The End of Moses

Deuteronomy 33-34, “The End of Moses”
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Introduction:
For 40 years, Moses has been leading the Hebrew people. Virtually day in & day out, he’s heard them complain, seen them rebel, and virtually been deaf to his calls for repentance (with rare exceptions). Only when God disciplined them, did they run to Moses & pay attention to what he had to say. Not only that, the one thing Moses wanted to do most (enter the Promised Land), he’s not able to do because of how he reacted to their rebellion.

With that in mind, one would think that Ch 32 would be a more fitting end to Deuteronomy. Moses’ song was dark & heavy, and prophetically spoke of disasters and the curses that were to come upon Israel when they eventually abandoned the Lord for idols. Yet that’s not how Moses ends. The last written words of Moses are not of cursing, but blessing. Like a spiritual father to his children, he calls them together one last time to pray over them & bless them in the name of the Lord. A truly fitting end for the humble man of God.

The blessing is similar in scope to Jacob’s farewell blessing in Gen 49 (and echoing some of the same things). But different focus. Whereas Jacob’s blessing primarily prophesied over their coming difficulties, Moses prophesies about God’s grace upon them. They will fail (of course), but God is still God, and still pours out His grace to us.

Deuteronomy 33 (NKJV)
1 Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2 And he said: “The LORD came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came with ten thousands of saints; From His right hand Came a fiery law for them.

A. Speaking of the giving of the 10 Commandments. Remember from Exodus 19-20, it was an incredible sight to behold! Thunder, lightning, a thick cloud on Mt. Sinai, God descending in fire & smoke, and a trumpet blast so loud & long that the people trembled. The giving of the law took place between God & Moses, but was witnessed by tens of thousands of angels – this was an absolutely glorious event!
__a. As rightly it should have been. The Law is referred to by some as a burden, but it’s really a gift. For the 1st time, God’s handwriting was revealed to mankind – and although His glory was written in the heavens & His law upon our hearts, now they had a written code of what reflects the holiness of God. Today we know what coveting is because God told us about it in His law. Does it pierce our hearts? Yes – but it also prepares us for the Savior.

B. “Moses the man of God”: 1st time this phrase is used in the Bible… Who else was it used for? The Angel of the Lord (Judges 13) – various prophets (1-2 Sam, 1-2 Kings) – Elijah – Elisha – David (2 Kings 8:14)…Timothy (1 Tim 6:11)… Who else? US! 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (16) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. []
__a. Want to be known as a man of God? Woman of God? Get the word of God into your heart! Let the word of God cleanse you, transform your mind, and mold you into the image of Christ Jesus. Everything there (OT & NT) is breathed out by God & profitable for us.
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3 Yes, He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hand; They sit down at Your feet; Everyone receives Your words.

A. Over & over in Deuteronomy, we see the command for Israel to love the Lord their God (most obviously in Deut 6); here we see explicitly that God loves His people. When we think of books like Deuteronomy, it’s easy to get bogged down in the idea of curses & famines for when the people break the covenant. But underneath it all is God’s love for His people. If God didn’t love His people, He wouldn’t warn them away from sin – He wouldn’t discipline them to bring them to repentance – He wouldn’t provide for their repentance through the promise of a Savior. Over & over, the picture we see of God in the OT is not one of a harsh, condemning judge, but of a loving & just King. God truly loves His people.
__a. And God loves you too! It’s an amazing thought to consider that Almighty God truly loves us, and yet He does. Demonstrated through the Cross, proclaimed though the Scriptures, and exemplified in Jesus Christ. God loves you.

B. What’s the proof of God’s love for His people? His provision of the Law. To sit at the feet of our Maker & learn His ways and precepts is an incredible privilege & gift to His people.
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4 Moses commanded a law for us, A heritage of the congregation of Jacob. 5 And He was King in Jeshurun, When the leaders of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together.

A. We often say that the monarchy began with King Saul – but Israel (Jeshurun) was originally a monarchy from the beginning. Its monarch was God. When the people would later complain to the Judge/Prophet Samuel to provide them a king, God acknowledged that what they were doing was really rejecting the king they had already: Himself.

B. Moses is going to go through each tribe of Israel (except Simeon) – praying God’s blessing over each of them as they enter the land. (MAP) Some think this could be a reference to the millennial kingdom…
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6 “Let Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few.”

A. For the 1st born tribe, it seems like a rather generic blessing…and it is. Reuben had laid with his father’s concubine (Bilhah) & Jacob removed the 1st born blessing from him in Gen 49. At this point, Moses is showing a lot of grace to the tribe…saying, “Don’t let them die out.”
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7 And this he said of Judah: “Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people; Let his hands be sufficient for him, And may You be a help against his enemies.”

A. Judah is the tribe of David, and thus the tribe of Jesus (who is Jacob’s prophesied “Lion of the Tribe of Judah” – Gen 49:9)
B. Interesting that Simeon isn’t mentioned in this blessing – their inheritance was completely surrounded by Judah, so perhaps they’re included here.
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8 And of Levi he said: “Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one, Whom You tested at Massah, And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah, 9 Who says of his father and mother, ‘I have not seen them’; Nor did he acknowledge his brothers, Or know his own children; For they have observed Your word And kept Your covenant. 10 They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, And Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You, And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar. 11 Bless his substance, LORD, And accept the work of his hands; Strike the loins of those who rise against him, And of those who hate him, that they rise not again.”

A. Natural to have a longer blessing for Levi – this was Moses’ family.
B. Levi didn’t have an inheritance of property; they had an inheritance of service to the Lord (the Lord Himself WAS their inheritance). Thus they had responsibilities to teach the Scripture… Minister the sacrifice…
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12 Of Benjamin he said: “The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders.”

