Study Focus: Deuteronomy 1–3, Exod. 32:29–32, Numbers 14, Eph. 3:10, Gen. 15:1–16, John 14:9.
Part I: Overview
According to the covenant structure of the book, Moses’ speech begins with a “preamble” (Deut. 1:1–5), which has two functions. First, it signals the nature of the content of the book, as signified by the phrase “these are the words” (Deut. 1:1, NKJV). These “words” refer not only to the words of Moses as a prophet and as the leader of Israel, but also to the “words” of God, His commandments (compare Num. 36:13), which Moses will later explain (Deut. 1:5), and to God’s action through the events of the history of salvation. Second, it situates the place and the time of Moses’ last testimony to his people: “on this side of the Jordan” (Deut. 1:1, NKJV), the Transjordan, facing the Promised Land (Num. 36:13); and “in the fortieth year” (Deut. 1:3), the last year of Israel’s journey in the wilderness.
Lesson Themes:
Following the “preamble” comes a historical prologue that reviews the historical events from which Moses draws lessons for his people. The themes of these lessons are the following:
• Remember and hope.
• God fights for you.
• God fulfills His words.
• Grace and justice
Part II: Commentary
Moses’ historical review covers the three main events of the journey of the Israelites: God’s covenant with His people in Horeb (Deut. 1:6–18), the rebellion of the people at the oasis in Kadesh Barnea (Deut. 1:19–46), and finally, the conquest of Gilead (Deut. 2:1–3:29).
God Makes a Covenant in Horeb (Deut. 1:6–18).
Horeb is the place of the manifestation of God. Horeb and Sinai refer to the same place, the mountain where God revealed Himself to Israel and made a covenant with the people and gave them His law (Exod. 3:1). Moses emphasizes the close, personal bond between Israel and God, who is called “the Lord our God” (Deut. 1:6), a title that is often used in the book of Deuteronomy. Moses reminds his people of God’s call to move: “ ‘ “you have dwelt long enough at this mountain” ’ ” (Deut. 1:6, NKJV). As important as this great moment of worship was, God deemed that it was time to take action. The God of Israel is not the God of the monasteries. He is not the God of just prayers and meditation; He also is the God who urges His people to go and possess the land promised to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deut. 1:8; compare Gen. 12:7). This is why God is called “the Lord God of your fathers” (Deut. 1:11). This event is, thus, presented as the fulfillment of God’s Word. This idea is reinforced by Moses’ reference to the nature of the people, who have now multiplied a thousand times and become “as the stars of heaven” (Deut. 1:10), a wonder that also is the result of God’s promise (compare Gen. 15:5; Gen. 22:17). This task required of the people not only the hard duty to prepare for war but also the need to organize themselves as a nation; they must provide themselves with wise (Deut. 1:13) and just judges (Deut. 1:16).
Discussion and Thought Questions: Why is God called the “God of your fathers”? How important is the remembrance of the fathers in our religion today? Does this title imply a religion that focuses only on the past? If not, why not?
The People’s Rebellion at Kadesh Barnea (Deut. 1:19–46)
Moses describes this region as the place “ ‘ “which the Lord our God is giving us” ’ ” (Deut. 1:20, NKJV). Note the use of a participle that emphasizes the actuality and certainty of God’s gift. Moses reminds Israel that in spite of God’s encouragement (Deut. 1:20, 21) and the assurance that God would fight for them as He did in Egypt (Deut. 1:30; compare Exod. 14:14), the people doubted and were afraid and refused to take risks (Deut. 1:32). The people made two mistakes. First, when they sent spies to assess the power of the inhabitants and saw that the natives of the land were strong giants, they got scared and refused to go in. Second, when Israel understood that God was upset because of their lack of faith, they decided to go by themselves and fight presumptuously against the enemy without God’s support. As a result, not only did they miss this opportunity to enter the land immediately, thereby suffering great loss, but God also “ ‘took an oath’ ” that they would wander through the wilderness for 40 years (Deut 1:34, NKJV; compare Deut. 2:14). The same phrase “took an oath” is used to refer to the oath that God swore to their fathers. The date of the “fortieth year” (Deut. 1:3) is, ironically, another reminder of God’s fulfillment of His Word. Moses uses all of these events to remind Israel of God’s promise and to warn his people before crossing the Jordan that they must learn a lesson from the past in order that they might secure their future.
