Chapters 12-13

 

LITV

Deu 12:1  These are the statutes and the ordinances which you shall take heed to do in the land which Jehovah the God of your fathers has given to you, to possess it, all the days that you live on the earth: 

Deu 12:2  Destroying you shall destroy all the places where the nations which you are dispossessing served their gods, on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every leafy tree. 

Deu 12:3  And you shall break down their altars, and shatter their standing pillars. And you shall burn their Asherahs with fire. And you shall cut down the carved images of their gods, and shall destroy their names out of that place. 

Deu 12:4  You shall not do so to Jehovah your God. 

Deu 12:5  But you shall seek to the place which Jehovah your God shall choose out of all your tribes; for you shall seek His dwelling, to put His name there. And you shall go there. 

Deu 12:6  And you shall bring your burnt offerings there, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offering, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock. 

Deu 12:7  And you shall eat there before Jehovah your God, and shall rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households, with which Jehovah your God has blessed you. 

Deu 12:8  You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, each doing all that is right in his own eyes. 

Deu 12:9  For you have not come to the rest and to the inheritance which Jehovah your God is giving to you. 

Deu 12:10  And you shall cross over the Jordan, and shall live in the land which Jehovah your God is causing you to inherit. And He shall give you rest from all your enemies all around; and you shall live securely. 

Deu 12:11  And it shall be the place which Jehovah your God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there, there you shall bring all that I am commanding you, your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice freewill offerings which you vow to Jehovah. 

Deu 12:12  And you shall rejoice before Jehovah your God, you and your sons, and your daughters, and your male slaves, and your female slaves, and the Levite within your gates because he has no portion or inheritance with you. 

Deu 12:13  Take heed to yourself that you not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; 

Deu 12:14  but in the place which Jehovah shall choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command. 

Deu 12:15  Only with all the desire of your soul you shall sacrifice and shall eat flesh within all your gates according to the blessing of Jehovah your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean one may eat of it, as of the gazelle and as of the hart. 

Deu 12:16  Only, you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it as water on the earth. 

Deu 12:17  You are not able to eat the tithe of your grain within your gates, and of your new wine, and your oil, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock, and any of your vows which you vow, and your freewill offering, and the heave offering of your hand. 

Deu 12:18  But you shall eat it before Jehovah your God in the place which Jehovah your God shall choose, you and your son, and your daughter, and your male slave, and your female slave, and the Levite who is within your gates. And you shall rejoice before Jehovah your God in all that you put your hand to. 

Deu 12:19  Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live on the land. 

Deu 12:20  Then Jehovah your God shall enlarge your border, as He has promised you, and you shall say, I will eat flesh, because your soul desires to eat flesh, you may eat flesh according to all the desire of your soul. 

Deu 12:21  If the place which Jehovah your God shall choose to put His name there is too far from you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock which Jehovah has given you, as I have commanded you; and you shall eat within your gates according to all the desire of your soul. 

Deu 12:22  Only, as the gazelle and the hart are eaten, so you shall eat of it; the unclean and the clean may eat of it alike. 

Deu 12:23  Only, be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh; 

Deu 12:24  You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth as water. 

Deu 12:25  You shall not eat it in order that it may be well with you and with your sons after you, when you do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah. 

Deu 12:26  Only, your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take up and shall go to the place which Jehovah shall choose. 

Deu 12:27  And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of Jehovah your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out by the altar of Jehovah your God; and you shall eat the flesh. 

Deu 12:28  Take heed to listen to all these Words which I am commanding you, in order that it may be well with you and with your sons after you forever, when you do that which is good and right in the eyes of Jehovah your God. 

Deu 12:29  When Jehovah your God shall cut off the nations from before you, where you are going in to possess them, and you shall possess them, and shall live in their land, 

Deu 12:30  take heed to yourself that you not be snared to follow them after they have been destroyed before you; and that you not inquire after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? And I shall do so, even I. 

Deu 12:31  You shall not do so to Jehovah your God; for everything hateful to Jehovah, which He detests, they have done to their gods. For they have even burned their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. 

Deu 12:32  All the things that I command you, take heed to do them and you shall not add to it, nor take away from it. 

