Deuteronomy 1
-Introduction: Deuteronomy could be termed “A Book of
Remembrance.” Moses, the author, looks back, with the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, at the journey that His people have had in the wilderness right before
they take hold of the Promised Land. These words are spoken and written on the
east side of the Jordan River as they look into the future of destiny
fulfillment with a remembrance of the past as tainted as it was. This work is
laid out in the form of a treaty between a God and His vassals, which was a
very common way to look at agreements in the second millennium B.C. This treaty
calls for Israel to remember who their LORD was and what He had done for them.
It implored them to move forward in faith, in opposition to a lack thereof
which had held back their ancestors and slowed God’s intended progress. This
was a preparation and a consummation of sorts before Moses turned the reigns of
leadership over to Joshua (Deuteronomy 1:37-38). There are history lessons and
covenant restatements all throughout this Divine book to clarify God’s purposes
and direction to those with a willing heart. Therefore, obedience is extolled
as a major theme with the LORD’s Laws the standard. Along with history and
obedience, God’s love, superb teaching, and man’s choices round out the
powerful emphasis of this work. So as you read and venture through this book in
view of Canaan, remember the LORD’s powerful and loving work in your own life
with a renewed commitment to trust, hope, and caring obedience.
-Chapter 1: “These are the words which Moses spoke to all
Israel across the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph,
between Paran and Tophel and Laban and Hazeroth and Dizahab (Deuteronomy 1:1).”
This place was only an eleven days journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir
to Kadesh-Barnea, but it had taken the children of Israel by now the prophesied
40 years of wandering in the wilderness to get to this point. They were now on
the brink of taking the Promised Land with a totally new generation with the
exception of Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 14, Deuteronomy 1:2-3a, 35-39). Moses
follows the command of the LORD to reiterate their journey’s lessons and to “expound
this Law” now that the kings of the Amorites and Bashan had been defeated
(Deuteronomy 1:3b-5).
-God speaks a history lesson starting from the point of
Horeb (Mount Sinai), where God told them to depart after they had received the
Law and the Covenant from His servant Moses. They were told at that time to venture
to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all their neighbors in the Arabah
and to the lowland in the Negev (South country) and by the seacoast, the land
of the Canaanites, and Lebanon and as far to the north and east as the great
Euphrates River (Deuteronomy 1:6-7). God promised that they would possess this particular
land that He had given them as early as Abraham (Genesis 12:7; 15:18-21; 17:8),
and His testaments continued through his line from Isaac and Jacob on down
through their descendants after them (Deuteronomy 1:8).
-God now emphasizes delegation from Moses’ experience in the
wilderness when his father-in-law set him straight (Exodus 18:13-26). The load
of leadership would be a shared burden and organization would be necessary with
this large amount of people to govern. Wise and discerning and experienced men
from the tribes would be selected and appointed as heads over thousands and
hundreds and fifties on down to tens of people. These would be officers for the
tribes of Israel. They were to judge righteously between both countrymen and
alien sojourners with them in cases that came up. Impartiality was stressed
along with the fear of God over the fear of man. If difficult cases arose,
Moses would be the supreme authority under the LORD’s direction in this constitution
(Deuteronomy 1:9-18).
-The narrative now turns more negative as the saga of Israel’s
disobedience takes the limelight. Even though the LORD had promised to be with
them and give them victory, the spies came back with the bad report that made
the congregation fearful and tentative. Their trust was not strong enough, so
God became angry and judged them severely with an oath for their defiance and grumbling
in not loving God by thinking that He hated them because of their hardships.
They thought success was inconceivable because of the obstacles in their way.
Their faith became faint and they were afraid. They forgot about the power of
the LORD to work miracles and erase deficits. This evil generation would not be
allowed to see the good which God had sworn to their fathers. Again, only Caleb
and Joshua were rewarded. Not even Moses was allowed into the Promised Land on
the people’s account. His leadership was found lacking in areas. As the
children of Israel heard this, they did repent, but they also tried to work in
their own power and thought God would recant His oath. They vainly tried to attack
the Amorites in the hill country and acted presumptuously in rebellion to the
LORD’s commands. He was not among them at all in this courageous, but wayward, action.
They were soundly defeated and chased back as if being chased by bees from Seir
to Hormah. Their subsequent weeping and wailing did not convince the LORD to
listen or give ear to them and they remained in Kadesh many days (Deuteronomy
1:19-46).
-*Application* God is making a point here as to His transcendent
(distinct and above) nature in covenant keeping. He is the boss and in total
charge. He is higher by far. God is not like us. His ways are not our ways
(Isaiah 55:8-9). He takes pity and blesses when He desires, and judges with
righteous accuracy when needed. Who can understand or fathom the mysteries of the
LORD? For us, keeping His covenant means complete blessings. When we are out of
His covenant, we are without hope and will despair. Now that Jesus has broached
and implemented a new and better covenant by His blood, rejection of Him is
catastrophic (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Luke 22:20, 2 Corinthians 3:4-6, Hebrews
8:8-9:28, especially Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 10:29;12:24-29). Choose wisely,
choose Jesus!
Verses to Memorize:
Deuteronomy 1:8, 17, 21, 29-30, 42-43
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