Chapter 4

 

LITV

Deu 4:1  And now, Israel, listen to the statutes and to the judgments which I am teaching you to do, so that you may live and go in, and possess the land which Jehovah the God of your fathers is giving to you. 

Deu 4:2  You shall not add to the Word which I command you, nor take from it, to keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you. 

Deu 4:3  Your eyes have seen that which Jehovah has done in Baal-peor. For Jehovah your God has destroyed them from among you, the men that followed Baal-peor. 

Deu 4:4  And you who held fast to Jehovah your God are alive today, all of you. 

Deu 4:5  Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, as Jehovah my God has commanded me, to do them, in the midst of the land where you are going in, to possess it, 

Deu 4:6  and you shall keep and do them, for it shall be your wisdom and your understanding before the eyes of the peoples who hear all these statutes. And they shall say, This great nation is a people wise and understanding. 

Deu 4:7  For who is a great nation whose God is coming near to them, as Jehovah your God is, in all our calling on Him? 

Deu 4:8  And who is a great nation whose statutes and judgments are as righteous as all this Law which I set before you today? 

Deu 4:9  Only, be on guard for yourself and keep your soul carefully, that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen; and that they not depart from your heart all the days of your life. And you shall make them known to your sons, and to your sons' sons. 

Deu 4:10  The day that you stood before Jehovah your God in Horeb, when Jehovah said to me, Gather the people to Me, and I will make them hear My Words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live on the earth; and that they may teach their sons. 

Deu 4:11  And you drew near and stood below the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the heart of the heavens, darkness, cloud and thick gloom. 

Deu 4:12  And Jehovah spoke to you out of the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you did not see a form, only a voice. 

Deu 4:13  And He declared His covenant to you which He has commanded you to do, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. 

Deu 4:14  And Jehovah commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances, for you to do them in the land which you shall pass over to possess it. 

Deu 4:15  Therefore you shall carefully watch over your souls, for you have not seen any likeness in the day Jehovah spoke to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 

Deu 4:16  that you not deal corruptly, and make for yourselves a graven image, a likeness of any figure, the form of a male or female, 

Deu 4:17  the form of any animal in the earth; the form of any winged bird that flies in the heavens; 

Deu 4:18  the form of any creeping thing on the ground; the form of any fish in the waters under the earth; 

Deu 4:19  and that you not lift up your eyes towards the heavens and shall see the sun, and the heavens, and you be drawn away and worship them, and serve them; which Jehovah your God has allotted to all the peoples under all the heavens. 

Deu 4:20  And Jehovah has taken you, and has brought you forth out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people to Him, an inheritance, as it is this day. 

Deu 4:21  And Jehovah was angry with me because of your words, and swore I would not

 

pass over the Jordan, and that I might not go into the good land which Jehovah your God is

giving to you as an inheritance. 

Deu 4:22  For I will not be in this land; I shall not pass over the Jordan. But you shall pass over, and shall possess this good land. 

Deu 4:23  Be on guard for yourselves, that you not forget the covenant of Jehovah your God, which He has made with you, and make to yourselves a graven image, a likeness of anything which Jehovah your God has forbidden you. 

Deu 4:24  For Jehovah your God is a consuming fire; He is a jealous God. 

Deu 4:25  When you father sons and son's sons, and you have been long in the land, and have dealt corruptly, and have made a graven image, a likeness of anything, and have done evil in the sight of Jehovah your God, to provoke Him to anger; 

Deu 4:26  I call the heavens and the earth to witness against you today that you shall soon utterly perish from off the land to which you go over the Jordan to possess it; you shall not prolong your days on it, but shall utterly be destroyed. 

Deu 4:27  And Jehovah shall scatter you among the peoples, and you shall be left few in number among the nations to which Jehovah shall lead you away. 

Deu 4:28  And there you shall serve other gods, the work of man's hands, wood and stone, which cannot see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 

Deu 4:29  And if you shall seek Jehovah your God from there, then you shall find Him, if you seek Him with your whole heart, and with all your soul, 

Deu 4:30  in your distress, when all these things have found you, in the latter days, then you shall return to Jehovah your God, and shall listen to His voice. 

Deu 4:31  For Jehovah your God is a merciful God. He will not forsake you, nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. 

Deu 4:32  For ask now of the days past which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and from the one end of the heavens to the other end of the heavens, whether there has been a thing as great as this, or has anything like it been heard. 

Deu 4:33  Has a people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and lived? 

