Obeying God’s Law and Trusting God’s Grace
Promise and Adventure for a New Generation
Deut 1-3
Jeff GarrettWhy Study Deuteronomy? The real question is “Why have we neglected it?” Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
· It was important to Israel. God commanded that Deuteronomy to be read publically at the Feast of Tabernacles at the close of each Sabbatical Year (Deut 31:10-13).
· It was important to the NT Writers - Deuteronomy is quoted in the NT nearly 100 times in the New Testament. My dad said “We would have a NT if it wasn’t for the OT.
· It was important to Jesus - Jesus quoted more from Deuteronomy than from any other Old Testament book. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law (Matt 5:17-20) and if we are going to understand Jesus we have to understand the law that he fulfilled.
Henrietta Mears was a famous Christian leader. Billy Graham wrote the forward to her book and said that no other woman, besides his mother and wife, had a greater influence on him than Henrietta Mears. Listen what Henrietta Mears wrote about Deuteronomy. "Nothing in literature matches the majesty of [Deuteronomy's] eloquence; nothing in the Old Testament has any more powerful appeal for the spiritual life. No book in all the Word of God pictures better the life which is lived according to God's will, and the blessings showered upon the soul who comes into the richness and fullness of spiritual living along the rugged pathway of simple obedience. Jesus often quoted from Deuteronomy. In fact, it is almost invariably from this book that He quotes. He took Deuteronomy as His code of conduct (Luke 4:4, 8, 12). He answered the devil in the hour of temptation from its writings."- H. Mears, pp. 74-75.
So let’s begin with
Deut. 1:1 These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the desert east of the Jordan … 2 (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.) … 3 In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the LORD had commanded him concerning them. … 5 East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab, Moses began to expound this law …
The first five verses are a perfect introduction.
The content - 1 These are the words – The name "Deuteronomy" literally means "second law." It’s not a book of new laws given to Israel. Rather, it is a repetition of the law given by God through Moses. It is a "second giving of the law" in the form of three sermons: Sermon #1 – Remembering God’s Story (1:5-4:43); Sermon #2 – Reviewing God’s Law (4:44-26:19); Sermon #3 – Renewing God’s Covenant (27-30:20); Chapters 31-34 contain the last acts of Moses including appointing Joshua as the new leader (chapter 31), the prophetic song of Moses (chapter 32), the blessing of the tribes of Israel (chapter 33), and finally Moses climbs Mount Nebo and dies. God attended his funeral and buried him in a secret place.
Although no human knows Moses' grave site, the archangel Michael had a dispute with Satan over the body of Moses (Jude 1:9). Perhaps Michael, for some reason, was protecting his body which would eventually be raised at the second coming of Christ. Though Moses' body was buried, his spirit returned to the Lord and about 1400 years later Moses appeared with Eijah on another mount where Jesus was transfigured (Matthew 17:1-4). Three apostles, Peter, James and John, witness them talking with each other. What Jesus and Moses and Elijah talked about is unknown. Perhaps Jesus explained how he was going to fulfill the law (that Moses gave) and the prophets (which Elijah represented) by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the grave. This is only speculation. We simply do not know what they talked about. What we know is that Father God honored Jesus above Moses and Elijah. When Peter, overwhelmed by the scene, suggested building three tabernacles God corrected him by saying ""This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" (Matthew 17:5; 2 Peter 1:17-18).
The author - 1 … Moses spoke – Moses is the author. He spoke these words when he was 120 years old. Moses’ life can be divided into three parts. The first 40 years he was an adopted son of Pharoah's daughter in Egypt. The second 40 he was a shepherd in wilderness. And the last 40 years he led God’s people out of slavery to edge of the Promised Land. Although Moses was 120 years old, Deuteronomy 34:7 says that his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.
The audience - 1 … to all Israel - The audience was comprised of the new generation of Israel. With the exception of three (Moses, Joshua and Caleb), everyone in the audience was under the age of 60. Their parents and grandparents died in the wilderness because of unbelief, disobedience and rebellion.
The setting - 1… the desert east of the Jordan; v.5 East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab. The google earth map shows the geographical location of these events. You can see the north Africa where Israel left Eygpt and cross the Red Sea and headed for Horeb where Sinai is located. After receiving the law Israel headed north toward Canaan. The first generation rebelled at Kadesh-Barnia and wondered through that vast desert until they died. Thirty-eight years later the new generation headed further north and camped in the desert of the Jordan in the Pains of Moab, which is located northeast of the Dead Sea (If you study the satilite photo carefully at you can see the Dead Sea) where Moses' preach the first of his three sermons.