A. Don’t you love the picture of grace this is? Like a boy being carried on his Father’s back, Benjamin will is beloved of the Lord & will dwell between His shoulders. Will Benjamin mess up? Yes! In major ways, as detailed in Judges 19-21. But at the same time, where is Jerusalem located? Southern Benjamin.
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13 And of Joseph he said: “Blessed of the LORD is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And the deep lying beneath, 14 With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months, 15 With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills, 16 With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’ 17 His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh.”

A. A lot to say about Joseph (Ephraim/Manasseh), but remember he received the 1st born blessing after it was taken from Reuben. Moses speaks of the best of the land given to him, and between Ephraim & Manasseh, they got the lion’s share of the land. They also became some of the most powerful tribes – to the point where the Northern Kingdom was sometimes known as “Ephraim”.
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18 And of Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, And Issachar in your tents! 19 They shall call the peoples to the mountain; There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas And of treasures hidden in the sand.”

A. Zebulun and Issachar were neighbors – neither tribe dwelt right on the seashore, but they weren’t far from it. Moses is blessing them in whatever they do – be it in the mountain, sea, or desert.
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20 And of Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; He dwells as a lion, And tears the arm and the crown of his head. 21 He provided the first part for himself, Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there. He came with the heads of the people; He administered the justice of the LORD, And His judgments with Israel.”

A. Gad was one of the nations on the east side of the Jordan who came over to help “administer the justice of the LORD” on the Canaanite nations. As a result, their lands were large on the east side.
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22 And of Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s whelp; He shall leap from Bashan.” 23 And of Naphtali he said: “O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD, Possess the west and the south.”

A. Two short blessings! Doesn’t say much about Dan; Moses implies that they were a youthful tribe (whelp), but that they were also militarily powerful. Bashan had already been conquered on the east side of the Jordan; the leap may be a reference to the other side of the land by the Mediterranean.
B. Naphtali was also to be blessed by God & satisfied with everything God gave them – they possessed land west of the Sea of Galilee.
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24 And of Asher he said: “Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil. 25 Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be.

A. “Asher” actually means “happy/blessed”…so the blessed one is blessed of God. Moses is prophesying that God would specifically bless them with wealth: olive oil, iron, bronze.
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- Ends with a proclamation of praise to God…
26 “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds. 27 The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’ 28 Then Israel shall dwell in safety, The fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens shall also drop dew. 29 Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, And you shall tread down their high places.”

A. There is no God like God! God is the Almighty Omnipotent Creator who created the heavens and the earth. There is no other god beside Him. And HE is the God of Israel. He is their refuge, strength, protection, and provision. No one & no thing can stand against Him. So the conclusion? Israel is blessed – and Israel should rejoice! Who among the nations of the earth were like them, who had God as their God?

B. The parallels are easy to see. There is no God like OUR God! There is no circumstance that we encounter that is too big for Him to handle. There is nothing in all creation that can pull us away from His love. How happy we should be as men & women saved in Christ! We have been born again & adopted into the family of God & we have much reason to rejoice – we are “a people saved by the LORD!”
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Deuteronomy 34 (NKJV)
1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, 3 the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.

A. [PIC] … Basically gave Moses a view of the entire land that Moses just prophesied about.
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4 Then the LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.”

A. Review why Moses isn’t crossing… (Numbers 20) Destroyed a picture God was showing of Jesus Christ (verified by Paul in 1 Cor 10:4)

B. Keep in mind that even though Moses’ sin is the reason he could not go over, it fits in perfectly with the overall plan of salvation. Moses is the lawgiver, but the lawgiver cannot deliver rest; that has to come from someone else – Joshua/Yeshua/Jesus. Thus – John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. []
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5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day.

A. Notice Who buried Moses: God Himself. … Seems to have been a spiritual battle even over this – Jude 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” [] (There’s always a spiritual battle! But who does the fighting? God!)
B. Interesting that the Bible makes it clear that Moses died, but also makes his gravesite unknown. No doubt on his death – but no opportunity for idolatry, either…
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7 Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.

A. 40 in Egypt in a powerful political home – 40 in Midian as a shepherd/servant – 40 in the desert leading, teaching, & interceding for Israel. From all indications, he could have gone on for another 40 years if God so desired! God was ready to take him home.
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8 And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. So the days of weeping and mourning for Moses ended. 9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.

A. Moses had laid his hands on Joshua in Deut 31…commissioned him to the ministry. Joshua had the same spirit as Moses – the spirit of wisdom. Was this the filling of the Holy Spirit? Yes…but in a different way than NT believers. OT believers weren’t sealed with the Spirit or indwelt at salvation.
B. Possible that Joshua wrote this last chapter…
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10 But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 in all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, 12 and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

A. As of the time of this particular writing, that was true. It was true up till the manger in Bethlehem when another prophet (more than a prophet) arose in Israel.
__a. Jesus knew the Lord face-to-face far better than Moses. With Moses, it’s more or less a figure of speech showing the accessibility he had with God, but Moses never actually saw the face of God because no one can see God & live. But Jesus HAD seen God because Jesus was in the beginning with God and IS God. When Jesus became flesh, He declared God to us (John 1:18).
__b. Jesus did great signs & wonders & showed mighty power. Moses may have parted the Red Sea, but Jesus calmed the stormy sea, fed thousands at a time, healed the sick, cleansed the lepers & much more.

