Outline of the Book of Deuteronomy

1 1 Outline of the Book of Deuteronomy Introduction: Deuteronomy opens with Israel in the land of Moab awaiting instructions to enter Canaan (Deut. 1:5). All men, women, children, elders, officers, and sojourners with them had assembled to hear Moses speak (Deut. 29:10-12). The prophet of God delivers three sermons in the people s hearing (first from Deut. 1:6 to 4:40; second from chapter 5 to 26, and last from chapter 27 to 31). Moses concludes the book with the Song of Moses (Deut. 32 all) and a blessing directed at Israel (Deut. 33 all). Moses reveals the harsh fact that Israel has failed God (Deut. 9:6ff) and will continue to fail Him (Deut. 31:16ff). Moses thereby had little to no faith in the people s conviction (Deut. 9:24; 31:27). The theme of the book is revealed in God s love, patience, and forbearance with Israel.

2 Though they have miserably failed Him and will continue to do so He tells them that He is giving them the promised land of Canaan (Deut. 34:4). Deuteronomy answers the question as to why God is so gracious to a rebellious people. When this question is answered we will have a better understanding of the workings of God s grace in man s life today. Date of Deuteronomy Moses writes, And the days in which we came from Kadesh barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, were thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were consumed from the midst of the camp, as Jehovah sware unto them. Moreover the hand of Jehovah was against them, to destroy them from the midst of the camp, until they were consumed (Deut. 2:14-15).

3 The crossing of the brook Zered brought Israel to the borders of Ammon. It too marked the separation of the unfaithful Israelites who faltered at the first visit to Kadesh. Note that Moses marks a 38 year time frame in which Israel left Kadesh-barnea to the coming over the brook Zered that the rebellious generation be done away with. At Deuteronomy 1:3 Moses marks the eleventh month of the 40th year as the time from leaving Egypt to their current place in Moab. They had spent three months getting to Sinai from Egypt (comp. Ex. 12:2 to Ex. 19:1). Israel spends approximately twelve months at Sinai receiving the law (Numb. 10:11-13). Thirty eight years later Israel finds themselves in the plains of Moab (Numb. 33:38; Deut. 2:14) yet to have entered Canaan. Deuteronomy opens at the 40th year and eleventh month.

4 Smith and Fields date the book of Deuteronomy in the year 1407 ( Old Testament History pg. 286). The message of Moses to the people lasted about 30 days (see Deut. 1:3; 34:8; Josh. 2:22; 4:19). Moses Exposes Israel s Sin The message of Deuteronomy may be viewed by some as the most negative of all sermons. Moses exposed Israel s failures without hesitation or fear of man. Moses exposes the people s sin at Sinai when they made the golden calf and called upon it as their god (Deut. 9:16). Moses reminds Israel that God had commanded them to take the journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea that they may go up and take possession of Canaan (see Deut. 1:19-20). Israel; however, would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah your God (Deut.)

5 1:26). God thereby made them wander in the wilderness for forty years that He may prove them, to know what was in their hearts, whether they would keep his commandments or not (Deut. 8:2). Again, Moses reveals Israel s failures in the wilderness wanderings with their murmuring against God (Deut. 9:22) and Korah s rebellion (Deut. 11:1-7). Though the past generation had failed to keep God s commandments the Lord continued to put His will before the people (see Deut. 9:1). The Lord continued to promise Israel the land of Canaan as a gift (see Deut. 1:8; 3:18-22; 8:6-10 etc.). Why did God offer this Gift to a Rebellious People? It seems odd that God would offer Israel the blessings of His promised Canaan after reading of their morally degraded state.

6 First, this may mean that God s love, promises, and gifts are unconditional or secondly it may mean that they are conditional. A study of the book of Deuteronomy will aid in one s understanding of how God s love, gifts and promises are distributed. Deuteronomy 9:4-6 that Jehovah thy God gives thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people. God was giving Canaan to Israel because of the PROMISE He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob rather than any righteousness of 2their own (see Deut. 1:8; 6:10; 9:5; 29:15; 30:20; 34:4). The New Testament teaches the same principle. The Apostle Paul wrote, For by grace have ye been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory (Eph.)

7 2:8-9). God offers His gifts to man by promise because He loves us rather than it being due to our righteous ways. We are all sinful men and truly deserve the wages of sin (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). A grave mistake; however, is made by the religious world when they conclude that man is a sinner, God loves, therefore let us continue in sin. The apostle Paul said, Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein? (Rom. 6:1-2). James said, faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself (James 2:17). To reconcile the confusion on the part of our denominational friends we may sum this subject up in the following way. When one loves God they will do all within their power to keep his commandments (Jn.

8 14:15). When one claims to believe in Jesus (Jn. 8:24) they will prove this faith by keeping God s commandments (Jn. 3:36; Heb. 11:1ff). When one says that they fear God they will evidence this fear in their obedience (see Deut. 5:29; 6:2; Rev. 14:17 comp. to John 15:5-10). Man s eternal abode is dependant upon whether he or she loved, feared, and believed in God. The author of Hebrews makes the lesson of God s conditional salvation clear by connecting the events of Exodus through Deuteronomy with man s obligation to obey God today. Yes, our salvation is conditioned upon our obedience. The book of Deuteronomy sets firm within our minds the conditional will of God for man to be obedient in order to receive His gifts. Israel was told to contend in battle to receive God s gifts at Deuteronomy 2:24.

9 Israel was told to keep the commandments of Jehovah thy God in order to receive the good land which God hath given thee (Deut. 8:6-10 see also Deut. 6:4; 10:20; 19:9; 26:16-19; 30:2, 6, 10, 16, 20). Moses speaks clearly saying that God requires man to fear, love, serve, and keep all His commandments (Deut. 10:12-13). This obedience was a requirement for Israel to obtain God s gift of Canaan (see Deut. 4:1-2; 11:22-23; 27:9-10). Those who do not keep all God s commandments are cursed (Deut. 27:26; 28:15-58ff) and those who keep God s word are blessed (Deut. 28:1-2). The promises, thereby, that God gave to Abraham would only be realized and received by those who had the faith of Abraham (see Gen. 15:6; 18:19; 22:18; Rom. 4:1ff). The Importance of Maintaining the Purity of God s People The Lord God Almighty said, Thou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God (Deut.)

10 18:13). Seeing that God s gifts are conditioned upon man s obedience Moses warned Israel on a multitude of occasions to put away the evil from the midst of thee (Deut. 21:9, 21; 22:21, 24). Moses fixes firmly in the minds of the Israelites that they are to utterly detest and abhor unlawful things that are an abomination to God (Deut. 7:26). False prophets who sought to draw the hearts of the people away from God were not to be listened to, spared, pitied, or concealed but rather killed (Deut. 13:1-9). Israel was about to enter into a land that was filled with abominable acts including idolatry (see Deut. 9:5). Due to Canaan s idolatry and wickedness God commanded some of the most brutal language in the Bible (see Deut. 20:16-18). The possibility of Israel being infected with sinful teaching and practices was real (Deut.