land will not spew you out, should you defile it, as it has spewed out the nation which has been before you. For whoever does any of these abominations, those person who do so will be cut off from among their people. Thus you are to keep My charge, that you do not practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, os as not to defile yourselves with them; I am Y^ehowah your God.” (Lev. 18:21–30; see Deut. 18:9–14 as well).

“And you will know that Y^ehowah your God is not giving to you this good land to possess it because [of] your righteousness, for you [are] a stubborn people [lit., a people stiff of neck]. [Deut. 9:6]

This stiff of neck must be from donkeys, oxen, horses and/or mules. When guiding a quadraped, you turn the head and the neck with the reins and bridal—then they used a yoke

for their oxen—and they will follow the direction of their head. The joint, so to speak, is in the neck—if that is turned, the animal turns. However, if the animal refuses and holds its neck in place, then it cannot be moved to the left or right—it is obstinate and is going to go in one direction only. “But the nation which will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Bbylon and serve him, I will let remain on its land,” declares Y^ehowah, “And they will till it and dwell in it.” And I spoke words like all these to Zedekiah, king of Judah, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live!” (Jer. 27:12–13). This approaches being stiff-necked from the stand point of not placing oneself under the authority of another. The Israelites are being called stubborn, obstinate and without authority.

Again in this verse we have the prepositions kîy and the bêyth together. The word order is: And you will know that (kîy) not because (bêyth) your righteousness Y^ehowah your God is giving to you this good land to possess it for a people stiff of neck you. Again, the kîy (that, because that, because, for) goes with Y^ehowah your God and the verb giving, and because, for goes with righteousness.

That the Jews were stubborn and stood in opposition to God’s plan is alluded to throughout Scripture: “For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness; look, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against Y^ehowah; how much more, then after my death?” (Deut. 31:27). And Y^ehowah said to Moses, “I have seen this people and, observe, they are an obstinate people.” (Ex. 32:9). Prior to his martyrdom, Stephen spoke to the religious Jews who were about to kill him: “You men who are obstinate and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?” (Acts 7:51–52a). See also: Ex. 34:9 Deut. 9:13 10:16

V. 6 reiterates what vv. 4–5 already said: it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this land. Moses has said that three times in three verses. They are receiving this land on the basis of God’s character, which includes His fulfillment of promises—not on the basis of their own righteousness. Now you certainly do not want this to apply to you, but it does. You think that because you have been so good, that God has not choice but to just poor on the blessings. And you have a nice car, a nice house, a good salary and you think it is because you are righteous. You are just soo good. Three times Moses tells these Israelites: it is not because of your righteousness. Our salvation and our blessings come on the basis of grace. The Israelites, in their legalistic religion, read and re-read several verses. They need to haul out Deut. 9:4–6 and read and re-read this verse. When you begin to understand God’s grace, as an unbeliever, you are that much closer to eternal salvation. When you, as a believer, begin to understand God’s grace, you are that much closer to even greater blessings in your life and a much better walk with God. Moses is shouting, it is not because of your righteousness; are you listening? He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). So, what about the 1% of saved people who now think that what we ought to do is to commit acts of unrighteousness so that God will have more opportunities to shed grace upon us? Paul had his 1% to deal with as well: To what conclusion are we forced? Should we continue in sin so that grace might increase? Hell, no!

How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts [the trends of your old sin nature]; and do not go on placing under orders the members of your body to sin—instruments of unrighteousness; but place yourselves under orders to god as though alive from the dead and your weapons [as] instruments of righteousness to God. For sin will not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace (Rom. 6:1–2, 12b–14).

So, just maybe the Israelites don’t quite get this gift of the land as being a grace gift; apart from their righteousness. For the remainder of this chapter, for the next 23 verses, Moses will now make it clear as to why they cannot rely on their righteousness—he will give them several examples of their rebellion against God:

“Remember—do not forget—that you provoked Y^ehowah your God to wrath [or, severely aggravated Y^ehowah your God] in the wilderness that from the day which you came out of the land of Egypt until your

coming as far as this place out of rebelling you [all] are against [lit., with; as in being contentious with] Y^ehowah. [Deut. 9:7]

Moses will now list the greatest sins of these Israelites against God. V. 7 is the panoramic view: from the very day they left Egypt up until this moment, they have been in rebellion against God. What some of you need is for God to go back and replay the last twenty years of your life in order to get you to stop whining, I deserve better than this! You have spent much of that life in rebellion against God; in contention with God. I have dealt with friends day in and day out who have caused themselves to become severely unhappy—however, they have no intention of changing their ways, it does not occur to them to go back and re-evaluate their past mistakes; they do not even take responsibility for their own sadness—they just want it to stop hurting and they cannot understand why God or some person has done this to them. I am thinking particularly of two women who met two different men, slept with them, and then wondered why things did not work out as they thought they should. One married her man (after having children by two other men) and the other was dumped. Both were extremely unhappy with their present state of affairs. You cannot be in continual rebellion against God and think everything is going to be nice and rosy. You need a reality check.

By the time the Israelites first reached the land, they had already been in rebellion ten times. “Surely, all the men who have seen My glory and My signs, which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice—they shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor will any of those who spurned Me see it.” (Num. 14:22–23). Refer back to Num. 14:22 for a list of the ten times of rebellion. In this chapter, we will be covering five of them.

McGee: At the very moment God was giving them the commandments, they were turning fro Him—yet they were saying they would obey Him. People can be more phony in religion than in anything else. It seems to be something that is characteristic of the human nature. Even people who are really sincere are as phony as can be...”Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2Corinthians 13:5). Check whether you are in the faith or not. I believe, and I preach the security of the believer, my friend. I believe that the believer is secure. But I also believe and preach the insecurity of the make-believer. There are a lot of make-believers. We need to search our hearts, every one of us

It is often charged that some romanticist of centuries later wrote Deuteronomy. So, now read these last two verses again: “And you will know that Y^ehowah your God is not giving to you this good land to possess it because [of] your righteousness, for you [are] a stubborn people [lit., a people stiff of neck]. Remember—do not forget—that you provoked Y^ehowah your God to wrath [or, severely aggravated Y^ehowah your God] in the wilderness that from the day which you came out of the land of Egypt until your coming as far as this place out of rebelling you [all] are against [lit., with; as in being contentious with] Y^ehowah.” No author, no romanticist, living several hundred years after this time period, wrote this. This reveals the great passion of the man who was there, who faced these people and faced his God and acted as an intermediary between them.

“Even in Horeb, you [all] aggravated Y^ehowah, so that Y^ehowah became angry because of you—[angry enough] to destroy you! [Deut. 9:8]

This is case history #1 (but not their first failure). Moses will trot out before this generation several of the failings of Israel. Even though the listeners were not the perpetrators in each case, these were the sons of those who were in rebellion against God and, in that way, had some natural sympathy and leanings in that direction. Had they been older, this generation would have been participating in all of the rebellions against God.

And note how this verse begins; even in Horeb. They go into idolatry almost immediately after receiving the Law from the mouth of God. They heard God’s voice; they agreed to His terms of a treaty; and then they fall into idolatry. You can almost hear the exasperation in the voice of Moses—Even in Horeb, you aggravated Y^ehowah!” Today, Moses would have added: “Just what were you thinking?”

This use of Horeb refers to the golden calf incident at the foot of Mount Sinai, as Psalm 106:19 reads: They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a molten image (see also Deut. 18:16). We have covered the Doctrine of Horeb at the beginning of Deuteronomy. Let’s recall the historical incident: Now when the people saw that Moses had delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we do not know what has become of him.” And Aaron said to them, “Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons and your daughters and bring [them] to me.” Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears, and brought [them] to Aaron. And he took from their hand, and fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Now, where Aaron saw [this], he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow, a feast to Y^ehowah.” So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink and they rose up to mock [God]. Then Y^ehowah said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. Now then, let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them, and that I may destroy them; and I will you of you a great nation.” (Ex. 32:1–10).

The fact of God’s wrath is covered in: Num. 16:46 1Sam. 28:18 Job 20:28 Psalm 7:11 69:24 79:6 110:5 Isa. 9:19 Ezek. 20:8,13 21:31 Hosea 5:10 Zeph. 3:8 Rev. 6:17. Psalm 2:12: Lay a hold of the instruction

of the Son, so that He does not become angry and you will perish in the way. For His wrath may soon be kindled—how blessed are all who take refuge in Him! And God’s wrath is by no means confined to the Old Testament: But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God (Rom. 2:5). This would be an ideal place to examine the Doctrine of the Wrath of God—not finished yet!!

“In my going up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stones—tables of the covenant which Y^ehowah had made with you)—and remained in the mountain forty days and forty nights; bread I had not eaten and water I did not drink; [Deut. 9:9]

Now Y^ehowah said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there and I will give you the stone tablets and the Law and the decree which I have written for their instruction.” Then Moses went up to the [foot of the] mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. And Moses entered the midst of the cloud and he went up to the mountain and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights (Ex. 24:12, 15, 18). The Israelites had heard the contents of the tablets of the Law read to them directly by God in Ex. 20 and Moses repeated these laws to them in Deut. 5.

Not until now did Moses mention that he had gone without food and water during this time period. This is obviously a supernatural physical feat. Even though the genetic structure of Moses was more sound then than the genetic structure of man in general today, still we are speaking of a miracle. God preserved the life of Moses, although he went forty days and forty nights without any physical nourishment. Moses literally lived upon the Word of God. So he was there with Y^ehowah forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments [lit., Words] (Ex. 34:28; see also Deut. 9:18). Now might be a good time to examine the Doctrine of Forty Days and Forty Nights—not finished yet!!

“And Y^ehowah gave to me the two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them, as all of the words which Y^ehowah had spoken with you in the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, in the day of the assembly. [Deut. 9:10]

God at first had spoken directly to Israel: And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Then God spoke all these words (Ex. 19:18 20:1a). Then the sons of Israel requested that Moses speak to God directly and they would listen to him (Ex. 20:1–20). This was perhaps the only act of greatness on the part of gen X; the people recognized that they could not come into direct contact with the holiness of God (they had become too afraid) and they requested a specifically that Moses, a shadow of our Lord, act as their mediator.

Moses has already covered the Law during this message (Deut. 5:24–27), so he does not have to repeat it. Reminding them of God’s voice coming out of the midst of the fire and speaking to everyone was enough. Moses went up to the mountain to speak to God, just as the people had requested. This involved forty days and forty nights of complete fasting. These Ten Commandments (or, words) were a basic freedom code. The Israelites received it once verbally from God, then in the form of these tablets. “So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform—the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.” (Deut. 4:13). This made up a covenant between God and man. As has been mentioned before, there were not five commandments on one tablet and the remaining five on the other, but each tablet had all Ten Commandments on it. This is how a treaty was handled; both parties had a copy of the treaty.

We have had the finger of God mentioned several times, so we ought to examine the Doctrine of the Finger of God—not finished yet!

“And it came to pass, at the end of forty days and forty nights, Y^ehowah had given to me the two tablets of stone—tablets of the covenant. [Deut. 9:11]

Here, tablets is in the plural, not the dual—an interesting point of the Hebrew, indicating to me that some things are thought of naturally as being in pairs, and hence the dual is used. Other things which are not naturally seen in pairs is just in the plural, but it is a plural of two or more and not three or more.

Moses received a great deal of the law during that first visit. He wrote it down when he was up on the mountain (Deut. 24:4). However, this is not the information which is covered here; the idolatrous acts of Israel was the information which Moses was dealing with primarily.

Tablets of the covenant could be rendered tablets of the contract, tablets of the agreement, tablets of the treaty; these tablets represent the fully executed contract or agreement between God and man. Both parties had come to an agreement and now there will be two copies of this agreement, one to be kept in the ark of the covenant (this is Y^ehowah’s copy) and I do not recall where the other is kept (or if that is even mentioned?).

“And Y^ehowah said to me, ‘Arise, go down, quickly from here, for your people have become corrupt [or, have gone into ruination], [the people] whom you have brought out of Egypt; they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I have commanded them—they have made for themselves a molten image!’ [Deut. 9:12]

Moses is quoting what God had said to him in Ex. 32:7b–8a (already quoted above). Falling into idolatry was a common mistake of the Israelites, as we read in Judges 2:17: And yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of Y^ehowah; they did not do [as God had commanded them].

Back in v. 5 we had the verb qûwm (םק ) [pronounced koom], which means to stand, to rise up, to establish [a vow], to cause [a vow] to stand, to confirm or to fulfill [a vow], to establish, to fulfill, to cause to stand, to perform a vow, a commandment, a promise. In v. 5, this verb was in the Hiphil infinitive, indicating purpose. Here, it is in the Qal imperative; God is telling Moses to stand up, to rise up. Strong’s #6965 BDB #877.

As we noted in Exodus, this is an interesting way to put it—the people you have brought out of Egypt. They are now a people belonging to Moses and not to God. If you are married and you have a son and he has done something horribly wrong at school, your wife will call you at the office to tell you what your son has done. However, this was a test of Moses at this juncture. Moses was in authority—these people were under his authority; and God is testing Moses as to his reaction. God knows what good choices Moses is capable of, while empowered by the Holy Spirit. However, the things Moses will say and do will stand forever as a testimony to doctrine in the soul and God’s grace.

God directly commanded the sons of Israel so that every single one of them heard, not to become involved in idolatry. The people had promised Moses that all God said to him, they would do. Not much over a month has passed and gen X has already gone into idolatry. This forty days and forty nights went by as both a test to Moses and a test to generation X. It is no wonder that God several times throughout the Bible says, “I loathed that generation.”

“And then Y^ehowah spoke to me, saying, ‘I have seen this people, and observe, they [are]

a stubborn [lit., stiff necked] people. [Deut. 9:13]

This verse is a quotation of Ex. 32:9. We all have memories, some are clear and some are distance; some are even nonexistent. However, although these meeting took place forty years ago and Moses is about 120 years old, he recalls it as though it were yesterday. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and because of what he has written, he is able to communicate exactly what had occurred to this new generation of Israelites.

Notice that God does not continually refer to the Israelites as immoral, but as stiff--necked, stubborn—self-willed. You can be moral or immoral and still be self-willed. No matter what God has said to them, no matter what promises they have made to God, gen X has chosen again and again to follow their own path. When we study the book of the Judges, we will see the entire nation Israel behaving in that fashion. I recall a young lady telling me once that when she woke up in the morning, she tried to do what was right for the rest of the day. If you are moral and self-willed, which many of these Israelites were, that is no better than being immoral and self-willed. God has a standard and we are to meet that standard. “Circumcise your heart, therefore, and stiffen your neck no more.” (Deut. 10:16). Circumcise your heart is salvation, and stiffen your neck no more is to strive to follow God’s will rather than your own. Today, we attain the former by believing in Jesus Christ and the latter by studying His Word and being filled with God the Holy Spirit through rebound.

People is in the masculine singular so the pronoun which refers to people is also a masculine singular. And now God will tempt Moses, and you will notice the parallel between the temptation of our Lord and the temptation here of Moses.

“ ‘Leave Me alone and I will destroy them and blot out their name from under the heavens and I will make you a nation mightier and greater than they.’ [Deut. 9:14]

Moses quotes Ex. 32:10. God has proposed that Moses just stand aside and God will level the nation Israel. Then God will start from scratch with Moses, just as He had with Abraham. This will be the first of at lease two occasions when God will offer to begin anew with Moses (Num. 14:12).

One of the great tests which Moses faced was whether to dump the entire Exodus generation, the parents and sons alike, and to father the new nation, or to forge ahead with what he had. Moses did not want to be a leader in the first place and, at the point of this temptation, he had already seen some whining and complaining from this exodus generation (the no-water test). He knew about Jacob and this opened up the possibility that he might have several wives. So Moses had a lot of reasons to give into God’s offer. God had not implied that there would have been anything wrong in taking Him up on it. However, Moses had two things to consider—his own love for this worthless people and God’s reputation as the God of these people. Moses, with doctrine in his soul, was able to resist this temptation—which was a test of God of the reliability and faithfulness of Moses.

Now, I am certain that several pastors and/or writers have compared Moses to Christ and have drawn parallels. However, our Lord, in the context of his testing by Satan, quoted from this passage (Deut. 8:3—recall, there were no chapter breaks in the original language). What we have is a test of Moses which closely parallels to test of our Lord. So I will present a table here which both examines Moses as a shadow of our Lord Jesus Christ and the testing of Moses, which he speaks of, as being a shadow of the testing our Lord would endure in Matt. 4 and in Luke 4.

The Testing of Moses Foreshadows the Testing of our Lord
OT Passage	The Testing of Moses	NT Passage	The Testing of our Lord
Ex. 34:28	Moses fasts 40 days and nights	Matt. 4:2	Our Lord fasts forty days and nights
Ex. 20:18–20	Moses was the mediator between the people and God	1Tim. 2:5	Our Lord is the mediator between ourselves and God
Ex. 20:21	The people could not observe the testing of Moses	Matt. 4:1	No one observed the tempting of our Lord
Deut. 9:9–10	The testing of Moses took place on a high mountain	Matt. 4:8	The testing of our Lord took place on a high mountain
Ex. 32:1 Deut. 9:12	The testing of Moses involves idolatry—the idolatry of the Israelites	Matt. 4:9	The tempting of our Lord involved idolatry—He was instructed to fall down and worship Satan
Deut. 9:13	God identifies the obvious problem to Moses (the stubbornness of his people)	Matt. 4:3	Satan identifies the obvious problem to our Lord (His hunger)
Deut. 9:14	God offers a Moses a quick fix—to destroy the Jews right then and there	Matt. 4:3	Satan offers our Lord a quick fix—to turn the stones into bread
Ex. 32:11–13	Moses would have to disregard his responsibilities as the leader of Israel to allow their destruction; furthermore, this was not a part of God’s plan, as these were the Jews which God would bring into the land	Matt. 4:4	Jesus would have to disregard God’s plan if He turned the stones into bread (He would be satisfying his human needs with his deity, an option which we do not have)
Ex. 32:10	God offers Moses the easy solution; to make the nation from his descendants—which was a bona fide offer	Matt. 4:9 Luke 4:5–7	Satan offered out Lord the easy solution—bypass the cross and take the kingdoms from him—which was, incidentally, a bonafide offer
Ex. 31:18 32:11–13	Moses had the tablets of the Law in his hands, but he passed this test because doctrine was in his soul (Moses quotes Scripture to support his position)	Matt. 4:4, 7, 10	Our Lord pased this test because doctrine was in His soul (our Lord quotes Scripture to support His position)
Ex. 32:11–13	Moses interceded on the part of the people	Heb. 7:25 9:24	Our Lord intercede on our behalf
Num. 26	Moses’ decision to intercede for this people saved many alive who could have died.	John 6:27 10:28 Rom. 5:21 6:23 Heb. 2:10	Our Lord’s decision also delivered many sons into life.
Ex. 32:11–13	Moses is given a bona fide temptation, but it falls outside of God’s plan	Matt. 4:6	Our Lord was given a bona fide temptation, but it falls outside of God’s plan
Ex. 32:14	Moses passed the test!	Matt. 4:11	Our Lord passed the test!
Deut. 8:3	Moses tells the people that they cannot live on bread alone.	Matt. 4:4 Luke 4:4	So that we see there is a parallel, our Lord quotes this same passage in resisting the devil

Now recall the exchange between God and Moses before Moses came down from the mountain. [Moses speaking to God]: “Now therefore, I respectfully ask of You, if I have found grace in Your sight, let me know Your ways, that I may know You, so that I may find grace in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” And He [Y^ehowah] said, ”My presence will go and I will give you rest.” Then he said to Him, ‘If Your presence does not go, do not lead us up from here.” (Ex. 33:13–15). Moses is no fool; he realizes that it would be worthless to go anywhere outside of God’s guidance. Whether into the land or on the outskirts—without God’s presence, Israel has no hope.

“And I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire, and the two tablets of the covenant [were] in [lit., upon] my two hands; [Deut. 9:15]

This was quite a dramatic scene, which even Cecil B. DeMille did not fully capture. Recall what the mountain was like at the ascension of Moses and Joshua: Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because Y^ehowah descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder (Ex. 19:18–19). There was lighting striking all over the mountain of God; the people are dancing and singing in a riotous orgy below, worshiping some golden calf. Moses steps out of the thick cloud about the mountain with the two tablets in his hands and sees the revelry below (not unlike stepping into a nightclub with music so loud, that it completely dominates the atmosphere).

Moses presents the events here in a slightly different order than he did in Exodus. Here this is covered topically. Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both their sides; they were written on one and the other. And the tablets were God’s work and the writing was God’s writing engrave on the tablets (Ex. 32:15–16).

“And I looked and I, and observe [lit., and behold], you [all] had sinned in regards to Y^ehowah your God; you [all] had made for yourselves a molten calf; you [all] had quickly turned aside out of the way which Y^ehowah had commanded you; [Deut. 9:16]

Moses was quite unprepared for all of this—he comes down the mountain, hearing all of this singing and revelry, which, at first, he does not even recognize—Joshua suggests that maybe Israel is at battle, that these are the sounds of victory or the crying of defeat from a battle. He was unprepared for the loudness as he descended from Mount Sinai. Then he observed what was occurring, and the golden calf is in a prominent place and then Moses realizes that these people are celebrating their devotion to the idol which had been made. Now when Joshua heard the sound of the people in its shouting, he said, to Moses, “There is a sound of war in the camp.” But he [Moses] said, “It is not the sound of the cry of triumph, nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat; but the sound of singing I hear.” And it came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and dancing (Ex. 32:17–19a).

“And so I took hold of the two tables and threw them out from upon my two hands and broke them before your eyes. [Deut. 9:17]

And the anger of Moses burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain (Ex. 32:19b). Moses was totally unprepared for what he saw. I realize that at least one commentator has said that Moses realized that Israel was not ready for the law yet, and so he broke the tablets of stone. These tablets of stone were a treaty, a covenant, between God and man. The Israelites had already heard these laws spoken by God’s voice—every single Israelite had heard that Y^ehowah was a jealous God and that there be no gods instead of Him; that idolatry was strictly forbidden. And the Israelites had already agreed to this and said, “All that Y^ehowah has said, we will do!” In the space of forty days, they broke the covenant between themselves and God, and Moses broke the tablets of stone, which were a symbol of that covenant. I had previously thought that this was dramatic license—however, in carefully examining this, the breaking of the tablets indicate that the covenant between God and the sons of Israel have been broken.

Before your eyes is an interesting phrase. The prefixed preposition lâmed (to, for, in regard to, with respect to) is followed by the dual of eyes but affixed to the masculine plural suffix. To be perhaps more literal, this would be with respect to each pair of eyes of you all. That is an addition of a few English words (it is one word in the Hebrew, with a prefix and a suffix).

“And then I prostrated myself before the face of Y^ehowah, as at first—forty days and forty nights, I had not eaten bread and I had not drunk water—because of all your sins which you [all] had sinned, and in doing [lit., and to do] the evil in the sight [lit., in the eyes of Y^ehowah] to cause Him to become angry. [Deut. 9:18]

Prostrated is in the Hithpael, which is the intensive reflexive; Moses has an incredible strength, still not having eaten or drunk—God had given him the strength to come down from the mountain, to carry the second tablets of the Law. Moses fully comprehended, at this moment, the anger and disappointment of God. So he was there with Y^ehowah forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments [lit., words]. And it came to pass when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai, and the two tablets of the testimony [were] in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mount, that Moses did not know that the skin of his face sone because of his speaking with Him (Ex. 34:28–29).

As at the first means that Moses was also prostrated before God when he received the tablets of the Law on his first ascension up Mount Sinai. McGee: Moses knew that God hates sin. May I say to you that we today do not have the faintest conception of how God hates sin and how He intends to punish it. Moses went down on his face before god and fasted and cried out to God for forty days and forty nights! Why? Because Moses knew the ways of God. He knew how god hates sin. The average Christian today does not seem to realize how God hates sin in his life. My friend, God never ignores a sin we commit. God will deal with sin in your life and in my life. I have been a pastor for a long time and I have observed church people over the years. I want to say to you that I have watched people in the church play fast and loose with God. I have seen them cut corners and put up a front....[you] can’t play fast and loose with God. God hates sin. God punishes sin. Moses also knew the mercy of God. Moses come to God because he trusts in His mercy. God will punish sin, but, my friend, we do not comprehend how wonderful He is. He is so gracious. He extends mercy to the sinner. He has extended His mercy to you, I am sure...and the Lord extended mercy to Israel

At this point, it is the order in Exodus which is not chronological. We will look at the order in which these evens occurred below, in both books and in chronological order. Moses has to deal with this rebellion against God and then he will return to Mount Sinai to pray on behalf of the rest of the camp. However, in Exodus, the Ex. 33:1–11 told the customary arrangement which went on for several years subsequent to the golden calf incident as a result of this incident. Moses will go into more detail about his second trip up on Mount Sinai in Deut. 10.

“Because I had been afraid out from a face [s] of anger and the fury with which Y^ehowah had been angered against you [or, was furious with]—to destroy you; however [lit., and] Y^ehowah had listened to me also at this time. [Deut. 9:19]

Face of anger is literally, faces of the nose—a phrase referring the anger, both human (Gen. 27:45 49:6–7) and divine (Ex. 32:12 2Kings 24:20). Chêmâh (ה ָמ ֵח ) [pronounced khay-MAW] does mean hot displeasure; that is, there is a connotation of heat here; however, a more modern rendering would be fury, rage, heated anger. Strong’s #2534 BDB #404. The verb here is the Qal perfect of qâtsaph (ף ַצ ָק ) [pronounced kaw-TSAF] which means to be wroth, to be angry, to be in a rage. Strong’s #7107 BDB #893. Finally, after three words which indicate great anger, Moses states the intention of God—to destroy, to annihilate, to wipe out the entire exodus generation (which was actually two generations, gen X and the Generation of Promise). Moses interceded on behalf of these degenerates; otherwise, he would have returned to practically an empty camp of nothing but dead bodies. Recall, God had said, “Now then, let Me alone, that My anger might burn against them and that I might destroy them; and I will make from you a great nation. [However], Y^ehowah changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.” (Ex. 34:10, 14). Throughout Israel’s history, there have been intercessory prayers made on her behalf by a mediator, by one who would stand in the gap between Israel and the just fury of God (Num. 11:2 1Sam. 7:5–9 Jer. 15:1).

“And Y^ehowah was angry with Aaron intensely enough to destroy him, so I prayed also on behalf of Aaron at that time; [Deut. 9:20]

Aaron had the responsibility of holding down the fort while Moses was up on Mount Sinai—a difficult task, given the loser believers whom he had to babysit; however, the route that Aaron chose was inexcusable. As was mentioned, rather than taking a stand of leadership, it is possible that he tried to trick the people into not constructing an idol by sending the men back to their tents to collect the jewelry from their wives and children, hoping that perhaps this would blow over as women and children do not typically like parting with their jewelry. Aaron had seen even more closely than his fellow Jews everything which God had done and he still, once the gold was brought to him, participated with the other Israelites in their idolatry. It would have been one thing for him to have looked away when they fell into idolatry, or better for him to have shown disapproval, but Aaron actually cast the golden calf for them. Aaron did not know when Moses was coming back. He knew that in Moses absence he was in charge. He, as their stand-in spiritual and political leader, actually encouraged this foolishness. He knew that if Moses did not return that he would have to deal with these people for the rest of his life, so if they want a golden claf, Aaron was willing to supply them with a golden calf. He was a weak, and easily influenced man of authority. This is why God chose Moses and not Aaron to lead the sons of Israel.

Even in the narrative from Exodus, Moses did not record his specific intercession for Aaron. In fact, neither in Exodus or Deuteronomy are we given the exact point at which that Moses prayed on Aaron’s behalf—whether it was in general prior to Moses coming down off the mountain, or quickly, as Moses observed the horror of the Israelites idolatry. However, this likely took place the second time Moses was on Mount Sinai. When Moses first prayed for the forgiveness of Israel, he had not seen what occurred below; it likely never occurred to Moses that Aaron was involved in any way.

“And your sin, which you [all] had made—the calf—I took [it] and then I burned it with fire, and then I crushed it, grinding [it] well until it [lit., which] was pulverized to dust, and I threw its dust into the brook descending out of the mountain. [Deut. 9:21]

You will recall the action of Moses, the meekest man on the earth. He grabs this statue of the golden calf and smashes and pulverizes it until it is all find dust, and then he threw it into a brook that came out of Mount Sinai. And Moses did not stop there. And he took the calf which they had made and burned with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered over the surface of the water, and made the sons of Israel drink (Ex. 32:20). Then, in the narrative of Exodus, Moses personally chews out Aaron (Ex. 32:21–25).

What we need to look at now is the order in which these events are presented in both the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy and how they actually occurred chronologically:

The Chronology of Exodus and Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy

Exodus

Chronological

Moses goes up Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights to receive the tablets of the law, during which time he neither eats nor drinks. (Deut. 9:9–11).

God tells Moses of the idolatry which Israel had fallen into and tells Moses to step aside so that He might destroy them (Deut. 9:12–14).

Moses comes down the mountain with the tablets of the Law in his hands and observing the revelry below, throws the tablets of the covenant between God and man to the ground, crumbling them (Deut. 9:15–17).

Moses returns to Mount Sinai and falls down before God, praying on behalf of the people and for Aaron as well (Deut. 9:18–20).

Moses melts and then pulverizes the golden calf and scatters the dust into a brook (Deut. 9:21).

Moses again intercedes for the people, having seen what actually occurred (Deut. 9:25–29).

The Israelites receive the Ten Commandments verbally directly from God; they ask Moses to speak directly to God and that God not speak to them directly (Ex. 20:1–20).

The people stand off in the distance as Moses approached the thick cloud where God was (Ex. 20:21)

Moses is given several ordinances and laws—primarily civil laws (Ex. 20:22–23:19).

God tells Moses about the angel which will be sent before them to conquer the Land of Promise (Ex. 23:20–33).

God specifies who may come near to Him (Ex. 24:1–2).