B. Moses told Israel to expect someone like him… Deuteronomy 18:17-18 (17) “And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. (18) I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. [] And this is exactly what happened.
__a. Moses was the mediator between Israel & God… Jesus is our Mediator. (1 Tim 2:5)
__b. Moses was an intercessor… Jesus intercedes for us. (Rom 8:34)
__c. Moses was the law giver… Jesus is the law-keeper… (Matt 5:17)
__d. Moses provided manna from heaven… Jesus is the bread of heaven. (John 6:51)
__e. Moses provided water in the wilderness… Jesus gives the living water… (John 7:38)
__f. Moses’ face glowed upon being in the presence of God; Jesus IS the face of God. (Col 1:15)
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Conclusion:
So what was the legacy of Moses? All of Moses’ life was dedicated to proclaiming the word of God and preparing the people of God for what God had for them. He gave the Law, but oftentimes we think of the “Law” as a dirty 4-letter word. Is the law bad? No! The Law serves at least 2 very important functions:
A. It helps us know what sin is… Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” []
B. Because of that, it helps us understand our need for salvation. The law shows us our need for a Savior, and brings us to the feet of Jesus…. Galatians 3:24-25 (24) Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (25) But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. []

5 Books of Moses, all leading up to this point. Genesis showed God as creator & man falling away from Him. Exodus showed God calling Israel back to Himself. Leviticus shows God’s holiness & how He gave Israel the law in dealing with ongoing sin. Numbers showed God showering grace upon Israel in their rebellion. Deuteronomy shows God covenanting with Israel to be their God. All of this is in preparation to bring them into the promised land – but more than that, all of this is in preparation to keep them looking for the promised Messiah. In Christ Jesus, God not only deals with sin, but reconciles man back to Himself – ultimately reversing the curse way back in Genesis.

No matter what book of the Bible we read, the message is the same. God has provided salvation through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And the application is always the same as well.

A. To the one convicted of sin: repent & trust Jesus for forgiveness.

B. To those of us already walking with Jesus: rejoice! The One Moses prophesied about was revealed to mankind on Christmas morning…which is the reason why the angels sang (and what we celebrate in 7 days). We have reason to rejoice because the Lawgiver has come & fulfilled the Law on our behalf – freeing us to walk with Him in holiness and fellowship.

Promising Discipline; Demonstrating Love

Deuteronomy 31-32, “Promising discipline; Demonstrating love”
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Deuteronomy 31 (NKJV)
1 Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them: “I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in. Also the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’ 3 The LORD your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before you, just as the LORD has said. 4 And the LORD will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites and their land, when He destroyed them. 5 The LORD will give them over to you, that you may do to them according to every commandment which I have commanded you.

A. Moses can’t go. He’s 120 years old (40 growing up in Egypt – 40 in Midian – 40 leading the Hebrews) & due to his sin with the rock & waters of Meribah Kadesh, he won’t be going any further…going to be reminded of this at the end of Ch 32.
B. God can go…and will! “The LORD your God Himself crosses over before you…” It’s not merely that they will go over the Jordan with the blessing of God; they will go over the Jordan WITH God. He’s the One going to fight the battles – He’s the One that’s going to gain the victory – He’s the One who’s going to deliver the Hebrews into the promised land.
__a. Important to keep in mind! The Hebrews may have followed a representative of God for the past 40 years, but their hope wasn’t in Moses. Neither would their hope be in Joshua; their hope was in God Himself. Likewise for us…we follow Christ Jesus, God Himself. There may be various leaders in the church who are faithful & others who are not – but our hope & trust isn’t in them. Our hope & trust is in Jesus alone.
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6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” 7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

A. “Be strong & of good courage”: We’re going to see this repeated often during the transition from Moses to Joshua. Joshua will be going up against what would seem to be insurmountable odds. He’s going to face nations larger and stronger than Israel – these nations will have the home-turf advantage, whereas Israel is nomadic – and Joshua’s leading a nation of 1st-class whiners… Yet the call isn’t to trust in his own strength, but to trust in the strength of the Lord God. Because HE’s strong, we can be strong & courageous in the face of insurmountable odds. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31)
B. Don’t fear. Why? First of all, God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear (2 Tim 1:7)… But also because God was giving them assurances of His provision.
__a. God is the One going with them…there is none stronger.
__b. God is the One who won’t leave them…there is none more faithful.
__c. God made a promise to their fathers…God always keeps His word.
__d. We have a similar promise today. He is with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt 28:20) – He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5) – nothing in all creation can ever separate us from His love (Rom 8:39)…Christian, don’t fear!
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9 So Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.”

A. The covenant was written down… Probably speaking of the whole book of Deuteronomy. No telling how many copies were made – most likely 2: one to be placed in the Ark & one to be given to the Levites.
B. God wanted the law to be read…often! But unfortunately, that’s not what happened. (Clarke) “It does not appear that from the time mentioned (Jos 8:30), at which time this public reading first took place, till the reign of Jehoshaphat (2Ch 17:7), there was any public seventh year reading – a period of 530 years. The next seventh year reading was not till the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah, (2Ch 34:30), a space of two hundred and eighty-two years. Nor do we find any other publicly mentioned from this time till the return from the Babylonish captivity, (Ne 8:2).” To read it publically 3 times in 882 years…is it any wonder that the people fell into idolatry & sin?
C. Why was the law to be read publically? So that they & their children could learn to fear the Lord & obey Him. Keep in mind that they didn’t have multiple study Bibles & various translations in every tent. Copies of the Scriptures were very rare & the literacy rate was obviously low. One has to know God’s Word if they’re going to obey it. And if the people were to know it, they would have to have it read to them.
__a. We’ve got a tremendous privilege & advantage over the ancient Hebrews in that we have our own (multiple) copies of the Scriptures! We have no excuse not to be reading it more than they did…
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14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die; call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of meeting, that I may inaugurate him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tabernacle of meeting. 15 Now the LORD appeared at the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood above the door of the tabernacle. 16 And the LORD said to Moses: “Behold, you will rest with your fathers; and this people will rise and play the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the land, where they go to be among them, and they will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. 17 Then My anger shall be aroused against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured. And many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ 18 And I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods.