Deu 13:1  If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams rises among you, and gives you a sign or a wonder, 

Deu 13:2  and the sign or the wonder which he spoke to you occurs, saying, Let us go after other gods which you have not known, and let us serve them, 

Deu 13:3  you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams. For Jehovah your God is testing you, to know if you love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 

Deu 13:4  You shall walk after Jehovah your God, and you shall fear Him. And you shall keep His commandments, and you shall hear His voice, and you shall serve Him, and you shall cleave to Him. 

Deu 13:5  And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall die, because he has spoken apostasy against Jehovah your God, who is bringing you out of the land of Egypt, and has redeemed you out of the house of slaves, to thrust you out of the way in which Jehovah your God has commanded you to walk. And you shall put away evil from among you. 

Deu 13:6  If your brother, your mother's son, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, shall entice you secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which you have not known, you and your fathers, 

Deu 13:7  of the gods of the people around you, those near you or far off from you, from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth, 

Deu 13:8  you shall not consent to him, nor listen to him, nor shall your eye have pity on him, nor shall you spare nor hide him. 

Deu 13:9  But killing you shall kill him; your hand shall be first upon him to cause him to die, and the hand of all the people last. 

Deu 13:10  And you shall stone him with stones, and he shall die, for he has sought to thrust you out from Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves. 

Deu 13:11  And all Israel shall hear and fear, and shall not again do any such wicked thing as this among you. 

Deu 13:12  If, in one of your cities which Jehovah your God is giving you to live in, you hear one saying, 

Deu 13:13  Certain men, sons of Belial, have gone out from among you and have drawn away those who live in their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which you have not known; 

Deu 13:14  then you shall inquire and make search, and ask carefully; and, behold, if the thing is truly established, that this abominable thing has been done among you, 

Deu 13:15  striking you shall strike those who live in that city by the mouth of the sword, destroying it completely, and all that is in it, and its livestock, with the mouth of the sword. 

Deu 13:16  And you shall gather all its spoil into the middle of its open place, and shall burn the city with fire, and all its spoil, completely, before Jehovah your God. And it shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built any more. 

Deu 13:17  And not any of the cursed thing shall cleave to your hand, so that Jehovah shall turn from the fierceness of His anger, and shall give mercies to you, and shall love you, and shall multiply you, as He has sworn to your fathers, 

Deu 13:18  when you listen to the voice of Jehovah your God, to keep all His commandments which I am commanding you today, to do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah your God. 

 

Main Point(s): Note: Chapter 12 is a pivotal chapter. There will be less rehashing of history and more focus on DIRECTIVES concerning law and other contingency matters. In these chapters God is dispensing His requirements for the PLACE of worship. He also dispenses contingency directives for how to handle false prophets and actions against anyone looking to lead Israel into idolatry.

 

1.    What are the people to do when they come into the land? (1-7) – The first order is to completely demolish and remove the places of idol worship and their implements. The second order is to go to the place that God establishes and set up a place of worship for Jehovah. That will be the approved place of worship. Note: The foreshadowing of “eating” before God. How important is this for us today?

 

2.    What can worship NOT be (8-11)? What MUST worship be (8-14)? Deu 12:8  You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, each doing all that is right in his own eyes. This is an interesting statement when we consider that the tabernacle was set up and should have been where they brought their offerings. The big question is “what were they doing?” They are directed to only sacrifice in the place approved by God and they are to “rejoice” before Jehovah (12). How can we fulfill the requirement to rejoice? (See description Below)
How can Jehovah COMMAND love and joy? From a human perspective this may appear arrogant, but understanding the goodness of God is the key to understanding His love and concern (care) for His people. As humans, we can quickly forget these truths.

3.    What other rules were to govern the peoples’ worship (15-28)? What do we learn from this? Within the gates:They may eat meat, but not blood (15-16). Vowed offerings must be eaten before God in specified places, not “within the gates” (17-18). The Levites were to be supported (they did not inherit regions, just cities) (19). Feel free to eat whatever meat you desire. For sacrifices, if you live too far from the designated place of worship, you may eat within the gates of your city. Don’t eat blood, our it onto the ground (20-25). For specific offerings and vows, ONLY do these at the place specified by God (26-28).
These instructions indicate that offering sacrifices were to be a constant in their lives. Even in daily activity eating was to be in the context as something received by God.