Moses tells the people what God said, they agree to it and Moses writes down what God said (Ex. 24:3–7).

Moses is called by God to Mount Sinai; he leaves Joshua as a sentry as he ascends the mountain (Ex. 24:8–17).

While on the mountain for forty days and forty nights, God speaks to him about the tabernacle and the ark (Ex. 24:18–31:18).

Near the end of this forty day period, the people talk Aaron into casting a calf idol of gold (Ex. 32:1–6).

God tells Moses that the Israelites had corrupted themselves and to stand aside so that He can destroy them (Ex. 32:7–10).

Moses intercedes for the people and God acquiesces (Ex. 32:11–14).

Moses comes down from the mountain with the tablets; he and Joshua then return to the camp together, hearing and speculating about the loud noises below (Ex. 32:15–18).

They come into the camp, Moses observes what is happening, melts the idol then grinds it to dust, scatters over a brook and makes them drink out of the brook (Ex. 32:19–20)

Moses chews out Aaron and Aaron tells him what happened (Ex. 32:21–24).

Moses speaks to the Levites and then to God (Ex. 32:25–33:6).

The customary manner of Moses meeting with Y^ehowah outside the camp (Ex. 33:7–11).

Another conversation between God and Moses (Ex. 33:12–22).

Moses ascend Mount Sinai again with two tablets pre-cut for the engraving of the Law; God instructs him to write down the Law (Ex. 34:1–28).

Moses returns; his face shines (Ex. 34:29–35).

Moses teaches the people these laws and the tabernacle is built (Ex. 35–40)

Ex. 20:1–32:30 is essentially chronological. Notice that the civil laws were given at the foot of Mount Sinai (which Moses wrote down) and the instructions concerning the construction of the tabernacle and the holy furniture took place on Mount Sinai. The Ten Commandments were given to the people at the foot of Mount Sinai, but the tablets of the covenant were given from the top of Mount Sinai.

Ex. 32:31–34:35 is difficult to order. Moses has a conversation with God prior to going back up on the mountain (Ex. 34:1), which likely includes Ex. 32:31–35.

Ex. 33 is an odd section. It described the customary relationship between God and Moses after this sin of the Israelites. Most or all of this chapter seems to occur after the second ascension of the mountain. Ex. 33:12–23 could have occurred before, during or after this second ascension.

Ex. 34 is the second time Moses ascends Mount Sinai. He receives the Ten Commandments a second time, along with more laws and regulations.

Moses then teaches additional laws and regulations to the congregation and the tabernacle is built (Ex. 35–40).

One of the things which has always interested me is the writing and piecing together of the Law. I thoroughly reject the theories which have it being written long after the time of Moses. Whereas, it is almost definite that someone other than Moses wrote Genesis and the very end of Deuteronomy, the rest of the Law was written by him. The fact that Ex. 33–35 is not strictly chronological indicates that it was actually written sometime after the fact. That is, not a month or so later, but perhaps a year later. I would place the writing of Ex. 34–Num. 19 during the thirty-eight years that Moses and the Israelites spend in Kadesh-Barnea.

“And in Taberah and in Massah, and in Kibroth-Hattaavah, you have made Y^ehowah angry. [Deut. 9:22]

Let’s deal with a minor problem first, and then we will analyze the verse. Taberah was not mentioned in Num. 33:16 as one of the stopping places, yet we have it mentioned here and in Num. 11:3. Taberah is the name of a place either right at Kibroth-Hattaavah or very close by. Because they are so near (the Israelites probably overlapped both places at the same time), they are not both mentioned in Num. 33. However, because there was a separate failure in the vicinity of each and since each name records the type of failure which occurred, they are mentioned separately here.

Just so several from the tribes mentioned don’t jumped up and down and say, “That wasn’t me at the foot of Mount Sinai”; Moses quickly names three other places where the Israelites caused God to become angry with them:

Num. 11:1–3 records the first sin alluded to. Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of Y^ehowah; and when Y^ehowah heard, His anger was kindled, and the fire of Y^ehowah burned among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp. The people therefore cried out to Moses and Moses prayed to Y^ehowah and the first sank down. So the name of that place was called Taberah [lit., Burning], because the fire of Y^ehowah burned among them.

Massah is one of the early sins of the Israelites. Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the mouth of Y^ehowah, and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore, the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Y^ehowah?” But the people thirsted there fore water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, “Why now have you brought us up from Egypt? To kill me and my children and my livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to Y^ehowah, saying, “What will I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me.” Then Y^ehowah said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Observe, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you will strike the rock and water will gush out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested Y^ehowah, saying, “Is Y^ehowah among us or not?” (Num. 17:1–7). There were two no-water tests; the first was designated as occurring at Massah [lit., Test] and Meribah [lit., Quarrel] and the second was called Meribah at Kadesh-Barnea (Num. 20:1–14a). It is interesting that, although Moses has alluded to the second no-water test and his own failure already, he does not allude to it here. He refers back to the first no-water test when the audience was under the age of twenty (and some of them had not even been born yet).

The last place mentioned, Kibroth-hattaavah, was where the people complained of the monotony of their diet. They were sick of manna and desired the variety of foods that they had come to know in Egypt (Num. 11:4–9). God could have provided them with a great variety of food in the wilderness, as God is capable of any simple miracle of provision such as that (Num. 11:23). However, these people were under discipline from God. Moses takes their desire to God and God sees that they suddenly find themselves in the midst of a great flock of quail (the size of which would be beyond our imagination), most of them flying about three feet off the ground (Num. 11:31). The quail were easy to capture and the sons of Israel ate until they were stuffed (Num. 11:32). God, in discipline, because of the rebellion in their souls and their surly attitudes, struck many of these people with a severe plague (Num. 11:33); and this place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, which means Graves of Geed (Num. 11:34).

So, again, for a fourth example, Moses points out an incident where their fathers were primarily the guilty ones and not those listening. Why is that? Anyone who is honest in his own heart recognizes that he is in rebellion against God. In case there is any question in your mind, I have spent much of my perfsonal life in rebellion against God, doing things and thinking things which were in opposition to His Word—often fully cognizant of the wrong I was doing. That sentence falls under the mandate of James to: Confess your faults, one to another (James 5:16). For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am of flesh, led astray into bondage to sin. For that which I am doing, I do not understand because I am not practicing the thing I would like to, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not whish, I agree with the Law, that it is good. So, therefore, no longer am I the one doing it, but [my old] sin [nature] which indwells me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good [is] not. For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but [my old] sin [nature] which dwells in me. I find them the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do the honorable thing. For I joyfully concur with the Law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, which is is my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the Law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin (Rom. 7:14–25). Moses was giving these Israelites case histories that they were partially involved in. However, it was not a personal attack upon them. When a pastor teaches before a congregation, he does not name Charlie Brown of the congregation and, by way of example, tell everyone what Charlie Brown has been doing that is wrong. This intrudes upon his privacy. So Moses alludes to incidents with which the Israelites were familiar, but incidents which does not intrude directly upon their own privacy.

“And in Y^ehowah’s sending you from Kadesh-Barnea, saying [lit., to say], ‘Go up and take possession of the land which I have given to you;’ then you rebelled against [or, disobeyed] the mouth of Y^ehowah your God, and you did not believe Him, nor did you listen to His voice. [Deut. 9:23]

I find the verb go up to be interesting, as it conforms with the compass points that we use today. That is, we tend to think of north as corresponding with going up and south with going down, even though this is purely convention. Yârash (ש ַר ָי ) [pronounced yaw-RAHSH] means to possess, to take possession of, to occupy [all] geographical area—by driving out the previous occupants], to inherit. Strong’s #3423 BDB #439. There appears to be a disagreement on the final vowel, as it is given variously as a, ê and ă.

You certainly remember the verb mârâh (ה ָר ָמ ) [pronounced maw-RAWH], which, in the Qal means to be rebellious, to be contentious; in the Hiphil it means to disobey, to rebel and it is usually against God or His commands [often, mouth]. Here the verb is in the Hiphil imperfect, meaning this was an ongoing process. Strong’s #4785 BDB #598.

Near the end of this verse, we have the Hiphil perfect of ’âman (ן ַמ ָא ) [pronounced aw-MAHN] and this means, in the Hiphil and with the lâmed preposition (as it is found here) to trust to, to believe. Strong's #539 BDB #52.

At Kadesh-Barnea, the Israelite had only been two years in the desert, much of that time advancing toward the Land of Promise and receiving the Law. The game plan was to march right into the land and to take it. Twelve spies were send into the land to get a feel for how they should move into the land and take it. When they returned, ten of them gave the majority report that the inhabitants of the land were far too big to oppose, and their cities were far too well-fortified to take down. The minority report of two, the only people of that generation who were still alive and at this lecture given by Moses, were ready to go into the land and take it. The ten began a campaign of slogans to dissuade their fellow Israelites from such an attack; causing all of the Israelites to whine and complain about entering into the land. God caused them to cool their heels for an additional thirty-eight years while He killed off by the sin unto death those who opposed Him (Num. 13–14). Moses, in his first message to this Generation of Promise, went into this in detail (Deut. 1:19–46).

Moses mentions Kadesh-Barnea as an illustration of the rebelliousness and sinfulness of Israel. Recall that Moses is speaking to the Generation of Promise and this again was primarily the failure of gen X. Why? (1) The implication is that, as children, their heart was in accord with that of their parents. When their parents feared going into the land, they also feared this. This is quite natural. I recall having political discussions with friends in the early portion of high school and they pretty much aped the opinions of their parents. Near the end of high school or early college is when they tended to take a stance in direct opposition to their parents. (2) This is a severe warning to the Generation of Promise not to repeat the failures of their parents. (3) Sometimes giving an illustration should deal with someone who is not there. In teaching school, the best psychology for managing behavior was to explain how the behavior is wrong, apart from personally attacking the student guilty of the behavior.

“You have been rebellious [or, contentious] with Y^ehowah from [the] day I knew you. [Deut. 9:24]

V. 24 is the conclusion drawn by Moses to vv. 6–23. Moses was no rank amateur at public speaking. Although when first faced with the ordeal of speaking in public, Moses asked God to appoint his older brother Aaron to speak for him; when Aaron was unable to communicate all the Pharaoh needed to hear, Moses jumped in and took over. Since then, he has honed his public speaking skills. Like any good speaker, Moses knew that there is an art to the content of public speaking. He could have expanded on the last four incidents as he had the first; but he chose not to. There was no need to beat a dead horse. The listeners knew what occurred at each geographical location listed and their inherent failures associated with each place. Moses stated the theme for this portion of his message in Deut. 9:7: “Remember—do not forget—how you provoked Y^ehowah your God to wrath in the wilderness; from the day that you left the land of Egypt until you arrived at this place, you have been rebellious against Y^ehowah.” And now, this was the proper point at which to draw a conclusion, which Moses does.

There was some kind of obedience which the Israelites showed for periods of time; such as when it came to building the tabernacle. They became involved with that and the workers entrusted with that did what was supposed to be done. However, at almost every major turning point and in just about every test which the Israelites were faced with, they failed.

Finally, another point of Rotherham: it is claimed that much of the history of Israel was romaticized and developed hundreds of years later. Israel was so marvelous and God was so great in His dealings with Israel. “You have been rebellious with Y^ehowah from the day I [first] knew you.” This is not how a romaticist would recall Israel’s history. This is cry of a man who has been continually frustrated with the constant rebellion of this people.

Moses Intervenes, Citing God’s Own Essence as Reason to Deliver the Sons of Israel into the Land

“And I prostrated myself before Y^ehowah for forty days and the forty nights—which prostration of myself, when Y^ehowah had said to destroy you— [Deut. 9:25]

In this verse, we have the sign of a relation or a connecting link, often translated as a relative pronoun: ’ăsher (ר ∵ש ֱא ) [pronounced ash-ER]. It is generally translated which, when or who. It can also mean so that, in that, since, for that, inasmuch as, forasmuch. Although a fairly specific particle of relation in other Semitic languages, it has been weakened considerably in the Hebrew and it demands another word to define more precisely the relation. I believe the relationship meant here is a temporal one (primarily because of v. 24); that is, during one of the first meetings with God concerning the Israelites, God right then and there was ready to destroy them. Strong's #834 BDB #83. From the very beginning of the Exodus, the people were rebellious and from the very beginning, God was willing to destroy them and start over.

This is the second time Moses ascended Mount Sinai to speak with God. Moses spent that time in intercessory prayer on behalf of Israel and Aaron (Moses would have had no clue that Aaron was involved in the idolatry during his first ascension). Moses received the second tablets of the Law, again with each tablet containing all Ten Commandments. Furthermore, he was given more laws and statutes to convey to the Israelites.

One of the things which occurs to me—and probably not to many of you—is what are the chances Moses is just a really good public speaker and this forty day trip up the mountain was a ruse to allow him enough time to write the Law in stone? (1) Any trip up a mountain would require him to take food stuffs for supplies. However, there is never any mention of that; and Moses both times claimed to have fasted for forty days and forty nights. Had he taken food with him, someone would have noticed. Furthermore, there would have been no shame in taking food up the mountain—he just couldn’t claim to fast for the entire time. (2) Such a stance, that this was just a scam, would be incongruous with the continued miracles—the manna, the quail, the waters crushing the Egyptians, the water gushing from the rock. All of these miracles could not have been staged—particularly the manna, which was provided every day for forty years. Moses alludes to their complaints about the manna in his message to the Israelites. If such a thing did not occur, then his message would not make sense. Furthermore, the miraculous powers of the manna was beyond something Moses could have done, even with an army of helpers (the manna would spoil overnight except on Friday night). (3) Whereas, it may have been possible for Moses to carve the Ten Commandments into stone, it would be unlikely that, after forty days of work, that he would come down the mountain and shatter the rock with the commandments. If this was his idea of a ruse, then he screwed up by destroying them. (4) The miraculous nature of the meetings with God described in Ex. 33, and observed by all the people would have been incongruous with Moses being a hoax. (5) Moses, in full sight, carved out the second set of stone tablets. If this were all a ruse, why didn’t he just do that up on the mountain before he carved the commandments into the stone? (6) If Moses took forty days to carve out on two tablets of stone the words of the Law—after this amount of work, he would want to display this in a prominent place. These tablets of the Law would be placed in an ark, which would not be seen.

(7) Finally, it is highly unlikely that almost a full two million people died while Moses, Caleb and Joshua did not. Moses was one generation older than those he led and Caleb and Joshua were from gen X. This would have been statistically impossible; or at least, it would be highly improbable that such a thing could take place.

“And so I prayed to Y^ehowah and said, ‘Lord Y^ehowah, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance, [those] whom You have ransomed in Your immutability [or, greatness]; [those] whom You have brought out of Egypt with a strong hand; [Deut. 9:26]

We have a word here which is consistently translated greatness in the KJV, but that seems to lack the true meaning of this particular word. Gôdel (ל ∵דֹ ) [pronounced GO-del ] should possibly refer more to strength, might, and immutability. The key is that this word has both a good sense (Num. 14:19 Deut. 3:24) and a bad (Isa. 9:9 10:12). In the latter cases, greatness does not really correctly render the concept. In fact, it is difficult to come up with a negative connotation to the word greatness, strength, or might. On the other hand, when God’s ways and heart are immutable, this is a good thing. When our heart is immutable, this is not necessarily a good thing. Strong’s #1433 (& 1431) BDB #152. The corresponding adjective is gadôwl (לד ָ ) [pronounced gaw-DOLE] and it is translated great, mighty; however, it would be reasonable to translate it as vast, unyielding, immutable. Perhaps that its size is related to getting its own way all of the time. Strong’s #1419 (& 1431) BDB #147 (& 152, 153, 175). God chose these people in His perfect immutable character—God has displayed His strength in bringing these people out of Egypt.

Moses shows sound reasoning. Here God has gone to a great deal of trouble to deliver this race of people. God has shown great miracles and has ruined the economy and the strength of Egypt in order to bring His People, the Israelites, out from slavery. One of the key words is ransom. You would not pay the price for a slave and then take that slave out and slaughter him in the desert. It makes no sense. In other words, Moses’ argument was that this would be incompatible with His character to destroy these people that He has brought out of Egypt; it would cast aspersions on God’s character. God originally told Moses, “Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am Y^ehowah, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched armed and with great judgments. Then I will take you for My people and I will be your god; and you will know that I am Y^ehowah your God, Who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you—a possession; I am Y^ehowah.’ “ (Ex. 6:6b–8). So Moses now says to God, ”O, Y^ehowah, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘In evil, He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’?” (Ex. 32:11b–12a).

What Moses is doing is revealing the doctrine in his should before God and all angelic creation. He knows God’s character and God’s promises and holds God to these promises as that is compatible with God’s character and essence. This is not some argument when God suddenly says to Himself, “Uh, I guess I didn’t think of it that way.” God is perfect and Moses is arguing for God to act according to His perfect character. Without somewhat of an understanding of the angelic conflict, this conversation either appears to be silly or it doesn’t make any sense. However, when you grasp the fact that there are probably millions of elect angels and fallen angels viewing this conversation and puny, weak Moses (by their standards) says to God: “This is what you have promised us. This is what your character is. This is how it will appear to the nations outside of Israel. I know that these people are about as worthless as tits on a boar” (a more literal rendering of his words as found in Ex. 34:9b reads: “If I have now found grace in Your sight, O Y^ehowah, I pray let Y^ehowah go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your own possession.”). In case you do not grasp this, Moses is asking for God’s grace and he is able to ask for God’s grace here because it is within God’s character and essence. And all angelic creation is surrounding them to observe this great event. The greatness of Moses in all things is far beyond anything you have ever imagined.

“ ‘Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; do not turn toward the stubbornness of this people or [lit., and toward] their depravity or [lit., and toward] their sin; [Deut. 9:27]

I am a little confused as to the translation here. We have the common verb zâkar (ר ַכ ָז ) [pronounced zaw-KAHR] which means remember, recall, call to mind; however, servants and the three proper nouns are all preceded by the lâmed preposition (to, for, with respect to, in regards to). This is not a matter of this verb always taking the lâmed preposition (as in Ex. 32:13 Neh. 6:14 Psalm 136:23), because it does not (Gen. 30:22 Deut. 8:18 1Sam. 1:11). Strong’s #2142 BDB #269.

This is the second major argument of Moses. God had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to give them this land. Therefore, the granting of the land to the Israelites at this time is a fulfillment of this promise to them, and not a reflection upon the character (or, lack thereof) of the Israelites of that generation. Moses is saying, “I realize that these are a group of sorry loosers; however, you have promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob these things.” Again, Moses gives a fine testimony before the angels. The self-will of this generation and their fathers is legend. And Y^ehowah said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and take note, they are a self-willed [or, obstanate] people.” (Deut. 32:9). As quoted by the writer of Hebrews: “Today, if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts as when they provoked Me, as in the day of testing in the wilderness where your fathers tried [Me] by testing [Me]. Therefore, I was disgusted with this generation and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; and they did not know My ways. As I swore in My wrath, they will not enter My rest.’ “ (Heb. 3:7b–11 Psalm 95:8–11). Yet notice the eloquent reply of Moses: “Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and you said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken, I will give to your descendants—and they will inherit [it] forever.’ “ (Deut. 32:13).

“ ‘So that the land, from which You brought us out [lit., which You brought us out from there], will not say ‟Because of Y^ehowah’s did not have the ability to bring them into the land [of] which He had promised [lit., spoken] to them; and because of His hatred [of] them, He brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness;” [Deut. 9:28]

Obviously, the land does not speak, but the people in the land speak. There would be two charges leveled against Jesus Christ: (1) He did not have the ability to bring these people into the land, reducing God to a weak national god of no great consequence; and, (2) because He hated the Jews, he took them out to the desert and killed them. The latter would make little or no sense, as God chose these people. This also, in a more subtle way, reduces God’s power. This says that God has no omniscience. He chose a people, He brought them out of the land of Egypt; it is possible that He could have taken them into the Land of Promise, but He hated them so He killed them instead. People would obviously speculate as to why God took these Jews out of Egypt and then let them die in the desert. These would have been two of the conclusions to which they would be forced—both conclusions impugn the character of God. Moses knows that the God of Israel is the omnipotent, omniscient God of the Universe. Therefore, such treatment of them would be outside of God’s plan and God’s character.

Moses wrote a couple of songs, and in one of them, he expresses this sentiment again: “I would have said, ‘I will cut them to pieces, I will remove them the memory of them from men,’ had I not fears the provocation by the enemy; so that their adversaries would not misjudge; so that they should not say, ‘Our hand is triumphant’ and ‘Y^ehowah has not done all this.’ “ (Deut. 32:26–27). Moses reveals such a complete understanding of God’s plan in these two verses. Israel has enemies—all those who are guided by other false gods; gods who are best are figments of their imagination, or, at worst, are fronts for demons. The enemy nations with their false gods, if God destroys Israel in the wilderness, would have misjudged the situation. They would have thought themselves to have eventually triumphed over Israel—we’re talking about the Egyptians, the Midianites and whoever remained of Bashan; we’re talking about the Moabites and the Edomites, who barely tolerated the rpesence of Israel. Finally, we are talking about the Canaanites and all the other peoples presently in the land. They would all say, “We have eventually triumped over Israel; God did not bring them out of Egypt.” Or, the sentiments expressed in Deut. 9: “God was just not able to bring Israel out of the wilderness.” In stating his reasons that God should give Israel the land, despite Israel’s unfaithfulness and lack of faith, Moses again and again goes to God’s character, essence and reputation. The Israelites represent God to the world; God must deliver them into their land. After Israel’s self defeat, Moses argued with God, saying, “Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, “Because Y^ehowah could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ But now, I pray, let the power of Y^ehowah be great, just as You have declared. Y^ehowah is slow to anger and abundant in grace, forgiving the iniquity and transgression.” (Num. 14:15–18a). Angels are brilliant—far more intelligent than we; however, they cannot read our thoughts. These verbal prayers to God from Moses express great understanding and doctrine in his soul and God would vindicate that doctrine.

Finally, recall what is occurring in this chapter 9—Moses is speaking to the children of Israel. He is explaining to them why God is bringing them into the land. He is imparting the doctrines of God’s faithfulness and character to them so that they might call upon these things in their time of need. He speaks to us now. You arrogant fool—you think God is like a really good Santa Claus and when you want something from God, you behave well for a few days, and then make your request known to Him based upon your character. When you want something from God, demand it on the basis of His character. And expect those things, not that you deserve, but those things which vindicate His character and vindicate His Word in your soul. God answers prayer which springs forth from His Word, not from the lusts of your soul.

I had a lady friend who would periodically call me and ask me to pray to God for her to get this job or that job; to have this or that come through for her. She knew I was religious and it was like rubbing a lucky rabbit’s foot. She had no clue as to God’s character; she was just trying to cover all bases. Had she been close to a Buddhist, I am certain she would have asked them for a prayer; if she spoke to a Jehovah’s Witness, I am certain that she would have requested their prayers. Do you think God will answer a prayer like that? His character is not involved; their is no issue with regards to the angelic conflict. There is no issue of doctrine invoked. At the very least, when you make your requests known to God, ask for it on the basis of His marvelous grace. At least in this way, you reveal some understanding of His Word and His Essence.

“ ‘And they [are] Your people and Your inheritance, [those] whom you have brought out by Your great power and by your outstretched arm.’ “ [Deut. 9:29]

God has called the Israel’s Moses’ people—Moses designates to God that the Jews are Your people and Your inheritance; he is calling God’s attention to His omniscience, His immutability and His essence. God chose these people in eternity past. They are His people and His inheritance. God does not need to be reminded of these things, obviously, or God would not be God. This is a testimony which Moses is making before all of creation, both the fallen and the exalted angels—this is a testimony which will stand forever in the Word of God.

The last two phrases refer to God’s omnipotence—God is able to do all that He chooses to do. Moses identified the two objections to God killing these Israelites out in the desert and points out the two characteristics of God’s essence which would make such a choice untenable. This shows great spiritual maturity and stands as a testimony for all time.

Moses repeated refers to the Israelites as the inheritance of God. For Y^ehowah’s portion is His people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance (Deut. 32:9). Solomon, in dedicating his temple, said, “For they are Your people and You inheritance which You have brought forth out from Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace.” (1Kings 8:51). Inheritance is based upon the death of a loved one. Jesus Christ died on behalf of these Israelites and they are God’s people because they believed in Him. They may have failed Him many times, but they are still His people, His inheritance and His representatives on earth. Moses conveys to these Israelites why God has spared them and why God has brought them to the Land of Promise. They are there not because of any good thing in them—not because Moses thought up some good arguments—but because of God’s character, His Word, His grace and His essence.

Again, listen and understand just what happened: Then Y^ehowah spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, “This is your God, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!” And Y^ehowah said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and take note, they are an obstinate, [or, self-willed] people. Now then, let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation.” Then Moses entreated Y^ehowah, his God, and said, “O Y^ehowah, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘In evil He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about harming Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel—Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself and you said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens and all the land of which I have spoken, I will give to your descendants and they will inherit it forever.’ “ So Y^ehowah changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people (Ex. 32:7–14). And he [Moses] said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Y^ehowah, I pray, let Y^ehowah go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate [and, self-willed]; and You will pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as You own inheritance.” (Ex. 34:9).

Introduction: Deut. 10 will concentrate upon the special relationship between God and Israel, citing twice that the reasonable service expected of Israel is obedience to Y^ehowah, their God. Y^ehowah will be distinguished from local deities as the God of gods, the Lord of lords. In this chapter, God’s character will be seen through the examination of His actions. Moses will show what sort of character God possesses, because this is what the Israelites are to cling to as they go in to conquer the Land of Promise.

What might help in the understanding of what we find here in this chapter is that this is a continuation of Deut. 9. Moses had prayed to God to intercede on behalf of Israel and to deliver Israel from national destruction at the hands of their God. Vv. 1–11 are a result of Moses’ prayer and would have been better placed as a continuation of Deut. 9. The people are reminded that all their blessings and privileges, forfeited by apostasy as soon as bestowed, were only now their own by a new a most unmerited act of grace on the part of God, won from Him by the self-sacrificing mediation of Moses himself.

The parallel is obvious. Moses, as a mediator between God and man, intercedes on behalf of Israel, totally undeserving, delivering them from the wrath of God. Jesus Christ, our mediator, intercedes on our behalf, even though we are totally undeserving, delivering us from God’s wrath. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him (1Thess. 5:13; see also Eph. 2:3 1Thess. 1:10 Rev. 6:16–17).

“At that time, Y^ehowah had said to me, ‘Cut out [or, hew] for yourself two tablets of stone, like the first, and come up to Me, into the mountain; and you will make for yourself an ark of wood; [Deut. 10:1]

An ark is essentially the same as what we think of as a chest. The NIV at first renders the word this way and then returned to ark. And this is the same word used for ask during Noah’s great flood. When there are two parties to a treaty, each party has a copy of the treaty. Both tablets of the law would be placed in the ark where man and God meet; where they would both have a copy of the ratified treaty or covenant between God and Israel.

The fact that God wrote the Ten Commandments a second time is indicative of forgiveness. They were originally a ratified treaty or covenant between Himself and the Israelites. They whole heartedly accepted it and said they would do it. Almost immediately they broke the covenant, causing Moses to break the tablets on which the terms of the covenant had been written. Circumcision, by the way, was a sign of an agreement to the covenant between God and Israel.

What may not be clear is that there was apparently a prototype ark of the covenant. Moses was to personally build an ark, a temporary one, where Y^ehowah’s copy of the covenant was to be kept. Having a temporary ark is not a completely original thought. We have a temporary tent of meeting mentioned in Ex. 33:7–10: Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the cap, and he called it the tent of meeting. And it came to pass, that everyone who sought Y^ehowah would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. Iit it came to pass, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the ten. And it came to pass, whenever Moses entered the ten, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and Y^ehowah jwould speak with Moses. When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would areise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. Just as there was a temporary ark, there was a temporary tent of meeting, outside the camp, which Moses used after his first ascension. Because of the horrible sins of Israel, Moses could no longer pitch this tent of meeting in the camp—God’s holiness would not allow their contact to be that close. These things were, for all intents and purposes, the shadows of the shadows. Moses and the Israelites got to see things which were shadows of what they would later build—and those were shadows of our Lord and what was still to come. Therefore, this helps to explain the time frame of Ex. 33, whether this was misplaced chronologically or no. The instructions for the proper ark were given in Ex. 25:10–22 and it would be constructed in Ex. 37:1–9.

“And then I will write on the tablets the words which were on the first tablets, which you have broken, and you will place them in the ark. [Deut. 10:2]

These first two verses of Deut. 10 correspond exactly with Ex. 34:1. The Israelites broke the ratified covenant between themselves and God, so Moses broke the tablets with the covenant on them. God will try this once again, due only to the great intercessory prayer of Moses, although, as we know, gen X will die the sin unto death. “And you [Moses] will put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you will place the testimony which I will give to you.” (Ex. 25:21).

Roughly five hundred years later, when Solomon brought the final ark into the temple, the tablets of the Law were still in it. There was nothing in the ark escept the two tablets which Moses pulaced [there] at Horeb, where Y^ehowah made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of Egypt (2Chron. 5:10). That must have been an incredible sight.

“And so I made an ark of shittim [or acacia] wood, then I cut out [or, hewed] two tablets of stone like the first, and finally [or, and then] I went up the mountain, the two tablets in my hand. [Deut. 10:3]

There are two viewpoints here: that this portion of Deuteronomy is not in exactly chronological order—which is reasonable, because Moses is giving his people a message which will often cover topics rather than chronology. However, the second view, that there was an ark made previous to the final ark appears to be the best explanation. This prototype ark is made by Moses of acacia wood; the ark of the covenant proper was made by out of aracia wood overlaid with gold by Bezalel (Ex. 25:10–22 37:1–2). Moses did not go up to get the tablets of the Law, bring them back, set them down in a corner of the temporary tent, and then have an ark (or, chest) built for them. Before he went up the mountain the second time, he built an ark to house these tablets, as God had instructed him between his two ascensions. When he returns the second time from Mount Sinai, he places these tablets in the proto-type ark. He did not make an ark prior to the first ascension, as God knew that Moses would shatter the tablets of Law; therefore, an ark would not be required. However, an ark would be required for the second time.