A. Commissioning Joshua in the presence of the Lord. Both Moses & Joshua went to the Tabernacle with God’s glory present (symbolized by the pillar of cloud). If there was any doubt on God’s choice of a successor, there wouldn’t be any after this!
B. On the eve of writing down the covenant, God tells of how the Israelites will break it. The ink likely isn’t dry yet & God’s already telling them of their coming failure…it’s that certain. And history shows it to be true. Joshua no sooner passes away as Judges Ch 1 starts writing of the sin of the Israelites.
__a. This is just our human nature. Left to ourselves, we are sinful! When we turn away from God, we’re turning to sin (by definition) – and we shouldn’t be surprised when we see the effects of sin showing up in our lives.
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19 “Now therefore, write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel. 20 When I have brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and filled themselves and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant. 21 Then it shall be, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify against them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten in the mouths of their descendants, for I know the inclination of their behavior today, even before I have brought them to the land of which I swore to give them.”

A. Song serves as a witness against them. How so? Not many people can claim to have been warned away from idolatry as much as Israel has. The song of Moses is one more step in that…as they learned, memorized, and sung this song, they were singing the about the prophecies of God concerning what would happen when they fell into apostasy. Thus it was a witness against them.
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22 Therefore Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel. 23 Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.”

A. Again the repeated charge to Joshua: “Be strong and of good courage…”
B. Again the promise of victory in the Promised Land. God knows not only their coming failure, but He also knows the deliverance He will give them… Our God is a merciful & gracious God! Knowing their failure, He’s going to be true to His word, no matter what.
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24 So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished, 25 that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying: 26 “Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there as a witness against you; 27 for I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. If today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD, then how much more after my death? 28 Gather to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. And evil will befall you in the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands.”

A. Good point from Moses. If they were evil during his life, with all the miracles among them – how much more rebellious would they be after his death? One could hardly ask for more visible proof of God’s blessing & existence than what the Hebrews experienced!
B. People today fall into the same line of thinking. “Want me to believe in Jesus? I need more proof.” God has already given us all the witness we need regarding sin & righteousness. [Lazarus & the rich man…] Luke 16:31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ” [] How true! We have the witness of creation, of Scripture, and of the resurrected risen Son of God – and yet some people still do not believe. This isn’t a lack of proof; it’s a lack of willingness. Those who reject the gospel do so knowingly & willfully.
__a. But God still loves them enough to make salvation available…
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30 Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song until they were ended:
Deuteronomy 32 (NKJV)
1 “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. 2 Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As raindrops on the tender herb, And as showers on the grass. 3 For I proclaim the name of the LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God. 4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.

A. Introduction…remember this is poetry (thought of as the prime example of Hebrew poetry in all literature); Moses is petitioning all Creation to hear the witness of the Lord through this song.
B. What better way to begin than by proclaiming the glory & praises of God? He is great – He is the Rock of Salvation – His works are perfect as He is perfect – His ways are just because He is just – He is a God of truth, righteousness, & uprightness! Our God is worthy of praise!
__i. It’s important to start this song with this – for there is much here that some would charge God with unrighteousness with. God is definitely going to discipline His people and judge sin, but that doesn’t make Him unjust. On the contrary, it affirms His justice & righteousness! It’s proof of His goodness…
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5 “They have corrupted themselves; They are not His children, Because of their blemish: A perverse and crooked generation. 6 Do you thus deal with the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, who bought you? Has He not made you and established you?

A. In their rebellion, they’re certainly not acting like God’s children…
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7 “Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; Your elders, and they will tell you: 8 When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, When He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the children of Israel. 9 For the LORD’s portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance.

A. Going to recount Israel’s history – showing how God interacted with them.
B. First, God chose them. Of all the peoples of the earth, God chose Abraham & the Hebrews. He picked them out of all the sons of Adam as His own people; His own possession. Not because they had earned His favor, but because He is good & gracious. Likewise, God chose us as His own people, as a holy priesthood unto Him (1 Pet 2:9). We love Him because He 1st loved us (1 John 4:19).
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10 “He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. 11 As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings, 12 So the LORD alone led him, And there was no foreign god with him. 13 “He made him ride in the heights of the earth, That he might eat the produce of the fields; He made him draw honey from the rock, And oil from the flinty rock; 14 Curds from the cattle, and milk of the flock, With fat of lambs; And rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, With the choicest wheat; And you drank wine, the blood of the grapes.

A. Second, God provided for them. Once free from Egypt, God guided them through a desert wasteland for 40 years, providing life, manna, water, clothing, protection, and more. Israel has no need whatsoever to turn to idols; they serve the Living God – Jehovah Jireh their provider.
B. Note God didn’t merely provide for them as if He was obligated to do so with the bare minimum…God truly loves His people. They are “the apple of His eye” – He takes care of them like a mother eagle – He gave them the “choicest wheat”, etc.
__a. Is God’s provision really a sign of God’s love for them? After all, God causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust (Matt 5:45). But God’s provision is far more than causing our bellies to be full – He’s given us provision at our greatest need: salvation! Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [] There’s no greater provision than that!
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15 “But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, You are obese! Then he forsook God who made him, And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation. 16 They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger. 17 They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods, new arrivals That your fathers did not fear. 18 Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, And have forgotten the God who fathered you.