4.    What warning is given to the people (29-32)? The warning is against the desire to learn about the defeated nations’ gods with the intent to serve those gods. The warning includes reasoning of the horrible practice of child sacrifice (burning). So what is interesting here is that people can fall into such dire practices. How does this happen?

 

5.    What were the people to do with a false prophet (13:1-5)? How would the people know if the prophet was false? What do we learn from this? In this instance, the prophet is advising the people to “go after” other gods. Jehovah is making it clear that anyone who tries this needs to be executed. The interesting part is that this person has the ability to perform a miracle, or something that may just look like a miracle. Don’t be fooled by what you see but what they ask is the main message. It is also interesting that Moses says “Jehovah your God is testing you.” This is a direct contradiction to James’ clarification that God does not test us 1:13. So how do we reconcile these two statements?
(apostasy means “to turn away”)

 

6.    What are the people to do with the family members who rebel against the Lord (6-11)? What do we learn from this? Again this offence requires execution. The brutality of this does not go unnoticed, but we must understand the conditions under which Jehovah is looking to bring the messiah. At this point, this is a great army. Any subordination will cause a breakdown in effectiveness and strength to stay focused on God. Of course, today we do not practice this, but the severity of watching for those who lead away from God is still relevant!

 

 

 

7.    What are the people to do with a city that rebels against the Lord (12-18)? What do we learn from this? Note: The children of BELIAL –The word denoted “worthlessness” meaning NO good can come of it. This describes the persons looking to lead anyone away from God to another idol. If/when an entire city does this, they were all to be executed. All of their livestock were to executed. All of their belongings and the bodies were to be heaped up and burned. The city was to be destroyed and left as a reminder and never rebuilt. The teaching here is more than just what to do and what not to do. It highlights the severity of becoming Godless. We tend to focus on this severity of judgment. The resulting absolute calamity(s) that result from becoming Godless were (are) far worse than the judgment to purge idolatry.

 

 

Additional:

You: There are instances where “you” is indicated in the original language, but sometimes it is not used because the context dictates its use. The Hebrew language apparently didn’t bother with the personal pronoun in some instances. The context was sufficient to the reader as to who the words were addressing.

Shall: Note that in the original language, the word shall does not exist. It is an adverb that denotes will and intent. It is either a positive or negative actionable item based on the context.

Rejoice- H8055: śâmach saw-makh' A primitive root; probably to brighten up, that is, (figuratively) be (causatively make) blithe or gleesome: - cheer up, be (make) glad, (have make) joy (-ful), be (make) merry, (cause to, make to) rejoice, X very.

Chapters 10-11

 

LITV

Deu 10:1  At that time Jehovah said to me, Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to Me, into the mountain, and you shall make for yourself an ark of wood; 

Deu 10:2  and I shall write on the tablets the words which were on the first tablets, which you have broken, and you shall place them in the ark. 

Deu 10:3  And I made an ark of acacia wood, and cut out two tablets of stone like the first, and went up into the mountain; and the two tablets were in my hand. 

Deu 10:4  And He wrote on the tablets according to the writing, the Ten Commandments which Jehovah had spoken to you in the mountain, out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. And Jehovah gave them to me, 

Deu 10:5  and I turned and came down from the mountain and put the tablets in the ark which I had made. And they are there, as Jehovah commanded me. 

Deu 10:6  And the sons of Israel pulled up stakes from Beeroth of the sons of Jaakan to Mosera; Aaron died there and he was buried there; and his son Eleazar was acting as priest in his place. 

Deu 10:7  From there they pulled up stakes to Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Jotbath, a land of torrents of water. 

Deu 10:8  At that time Jehovah separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant before Jehovah, to stand before Jehovah and to minister to Him, and to bless in His name, until today. 

Deu 10:9  Therefore, Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brothers; Jehovah is his inheritance, according as Jehovah your God spoke to him. 