This verse corresponds to Ex. 34:4: So he cut out two stone tablets like the former ones, and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai, as Y^ehowah had commanded him, and he took two stone tablets in his hand. In both passages, Moses is said to carry the two tablets up in his hand, singular. This is because these tablets were smaller than our perception of them. Because of the dramatic license of the artist, most of us have the incorrect picture of these tombstone-sized tables of stone, with the five commandments written on each in three-inch tall letters. Moses carried both tablets up the mountain in one hand. These are not tombstone sized stones. That is a total misconception perpetrated by some artist and continued in the movie The Ten Commandments.

These are tablets, perhaps the size of a book, upon which God will engrave the words of the Law, all Ten Commandments written on each tablet. Perhaps the first four or five were written on one side and the balance of them on the back.

“And He wrote on the tablets, according to the first writing, the Ten Commandments [lit., words], which Y^ehowah had spoken to you at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, in the day of the assembly—and later [lit., and then] Y^ehowah gave them to me. [Deut. 10:4]

Moses has several times reminded these Israelites that they heard God speak the Ten Commandments. This was one of the greatest miracles which they had experienced. With Moses, God saw to it that he could speak to a significant number of people, as he was doing at this time. However, at best, we are speaking of a few thousand at any given time (come on, you know that there is a very small percentage of believers who have any real interest in God’s Word). But during the assembly of which Moses speaks, everyone heard the Ten Commandments and this frightened the Israelites terribly, as well it should have. And all the people perceived the thunder and lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.” (Ex. 20:18–19). Then Y^ehowah said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the Law and the commandment [or, decree] which I have written for their instruction.” (Ex. 24:12). “And Y^ehowah gave me the two tablets of stone written by the finger of God; and on them [were] all the words which Y^ehowah had spoken with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly.” (Deut. 9:10—this was the first engraving of the commandments). So he [Moses] was there with Y^ehowah forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And He [God] wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments (Ex. 34:28—this was the second engraving done by God). “So He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform—the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.” (Deut. 4:13).

“And so I turned and came down from the mountain then [lit., and then] I placed the tablets in the ark which I had made, and now they are there, as Y^ehowah had commanded me.” [Deut. 10:5]

Moses spent much of the second forty days and nights praying on behalf of Israel. The first time, he did not realize how bad things had been below. When he returned, he had been quite angry with his fellow Israelites—and, in particular, with Aaron, to whom he entrusted leadership while he was gone. Moses completely realized how worthless these people were, how correct it would have been for God to destroy every single one of them, and how much he needed to pray on their behalf.

The Israelites arrived in the wilderness of Sinai in the third month after leaving Egypt (Ex. 19:1). And Y^ehowah also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and they will wash their garments; and they will become ready for the third day, for on the third day, Y^ehowah will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.” (Ex. 19:10–11). We have two periods of forty days where Moses was on the mountain. We have some time prior to that wherein Moses received some ordinances from God. In between these to ascensions to the top of Mount Sinai, Moses customarily went out to a tent which he had pitched outside the camp (this perhaps was a period of 4–5 months). Between the ascensions, Moses was instructed to sculpt out two more tablets and to construct an ark. After the second ascension, Moses placed the tablets of the Law into the prototype ark. Then the tabernacle and its furniture were built (this construction took, perhaps, 4–5 months). Now it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle [lit., tent] was erected...And he [Moses] took the testimony and placed [it] into the ark, and...he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up a veil for the screeen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as Y^ehowah had commanded Moses (Ex. 40:17, 20a, 21).

The next few verses are somewhat difficult as they appear to be a segue, but not a very neat one. It is almost if if Moses’ mind wanders off of the subject somewhat. Through the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, this is allowed. But Moses here speaks of what happened next chronologically. The other possibility is that vv. 6–9 are not a part of the lesson that Moses was teaching. He recorded this, made mention in writing of these next couple verses, and then picked up with his lesson again. In any case, vv. 6–9 are uncharacteristic of what goes before and after, in thought and spirit, other than they fall into a chronological order. Furthermore, vv. 6–9 apppear as though they could be eliminated entirely and the flow of this chapter would uninterrupted, with the exception of v. 10, which chronologically occurs prior to v. 5. Hopefully, we will be comfortable with these odd digressions by the time we have finished with this chapter. This is such an odd insert, so different from what it is sandwiched between, that I wouldn’t even be surprised if this were not a part of God’s Word; however, I have no manuscript evidence of that. I would be quite interested if someone knows why these verses are here.

And the sons of Israel had journeyed from Beeroth Bene-Jaakan [lit., the wells of the sons of Jaakan], [to] Moserah. There Aaron died, and he is buried there, and Eleazar his son acts as priest in his stead. [Deut. 10:6]

And they journeyed from Moseroth, and camped in Bene-Jaakan. And they journeyed from Bene-Jaakan and camped at [lit., in] Hor-haggidgad (Num. 33:31–32). The prepositions in the Hebrew are important. Throughout Num. 33, we have the pattern of traveling from (mîn) area A and then making camp in (bêyth) in Area B. Here, in Deut. 10:6, we have mîn used once, only with the name Beeroth Bene-Jaakan and there is no preposition preceeding Moserah. So this could read from Beeroth Bene-Jaakan to Moserah, or from Beeroth Bene-Jaakan, Moserah (the two places named together just names a general area, like Jordan Jericho). Since Moses is leaving Kadesh at this time rather than going to, it would make sense for these two areas to be transposed. Our next problem is the name Moseroth and Moserah. These are just slightly different endings for the same place (one verse might even be miswritten, as the h and the th in Hebrew are very similar letters). However, Moserah may be a larger territory in which is found the stops Beeroth Bene-Jaakan and Moseroth.

Coordinating Disparate Passages
Num. 20:23–29	Num. 33:37–39	Deut. 10:6	Explanation
The Y^ehowah spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying, “Aaron will be gathered to his people; for he will not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel because you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah. Take Aaron and his son, Eleazar, and bring them up to Mount Hor. And strip Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar. So Aaron will be gathered to his people and he will die there.” So Moses did just as Y^ehowah had commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. And after Moses had stopped Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on the mountain top. Then Moses and Eleazar came down fro the mountain. And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.	And they journeyed from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, at the edge of the land of Edom. Then Aaron the priest went up to Mount Hor at the mouth of Y^ehowah and he died there in the fortieth year after the sons of Israel had come from the land of Egypt on the first of the fifth month. And Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.	Now the sons of Israel set out from Beeroth Bene-Jaakan, Moserah. There Aaron died and there he was buried and Eleazar his son ministered as priest in his place.	The explanation is fairly simple: There were four stops between Bene-Jaakan Kadesh when the Israelites traveled prior to Num. 13–14. This may have been a slightly more circuitous route or a different route than when they left Kadesh. When they left, they went straight for the border of Edom, which meant they traveled through an area known as Beeroth Bene-Jaakan, Moserah—which was close by or identical to the Bene-Jaakan of Num. 33:31–32. Deut. 10:6 does not list a stop but tells the direction which they traveled out from Kadesh Barnea.
Finally, it would have been a simple thing for an editor acting several hundreds of years later to make these accounts sound as though they did not contradict one another, as the passages of Num. 20 and Num. 33 are quite clear. However, this was Moses, either speaking to the people who made this trek and what he has said to them makes perfect sense, even though to us, millenniums later, an explanation is necessary. Or this is Moses adding this to the text of his speech later; and the reader of that day would clearly understand, even though we do not. They left Kadesh Barnea, traveled by way of Beeroth Bene-Jaakan, Moserah; and encamped at Mount Hor, where Aaron died and was buried.

As Edersheim explains it: A day’s eastward from Kadesh, through the wide and broad Wady Murreh, suddenly rises a remarkable mountain, quite isolated and prominent, which Canon Williams describes as “singularly formed,” and the late Professor Robinson likens to “a lofty citadel.” Its present name Moderah preserves the ancient Biblical Moserah, which, from a comparison of Numb. 20:22–29 with Deut. 10:6, we know to have been only another designation for Mount Hor. In face, “Mount Hor” or Hor-ha-Hor (“mountain, the mountain”) just means “the remarkable mountain.” This was the natural route for Israel to take, if they hoped to pass through Edom by the king’s highway—the present Wady Ghuweir,—which would have led them by way of Moab, easily and straight, to the other side of Jordan. It was natural for them here to halt and await the reply of the king of Edom. For while Moderah lies at the very boundary, but still outside Edom, it is also at the entrance to the various wadies or roads, which thence open east, south, and south-west, so that the children of Israel might thence take any route which circumstances would indicate. Moreover, from the height of Moderah they would be able to observe any hostile movement that might be directed against them, whether from the east by Edom, or from the north and west by the Amalekites and Canaanites. From what has been said, it will be gathered that we regard this as the Mount Hor where Aaron died

Notice that in this passage, Moses does not run down the character of Aaron. However, as an aside—a very kind aside—Moses tells these Israelites that God then removed Aaron from the scene. Aaron is not there before them because of his great failure. When he cast that golden calf as the leader of Israel, that was a pretty terrific mistake and Aaron paid for that mistake with his life. Aaron was allowed to remain alive and with the sons of Israel until they set out again to enter the land and then God removed him from the scene. Moses will not dwell on this, as Aaron is his brother and Moses has no intention of running his brothers name into the ground. But Aaron died due to not properly carrying out his duties as a leader of this people. This is why the High Priest is now Eleazar, his son.

From there, they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah [to] Jotbathah, a land of brooks of water. [Deut. 10:7]

You know that portion of world has changed drastically over the past several millenniums. Can you imagine any area being referred to as a land of brooks of waters?

The movement to Kadesh and out of Kadesh covered some similar areas, but they were not in the reverse order: To Kadesh: Hashmonah → Moseroth → Bene-Jaakan → Hor-haggidgad → Jotbathah →Abronah → Ezion-Geber → the wilderness of Zin, that is, Kadesh (Num. 33:30–36). Out of Kadesh: through Beeroth Bene-Jaakan → through Moserah → Mount Hor → through Gudgodah → and through Jotbathah (Deut. 10:6–7). The Israelites seemed to stop more often when going toward the land at first than when they left Kadesh Barnea to approach the land from a different direction. This new generation did not drag its heels as often and was more focused. They covered more ground in a shorter amount of time. Furthermore, some of the areas that they transversed, they may have gone through the northern portion on the way there and the southern portion on their return trip (or vice versa). Being several millenniums ago, we can only make reasonable guesses as to the general route and the particulars we will never fully grasp the particulars until we are taken up.

At that time, Y^ehowah had separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of Y^ehowah, to minister to [lit., stand before] Y^ehowah to serve Him, and to bless in His name until this day. [Deut. 10:8]

This verse is also problematic. The Levites were called upon in Num. 3:6–9: “Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron, the priest, that they may serve him. And they will perform the duties for him and the duties of the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. They will keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. You will thus give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel.” (see Num. 18:1–7 as well). Our problem is that these duties were assigned around the time of the writing of the two tablets of the Ten Commandments; which occurred thirty-eight years prior to the death of Aaron. The problem is that this fits chronologically with vv. 1–5 and 10–11, but not with vv. 6–7; and the reason for their insertion here is not completely clear. None of these verses causes us any sort of a serious problem other than the names of the places; there are no inherent theological problems in this context, as its theological significance is limited.

Now note that thus far in these books of the Law that the tribe of Levi has never been called to perform priestly duties. They are not called priests anywhere in the Pentateuch (at least, so far). And when someone tells you that the book of Leviticus is about the Levitical priesthood, you know that their knowledge of things theological is on the puny side. The tribe of Levi is not mentioned but maybe a half dozen times in the book of Leviticus and they are not associated with the priesthood. Note that here, during this time, which corresponds with Num. 3:6, that is when God assigns them to help the priests, which occurred long before the death of Aaron. They were assistants to the Aaronic priesthood. The duties described here are not the same as the duties of the priesthood, which are very specific (their duties may be found in Num. 4). In fact, note what Moses says to Korah during his rebellion: “Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of Y^ehowah, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them? And that He has brought you near and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, with you? Then are you also seeking for the priesthood?” (Num. 16:9–10). The clear implication is the it would be preposterous for the sons of Korah to expect to serve as priests. These duties did not seem to change much until the time of David, according to God’s Word: These were to sons of Levi according to their fathers’ households, the heads of the fathers’ households of those of them who were counted, in the number of the names by their census, doing the work for the service of the house of Y^ehowah, from twenty years and upward. For David said, “Y^ehowah God of Israel has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. And also, the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensil for service.” For by the last words of David, the sons of Levi were numbered, from twenty years old and up. For their office is to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of Y^ehowah, in the coursets and in the chambers and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God; and with the showbread, and the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or what is baked in the pan, or what is well-mixed, and all measures of volume and size. And they are to stand every morning to thank and to praise Y^ehowah, and likewise at evening; and to offer all burnt offerings to Y^ehowah, on the Sabbaths, the new moons and the fixed festivals in the number set by the ordinance concerning them, continually before Y^ehowah. Thus, they are to keep charge of the tent of meeting, and charge of the holy place, and charge of the sons of Aaron their relatives, for the service of the house of Y^ehowah (1Chron. 23:24–32). Another passage where the priests (the line of Aaron) are separated from the Levites in the time of David is 1Chron. 27:17.

Therefore, there has not been to Levi a portion and inheritance with his brothers; Y^ehowah Himself [is] his inheritance, as Y^ehowah your God has spoken to him). [Deut. 10:9]

Now that you are getting used to the fact there the Hebrew people use various figures of speech, the one here becomes quite obvious. Even though Moses is speaking of an entire tribe and even thoug Levi has been dead for a long time prior to this sermon, if you will—Moses speaks of the tribe of Levi as one man, called it Levi and used the 3^rd masculine singular suffix.

Then Y^ehowah said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor own any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel. And to the sons of Levi, observe, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance in return for their service—which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting.” (Num. 18:20–21). Now Y^ehowah spoke to Moses in the planes of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, “Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession, cities to live in; and you will give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities. And the cities will be theirs to live in; and find their pasture lands will be fore their cattle and for their herds and for all their livestock.” (Num. 35:1–3).

The only source which has any sort of an explanation for the insertion of these three verses is Barnes’ Notes, which reads: Throughout the passage the time of the important events at Sinai is kept in view; it is reverted to as each incident is brought forward by Moses, alluded to sufficiently for his purpose, and dismissed. Moses is evidently here speaking of the election by God of the tribe of Levi at large, priests and others also, for His own serice.

Although not a completely satisfying explanation, it is somewhat helpful. Barnes assumes that this portion is a part of the speech of Moses. The problem here is that Moses generally speaks of Israel in the second person during this talk (Deut. 9:21–25 10:12–13) and in vv. 6–9, Israel is spoken of in the third person. Again, this sounds more like an insertion that perhaps fell out of another portion of the Law (?) Or was added years later for who knows what reason?

“And I, even I, have stood in the mountain, as the former days, forty days and forty nights, and then Y^ehowah listened to me; moreover,

Y^ehowah was not willing at that time to destroy you. [Deut. 10:10]

Now we are definitely back to Moses speaking to the people, as he returns to refering to them in the second person. This verse is a revamping of Deut. 9:18 & 25–26, with less detail. In this portion of this message, Moses has said this three times—he may have been teaching this people grace, but it teaches us the importance of intercession. In case your prayer life wains, what do you think would have happened to the Generation of Promise had Moses not interceded? In case you do not fully grasp this: if Moses had not prayed on their behalf, God would have killed off both gen X and the Generation of Promise. So Y^ehowah changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people (Ex. 32:14). God told Moses: “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken, for you have found grace in My sight, and I have known you by name.” (Ex. 33:17b). This prayer delivered roughly a million people from the sin unto death. So if you are not certain whether you should pray on someone else’s behalf—pray.

“And Y^ehowah said to me, ‘Rise, proceed [or, go] to break camp [or, to journey] before [lit., to a face of] the people, and they will go in and possess the land which I have sworn to their fathers to give to them.’ [Deut. 10:11]

God would destroy the people; however, since Moses intervened on their behalf, God would then lead them into the Land of Promise. And it came about on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You yourselves have sinned a great sin; and now I am going up to Y^ehowah—perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” Then Moses returned to Y^ehowah and said, “Alas, this people have sinned a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. But now, if You will, forgive their sin—and, if not, please blot me out from Your book which You ahve written!” And Y^ehowah said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. But go now—lead the people where I told you. Observe, My angel will go before you; nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit them for their sin.” (Ex. 32:3134). Then Y^ehowah spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ “ (Ex. 33:1).

Since Deut. 7, Moses has been warning the Israelites against unwarranted arrogance. He has told them several times of his own prayers on their behalf and of God’s grace and of their lack of merit. With v. 12, Moses will pick up where he was in Deut. 6, where the Israelites are enjoined to obey God’s commandments. Now he can expect this of the Israelites because of their wretchedness and their deserving judgment. In our own lives, we should separate grace from works. God has delivered us from the bondage of sin by grace, completely apart from our own merit. We have never deserved this and no matter what we do in our own puny spiritual lives, we will never deserve this. It is because of what our Lord has done on our behalf upon the cross which should encourage us to be obedient to Him. We placed ourselves in a hopeless position through our own self-will. God has delivered us from that place through the death of His Son. We can only owe Him our obedience and our service. How will we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that Christ was raised from deaths through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of lifeFor if we have become united with the likenss of His death, certainly, we will also [be united] to His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with [Him], that our body of sin might be rendered inoperative, that we may no longer be slaves to sin—for he who has died is released from sin. Now, if we have died with Chrsit, we believe that we will also live with Him (Rom. 5:2b–9). Furthermore, we have been given His Spirit to deliver us from subsequent disobedience: There is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God [did], sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and a sin [offering]. He condemned sin in the flesh in order that the legal requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walked according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, [set their minds upon] the things of the Spirit (Rom. 6:1–6). So we are delivered from death by grace, we are delivered into life by grace and the ability to live our lives to God is by grace.

“And now, Israel, what is Y^ehowah your God asking from you, except to fear Y^ehowah your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve Y^ehowah your God with all your heart and with all your soul? [Deut. 10:12]

McGee’s commentary on this verse: Now do not make the mistake of thinking this is the Gospel. It is not the Gospel. You and I ought to thank God for that, because if it depended on this, you and I wouldn’t be blessed very much

God could have destroyed all of Israel but He chose not to. They deserve being destroyed. So Moses points out that all they have to do is to fear and respect God; to conduct their daily life [i.e., to walk] as God has instructed them; to love God, Who is merciful beyond anything they could imagine; and to serve God—the God Who has pardoned them—with all their heart and soul. The only reason there will be an Israel at all in the land is that God will pt them there. Certainly, they ought to serve God—they would not exist if it were not for Him.

“He has told you, O man, what is good and what does Y^ehowah require of you, but to do justice, to love loyalty, and to walk circumspectly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). Recall what Moses told these Israelites in his previous message: “Hear, O Isreal! Y^ehowah is our God, Y^ehowah is one [in unity]! And you will love Y^ehowah your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deut. 6:4–5; idenitifed by our Lord is the greatest commandment in Matt. 22:36–38). David gives his son Solomon the same responsibility in 1Kings 2:3: “And keep the responsibility of Y^ehowah your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn.” See Deut. 5:32–33 6:13 11:1, 13–15 1Kings 9:4–7 Psalm 119:1–8, as well. Our reasonable service today? I urge you therefore, members of the family [of God], by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, your spiritual service of worship (Rom. 12:1)

“To take responsibility for [or, to keep] the commands of Y^ehowah, and His statutes which I am commanding you today, for your good? [Deut. 10:13]

McGee: God for fifteen hundred years, demonstrated through Israel to the world and to you and me that He cannot save people by Law. These people under favorable circumstances, in a land geared to the Law, were unable to keep it. And if thery were unable to keep it, then you and I are unable to keep it. Thank God, He saves by grace today. In face grace has always been His method. In the Old Testament, He never saved anyone by Law. They were saved by His mercy and grace to them, looking forward to the coming of Christ to die on the cross to take away their sins

This is a continuation of v. 12, which is why we have a question mark at the end. The implication of this verse is that God does not ask but what is fully reasonable of these people. He has delivered them from death, although they are truly deserving of same. Therefore, they owe God, and these two verses list what is God’s reasonable expectation of their service to Him. For the rest of this chapter, obedience to God will be taught because of Who God is.

The law of Y^ehowah is blameless, restoring the soul; the testimony of Y^ehowah is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of Y^ehowah are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment [or, decree] of Y^ehowah is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of Y^ehowah is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of Y^ehowah are true; and are righteous altogether (Psalm 19:7–9).

And notice in this verse why the Israelites have been commanded to follow God’s precepts—it is for their good. We are often confused by this or we obscure this. We are like children in this regard. The good parent has to discipline and properly raise his children and does so for their own good. The parent who disciplines the child because the child merely irritates him, he has had a bad day or just doesn’t want to be bother is a monster. However, the parent who does not guide his son with discipline is just as much of a monster. The good parent instructs and guides his children for their good. God guides us through the filling of the Holy Spirit and through His Word for our good. God does not forbid us from these various lusts and pleasures because he just doesn’t want us to have fun. When you forbid your son to go to a concert or your daughter to go out on a date when she is 15, it is not because you don’t want them to have fun or to enjoy life—you do this for their good. God’s precepts are for our good. God doesn’t forbid pre-marital sex because it’s fun and He doesn’t want us to have fun. He forbids it for our own good. He doesn’t forbid homosexuality because it’s fun (for homosexuals)—it is for our good. He doesn’t forbid indulgence in drugs and drunkeness because it’s fun—it is for our own good. “So Y^ehowah commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear Y^ehowah our God for our good always and for our survival, as today. Furthermore [lit., and] it will be righteousness for us if we take responsibility to observe the entirety of this decree before Y^ehowah our God, jsut as He commanded us.” (Deut. 6:24).

“Look, to Y^ehowah your God [belongs] the heavens and the heavens of the heavens, the earth and all that is in it; [Deut. 10:14]

The entire universe belongs to God. They were created by God and just delivered from death by God. Seeing Who God is—not just some national made-up deity—indicates that what He expects of them is completely reasonable. Moses here emphasizes that Y^ehowah is not some local phenomenah, some local god like Baal or Molech. Solomon testified to His omnipresence when dedicating the temple: “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Observe, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built!” (1Kings 8:27; see Acts 17:24 as well). When Ezra read the Law, the Levites then sang: “You alone are Y^ehowah; You have made the heavens, the heaven of heavens with all their armies [or angels]; the earth and all that is on it; the seas and all that is in them. You have given life to all of them and the heavenly host [or army] [of angels] bows down before You. You are the Y^ehowah God Who chose Abram and brought him out from Ur of the Chaldees and gave him the name of Abraham.” (Neh. 9:6–7). The heavens are the heavens of Y^ehowah; but the earth He has given to the sons of men (Psalm 115:16). See also Gen. 14:19 Ex. 19:5 Deut. 33:26–27a Psalm 24:1 89:11 104:3–5.

We can only agree with the Psalmist who wrote: When I consider You heavens, the work of Your fingers—the moon and the stars, which You have decreed. What is man that You remember him? And the sons of many that You care for him? Yet You have made Him a little lower than God and you have crowned Him with glory and majesty! You make Him to rule over the works of Your hands and You have placed all things under His feet (Psalm 8:3–6 Heb. 2:6–8). Note in this passage we have a double fulfillment; it is spoken of man as well as of the Son of Man Who is to come.

The Amplified Bible Yet the Lord had a delight in loving your fathers, and He chose their descendants after them, you above all people, as this day.

The Emphasized Bible Only unto thy fathers Yahweh became attached, so as to love them,—therefore made he choice of their seed after them—of you—out of all the peoples as at this day.

KJV Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.

NASB “Yet on your fathers did the Lord set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day.”

NIV Yet the Lord set his affection on your forefathers and love them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today.

NRSV Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your ancestors alone and chose you, their descendants after them, out of all the peoples, as it is today.

Young's Lit. Translation ,,,only in thy fathers hath Jehovah delighted—to love them, and He doth fix on their seed after them—on you, out of all the peoples as at this day;

This verse begins with the adverb raq (ק ַר) [pronounced rahk] and it means only, altogether, surely. It has restrictive force, as BDB puts it. It is also a prefix to a sentence to add a limitation to something previously expressed, in which case it is rendered only. It is used to emphasize single words, especially adjectives, in which case it can be only but also nought but, nothing but. After a negative, it can be rendered save, except. Strong’s 7534 & 7535 BDB 956. Here is the feel for this verse—Y^ehowah is God of the heavens and all that is in them; however, His concentration is upon this one race of people, beginning with Abraham. The preposition affixed to your fathers is the bêyth preposition, which indicates proximity—in, at, with.

The verb is the Qal perfect of châshaq (ק ַש ָח) [pronounced khaw-SHAHK], a verb we studied back in Deut. 7:7. It is always used with the bêyth preposition and an object of the preposition. We find this same word used with respect to constructing the tabernacle in Ex. 27:17 38:17, 28.* Attached seems to basically covers the meaning of this word. I have gone with placed his love in, set his love with (taking into account the preposition and noun which follows). Literally, we are looking at Y^ehowah has attached with your fathers—to love. Strong's #2836 BDB #365*

This is followed by the wâw consecutive and the verb for choose, often associated with divine choice. It is often used with the bêyth prefixed preposition, as it is here. Bêyth can also place a limiting geographical limit upon something, being translated within. This is followed by the preposition achar (ר ַח ַא) [pronounced ah-KHAHR] and it means after, following, behind. Then Moses throws in the emphatic in you.

All of the peoples is preceded by the mîn preposition, meaning out of. This verse literally ends with as a day the this.

This is elliptical, which is why many translations add it is.

“Only Y^ehowah has adhered to [lit., attached with] your fathers—to love them. So He chose in [or, within] their descendants after them—in [or, within] you—out of all of the peoples, as [it is] this day. [Deut. 10:15]

Here is where we move into an examination of God’s character. God attached Himself to Abraham and chose in the Israelites—his seed (which, 95% of the time, can be reasonably rendered descendants). This is how things stand this day. Out of all the peoples on the earth, under the entire universe, which is all God’s, God chose Israel. “Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose his descendants after them. And He with His presence brought you from Egypt by His great power.” (Deut. 4:37; see Deut. 7:6 14:2). Moses has listed their reasonable service to God, under the circumstances, and then points out that they are a chosen people—chosen through Abraham, and this choice stands this day, as God has not discarded His people. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the virtues of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. For you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1Peter 2:9–10 Deut. 10:13 Isa. 61:6 Ex. 19:6 Psalm 130:8 Hosea 1:10). From the standpoint of the gospel, they are enemies for your sake; but from the standpoint of God’s choice, they are beloved for the sake of the patriarchs; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable! (Rom. 11:28–29).

Now, note the parallel to us today: God chose the seed of Abraham because He chose Abraham. He chose Abraham’s descendants because they were in Abraham. We are chosen because we are in Christ. And a voice came out of the cloud saying, “This is My Son—the Chosen One—listen to Him!” (Luke 9:35). Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him, in love (Eph. 1:4; see Rom. 16:13). For he who was called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman; likewise, he who was called while free is Christ’s slave (1Cor. 7:22). God did not reveal all of the Old Testament shadows in the New Testament. He has allowed us to discover a few of them ourselves.

“And you will circumcise the foreskin of your heart and you will not stiffen your neck any more. [Deut. 10:16]

Qâshâh (ה ָש ָק) [pronounced kaw-SHAWH] means harden, be severe, stiffen, to be fierce. This verb is used both with the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart (in Ex. 7:3 only—see Ex. 13:15 as well) and often with stiffening the neck (2Kings 17:14 Jer. 7:26). BDB #7185 BDB #904.

We have examined the ritual of circumcision, something which we have not discussed for some time. A verse like this clearly tells us that the circumcision of the phallus is representative. That is not to say that men were not circumcised in face—it just means that the actual circumcision was representative. Every time an Israelite male urinates, he sees that he is set apart, different from those out in the world. His very seed has been set apart by God. And God said to Abraham: “And you will be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and you.” (Gen. 17:11). But that is what this symbolically refers to. What the Israelite is actually instructed to do is when Moses says to circumcise the foreskin of their heart is to believe in Jesus Christ. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is by a hidden circumcision, that of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter (Rom. 2:28–29a). For you see, they are not all Israel who are from Israel (Rom. 9:6). Circumcise yourselves to Y^ehowah and remove the foreskins of your heart, men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that My wrath does not go forth like fire and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.” (Jer. 4:4). And salvation is the work of God: “Furthermore, Y^ehowah your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love Y^ehowah your God with all your heart and with all your soul in order that you may live.” (Deut. 30:6). Rotherham points out: Here [in Deut. 10:16] [it is] charged as a duty; later on [chap. xxx. 6) promised as a blessing.

For in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by means of the removal of the body of the flesh by means of the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism, by mean of which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the operational power of God, Who raised Him from the dead ones (Col. 2:11–12). The old, dead flesh must be removed which blinds man to God, just as our old sin nature, in intimate part of our person, must be removed at death.

The stiffening of the neck, as we have seen, refers to volition and self-will. As God’s people, a people chosen from out of all the peoples of the earth, the Israelites should strive to do God’s will, not to be self-willed. “Do not say in your heart when Y^ehowah your God has driven them out before you, ‘Because of my righteousness Y^ehowah has brought me in to possess this land.’ But [it is] because of the wickedness of these nations [that] Y^ehowah is dispossessing them before your face. It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations Y^ehowah your God is driving them out before you face, in order to confirm the word which Y^ehowah swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Know then, [it is] not because of your righteousness Y^ehowah your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked [or, self-willed] people.” (Deut. 4–6).

