Deuteronomy

Overview of the Book

The book of Deuteronomy is the last book in the first division, known as the Torah (Hebrew), Pentateuch (Greek), or the Law (English), of the Hebrew Scripture called ‘The Old Testament’ in the Holy Bible.

The Title, Author, Date, and Recipients of the Book

The Hebrew title of the book דְּבָרִים, Devarim (meaning Spoken Words) is derived from the opening phrase of the book – Eleh ha-devarim, meaning “These are the words…” (1:1).  The English title ‘Deuteronomy’ is derived from the Greek term Δευτερονόμιον, Deuteronómion, meaning “The Second Law,’ which appeared first in the translation of the Hebrew Scripture known as Septuagint.  The book is also known as ‘The Book of the Second Law’ or ‘The Book of Remembrance.’ 

The book was written by Moses (Deuteronomy 31:9, 24-26) in B.C. 1405 for the sake of the new generation of Israelites as well as the forthcoming generations. 

The Context

The journey of Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land has come to a standstill as they encamped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho (Numbers 36:13).  Here, Moses gave his final message and instruction to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land.  This highlights the end of wilderness wanderings (Deuteronomy 1:1) and the beginning of preparations for the conquest of Canaan.  The book of Numbers records the 38 year long wilderness wanderings of the rebellious Exodus Generation of Israelites (Deuteronomy 2:14), while Deuteronomy records Moses’ final instructions to the inexperienced New Generation Israelites.  These were instructions regarding how they ought to behave themselves in the Promised Land, specifically highlighting guidelines to observe religious laws, civil law, criminal law, and the criterion to appoint leaders among them. 

The Contents of the Book

The book of Deuteronomy is preserved as a covenant renewal because the book re-counts God’s covenant relationship with His people, His promise of deliverance from Egyptian slavery, their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, and instructions prior to occupying Canaan regarding their spiritual, social, and personal lives.  Accordingly, the contents of the book includes the following: 

  1. Reviewing God’s Covenant: Most of the new generation of Israelites had no personal memory of:
        1. God’s deliverance from Egyptian slavery
        2. the significance of the first Passover
        3. the experience of crossing the Red-Sea
        4. the purpose of giving the Law at Mount Sinai
        5. the consequences their forefathers faced due to their disobedience of the Law
  2. Renewing God’s Covenant: This is inevitable because this new generation of Israelites needed a fresh and inspired recounting of God’s covenant, law, and faithfulness to their forefathers. 
  3. Reintroducing God’s Plan and Purpose: Reintroducing or reassuring God’s plan and purpose for them was crucial because Moses wanted to assure the new generation of Israelites about the accompanying blessings of obedience and curses for the disobedience of God’s commandments.
  4. Reestablishing God’s Community: Moses, a dedicated and passionate servant of the Lord, who spoke with God face to face (Numbers 12:6-8) understood the desire of God’s heart.  God loved His people and intended to stay among them as their God.  However, the Exodus Generation of Israelites failed God by disobeying His Law and thus perished in the wilderness. So, Moses tries his best to inspire the new generation of Israelites to follow God whole-heartedly (Deuteronomy 30:11-20). 

Purpose of Writing

The purpose of writing this book is multifaceted.  Among the purposes are to: 

    1. instruct and exhort the New Generation of Israelites regarding God’s mighty deeds and promises
    2. reaffirm their covenant obligations of faith and obedience
    3. encourage their need to consecrate themselves to (Deuteronomy 10:12-13):
      • fear the Lord,
      • walk in His ways,
      • Love and honor Him with all their heart, soul, and strength
    4. remind the Priests to read the Law before His people in its entirety every seven years (Deuteronomy 31:10-13)
    5. command the Levites to place the Law of God beside the Ark of the Covenant (Deuteronomy 31:24-27)

Main Divisions of the Book

A. Introduction (Deuteronomy 1:1-5): A brief background

B. Moses’ First Message (Deuteronomy 1:6-4:43): Moses, as a commanding representative of God, reviews the old generation of Israelites’ failures to follow God totally since they started their journey from Egypt (about 40 years – Deuteronomy 2:7), but reminds the new generation of Israelites to fear God and obey Him whole-heartedly.  This section includes:

      1. The departure from Mount Sinai (Deuteronomy 1:6-18)
      2. Unbelief and Rebellion (Deuteronomy 1:19-46)
      3. Wilderness wanderings because of God’s punishment (Deuteronomy 2:1-15)
      4. Journey to the Plains of Moab (Deuteronomy 2:16-3:29)
      5. Moses’ appeal to the New Generation Israelites to Obey God’s Laws (Deuteronomy 4:1-43)

C. Moses’ Second Address (Deuteronomy 4:44- 26:19): The major focus of the second address are the covenant laws that God set forth for the Israelites to observe regarding –  

      1. the Ten Commandments and its imperatives/requirements (Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25) [refer to Appendix B]
      2. promises and warnings (Deuteronomy:1-11:32)
      3. worship (Deuteronomy 12:1-32)
      4. false prophets (Deuteronomy 13:1-18)
      5. food (Deuteronomy 14:1-21)
      6. tithes (Deuteronomy 14:22-29)
      7. the year for cancelling debts and freeing servants (Deuteronomy 15:1-23)
      8. Offerings / Feasts – 
        1. Daily offerings (Numbers 28:1-8) 
        2. Weekly offerings (Numbers 28:9-10) 
        3. Monthly offerings (Numbers 28:11-15) 
        4. Yearly offerings (Numbers 28:16-29:40)
            • Passover (Deuteronomy 16:1-8) 
            • Feast of Weeks (Deuteronomy 16:9-12) 
            • Feast of Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 16:13-17) 
            • Feast of Trumpets (Numbers 29:1-6) 
            • Day of Atonement (Numbers 29:7-11)
      9. leaders and courts
        1. Judges (16:18-20)
        2. Priests and Levites (17:8-13)
        3. Kings (17: 14-20)
        4. Prophets (18:14-22)
      10. civil and social laws (Deuteronomy 19:1-26:19)
        1. cities of refuge (19:1-14)
        2. witnesses (19:15-21)
        3. rules for war (20:1-20)
        4. atonement for unsolved murders (21:1-9)
        5. marriage of an enslaved women (21:10-14)
        6. first born property right & rebellious son (21:15-21)
        7. vii.various social laws (21:22-22-12)
        8. viii.marriage violations (22:13-30)
        9. various laws (23:1-25:19)
        10. first fruits and tithes (26:1-19) 