Deu 10:10  And I stayed in the mountain forty days and forty nights, as at the first. And Jehovah listened to me that time also; Jehovah did not will to destroy you. 

Deu 10:11  And Jehovah said to me Rise up! Go before the people, causing them to pull up stakes, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers, to give it to them. 

Deu 10:12  And now, Israel, what has Jehovah your God asked of you, except to fear Jehovah your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul; 

Deu 10:13  to keep the commandments of Jehovah, and His statutes which I am commanding you today, for your good. 

Deu 10:14  Behold, the heavens and the Heaven of the heavens, the earth and all in it, belong to Jehovah your God. 

Deu 10:15  Only, Jehovah has delighted in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their seed after them, on you out of all the peoples, as it is today. 

Deu 10:16  And you shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and you shall not harden your neck any more. 

Deu 10:17  For Jehovah your God, He is the God of gods, and the Lord of lords; the great, the mighty, the fearful God who does not lift up faces, nor take a bribe. 

Deu 10:18  He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, to give to him food and clothing. 

Deu 10:19  And you shall love the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. 

Deu 10:20  You shall fear Jehovah your God; you shall serve Him; and you shall cleave to Him; and you shall swear by His name. 

 

Deu 10:21  He shall be your praise, and He shall be your God, who has done for you these great and fearful things which your eyes have seen. 

Deu 10:22  Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons; and now Jehovah your God has made you as the stars of the heavens for multitude. 

 

Deu 11:1  And you shall love Jehovah your God, and keep His charge, and His statutes and His judgments, and His commandments all the days. 

Deu 11:2  And you know today, for I do not speak with your sons who have not known, and who have not seen the chastisement of Jehovah your God, His greatness, His mighty hand, and His stretched out arm, 

Deu 11:3  and His signs, and His works which He did in the midst of Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and to all his land; 

Deu 11:4  and that which He has done to the army of Egypt, to its horses, and to its chariots, when He caused the waters of the Sea of Reeds to flow over them as they pursued them. And Jehovah destroyed them to this day; 

Deu 11:5  and that which He has done to you in the wilderness, until you came to this place; 

Deu 11:6  and that which He has done to Dathan, and to Abiram, sons of Eliab, Reuben's son, when the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them and their houses and their tents and all the living substance at their feet, in the midst of all Israel. 

Deu 11:7  But your eyes see all the great work of Jehovah which He has done. 

Deu 11:8  And you shall keep all the commandments which I am commanding you today, so that you shall be strong, and shall go in and possess the land to which you are crossing over, to possess it; 

Deu 11:9  and so that you may prolong your days in the land which Jehovah has sworn to your fathers, to give to them and to their seed, a land flowing with milk and honey. 

Deu 11:10  For the land to which you are going, to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from where you came, where you sowed your seed and watered it with your foot, as a garden of herbs. 

Deu 11:11  But the land which you are entering to possess it is a land of hills and valleys, drinking water from the rain of the heavens; 

Deu 11:12  a land which Jehovah your God cares for; the eyes of Jehovah your God are always on it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. 

Deu 11:13  And it shall be, if listening you will listen to My commands which I command you today, to love Jehovah your God, and to serve Him with all your heart, and with all your soul, 

Deu 11:14  that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, and your wine, and your oil. 

Deu 11:15  And I will give grass in your fields for your livestock; and you shall eat and be satisfied. 

Deu 11:16  Take heed to yourselves, that your heart not be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods, and bow down to them; 

Deu 11:17  and the anger of Jehovah glow against you, and He shut up the heavens, and there be no rain, and the ground not give her increase, and you perish quickly from off the good land which Jehovah is giving to you. 

Deu 11:18  And you shall lay these Words up in your hearts, and in your souls, and shall bind them for a sign on your hand. And they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. 

Deu 11:19  And you shall teach them to your sons by speaking of them as you sit in your house, and as you walk in the way, and as you lie down, and as you rise up. 

Deu 11:20  And you shall write them on the side posts of your house, and on your gates, 

Deu 11:21  that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied in the land which Jehovah has sworn to your fathers, to give to them, as the days of the heavens over the earth. 