A. Who’s Jeshurun? Just another name for Israel. A bit of irony here, as it’s translated “the upright/righteous one” while describing their unrighteousness.
B. How did Israel respond to God’s gracious choice & provision? They forgot Him & provoked Him to jealousy & anger through idolatry. Were they really serving other gods? No – there is no other god but God Almighty. So who/what receives idolatrous sacrifices? Demons (vs. 17). Paul takes up the same theme in 1 Cor 10 regarding communion. The prohibition from idolatry doesn’t stop with the New Covenant – it carries over to us as well. God fathered us & adopted us as His own; we dare not forget Him.
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19 “And when the LORD saw it, He spurned them, Because of the provocation of His sons and His daughters. 20 And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be, For they are a perverse generation, Children in whom is no faith. 21 They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation. 22 For a fire is kindled in My anger, And shall burn to the lowest hell; It shall consume the earth with her increase, And set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

A. God’s response? The same as Israel’s towards Him:
__a. God forsakes them. There’s no more terrible thought than God hiding His face & presence from His children. It’s no wonder Jesus cried out in anguish from the cross, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46) when bearing the sin of mankind.
__b. God provokes them to jealousy. How so? Through us! Romans 10:19-20 (19) But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.” (20) But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” []
__c. God moves them to anger. When Israel & Judah are taken into captivity, they’ll understand a bit of the anger they caused the Lord.
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23 ‘I will heap disasters on them; I will spend My arrows on them. 24 They shall be wasted with hunger, Devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction; I will also send against them the teeth of beasts, With the poison of serpents of the dust. 25 The sword shall destroy outside; There shall be terror within For the young man and virgin, The nursing child with the man of gray hairs. 26 I would have said, “I will dash them in pieces, I will make the memory of them to cease from among men,” 27 Had I not feared the wrath of the enemy, Lest their adversaries should misunderstand, Lest they should say, “Our hand is high; And it is not the LORD who has done all this.” ’

A. It’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Promises famine, pestilence, war, and destruction.
B. How bad is it going to be? So bad that the Lord would have completely wiped them out, if not for the neighboring nations being able to bring a charge of unfaithfulness against the Lord God. I.e. “God must not keep His word if He destroyed His own people.” Thus, due to God’s own glory & reputation, the Hebrews remained a people even though they faced terrible devastation.
__a. There has always been a remnant of God’s people – even today! And still the glorious promise remains that God will remove the blinders from the rest of the nation & they will one day recognize their Messiah & worship Him in Spirit and truth. (Rom 11:5, 26)
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28 “For they are a nation void of counsel, Nor is there any understanding in them. 29 Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would consider their latter end! 30 How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Unless their Rock had sold them, And the LORD had surrendered them? 31 For their rock is not like our Rock, Even our enemies themselves being judges. 32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom And of the fields of Gomorrah; Their grapes are grapes of gall, Their clusters are bitter. 33 Their wine is the poison of serpents, And the cruel venom of cobras.

A. What were they too foolish to understand? That the sin wasn’t worth it! God had promised incalculable blessing for walking with Him & utter devastation for not doing so. Yet they chose the sin instead…
B. We do the same thing every time we choose sin over obedience… We could experience blessing & fellowship as we walk with Christ Jesus, but so often we experience consequences and God’s discipline when we choose to sin instead. It’s just not worth it!
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34 ‘Is this not laid up in store with Me, Sealed up among My treasures? 35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.’

A. IOW, this isn’t a threat; this is a promise. When they fall into idolatry, these things will come upon them.
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36 “For the LORD will judge His people And have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their power is gone, And there is no one remaining, bond or free. 37 He will say: ‘Where are their gods, The rock in which they sought refuge? 38 Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise and help you, And be your refuge.

A. As the prophets of Baal found out with Elijah (1 Kings 18), false gods can’t help people because they don’t exist. People can sincerely believe with their whole hearts in false gods & false religions & still be sincerely wrong.
B. But note that God has compassion on His people – even after momentous sin (vs. 36). That’s just Who God is…it’s part of His character & name. Exodus 34:6-7 (6) And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, (7) keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” [] Will He judge? Yes – absolutely. But does God still show compassion in the midst of it? Yes! Just in the fact He doesn’t completely destroy Israel, He demonstrates His compassion. But He doesn’t stop there; He desires to see them repent, and bless the nation. Again, we see it underlined, highlighted & put in bold type: God loves His children!
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39 ‘Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. 40 For I raise My hand to heaven, And say, “As I live forever, 41 If I whet My glittering sword, And My hand takes hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to My enemies, And repay those who hate Me. 42 I will make My arrows drunk with blood, And My sword shall devour flesh, With the blood of the slain and the captives, From the heads of the leaders of the enemy.” ’

A. There is no God but God! In blessing and destruction, God is always sovereign and almighty. None can stand or compare to Him…
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43 “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people.”

A. Why can Gentiles rejoice with God’s people? Because God’s atonement is for all of us. The atonement through Jesus Christ makes us one people: the people of God.
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44 So Moses came with Joshua the son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. 45 Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 and he said to them: “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law. 47 For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess.”

A. Israel may be certain to break the covenant, but that doesn’t stop Moses from imploring with them to follow. Whether or not they followed the law meant life or death…and God would have them choose life!
__a. Whether or not we respond to the Word of God is still a matter of life & death. God knows who will be saved and who won’t be saved…He still implores them to receive forgiveness through Christ.
B. As Christians, we dare not neglect observing God’s word through the Scriptures. We have a tendency to think that any call to obedience is a call to legalism – but that’s note true. Granted, the law has been fulfilled through Christ – but God’s commandments don’t stop with the Old Testament. We’re still commanded to love God will all our heart, soul, mind, and strength – to love one another as Jesus loves us – to bear one another’s burdens & fulfill the law of Christ & more. The difference is that we know today that it’s only through the empowerment of the Spirit that any of this is possible – but we’re still commanded to do it & observe the commands of our Lord & King.
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48 Then the LORD spoke to Moses that very same day, saying: 49 “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession; 50 and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people; 51 because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel. 52 Yet you shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel.”

A. Moses isn’t going to go into the land, but God WILL let him see it… Going to see more of this next week – ultimately this is a show of grace to Moses from God.

Conclusion:
Whether to Israel, Moses, or Joshua – God keeps His word! Joshua was promised to take the people into the land, and God gave that to him. Israel was promised judgment for their sin & redemption upon repentance, and God gave it to them. Moses was promised that though he would not go into the land, that he’s see it, and God gave it to him.