“For Y^ehowah your God—He [is] God of the gods and Lord of the lords; God, the great, the mighty, and the fearful; Who accepts not persons [lit., does not lift up faces], nor takes a bribe; [Deut. 10:17]

Since tghe Hebrew language does not have superlative, a superlative concept is expressed by a noun repeated in the genative plural. Literally, this reads Gods of gods and Lords of lords. The first is the common way to which the trinity is referred to in the Old Testament, but Adonai in the plural is found less often.

Moses again stresses that the Jews have not just been chosen by a mere local deity. Y^ehowah is their deity and Baal is the deity for the, say, Amorites—it isn’t that way at all. The God of the Universe, the God Who is Lord over all of the heavens and earth, over all authorities and supposed authorities is God. This is their God. “For what god has tried to go to take for himself a nation from within another nation by trials, by signs and by wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm and by great terrors, as Y^ehowah your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? To you it was shown that you might know Y^ehowah, that He is God—there is no other besides Him.” (Deut. 4:34–35). Give thanks to the God of gods, for His grace is everlasting; give thanks to Y^ehowah of lords, for his grace is everlasting (Psalm 136:2–3). “Thus says Y^ehowah, the King of Israel, and His Redeemer, Y^ehowah of the armies, ‘I am the first and I am the last, and ther is no God besides Me.’ ” (Isa. 44:6). For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet, for us, there is one God, the Father, from Whom are all things, and we [are] for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom are all things, and we [are] through Him (1Cor. 8:5–6). And the Lord of lords and the God of gods is God the Father: You will keep the mandate without stain or reproach, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time—He Who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light—Whom no man has seen or can see. To Him: honor and eternal dominion! Amen! (1Tim. 6:14–16). And the King of kings and Lod of lords is Jesus Christ: “These will wage war against the Lamb and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and Kings of kings, and those who are with Him [are the] called and chosen and faithful.” (Rev. 17:14). Also see Psalm 135:5–6 Isa. 44:8 45:5 Dan. 2:47 Rev. 19:11–16.

The latter portion of this verse refers to the complete, unwavering justice of God, which the Israelites were to emulate: “You will not show partiality in judgment; you will hear the small and the great alike. You will not fear because of man for the judgment is God’s.” (Deut. 1:17a). “You will not distort justice; you will not be partial an dyou will not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. Justice, even justice, you will pursue” (Deut. 16:19–20a). The Israelites were to emulate this justice, as God is perfect justice: Sing to God, sing praises to His name; cast up a highway for Him Who rides through the deserts, Whose name is Y^ehowah and is exalted beofre Him. A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows is God in His holy habitation (Psalm 68:4–5). Y^ehowah protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow; but He thwarts the way of the wicked (Psalm 146:9). God loves the helpless and looks out for them; and we are the helpless. See also Ex. 23:8 Lev. 19:15 Job 34:19 Psalm 94:1–11 Isa. 10:1–3 Mal. 2:9 Acts 10:34

“He executes justice [lit., does judgment] [on behalf of] fatherless and widows and He loves the temporary visitor [or, alien], giving him food and clothing. [Deut. 10:18]

Notice that even though God is specifically the God of the Israelites, having chosen them above all other peoples, He protects and looks out for those who are helpless; His love extends to the outsider whose path happens to cross the path of Israel. “And you will not wrong a temporary resident or oppress him, for you were temporary residents in the land of Egypt. You will not afflict any widow or orphan.” (Ex. 22:21–22). “You will not pervert the justice due an alien or an orphan, nor take a widow’s garment in pledge. But you will remember that you were a slave in Egypt and that Y^ehowah your God redeemed you from there; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing. When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you will not go back to get it; it will be fore the alien, for the orphan and for the widow, in order that Y^ehowah your God may bless you in the work of your hands. When you beat your olive tree, you will not go over the boughs again; it will be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you will not go over it again; it will be for the alien, for the orphan and for the widow.” (Deut. 24:17–21). “Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow.” And all the people will say, “I affirm it.” (Deut. 27:19).

The point is that God protects the helpless and the powerless. The orphan and the widow are just two examples of several different categories of helpless peoples which could be given.

“And you [all] will love the alien, for you [all] were aliens in the land of Egypt. [Deut. 10:19]

The Israelites are encouraged again and again to recall their harsh treatment by the Egyptians while they were aliens in that land. The early Israelites had caused Egypt to prosper and to become a great nation and their reward was slavery and burdens almost beyond comprehension. They are not to treat the alien in the same way. Aliens are often afforded inferior treatment by the law as opposed to native citizens. Israel is mandated to love those aliens because God sends those aliens to her for evangelization. Mercy and grace is to be given to those who are temporary residents of their land. Nowhere else in ancient literature and ancient law do you ever see such a concern for the fair and just treatment of the outsider, the temporary visitor, for the immigrant. God would bring people from all over the world to Israel to evangelize them—how can one be evangelized if they are treated unfairly by those mandated to evangelize them? “And you will not wrong a stranger or oppress him for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. If you afflict him at all—if he then does cry our to Me, I will certainly hear his cry and My anger will be kindled and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.” (Ex. 22:21, 23–24). That is mighty steep punishment for unequal justice being afforded the immigrant. “When a stranger resides in your land, you will do him no wrong. The immigrant who resides with you will be to you as the native among you and you will love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am Y^ehowah your God.” (Lev. 19:33–34). See also Ex. 23:9

“You will fear [and, respect] Y^ehowah your God—you will serve Him

and you will cleave to Him, and you will swear by His name. [Deut. 10:20]

Again, this is their reasonable service. God has chosen them and their reasonable choice is to fear and respect God. As we have seen, God’s miracles should have invoked a healthy amount of fear and respect in those who observed them. That which is in my heart would cause me a great deal of fear if ever placed near a great manifestation of God.

Since God preserved these Israelites because of the intercessory prayer of Moses, they have few options but to serve Him. They are only alive through His mercy. He has cut out the most cancerous elements. Please understand when all of those who were twenty and older at the first census died the sin unto death prior to the second census, this does not mean the Generation of Promise was completely blameless. They were, on the whole, s superior generation, but not blameless. Guaranteed that they were involved in some of the insurrections and complaining and whining and moaning. Since God has suffered them to live, their reasonable reaponse is service to Him.

Since it is Y^ehowah their God Who showed them this mercy, they are to cling to Him. Since He is bringing them into the land of promise and will give it to them, they should cling to Him. This is the word used of right man and right woman as taught in Gen. 2:24. “But you are to cling to Y^ehowah your God, as you have done to this day.” (Joshua 23:8). When we get to Ruth 1:14, we will have a better grasp of the use of cling. See 2Kings 18:6 Psalm 119:31 as well.

And, finally, when they were to take a vow or to swear to a statement, they could not do so by their own character as their own character is corrupt. They could swear only by God’s character, as His was perfect. However, this was not to be something said lightly. “You will not take [lit., lifts up] the name of Y^ehowah your God in vain, for Y^ehowah will not hold him guiltless who takes [lit., lifts up] His name in emptiness.” (Deut. 5:11). Also see Psalm 63:11.

Similar groups of admonitions are given in Deut. 6:13 11:22 13:4 Matt. 4:10 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving Y^ehowah your God and obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which Y^ehowah swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” (Deut. 30:19–20).

“He [is] your [song of] praise and He [is] your God, Who has done with you these great and fearful things which your eyes have seen; [Deut. 10:21]

Most people, when they do well or achieve some great thing, praise themselves. They might be looking down at the ground, shuffling their feet, saying, “It just wasn’t nuthin’,” but they are praising themselves. Israel will go into the Land of Promise and take it because of Who and What God is, not because of Who and What they are. People of great athletic ability often take credit to themselves; very attractive people often take credit to themselves, those who have some sort of notoriety take great credit to themselves; people who are highly intelligent often look down upon others, as though they did something to achieve their intelligence. As Paul said to the arrogant Corinthians: For who regards you as superior? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? (1Cor. 4:7). As John the Baptizer said, “A man can receive nothing, unless it has been given him from heaven.” (John 3:27b).

Other nations have no evidence of what their local god has done for them. They build some sort of a statue or idol, worship and pray to that idol and then they do whatever they do. Sometimes life is good to them, sometimes it is not. However, the Israelites have seen first-hand great and marvelous signs and wonders, miracles as had never been seen on this earth before. No other nation has a god who has done anything like this. The actions performed on their behalf against Egypt were the talk of nations throughout the ancient world. As Moses wrote: Y^ehowah is my strength and song; and He has become my deliverance. This is my God, and I will praise Him; my father’s God, and I will extol Him (Ex. 15:2). As Samuel told the Israelites: “Only fear Y^ehowah and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.” (1Sam. 12:24). When Y^ehowah brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful shouting. Then they said among the nations, “Y^ehowah has done great things for them.” (Psalm 126:1–2).

“With seventy persons did your fathers go down to Egypt, and now Y^ehowah your God has made you as stars of the heavens with respect to multitude.” [Deut. 10:22]

All the persons belonging to Jacob, who came to Egypt, his direct descendants, not including the wives of Jacob’s sons, sixty-six persons in all. And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two; all th persons of the house of Jacob who came to Egypt, seventy (Gen. 46:26–27).

Egypt was a full-blown nation when Israel went into Egypt with all of seventy people. Today they were a nation, moving through the desert, of a size which was phenomenal for that time period. This is one of the many signs of God’s particular favor toward them. As Moses told the people at the beginning of his first great recorded sermon: “Y^ehowah your God has multiplied you, and, observe, you are this day as the stars of heavens for multitude.” (Deut. 1:10). This fulfilled the promise made to Abraham many years previous: “And I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and I will make your name great. And so, you will be a blessing.” (Gen. 12:2). And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So will your descendants be.” (Gen. 15:5).

Introduction: Deut. 11 sounds as though it is the final portion of the message of Moses to his people. He describes the land wherein they are about to go and contrasts it with Egypt. Deut. 11, however, is a transitional chapter. He has been speaking primarily of what the Israelites had experienced up until that time and these experiences as the reason for their obedience to God. Moses will enjoin them several times alone to obey the laws and ordinances of God. However, he will use this as a starting point from which he will, in subsequent chapters, name these laws and ordinances for which they will be responsible.

The Israelites Are to Obey God Because of What They Have Seen with Their Own Eyes

“And you will love Y^ehowah your God and keep His investiture [or, delegated responsibilities and commission] and His statutes and His judgments, and His commands, always [lit., all the days]; [Deut. 11:1]

Recall that the word often rendered charge is mish^emereth (ת ∵רמ ׃ש ̣מ ) [pronounced mish^e-MEH-reth] and it refers to something which someone has been given charge of or responsibility for. It may be something simple which someone is simply responsible to take care of or to maintain or simply something to keep (Ex. 16:23). Sometimes it is something more ethereal, such as a responsibility (Hab. 2:1 Zech. 3:7). In the feminine, it is a reference to that which is watched or taken care of (a charge, a responsibility, a commission); however, since charge is so old-English, we will use the rendering supervision, direction, management would be relatively good renders, except for the fact that mish^emereth is often preceded by the possessive pronoun his. Better would be delegated responsibilities and commission, holy orders, appointment, conferment, investiture [pronounced in-VES-ti-chur]. Strong's #4931 BDB #1038

Throughout this second message, Moses Continues to repeat several things, many of which we will see in this chapter:

Moses Re-Emphasizes Some Points
#	Repeated Points	Previously Found	Deut. 11
1.	The Israelites were undeserving of God’s grace	Deut. 7:7–8 8:16b–17 9:4–8, 13–14, 21–24
2.	Moses intervened on their behalf	Deut. 9:18–19, 25–26
3.	This generation has seen the incredible works of God	Deut. 7:18–19 10:21	Vv. 3–5
4.	The sons of Israel were to obey God	Deut. 7:11 8:1–2, 6 10:12–13 11:1	Vv. 1, 8, 13, 22, 32
5.	They were not to become involved in false religions	Deut. 7:25–26 8:19	Vv. 16, 28
6.	God can be trusted because of what the Israelites have seen Him do in the past	Deut. 7:18–19 8:2–5, 15–16a	Vv. 2–4
7.	Obedience to God would increase their days in the land	Deut. 4:40 5:33 6:2	Vv. 9, 21
8.	The Israelites would be cursed if they disobeyed God	Deut. 6:15 7:10	V. 28
9.	And, finally, God will bring them into the Land of Promise and remove the indigenous nations from before Israel	Deut. 7:20–24 8:7–9 9:1–3 10:11	Vv. 23–25, 29–31
10.	The Israelites must learn and teach God’s Word	Deut. 6:6–9	Vv. 18–20

Moses, one of the greatest public speakers in the history of man, did not mind repeating himself when the doctrine was important.

The Amplified Bible And know this day (for I am not speaking to your children who have not [personally] known and seen it); the instruction and discipline of the Lord your God, His greatness, His mighty hand, and His outstretched arm,

Barnes’ Notes And own

ye this day (for I have not to do with your children which have not known and which have not seen) the chastisement of the Lord, his greatness, his mighty hand, his stretched out arm,

The Emphasized Bible And ye must know to-day, (for not with your sons {do I speak} who know not, neither have the seen] the discipline of Yahweh your god,—his greatness, his firm hand, and his stretched-out arm;

KJV And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm,

NASB And know this day that I am not speaking with your sons who have not known and who have not seen the discipline of the Lord your God—His greatness, His mighty hand, and His outstretched arm.

NIV Remember today that you children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your god; his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm;

NRSV Remember today that is was not your children (who have not known or seen the discipline of the Lord your God), but it is you who must acknowledge his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm,

Owen's Translation And consider this day since not to your children who have not known or seen it—the discipline of Yahweh your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm,

Young's Lit. Translation ...and Ye have known to-day—for it is not your sons who have not known and who have not seen the chastisement of Jehovah your God, His greatness, His strong hand, and his stretched-out arm,

We have about 50% accuracy here—notice the italics in the KJV and the NASB; I speak is not to be found in the Hebrew. What Moses is saying pertains directly to the Generation of Promise; not to their sons. The difficult thing for us to grasp is the double negative of this verse which we want to transform into a positive. It is not your sons—they have not known and they have not seen the discipline of Y^ehowah your God. I have added a couple of words to that, but they convey the idea of the double negative just meaning the same as a single negative in the English—except twice.

“And you [all] will know today because—not with your sons, who have not known, and who have not seen the discipline of Y^ehowah your God, His greatness, His strong hand, and His outstretched arm; [Deut. 11:2]

This is a rather complex sentence here. It begins in this verse and concludes in v. 7, with the intervening verses being parenthetical. Essentially, we are being told what the Generation of Promise knows and is acquainted with and what their sons do not know. At the first attempt to enter the land, the Generation of Promise was all under twenty. Since then, as they have grown up, they have seen tremendous things done by the hand of God. Their sons and daughters may not have been as observant as children seem to be caught inside their own little worlds anyway. However, the Generation of Promise—they are now without excuse. They have seen God’s greatness, His strong hand and His outstretched arm (to help). “And you said, ‘See, Y^ehowah our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we hav heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives.’ “ (Deut. 5:24). The great trials which your eyes saw and dthe signs and the wonders and the mighty hand and the outstretched arm by which Y^ehowah your God brought you out. So will Y^ehowah your God ddo to all the peoples of whom you are afraid.” (Deut. 7:19).

“And His signs, and His doings, which He has done in the midst of Egypt, to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and to all his land; [Deut. 11:3]

Several of the Psalms celebrate God’s victory over Egypt. He worked wonders before their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan (Psalm 78:12 ). He struck down the first-born of Egypt, both man and beast. He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his servants (Psalm 135:9). See Ex. 7:8–21 Psalm 136:10–15.

The Generation of Promise was young at this stage, but several of them were teenagers during their slavery in Egypt and they do recall what God did to free them. These miracles were amazing beyond belief—however, the adult generation who witnessed these miracles went nowhere with that knowledge. It is doctrine in the soul, not some miracle that you see, that gets you anywhere spiritually.

“And that which He has done to the force of Egypt, to its horses, and to its chariot, when He had caused the waters of the Reed Sea to flow against their faces in their pursuing after them,

and Y^ehowah destroyed them, unto this day; [Deut. 11:4]

This is probably one of the most phenomenal sights in all of human history—the crashing down of the Sea of Reeds upon the army of the Egyptians. This had to be a huge area that God lured them into. All of Egypt’s forces were brought into this sea (recall that they had been disoriented by God inasmuch as they were camped almost right next to Israel, but they could not see them) until they were trapped by the water which God brought down upon them. To remind you: And the angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and Y^ehowah swept the sea [back] by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. And the sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea. And it came about at the morning watch that Y^ehowah looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion. And He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty, so the Egypts said, “Let us retreat from Israel, for Y^ehowah is fighting for them against the Egyptians.” Then Y^ehowah said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsement.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea treturned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing directly into it; then Y^ehowah overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsement, even Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained. But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters [were] a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Thus Y^ehowah delivered Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. And when Israel saw the great power which Y^ehowah had used against the Egyptians, the people fears Y^ehowah and they believd in Y^ehowah and in His servant Moses (Ex. 14:19–29).

“And that which He has done to you in the wilderness, till your coming in to this place; [Deut. 11:5]

Every day the Israelites received manna; for discipline, God had brought them quail which flew in huge numbers at a height of 3 feet. God has brought water to them out of a rock twice. Moses has, already in talking to them, listed most of these miracles. The last half of Exodus and the first half of Numbers chronicles their desert journey. As an aside, I don’t like to use the term wanderings because this implies that the Lord of the Universe was confused when it comes to leading His people. As though God led them here, changed His mind, and led them in another direction instead, then changed His mind about that; maybe then He looked at a map and rethought this journey. God knew exactly where He was taking Israel and it was not on a tour of the desert. Several times we are told about how God led Israel. Now, they certainly stopped and camped; and incidents occurred and God had to deal with those incidents. However, they did not wander. That implies that either they had no guidance from God or that God did not know just exactly where He wanted them to go.

“And that which He has done to Dathan, and to Abiram, sons of Eliab, sons of Reuben, when the earth had opened her mouth and swallowed them, and their houses, and their tents, and all that lived which was at their feet, in the midst of all Israel: [Deut. 11:6]

The expression was at their feet refers not to their personal possessions but to those people under their authority or influence. Moses has not spent as much time with as particular incidents of discipline and the sin unto death as he has with God’s power over Egypt and His miracles in the desert. This is because the sin unto death is a subject with which he had to be tactful, as he is speaking of the parents of his audience. Furthermore, their parents had all died relatively young in the sin unto death—terrible deaths. This particular instance was quite memorable as it was so visual. These men stood and opposed Moses and God and an earthquake was quite site-specific in that it swallowed up just those who were in opposition to God. We recalled the inicdent from Num. 16:25–33: Then Moses...went to Dathan and Abiram, with the elders of Israel following him, and he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked me, and touch nothing that belongs to them, so that you are not swept away in all their sin.” So they moved away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out to the doorway of their tents, along with their wives and theirs sons and their little ones. And Moses said, “By this you will know that Y^ehowah has sent me to do all these deeds; for [this] is not from my heart. If these men die the death of all men, or if they suffer the fate of all men, Y^ehowah [then] has not sent me. But if Y^ehowah brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol then you will understand that these men have spurned Y^ehowah.” Then it came about as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground that was under them split open; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah, with possessions. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. This judgment is also celebrated by Psalm 106:16–18.

I should remind you that the innocent did not die in this judgment. There are no accidents in God’s plan. Anyone at any time could have stepped back from the households of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. And the earth had opened its mouth and swallowed them up along with Korah, when that company died, when the fire devoured 250 men, so that they became a warning. The sons of Korah, however, did not die (Num. 26:10–11). God punishes only the guilty for their rebellion against Him.

“But [it is] your eyes which have seen all the great work of Y^ehowah which He has done; [Deut. 11:7]

This is the sentence which ends the thought begun in v. 2. It was not their children who witnessed all of these incidents, but they themselves. We are dealing with two million people. It appears as though the men dealt with things spiritual. This generally left out the women and children. Therefore, a lot of the things which they saw and heard occurred after they reached the age of accountability, which was apparently during their teens. When they became more involved in the religious aspects of their lives, they began to see and experience what was actually occurring. How do I explain this? In the Great Depression, children raised during it did not quite begin to grasp the full impact of what was occurring until the reached the age of, say, 7 or 10 or 14. At some point in time, although they had no other experience with which to compare it to, they began to grasp the impact of the depression. Here, kids just go along with whatever—they have heard the stories what the patriarchs and they remember some things of Egypt, but they do not begin to pull everything together until they reach perhaps their late teens or early twenties. Ths generation, the Generation of Promise, is now between the ages of twenty and forty and they have a full perspective of what has occurred. Their children, although they have witnessed a few things, are still too young to really put it all together.

Unbelievers make a big deal out of believing only what they see. The Exodus generation—gen X—saw incredible sights, the likes of which we will never see during our own time on earth, yet they were a generation which God loathed. The saw quite the impact of God’s power yet were unable to follow God fully. Our dedication to God comes from the inside not from the outside. They did not believe His Word; they did not learn His Word—this was their downfall. “He is your praise and He is your God, Who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.” (Deut. 10:21; see also 29:2). Two generations saw God’s miracles; one died the sin unto death and the other went into the land. It was not the miracles that they saw but the doctrine in their souls. The first generation did not listen to Moses but rebelled against him. The second generation listened and obeyed the words of Moses, knowing they were the Words of God.

“And you [all] will keep [the] entirety [or, all] of the decree which I am commanding you this day, so that you [all] will be strong [or, firm] and you [all] will go in and you [all] will possess the land, which [land] you are going over there to possess it. [Deut. 11:8]

This verse could have also been translated more smoothly as: “And you will keep The entirety of the decree which I am commanding you this day, so that you will be strong and go in and possess the land, which you are going over to possess.” One of the things which I would love to see is a very literal translation done in modern English which is side-by-side a more readable English version put out by the same group. I personally do not have the expertise to do an adequate job here; plus my personal gift, once I have hammered out a good rendering of the Hebrew, is to explain what is there. Again, the Israelites are told to obey God’s decree. It would make sense for Moses to eventually give them a rehash of some of the laws and ordinances that they are to obey, which he will. Just like I will urge you to learn God’s Word, but at some point in time I have to teach you God’s Word.

Moses continually encouraged the Israelites in their advance on the land: “It is Y^ehowah your God Who will cross ahead of you; He will destroy these nations before your face and you will dispossess them. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, just as Y^ehowah has spoken...Be strong and courageous—do not tremble at them, for Y^ehowah your God is the One Who goes with you—He will not fail you or forsake you.” (Deut. 31:3, 6).

“And in this way [lit., so] you you [all] will prolong [your] days on the land which Y^ehowah has sworn to your fathers to give to them and to their descendants—a land flowing with milk and honey. [Deut. 11:9]

One of the things which Christians give very little thought to and where they are generally wrong is in the area of obedience. They think that if they are obedient for a few days, then God can give them that special thing, whatever it was that they wanted. You bribe God with your measly 10% and maybe you kick in another 5% if you want something really bad. Or you really work on your obnoxious behavior for a few days, to bribe God with good behavior. We are mandated to obey God and we are blessed tremendously. We will never reach a point where we deserve even an idota of God’s blessing. Our power to obey Him is in the Holy Spirit, Whom we are given by grace and with Whom we are filled by grace (when we name our sins to God.) In other words, in this dispensation, all of our good works are given to us by God and the ability to do them is given to us by God.

Now the Israelites were given particular promises stating that if they obeyed God, then their time in the land would be long. “So you will keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which Y^ehowah your God is giving you for all time.” (Deut. 4:40; see 5:33 and 6:2 as well). By obeying the decrees of God, these Israelites would extend their time in the land—a theme which has been repeated several times throughout the Pentateuch.

“For the land where you are going in to possess it is not as the land of Egypt from where you [all] have come out, where you sowed your seed and you watered with your foot, as a vegetable garden [lit., garden of the green herb]; [Deut. 11:10]

Egypt receives very little rain to speak of, under 5 inches of rain per year and less than an inch in many portions of it); there is a rainy season which results in the annual overflowing of the Nile. This overflowing lasts about 100 days. Rather than allow this to flood their properties, the Egyptians have built a complex of reservoirs, tanks and channels into which the water is diverted during this rainy season, and this water is used to irrigate the land throughout the year. There are actually two irrigating methods still used in Egypt today which invovle the use of the feet. There are tread-wheels which work sets of pumps to move water. Freeman gives a description of something like this on p. 106 in his Manners and Customs of the Bible. Also, in Egypt, there are reservoirs which are diverted to many man-made channels which, can be opened, closed, and diverted by the feet, thus dispersing the water to wherever it is needed.

Part of the contrast here is that the Land of Promise is naturally-watered. However, it goes deeper than that. Keep reading.

“But the land where you [all] are passing over to possess it [is] a land of hills and valleys; it drinks water from the rain of the heavens [lit., with respect to the rain of the heavens, it drinks water]; [Deut. 11:11]

Often, when we translate a verse, we change the word order of the Hebrew in order to give the thought a more natural flow in the English. However, the change of the word order cause the prepositions to behave differently. The literal rendering of v. 11 is really just a change of word order and the correct rendering of the prefixed preposition lâmed.

However, note the picture painted of the Land of Promise. I don’t know what crossed my mind when I heard in my spiritual youth over and over again a land flowing with milk and honey but to visualize Israel today—it is a much different country. The key is rain and being in the neighborhood of so much water, you would expect them to receive rain, but that is no longer the case. It is a land under discipline today because the people there are under discipline

A land which is flat can be easily irrigated from reservoirs, as in the case of Egypt. The older ones in the audience recall this. However, a land of rolling hills and valleys cannot be irrigated. Israel’s prosperity could not be based upon human works and skills, as Egypt’s was. They were entirely dependant upon God for the rains to come at the proper times. The parallel drawn here between human works as versus divine provision by grace is obvious. Because of their different topologies, Israel was a land wholly dependent upon God for its prosperity, whereas Egypt’s prosperity is the result of human works and effort.

“[It is] a land which Y^ehowah your God is searching [or, examining]; continually [are] the eyes of Y^ehowah your God upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the latter end of the year. [Deut. 11:12]

The picture drawn here for us is one of time and care. Rotherham writes: A natural and beautiful figure of speech, expressive of the constant activities of God’s benign care of Palestine.

In this verse we have the Qal active participle of dârash (ש ַר ָ ) [pronounced dah-RAWSH], which does not mean to care. As it is erroneously rendered by Owen’s and the KJV (and others, I am sure). This word means to seek, to make inquiries concerning, to consult, to inquire. This word is used often for man seeking or making inquiry of God (Gen. 25:22 2Kings 8:8 Psalm 105:4). It appears to be used less often when God is the subject. We find God as the subject in Gen. 9:5 (three times) Job 3:4 10:6 39:8). The difference between the two uses is a difference in the intelligence of the subject. Man is limited in his cognizance, so this verb is used to me seek, inquire to fill in some of the gaps of his intelligence. However, since God is omniscient, He does not need to seek after knowledge. Here, God has carefully examined the land. God looking into things is an anthropopathism. He knows this in His omniscience already. This verb seems to give God’s examination of the land a feeling of recent action. Strong’s #1875 BDB #205.

Now I hope you can see the relationship between these last three verses. “For the land where you are going in to possess it is not as the land of Egypt from where you have come out, where you sowed your seed and you watered with your foot, as a vegetable garden, but the land that you are passing over to possess [is] a land of hills and valleys; it drinks water from the rain of the heavens. [It is] a land which Y^ehowah your God is watching over—continually the eyes of Y^ehowah your God upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the latter end of the year.” (Deut. 11:10–12). It is God Who takes care of the land. The Israelites are completely dependant upon God in their land. While they are in the land, He watches over the land, to provide the rain which in turn makes the land of Canaan an area of prosperity, flowing with milk and honey. “For Y^ehowah your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills.” (Deut. 8:7).

The alternative to blessing is discipline and God withheld rain to discipline Israel. And it will come to pass that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Y^ehowah of the armies, there will be no rain upon them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then [there will be no rain] on them; it will be the plague with which Y^ehowah strikes down the nations who do not go up to celegrate the Feast of Booths (Zech. 14:17–18).

“ ‘And it will come to pass, if you listen carefully to my commands which I am commanding you this day, to love Y^ehowah your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul— [Deut. 11:13]

This verse can be looked at in two slightly different ways: Moses could be, using dramatic license, assuming the identify of God for just a moment by saying my commandments which I am commanding you this day; or Moses could be simply referring to the commandments of God as his commandments, since Moses is, after all the mediator between God and man, a shadow of our Lord. The two subsequent verses are also in the first person, indicating the Moses is taking dramatic license by speaking in the place of God (or else, he is quoting what God had said to him). Moses’ use of the title Y^ehowah God in the third person is consistent with God’s own use of His name in the third person. Therefore, Moses is not speaking of these commands as from his position as mediator.

Allow me this tangent if your would: as you have no doubt noticed, the full import of many Old Testament verses was not known until they were fulfilled in the New. In fact, there are many verses whose import will not be known until the Tribulation and Millennium. However—and pay careful attention to this—when we speak, we do not necessarily reveal our entire essence, but often just an attribute or a personality trait. When Jesus Christ spoke, He did not always reveal His entire essence. In fact, there were times when He spoke only from His humanity; there were times He spoke from His deity; and there were times that He spoke from His hypostatic union. Certain cults and some deviations from correct Christian doctrine are a direct result of not making these careful distinctions. Here, Moses speaks from his position as mediator, just as our Lord later would speak from His position as the one true Mediator between God and man.

“ ‘That I will give the rain of your land in its season—the autumn rain and the spring rain—and you will harvest [lit., gather] your grain and your new wine and your oil; [Deut. 11:14]

Originally, the Land of Promise was well-watered naturally. The phrase the early rain and the latter rain is somewhat of a misnomer, insofar as we are concerned. The early rain is the rain from early October through early December. The latter rain is the spring rain, the showers of March through April. Therefore, we would think of the rain as being the other way around. Furthermore, the Hebrew calendar has March and April as the beginning of the year, which would reverse what we would consider the early and the latter rain by their calendar. Rather than obsess about this, we will merely change the translation slightly to better reflect what is occurring. However, the designation early rain and late rain comes from the fact that the Hebrews planted their seed in the autumn and harvested after the spring.