Deu 11:22  For if keeping you will keep this command which I am commanding you, to do it, to love Jehovah your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave to Him, 

Deu 11:23  then Jehovah shall dispossess all these nations from before you, and you shall possess nations greater and mightier than you. 

Deu 11:24  Every place where the sole of your foot treads shall be yours, from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the Euphrates River even to the furthest sea shall be your border. 

Deu 11:25  No man shall stand before you. Jehovah your God shall put your dread and your fear on the face of all the land on which you tread, as He has spoken to you. 

Deu 11:26  Behold! I set before you today a blessing and a curse: 

Deu 11:27  a blessing if you hear the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you today; 

Deu 11:28  and a curse if you will not hear the commandments of Jehovah your God, but will turn aside out of the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. 

Deu 11:29  And it shall be when Jehovah your God shall bring you into the land to which you go to possess it, that you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim, and the curse on Mount Ebal. 

Deu 11:30  Are they not beyond the Jordan, behind the way of the sunset, in the land of the Canaanites that live in the Arabah, opposite to Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh? 

Deu 11:31  For you are to cross over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which Jehovah your God is giving to you; and you shall possess it and live in it. 

Deu 11:32  And take heed to do all the statutes and the judgments which I am giving before you today. 

 

Main Points: The tone is set and the articles for the covenant with God are yet iterated again. Listen and do God’s will or suffer the consequences.

 

1.    After Moses interceded what did God do (10:1-5)? Why did God do this (10:10)? How does this parallel the work of Christ? He re-wrote the ten commandments for Moses to take to the people. God was showing mercy on the people. God is just and requires an intercession for mercy. Moses’ intercession was based on a plea to God’s mercy by pragmatic means (avoiding blasphemy). Jesus’ intercession pleads to God based on His own sacrifice, thus appealing to God’s sense of mercy and at the same time Jesus satisfies Jehovah’s justice.

 

2.    Because of Moses’ intercession and God’s mercy what were the people to do (10:12-22). What do we learn from this? They were to wholly devote themselves to God. Starting with love, respect, obedience, they were to become humbled before God and extend this love to other people of humble circumstances. These concepts apply to the Christian even more since Jesus himself became the actual propitiation

 

required for sin. (God personalizes it through Jesus)

3.    What else is to be the response of the people (11:1)? Complete obedience. This required knowledge of the law…which required effort and a specific drive to know God….which ultimately grows a love for Him.

4.    What were the people to see about God and what was that to cause the people to do (11:2-17)? They were to see that God is the one taking care of them AND the land. They were to “love Jehovah your God, and to serve Him with all your heart, and with all your soul”… 
God is exhibiting His love and caring and only expected the same in return. Again, His warning is against idolatry which was easy to identify back then. Today, idolatry takes on many different forms. (i.e. covetousness)

5.    What are the people to do with God’s words (11:18-25)? This is a re-statement of the effort needed for mankind to keep God at the forefront of their lives. Man is to “keep” the word which means to protect it….build a hedge around it. It was to be at the forefront of everything they thought and did! The overriding question is why would God feel the need to repeat it? Perhaps what we found in chapters 8-9 reveals they why. People have a tendency to become arrogant against God after they have been blessed by Him.

6.    What choice was set before the people (11:26-32)? A blessing or a curse. This accentuates the reasoning behind the repetitive nature of these statements by Moses. This dispensation is legal speak in the sense that there will be no misunderstanding of God’s requirements. It alleviates any avenue of argument against the covenant and bad behavior.

 

 

Blessing: berâkâh ber-aw-kaw' From H1288; benediction; by implication prosperity: - blessing, liberal, pool, present. (1288 means “to kneel)

 

Curse: qelâlâh kel-aw-law' benediction

From H7043; vilification: - (ac-) curse (-d, -ing).

Chapter 9

 

LITV

Deu 9:1  Hear, O Israel, you shall cross over the Jordan today, to go in to expel nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and walled up to the heavens; 

Deu 9:2  a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you have heard it said, Who can stand before the sons of Anak? 

Deu 9:3  And know today that Jehovah your God is He who passes over before you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them, and He will bring them down before you; so you shall dispossess them and make them to perish quickly, as Jehovah has spoken to you. 