Deu 4:34  Or has God gone forth to take to Himself a nation from the midst of a nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that Jehovah your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 

Deu 4:35  To you it was revealed, so that you might know that Jehovah is God, and no one else besides Him. 

Deu 4:36  He made you hear His voice out of the heavens, that He might discipline you; and He made you to see His great fire on earth; and you heard His Word from the midst of the fire. 

Deu 4:37  And because He loved your fathers, and chose their seed after them, and brought you out with His presence, with His great power, out of Egypt, 

Deu 4:38  in order to drive out nations greater and mightier than you from before you, to bring you in, to give their land for an inheritance, as it is this day; 

Deu 4:39  know today, and turn back your heart to it, that Jehovah, He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. 

Deu 4:40  And you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am commanding

 

you today, so that it may be well with you, and with your sons after you, and so that you may prolong your days on the earth, which Jehovah our God is giving to you all the days. 

 

Deu 4:41  Then Moses separated three cities beyond the Jordan, toward the sunrising, 

Deu 4:42  that the manslayer might flee there, he who killed his neighbor unawares, and did not hate him in times before, and that he fleeing to one of these cities might live: 

Deu 4:43  Bezer in the wilderness, in the tableland, for the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites. 

Deu 4:44  And this is the Law which Moses set before the sons of Israel; 

Deu 4:45  these are the testimonies and the statutes and the ordinances which Moses spoke to the sons of Israel when they came out of Egypt; 

Deu 4:46  beyond the Jordan in the valley opposite Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses and the sons of Israel struck when they came out of Egypt. 

Deu 4:47  And they took possession of his land, and the land of Og the king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, toward the sunrising; 

Deu 4:48  from Aroer, which is on the edge of the river of Arnon, even to Mount Sion, which is Hermon; 

Deu 4:49  and all the Arabah beyond the Jordan eastward, even to the sea of the Arabah, under the Slopes of Pisgah. 

Main Point(s): After covering some history, Moses breaks into a simple lesson on faith. It’s foundation is manifested in obedience to a structured law, but is rooted in the subject’s ability to DESIRE it (thus the statements about the heart).

1.       What directions are given to the people? (1-2) They are told to LISTEN (Pay Heed) to the laws, commands, and testimonies. There is an implication that they need to be obeyed. This is a direct contingency for God granting them the land. They are not to change ANY of the statutes he dispenses.

 

2.       What does keeping God’s laws show (6)? Explain.  Verse six is preceded with an example of foolishness from Num.25 when some men of the camp decided to commit sexual sin with Moabite women. 24000 fell because of it. By keeping/doing God’s laws, the people will exhibit wisdom  (and be seen by other nations as such). Unlike the rebellious behavior, Israel will be more subdued, practicing self-control and justice. These things are not to be taken for granted. It speaks volumes concerning the peoples who inhabited the land.

3.       What two things make being God’s people special (7-8)? No God-governed people have ever had their god reveal himself as Jehovah did for Israel. The evidence was just too strong to refute among the surrounding nations. Jehovah God is a living active God! Jehovah’s justice has no cracks or weaknesses. Anyone under its care can expect equity. All other gods are simply man-made fallacies.

4.       Since the people have these blessings, what are they to do (9-10)? Do not forget them! Which is a command to instruct the children of how God dealt directly with them and how He sealed His covenant with laws and commands. The directive goes deeper than just remembering. “…that they not depart from your heart all the days of your life.” This requires an introspective consideration….this is faith. It requires a specific admittance to vulnerability …..I need God.

 

5.       What happened at Mt Sinai (Horeb) (11-14)? Why does Moses remind the people of this?  Ex 19/20 – God dispenses the 10 commandments. The overall trajectory is to leave Israel without excuse when it eventually falls away. There can be no occasion to accuse God. These people WITNESSED GOD and now Jehovah is delivering His promises….but these promises have contingencies.

6.       What were the people to learn about how God revealed Himself (15-19)? What warning is given? Moses iterates hat God spoke to them out of the fire, and did not appear as any living creature that can be made into an idol. Thus if/when Israel moves toward idolatry, God cannot be accused. More to the point, God makes His word the focus….that is where the power is….in His words.

7.       What were the people to know about God and about who they are (20-24)? Jehovah is their deliverer. He has made Israel an inheritance to Himself and prophetically to the world. They are: “to be a people to Him.” The implication here is “association.” They are to represent God to the world. These laws are not just about obedience, it about becoming MORE LIKE GOD.