Other than these two times of the year, there is very little rain which falls on Palestine. And now there is very little rain which falls on Palestine at all. However, this will all change in the Millennium.

Without the ability to initiate the complex irrigation system of Egypt, the Israelites would be dependant upon God for the rain to occur at the proper times so that their agriculture efforts would be prospered. The Land of Promise can only prosper when God blesses it and it will be obvious when the land is under discipline because the sky will close up like brass and there will be no water on the land. “Y^ehowah will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow...But it will come to pass, if you do not listen to the voice of Y^ehowah your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes, then...the heaven which is over your head will become bronze and the earth which is under you, iron. Y^ehowah will make the rain of your land powder and dust; from heaven, it will come down on you until you are destroyed.” (Deut. 28:12, 15a, 23–24). “But they no longer say in their heart, ‘Let us fear Y^ehowah our God, Who gives rain in its season—both the autumn rain and the spring rain—Who keeps for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’ “ (Jer. 5:24). “So rejoyce O sons of Zion, and be glad in Y^ehowah your God, for He has given you the autumn rain—vindication; and He has poured down for you the rain, the autumn and the spring rain as before.” (Joel 2:23). Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, unti it receives the early and late rains (James 5:7). See also Lev. 26:4 Psalm 147:8 Jer. 3:3 Acts. 15:17.

“ ‘And I will give [you] produce in your field for you cattle, and you will eat and become satisfied.’ [Deut. 11:15]

Several translators render ׳eseb (ב ∵ ∵ע ) [pronounced ĢEH-seb] herbs, herbage. However, this is not parsley or oregano—cattle do not feed upon herbs. This is the produce of the ground which the cattle would eat. Grass is okay, but produce in this context is better. Strong’s #6212 BDB #793. This verse and previous verses describe great agricultural prosperity.

God promised the Israelites on several occasions that He would give them great agricultural blessing. “If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, then I will give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit. Furthermore, your threshing will last for you until grape gathering and grape gathering will last until sowing time. You will thus eat your food to the full and live securely in your land.” (Lev. 26:3–5). See Deut. 6:11 and Joel 2:19 as well.

With this verse, Moses concludes his use of dramatic license, where he speaks from the standpoint of God, using the first person in vv. 13–15. Again, the figure of speech is simple to comprehend, as most of them are in the Bible. Moses obviously has no personal control over the rain and the prosperity of the people.

“Take personal responsibility so that you heart is not enticed and you are turned aside [from the truth], and you serve other gods and you prostrate yourselves to them; [Deut. 11:16]

This was a continual warning to the Israelites: “Furthermore, beware, lest you lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the starts, all the armies of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which Y^ehowah your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.” (Deut. 4:19). “And it will come to pass if you ever forget Y^ehowah your God, and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish—[just] like the nations that Y^ehowah has made to perish before you, in that way, you will perish, because you would not listen to the voice of Y^ehowah your God.” (Deut. 8:19). The application today to is pursue Jesus Christ and His righteousness, but not the cults and the prevailing trends in Christianity. Their great temptation in the field of religion was idolatry—our is religion. Test yourselves—if your are in the faith; test yourselves for approval; or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless, indeed, you fail the test! (2Cor. 13:5).

“And the anger of Y^ehowah will burn against you, and He will restrain the heavens so that there is no rain [lit., and rain is not] and the ground will not yield [lit., give] her produce, and you [all] will perish prematurely [lit., quickly] from off the good land which Y^ehowah is giving to you. [Deut. 11:17]

This continues the thought from the previous verse. The Israelites are not to be turned away from their God, Jesus Christ, or God’s anger will burn against them and they will die prematurely in the land. This is more the sin unto death rather than their removal from the land. “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will surely perish prematurely from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You will not live long on it, but you will be completely destroyed.” (Deut. 4:26). In context, they are dying the sin unto death through privation due to their idolatry. “For she does not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil; and [it was I who] lavished on her silver and gold, which they made into the Baal...I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth so that they will be remembered by their names no more.” (Hosea 2:8, 17). The rain from God was His provision which He could remove at will: “And I will also break down your pride of power; I will also make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength will be spent uselessly, for your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit.” (Lev. 26:19–20). We will study an example of God sending drought to the land of Israel in 1Kings 17.

“And you [all] will place these my words upon your heart, and upon your soul, and you [all] will bind them for a sign on your hand, and they will be as frontlets between your eyes; [Deut. 11:18]

As has been mentioned, it is sometimes difficult to understand when the Bible is being literal and when it is not. The Israelites actaully had items which they attached to their wrists and foreheads in which was placed material with Scripture written upon it. They key is that God’s Word should be upon their hearts and soul—placing God’s Word in your heart guarentees that your actions will be a sign of your relationship to Him; placeing God’s Word upon your soul guarantees that your thinking will be in accordance with His will. The hand represents what we do and the forehead represents what we think. When God’s Word is in our hearts and souls, this is revealed by what we do and think. Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck—write them on the tablet of your heart (Prov. 3:3). We do not have to carry around a wrist band with John 3:16 written on a scrap of paper and kept in there. God would rather that this verse be written on our heart and on our soul. The Israelites werre very demonstrative and further, they wanted to earn their standing with God; therefore, if they could interpret God’s Word as demanding works for their approval, then they worked.

We first see this sign on the hand and a reminder on the forehead in Ex. 13:9. Reading in the context, we have the feast of the Unleavened Bread: “For seven days you will eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day there will be a feast to Y^ehowah. Unleavened bread will be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing leavened will be seen among you, nor will any leaven be seen among you in all your borders. And then you will tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what Y^ehowah did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ And it will be to you for a sign on your hand and for a memorial on your forehead [lit., between your eyes], that the law of Y^ehowah may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand, Y^ehowah brought you out of Egypt.” (Ex. 13:6–9). There are a couple of key words here. The is the 3rd masculine singular form of the verb to be—it will be to you. This it refers back to a specific item in context—the feast. The feast, which the father tells the son about—it act as or it will be for a sign on their hand to them. They are not being told to make wrist bands here and hand bands and carry around verses. This feast accomplishes that purpose. The father explains the meaning of the feast to his son: “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go that Y^ehowah killed every first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man and the first-born of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to Y^ehowah the males of the first opening of eavery womb, but every first-born of my sons I redeem.” [And God adds]: So it [the feast] will be to you for a sign on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a strength of hand, Y^ehowah brought us out of Egypt.” (Ex. 13:15–16). My guess is that the Egyptians who the Jews were under had themselves wrist bands and phylacteries. That is, in some way, the Israelites were familiar with a practice like this. However, they are clearly not being told to engage in this practice, as the feast accomplishes the purpose of such a practice.

Our application today: we have the entire Bible. Anyone who desires God’s Word can have it and carry it around and this is great. However, you can be seen by everyone around as a person who carries the Bible, but if it is not in your soul, then it is useless. We are not enjoined by God to be religious or to appear religious; we are to carry God’s Word on our hearts and on our souls. This is done by learning God’s Word. Carrying several verses or several doctrines around in your head is incomparably better than hauling around a shopping cart filled with Bibles.

“And you [all] will teach these to your sons by speaking of them in your sitting in your house and in your going in the way, and in your lying down and in your rising up; [Deut. 11:19]

During the time of Israel it was quite clear who had the responsibility of raising each successive generation—the parents. The first thing that they were to teach their children, and it was to be daily, several times a day, is Bible doctrine. This does not mean a long hour lecture in which the child takes notes and there is a quiz at the end of it. This is a short lesson here, and a short lesson there, several times daily. The Israelite parent was to have Y^ehowah on his mind and he was to share this with his child.

A good relationship between a parent and child cannot be overemphasized. Studies of Romanian babies who were raised by the state as opposed to being raised by their parents often show irreversible personality disorders and permanent damage to the function of the brain. The responsibility growth of a child from age zero on up is always placed squarely in the laps of that child’s parents. This takes dedication and almost a lifetime of work. No amount of material gifts and provision can take the place of love and affection given to a child in infancy and careful training from age three or so on up until they leave the nest. Don’t place the infancy of your child in the hands of the state and don’t depend upon your church to teach God’s Word to your children. Over and over again, the Bible tells you that this is your job.

“And you will write them on the side-posts of your house and on your gates; [Deut. 11:20]

As with the things mentioned in v. 18, this is not necessarily to be taken literally. However, it is a good training aide for a child. In a teacher’s room, there will be things posted along the wall which, in some ways, will stay with the child as long as the actual teaching of the child. They key here is that you have taught all of your children doctrine and your house should be, from the instant someone walks in the door, dedicated to God to a point that one can tell. Each individual home throughout the Land of Promise was to be dedicated to God. If God’s Word was written upon their door frames and gates, so much the better. However, what was most important is that God’s Word be on the souls of those living in the house. Okay, so you are wondering, do I write placards with God’s Word on them and hang them up around the house or not? Whatever methods you choose to teach your children is up to you. You are to use good judgment in training them spiritually. Teachers have used flash cards for decades to teach their students. The key is the placing of doctrine into the soul of the child. This is just one of many methods.

For the 1%—although you are the one in authority and that authority must be taught to the child from the point at which they can make moral decisions, you are not a drill sergeant. You don’t beat Scripture into them; and your life should reflect the knowledge of God’s Word imprinted on your souls. You don’t turn them away from God by teaching them they cannot have fun on Sundays. You don’t turn them away from Scripture through legalism. Your training to them must reflect love, wisdom and discipline.

“So that your days are multiplied, and the days of your sons upon the ground [or, land] which Y^ehowah had sworn to your forefathers to give to them, as the days of the heavens above the earth. [Deut. 11:21]

There are two things which Moses promises to these people—place God’s Word in their own hearts and teach the same to their children, and their days would be multiplied in the land. However, the latter phrase is more difficult. This is what others have done with it:

The Amplified Bible ...the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.

The Emphasized Bible ...upon the soil which Yahweh sware unto your fathers to give unto them,—like the days of the heavens upon the earth.

KJV ...in the land which the Lord swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.

NASB ...on the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens [lit., the days of the heavens] remain above the earth.

NIV ...in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

NRSV ...in the land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.

Young's Lit. Translation ...on the ground which Jehovah hath sworn to your fathers to give to them, as the days of the heavens on the earth.

The preposition ‛al is found first; this means upon. That is followed by the word ’ădâmâh (ה ָמ ָד ֲא ) [pronounced uh-daw-MAWH] and it means ground, soil, tillable earth, land, surface of the earth. Strong's #127 BDB #9. This is followed by the relative pronoun which, that and the Niphal perfect of the verb for swear. Y^ehowah is the subject of that verb. This is followed by to your fathers, which could be rendered to your forefathers, to your ancestors, as this is the meaning of the word father in the Hebrew. This is followed by the Qal infinitive construct of give and the lâmed prefixed preposition and the lâmed preposition with the masculine plural suffix. This gives us ...upon [or, on] the ground which Y^ehowah had sworn to your forefathers to give to them...

It is the last portion which is difficult. It begins with the preposition like, as and the plural construct of days. Then we have the definite article and the dual of heavens. Then we have the preposition ‛al again, which means upon, above, over, by on, followed by the definite article and the word ground, land. Literally, we have ...as days of the heavens above the earth. The idea is that the time that they would spend in the land, when obedient to God, would be multiplied like number of days of the heavens above the earth. Obviously, the amount of time the heavens have been above the earth has been long—since the restoration of the earth. The implication is giving them the land forever. A similar phrasing is used elsewhere in God’s Word: Let them fear You while the sun endures and as long as the moon throughout all generations (Psalm 72:5). “So I will establish his descendants forever and his throne as the days of heaven.” (Psalm 89:29).

And as we have seen several times, it is God’s Word in our soul which prolongs our time upon this earth. Hear, my son, and accept my sayings, and the years of your life will be many (Prov. 4:10). My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart guard my commandments; for length of days and years of life and peace [and prosperity] they will add to you (Prov. 3:1–2). The fear [and respect] of Y^ehowah is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me [doctrine] your days will be multiplied and years of life will be added to you (Prov. 9:10–11).

“For, if you [all] diligently keep all this command which I am commanding you—to do it, to love Y^ehowah your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave to Him; [Deut. 11:22]

This is the protasis of the conditional statement, unfortunately split right here. God’s covenant to Abraham would be fulfilled. However, his contract with this generation and future generations would be perpetual and conditional. For all of these people, individually and collectively, they all must face this if.

“The Y^ehowah will [cause to] dispossess all these nations from before your face, and you [all] will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you; [Deut. 11:23]

This was God’s promise to the Israelites. The verb dispossess is first in the Hiphil (causative) stem and then in the Qal stem. God will cause the dispossession of these other nations and Israel will do the actual dispossessing. “And I will send hornet ahead of you, that they may drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites and the Hittites from before your face.” (Ex. 23:28).

“[In fact] every place on which the sole of your foot treads is yours, from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the River, the river Euphrates, even to the sea—the hinder [or, western]—is your border; [Deut. 11:24]

This is a greater area than what the Israelites ever possessed. It goes from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates River, from Lebanon to the desert through which they just walked—approximately 300,000 square miles. Up until now, the most Israel has ever occupied has been 30,000 square miles. This is just about the entirety of the middle east. God reiiterates this promise to Joshua in Joshua 1:3: “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses.” When this is occupied by Israel in the Millennium, it will bloom as God will provide the entire area with the much needed rain. We have already discussed the land covenant between God and Israel; however related passages are: Gen. 15:8 Ex. 23:31 Num. 34:2–12 Deut., 1:7–8 34:1–4.

“No man will cause [himself] to stand against [lit., in] your face; Y^ehowah your God will place upon the face of the land where you tread the fear of you and the dread of you [lit., your fear and your dread], as He has promised you [lit., had spoken to you]. [Deut. 11:25]

Even though the Israelites would have to go to war against all of the peoples, God would first give them a psychological advantage, which is possibly the most important advantage in war. Their enemies would fear and dread them. Fear occurs right prior to and during battle. Dread is the continual concern of their moving closer, a hatred, a fear. It is acute anxiety and distress. “I will send My terror ahead of you, and throw into confusion all the people among whom you come, and I will make all your enemies retreat [lit., turn backs to you]. And I will send hornet ahead of you, that they may drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you.” (Ex. 23:27–28). As we recently read: “But Y^ehowah your God will deliver them before you, and will throw them into great confusion until they are destroyed. And He will deliver their kings into your hand so that you will make their name perish from under heaven. No man will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them.” (Deut. 7:23–24). See also Deut. 2:25 and a fulfillment in Joshua 2:8–14.

“Observe, I am setting before your face this day a blessing and a curse: [Deut. 11:26]

This black or white choice is set before Israel on several occasions. One of the very last things Moses said to his people: “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity in that I command you today to love Y^ehowah your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, so that you may live and multiply, and that Y^ehowah your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you will certainly perish. You will not prolong days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter to possess it. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.” (Duet. 30:15–19).

The Israelites will have a choice, as do we. Before every human being, God has placed a blessing and a curse. That is Jesus Christ. He is our Savior or He is the One Who will condemn us to the Lake of Fire for all eternity. And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from Whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the samll, standing before the thron; and the books were opned; and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books according to their ddeds. And the bottomless pit gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one according to his deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death, the Lake of Fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:11–15). “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36). The unbeliever has a choice in this life. He can spend his entire life holding God away at arm’s length or he can embrace God one time for a few seconds. It takes just one positive decision to spend eternity with God. It takes a lifetime of bad decisions to sepnd eternity under judgment in the lake of fire.

“The blessing: when you [all] listen to the commands of Y^ehowah your God—which [commands] I am commanding you today; [Deut. 11:27]

Much of the second message of Moses was a set of generalizations which were covered at the beginning of this chapter. However, Moses will launch into the specifics of these commands shortly in his message. In Deut. 28, Moses will specifically cover some of the blessings God designed for Israel, as well as some of the cursings. As David wrote: You have prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you have anointed my head with oil—my cup overflows [with blessings] (Psalm 24:5).

“The cursing: if you [all] do not listen to the commands of Y^ehowah your God, and you [all] turn aside out of the way which I command you this day—to go after other gods which you [all] have not known. [Deut. 11:28]

God’s cursing of Israel occurs throughout the Old Testament, along with her dispersion from the land. It is prophesied by Moses: “So it shall come to pass when all these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you cause them to return to your heart in all nations where Y^ehowah your God has banished you.” (Deut. 30:1; see our study of Lev. 26 as well). In Lamentations, Jeremiah speaks of a fulfillment of the curse: Her adversaries have become her masters; her enemies proper; for Y^ehowah has caused her grief because of the multitude of her transgressions. Her little ones have gone away as captives before the adversary, and all her majesty has departed from the daughter of Zion. Her princes have become like bucks that have found no pasture; and they have fled without strength before the pursuer....Jerusalem sinned greatly, therefore she has become unclean. All who honored her despise her because they have seen her nakedness. Even she herself groans and turns away...Y^ehowah has done what He purposed; He has accomplished His word which He commanded from days of old. He has thrown down without sparing and He has caused the enemy to rejoice over you. He has exalted the horn of your adversaires (Lam. 1:5–6, 8 2:17). Notice the response which Jeremiah received to his messages: “As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of Y^ehowah, we are not going to listen to you! But rather we will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, by burning sacrifices to the queen

of heaven and pouring our libations to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem—for we had plenty of food and were well off and saw no evil” (Jer. 44:16–17). In fact, most of the Old Testament prophets lamented Israel’s dispersment of Israel, either prophetically or historically: Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah ben Jehoaida the priest, and he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus God has said, ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of Y^ehowah and do not prosper? Because you have forsaken Y^ehowah, He has also forsaken you.’ “ (2Chron. 24:20). “If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says Y^ehowah of the armies, “Then I will send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; furthermore, I have cursed them, because you are not taking it to heart. Observe, I will rebuke your offspring and I will spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it.” (Malachi 2:2–3). “Indeed all Israel has transgressed You law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him.” (Dan. 9:11). “You have sown much, but you harvest little; you eat, but not [enough] to be satiated; you drink, but not [enough] to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm; and he who earns, earns wages in a purse with holes.” (Haggai 1:6).

Just like us, the Israelites are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. However, they have lives to lead after their salvation. They were God’s representative nation here on earth. When they failed, they made God seem like any one of a hundred national gods—impotent, weak, immoral. When their representation of God got to a point that they were an embarrassment and a detriment to Him, God had no choice but to discipline them. Often, we also leave God no such choice ourselves.

“And it will come to pass, when Y^ehowah your God has brought you into the land which [land] you are going in to possess it, that you will give the blessing on Mount Gerizim, and the cursing on Mount Ebal; [Deut. 11:29]

This will be an act which will be literally fulfilled. The blessing from one mountain and the cursing from the other will give a visual as to how far apart and separate these are. Mount Gerizim is found in central Samaria, not but ten miles southeast of the city of Samaria. Mount Ebal is three miles northeast of Mount Gerizim. Both mountains have a long and rich history which we will examine in Joshua 8:30–35. The cursing that will be read is found in Deut. 27; the blessing from Mount Gerizim is found in Deut. 28. Interestingly enough, the blessings will turn into curses from Deut. 28:14 to v. 15.

This does introduce a slight problem. What about the chronological order of this and Deut. 28? Did Moses already say what was in Deut. 28–29 to the people and this referred back to it? I personally feel that the Moses already had in the back of his mind the calling out of the blessings and the cursings between the two mountains between the set tribes, but he had just not taught it yet. Now and again, a public speaker will throw in a teaser, something which seems to allude to what has already happened, but that no one in the audience knows what that is. However, it sticks in their heads until they find out what it is all about. Movies often do this, and although I can think of specific examples in Swimming to Cambodia and in Pulp Fiction, neither example would be appropriate to mention herein.

“Are they not beyond the Jordan after the way of the going in of the sun in the land of the Canaanites, the ones living in the Arabah opposite Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh? [Deut. 11:30]

Now here is how we know that v. 18b (about the stuff on the wrists and the phylacteries on the foreheads) is symbolic and this is real. Moses gives the Israelites specific directions to find these two mountains. He knows about them and his spies know about them and now those who are listening to his message know about them. When the actual ark of the covenant was built, there were very specific directions given for its construction. However, when it came to these wrist bands and head sets of v. 18, there are no explicit directions. The learning of God’s Word is what is important, not the act of carrying these additional fashion statements around.

The road spoken of here in v. 30 is probably a road which runs north and south, parallel to the Jordan, running from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, which must be crossed over to reach the two mountains. Abraham is said to have passed through this very spot whereof Moses speaks: And Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite [was] then in the land (Gen. 12:6). The Arabah generally referred to the valley which extended from the Sea of Galilee down to the Gulf of Aqaba. The Canaanites live in this land as well as on the other side of Gilgal, which appears to be what is being said here. Moses is giving the location of these two mountains and he is telling Israel that these are two mountains on the other side of the Jordan, to the west, where the Canaanites now dwell, which is the Arabah and beyond, opposite Gilgal. The latter description noted describes where the Canaanites live. Then when we add the final phrase beside the oaks of Moreh, we are again speaking of the location of the mountains, which are near the oaks of Moreh, also mentioned in Gen. 12:6. We will examine Gilgal later in Joshua 4:19 and 5:9–10. It is unclear whether this refers to the campsite which will be called Gilgal or whether this is a reference to a city, the Gentile Gilgal (if such a place exists).

“For you [all] are passing over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which Y^ehowah your God is giving to you; and you [all] will possess it and dwell in it. [Deut. 11:31]

The only way these Israelites will be able to fulfill this commandment of Moses is to actually go into the land and to possess it, which Moses is fully confident that they will do. This will be begun soon: Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you are to cross this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which Y^ehowah your God is giving you, to possess it.’ “ (Joshua 1:11). And this will be finally fulfilled seven years later in Joshua 11:23 & 21:43: So Joshua took the whole land according to all that Y^ehowah had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Thus the land had rest from war...So Y^ehowah gave to Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they possessed it and lived in it.

“And you [all] will take the responsibility to do all the statutes and the judgments which I am setting before your face today. [Deut. 11:32]

Moses will tell the people what they must do upon taking the land: ”When you cross the Jordan and live in the land which Y^ehowah your God is giving you to inherity, and He gives you rest from all your enemies around so that you live in security, then it will come to pass that the place in which Y^ehowah your God will choose for his name to dwell, there you will bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution of your hand, and all your choice votive offerings which you will vow to Y^ehowah. And you will rejoice before Y^ehowah your God—you and your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, and the Levites who is within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance with you.” (Deut. 12:10–12).

At this point, Moses will launch into almost twenty chapters of more specific commands which the Israelites were to obey. They had been given before in previous books of the Bible, but Moses is giving them to a new generation.

Introduction: Deut. 12 begins an entire new section of the address of Moses to his people. Through to Deut. 26, Moses will deal in very specific laws and regulations which will cover the civil, domestic and ecclesiastical lives of his listeners. Moses does not organize this message in accordance with the Ten Commandments but he will free associate, he will explore tangents, and yet he will cover in great detail the Laws that the Generation of Promise and their descendants must obey upon entering into the land. On the other hand, these are not the ramblings of an old man who leads of life of partial confusion. Moses is lucid, cogent and organized, revealing that his genius had not diminished with age.

Deut. 12 deals with more specifics than the previous few chapters. As discussed in the previous chapter, Moses had several themes running throughout his message, all given in a chart in Deut. 11. He has approached those themes from several standpoints, but, by the time we got to Deut. 11, Moses had been repeating the same things over and over again. From this point on, Moses will start dealing with specific situations, issues, clarifications and special cases. The Law is in written form, but they have no printing presses and it is difficult to distribute God’s Word to two million people. Their fathers had heard God’s Word, but it did them no good as they did not mix it with faith. So Moses is now teaching their sons, teaching the Generation of Promise, face to face. We are never told how much of a pivot attended these sermons or lectures. We have two million people, very few of whom are filled with the Spirit. Therefore, there will not be 100% attendance to Moses’ speaking engagement. If I had to put a number on it, I would personally guess that less than 10,000 attended these meetings.

With this chapter, Deut. 12, Moses will begin to deal with the proper way to worship God, ceremonially speaking, concentrating upon the eating of the meat of the sacrifices, eating meat in general, and where this was to take place. You perhaps didn’t realize that the Israelites did eat the meat of the animals which were sacrificed to God. Eating illustrates faith, as it is something that everyone can do, moral, immoral, religious, irreligious. It is taking something on the outside and putting it on the inside so that our body assimilates it fully and it becomes a part of us. When we believe in Jesus Christ, He indwells us. Ideally, He occupies our entire being and becomes a part of every aspect of our lives. Jesus therefore said to them, “Point of doctrine [lit., truly truly, I say to you] unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.” (John 6:53). This chapter will also deal with certain other generalities when it comes to animal sacrifices to God.

Furthermore, the second emphasis of this chapter will be where these sacrifices would be offered. It would be reasonable for man to worship God from several different places throughout the Land of Promise. However, this is not God’s plan. There would be one place only where animal sacrifices would be offered—Jerusalem; although that name had not yet been given.

“These are the statutes and the judgments which you [all] will observe to do in the land which Y^ehowah, God of your fathers, has given to you to possess it, all the days that you [all] are living on the ground; [Deut. 12:1]

This is the introduction to what Moses is about to launch into. This is them—these are the statutes and the judgments which you will observe in the land. Moses had already told them, “The day you stood before the face of Y^ehowah your God at Horeb, when Y^ehowah said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live on the earth and that they may teach their children.’ “ (Deut. 4:10). Furthermore, only in the land could the Israelites keeps the entire Law.

Moses has a soul filled with doctrine. He has been receiving God’s Word for the past eighty years, particularly during the past forty—and now he is giving the Israelites, the Generation of Promise, God’s Word from his mouth. He does not have to continually repeat: thus saith the Lord. He has already pointed out that he is speaking with authority; he is speaking God’s Word. “Now this is the decree, the statutes and the judgments which Y^ehowah your God has commanded [me] to teach you, that you might do [them] in the land where you are going over to possess.” (Deut. 6:1). And the final verse of this chapter will indicate that Moses recognizes that.

“In destroying, you [all] will destroy all the places where the nations which you [all] are dispossessing served their gods—on the high mountains and on the heights and under every green tree; [Deut. 12:2]

The heathen of the land were very religious. They chose high places, mountains and hills, because that made them feel closer to God and to heaven. Their groves were likely beautiful gardens of trees, laid out in a symmetrical fashion. I was in a chapel once which was surrounded by trees and gardens and the walls were huge panes of glass and it was perhaps the most beautiful chapel that I have even seen. However, that much beauty was a distraction. There are churches throughout our land which are monuments to marvelous and ingenious architecture; and there is nothing wrong with that. However, what is important is if God’s Word is being presented accurately and carefully. If God’s Word prevails, than a church service held in an old barn in a field is a thing of exquisite beauty.

The Canaanites had churches everywhere you went. All of their churches were dedicated to Satan. One of the first orders of business for the Israelites was to destroy completely every single religious site on the land. For the 1%—we don’t go out and burn down Catholic cathedrals, Jehovah Witness halls or Mormon temples. This was a commandment delivered at a particular time (the Dispensation of Israel) to a specific people. In the millennium, there will be no freedom of religion. However, until the Lord returns, it is freedom of religion which allows us to teach the Word of God. There was a certain amount of freedom of religion which allowed the early church to go into the temple or the various synagogues and teach the Word (although, they had to eventually distance themselves from the synagogues). Our Lord first taught in these places because they spoke of Him. However, when the early church began to do that, there came to be a problem. Just like I originally thought that once a believer was exposed to the careful teaching of God’s Word, he would never go back to the pablam to which he had been previously exposed. I was entirely wrong—most believers have not interest in God’s Word. The early Apostles certainly thought that with the power vested in them by God the Holy Spirit, plus the fact that they were filled with the Truth of God and had the fulfillment of the promise on their tongue that the natural response of the Israelite would be to believe in Jesus Christ. This turned out not to be the case. In face, they were met with unbelievable hostility (unbelievable, except for the fact that Satan leads the rebellion against the gospel).

“And you [all] will break down their altars and you [all] will dash into pieces their pillars and you [all] will burn their shrines with fire, and you [all] will cut down their engraved images of their gods and you [all] will destroy their name from that place. [Deut. 12:3]

Upon entering the land, one of the most solemn assignments of the Israelites was to destroy all vestiges of idolatry. “But you will do thus to them: you will tear down their altars and smash their pillars and cut down their Asherim, and burn their engraved images with fire.” (Deut. 7:5). See Ex. 32:13, 20 Num. 33:52 Judges 2:2–3.

When Israel began to construct such things was a sign of great degeneracy. And Judah did evil in the sight of Y^ehowah and they provoked Him to jealousy more than all that their fathers had done, with the sins which they committed. For they also built for themselves high places and pillars and Asherim on every high hill and beneath every luxuriant tree. And there were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which Y^ehowah dispossessed before the sons of Israel (1Kings 14:22–24). And they served idols, concerning which Y^ehowah had said to them, “You will not do this thing.” Yet Y^ehowah warned Israel and Judah, through all His prophets [and through] every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My statutes according to all the Law which I sent to you through My servants the prophets.” However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in Y^ehowah their God. And they rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers, and His warnings with which He warned them. And they followed emptiness and became empty and [followed] after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which Y^ehowah had commanded them not to do like them. And they forsook all the commandments of Y^ehowah their God and made for themselves molten images, two calves, and made an Asherah and worshiped all the armies of heaven and served Baal. Then they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire and practiced divination and enchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of Y^ehowah provoking Him. So Y^ehowah was very angry with Israel and removed them from His face—none was left except the tribe of Judah (2Kings 17:12–18). See 2Kings 16:2–4 Jer. 3:6–15.