Deu 9:4  Do not say in your heart, when Jehovah your God thrusts them out from before you, saying, Jehovah has brought me in to possess this land for my righteousness. But say, Jehovah dispossesses them from before you because of the wickedness of those nations. 

Deu 9:5  It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you go to possess their land. But Jehovah your God is dispossessing them from before you because of the wickedness of these nations; and in order to establish the Word which Jehovah has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 

Deu 9:6  And you shall know that Jehovah your God is not giving you this good land, to possess it, for your righteousness; for you are a stiffnecked people. 

Deu 9:7  Remember; do not forget how you made Jehovah your God angry in the wilderness; even from the day that you came out of the land of Egypt until you came into this place you have been rebellious against Jehovah. 

Deu 9:8  Even in Horeb you made Jehovah angry; and Jehovah breathed angrily against you, to destroy you. 

Deu 9:9  When I went up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, tablets of the covenant which Jehovah cut with you, and I remained in the mountain forty days and forty nights (I did not eat bread nor did I drink water), 

Deu 9:10  and Jehovah gave to me the two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them was written according to all the Words which Jehovah spoke with you in the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, in the day of the assembly; 

Deu 9:11  then it happened, at the end of forty days and forty nights Jehovah gave the two tablets of stone to me, tablets of the covenant, 

Deu 9:12  and Jehovah said to me, Rise up, go down quickly from here; for your people whom you have brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly; they have quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made themselves a casted image. 

Deu 9:13  And Jehovah spoke to me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people. 

Deu 9:14  Let Me alone that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under the heavens; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they. 

Deu 9:15  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 my two hands; 

Deu 9:16  and I looked; and, behold! You had sinned against Jehovah your God; you had made a casted calf for yourselves; you had quickly turned out of the way which Jehovah had commanded you. 

Deu 9:17  And I took hold of the two tablets and threw them out of my two hands, and broke them before your eyes. 

Deu 9:18  And I fell down before Jehovah, as at the first, forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water; because of all your sins which you had sinned, in doing that

 

which was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, to make Him angry. 

Deu 9:19  For I was afraid because of the anger and the fury with which Jehovah had been angry against you, to destroy you. And Jehovah listened to me at this time also. 

Deu 9:20  And Jehovah was very angry with Aaron, to destroy him, and I also prayed for Aaron at that time. 

Deu 9:21  And I took your sin, the calf which you made, and I burned it with fire, and beat it, grinding it very small until it was as fine as dust; and I threw its dust into the torrent that came down out of the mountain. 

Deu 9:22  And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at The Graves of Lust you provoked Jehovah to anger. 

Deu 9:23  And when Jehovah sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given to you, then you rebelled against the mouth of Jehovah your God, and did not believe Him, nor listen to His voice. 

Deu 9:24  You have been rebellious against Jehovah from the day that I knew you. 

Deu 9:25  And I fell down before Jehovah the forty days and the forty nights as I had thrown myself down before, for Jehovah had said to destroy you. 

Deu 9:26  And I prayed to Jehovah, and said, O Lord Jehovah, do not destroy Your people, and Your inheritance whom You have redeemed in Your greatness; whom You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 

Deu 9:27  Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; do not look to the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness nor to their sin, 

Deu 9:28  lest the land from which You brought us say, Because Jehovah was not able to bring them into the land which He promised them; and, because He hated them, He has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness. 

Deu 9:29  And they are Your people, and Your inheritance, whom You have brought out by Your great power, and by Your stretched out arm. 

Main Points(s):Moses warns against becoming arrogant in the face of victories God is about to perform for them. He cites his concerns by the actions of the people over the years. It’s interesting to note that that generation that he is talking about has dies off….so why is he saying “you”?