God always keeps His word! God promises salvation to all who repent and trust Christ, and He gives it to us…

Choose Life!

Deuteronomy 29-30, “Choose Life!”
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Deuteronomy 29 (NKJV)
1 These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb. [Mt. Sinai] 2 Now Moses called all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land— 3 the great trials which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great wonders. 4 Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day.

A. They’ve seen these things with their own eyes. Which things? Miraculous things! 9 plagues – the Passover – the Red Sea – pillar of fire/cloud… Even though their fathers died in the 40 year wandering, most of those alive are still eyewitnesses to these events. They KNEW the miraculous power of God because they had experienced it for themselves.
B. Yet at the same time, they did not see. They saw with their eyes, but didn’t see with their hearts. Like the Jews who heard Jesus’ teaching, they saw but did not perceive. Many who ate of the fish & loaves left with their bellies full & their hearts empty. It’s not enough to know of God; we have to know God – and the only way that happens is humbly laying our lives before Him. The Israelites were still filled with pride (hence their consistent complaining in the wilderness) – thus God had not yet given them a heart to perceive. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Jas 4:6) – all through Jesus Christ.
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5 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet. 6 You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or similar drink, that you may know that I am the LORD your God. 7 And when you came to this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us to battle, and we conquered them. 8 We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh.

A. All miracles of God along the way. Never had a need for new clothes or shoes – never had to plant wheat for bread or vineyards for wine (God supplied manna and water) – able to defeat experienced armies as a foretaste of the conquest…
B. All these things provided by the Lord as evidence that HE was their source of strength. The specific reason, “that you may know that I am the LORD your God”…
__a. This is always God’s reason for His display of power. It’s always to glorify Himself & be a witness unto Him. … It’s never to glorify a man “doing” the miracle! []
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9 Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do. 10 “All of you stand today before the LORD your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, 11 your little ones and your wives—also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water— 12 that you may enter into covenant with the LORD your God, and into His oath, which the LORD your God makes with you today, 13 that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

A. Invitation to reaffirm the covenant. Who’s invited? Everyone! From the natural born Hebrew to the stranger & slave among them. No one is left out – which is the way God has always worked. The road is indeed narrow & the way is exclusive to Jesus, but the invitation has always gone out to the entire world…we just come according to God’s terms & not ours.
B. God is God. That’s simply an unavoidable fact. But because of His great love & great mercy, He desires to be OUR God. … … Why? Does God need us? Of course not – He is perfectly whole & fulfilled in & of Himself. But because God loves us, to demonstrate His compassion, and to bring Himself glory through redemption, He desires to save us. (2 Pet 3:9)
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14 “I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, 15 but with him who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today [perpetual covenant for future generations]

16 (for you know that we dwelt in the land of Egypt and that we came through the nations which you passed by, 17 and you saw their abominations and their idols which were among them—wood and stone and silver and gold); 18 so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood; 19 and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart’— as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.

A. When we turn away from God, do we always turn to idols? Yes. They may not be the silver & gold statues of Egypt, but when we serve someone or something other than the God of the Universe, we’re committing idolatry. Maybe it’s our careers – maybe our computers – maybe even our kids… In the end, this is idolatry.
B. What happens when someone turns away from God to idols? First, they develop a root of “bitterness or wormwood”. It’s either gall in our mouth or poison in our spirit…it always has an effect on the person who turns away, because sin always has consequences.
__a. Usually ends up affecting those around him/her as well. Writer of Hebrews says the same thing – Hebrews 12:14-15 (14) Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: (15) looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; [] Many become defiled by the fall of one – either through reputation or example. We have an effect on others in the body of Christ, thus we not only have a responsibility to God, but to each other.
C. Second, they fall into delusion – thinking they can be blessed even in their sin. The person thinks, “I can do whatever I want & work it out later…it’s no big deal.” Wrong. It IS a big deal. Scripture is clear that we reap what we sow – if we sow to corruption, we’re going to reap from it as well. (Gal 6:7-8)
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20 “The LORD would not spare him; for then the anger of the LORD and His jealousy would burn against that man, and every curse that is written in this book would settle on him, and the LORD would blot out his name from under heaven.

A. The ultimate consequence of turning away from God? Death. Those who reject His offer of life and forgiveness will experience His wrath & judgment for all eternity.
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21 And the LORD would separate him from all the tribes of Israel for adversity, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this Book of the Law, 22 so that the coming generation of your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, would say, when they see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses which the LORD has laid on it: 23 ‘The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger and His wrath.’

A. Talking about complete devastation of the land. That which was to be a perpetual gift to Israel is perpetually taken away from them. There’s so much devastation that it would take a miracle of God to restore the land to fruitfulness (which is exactly what happened).
B. How bad would the devastation be? So bad that it would serve as a warning to foreign nations. God’s righteousness is either going to be demonstrated through His people’s obedience, or His discipline on their disobedience.
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24 All nations would say, ‘Why has the LORD done so to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?’ 25 Then people would say: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; 26 for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them. 27 Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book. 28 And the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.’

A. The reason for such devastation? Forsaking the Lord for idols. (Idolatry is a constant theme throughout Deuteronomy. Why? Because God knows the value of repetition! Israel would repeatedly fall into idolatry in their kingdom years, and God would have saved them from the consequences.)
B. The effect from such devastation? God pours out His wrath on the land. He takes away the promise & blessing, and allows His own people to be severely disciplined.
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29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

A. What are the “secret things”? The unknown – the future… God knows it!
B. Need we worry about the future? No. We simply need to walk with the Lord today. You can imagine the comfort this must have brought to the Israelites – after all this discussion about curses & discipline for future rebellion, it helps to know what they can do right now. And what they can do right now is listen to the law of God & obey it. (Going to expand on this in Ch 30…)
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Deuteronomy 30 (NKJV)
1 “Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, 2 and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you.