Without a proper foundation in the New Testament, something like this verse can cause a great many problems to the new believer. It is absolutely necessary to study God’s Word, both Old and New Testaments; however, most people get so lost and caught up in the Old Testament, that they become entirely disoriented to grace and to the dispensation in which they live. There are no corresponding mandates in the New Testament for the believers to travel through various towns and to burn down Jewish synagogues, Buddhist temples, etc. Point in fact, the Israelites were not sent out to destroy outside countries, and, in the process, remove all their religious artifacts. However, the Land of Promise was a place unlike any other. This was a land of people that God would rule over directly. Under those circumstances, God could demand that there be no religious tolerance. When our Lord went into the table and overturned the table of the moneychangers—the temple spoke of Him and it was He Who was worshiped there in the sacrifices and offerings; therefore, God the Son could do that. However, we have no similar mandate except in our own souls—that is, we are not to practice idolatry in our own souls. Today, the form of idolatry which is most prevalent is making God in our own image and worshiping that creation. Most people have not even a clue as to how unbelievably arrogant they are when they determine how they think God is. They think or they proclaim that if God were loving, then He would do this thing or that thing. I have seen people write letters to editors claiming that our if our Lord were on earth today (some of them are silly enough to say if He were alive today) then he would be marching for animal rights, for acceptance of homosexuality as a legitimate alternative lifestyle; He would be petitioning for cleaner air, world peace and gun legislation. They are making God in their own image and worshiping that image, or rejecting God, claiming that He doesn’t exist if He doesn’t do what they expect of Him.

God uses the mistakes and the misimpressions of man to His glory. Many of the people who came to this country came under religious persecution. Unlike some of the immigrants which we get here who come because they are actually criminals in the land from whence they came, a large number of the people who settled America came to escape the persecution of Catholicism and the Church of England. One source which I read gave the figure of 97% as the percentage of Protestants who originally settled this land. Certainly, not all of them were believers; however, this is a huge number. This is one of the reasons why God has blessed our country far beyond what we have ever deserved.

This is quite the interesting verse. What God had commanded to be done toward the places of idolatry are a direct attack upon the demons behind them. This verse has a near application and a far application. The Israelites are admonished not to worship God in this way—in the groves, on the high hills, with carved images and idols. This near application is easily borne out by the repeat of this verse at the end of this chapter in the context of the idolatry of the indigenous nations.

However, there is another interpretation which I believe is warranted: I think this verse also has a view to the far future. For anyone who has ever used v. 3 to persecute other religions, v. 4 makes it clear that this is not to be done to Jesus Christ, the God of Israel. This applied to the Sanhedrin and to the Pharisees of our Lord’s time and it applies throughout all of history to the Catholic Church and to the Church of England, both of whom persecuted our Lord.

As an aside, the grammatical construction of this verse is slightly different from 2Kings 17:12b (where it reads: “You will not do this thing [lit., You (all) will not do the word the this].”). As far as I can find, this is the closest quotation match, however. Therefore, it is not a direct word-for word quote but falls in the realm of thought-for-thought.

V. 5 is a little difficult to follow, so let me give you a sample of the translations found elsewhere, including v. 4:

The Amplified Bible You shall not behave so toward the Lord your God. But you will seek the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put His name and make His dwelling place, and there shall you come;

The Emphasized Bible Ye must not do thus unto Yahweh your God; but unto the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, as his habitation shall ye ask your way and come in thither;

KJV Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God. But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shall come:

A literal translation:

Not you [all] will be doing [or, making, constructing] to [or, with regards to] Y^ehowah your God because if into [or, unto, regarding] the place which [he] is choosing Y^ehowah your God out from all of your tribes to place his name there to his tent [or, habitation] you [all] will be seeking and you will go [or, enter] there.

NASB “You shall not act like this toward the Lord

your God, But you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God shall choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.”

NEB You shall not follow such practices in the worship of the Lord your God, but you shall resort to the place which the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to receive his Name that it may dwell there.

NIV You must not worship the Lord your God in their way. But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go;

NRSV You shall not worship the Lord your God in such ways. But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all the tribes as his habitation to put his name there. You shall go there,...

Young's Lit. Translation ‘Ye do not do so to Jehovah your God; but unto the place which Jehovah your God doth choose out of all your tribes to put His name there, to His tabernacle ye seek, and thou hast entered thither,

...

There are several things that we need to deal with in these verses. For one thing, we need to know how many English sentences are here. V. 5 begins with kîy îm (ם. ̣א י ̣) [pronounced kee-eem]

which literally is because if; however, together they act as a limitation on the preceding thought, and therefore should be rendered but, only, except. Strong’s #3588 & 518 BDB #474. At first, it sounds like the Israelites are not to tear down the places of worship of Y^ehowah their God. However, that is about ignorant. That would be found in the book of the Bible Duh! The New English Bible and the New International Version have the correct concept when they insert the word worship, which is not found in this context. The heathen of the land worshiped their national gods through pillars, engraved images and through immoral practices on the hills. The Israelites were not to construct these things or to do these things with regards to Y^ehowah. To worship God, they were to go to the tabernacle. The first sentence is vv. 4–5a; a new sentence begins at the end of v. 5 (the beginning prepositions of v. 5 link vv. 4 and 5 into one compound sentence).

“But you [all] will seek

the place which Y^ehowah your God chooses out from all your tribes to put His name there, to His tent [or, habitation]. [Deut. 12:5a]

We have a metonymy here. Tribe stands here for the territory which the tribe occupies. God would choose one place from within the borders of one tribe for a place to worship. This is where the tabernacle would go. There would be no other altars throughout the land. The tabernacle was representative of our Lord living here on earth temporarily as a person. However, it would be most inconvenient for the inhabitants of Israel to have to go to the tabernacle every time that they were to worship God. There would actually be three times a year set aside for that. However, I am not entirely certain of what the Israelites would do for worship during the other days of feasting a worshiping. It is possible that they were to worship God somewhere in their tribal area or possibly at their homes; but animal sacrifices would not occur anywhere else but in Jerusalem. Joshua 22 will make that clear when the sons or Reuben and Gad built an altar on the other side of the Jordan. Also, when King Saul built an altar to God and called to Him, God did not answer him (1Sam. 14:35–37).

There is a contrast here between seeking demons in the groves and upon the high hills and seeking the Lord Jesus Christ in the place set apart to Him within the territory of each tribe. “You will make an altar of earth for Me; and you will sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your oxen in every place where I cause My name to be remembered. I will come to you and bless you.” (Ex. 20:24). There is a continual mention of this place throughout the Torah (Deut. 14:23 15:20 16:2 18:6 26:2). God would set apart Shiloh and later Jerusalem to function as their center of worship.

Here, there is an exclusivity concerning where offerings may be made. That is, the Israelite cannot step outside his door, and offer to God. There is not a local church where he can go to offer to God. He must go to one place and one place only—to Jerusalem, the place God would name. At first, this bothered me, as did the fact that God chose to work through one nation exclusively. That is, other nations had to come to Israel to approach the Savior. However, the Old Testament shadows that which is to come. This exclusivity speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we go for salvation, we cannot go to Buddha, to Joseph Smith, to Moses; we can only go to one person, and that is Jesus Christ.

The exact location of Jerusalem was not given until the Israelites occupied the land, as they went into the land as a nation. Telling which tribe would have the privilege of this exclusive place of worship would have possibly caused some lack of teamwork. Recall that even when the land east of the Jordan River had been assigned to Reuben and Gad, those tribes still had to participate in the conquering of the land. This way, it does not appear as though any tribe is favored prior to the taking of the land.

We know this begins a new sentence because the verbs in vv. 4–5a are in the masculine plural imperfect, thus linking them grammatically; and the verbs in vv. 5b–6 are in the masculine perfect tense (the first verb is in the singular and the second is in the plural). You will enter there refers not to entering into the tabernacle, as there were strict regulations concerning the entering of the tabernacle, but entering into the city where the tabernacle was to be and entering into the gates which surrounded the tabernacle.

“And you [all] will bring there your burnt-offerings and your sacrifices and your tithes and the contributions of your hand and your vows [or, votive offerings] and your free-will offerings and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock. [Deut. 12:6]

The tithes mentioned here were 10% of the produce of their fields and 10% of their cattle, as described in Lev. 27:30–33 and Num. 18:21–24. There will be a great many sacrifices and a great many things brought before the God of heaven. The Israelites were mandated to bring these sacrifices before God at the tabernacle. “Any man from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox, or a lamb, or a goat in the camp, or who slaughters it outside the camp, and has not brought it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to present [it] as an offering to Y^ehowah before the tabernacle of Y^ehowah—bloodguilt will be imputed to that man. He has shed blood and that man will be cut off from among his people. The reason is so that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they were sacrificing in the open field, that they may bring them in to Y^ehowah, at the doorway or the tent of meeting to the priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to Y^ehowah.” (Lev. 17:3–5). Moses mentions this again in Deut. 14:23: “And you will eat in the presence of Y^ehowah your God at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithes of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the first-born of your herd andd your flock, in order that you may learn to fear [and respect] Y^ehowah your God always.”

We covered the Doctrine of Vows in the book of Numbers. Recall the a vow is simply a promise made to God; in fact, it is a deal made with God. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will eep me on thius journey that I take and will give me food to eat and clothing to wear, and I return to my father’s house in safety, then Y^ehowah will be my God.” (Gen. 28:20–21). Man is not required to vow anything to God in the Old Testament but it is a natural human response to pressure. “God, if You get me out of this jam, I will go to church for the next six months.” Today, vows are usually made once you screwed up your life to a point where you don’t see a way out. In return, you generally vow to do something religious which you don’t want to do. Or you bargain with God to trade His deliverance for some worthless human good of yours (you will give money to the church, to the poor; you will promise to be nice to people you can’t stand). Vows in the New Testament are made by religious people who want to kill Paul (Acts 21:23–26) and by Paul when he was out of God’s operational and geographical will (Acts 18:18).

There was only one tabernacle. The tabernacle represented Jesus Christ come in the flesh to dwell among us—as the Presence of God indwelt the tabernacle and the tabernacle has always been a shadow of the human body. Therefore, there was only one tabernacle in the land, later to be replaced by one temple.

“And you [all] will eat there before the face of Y^ehowah your God and you [all] will rejoice in all the undertakings [or, possessions] [lit., in all the outstretching of your hand] [of] you and your households wherein Y^ehowah your God has blessed you. [Deut. 12:7]

We have a phrase here which should be examined—particularly because it occurs several times in this chapter. See the Doctrine of the Stretching Forth of the Hand.

So the Israelites are about ready to enter the land. Up until this time, they were not certain how their own personal offerings to God should be handled, so each person did what he thought was right when it came to making their offerings to Y^ehowah. Here they are enjoined by Moses to rejoice in all that they reach out and take from God’s hand and in all that they do (see Deut. 14:26). For I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God (Ecc. 3:12–13). In fact, the Israelite was to rejoice with the Levite: “And you and the Levite and the alien who is among you will rejoice in all the good which Y^ehowah your God has given you an dyour household.” (Deut. 26:11). And finally, Moses tells them that there will be a specific place in the near future that God will choose for them (Deut. 12:4–7). It is in this chapter where the importance of the specific place has become important. V. 4 distinguishes the practice of the religious heathen from worshiping God in several different areas from what Y^ehowah would require of them—worship in a particular geographical place. The importance here is that Jesus Christ is God Who would come in the flesh, not metaphorically insofar as indwelling all mankind and nature, but He would become a man and He would come to a specific geographical location and salvation could be obtained only by coming to one place—to the person of Jesus Christ.

The blood sacrifices which would occur during a feast day would represent our Lord’s sacrifice for our sins. This would bring reconciliation between the God and the Israelite. The sitting down to a meal after this is a meal of peace between the two parties.

“You [all] will not do all that we are doing here [up until] this day, each [doing] all that is right in his own eyes; [Deut. 12:8]

This verse has a very narrow interpretation and then a much wider application. We are speaking in this context of vows and offerings and where they were being performed. Even though God had given Moses a great many regulations in the Law, not everyone had access to the Law and not everyone listened when Moses expounded upon the Law. We have been studying this Torah in a logical, almost chronological fashion and we know that in the desert, they were supposed to make their offerings at the tent of meeting. However, this does not mean that everyone knew that. So some of them just made offerings and sacrifices whenever they felt religious or wanted to do some sort of a trade-out with God. This is what is meant here by doing what is right in his own eyes.

However, there is a wider application of that phrase. At this point in time, some of the congregation is listening to Moses. Just as it is with all Christian populations, only a small portion is interested in God’s Word; others are playing golf, couldn’t get a sitter, woke up too late, had some work to catch up with, etc. Moses has given them a list of shortcomings and rebellions in this message and these are the things to which he refers when he says this day [lit., the day]. That is, this day can refer to the recent past as well as to the near future as well as to the very literal day in which they live. The final phrase will be the theme of the book of Judges: every man doing what is right in his own eyes. (Judges 17:6 21:25). I recall a conversation which I had with a young lady who told me that every morning that she woke up, she endeavored to go out and do that which was right that day. God has not called upon us to go out and do that which we think is moral and that which we think is good. God has an absolute standard. People have two ways of dealing with their own standards: (1) they try to do what is right, and when they find that they are unable to do that, they try again. In any case, they find out that when they set their own standards, they cannot even match those standards. (2) People will also, when they find out that they cannot do that which they believe to be right, then they lower their own standards. They don’t want to be a hypocrite so, whereas at one time they may have thought that adultery was wrong; they now excuse it and understand it, as well as participate in it; because that has become right in their own eyes. They wouldn’t want to be a hypocrite and disparage adulterous activities and then go out and do the same. However, our problem with both of these approaches is that they do not even come close to God’s standards; the person’s standards are continually lowered to a point where morality is meaningless—it basically means that is whatever we do; and one continually comes short of their own standards which are no where near close to God’s standards. In other words, this phrase every man doing what is right in his own eyes is a synonym for apostasy, immorality, human values and human viewpoint. It is the cornerstone of human philosophy and human viewpoint; the goal of evolutionary delusion. And it is filthy rags (menstrous cloths) in God’s sight (Isa. 64:6).

“For you [all] have not come as yet [lit., until this time] into the rest and into the inheritance which Y^ehowah your God is giving to you; [Deut. 12:9]

Moses is about to die; they Reubenites and the Gadites have chosen the area where they had already conquered—Moses is making it clear that the Israelites had not yet come into their inheritance nor have they come into their rest as of yet (Deut. 3:20 4:21). This rest is a rest from the constant movement, the nomadic life and a rest from war. “Therefore, it will come to pass when Y^ehowah your God has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies in the land which Y^ehowah hour God gives you as an inheritance to possess, you will blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you will not forget.” (Deut. 25:19). This was the rest denied their parents: “For forty years I loathed that generation, and said they are a people who have gone astray in their heart and they do not know My ways. Therefore, I solemnly promised in My anger that they will not enter into My fest.” (Psalm 95:11).

“But [lit., and] you [all] will pass over the Jordan, and you [all] will dwell in the land which Y^ehowah your God is causing you to inherit—then [lit., and] He will give you rest [or, cause you to be rested] from all your enemies round about, and you [all] will dwell [in] security [lit., securely]. [Deut. 12:10]

Nûwach ( ַחנ) [pronounced NOO-ahk] and it means rest, cause to rest, set down, lay down, deposit, leave. Strong's #5117 (and 3240) BDB #628 Here it is found in the Hiphil (causative) perfect—it will be a completed action which God causes. “For you are about to cross the Jordan to go in to possess the land which Y^ehowah your God has given you and you will possess it and live in it.” (Deut. 11:31). In following the plan that God has for their lives, they will not only conquer the land as He has promised them, but they will live in the land in security, as God had promised them: And He [God] said, “My presence will go [with you] and I will give you rest.” (Ex. 33:14). So Joshua took the whole land according to all that Y^ehowah had spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Thus the land had rest rom war (Joshua 11:23).

What could be worse than to go into a land like Palestine, conquer it, and yet continually face enemies on all sides—that sounds a little like today, does it not? The few Jews who are in Israel today is not a fulfillment of God’s promises. Their life in that land is anything but secure. They do not have victory over their enemies. This is a daily struggle today of violence. They will not have rest in that land anytime in the near future until seven years after the rapture. It is God’s plan for the Israelite to be scattered throughout the world in every nation of the world. There are some places where the Israelites are not yet. God wants them everywhere, because they will be the evangelists to the world immediately after the rapture of the church—or the exit resurrection, as Thieme calls it.

“And it will come to pass, the place on which Y^ehowah your God is choosing in Himself [to cause] His name to tabernacle there—there, you [all] will bring in all that I am commanding you: your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and your contributions of your hand, and all the best of your vows which you [all] vow to Y^ehowah; [Deut. 12:11]

There is a lot which cannot be seen in the English. In the midst of this sentence we have the very poetic his name there—there; however, we don’t catch the poetry. It is sh^emô shâm shâmmâh [pronounced sh^emoe shawm shawm-mawh]. Moses is emphasizing the importance of crossing over the Jordan after his death and entering into the land. It is there the Israelites will establish the tabernacle and offer their sacrifices in tribute to God. Then the whole congregation of the sons of Israel assembled themselves at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there; and the land was subdued before them (Joshua 18:1).

You will note that Scripture is not specific here as to where they would meet. This is because the place or worshipped changed from time to time. It was in Shiloh to begin with and eventually was moved to Jerusalem. In between, the Tent of Jehovah was in a number of different places (which we will cover in the book of 1Samuel).

“And you [all] will rejoice before the face of Y^ehowah your God, you [all] and your sons and your daughters, and your male slaves and your female slaves, and the Levites who [is] within your cities [lit., gates], as [lit., for] he has no part and inheritance with you. [Deut. 12:12]

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God never makes an issue out of slavery. Satan has made an issue of slavery, particularly to the Black Americans of the late 20^th century, and continues to do so even unto this day. Satan wants Black Americans to focus with disdain on their slavery of over one hundred years ago. However, God chose each and every slave brought to America individually—God chose them to come to American in chains, to provide them with some measure of hardship and suffering, so that He could give them and their ancestors salvation. After the initial settling of America, no one pursued God’s salvation as did the Black slave and his freed ancestors. It is no accident that our native American population is much smaller than our present day Black population—both came out of highly heathen cultures, but the Black man chose Jesus Christ as his Savior and God has prospered his seed. The chains and the shackles placed upon the Black man to bring him over here—these were God’s chains to bring him and his progeny to Jesus Christ. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God [is something]. Let each man remain in that condition in which he was called. Were you called while a slave? Don’t obsess about it—however, if you are able also to become free, rather use that [freedom]. For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord’s freedman; likewise, he who was called while free, is Christ’s slave. You were bought with a price—do not become the slaves of men. Family of God, let each man remain with God in that [condition] in which he was called (1Cor. 7:19–24). Let all who are under the yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worth of all honor so that the name of God and doctrine may not be maligned. And let those who have believers as their masters not be disrespectful to them because they are royal family of God, but let them serve them all the more, because those who are participants of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and proclaim this. If any one advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound doctrine, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, even the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited, understanding nothing (1Tim. 6:1). Every Black man in America should fall on his knees and thank God for bringing him here to America, for presenting him with the gospel of Jesus Christ and saving so many of his race. This does not mean that the slave traders, both Black and Caucasian, had any clue as to what they were doing. They certainly did not sell the Black man into slavery for his salvation. But we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to a pre-determined plan (Rom. 8:28). Remember the Israelite brother to the Black slave, Joseph—his own brothers sold him into slavery. It was because of this that He became a great ruler in Egypt and was able to preserve his family. As he explained to his brothers, without bitterness, “Do not be afraid, for aren’t I in the geographical will of God [lit., God’s place]?” And, as for you, you thought evil against me, [but] God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” (Gen. 50:19b–20).

John was banished to the Isle of Patmos—it is from this banishment that we know what will happen in the last days. Paul was unjustly placed in chains, but he recognized that he was the prisoner of Jesus Christ, and from these chains came some of the greatest epistles written. God’s Word is not bound. Man thought he could imprison Paul, but man could not imprison the Word of God. We should all say with Paul, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice...I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:4, 11b–13).

In this context, the slaves of the Israelites were to rejoice in the land just as the Israelites did. They were all be in God’s geographical will. Those which God enslaved and brought to Israel—it was so that they could hear the gospel and become free. Often, God must resort to adversity and tragedy to gain our attention. How many people do you know who play the lottery, who think that if they could just win a few million dollars, their problems and troubles would be all over? God can’t reach some lottery winners; God can’t reach some people who are rich and successful. They’re too busy making, counting and spending money. Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. For he will not often remember the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart (Eccl. 5:19–20). Some of them will have a very short thirty or forty years with a great deal of money, and then spend eternity in the Lake of Fire, in eternal torment, because they did not take even five seconds out of their busy schedule to believe in Jesus Christ. One of the reasons you are poor or have faced tremendous heart ache and personal tragedy is that God cannot reach you any other way. He can’t pour money into your bank account because you would be, “Goodbye, God, I will see you in eternity—as soon as I spend all this.”

In this verse, all those who were in the land were to rejoice. This was God’s geographical will and they were in it. This was the center of blessing, the land of milk and honey—the place of the Presence of God on earth. Is Palestine a place of rejoicing now? Absolutely not. Will the Jews remain in the land? Certainly—God wants them to be scattered throughout the world, and Palestine is part of the world.

Finally, we have the Levite who lives in their town, but without a geographical inheritance. Then Y^ehowah said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel. And to the sons of Levi, observe, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting” (Num. 18:20–21). The Israelites were to see that their basic physical needs were being met as well. “Also, you will not neglect the Levite who is in your town [lit., gates], for he has no portion or inheritance among you. At the end of every third year, you will bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year and you will deposit [it] in your gate. And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance among you, and the alien, the orphan and the widow who are in your town—they will come and eat and be satisfied in order that Y^ehowah your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.” (Deut. 10:8–9 14:27–29; see 26:11–13 as well).

“Take [personal] responsibility so that you do not cause your burnt offerings to ascend in any place which you see; [Deut. 12:13]

Under the economy of Israel, the burnt offerings were a very sacred act—one which spoke of the death of God’s Son on their behalf. This was not to be done just anywhere, in their back yard, on the front porch or side-by-side some heathen religious area. It must be done in a ceremonially clean area, the one designated by God. “Any man from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox, or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or who slaughters it outside the camp, and has not brought it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to present [it] as an offering to Y^ehowah before the dwelling place of Y^ehowah, bloodguilt is to be imputed to that man. He has shed blood and that man will be cut off from among his people. The reason is so that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they were sacrificing in the open field, that they may bring them inn to Y^ehowah at the doorway of the tent of meeting to the priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to Y^ehowah.” (Lev. 17:3–5). It must be done according to the decree of God as the person of Christ was clean, pure of all personal sin, free of the stain of the old sin nature—and His sacrifice, more painful and devastating than we could ever imagine, more difficult than a million lifetimes of harsh slavery, fell completely into the plan and decree of God.

“Only in the place which Y^ehowah has chosen in one of your tribes—there you will cause your burnt offerings to ascend, and there you will do all that which I am commanding you. [Deut. 12:14]

This verse begins with kîy ’îm (ם. ̣א י ̣) [pronounced kee-eem] which again act as a limitation on the preceding thought, and are together rendered but, only, except. Strong’s #3588 & 518 BDB #474. As was true in v. 5a, tribe does not stand for the people of that particular family, but rather for the land upon which that tribe dwells. God will determine only certain area to be proper for worship.

I must admit that when I first examined this chapter, I was unsure at to whether the Israelites were only to offer their burnt sacrifices at the tabernacle or whether there would be places set up closer by for some religious ceremonies. V. 14 seems to indicate that burnt offerings would be offered only at the tabernacle. Vv. 13–14 read: “Take personal responsibility that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place you see, except in the place which Y^ehowah will choose in one of your tribes—there you will offer your burn offerings, and there you will do all that I command you.” Psalm 78:67–68: He also rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved. And He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which He has founded forever. This verse clearly speaks only of the tabernacle and not of several different sacrificial areas. The context is also one of exclusivity of sacrificial area or areas.

On the one hand, I was uncertain whether Israel was able to sacrifice animals at a local altar or not. I mention that here in case anyone ran into the same initial confusion. For instance, there were so many different feast days, only three of which require the gathering of the males to Jerusalem, where the tabernacle would be (Ex. 34:24). The Israelites were to take part in the celebration of all of the feasts, which would include animal sacrifices. Given that the Levites were intentionally spread out throughout the land and that the Aaronic priesthood would become significant, it seems to make sense that there would be alternative places where the Israelites might offer their sacrifices. Obviously, they were not to be offered indiscriminately without regard to location whatsoever.

However, once we reach Joshua 22, this will become clear that the sacrifice of animals would occur only at the altar of the tabernacle. Now, in our dispensation, this is no longer an issue. The [Samaritan] woman said to Him, “Lord, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and you [Jews] say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father. You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is Spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:20–24).

McGee’s comment: Believers do not meet in one place to worship God today; we meet around One Person and that Person is the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the important thing to keep in mind today. The name of your church doesn’t make the difference. The denomination or lack of denomination of your church doesn’t make the difference. The all-important question is this: do you meet around the person of Jesus Christ? Now, friends, if you don’t, that is idolatry, because then your are meeting to socialize or [to] be entertained, that is idolatry. The thing that is to draw us together into a oneness is th person of Jesus Christ.

“However, you may [continue to] slaughter and you may eat the flesh within all of your cities [lit., gates] as per [lit., in] all the desire of your soul according to [lit., as] [the] blessing of Y^ehowah your God which He has given to you, the unclean and the clean he may eat it, like the gazelle [or, roe], and like the deer. [Deut. 12:15]

Up until this time, as the Israelites traveled through the wilderness, all animals slaughtered as a sacrifice were to be done so at the entrance of the tabernacle (Lev. 17:3–6). The particular law was the requirement of the wilderness travel, but it would be abrogated upon their entrance into the land. Certain animals slaughtered only as food would not be subject to the ceremonial requirements of the sacrifices.

I don’t know if Moses realized how legalistic the Israelites would become; however, he cut them off at the pass here. For those who oppose eating meat, Moses has given specific permission here to slaughter animals for the purpose of eating them. The slaughtering of animals and the eating of meat were not to be confined to the religious rite of animal sacrifice. The two animals mentioned here are animals not used for sacrifices. We will examine in more detail what the Israelites were allowed to eat and when in Deut. 14 and 15.

“Only the blood you [all] will not eat—you will pour it on the earth like water; [Deut. 12:16]

God allows for the eating of meat, but not for the eating of the blood of the meat. This has sanitary implications—the blood will cause the meat to rot faster and is often a carrier of disease and germs; and it is considered ceremonially unclean to drink the blood of an animal. Moses repeats this directive in Deut. 15:23. When God gave Noah permission to eat meat, He added, “Only you will not eat flesh with its life—its blood.” (Gen. 9:4; see Lev. 7:26). When the church began to receive Gentile converts, James said, “Therefore, it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.” (Acts 15:19–20).

“You are not able to eat within your cities [lit., gates] the tithe of your corn, and of your new wine and you oil and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock and any of your vows which you vow, and you free-will offerings, and contributions of your hand;

[Deut. 12:17]

These are things which are reserved for worship and dedication to God. Some of these items are given to the Levites. “All the best of the fresh oil and all the best of the fresh win and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to Y^ehowah, I give them to you. The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to Y^ehowah will be yours—everyone of your household who is clean may eat it. Every devoted thing in Israel is yours....and their meat will be yours; it will be your like the breast of a contribution and like the right thigh. All of the offerings of the holy [sacrifices] which the sons of Israel offer to Y^ehowah, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a perpetual allotment. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before Y^ehowah to you and your descendants with you.” (Num. 18:12–14, 18–19). Some of these things will be eaten, but only in the areas designated by God. “And you will eat in the presence of Y^ehowah your God at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the first-born of your herd and your flock, in order that you may learn to fear Y^ehowah your God always.” (Deut. 14:23).

“But before the face of Y^ehowah your God you will eat it in the place which Y^ehowah your God has chosen—you and your son and your daughter and your male slave and your female slave and the Levite who [is] within your cities [lit., gates]—and you will rejoiced before Y^ehowah your God in your every undertaking [and everything you reach out and take [lit., in every stretching forth of your hand]. [Deut. 12:18]

The worship of the Israelites was not confined only to them, but was to be a part of the lives of their children and their slaves and the Levites, who were to assist the sons of Aaron in the worship of God.

“Take personal responsibility [lit., take heed to yourself] that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land. [Deut. 12:19]

The Levites had no claim on any particular plot of ground; they were scattered among the tribes of Israel then, much like the Israelites are scattered among the nations today. They served the priests and therefore had no other means of support. God expected the other Israelites to support them. The Levite was supported by the tithes of the land every third year: “And you will not neglect the Levites who is in your gates, for he has no portion or inheritance among you. At the end of every third year, you will bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year and you will deposit [it] within your gates and the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance among you, and the alien, the orphan and the widow who are within your gates will come and eat and be satisfied—[this must be done] in order that Y^ehowah your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.” (Deut. 14:27–29). Christians often make a big thing out of tithing, but it is an Old Testament taxing system unique to Israel during the time of the law. During that period of time, the tithes and contributions were imperative: “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the entire nation! Bring all of [your] tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house and test Me now in this,” says Y^ehowah of the armies, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until there is no more need.” (Mal. 3:8–10).

“When Y^ehowah your God enlarges your border, as He has promised you [lit., spoken to you], and you have said, ‘I will eat meat [lit., flesh],’ (for your soul desires to eat flesh)—in all the desires of your soul, you will eat flesh. [Deut. 12:20]

The Israelites had eaten manna for the bulk of their forty years of traveling in the wilderness; some of them had known nothing else. Moses is promising them that God will provide flesh for them to eat—and, in this case, they will not be penalized as were they and their fathers were for the quail.