D. Moses’ third Address (Deuteronomy 27:1-30:20): Moses pronounces blessings for obeying the law of God and curses for not following the law.

      1. Altar at Mount Ebal (27:1-8)
      2. curses (27:9-26)
      3. blessings for obedience (8:1-14)
      4. curses for disobedience (28:15-68)
      5. renewal of the covenant (29:1-29)
      6. prosperity (30:1-10)
      7. offer of life and death (30: 11-20)

E. Moses’ preparations for his death and a new beginning for the new generation of Israelites (Deuteronomy 31:1-34:12): 

      1. commission of Joshua as Moses’ successor (31:1-8)
      2. reading of the law (31:9-13)
      3. rebellion predicted (31:14-29)
      4. Moses’ song (31:30-32:47)
      5. Moses blesses the tribes (33:1-29)
      6. death and burial of Moses (34:1-12)

Lessons from the book of Deuteronomy

The book provided the new generation of Israelites – 

  • the summary of the teachings of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers
  • the motivation to focus on the nature of God and His covenant with Israel, 
  • the encouragement to retain and obey the already revealed truth of God rather than expecting a new law or truth of God by understanding that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), He is an unchanging God (Mal. 3:6), and His Word remains forever (1 Peter 1:25)
  • the needful formula for inheriting the Promised Land:
    • ‘Remember’ (Deuteronomy 8:18; Mal.4:4) and ‘never forget’ (Deuteronomy 8:10-11; Ps.103:2b)
    • Faith + Obedience = Fulfilment of God’s promise with God’s choicest blessings

The Lord God who delivered the Children of Israel from Egyptian bondage yesterday will deliver you today and your descendants in the days to come (tomorrow).

Key Verses and Subjects of interest in the Book

  • The destination of Israel in this journey [Deuteronomy 1:6-8 (refer Numbers 34:1-12)]
  • Esau’s inheritance (Deuteronomy 2:4-6; 23:7)
  • Lot’s inheritance – Moabites (Deuteronomy 2:9); Ammonites (Deuteronomy 2:16-19)
  • Moses’ plea to God: (Deuteronomy 3:23-27)
  • Do not add to the command (Deuteronomy 4:2 & Revelation 22:18-19)
  • Israel’s special privilege (Deuteronomy 4:7-9)
  • Love for God (Deuteronomy 6:1-12)
  • Fear the Lord (Deuteronomy 10:12-22)
  • Place of Worship God choose (Deuteronomy 12:4-7)
  • Offerings to the Levites (Deuteronomy 18:1-8)
  • Detestable practices (Deuteronomy 18:9-13)
  • Various laws (Deuteronomy 22:1-12)
  • Follow the Lord’s command (Deuteronomy 26:16-19)
  • People of God (Deuteronomy 27:9-10)
  • Curses for sinful doings (Deuteronomy 27:14-26)
  • Obedience brings Blessings (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)
  • Disobedience brings Curses (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)
  • Secret things and revealed things (Deuteronomy 29:29)
  • Offer of life and death (Deuteronomy 30:11-20)
  • Joshua, the successor of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:1-8; 3:21-22, 28)
  • Moses’ death foretold (Deuteronomy 32:48-52)
  • Death and burial of Moses (Deuteronomy 34:1-12)

Elaboration

The Law was given to the Children of Israel and everyone else so that the people of God will live according to the standards set by God. The Law reveal God’s will for His people, which demands an inner spiritual righteousness and practicing outward justice and holiness. 

The Complete Law of God may be divided into three interrelated groups: The Moral Law, the Civil Law and the ceremonial Law.

  1. The Moral Law (Exodus 20:1-17): The Ten Commandments, known as ‘The Decalogue,’ are the condensed form of the entire Moral Law.  These are written and given by God to the Children of Israel through Moses as eternal rules for righteous living.  The Moral Law sets God’s standards for His people’s lives in the wilderness as well as in the Promise Land. It has two levels: 1) Man’s obligations to God, which includes, love and devotion, adoration and worship and holy living, etc., and 2) Man’s obligations to other men, which includes honoring parents and honoring other fellow-humans
  2. The Civil Law (Exodus 21:1 – 23:33): These are the rules of God for His people’s legal and social life as a nation. It gives directives for daily social relationships, administration of justice, property rights, training children, and punishment for criminals
  3. The Ceremonial Law (Exodus 24:12 – 31:18): The ceremonial Law reveals the divine standard for worship and adoration of God.  These include the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle, priestly dress, proper priestly functions at the tabernacle, duties of the Levites, guidelines for sacrifice, offerings, and feasts.
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This Post Has 4 Comments

    1. scriptuREsource July 10, 2019 Reply

      Thank you for your comment, Cortez! You are the first person to comment on this website! Glad you think the post is great! We will be uploading more resources in the coming days. Looking forward to having you on this journey!
      God Bless You!

    1. scriptuREsource July 15, 2019 Reply

      Thank you, Minna! We are glad you liked this post! Looking forward to having you!
      God Bless You!

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