BHB005
Deuteronomy
"God`s Law for the Hebrew nation."
Key verse: Ch.10:12-13.
"And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord`s commandments and His statues which I am commanding you today for your good?"
Key word: Obedience.
Key Theme:The necessity of obedience.
Deuteronomy includes many of the farewell messages of Moses to the nation before his death. The generation that left Egypt died in the wilderness and a new generation who faced the challenges of the land of Canaan are in need of instruction.
Moses takes time to reflect on God`s goodness to the nation and reminds the people in chapters 1-4 of God`s intervention in their history. Judgement and blessing are the key themes in this section, he suggests when unbeief brings judgement and obbedience brings blesssing.
In chapters 5-26 Moses highlights that the nations relationship to God will be dependent on their obedience to the legal and moral law. In these chapters we have three levels of law, firstly the moral law i.e. the ten commandments, secondly the ceremonial laws concerning sacrifices, tithes and feasts. and thirdly law concerning social and civil duties of the nation.
Moses predicts the future (ch.27-30) for the nation and again lists God`s terms for a covenant relationship.
Outline of Deuteronomy.
Ch.1-3. Journey from mount Sinai to Jordan.
Ch.4-5. Trusing God`s word.
Ch.6. The great commandment.
Ch.7. The destruction of Canaanite idolatry.
Ch.8. Memories of wilderness wandering.
Ch.9-10. Irsael`s sin and rebellion.
Ch.11. Obedience brings blessing.
Ch.12.-15. Ordinances.
Ch.16. Feasts.
Ch.17. The prediction of a King to rule Israel.
Ch.18. A coming prophet.
Ch.19. Cities of Refuge.
Ch.20. Rules for military service.
Ch.21-26. General Laws.
Ch.27. The law recorded on Stone.
Ch.28. Porphecy concerning the Jews.
Ch.29-30. Covenant and warnings.
Ch.31. The law written down in Moses`s book.
Ch.32. The song of Moses.
Ch.33. The blessings of Moses.
Ch.34. The death of Moses.
Themes.
1. Beware lest you forget your God.
2. Obedience brings blessing, disoedience brings judgement.
3. Deuteronomy is a covenant renewal document.
Title.
"haddebharim" is the Hebrew tilte for the book of Deuteronomy. The book has also been called the "mishmeh hattorah" which when translated means the "repetition of the law." The English title comes from the Greek title "Deuteronomion" which when transaletd means, the "second law".
Author.
The authorship of this book as being Mosiac has been challenged and that the author was living somwhere around 621 B.C. and ws used by king Josiah to bring reforms to the nations.
The Old Testament attributes the writting of this book to Moses. (Read Joshua 1:7, Judges 3:4, 1 kings 2:3, 2 kings 14:6, Ezra 3:2, Nehemiah 1:7, psalm 103:7, Daniel 9:11 and Malachi 4:4.) The laws contained in the book are reflected in the books of Joshua and also in 1 Samuel. Jesus often refers to Deuteronomy as the word of God, particularly in the temptation narratives of the gospels and also many of the other New Testament letters. Acts 3:22 and Romans 10:19 support a Mosaic authorship of Deuteronomy.
The book of Deuteronomy makes a number of claims that Moses wrote it, 40 times in the book reference is made to him, chapter 1:5 we read that, "Moses began to expound the law." The period refered to in this book decribes a nation on their way to Canaan and not a nation that had been living for hundred`s of years in the land as they would have been by king Josiah`s period. The lack of materials about the dangers of Canaanite idolatry, the divided kingdom etc are not included in the text so therfore a later date is necessary to place on the text.
Date.
This book was most probably written at the end of the wilderness journey about 1405 B.C. It covers a period of about one month when Israel were encamped in Moab preparing themselves as a nation to enter Canaan.