During the seven years of the book of Joshua, the Israelites would establish themselves in the land. Under the rulership of King David, they would enlarge their borders. During his reign, Israel will occupy more territory than at any other time until the Millennium, when God will give them all of the land which He promised them. The blessing in the Land of Promise is always tied to obedience. “And if Y^ehowah your God enlarges your territory, just as He has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which He had promised [lit., spoken] to your fathers, if you keep all of this decree to do it, which I command you today, to love Y^ehowah your God, and to walk in His ways always.” (Deut. 19:8–9a).

“When the place is far from you which Y^ehowah your God has chosen to put His name there, then you will slaughter of your herd and of your flock which Y^ehowah has given to you, as I have commanded you, and you will eat within your cities [lit., gates], to all the desire of your soul; [Deut. 12:21]

I am leaning toward the view that there will be situations where even in a given area where a tribe dwells that the place which God chooses for His sacrifices is too far for some to travel to, then He will allow them to slaughter their sacrifices within the gates of their own city. Deut. 14:22–26 covers the situation where the tithe must be brought and the distance is too far to travel with all of these items: “You will definitely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year. And you will eat in the presence of Y^ehowah your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the first-born of your herd and your flock, in order that you may learn to fear [and respect] Y^ehowah your God always. And if the distance is so great for you that you are not able to bring [these tithes], since the place where Y^ehowah your god chooses to set His name is too far away from you when Y^ehowah your God blesses you, then you will exchange [it] for money in your hand and go to the place wich Y^ehowah your God chooses . Then you may spend the money for whatever your soul desires, for oxen, or sheep or wine or strong drink, or whatever your soul asks of you; and there you will eat in the presence of Y^ehowah your God and rejoice—you and your household.”

“Just as the gazelle or a deer is eaten, so you will eat it—the unclean and the clean alike will eat it. [Deut. 12:22]

There is no religious connotation to eating meat. Whether one is a believer or not, ceremonially clean or not, they are still allowed to eat venison and any other kind of meat which is not a sacrifice to God.

“Only, be certain not to eat the blood, for the blood, it [is] the life, and you will not eat the life with the flesh. [Deut. 12:23]

Again the Jews were told not to partake of the blood as part of their meal. This particular mandate goes back to the first time when God allowed man to eat meat. “Every moving thing that is alive will be food for you; I give all to you as I the green plant. Only you will not eat flesh with its soul—its blood. And certainly I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it, and from man, from every man’s brother I will require the soul the soul of man.” (Gen. 9:3–4). This may sound gruesome to us to eat the blood of an animal, but that is because that prohibition is a part of our Christian heritage, much of which comes from God’s Word. However, there are other cultures where blood drinking is part of their meal (I recall a math teach from the University of Houston describing drinking the blood of a turtle while on vacation—grossed me out). God originally told Moses, “For the soul of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the soul that makes atonement. Therefore, I say to the sons of Israel, ‘No person among you may eat blood, nor may any alien who temporarily lives among you eat blood.’ So when any man from the sons of Israel, or from the aliens who temporarily live among you in hunting catches a beast or a bird which may be eaten, he will pour out its blood and cover it with earth. For [the] soul of all flesh, its blood with its soul. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the soul of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it will be cut off.’ “ (Lev. 17:11–14). There are several reasons for this:

One of the interesting things of the Bible is its occasional reference to things scientific. The Bible is not a science textbook, nor does it speak always in scientific terms (that is, it may speak of the sun rising and setting just as an astronomer does, although the sun does not actually rise and set). However, when the Bible deals with matters scientific, it is accurate. This was written circa 1400 bc; the discovery of the circulation of the blood was discovered by William Harvey in 1616 ad. We now know that the circulation blood brings a continual supply of food, water and oxygen to our cells throughout our entire body, as it does for animals. Furthermore, the blood often combats various diseases by producing antibodies; it repairs tissue damage—and the use of blood transfusions today has saved millions of lives. The analogy is easy to see: (1) Our body is corrupt—every cell of our body is corrupted with the old sin nature. (2) We find salvation for our souls and for our bodies through the blood of Jesus Christ. (3) In fact, due to the absolute depravity of our bodies and souls, our salvation must come from the outside—it is almost like a blood transfusion. (4) It is His blood which brings us nourishment to our souls and through His blood that we have our spiritual sustenance

No doubt that you have heard of books which list all of the contradictions in the Bible, and quite possibly you have even read one or two of them. Some contrast this verse with Lev. 17:13, which tells the hunter to cover the blood with dust. There is no contradiction whatsoever, as the entirety of the verse reads: “So when any man from the sons of Israel or from the aliens who live with them in hunting catches a beast or a bird which may be eaten, he will pour out its blood and cover it with earth.”

“You will not eat it, in order that is may be well with you, and with your sons after you, and when you do that which [is] right in the eyes of Y^ehowah. [Deut. 12:25]

God has chosen for the Israelite not to eat the blood of an animal. The reasoning given here is that it will be well with the Israelite and his progeny. Because of the propensity for disease being carried in the blood, it is well for a person and his progeny not to drink the blood, and Israel, as a race, automatically avoid a great many sicknesses that way, as has been covered previously.

Doing that which is right in eyes of God is contrasted with doing that which is right in your own eyes as found in Deut. 12:8. “And you will do what is right and good in the sight of Y^ehowah, that it may be well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land which Y^ehowah swore to give to your fathers.” (Deut. 6:18; see also 13:18). This is expanded in 1Kings 11:38, when God, through Ahijah the prophet, said to Jeroboam: “Then it will come to pass that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and ubild you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.”

“Only, your holy things which you have [lit., which are to you], and your votive offerings [lit., vows] will you take up and you will go into the place which Y^ehowah has chosen. [Deut. 12:26]

God separates the concept of eating meat from the sacrifices and offerings which the Israelites will make. Those things mentioned here would go to the tent of meeting in the holy city, Jerusalem.

“And you will make [or do] your burnt offerings—the flesh and the blood—on the altar of Y^ehowah your God; and the blood of your sacrifices is poured out by the altar of Y^ehowah your God and the flesh you will eat. [Deut. 12:27]

All of the sacrifices will be done according to the Law, upon the altar which God has provided for them (they do not construct their own altars); and the blood will be poured out at the foot of the altar. Most of the specifics are found in the book of Leviticus (in particular, Lev. 1:1–13 3:1–17).

“Take responsibility and hear all these words which I am commanding you, in order that it may be well with respect to you and with respect to your sons after you forever [lit., as far as antiquity] when you do that which is good and right in the eyes of Y^ehowah your God. [Deut. 12:28]

God will bless the Israelits for their obedience, because the proper handling of sacrifices speaks of Jesus Christ. God the Holy Spirit revealed the gospel in the use of these animal sacrifices, as the gospel was hid from Satan until sometime after the resurrection of our Lord. There are a handful of movies where ther is a twist at the end; however, the clues which reveal that twist are given continually throughout—the big picture as well as the details point to the ending—however, you do not catch it until the end and that is when you are able to put everything together. This is what human history up until the cross was to Satan. He is the greatest genius of all, yet God was able to reveal to mankind, the clearly inferior intellects to Satan, the gospel of Jesus Christ right under Satan’s nose—and Satan never fully grasped what was going on.

“When Y^ehowah your God cuts off the nations—where you are going into disposses them—from your face; and you have dispossessed them, and you dwell in the land; [Deut. 12:29]

“For My angel will go before you and bring you in to a land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Cananites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will completely destroy them.” (Ex. 23:23). Verse 29 is the protosis which will be finished in the next verse. Deut. 19:1–2 are split up in the same way; they both carry the same protosis (i.e., the same if clause); and a different apodosis (then clause). Joshua, in his swan song address to the people, brings back to their minds this oral contract: “See I have apportioned to you these nations which remain as an inheritance for your tribes, with all the nations which I have cut off from the Jordan even to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun. And Y^ehowah your God, He will thrust them out from before you and drive them from before you; and you will possess their land, just as Y^ehowah your God has said to you. Be very firm, then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of the Law of Moses, so that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left.” (Joshua 23:4–6).

“Take personal responsibility so that you do not become ensnared [and brought down] after them, after their being destroyed out of your presence [lit., out from your face], and so that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that [lit., and] I may do as they do [lit., as I do so]—even I?’ [Deut. 12:30]

Nâqash (ש ַק ָנ) [pronounced naw-KAHSH] is only found a handful of times in God’s Word (1Sam. 29:9 Psalm 9:16 38:12 109:11) and in a different stem and tense in almost every case. It means to ensnare an animal, like a bird, and bring it down. Strong’s #5367 BDB #669.

These other nations are being dispossessed and removed from before the Israelites due to their heathen practices—here the Israelites are warned not to follow after the heathen practices of these other nations. “And you will consume all the peoples whom Y^ehowah your God will deliver to you; your eye will not pity them, neither will you serve their gods, for that would be] a snare to you.” (Deut. 7:16). It is human viewpoint to say it is okay to worship God in whatever way your culture has proscribed or in whatever fashion you sincerely feel is right and true; however, in God’s viewpoint there has always been one way—His—and all the sincerity in the world did not make wrong right.

“You will not do so with respect to Y^ehowah your God; for every abomination of Y^ehowah which He hates they have done with respect to their gods. For even their sons and their daughters they burn in the fire with respect to their gods. [Deut. 12:31]

One of the greater of the abominations of the heathen is given here—they practice child sacrifice, an abomination to God. At this point in history, the degeneracy of the Amorites had become full. God was ready to remove them from the land. They had been given their chance and likely, some of them had been saved. However, now they were at a point of no return in terms of personal degeneracy. One of their practices is that they would heat up an idol until it was red hot; then they would drop their babies into the arms of this idol. God required the Israelites to destroy this people entirely. With a degenerate practice such as this, certainly you can understand why.

Moses told the Generation of Promise: “Do not say in your heart when Y^ehowah your God has driven them out before your face, ‘Because of my righteousness Y^ehowah has brought me in to possess this land,’ but because of the wickendess of these nations Y^ehowah is dispossessing them before you. It is not because of your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of htese nations Y^ehowah your God is driving them out from before your face, in order to confirm the oath which Y^ehowah swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Deut. 9:4–5). “You will not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor will you do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you will not walk in their statutes...You will not give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech, nor will you profane the name of your God—I am Y^ehowah...you are to keep My statutes and My judgments and you will not do any of these abominations—the native nor the foreigner who lives temporarily among you...any man from the sons of Israel or from the foreignors temporarily living in Israel, who gives any of his offspring to Molech, will definitely be put to death; the people of the land will stone him with stones.” (Lev. 18:3, 21, 26 18:2b). “There will not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, [or] one who uses divination, one who practices astrology, or one who interprets omens, or [is] a sorcerer.” (Deut. 18:10).

Unfortunately, the Israelites eventually succumbed to the pressure of heathen religion. Yet Y^ehowah warned Israel an dJudah, through all His prophets and ever seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My commandments according to all the Law which I commanded your athers, and which I sent to you throught My servants the prophets. However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in Y^ehowah their God. And they rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers, and His warnigs with which He warned them; and they followed vanity and became vain and [then went] after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which Y^ehowah had commanded them no to do like them. And dthey forsook all the commandments of Y^ehowah their God and made for themselves molten images, two calves, and made an Ahserah and whorshiped all the host of heaven and serve Baal. Then they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire and practiced divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do eveil in the sight of Y^ehowah, provoking Him. So Y^ehowah was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight, none was left except the tjribe of Judah (2Kings 17:13–18). But they [the Israelites] did not destroy the people [the heathen of the land of Canaan], as Y^ehowah commanded them, but they mingled with the nations, and learned their practices, and served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons and shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with this blood (Psalm 106:34–38). See also Jer. 32:31–36 Ezek. 23:37.

“The entirety of the word which I command you, you will take personal responsibility to do it. You will not add to it or take from it.” [Deut. 12:32 (13:1 in the Hebrew)]

Moses recognized that he was communicating divine viewpoint. Recall that the Israelites were involved in a treaty or contract or covenant between God and themselves. Once a contract has been written and ratified by both parties, neither party can go back and change any of the particulars. The Israelites were not to add to his words or to take from them, as they represented God’s will. “You will not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from [it]; that you may keep the commandments of Y^ehowah your God which I command you.” (Deut. 4:2). Do not add to His words, so that He will not reprove you and you be shown a liar (Prov. 30:6). We find these sentiments expressed in almost the very last words of God’s Word: I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are writtten in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book (Rev. 22:18–19). See also Joshua 1:7. This was one of the repeated commands which the Israelites went against. The Talmud and the Mishna are commentaries which add a great many laws and regulations to those given by Moses, carefully and intricately describing, for instance, what it means to work on a Sabbath (Saturday).

The reason that this verse is thought to be the last verse of chapter 12 by some and the first verse of chapter 13 is that it is a transitional verse. It is a bridge between what has gone before, which was Moses making several major doctrinal points and repeating same, and Deut. 13, where he begins to deal with specific laws. Whereas, it is very likely that God’s Word was circulated in scroll form, it was not found on the bookshelf of every tent. Therefore, Moses would give the particulars of the Law to this new generation verbally.

Introduction: Deut. 13 generally continues the message of Moses to the Generation of Promise and specifically continues Deut. 12. In Deut. 12, Israel has been given specific commands with regard to the destruction of the remnants of the heathen religion of the indigenous population. Some of the rites of the worship of Y^ehowah are carefully distinguished from those of the Canaanites so that there is no confusion or mixture of religious practices.

Deut. 13 is a very cohesive chapter deals with the execution of those who suggest that the Israelites follow gods other than Y^ehowah. This chapter also neatly breaks down into three parts. God will allow Israel to have both true and false prophets. The false prophets will prophesy against God’s Word and try to pull Israel away from the God of their fathers. The nation Israel is to execute any prophet who attempts to lead Israel into idolatry. Individuals will also be faced with family members who will try to draw them away from God into idolatry. Even those family members are to be executed. Finally, some cities will fall into idolatry as a whole—there will arise a charismatic leader who will lead them astray, away from God and toward some idol. Once this matter is thoroughly investigated (which is the routine for the other two situations), the entire town is to be dedicated to God. That is, the entire town is to be totally destroyed—all the people executed and all of their personal belongings burned.

As I will point out from time to time, there is always that 1% out there who cannot distinguish this time and place from our life today. Today, we are able to worship the One True God because of freedom of religion. We do not persecute those today who worship false gods. However, Israel was a unique nation—one directly ruled by Jesus Christ, the Lord of the armies. A nation ruled directly by Him will not be allowed idolatry. Jesus Christ is not a religious liberal (that is, He does not tolerate idolatrous religions). However, we must—our own religious freedom depends upon it.

“When a prophet or a dreamer of a dream arises in your midst, and he has given to you a sign or a wonder; [Deut. 13:1 (13:2 in the Hebrew)]

As has been mentioned before, what sounds perfectly reasonable in one language sounds stilted in another, which would account for some of the differences between the Hebrew and its early codices. Most of our English translations read a dreamer of dreams even though dream is singular here. A prophet received his information either through direct revelation from God or through a vision (Num. 14:16 2Sam. 7:4 2Cor. 12:2) and a dream of a dream (obviously) received his information through dreams (Gen. 37:5–7 1Kings 3:5 Matt. 2:13). This can certainly be one and the same person (Gen. 28:11–15 35:9).

Moses, speaking through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, recognizes that prophets would arise, both real and phoney. In this context, Moses will deal with the false prophet. We will also find false prophets in our dispensation and during the time of the Great Tribulation. “For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and will show signs and wonders, in order, if possible, to lead the elect astray.” (Mark 13:22). God, through His permissive will, allows demons to hook up with mankind as deceiving spirits (1Kings 22:22–23). It is Satan’s mission to lead believers in Jesus Christ astray. He will often attempt to duplicate that which is divine, which includes prophets and other religious types, some of whom even have the ability to perform lying wonders. “For the teraphim speak iniquity [or, futility] and tell false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore, they [the people of Israel] wander like sheep—they are afflicted because there is no shepherd.” (Zech. 10:2). And then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming—the one whose coming is in acord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the decepiton of wickedness for those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be delivered (2Thess. 2:8–10; see Rev. 13:11–15 as well). The time of Jeremiah was particularly filled with false prophets as we read in Jer. 23:25–32 27:9–11 29:8–11, 31–32. God fervently stands in opposition to false prophets: Therefore, thus says Y^ehowah God, “Because you have spoken emptiness and have seen a lie; therefore, look, I am against you,” declares Y^ehowah God. “So My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will have no place in the council of My people, nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, that you may know that I am Y^ehowah god. It is difnitely because they have misled My people, by saying, ‘Peace!” when there is no peace (Ezek. 13:8–10a).

“And the sign and the wonder comes to pass [lit., arrives] which he had spoken of to you—to say, ‘Let us pursue [lit., go after] other gods (which you have not known) and serve them’; [Deut. 13:2 (13:3 in the Hebrew)]

Moses recognizes that prophets will arise who will prophesy something that comes to pass. The way to determine whether these prophets should be listened to is through their doctrine. Since this chapter is separated into three situations, for each situation, the test of a true prophet is whether or not that prophet leads the people Israel astray, away from their God (Deut. 13:6, 13). If the prophet suggests that the Israelites pursue another god other than Y^ehowah, then he is unquestionably a false prophet. The very first commandment is “You will have no other gods before Me.” (Deut. 5:7). Therefore, it is obvious that a prophet encouraging Israel to pursue a god other than Y^ehowah was a false prophet, no matter how impressive his signs and wonders were.

Since this was spoken, there have arisen thousands upon thousands of false prophets, some of whose prophecies have come to pass. I recall learning about Edgar Cayce and Jeane Dixon as a young boy; but there have been many others, such as Joseph Smith. The Pope, although never refered to as such (at least to my knowledge), would be considered a prophet since he claims to speak ex Cathedra.

Moses separates them from prophets sent by God by their doctrine. In the New Testament, we read: But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master Who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves (1Peter 2:1).

We also have people today who heal—right off the bat, you know that their doctrine is going to be somewhat askew of reformationist Christianity. We find great signs and wonders in any period of history dealing with a major change in God’s program. When Moses led Israel out of Egypt to become a new nation, signs and wonders accompanied him in order to cause the pharoah to let the Israelites go and to provide the Israelites reason to have faith in him. Throughout the walk toward the land, God gave Israel signs and wonders in order to give them reason to understand the importance of the Law they were receiving and the land they were about to take. We find signs and wonders when Israel has fallen into great apostasy at the hand of Elijah and then we find signs and wonders when our Lord walks upon this earth. These signs and wonders confirmed Him as Messiah, the One Who is to come. Finally, there was an entire new program, hidden from Satan and hidden from Israel, called the church. This was not revealed in Scripture prophetically. When something that revolutionary takes place, then it is accompanied by great signs and wonders. These were not occasional miracles and disputable miracles, but things that were remarkable and unquestionable. Furthermore, these signs and wonders began to fade. Paul’s gift to heal left him once he had been established as the Apostle of grace, the replacement for Judas Iscariot. His writings form the basis for Church Age doctrine. However, the ability to heal and the signs and wonders which he and the other Apostles could perform were merely credit cards to establish their authority. Once their authority was established, the need for signs and wonders disappeared. Today, the authority is in God’s completed Holy Word. God’s Word is established and it is authoritative and powerful. No pastor needs to lean upon anything else. At some time in the future, we will cover this as a doctrine, accompanied by double handfuls of documenting Scripture.

The second test of a true prophet is that 100% of what they say will come to pass. The prophets to Israel spoke of things, some of which would come to pass in the very near future, and other things which would be fulfilled in the far future. There were even some propheices which had a double fulfillment—a near and a far fulfillment. The test would be if their near prophecies came to pass. “When a prophet speaks in the name of Y^ehowah, if the thing does not come to pass or come true, then Y^ehowah has not spoken that word. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously

and you will not be afraid of him.” (Deut. 18:22; see also 1Sam. 10:7–12 2Kings 19:29 20:8–11 Jer. 28:9). A false prophet need not be an intentional charlatan. Even if a prophet is self-deluded and thinks he (or she) speaks on behalf of God (like Muriel), this does not make them any more believable. That is sincerity of the prophet is never presented as a test. Our Lord said, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ “ (Matt. 7:22–23 Psalm 6:8). God even gave signs to prophets to tell them that He was really God (1Sam. 2:34–36).

Now, a simple question—which is most important: an undisputed miracle or the truth of God’s Word? Back as far as Deuteronomy 13, God’s Word is the deciding factor. But if though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:8).

“You will not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer of a dream, for Y^ehowah your God is testing you [or possibly, allowing you to be tested], to know whether you [all] are loving Y^ehowah your God with all your heart and with all your soul. [Deut. 13:3 (13:4 in the Hebrew)]

God allows certain testings of different types to pervade our world. A continued test is one of our volition with regards to Him. Some recent believers tend to move from condemnation into salvation and yet never change their mind about a thing. All the values and religious teachings and the viewpoints that they had as unbelievers, they carry on into their believing life. Our most basic essence is interwoven with the old sin nature and by very definition, there will be aspects of our former life which are in strict opposition to God. Throughout our lives after salvation, we will be faced with choosing that which is correct over that which is false. Too many believers choose a church because it provides convenient times, is at a convenient location, there is child care or we like the pastor. After listening to a great many teachers and going to several churches, I chose a church 2000 miles away from where I lived and I did not particularly like the pastor at the time. I eventually came to genuinely like the pastor and God eventually moved me a lot closer. The key was the doctrine which this pastor, R.B. Thieme, Jr., taught. He taught God’s Word verse by verse, line by line, and often word by word. He said a lot of things that I didn’t like, a few things that made sense, but he seemed to be true to God’s Word, and that what was important. When you choose a church, the first and foremost consideration is God’s Word—is it taught carefully and accurately. If all the pastor does in your church is jump from verse to verse, making points here and there, this can be very misleading. I can prove almost any theological stance by going to the Bible and lifting a few verses out of context. I recall listening to Gardner Ted Armstrong, one of the greatest public speakers of our time, but one of the most doctrinally misguided men, going to Heb. 4:9, reading “There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God”; and informing his viewers that we are to keep the Sabbath, which is Saturday. I have read Jehovah Witness literature where they portray Jesus Christ as a man, an angelic being come to this earth, and they quote various passages where He speaks from His humanity, e.g., “I thirst.” (John 19:28b). I have spent many of my youthful hours arguing with those who did not believe in eternal security, who used Heb. 6 to support this view, having not even a clue as to what Heb. 6 was about. Every pastor should teach primarily verse by verse. There are times when one must examine several verses. In my teaching, I will clarify and emphasize a particular verse in context by quoting related verses. Furthermore, a pastor needs a cohesive view of Scripture. The church did not begin in Abraham’s tent; the church and Israel are not synonymous bodies; God has different programs for different times and His representatives on earth change somewhat from dispensation to dispensation. A pastor who does not have a dispensational understand of God’s Word will mislead you. If you have attended a church for two years and have never heard the term dispensation in reference to an epoch of time and the running of an household, then your pastor is eventually going to mislead you, if he has not already (unless he never teaches out of the Old Testament, which is equally a crime). God’s entire Word should be taught and taught by one who respects it as God’s Word to man who does not have some individual program that he is trying to sell you on but is simply trying to convey to you the truth that is there. I would rather come to you and tell you that I was mistaken about this idea or that than to ever intentionally cover up misinformation which I have personally conveyed. If it comes between personal pride and accurately teaching God’s Word, I would rather that I taught God’s Word. If I have a particular weakness in my character (and I have many) and that weakness is clearly delineated in God’s Word as a sin or a shortcoming, then I am going to teach you what is in God’s Word, even though it castigates me personally.

According to the Oxford Gesenius, testing here is permissive rather than required. We have several instances in the Bible where God allows Satan to test a believer (Job in Job 1–2) and where He does not (Jesus told Peter that Satan desired to sift him like wheat).

We are tested for several reasons. (1) We are tested as a part of growth. That is, we are able to, on several occasions, stand against the charge of the butterfly, which gives us the strength to withstand the charge of the elephant (Ex. 20:20 Deut. 8:16). (2) We are tested for approval—God tests us, we pass the test, and we are approved by Him (1Cor. 11:19). This testing is often rewarded (James 1:12). (3) We are tested for our own personal confidence; that we might have more faith in God’s leading (Deut. 8:2). (4) We are tested also as a witness to all of the angels. This is most often overlooked, yet one of the most important reasons for our testing (Job 1–2). (5) God has tested some believers so that their testimony stands forever in one form or another. For instance, Abraham foretold of the cross when he offered Isaac up on the altar (Gen. 22). This was a unique sacrifice, unlike any other required by God, a perfect shadow of the cross and the substitutionary atonement of our Lord. (6) And, finally, this is not the same as being tempted, which God does not do (James 1:12–14).

“You will walk after Y^ehowah your God and you [all] will fear Him, and you [all] will keep His commands, and you [all] will listen to His voice, and you [all] will serve Him and you [all] will cling to Him.” [Deut. 13:4 (13:5 in Hebrew)]

The figure of speech found in this verse, and in several like it, is called synonymia [pronounced sin-o-NIM-ee-a] and it is a repetition of different words in terms of origin and sound, but all have very similar meanings. Generally speaking, when one walks after God, they will also fear Him, and, therefore, they will keep His commands and listen to His voice; which means they will serve Him and cling to Him.

This verse is in direct contrast to believing the prophet who attempts to lure them away from Y^ehowah, their God. We can believe God or we can believe the lie. The Israelites, after seeing an incredible number of signs and wonders at the hand of Moses, ratified this contract between God and themselves. They have already promised to do this. However, as we know, they did not stick to their agreement. This covenant was renewed under Josiah in 2Kings 23:1–3. Obeying God is not something which was for the Old Testament. 2John 6 reads: And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

This was the simple test for the Israelites—would they believe their God and His revelation to them or some prophet. The contrast is between the truth and that which is false. A majority of the people on this earth are not interested in truth; they are not interested in a relationship with Jesus Christ, their Savior. One female of my past acquaintance, who appears to have an interest in things spiritual, was raised Catholic. I gave her about a four or five page list of Scriptures saying that a person is saved by faith alone in Christ alone. To me, this would be the most important thing to know—am I saved? Can I be saved? What does it take to have an eternal relationship with God? It would seem incongruous for a person to verbally acknowledge the importance of a relationship with God, but have relatively no interest in what God’s Word says about it. Now this is a person who recognizes the Bible as being God’s Word (at least, probably) and dsomeone who believes in the trinity and that Jesus Christ is her Savior. However, she is not interested enough to read four or five pages of Scripture which explain salvation clearly—you would think that this would be an important issue to someone who had an interest in things spiritual. However, this person has never read past the first page. She believes that a person is saved by faith in Jesus Christ but believes that somehow, someway, there must be some works attached. If this is the attitude of someone who attends church occasionally, was brought up Christian, and ddhas a professed dinterest in things spiritual, imagine the person who does not want to go near a church, who has no need of God? Man is an extremely corrupt creature. However, if we desire to know God’s Word—if we desire to know the truth, God will make it available to us.

This partially explains suffering to us. Man, particularly when things are going well, often has absolutely no interest in God. If he is successful in business, with the opposite sex, with money, he personally attributes this all to his own abilities, which he acts as though he has earned and deserved. Sometimes, the only thing that will draw us to God is pain and heartache. It is the only way God can gain our attention.

“And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, will be put to death because he spoke rebellion against Y^ehowah your God (Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt and [Who has] ransomed you out of a house of slavery; to drive you out of the way in which Y^ehowah your God has commanded you to walk; and you will put away the evil thing form your midst. [Deut. 13:5 (13:6 in Hebrew)]

We have the noun çârâh (ה ָר ָס ) [pronounced saw-RAWH] and it means turning aside, defection, rebellion. This word is only found in Deut. 13:5 19:16 Isa. 1:5 14:6 31:6 59:13 Jer. 28:16 29:32. Strong’s #5697 BDB #694 It probably comes from the much more common verb sûr (רס ) [pronounced soor], which means to turn aside, to turn away, to depart. Strong’s #5493 BDB #693. Notice one test for a false prophet—it is not can they perform some great sign or wonder which is visually impressive—the test is do they teach that which is doctrinal?

The penalty for leading others astray is capital punishment. We find a similar command in Deut. 17:2–5: “If there is found in your midst, in any of your towns [lit., gates], which Y^ehowah your God is giving you, a man or a woman who does what is evil in the sight of Y^ehowah your God, by transgressing His covenant, and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the heavenly host, which I have not commanded, and if it is told you and you have heard of it, then you will inquire thoroughly. And, if you see it is true and the word certain that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, then you will bring out that man or that woman who has done this evil deed, the man or the woman to your gates, and you will stone them with stones.” Deut. 18:5: “But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he will speak in the name of others gods, that prophet will die.” Ex. 21:20: “He who sacrifices to the gods other than to Y^ehowah alone will be devoted [to death].” This is a law which is peculiar to Israel, but not one where the penalty is overly severe. If the people of Israel did not enforce the law, God often did directly. Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen now, Hananiah: Y^ehowah has not sent you and you have made this people trust in a lie. Therefore, thus says Y^ehowah, ‘Observe, I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This year you are going to die because you have spoken rebellion against Y^ehowah.’ “ So Hananiah the prophet died in the same year in the seventh month (Jer. 28:15–17; see 14:14–15 And Zech. 13:2–3 as well). When a person does not trust in Y^ehowah, the God of Israel, whether he is from the lineage of Abraham or not, he will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. This is why God’s penalty is so severe. However, as we have seen with capital cases, and through what is said in this chapter, capital punishment was always preceeded by a gathering of accurate evidence and a trial. There is no support here whatsover for mob action.