The date - 3 In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month. The events of Deuteronomy in less than a month. It began on the 1st day of the 11th month the 40th year after the exodus (1:3). It apparently ended in the 12th month because 34:8 says that Israel spent 30 days mourning the death of Moses in the Plains of Moab. Then, on the 10th day of the 1st month Joshua led the new generation across the Jordan River on dry ground (Josh 4:19). These time statements seem to indicate the the events of Deuteronomy took place in a brief span of a few weeks. During the 11th month Moses preached. During the 12th month Israel mourned his death. And during the the 1st month of the 41st year Joshua began to conquest Canaan and claim possession of the Promised Land.
Knowing the background of this book helps us understand the context of the events and the message of Deuteronomy. In the first five verses we have learned the occassion, the author, the audience, the setting and the date. Today we are going to discuss part of the first sermon.
Sermon #1 begins with Moses reviewing 38 years of history. 1:5 East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab, Moses began to expound this law, saying: 6 The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, "You have stayed long enough at this mountain. 7 Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites … 8 See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them."Moses began the story at Horeb or Sinai (not Egypt). They camped at the base of Sinai almost a year. At Sinai they received the law, the tabernacle, instructions for worship, and Moses delegated leadership roles. Moses was eager to delegate leadership responsibility.
1:9 At that time I said to you, "You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone. …12 … how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself? The burden was so great in Numbers 11:10-15 that Moses wanted to die.
When was the last time you were stressed out? How did you handle it? Moses handled it by praying to God and delegating responsibility. He told them in 1:13 to
"Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you." They chose them and Moses appointed the. He said in
1:15 So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials. 16 And I charged your judges … 17 Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike.
These verses are relevant to elders, ministry leaders, small group leaders, teachers, and any other kind of leader. Our Canaan, of course, is not a geographical location. You cannot find our Promised Land using Google Earth. Our conquest is spiritual. We are fighting for God's glory, God's fame, God's purpose which will culminate in the redemption of sinful humanity, the elect of God chosen before creation and the restoration of all creation under the Lordship of one King, Jesus Christ. In the end, Jesus is not going to rule over a little piece of real estate in the Middle East. Jesus will rule heaven and earth.
Four major areas that we are working on this fall.
· Strengthen our existing small groups and plant more.
· Improve our ministry to children.
· Community outreaches like Trick or Trunkin and a back to school outreach.
· Thanksgiving outreach and Christmas celebration.
The challenge we face as leaders is balancing response to crises without neglecting the work that will build relationships. We have to do both things well. We have to respond to crises but we cannot neglect the ministry of prayer and building relationships with Jesus and people in ministry. And the key is to follow the example of Moses and delegate. There are four things I want to say about delegating:
First, they have to have a relationship with Jesus.
Second, the have to be people of integrity i.e. v.13 wise, understanding, respected, impartial
Third, you have to delegate responsibility with authority. If you delegate responsibility without authority to act people will come back to you for every decision made. They will get tired of it and so will you. Give them the authority to make decisions. Moses gave the judges the authority to decide on small and great cases.
Fourth, every leader needs to remember that when you face a fire you have two buckets in your hand. One has gas in it and the other as water. You get to decide which to use.
So, at Sinai, they received the law, the tabernacle, instructions for worship, and leadership. Then God said “You’ve been here long enough. Break camp and advance to the Promised Land.” They had everything they needed. But when the came to Kadesh Barnea they sent sent out 12 spies and 10 gave a bad report.
Would you make a good spy? Are your eyes of faith bigger than your stomach of fear? What do you do when you face giant size problems and sky-high walls? How do you typically perceive giant size problems? Do you typically have a “God-can-do-anything” attitude or a “there-is-no-way-we-can-do-it” attitude? Do you tend to spread good reports or bad reports? The bad news spread through the congregation and Moses said
1:24 …you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. 27 You grumbled in your tents and said, "The LORD hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us. 28 Where can we go? Our brothers have made us lose heart. They say, 'The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.'" There are giants in the land. We can’t do it. They will kill all the men and take all the women and children.
1:34 When the LORD heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore: 35 "Not a man of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your forefathers, … 39 And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad—they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it. 40 But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea."
2:15 The LORD's hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp.
Numbers 32:11 says that “not one of the men 20 years or older would enter the Promised Land. If you are 19 or younger please raise your hand. Think of it. Only you would be able to enter the Promised Land. All the rest of would die in the wilderness. You would be the new generation.
Which generation do you belong to? Remember, today this has nothing to do with age. It has everything to do with faith. Are you driven by faith or fear? Do you want to spend 40 years in the wilderness? Why did it take Israel 40 years to reach the Promised Land? Deuteronomy 1:2 said that it was just an 11 day journey? Why did it take so long? It wasn’t the distance that stood between them and the Promised Land. It was the condition of their hearts.
God’s purpose was deeper than simply transporting a huge group of people to the Promised Land. He was preparing them to live in obedience to him and love each other once they arrived. What good was the Promised Land if the Israelites were just as wicked as the nations already living there? The journey was a painful but necessary part of their preparation. The wilderness taught them how to relate to God and each other.