1.    Why will the people succeed despite the description of the people they are going up against (1-3)? The great and tall Anakim: “Who can stand before the sons of Anak?” I will make the assumption that since the people have already defeated kings Sihon and Og that more giants will not be too much trouble. They have already witnessed what God is able to do for them in that regard. Moses tells them that God will make them “perish quickly.” There are many questions concerning the giant people that inhabited the land. Why didn’t they just destroy everyone else if they were so powerful (suggests limitations)? Why were they still around after the flood? (Likely their DNA was in at least one of the eight on board. If it was in Noah or his wife, then it would have been passed on to their children)

 

2.    What are the people warned against (4)? What does God say are the reasons why He will give Israel the land (4-6)? Don’t get a big head. It’s not your righteousness that causes God to give you victory. It is their wickedness! This not only kept their attitude in check, but was a secondary warning against sin. Again, God references His overall trajectory that points to the Christ. That promise that he

 

gave to Abraham is driving everything. Christians today are to see this same message. God’s glory….His goodness is to shine through us. We are not glorious by ourselves.

3.    Why can’t it be righteousness of the people that God is giving the people the land (6-24)? What is the history of Israel? (7-21) Rebellion from the get-go. At Horeb, while God is dispensing His law, the people were making an idol. God was ready to wipe them out. He was ready to kill Aaron. Moses recounts his frantic efforts he made to convince God to relent from His justice (see Ex.32). (vs. 22) -Taberah (Numbers 11) when the people complained (for meat) and God’s anger burned against them (the quail incident). (Vs. 22) Massah (testing) (Ex.17) “is God with us or not”. (Vs.22) The graves of lust (Num. 11) Those that fell in the “quail” incident. This story is complicated by more than one issue. In the end God was judging them for allowing their WANT (lust) for meat override their respect for Jehovah.

 

4.    Why were the people not consumed while in the wilderness? How does this foreshadow Jesus’ work for us? I assume the question is specific to the rebellion at Sinai. At that time, Moses was able to mediate between God and Israel. Jehovah was ready to wipe them out and start over with Moses. This was a foreshadow of the Christ who would mediate for us before God. There are many parallels in the Moses story….deliverer….meek (unassuming)…brings a gospel…unites people with God…knows the heart of God. Of course the big difference is Jesus is the Son. Jesus IS God. Jesus IS the sacrifice. Jesus fulfilled the law and subjugated it to Him.

 

5.    How long did Moses pray for the people? How does this parallel the work of Jesus? 40 days. The number forty is a number denoting cleansing. (Think – “The Flood” or “Wandering in the Desert”). Jesus fasted 40 days and was then tempted by Satan (defeated him there and at the cross).  It is a period of time whereby the subject is weakened (physically), and strengthened (mindfully/spiritually). People who fast report a heightened sense of clarity. When Jesus was tempted, he relied on the word of God to deliver him. This example was his main overall message: Shaking off the cares of the world and relying on God.  

 

6.    Write down the reasons Moses gives why God must not destroy the people (25-29)? Was it because of the people’s righteousness? It was not for anyone’s righteousness (other than God’s mercy). Moses was able to convince God that removing the people would cause the nations (other than Israel) to blaspheme the name of Jehovah. What’s interesting to me is that (in my opinion) God likely already thought of this. Isn’t God all-knowing? Moses also recounts the promise (to Abraham) and that these people are His inheritance that HE redeemed. The account reads like Moses did change God’s mind. (more Christ-like behavior –see #4)

 

 

Additional:

Why is this criticism directed to them? Isn’t this the new generation?

Chapter Eight

 

LITV

Deu 8:1  You shall take heed to do every commandment which I am commanding you today, so that you may live and may multiply and may go in and possess the land which Jehovah has sworn to your fathers. 

Deu 8:2  And you shall remember all the way which Jehovah your God has caused you to go these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, to try you, to know that which is in your heart, whether you will keep His commandments or not. 

Deu 8:3  And He has humbled you, and caused you to hunger, and caused you to eat the manna, which you had not known, and your fathers had not known, in order to cause you to know that man shall not live by bread alone, but man shall live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of Jehovah. 

Deu 8:4  Your clothing did not wear out on you, and your foot did not swell, these forty years. 

Deu 8:5  And you have known with your heart that as a man disciplines his son, Jehovah your God disciplines you. 

Deu 8:6  And you shall keep the commandments of Jehovah your God, to walk in His ways, and to fear Him. 

