Deuteronomy: From Generation to Generation

Spittin’ Image

Have you ever had someone say that to you - that you are the “spittin’ image” of someone else?

I think that many times when people say that - they are referring to the visual similarities between you and someone else. Let me show you a picture fo what I mean.

(picture of Fletcher with his daughters)

There are so many times when people who know Fletcher but don’t necessarily know his daughters, will come across some of them and will say - “are you Fletcher’s daughter?” For some it’s the color of their skin, the position of their cheek bones, the shape of the lines around their mouths when they smile. it’s also their contagious smile and fun sense of humor. People know Fletcher’s family - because they resemble them.

Each of us have physical characteristics that we pass along from one generation to the next. If you knew my extended family - you would know that my hairline comes from my mom’s dad, my waistline comes from my dad, and my eyes come from my mom.

But there is more to us and our families than just our physical traits. From our parents we learn:

language - how words are pronounced or even what words are used

opinions - on all sorts of things - so as a result - we either agree with them or disagree with them.

work ethic

values

passions

theology

and so much more.

We can’t always control what we pass along to our children - but with the things we can control - we need to be careful and mindful.

I tell you that because just as we pass along things to our heirs, we find that in scripture, a variety of things are passed along from one generation to the next. It takes a great deal of effort to account for those changes.

As we’ve been walking through God’s story in scripture, we’ve lately been looking at the particular history of the Israelites as God brought them out of Egypt. Last week, we looked at the book of Numbers at how God sought to prepare them for the promised land, but the people rebelled against God. Today, we’re looking at the next generation and what Moses is doing to help the people change the negative patterns of rebellion and stubbornness that had been passed down from the previous generation.

The book of Deuteronomy - which essentially means 2nd law - is a book of teaching, but it’s also structured in a very logical and orderly way.

Overall Structure to Deuteronomy

Several commentators have noted that while the book is generally made up of three sermons or discourses by Moses, it is laid out in the form of an Ancient Near Eastern Treaty document - which would include a preamble, historical prologue, stipulations (both general and specific), blessings and curses, clause and witnesses (or succession arrangements) (ESV Study Bible and Longman, 110).

Ancient Near Eastern Treaty Format:

I. Preamble (1:1-5)

II. Historical Prologue (1:6-3:29)

III. Stipulations (chapters 4-26)

A. Basic (4:1-11:32)

B. Detailed (12:1-26:19)

IV. Curses and Blessings, Ratification (ch. 27-30)

V. Succession Arrangements (ch. 31-34)

A. Invocation of Witnesses

B. Provision of Public Reading

Just as many of our own contracts have a basic structure - Deuteronomy seems to have been arranged in the contractual standard of the day.

As we go through this, we’re going to simplify the book into the major themes of Moses’ messages and make modern applications for our day.

I think it’s important to remember that in these 39 years - the rebellious generation died off and the listeners are primarily the children and grand-children of those who refused to obey the Lord. Some of the details of what had happened needed to be recounted. The common threads needed to be established.

So as Moses prepares to die and release the Israelites to venture into the promised land, in his first discourse, he essentially tells his listeners to...

Contemplate God’s Faithfulness in the Past (ch. 1:1-4:43)

These first four chapters establish the setting (1:1-4) and then summarizes the previous years in the wilderness.

sending the spies

refusal to go into the land

punishment from God

attempted entry - denied

time in the wilderness, Moab and Edom

Victory over Sihon king of Heshbon

Victory over Og King of Bashan

Settlement of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh - east of the Jordan - with the expectation that the men of these tribes would help the other tribes conquer the land on the west side of the Jordan

Moses forbidden from entering into the land - because of the sin of the Israelites (and his own sin)

Expectation to obey

Deuteronomy 4:1–2 ESV

“And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.

Deuteronomy 4:9 ESV

“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—

Essentially, he is telling them - now that we have recounted the previous 39 years and all that God has done - remember His faithfulness in spite of your faithlessness - and obey. In your obedience - pass this on to the next generation (we see this theme come in time and again).

Moses doesn’t address it here, but so many of the festivals centered on remembering God’s work in the past - Passover, First Fruits, even the day of Atonement - as the people contemplated their sin and God’s atoning work.

Just as Moses called the people of Israel to remember their past, and what got them to where they are and what role God played in their history, I think it’s important that we remember as well. As you look back over your life, can you recount the things that have brought you to where you are?

Your Spiritual heritage

Events that have shaped who you are

Times of spiritual growth

Times of rebellion

Things that God did to bring you into fellowship with him.