Where are you in your spiritual journey? Egypt? Horeb (Sinai)? Wilderness? On the banks of the Jordan? Or in the Promised Land fighting giants and resting in the power of God? Is it time for you to move on in your spiritual journey? Where to? With whom? What for? What is your next step? Moses told the New Generation three things.
1. God will take care of you 2:7 The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.When they needed bread he made it rain down from heaven.
When they wanted meat he sent quail. When I read about the birds they ate I thought of Mike Shepherd [pic]. Mike is on of the best marksman in the world. I think he killed all those birds and the rest of them posed for the picture. I’m telling you, Mike can shoot a gun. But think of this. They didn’t need guns. The quail flew in, driven by wind, and died (I guess).
When they were thirsty he brought water out of rock and 1 Cor. 10:3 says that rock was Christ.
Deut 8:4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.
They were grilling quail they didn’t hunt, eating bread they didn’t bake, and drinking water out from a rock and their clothes never wore out. God takes care of his people when they are in the wilderness. Your journey may be long and your life may be painful, discouraging and difficult, but God will take care of you. You need to remember that God isn’t just trying to keep you alive. He wants to prepare you for a relationship with himself and other people.
2. Do not fight your family, fight the enemy In chapter 2: God warned the Israelites to avoid conflict with the descendents of Esau and Lot. 2:4 Give the people these orders: 'You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. 5 Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. Don’t fight the Edomites, the Moabites or the Ammonites. The same is true today. If we start fighting people in your family or people in the church or people in other churches, we will not gain an inch of ground – not even enough to put our foot on.
In chapter 2 and 3 God told them to fight the real enemy and they did. 2:25 This very day I will begin to put the terror and fear of you on all the nations under heaven. They will hear reports of you and will tremble and be in anguish because of you." In chapter 2 they defeated Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon and in chapter 3 they defeated Og King of Bashan and he must have been a giant because 3:11 says His bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide. The point is that that this new generation killed the giants their parents were afraid of because they were driven by faith rather than fear.
3:21 At that time I commanded Joshua: "You have seen with your own eyes all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings. The LORD will do the same to all the kingdoms over there where you are going. 22 Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you."Three tribes settled on the east side with the understanding that they would fight to conquest Canaan before they finally settled on the east side of the Jordan.
3. God will forgive all your sins, but you still may face the consequences
3: 26 But because of you the LORD was angry with me and would not listen to me. "That is enough," the LORD said. "Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. 28 But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see."Prayer Time __________________________________________________
Small Group (Deut 1-3)
Ice Breaker Explain this statement: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"?
Who has been like Moses to you, reminding you of God’s faithfulness (past and future)?
Please read this text aloud – Deut. 1:5-10
· Where are you in your spiritual journey? Egypt? Horeb (Sinai)? Wilderness? At the Jordan? Or in the Promised Land?
· What does the Promised Land mean to you?
· Have you ever been stuck at Sinai or in the wilderness? What was it like?
· Is it time for you to move on in your spiritual journey?
· Where to? With whom? What for? What is your next step?
Please read this text aloud – Deut 1:9-18 · Why was Moses eager to share leadership?
· When was the last time you were stressed out? What happened? How did you get relief?
· Why is it difficult for some people to delegate responsibility?
· What have you delegated lately? What happened? Any good results?
Please read this text aloud – Deut 1:19-28 and Deut 1:34-36
· Would you make a good spy?
· Are your eyes of faith bigger than your stomach of fear? How so?
· How do you typically perceive things? Do you typically have a “God-can-do-anything” attitude or a “We-can’t-do-it” attitude?
· Do you tend to spread good reports or bad reports?
· Which spreads more quickly, good news or bad news? Why?
· Why was God so angry at the first Generation? Do you think their punishment was too harsh?
Please read this text aloud – Deut 2:4-6, 7, 9, 19; 24-25 and 3:1-2 · Regarding 2:4-6 – Why were the Israelites to avoid conflict with the descendents of Esua?
· Regarding 2:9 & 19 – Why were the Israelites to avoid conflict with the Moabites and the Ammonites (the descendents of Lot)?
· Why is there so much infighting in God’s family today? Who is the real enemy?
· Regarding 2:7 - How did God take care of you when you were enduring your wilderness experience?
· Regarding 2:24-25 and 3:1-2 – How does the conquest of Heshbon and Bashan begin to fulfill God’s promise (see 2:25)?
Please read this text aloud – Deut 2:23-29
· Do you think Moses’ punishment was too much? Why? Why not?
· How would you explain this statement to a friend: “Jesus will forgive all sin, but you may still face consequences”?
· Which generation do you belong to? [Note: this has nothing to do with age but everything to do with faith] Are you driven by faith or fear?