Discussion and Thought Questions: What lesson of faith is contained in Moses’ repeated words that God “ ‘ “will fight for you” ’ ” (Deut. 1:30, NKJV; compare Exod. 14:14)? How do these words account for the method of conquest God had in mind for His people? Why did the Israelites fail when they went to fight by themselves?
The Conquest of Gilead (Deut. 2:1–3:29)
After having spent a long time in Kadesh Barnea, the Israelites, the people of Israel, turned again northward in the direction of the Promised Land, but they did not immediately conquer the land. It is interesting that they first had to pass through peoples and lands not included in God’s promise to them, such as Edom, Moab, and Ammon, and therefore they did not confront them. In traveling for 40 years “through this great wilderness,” they experienced how much God protected them and cared for them (Deut. 2:7). It is only at the end of the “rebellious generation” that Israel began the possession of the land. One by one, the Canaanite enemies were defeated and dispossessed of their land. Then the Israelites took possession of the land, and the allocation was organized.
The Problem of the Conquest
The biblical narrative on the conquest of the land focuses essentially on the victories, without directly dealing with the sensitive and complex ethical problems that are associated with that process. The biblical text provides, however, a number of clues and principles to help address this problem:
• God gives. God is the Owner and Giver of the land. This principle is affirmed several times (Deut. 1:8, 20, 25, 35). So, not all the land has been given to the Israelites. God has given some parts of the land to Edom, as the descendants of Esau (Deut. 2:5), and to Moab and Ammon, as the descendants of Lot (Deut. 2:9, 19).
• God takes. God did not give the land to the rebellious generation of Israelites, who wandered through the wilderness for 40 years. Note that even Moses was not able to enjoy the land because he also failed to trust the Lord (Deut. 3:27). God took away the land from the Amorites because they had reached the fullness of their iniquity (Gen. 15:16). The prevention of the Israelites from entering the land, and their death in the wilderness, is to be understood as the result of God’s judgment, as is the destruction or expulsion of the Canaanites from the land.
• God fights. This principle, which is repeated again to Joshua (Deut. 3:22), suggests that God was, in fact, the intended Author of this operation of judgment. Note that judgment, which implies the eradication of evil, also is an act of grace in behalf of God’s people.
Eschatological Perspective
Note Ellen White’s eschatological and Messianic application of Abraham’s prophetic vision of the conquest of the Promised Land in Genesis 15:16–18: “The voice of God was heard, bidding him [Abraham] not to expect immediate possession of the Promised Land, and pointing forward to the sufferings of his posterity before their establishment in Canaan. The plan of redemption was here opened to him, in the death of Christ, the great sacrifice, and His coming in glory. Abraham saw also the earth restored to its Eden beauty, to be given him for an everlasting possession, as the final and complete fulfillment of the promise.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 137. (Emphasis supplied.)
Discussion and Thought Questions: Why was it necessary in God’s broader plan of salvation that the Israelites possess the land of Canaan? Why is the land of Canaan described in terms reminiscent of the Garden of Eden? Why does the ideal holiness require the total eradication of evil?
Part III: Life Application
A wise man said, “Most of my worries never happened.” Why is this reflection particularly true for the Christian? Suppose you are struggling with a difficult project, and you are worried about it. How does the promise that “God will fight for you” help you to confront your worries? Why does faith in the Lord, in fact, relieve your stress and facilitate your achievement?