Deu 8:7  For Jehovah your God brings you into a good land, a land of streams of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills, 

Deu 8:8  a land of wheat and barley and vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey, 

Deu 8:9  a land in which you shall eat bread without want; you shall not lack anything in it; a land whose stones are iron; and you shall dig copper out of its mountains. 

Deu 8:10  And you shall eat and be satisfied; and you shall bless Jehovah your God in the good land which He has given you. 

Deu 8:11  Take heed to yourself, lest you forget Jehovah your God so as not to keep His commandments, and His ordinances, and His statutes, which I am commanding you today; 

Deu 8:12  that when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built goodly houses, and have lived in them; 

Deu 8:13  and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold have multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, 

Deu 8:14  then it rises up into your heart, and you forget Jehovah your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves; 

Deu 8:15  who led you through the great and dreadful wilderness, with burning serpent, and scorpion, and thirsty ground where no water is; who brought you water out of the flinty rock; 

Deu 8:16  who made you eat manna in the wilderness, which your fathers did not know; that He might humble you and that He might prove you, to do you good at your latter end; 

Deu 8:17  that you not say in your heart, My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth. 

Deu 8:18  But you shall remember Jehovah your God, for it is He who gives to you power to get wealth; that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 

Deu 8:19  And it shall be, if you shall forget Jehovah your God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you today that perishing you shall perish; 

 

Deu 8:20  as the nations that Jehovah makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you did not listen to the voice of Jehovah your God. 

 

Main Point(s): Warnings against “forgetting” God. In this case, the act of NOT relying on God and NOT understanding that it is HE who provides for them.

 

1.    Why did God lead them through the wilderness (1-2)? …in order to humble you, to try you, to know that which is in your heart, whether you will keep His commandments or not.  Deu 8:3  And He has humbled you, and caused you to hunger, and caused you to eat the manna, which you had not known, and your fathers had not known, in order to cause you to know that man shall not live by bread alone, but man shall live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of Jehovah. 

2.    What else did God do to the people (3)? Why? What do we learn about our difficulties and trials based on what God did to Israel?  Deu 8:3  And He has humbled you, and caused you to hunger, and caused you to eat the manna, which you had not known, and your fathers had not known, in order to cause you to know that man shall not live by bread alone, but man shall live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of Jehovah. 

 

3.    Did God take care of the people while in the wilderness (4-5)? What do we learn from this? Yes in the physical sense. And yes in the spiritual sense: “man shall not live by bread alone, but man shall live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of Jehovah.”

 

4.    What does God promise if the people obey (6-13)? Increase of wealth (6). Note that the increase of wealth should be associated with a spirit of thanksgiving to Jehovah (10). “and you shall bless Jehovah your God in the good land which He has given you” – God is not a tyrant just looking to control His people. He is the one bringing the blessings and prosperity. He is a loving father in this sense.

 

5.    What was the warning to the people once God blesses them (14-20)? Why does prosperity cause us to forget God? What heart issues do we have (in these cases)?  “My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth”.
Bless: bârak baw-rak' A primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration)
We see this example throughout the old testament. It happens with kings who begin to feel a sense of power because of God’s blessings. Others simply saw God as just another god or superstition. In every case, it is the arrogant position a person takes when they either do not know God, or when they feel emboldened to accuse God (using their own reasoning). “getting too big for their britches”
These examples never ended well for the people who lacked the proper humility towards their blessings (God as the source).

6.    What will happen if (when) the people do not heed this warning (19-20)?  “if you shall forget Jehovah…. you shall perish… as the nations that Jehovah makes to perish before you”  

This indicated that God would see them as just another sinful nation. The term “given over” is appropriate here. Go against God long enough, and He will “let you go”….to be ruled by something else. Which is interesting, because the thing that rules sin, is ruled by God ultimately (eventually has to answer to Him).

 

 

Additional:

(2) Remember: H2142 – zâkar zaw-kar' A primitive root; properly to mark (so as to be recognized), that is, to remember; by implication to mention

(19) Forget: H7911 shâkach    shâkêach shaw-kakh', shaw-kay'-akh A primitive root; to mislay, that is, to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention: -    X at all, (cause to) forget.