A. Note the acknowledgement that Israel WILL break the covenant and be sent into captivity…this was no surprise to God (who knows the end from the beginning) & should not have been to the people when it occurred…
__a. Why were they taken by surprise? (1) They were prideful & didn’t want to believe the warnings of Jeremiah, etc… … (2) They obviously had not been reading the Scriptures…
B. Who actually sends them into captivity? The Lord! He may have used the Assyrians, Chaldeans & Romans, etc, but it was the Lord God who drove them there…
__a. God is sovereign – even in times we don’t understand. (Habbakkuk)
C. Just as sure that God had a plan for their discipline, He also had a plan for their repentance… This is the compassion of our God! He knows we’re going to mess up, but He also knows what we need to be restored to fellowship. In the Israelites’ case, it was to turn back to the Lord; in our case it’s the same. Confession & repentance (1 John 1:9)
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4 If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. 5 Then the LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.

A. Talking about the diaspora & return? Fulfilled in Ezra – or in 1948 – or still to be fulfilled after the rapture of the church? Yes, yes, and yes. God DID bring the Jews out of captivity back to the land – but they didn’t prosper more than in the times of David & Solomon. God DID bring them many Jews back to Israel in the 20th Century, but not all of them – and although they are a prosperous people, they’ve been under constant warfare since their inception. This seems to be a promise yet to be fulfilled, likely after the Church is removed in the rapture & the blindness is removed from Israel’s eyes (Rom 11:25-26). Ultimately the promise must be fulfilled in Christ (as all promises of God are) – thus God must bring them to a point where they see our Messiah for Who He is & their hearts become circumcised – see vs. 6…
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6 And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

A. This was always God’s intention for His people! They were definitely expected to keep the Law, but God knew their inability & failings. But instead of following God out of rigid legalism, He desired for them to truly love Him and follow Him with their heart. … …
B. Those who are true Jews were circumcised in the heart. Romans 2:28-29 (28) For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; (29) but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. []
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7 “Also the LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. 8 And you will again obey the voice of the LORD and do all His commandments which I command you today. 9 The LORD your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your land for good. For the LORD will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, 10 if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

A. What happens with their repentance & God’s blessing? All the curses are reversed! Instead of the Hebrews suffering the curses, the curses fall on those who would oppress them. Instead of the land being devastated, it would be fruitful. Instead of livestock dying off in famine, it would increase. Instead of enduring God’s wrath, they’ll experience God’s rejoicing… Zephaniah 3:14-17 (14) Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! (15) The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more. (16) In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. (17) The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” [] What an amazing thought! That the King of the Universe would rejoice over us – like the Father of the Prodigal Son who showed such compassion, grace, and joy at his son’s return…
__a. Is this reference only earthly blessing? Seems to also look forward towards the Millennium.
B. How does this happen? Through repentance and obedience… (Notice a pattern yet? ) Keep in mind obedience is exactly the basis for God’s blessing. Only it’s not our obedience; it’s Jesus’. HE is the obedience One who perfectly fulfilled the law…
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11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

A. IOW, God didn’t make it too hard to understand, nor did He make it too difficult to do. It’s not like we have to climb to the top of Mt. Everest to seek the truth – God had placed the truth right before Israel (and us) in His word. He clearly lets us know what is expected of us regarding righteousness, so that we are left without excuse.
B. Why then can’t we do it? Because we have a fallen nature that’s dead in our sin (Rom 5:12). We’re not sinners because we sin; we sin because we’re sinners… This is why we need to be born again & given a new nature by Jesus making us new creations…
C. Paul takes these exact words and applies them to our salvation in Christ. Romans 10:8-10 (8) But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): (9) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. [] Ultimately the way the Law is fulfilled is in Christ, thus the way we are justified in the sight of God is by confessing Jesus as Lord… It’s not a work that we perform – it’s not some good deed we do; it’s repentance & faith in Jesus alone as the risen Son of God.
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15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.

A. What a choice! Life or death – which should we choose? In our flesh, we insanely choose death. We ought to choose life! And when we walk with Christ Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit, we do…
B. What does choosing life look like? Loving God & walking with Him in obedience & fellowship.
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17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.

A. Pretty clear. If they serve other gods, they will perish. God’s always been clear when it comes to sin. To Adam regarding the tree of the knowledge of good & evil, He said, “the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen 2:17) God’s not giving spiritualized commands – He’s not speaking in allegories – He’s simply saying “Sin leads to death.” And that’s never changed…
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19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

A. Choose life! So that you & your descendants may live… Choose life! So that you may love the Lord your God & cling to Him… Choose life! So that you may obey His voice & experience His promise of blessing… Just choose life!

Conclusion:
God invites us to follow Him! When we don’t, the consequences are disastrous…God would save us from that.

Blessings & Curses

Deuteronomy 27-28, “Blessings & Curses”
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Introduction:
Moving into the next section of the vassal treaty: we’ve covered the preamble & national history – the Law (including general and specific commandments) – now moving into sanctions and rewards for either breaking or keeping the covenant.

Going to spend a lot more time on the curses rather than the blessings. Why? It’s easy to take the good stuff for granted. Not much different than us – we need to be convinced that we’re sick before we seek a cure. Thus the use of the law to bring us to the point we’re convinced we need a Savior. The law is our tutor to bring us to Christ (Gal 3:24) & that’s exactly the point of Ch 27-28 – the Hebrews were to see themselves in complete & total need of the grace of God.