Notes
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Key Texts: 1 Corinthians 10:3, 4; Deuteronomy 1:30
Study Focus: Deuteronomy 1–3, Exod. 32:29–32, Numbers 14, Eph. 3:10, Gen. 15:1–16, John 14:9.
Part I: Overview
According to the covenant structure of the book, Moses’ speech begins with a “preamble” (Deut. 1:1–5), which has two functions. First, it signals the nature of the content of the book, as signified by the phrase “these are the words” (Deut. 1:1, NKJV). These “words” refer not only to the words of Moses as a prophet and as the leader of Israel, but also to the “words” of God, His commandments (compare Num. 36:13), which Moses will later explain (Deut. 1:5), and to God’s action through the events of the history of salvation. Second, it situates the place and the time of Moses’ last testimony to his people: “on this side of the Jordan” (Deut. 1:1, NKJV), the Transjordan, facing the Promised Land (Num. 36:13); and “in the fortieth year” (Deut. 1:3), the last year of Israel’s journey in the wilderness.
Lesson Themes:
Following the “preamble” comes a historical prologue that reviews the historical events from which Moses draws lessons for his people. The themes of these lessons are the following:
• Remember and hope.
• God fights for you.
• God fulfills His words.
• Grace and justice
Part II: Commentary
Moses’ historical review covers the three main events of the journey of the Israelites: God’s covenant with His people in Horeb (Deut. 1:6–18), the rebellion of the people at the oasis in Kadesh Barnea (Deut. 1:19–46), and finally, the conquest of Gilead (Deut. 2:1–3:29).
God Makes a Covenant in Horeb (Deut. 1:6–18).
Horeb is the place of the manifestation of God. Horeb and Sinai refer to the same place, the mountain where God revealed Himself to Israel and made a covenant with the people and gave them His law (Exod. 3:1). Moses emphasizes the close, personal bond between Israel and God, who is called “the Lord our God” (Deut. 1:6), a title that is often used in the book of Deuteronomy. Moses reminds his people of God’s call to move: “ ‘ “you have dwelt long enough at this mountain” ’ ” (Deut. 1:6, NKJV). As important as this great moment of worship was, God deemed that it was time to take action. The God of Israel is not the God of the monasteries. He is not the God of just prayers and meditation; He also is the God who urges His people to go and possess the land promised to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deut. 1:8; compare Gen. 12:7). This is why God is called “the Lord God of your fathers” (Deut. 1:11). This event is, thus, presented as the fulfillment of God’s Word. This idea is reinforced by Moses’ reference to the nature of the people, who have now multiplied a thousand times and become “as the stars of heaven” (Deut. 1:10), a wonder that also is the result of God’s promise (compare Gen. 15:5; Gen. 22:17). This task required of the people not only the hard duty to prepare for war but also the need to organize themselves as a nation; they must provide themselves with wise (Deut. 1:13) and just judges (Deut. 1:16).
Discussion and Thought Questions: Why is God called the “God of your fathers”? How important is the remembrance of the fathers in our religion today? Does this title imply a religion that focuses only on the past? If not, why not?
The People’s Rebellion at Kadesh Barnea (Deut. 1:19–46)
Moses describes this region as the place “ ‘ “which the Lord our God is giving us” ’ ” (Deut. 1:20, NKJV). Note the use of a participle that emphasizes the actuality and certainty of God’s gift. Moses reminds Israel that in spite of God’s encouragement (Deut. 1:20, 21) and the assurance that God would fight for them as He did in Egypt (Deut. 1:30; compare Exod. 14:14), the people doubted and were afraid and refused to take risks (Deut. 1:32). The people made two mistakes. First, when they sent spies to assess the power of the inhabitants and saw that the natives of the land were strong giants, they got scared and refused to go in. Second, when Israel understood that God was upset because of their lack of faith, they decided to go by themselves and fight presumptuously against the enemy without God’s support. As a result, not only did they miss this opportunity to enter the land immediately, thereby suffering great loss, but God also “ ‘took an oath’ ” that they would wander through the wilderness for 40 years (Deut 1:34, NKJV; compare Deut. 2:14). The same phrase “took an oath” is used to refer to the oath that God swore to their fathers. The date of the “fortieth year” (Deut. 1:3) is, ironically, another reminder of God’s fulfillment of His Word. Moses uses all of these events to remind Israel of God’s promise and to warn his people before crossing the Jordan that they must learn a lesson from the past in order that they might secure their future.