(personal story? - family history)

Moses concludes this section of Deuteronomy with two reminders:

God is jealous

God is merciful

God is jealous:

Deuteronomy 4:23–24 ESV

Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

This does not mean that God is insecure - as we might be lead to believe when someone is jealous - instead - he is a God who alone is worthy of worship. He will not share his glory with any carved image. He has already shared his image and likeness with humanity.

The second thing that Moses seems to want the people to remember is that God is merciful - when they sin and repent - God is merciful and forgiving:

Deuteronomy 4:29–31 ESV

But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice. For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.

After he reminds the new generation of Israelites of their history - Moses urges them to...

Comprehend the expectations of the covenant (4:43-26:19)

Just as any contract or agreement would have terms - so too this covenant between God and the people of Israel has expectations or stipulations.

Several commentators have divided these expectations into two different categories - general and specific.

General Stipulations (5:1-11:32):

These are a bit more broad or basic in their application - more foundational in their perspective. These general stipulations don’t get to the practical how’s of their sacrificial worship - but deal generally with the “what” of life.

These stipulations include a reiteration of the 10 Commandments (5:1-21)

Worship God alone - no other gods

No idols

Revere God’s name

Rest on the Sabbath

Honor your parents

Don’t murder

Don’t commit adultery

Don’t steal

Don’t lie

Don’t covet

Some people look at these commandments as things that are difficult to live out - in some ways they are. Erwin McManus said a one point in time that the bar is actually quite low - basic - at least for us. But in their culture and the the land in which they were going - people worshipped all sorts of gods, they bowed down to a variety of idols, etc. I think that many of these commandments were in stark contrast to the culture in which they were going. In many ways - these still are in stark contrast to our culture today.

There is an overarching theme in the midst of these general stipulations -

Love God with your whole life

There are many times when we think about the law of God that we look at it as a set of rules to which God’s people are obligated to obey. There is an element of this, but when you consider that these actions are done out of love - there is a difference, there is a joy in obedience. This love for God will not just be relegated to what I do in worship - but how I live every aspect of my life.

If you have your Bibles, open them to Deuteronomy 6:1-9. Let’s look at this in two sections. After reiterating the 10 commandments and retelling some of the events of Mt. Sinai, Moses says this...

Deuteronomy 6:1–3 ESV

“Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

In the ESV, which I read from, there are six times that the word “that” is used - five of those times could be replaced with the words “so that.” The idea is that Moses is giving this law for a reason. He is not simply speaking to hear himself speak. He is saying these things so that something will happen

(Steve - can we have these phrases come in individually?)

Obedience > fear of the Lord for multiple generations > long life > blessing (well with you) > multiply greatly

Moses then gives them the overarching command - the greatest commandment - and the way to fulfill it.

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 ESV

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Love is the foundation of our relationship with God -

God’s love for us (Dt. 7:7; 7:9; 7:12; 7:13; 10:15; )

Our Love in response to God (Dt. 6:5; 10:19; 11:1; 11:13;)

It is out of love the God called the people of Israel out of Egypt, making them into a nation. It is out of love for us that God called us out of our slavery to sin and into an abundant and eternal relationship with Him. It is out of love that we respond to the Lord in obedience - not simply keeping it for ourselves, but passing it on to the next generation.

I think this element is so important to what God is communicating here that he reiterates it in the end of this section in Deuteronomy:

Deuteronomy 11:18–23 ESV

“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you.

Notice - he seems to reverse the command - keep the commands in your heart, bind them on your hands and in your mind, teach them to your children.....

He then summarizes the entire command in verse 22

Deuteronomy 11:22 ESV

For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him,

then he will drive out the nations...

The command is simple:

Love God

Walk in all his ways

Hold fast

and yet it’s application can get challenging, which brings us to the next segment of Moses’ message:

Specific Stipulations (12:1-26:19)

In these chapters - Moses talks a lot about the specific ways in which this should be lived out - both in religious worship practices, but also in daily life.

As you read through these chapters, you’ll find that a lot of it is irrelevant to us because the laws and sacrifices have been fulfilled in Christ. The guys at the Bible Project have some helpful suggestions for us as we read and consider these specific laws and stipulations:

Helpful tips for reading these laws:

The laws are the terms of the Sinai covenant given to ancient Israel

Don’t compare with modern laws - but compare with the laws of Israel’s neighbors

Discern the core principle underlying the law.

One core principle that I believe is transferrable is that we, as God’s people here in the USA need to be mindful of how God has set us apart from the culture around us. When our culture begins to shift its values, we need to pay attention to what God’s word says - and obey the Lord rather than succumbing to the world. I think we can and should still respond to the world in love, but we don’t need to endorse all of their behaviors or engage in their practices.

So after calling the Israelites to contemplate all that God did while they were in the wilderness and to comprehend the expectations of this covenant, Moses calls the people to...