8.       What will happen if the people disobey (25-31)? But then what will God do? They shall be “utterly destroyed, and scattered among other nations….their numbers will diminish.”
God will respond to them when they exhibit faith again and LISTEN. Notice again, the most important focus here is listening. It is God’s words that His children focus on. “you shall return to Jehovah your God” is manifested by “listening” to God again, which is manifested through actions (obedience).

9.       Why did God reveal Himself as He did in Egypt and in the wilderness (32-40)? 35 “so that you might know that Jehovah is God, and no one else besides Him. “ 36-“He made you hear His voice out of the heavens, that He might discipline you”  37- “because He loved your fathers, and chose their seed after them”  38-“to bring you in, to give their land for an inheritance” ----These are evidences of WHO is in charge. It is ultimately tied to “the fathers” in their minds, but from a messianic perspective, the mission is MUCH BIGGER. Being a representative of God is a mission of perpetuating the WORD of God. Nothing has changed in this regard even after the messiah!

 

Additional:
A word study of the words command, statutes, ordinances, law, judgments etc does not reveal anything unusual. The implication of these words is very clear, God wants His people to do, and not do specific things. What does that say about humans (when left to our own devices)?
Notice that this is very much a testimonial procedure meant to seal the covenant between God and His people. All power is attributed to God. Moses makes the case for the evidence of that power from what they have SEEN and HEARD. He leaves no room for excuse.

Chapters 2-3

 

 

Deu 2:1  And we turned and pulled up stakes into the wilderness, the way of the Sea of Reeds, as Jehovah had spoken to me; and we went around the mountain of Seir many days. 

Deu 2:2  And Jehovah spoke to me, saying, 

Deu 2:3  You have gone around this mountain long enough; turn yourselves northward. 

Deu 2:4  And command the people, saying, You are passing over into the border of your brothers, the sons of Esau, who live in Seir, and they shall be afraid of you. And you shall be on guard very much; 

Deu 2:5  you shall not fight against them, for I will not give their land to you, even to a step of a sole of a foot, for I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. 

Deu 2:6  You shall buy food from them with silver, and you shall eat; and you shall buy water from them with silver, and you shall drink. 

Deu 2:7  For Jehovah your God has blessed you with all the work of your hands; He has known your walking through this great wilderness. Jehovah your God has been with you these forty years; you have lacked nothing. 

Deu 2:8  And we passed on from our brothers, the sons of Esau, those living in Seir, by the way of the Arabah, by Elath, and by Ezion-geber, we turned and passed on by the way of the wilderness of Moab. 

Deu 2:9  And Jehovah said to me, Do not besiege Moab, nor stir yourself up against them in battle, for I will not give their land to you for a possession. For I have given Ar as a possession to the sons of Lot. 

Deu 2:10  The Emim lived there in days gone by, a great and plentiful people, and tall as the Anakim; 

Deu 2:11  they are reckoned to be giants, they too, like the Anakim; but the Moabites call them Emim. 

Deu 2:12  And the Horites lived in Seir before; and the sons of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them, and lived in their place, as Israel has done to the land of his possession, which Jehovah has given to them. 

Deu 2:13  Now, rise up and you yourselves pass over the torrent Zered; and we crossed over the torrent Zered. 

Deu 2:14  And the days in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we had crossed over the torrent Zered, were thirty eight years, until the end of all the generation, even the men of war were destroyed from the midst of the camp, as Jehovah swore to them. 

Deu 2:15  And the hand of Jehovah was also against them, to destroy them from the midst of the camp, until they were consumed. 

Deu 2:16  And it happened, when all the men of war had finished dying from among the people, 

Deu 2:17  Jehovah spoke to me, saying, 

Deu 2:18  You are passing over the border of Moab today, to Ar, 

Deu 2:19  and you shall draw near, across from the sons of Ammon. You shall not besiege them nor be stirred up against them, for I have not given of the land of the sons of Ammon to you for a possession. For I have given it for a possession to the sons of Lot. 

Deu 2:20  It is reckoned a land of giants, even it; giants formerly lived in it, and the Ammonites call them Zamzummim; 

Deu 2:21  a great and plentiful people, and tall as the Anakim. And Jehovah destroyed them before them, and they expelled 

Deu 2:22  as He had done for the sons of Esau, who live in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them and they expelled them, and lived in their place until today. 

Deu 2:23  And the Avvites who lived in villages as far as Azzah, the Caphtorites coming out of Caphtor destroyed them, and lived in their place. 