Discussion and Thought Questions: What lesson of faith is contained in Moses’ repeated words that God “ ‘ “will fight for you” ’ ” (Deut. 1:30, NKJV; compare Exod. 14:14)? How do these words account for the method of conquest God had in mind for His people? Why did the Israelites fail when they went to fight by themselves?
The Conquest of Gilead (Deut. 2:1–3:29)
After having spent a long time in Kadesh Barnea, the Israelites, the people of Israel, turned again northward in the direction of the Promised Land, but they did not immediately conquer the land. It is interesting that they first had to pass through peoples and lands not included in God’s promise to them, such as Edom, Moab, and Ammon, and therefore they did not confront them. In traveling for 40 years “through this great wilderness,” they experienced how much God protected them and cared for them (Deut. 2:7). It is only at the end of the “rebellious generation” that Israel began the possession of the land. One by one, the Canaanite enemies were defeated and dispossessed of their land. Then the Israelites took possession of the land, and the allocation was organized.
The Problem of the Conquest
The biblical narrative on the conquest of the land focuses essentially on the victories, without directly dealing with the sensitive and complex ethical problems that are associated with that process. The biblical text provides, however, a number of clues and principles to help address this problem:
• God gives. God is the Owner and Giver of the land. This principle is affirmed several times (Deut. 1:8, 20, 25, 35). So, not all the land has been given to the Israelites. God has given some parts of the land to Edom, as the descendants of Esau (Deut. 2:5), and to Moab and Ammon, as the descendants of Lot (Deut. 2:9, 19).
• God takes. God did not give the land to the rebellious generation of Israelites, who wandered through the wilderness for 40 years. Note that even Moses was not able to enjoy the land because he also failed to trust the Lord (Deut. 3:27). God took away the land from the Amorites because they had reached the fullness of their iniquity (Gen. 15:16). The prevention of the Israelites from entering the land, and their death in the wilderness, is to be understood as the result of God’s judgment, as is the destruction or expulsion of the Canaanites from the land.
• God fights. This principle, which is repeated again to Joshua (Deut. 3:22), suggests that God was, in fact, the intended Author of this operation of judgment. Note that judgment, which implies the eradication of evil, also is an act of grace in behalf of God’s people.
Eschatological Perspective
Note Ellen White’s eschatological and Messianic application of Abraham’s prophetic vision of the conquest of the Promised Land in Genesis 15:16–18: “The voice of God was heard, bidding him [Abraham] not to expect immediate possession of the Promised Land, and pointing forward to the sufferings of his posterity before their establishment in Canaan. The plan of redemption was here opened to him, in the death of Christ, the great sacrifice, and His coming in glory. Abraham saw also the earth restored to its Eden beauty, to be given him for an everlasting possession, as the final and complete fulfillment of the promise.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 137. (Emphasis supplied.)
Discussion and Thought Questions: Why was it necessary in God’s broader plan of salvation that the Israelites possess the land of Canaan? Why is the land of Canaan described in terms reminiscent of the Garden of Eden? Why does the ideal holiness require the total eradication of evil?
Part III: Life Application
A wise man said, “Most of my worries never happened.” Why is this reflection particularly true for the Christian? Suppose you are struggling with a difficult project, and you are worried about it. How does the promise that “God will fight for you” help you to confront your worries? Why does faith in the Lord, in fact, relieve your stress and facilitate your achievement?
Notes