Count the Cost (27:1-30:20)

In many ways, this final speech is a very difficult one to read. God clearly lays out both blessings for obedience and some harsh consequences of disobedience. Some of these consequences talk of destruction of land and family and even seem to foretell of the exile - which would come some 500-700 years later.

There is a very interesting section of this part of Moses’ message that is designed to be a visual reminder and verbal affirmation of the covenant between God and Israel. Moses commands the Israelites to have a massive covenant renewal service in the promised land. Half of the tribes are to stand atop of Mt. Ebal - representing the curses for disobedience. Half of the tribes are to stand atop mount Mt. Gerazim - signifying the blessings. These two peaks overlook Shechem - the place where God entered into a the covenant with Abraham - in the approximate middle of the promised land. In this ceremony - they are instructed to build memorials on top of each mountain - using uncut stones. They are to cover the stones with plaster and then carve into the plaster the curses (on Mt. Ebal) and the blessings (on Mt. Gerazim). Once this is completed, then the Levites - the tribe assigned to lead the worship practices - are to “declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice” (Dt. 27:14) - the curses of covenant - and the people are to respond in unison - “Amen.”

Imagine that scene - whether it’s just the men of the tribes or the whole tribes - you have a massive group of people on two mountains, facing each other, overlooking the very place where God initiated a covenant with Abraham several hundred years earlier. By having the people cry aloud in unison “Amen,” God seems to be urging them to not only hear but to listen and apply the Word of the Lord.

Listen to some of what they were obligated to hear:

Deuteronomy 27:15–26 ESV

“ ‘Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’ “ ‘Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ “ ‘Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ “ ‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ “ ‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ “ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s nakedness.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ “ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ “ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ “ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ “ ‘Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ “ ‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ “ ‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

After this confirmation of the consequences - the people would then hear the blessings for obedience (Dt. 28:1-14).

(consider reading)

Deuteronomy 28:1–14 ESV

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

I realize it’s a lot for us to hear, but imagine what a powerful reminder that would be. Imagine what it would be like to be a parent as you pass through Shechem and you point to one mountain and tell your children - we are a people who have been called out by God and He has blessed us with this land. We need to obey the commandments of the Lord and serve him only - he will bless us. But if we disobey - as this other mountain represents - then we will be cursed.

After giving these instructions - Moses leads the people in a renewal of the covenant while they are on the plains of Moab.

God not only provided words to delineate His law, but he provided visual signs as a reminder of all that God would do. He urged parents to have the love of God so ingrained in them that there were visual elements everywhere - on their hand, on their foreheads, on their doorposts - now even on their mountains.

I wonder - parents - do you and I have the things of God so evident in our lives that they can be plainly seen? I’m not sure that we need to tie things on our hands or wear things on our heads or put up mounds of rocks in our yards - but do we discuss the things of God on a regular basis? Is it fresh in our minds? Do we consider him and talk about him?

So in the book of Deuteronomy, Moses gave a series of speeches calling the Israelites to:

Contemplate God’s faithfulness in the past

Comprehend the expectations of the covenant, and

Count the costs of obedience and disobedience

The book then concludes with Moses commissioning Joshua, teaching a song to the Israelites, blessing the people of Israel - specifically by tribe, and then ascending Mt. Nebo to gaze into the promised land and die.

So as we wrap things up, let me encourage us to consider a few things in...

Conclusion

Earlier in the book, Moses alluded to the fact that God would raise up another prophet like Moses.

Deuteronomy 18:15–19 ESV

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.

Sometime after Moses completed writing his elements of Deuteronomy, it’s likely that other scribes came along and provided editorial insertions under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For example, it would have been impossible for Moses to write about his death. It also appears that some time had passed before the following comment was made about Moses:

Deuteronomy 34:10–12 ESV

And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

Moses seemed to allude in the first reference that there would be someone, and yet the later editors acknowledged that there was no one quite like Moses. Because we have the benefit of the entire Word of God, we get the benefit of seeing the truest fulfillment of that promise in Jesus.

Jesus - like Moses - had a direct interaction with God - because He is part of the trinity - He is God

Jesus - like Moses - walked with humility and authority

Jesus - like Moses - instructed the people of God in the ways of living like Kingdom people

Jesus - like Moses - is leading God’s people into the fulfillment of God’s promises

Jesus - like Moses - intercedes for us

Unlike Moses - Jesus was perfect - in him there was no blemish stain of sin - Moses’ imperfection did not allow him to enter into the promised land - Jesus perfect sacrifice opened the door for all who would believe to enter in WITH Him

Jesus perfectly demonstrated what it means to “love God, walk in all His ways, and hold fast” Will you and I follow His example? Will we let our love for God be seen in how we live? Will we proclaim that to our children and our children’s children?