Deu 2:24  Rise up; pull up stakes and cross over the Arnon River; behold, I have given Sihon the king of Heshbon, the Amorite, and his land into your hand. Begin to possess, and stir yourselves up against him in battle. 

Deu 2:25  Today I will begin to put your dread and your fear on the face of the people under all the heavens, who will hear your fame, and will tremble and writhe because of you. 

Deu 2:26  And I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon the king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, 

Deu 2:27  Let me pass on the highway through your land; I will go on the highway; I will not turn aside to the right or the left; 

Deu 2:28  you shall sell me food for silver, and I shall eat; and you shall give me water for silver, and I will drink. Only, let me pass through on my feet, 

Deu 2:29  as the sons of Esau who live in Seir, and the Moabites who live in Ar, have done to me, until I have crossed over the Jordan, to the land which Jehovah our God is giving to us. 

Deu 2:30  And Sihon the king of Heshbon was not willing to let us pass by him, for Jehovah your God had hardened his spirit, and had emboldened his heart, so as to give him into your hand, as it is this day. 

Deu 2:31  And Jehovah said to me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before you; begin to possess, in order to possess his land. 

Deu 2:32  And Sihon came out to meet us, he and all his people, to battle at Jahaz. 

Deu 2:33  And Jehovah our God delivered him before us, and we struck him and his sons, and all his people. 

Deu 2:34  And we captured all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed every city, men and women and little ones. We did not leave a remnant. 

Deu 2:35  Only, we plundered the cattle for ourselves, and we took the plunder of the cities. 

Deu 2:36  From Aroer, which is by the edge of the Arnon River, and the city beside the river, even to Gilead, there was not a city which was too high for us. Jehovah our God delivered all before us. 

Deu 2:37  Only, you did not come near to the land of the sons of Ammon, any part of the Jabbok River, and the cities of the hill country, and all which Jehovah our God had forbidden us. 

Deu 3:1  And we turned and went up by the way of Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan came out to meet us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 

Deu 3:2  And Jehovah said to me, Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And you shall do to him as you have done to Sihon the king of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon. 

Deu 3:3  And Jehovah our God also gave Og the king of Bashan into our hands, and all his people. And we struck him until not one survivor was left to him. 

Deu 3:4  And we captured all his cities at that time, there not being a city which we did not take from them, sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 

Deu 3:5  All these cities were fortified with high walls, gates and double-leaved doors, besides a great many of the unwalled towns. 

Deu 3:6  And we utterly destroyed them, as we had done to Sihon the king of Heshbon, destroying every city, the men, the women and the little ones. 

Deu 3:7  And we plundered for ourselves all the livestock, and the plunder of the cities. 

Deu 3:8  And we took the land that was beyond the Jordan from the valley of Arnon to Mount Hermon, out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites. 

Deu 3:9  The Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir; 

Deu 3:10  all the cities of the tableland, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, to Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 

Deu 3:11  For only Og the king of Bashan remained of the rest of the giants. Behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the sons of Ammon, nine cubits long and four cubits broad, by the cubit of a man? 

Deu 3:12  And we possessed this land at that time: from Aroer by the valley of Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead and its cities I gave to the Reubenites and to the Gadites. 

Deu 3:13  And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, to all Bashan that is called the land of the giants. 

Deu 3:14  Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, to the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and called them, even Bashan, after his own name, Towns of Jair, until today. 

Deu 3:15  And I gave Gilead to Machir. 

Deu 3:16  And to the Reubenites and to the Gadites I gave from Gilead even to the valley of Arnon, the middle of the valley and its border; even to the Jabbok River, which is the border of the sons of Ammon; 

Deu 3:17  and the Arabah, the Jordan and its border, from Chinnereth even to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, under the Slopes of Pisgah eastward. 

Deu 3:18  And I commanded you at that time, saying, Jehovah your God has given you this land to possess it. And you shall pass over armed before your brothers, the sons of Israel, all the warriors. 

Deu 3:19  Only, your wives and your little ones, and your livestock, shall dwell in your cities which I have given to you. I know that you have much livestock. 

Deu 3:20  It shall be until Jehovah shall give rest to your brothers like yourselves, and they, too, have possessed the land which Jehovah your God is giving to them beyond the Jordan. Then you shall each man return to his possession which I have given to you. 

Deu 3:21  And I at that time commanded Joshua, saying, Your eyes have seen all that Jehovah your God has done to these two kings; so Jehovah shall do to all the kingdoms to which you are passing over. 