Satan has several ways of leading us away from Jesus Christ, today as well as then. One is religion. He cultivates in us an interest in other gods. Today we have hundreds of religions which teach that salvation can be acquired through works and self-improvement, some of which do professed obeisance to our Lord, although His work on the cross is modified by their doctrine and God’s character and essence is been radically changed. The chief difference today is that we are not mandated by God to execute Mormans, Jehovah’s Witnesses or Buddhists. We must allow them their freedom because we are not in a nation ruled directly by God with a system of laws designed by God (although the original constitution and our early system of law was pattern after God’s Word). What does the New Testament tell us to do in the case of idolatry? I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; not the immoral people of this world or with the covetuous and swindlers, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within [the church]? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves (1Cor. 5:9–13). Those who are idolatrous inside the church should be put outside the church and we should not fellowship with them. Those who are unbelievers who are idolatrous and those who are outside the church and idolatrous, we leave them for God to judge and deal with. The Bible is clear as to what must be done. The persecution which churches have participated in is totally unfounded in God’s Word.

God does use the wrath of man to praise Him and He works all things together for good. There was a great deal of persecution by the Roman Catholic church and by the Church of England in the 17th and 18th centuries which was severe enough to drive a huge number of believers to other lands, chiefly the United States. Soon thereafter, a sizeable slave trade developed, which shipped thousands of slaves from Africa to the United States. The result was a great client nation to God which was both founded by a strong majority of believers in Jesus Christ who, almost inadvertently, evangelized a segment of the population of Africans brought here who were positive toward the gospel. Only God could prevail in such consummate acts of evil.

“When your brother, son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who [is] as your own soul moves you, in secret, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods;’ (which you and your fathers have not known); [Deut. 13:6 (13:7 in Hebrew)]

It doesn’t matter who the perpetrator

is—whether as close to you as your wife or your brother or your children—whoever convinces you to follow after someone other than our Lord Jesus Christ. The phrase wife of your bosom presents a close relationship between husband and wife here, one known to most people today only through the romantic truth in their souls. The way to find and cultivate such a relationship is completely obscured by advertising, television and movies, and, to a less influential degree, books. Notice that there are three notable ommisions in this verse: husband, mother and father. This was not an oversight on the part of Moses—not relationships as important as those. Even in a matter as grave as this, a wife is not called upon the testify against her husband or children against their parents (we have a similar traddition in our judicial system where a person cannot be compelled to testify against their spouse). If the apostasy of the parent or husband is certain, then it will be discovered outside the family and dealt with in that way. This also protected the parent from an unjust accusation on the part of a bitter son or daughter and the husband from the false accusation from a bitter wife.

The phrase your brother, son of your mother is not a reference to a step-brother. Although such existed at that time, far fewer than today, God did not design this directive for them. This phrase stresses the closeness of the relationship. Our relationship with God supercedes all other relationships. Our Lord said: “Do not presume that I have come to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worth of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matt. 10:34–37 Micah 7:6). We are in a spiritual war, a spiritual battle. The carnage and viciousness of it are beyond our imagination. The mass suffering of this world is a clue as to how violent and terrible this war is. This does not mean that becoming a Christian will automatically place you at odds with the emembers of your family nor does this mean that if you are ill-manered, arrogant and/or inconsiderate that strife between yourself and members of your family is related to their spiritual shortcomings. However, there will be a considerable number of cases where we will have to make choices of a spiritual nature which place us at odds with our families. I grimace slightly when I say this. To the 1%—this is not justification for joining a cult with a very persuasive, charasmatic leader who cuts you off socially and emotionally from your family. There are times when some believers are separated from their families on the basis of a solid spiritual ground—however, cultic leaders who cite this verse in order to remove you from your family are taking it out of context of the times in which it was spoken. This applied to a very brief, three-year ministry which our Lord conducted prior to going to the cross. During that time, He presented His credentials as Messiah, He evangelized the nation Israel, giving them their final chance to remain as a client nation to God prior to the fifth cycle, and He trained the disciples, possibly the eleven least-trainable people in the world. The period of time helps to better explain our Lord’s words, such as: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26).

“Out of the gods of the peoples who [are] round about you, who are near to you, or who are far off from you, from the end of the earth even unto the end of the earth; [Deut. 13:7 (13:8 in Hebrew)]

This is an interesting statement. It is hard to imagine the Israelites being influenced by heathen gods from half-way around the world—however, it is quite easy to see this activity occuring today. Our country, a client nation to God, is filled with people who pursue other religions, many from the far east. Satan has seen fit to try to influence them in that way. Conversely, the gospel of our Lord has gone unto all the ends of the earth. God has always been able to reach those who are His, regardless of isolated geographical location.

“You will not yield to him nor will you listen to him nor will your eye have pity on him, nor will you spare [him] nor will you conceal him; [Deut. 13:8 (13:9 in the Hebrew)]

To not loose the context, vv. 6–8 read: “When your brother, son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who [is] as your own soul moves you, in secret, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods;’ (which you and your fathers have not known) out of the gods of the peoples who [are] round about you, who are near to you, or who are far off from you, from the end of the earth even unto the end of the earth; you will not yield to him nor will you listen to him nor will your eye have pity on him, nor will you spare [him] nor will you conceal him.” What we have here is a very close relative who has attempted to entice you to pursue another god other than Y^ehowah. This means they are suggesting that you worship a demon. The first verb is ’â^bvâh (ה ָב ָא ) [pronounced aw-^BVAWH] is a verb always found with a negative (except in JJob 1:19 39:9). In the Qal perfect, it means would; in the Qal imperfect it means consent, yield. Strong’s #14 BDB #2. The second verb is the common one for listen; often well-translated as hearken in the KJV.

The third verb is chûç (סח ) [pronounced khoos] and it means to pity, to look upon with compassion. Strong’s #2347 BDB #299. When used with the subject eye it is a personification; that is, ascribing to abstract ideas, thoughts or emotions to either an inanimate object or to an object which lacks these things. It simply means to pity. “And you will consume all the peoples whom Y^ehowah your God will deliver to you; your eye will not pity them, neither will you serve their gods, for that [is] a snare to you.” (Deut. 7:16). It is almost easy to understand not showing pity to the degenerate peoples who occupied the land, however Deut. 7:13 deals with a close family member. That indicates how serious this spiritual battle is.

Châmal (ל ַמ ָח ) [pronounced khaw-MAHL] means to spare. Strong’s #2550 BDB #328. Finally, the last verb is kâcâh (ה ָס ָ ) [pronounced khaw-SAWH] and it means to cover, to clothe, to conceal. Strong’s #3680 BDB #491. This is your own close blood relative; under the dispensation of Israel, this person might as well have been a murderer.

J. Vernon McGee: This is extreme. This is radical. This sounds like a foreign language to the soft and affluent society in which we live. It is a serious matter for a man to be the first one to throw a stone in the execution that would stone his own brother to death. That seems very severe, but ultimately it would save many lives. When the Northern Kingdom went into idolatry, what happened? Literally thousands of them were slain, and most of the survivors were taken as slaved to the brutal nation of Assyria. Wouldn’t it have been better if they had stoned the false prophets who led them into idolatry instead of a whole multitude being slain?

“But in killing, you will kill him—your hand will be against him at the first [to cause] to be put him to death; and the hand of all the people afterwards. [Deut. 13:9 (13:10 in the Hebrew)]

When this close relative of yours, even your wife, attempts to lead you away from Y^ehowah (remember, thi is the dispensation of Israel when Israel was a nation under God), then you are to lay your hand against them. This does not mean that you carry out the sentence of capital punishment. Your hand against them means that you turn them in and, if he is convicted, you cast the first stone. The result is that you will cause them to be executed. The hand of the people against him afterwards is the execution itself. “On the evidence of two witnessess or three witnesses, he who is to die will be executed; he will not be executed on the word [lit., mouth] of one witness. The hand of the witnesses will be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward, the hand of all the people. So you will prge the evil from your midst.” (Deut. 17:6–7). If there was a chance that the witnesses had lied as a group, this would make them murderers.

Back in Lev. 24, while the Israelites were camped out in front of Mount Sinai and Moses was recording the Law, there was a case of blasphemy. At that time, a person was put to death for that sin. Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the sons of Israel; and the Isrelite woman’s son and a man of Israel struggled with each other in the camp. And the son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name and cursed. So they brought him to Moses (Now the mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan). And they placed him in custody [or, prison] so that the command of Y^ehowah might be made clear o them. Then Y^ehowah spoke to Moses, saying, “Bring the one who has cursed outside the camp, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then let all the congregation stone him. And you will speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone curses his god, then he will bear his sin. Furthermore, the one who blashemes the name of Y^ehowah will certainly be put to death; all the congregation will certainly stone him, the alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, he will be put to death.’ “ (Num. 24:10–16). you imagine how many actors, acrtresses and screenwriters today would have to be put to death for the same sin?

God exacts the death penalty. Today we feel that the death penalty is uncivilized. I guess the crowd who feels that way would call God uncivilized. I would like to ask that crowd where they got the little civilization and the little culture which they do have. All of it came from the Word of God, friends. Now we are moving away from the Word of God and folk think that is being more civilized. It is more dangerous to walk on the streets of the cities in the United States than it is to walk on the jungle trails of Africa. Why? Because we think the death penalty is uncivilized and so we have abolished it.

Some time ago as I was walking by night on a jungle trail in the mountain regions of Venezuela, I felt safer than I do in Los Angeles, although they said there might be a few boa constrictors around. And I noticed that nobody locked their doors. I wondered if they should send missionaries to us instead of our sending missionaries to them

“And you will stone him with stones and he will die, for he has sought to drive you away from Y^ehowah your God, who is bringing you out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of slaves; [Deut. 13:10(11)]

Like most of the commands of Deuteronomy (this is in the Qal imperfect, which often is a command in the right context), this is personalized to the 2nd person singular. The listener is being addressed. This is not necessarily the person they came to to lead Israel astray, but each individual listener to Moses. The justification for this procedure is the fact that God brought Israel out of Egypt—this is a unique relationship between God and any other nation. God and Israel have been married since this time and there will always be this union between them. Under these circumstances, Israel is not to play the whore with any other god—that is, not with any other idol which represents a demon (or demon corps).

For the 1%, this is during the economy of Israel—we do not go out a murder people of other faiths today. Even though we are a client nation, we are not ruled by God but by the three branches of our government and all of their appointed agencies. God’s providence or God’s hand in our lives and the fact that we are a client nation to Him is still quite different from the position that Israel held—God ruled directly over Israel during the early portion of Israel’s history (until they required a king).

“And all Israel will hear and fear and they will not add to do like this evil thing in your midst. [Deut. 13:11(12)]

Yâçaph (ף ַס ָי ) [pronounced yaw-SAHPH] means to add, to augment; and as an adverb it means to continue to do a thing, again. Strong's #3254 BDB #414. The Israelites would hear of one being stoned to death for an attempt to lead others away from Y^ehowah their God, and they would not make the mistake of committing the same spiritual crime (which indicates that capital punishment was used as a deterent). The Word of God states this case agian in Deut. 17:12–13: “And the man who acts presumptuously by not listening to the priest who stands there to serve Y^ehowah your God, not to the judge—that man will die. Thus you will purge the evil from Israel. Then all the people will hear and be afraid and will not act presumptuously again.” See also Deut. 19:14–21 21:18–23. Although Israel was in the business of capital punishment as a part of its duties, such duties are not given to the church. We are allowed to rebuke those who continue in sin, but not to call for their execution (1Tim. 5:20).

Now, I realize that many studies have been done and some claim that there is not a positive correlation between capital punishment and a reduction of capital crime. However, there are a number of factors which bear heavily on this incorrect assessment. Also, if a state has, for instance, 2000 murders and only 3-15 people are put to death during that year, and those executions are of men who have spent a decade or two on death row, then that is lip service being paid to capital punishment. That is political expediency. Furthermore, our justice system is corrupt when it is easier to appeal a capital murder sentence on a legal flaw which took place during the trial than it is for suppressed evidence or new evidence which exonerates the accused. That is the pure arrogance of our court and justice system when they place themselves and their petty regulations legally above justice.

From Keil and Delizsch’s Old Testament commentary: The fear of punishment, which is given here as the ultimate end of the punishment itself, is not to be regarded as the principle lying at the foundation of the law, but simply, as Calvin expresses it, as “the utility and fruit of severeity,” one reason for carrying out the law, which is not to be confounded with the so--called deterrent their, i.e., the attempt to deter from crime by the mode of punishing.

In other words, the fear of punishment and the resultant bonus of its deterrent to crime is not the primary reason for capital punishment, but it is icing on the cake.

“When you hear, in one of your cities which Y^ehowah your God is giving to you to dwell there, one says, [Deut. 13:12(13)]

Now we are no longer dealing with a close relative but one who hears a public speaker or an individual, who may or may not be a close associate. Furthermore, this person who is heard is not the perpetrator of the crime. This is a person who has observed an entire city go into idolatry. Cities were to watch over other cities. The land was given to the Israelites by God—they were tenants and He was the owner of the land. Therefore, if a city misused the land—i.e., fell into idolatry—it was the responsibility of the other tenants, the other cities, to deal with the problem.

“ ‘Men, sons of Belial [or, worthlessness and wickedness], have gone out of your midst, and they force away the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods,” which you [all] have not known;’ [Deut. 13:13(14)]

The men herein are described by the noun b^elîyya׳al (ל ַע ַ ̣ל ׃ ) [pronounced b^eleey-YAH-ģahl ] and this is a word translated by the KJV as Belial, naughty, ungodly, wicked; BDB gives its meanings as worthlessness, ruin, destruction, good-for-nothing. I prefer without any value. as it has a more degrading connotation, even though it means the same as worthless and good-for-nothing. The NIV renders this word with wicked, troublemaker(s), scoundrel(s). This is the first time that we find this word in God’s Word. The key is that this noun is transliterated into the Greek and used as a name for Satan (2Cor. 6:15), who is the embodiment of lawlessness and evil. The original rendering is actually good, as it identifies the parent of the person found here—Satan is the father of those who lead others away from God. Now the sons of Eli were men of Belial; they did not know Y^ehowah (1Sam. 2:12). These men are more than lost—they are leading others astray as well. In the majority, this word is found in conjunction with sons, man (men) as in sons of Belial. (Judges 19:22

20:13 1Sam. 1:16 2:12 10:27 2Sam. 16:7 20:1 Psalm 18:4 Prov. 16:27). When the Hebrew word sons is qualified by another noun, the other noun denotes the nature and the character of those spoken of.

B^elîyya׳al is occasionally found apart from this phrase (Deut. 15:9 Job 34:18 Psalm 41:8 101:3 Prov. 6:12 19:28 Nahum 1:15*). Strong’s #1100 BDB #116.

This verse is an interesting linguistic construction. You hear from one person that another has advocated idolatry. So, in fact, someone may be telling you about their relative. Furthermore, an entire city has been led astray by this person. King Jeroboam was this kind of a man. When He had torn Israel from the house of David, they made Jeroboam ben Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel away from following Y^ehowah and made them sin a great sin (2Kings 17:21).

John wrote: Children, it is the last hour and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not [from us]; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but [they went out] in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us (1John 2:18–19).

“And you will inquire and search and ask diligently, and, observe, the word being true, the abominable thing has been done among you; [Deut. 13:14(15)]

I have had to change the word order somewhat to make this verse sound smoother. Primarily, the subject of an Hebrew sentence often follows the verb, which is clumsy in our language. Notice that this is not a lynch mob. One person does not get you all riled up and you and some friends all go out and stone a third party. This is a very serious matter and it has to be examined thoroughly. What is described is a courtroom matter where evidence is examined and statements are taken. We will find a related situation to this in Judges 19–21. One cannot be put to death merely on the statement of another. In the mouths of two or three witnesses will a thing be established.

On a side note, most of us realize that anything can be proven by jumping from Scripture to Scripture. God’s doctrine, the full system of theology as presented in the Bible, never contradicts itself. The important points of doctrine can be confirmed by dozens of verses taken in context. The less important points can be confirmed with two or three witnesses. Beware of any teacher who has an agenda to sell you and cites one or two verses for each point. Beware expecially if no thought is given to the context from which the verse is taken or to the dispensation which embodies that verse of Scripture. If such a policy would have been followed in Salem, there would have be no drownings or burnings of witches.

“You will certainly strike down the inhabitants of that city by the mouth of the sword; devoting it and all that [is] in it, even its cattle, by the mouth of the sword; [Deut. 13:15(16)]

If one person has led astray an entire city, then God’s people are to go into the city and destroy it entirely. Recall that devoting means that they will all be executed. That which is devoted to God is destroyed entirely. It is never allowed again for common use (recall our study in Lev. 27:28; see also Joshua 6:17). “For my sword is satisfied in heaven. Observe, it will descend upon for judgement upon Edom, and upon the people whom I have devoted to destruction.” (Isa. 34:5). This was the Mosaic Law: “He who sacrifices to the gods other than to Y^ehowah alone will be devoted to destruction.” (Ex. 22:20).

In this dispensation, we do not descend upon an idolatrous Austrlian village in the outback and destroy all of those who are there. We reach out to them with the gospel. In this verse, we are speaking of Israel, where all of those present observed the incredible acts of God—even heard His voice. We are speaking of a nation where God would regularly send His prophets to. God is requiring them to be faithful. When Israel pursues other gods, this is an act of unfaithfulness—an act of spiritual adultery, which is punishable by death.

Speaking of which, imagine the reduction of the broken homes and broken hearts if adulterers were executed. Furthermore, one might think twice, not only prior to committing an adulterous act, but prior to marriage, considering that an adulterous act would result in their execution. However, since this is highly unlikely, let’s move on:

“And all its spoil you will gather into the midst of the broad place [or, public square

], and you will burn the city and all its spoil with fire completely, before the face of Y^ehowah your God; and it will be in a heap forever—it will not be built upon any more. [Deut. 13:16(17)]

Notice what has taken place is that an entire city has devoted itself to a demon-god. This is just not a movement within a city, but the entire village was carried away by a persuasive speaker. The entire village, being under God, is destroyed. When idols are made, they often made out of gold, silver and precious stones. These things are not to be melted down for use. “The graven images of their gods you are to burn with fire; you will not desire the silver or the gold that is on them, nor will you take it for yourselves, so that you are not ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to Y^ehowah your God. And you will not bring an abomination into your house, and become a devoted [to destruction] thing like it; you will utterly detest it and you will utterly abhor it, for it is a devoted [to destruction] thing.” (Deut. 7:25–26). You may wonder about this—you may wonder why is it so important that all the spoil from the destruction of the errant tribe be burned. After all, even if they are in apostasy, perhaps this has only been for a short time—a few years; just how polluted could these things become? The key was to prevent one tribe from claiming that another tribe was apostate for the purpose to taking their things. This would be a very common scenario; a tribe is jealous of what another tribe has—they proclaim them apostate, attack and steal their things in the act of war. However, God would not allow that. Telling the Israelites that the spoil had to be burned removed the false motivation and greed which could have distorted this teaching.

Israel as a whole would be likewise judged by God. “And they will burn your houses with fire and execute judgments on oy in the sight of many women. Then I will stop you from playing the harlot and you will also not longer pay your lovers.” (Ezek. 16:41). Playing the harlot is the imagery used for Israel pursuing other gods. And he [Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon] burned the house of Y^ehowah, the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire. So all the army of the Chaldeans who [were with] the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem (2Kings. 25:9–10).

“And no devoted thing will cling to your hand, so that Y^ehowah will turn back from the fierceness of His anger; and He will give you mercies, and He will love you and He will multiply you, as He has sworn to your fathers; [Deut. 13:17(18)]

When such a mass execution was held, this could not be done in the name of greed. That is, a large band of men could not choose to invade another village, destroy them, claiming that they were idolatrous, and then enjoy the spoils of their victory. When a city was destroyed for idolatry, it was destroyed in its entirety. There were no spoils taken during such an event.

One of the most remarkable things in the Bible are the prophecies concerning Israel herself. We have seen how God has warned Israel that her peoples would be scattered throughout the nations for her disobedience. However, God is a God of forgiveness and mercy (which is the only reason you and I are alive today). “So it will come to pass when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call [them] to mind in all the nations where Y^ehowah your God has banished you and you return to Y^ehowah your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, then Y^ehowah your God will restore you from captivity and gather you against from all the peoples where Y^ehowah your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there Y^ehowah your God will gather you and back from there He will bring you back.” (Deut. 30:1–4).

“When you listen to the voice of Y^ehowah your God, to keep all His commands which I am commanding you this day, to do right thing in the eyes of Y^ehowah your God.” [Deut. 13:18(19)]

A small linguistic matter to deal with first, lest you think I am only attempting to be hip. This is the literal translation of this verse; it reads to do the right; since the adjective right is used as a substantive, right thing is appropriate and accurate.

This verse is a continuation of v. 17 and does not stand alone. Together they read: “And no devoted thing will cling to your handd, so that Y^ehowah will turn back from the fierceness of His anger; and He will give you mercies, and He will love you and He will multiply you (as He has sworn to your fathers) when when you listen to the voice of Y^ehowah your God, to keep all His commands which I am commanding you this day, to do the right thing in the eyes of Y^ehowah your God.” (Deut. 13:17–18). Moses would often use a verse like this to indicate a shift in subject matter.

Introduction: Deut. 14 parallels Lev. 11. Lev. 11 has already been written down; however, it has not yet been distributed. At this point in time, there has been no recorded directive as to what will be done with God’s Word other than written down. The Ten Commandments will be kept in the ark of the covenant; however, as of yet, the populace does not know Lev. 11 except through, perhaps, the previous teaching of Moses. This is a list of the animals which the Israelites may and may not eat. The specific animals to which most of these words pertain have been lost to linguistic history. There are several reasons for this: (1) we are not under the law and what has occurred in medical history has precluded us from restrictions upon food; (2) some of the animals found in this passage are likely extinct; and, (3) this is a message to the modern-day Israelite: “If, indeed, this is God’s Word, and you are to obey it and to keep the Law—how can you if God chose not to preserve the meaning of the names of all of the animals? In other words, how can God expect you to keep the obey the Torah when He has not kept consistent the names of the animals? Obviously, we are not to do each of us what is right in our own eyes.” The answer to this objection is simple—the Old Testament has been fulfilled in the New Testament. We can scour the Old Testament for truth and we find an abundance of it; however, it is the revelation of the New Testament that all animals can be eaten. In other words, if the Israelites believe that the Old Testament is the end of God’s revelation to them, then God has done them a disservice—He has given them commands which they cannot keep. However, if they believe that this is God’s Word, then there must be both a reason that the dietary laws have been abrogated and divine revelation pertaining to this subject, which there is. And on the next day, as they were on their way, and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry, and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky open up and a certain object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all four-footed animals and crawling creatures [perhaps reptiles?] of the earth and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, “Arise, Peter, kill and eat!” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” And again a voice to him a second time, ”What God has cleansed, [do] not consider unholy.” And this happened three times; and immediately the object was taken up into the heaven (Acts 10:9–16). There is more concerning what we may and may not eat in the New Testament, and we will cover the remainder of it in this chapter.

Zodhiates gives three general reasons for the dietary laws presented here as well as in Leviticus.

(1) These laws were given for hygienic purposes. That is, many or all of the unclean animals, no matter how prepared, were more likely to carry disease in those days; or they tended to have a shorter safe storage time. Therefore, adherence to these laws tended to cap the spread of disease through diet. (2) The heathen of the land had certain religious rites which were tied directly to such practices as drinking blood, boiling an animal in its mother’s milk, the sacrifice of certain animals, etc. These laws served to separate Israel from the heathen population of Palestine. (3) The last reason I find to be the least satisfying: these are a set of arbitrary laws set up by God to test the obedience of His people. I do not believe there is anything in God’s Word to indicate that God ever acts in an arbitrary way.

The second portion of this chapter deals with the tithe of the Israelite which God expects.

“You [are] sons to Y^ehowah your God; do not cut yourselves or shave your forehead [lit., make a baldness between your eyes] for the dead. [Deut. 14:1]

Like the believer in Jesus Christ of the Church Age, the believer in Israel had a relationship with God. For you are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26). But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God—to those who believe in His name (John 1:12). For all being led by the Spirit of God—these are the sons of God (Rom. 8:14). The casting off of Israel is only a temporary thing; God will restore Israel to the land as He has promised. However, His promises extend to the spiritual seed of Abraham, those who followed Abraham in faith: But [it is] not as though the Word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are from Israel; neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s [physical] descendants, but “Through Isaac your descendants will be named.” That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants (Rom. 9:6–8 Gen. 21:12).

Cutting oneself was obviously a heathen practice of the land. Much of Deuteronomy is a repeat of what we have seen in the previous three books of Moses: “No one will defile himself for a dead person [lit., soul] among his people. They will not make any baldness on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts in their flesh.” (Lev. 21:1b, 5). You will not make any cuts in your flesh for the dead [lit., soul] nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves; I am Y^ehowah.” (Lev. 19:28). We find this custom in 1Kings 18:28 when some religious types were trying to get the attention of their god Baal: So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. Jeremiah alludes to the same custom: “Both great men and small with die in this land; they will not be buried, they will not be lamented, nor will anyone gash himself or shave his head for them.” (Jer. 16:6). See also Jer. 41:5 47:5.

When an unbeliever dies, it is so tragic that his or her loved ones of that day would cut themselves and cut out patches of hair in sadness and despair. This is logical for an unbeliever to behave this way. He has no real hope for eternity. If his body and soul are a chance evolution of some murky nonliving swamp, from some primordial ooze which just happened to become a life form and just happened to, after five million positive cell and DNA mutations, turn into an upright human being, then when a loved one dies, there is nothing more tragic, because that is all there is. If our lives on this earth are here totally by chance, by some incredible act of nature, then what could be worse than death? So, unbelievers certainly would consider death of their loved ones a great tragedy and they would go through these various behavior patterns to indicate their great unhappiness and loss. The actual truth is even more tragic: if a person dies as an unbeliever, they are retain in torments until the last judgment, and then they are raised from the dead, their works are examined, and then they are thrown into the Lake of Fire, where their worm does not die. What could be more tragic than this? And all it takes to spend eternity in the presence of Jesus Christ, our Savior, is a few seconds of our lives where we, contrary to the choice of Adam, make a positive choice toward the one tree—the cross—which gives us hope. We need spend but a few seconds believing that Jesus Christ has died for our sins on the cross, and we are given the privilege of eternal life in eternal bliss. But it takes a conscious choice on our part. If we are not willing to take a few seconds from our lives and believe in Jesus Christ now—if our interest in relationship with God is so non-existant, if we are so negative toward Him that we will not spend even a moment of our time believing in His Son, then certainly we will have no interest in spending eternity with Him. Let me give you an analogy: if you don’t want to go out a second time with a particular member of the opposite sex, then it wouldn’t make much sense to marry them, would it? If you do not want to do the former, then you certainly do not want to do the latter. If your interest in God is such an insignificant part of your life that you are not even willing to take a chance and spend just a few seconds of of your life to believe in Jesus Christ, then you will not want to spend eternity with our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I recall someone saying that when she died, she did not want to have this terribly sad, mourning funeral as the Christian fundamentalists have. Our personal mourning is that we will miss the person who has left us to be face to face with the Lord, just as if they had gone on a long trip. However, we do not want you to be uninformed, members of the family of God, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope (1Thess. 4:13). For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up because of victory. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1Cor. 15:53–57 Isa. 25:8 Hosea 13:14).

“For you are a set-apart people to Y^ehowah your God, and in you Y^ehowah has chosen to be to Him for a people, a peculiar treasure [lit., a people for His own possession], out of all the peoples who [are] on the face of the ground. [Deut. 14:2]

Every aspect of the life of the Israelite’s life should be a testimony to their separation from the heathen who has no divine revelation. God has not come to the heathen and given him His Word, except through His Own people, the Jews. The Israelites are unique of all the peoples in the world—they were chosen specifically by God the Father, in eternity past, to be His people and to have a great purpose upon this earth as well as an eternal destiny. “For you are a holy people to Y^ehowah your God; Y^ehowah your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the land.” (Deut. 7:6). Therefore, the Jew is not to imitate the heathen, who are lost, because he is to be a light to them. Similarly, because of our family stanidng, we are instructed by God: Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil does not understand God (I2John 11). Therefore, become imitators of God, as beloved children (Eph. 5:1). If we are the sons of God and have the truth and if we are to walk in the light, how foolish it is for us to follow and imitate those who are in darkness. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1Peter 2:9 Deut. 10:13 Isa. 61:6 Ex. 19:6 Deut. 14:2). Now would be the time to examine The Doctrine of the Election of Israel—not finished!

As a part of their separation to God, the Israelites had a particular diet which helped to preserve and propagate them as a people. This made them less likely to become diseased through the foods that they ate. McGee comments on this: When the plague broke out in Europe years a

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The Interpretations Of Deuteronomy 1:44
The problem is this: in Num. 14, Israel is pushed back by the inhabitants of the hill country, which are said to be Canaanites and Amalekites. In this passage, they care called Amorites.
1.	The most common explanation is what I have given already: the term Amorite has a general and a specific usage. In general, it means westerners and refers to the diverse peoples in the land of Canaan. Moses was making a point in Deut. 1 which did not require him to specifically name the groups who beat Israel down. For his flow of speech, it was simpler to name them by one name. We often find the term Canaanite used in general, but it is because the groups referred to are Canaanite in origin. The Amalekites are not Canaanite, they are a Semitic people, descended from Esau (Gen. 36:15–16 1Chron. 1:36). Therefore, using the term Canaanite would be incorrect if referring to both groups. However, as has been mentioned, Amorite is more of a general term which alludes to factious groups in a particular territory, rather than referring to any particular racial group.
2.	All three groups could have been in those hills. In Num. 14, the Amalekites and Canaanites are references and in Deuteronomy, the Amorites are mentioned. The biggest problem here is the consistency with which we find these terms—throughout all of Num. 14, we have Amalekites and Canaanites; throughout all of Deut. 1, we find the term Amorite used exclusively.
3.	A third possibility is that Moses simply made a mistake. This would contradict the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture. A similar explanation is that the person who wrote this, someone who is not Moses, made a mistake. Again, this contradicts the inspiration of Scripture.

The Amplified Bible	It is because...whereas it is because...	NASB	Because of...but it is because of
The Emphasized Bible	for....whereas it is for...	NIV	because of...no, it is on account of
Young’s Translation	for...seeing for...	KJV	for...but for...