Deu 3:22  Do not fear them, for Jehovah your God, He shall fight for you. 

Deu 3:23  And I prayed to Jehovah for favor at that time, saying, 

Deu 3:24  Lord Jehovah, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand (for who is a god in the heavens or in the earth who can do according to Your works and according to Your might?) 

Deu 3:25  Please let me pass over and see the good land which is beyond the Jordan, this good hill country, and Lebanon. 

Deu 3:26  But Jehovah was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. And Jehovah said to me, Let it be enough for you; do not speak any more to Me about this thing. 

Deu 3:27  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 shall not cross over this Jordan. 

Deu 3:28  And command Joshua and make him strong, and make him brave, for he shall cross over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you shall see. 

Deu 3:29  So we stayed in the valley across from Beth-peor. 

 

Main Point(s): Historical travels – Victories over the eastern territories. Eastern territories delegated. Those tribes’ fighting men are to assist in the western territory conquering. Moses is refused the privilege of entering Canaan.

 

1.    Why were these lands described in 1-25 “not given to Israel (5, 9, 19)? What is God’s message about Himself and about the lands? These are relatives. 5-6 Esau – “I have given Esau the hill country.” (As is the case for the region of Moab vs 19). (19) The Ammonites are descendents of Lot …”it has been given to them..”  God is indicating that He is the God over everything and every one. He has made covenants with other people.

2.    What did God do for the people of Israel while in the wilderness (6-7)? What is God teaching about Himself and what does God want the people to understand? God provided for them. They survived many years in the desert. It was reiterated to help them remember where their faith must be….in God. Not in themselves or other men or even Moses….just God. They lived a forty year long miracle.

 

3.    What did God want the people to learn from verses 21, 25? The defeat of the giants could easily become a source for unwarranted pride. God said: “I will begin to put terror & fear of you on all the nations.” He makes sure they remember who is causing the victory.

 

4.    What did God do for the people regarding King Sihon (30-33)? He destroyed them (Heshbon) utterly through Israel. Israel plundered the spoils. These were the physical manifestations of God’s presence with Israel. These were “giants,” considered to be unbeatable by “normal” people. Once this was accomplished, the reputation of the Israeli fighting force became a source of terror.
What’s interesting about Sihon is that God says: Deu 2:25  Today I will begin to put your dread and your fear on the face of the people under all the heavens, who will hear your fame, and will tremble and writhe because of you. 
Then we read: Deu 2:26  And I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon the king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,  Deu 2:27  Let me pass on the highway through your land; I will go on the highway; I will not turn aside to the right or the left; …Moses looks to pass peacefully….did God know the heart of Sihon? It seems apparent that He did.

5.    Look carefully at 36. Why is the description of the cities highlighted? Consider 1:28 for your answer.  These were the same people that struck fear into the hearts of the spies. Now, some 38-1/2 years later, the people were ready to fight with a reliance on Jehovah, and not themselves.

6.    What did God do for the people regarding King Og (3:1-10)? Similar to Heshbon, we see total annihilation and the spoils of war divided. More importantly the faith of the warriors had to grow with each victory.

7.    Look carefully at 3:11. What was another reason why the people originally refused to enter the promise land in Numbers? What did they say about the inhabitants? What is God showing? Num 13:28  But the people that live in the land are fierce, and the cities are walled up, very great. And also we have seen the children of Anak there. Num 13:31  And the men who had gone up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people, for it is stronger than we. 
Formerly, the spies relied on their own strength and did not regard God as their strength. Neither did they regard God as capable to make good on His promises. Why? What drives people to lose faith?
These giants did not change physically they were still fierce! Israel did not change in stature; they were the same size as they were 40 years earlier! So what changed?
Their faith? Their ability(s)? Maybe both. Camping for forty years would change anyone in my opinion.

 

8.    Why does Moses highlight his disobedience in 3:23-29? (See Num. 20:9-13) This is simply more history. It does however reveal that Moses was not without being judged by God for disservice. Actually Moses’ retelling seems to blame his plight on the people, like it’s their fault! Deu 3:26  But Jehovah was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me.
There may be some of that sort of blaming going on, but more importantly; what conclusions and accusations could arise if God relented on His judgment against Moses? The execution of this judgment was far more powerful and needed for this moment. Ultimately God does show mercy to Moses. God calls Him to a mountain so he can see the land. And it appears that God Himself buries him: Deu 34:6  And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; and no man knows his grave to this day. (God was the only one there according to the passage) – A powerful moment

them, and lived in their place;