Deuteronomy 27 (NKJV)
1 Now Moses, with the elders of Israel, commanded the people, saying: “Keep all the commandments which I command you today. 2 And it shall be, on the day when you cross over the Jordan to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, that you shall set up for yourselves large stones, and whitewash them with lime. 3 You shall write on them all the words of this law, when you have crossed over, that you may enter the land which the LORD your God is giving you, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ just as the LORD God of your fathers promised you. 4 Therefore it shall be, when you have crossed over the Jordan, that on Mount Ebal you shall set up these stones, which I command you today, and you shall whitewash them with lime. 5 And there you shall build an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones; you shall not use an iron tool on them. 6 You shall build with whole stones the altar of the LORD your God, and offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God. 7 You shall offer peace offerings, and shall eat there, and rejoice before the LORD your God. 8 And you shall write very plainly on the stones all the words of this law.”

A. When you get there… God IS going to take them there & it’s going to be a good land! “a land flowing with milk and honey” = provision & pleasure…
B. Write out the Law so that everyone can read it… What exactly this included is up for debate. Some think it was the whole book of Deuteronomy – others think just the 10 Commandments – others think just the section on curses & blessings as a witness to the people. Whatever it was, it was no small task & it wasn’t done in vain – the people were meant to read it. (Completed in Joshua 8.)
..a. God has always desired for His people to have access to His word…
C. Build an altar… Why not the tabernacle? This altar wasn’t to be an ongoing place of sacrifice; it had a specific one-time use: to testify to the covenant between God & the Hebrews. [] How many times did Jesus die on the cross for our sin? Once! And once was sufficient to pay for all the sins of all mankind. If Jesus isn’t fully sufficient, nothing & no one is!
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9 Then Moses and the priests, the Levites, spoke to all Israel, saying, “Take heed and listen, O Israel: This day you have become the people of the LORD your God. 10 Therefore you shall obey the voice of the LORD your God, and observe His commandments and His statutes which I command you today.”

A. Were they not the Lord’s people before? Sure – but on “this day” they were affirming that fact & renewing the covenant they made with God at Mt Sinai (Ex 24).
B. As the Lord’s people, they were to keep His commandments in obedience…
C. Today, WE are the Lord’s people!
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11 And Moses commanded the people on the same day, saying, 12 “These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you have crossed over the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin; 13 and these shall stand on Mount Ebal to curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

A. [MAP / PIC] Natural ampitheater…
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14 “And the Levites shall speak with a loud voice and say to all the men of Israel: 15 ‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ “And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen!’ 16 ‘Cursed is the one who treats his father or his mother with contempt.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

A. As they begin the curses, it’s important to see the difference between Ch 27 & 28. Here, the curses for breaking the covenant & read out & agreed to (“Amen”)… Basically like signing a contract… In Ch 28 Moses is going to go over the curses in detail, actually prophesying the events that will take place when the covenant is broken.
..a. Although Ch 28 details out the blessings, only the curses are read aloud & agreed to. The Law brings a curse & death; life is found in grace & forgiveness upon the fulfillment of the law!
B. Curses against idolatry (1st – 3rd Commandments) & dishonoring one’s parents (5th Commandment). Natural pairing; one is a shadow of the other…
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17 ‘Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ 18 ‘Cursed is the one who makes the blind to wander off the road.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ 19 ‘Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the stranger, the fatherless, and widow.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

A. Justice issues: Theft (8th Commandment – landmark), False witness (9th Commandment – perverting justice, lying to blind)
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20 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s bed.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ 21 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with any kind of animal.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ 22 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ 23 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with his mother-in-law.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

A. Purity issues: 7th Commandment – Adultery. ‘Is this really all related to adultery?’ Yes – God’s plan for intimacy is between one man & one woman joined as husband & wife. Anything outside of this is fornication which goes to the heart of the 7th Commandment.
B. Why is so much time spent on this compared to the others? The family is the building block of society. If it starts breaking down, then everything else begins to crumble…as attested to in our own culture.
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24 ‘Cursed is the one who attacks his neighbor secretly.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ 25 ‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

A. Criminal issues: Murder (6th Commandment).
B. What would avoid all these issues? The Great Commandment! Matthew 22:37-40 (37) Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (40) On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” []
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26 ‘Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ ”

A. Note they had to obey ALL the law. Can’t pick & choose which parts they agreed with & which parts they didn’t…
B. If we break one part, we’re guilty of all (Jam 2:10) – which is one reason we can know we are justified by faith & not by works! Galatians 3:10-11 (10) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” (11) But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” []
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Deuteronomy 28 (NKJV)
1 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:

A. The concept for the Hebrews was pretty simple: blessings for obedience & curses for disobedience. The application is far more difficult. Why? The Law was given to reveal our own sinfulness to us…
B. So where are the blessings found? In Christ Jesus! In His love, grace, and forgiveness & person… (John 1:17 – The law was given through Moses, but grace & truth through Jesus Christ.)
C. Does this mean that God intended not to bless the people? Of course not. His desire was surely to do so (Num 23:19 – God is not a man that He would lie…); but He is omniscient, and He simply knew their inability and unwillingness to do so in the long term…
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3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. 4 “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. 5 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 6 “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

A. Blessings in the land: wherever they lived, it would be the land God Himself gave to them & they were blessed.
B. Blessings in the family: Children are a heritage from the Lord (Ps 127:3) & their families would be plentiful, healthy, and strong.
C. Blessings in their livestock & agriculture: speaking of economics…
D. Blessings among their neighbors: their reputation would be such as to draw other people to the Lord through the witness of the Lord’s work in their lives.
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- Expands on what the blessings include.
7 “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. 8 “The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. 9 “The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. 10 Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. 11 And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.

A. Complete military victory & reputation – the nations would know of God’s blessing upon Israel & flee. This actually happened with Joshua…(Rahab – Joshua 2)
B. Complete economic security. Unlike the time that Israel had to go down to Egypt for survival, this time they were to be the nation the world looked to for sustenance.
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13 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. 14 So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

A. Complete national superiority: head; not the tail…keep this in mind.
B. IF they don’t abandon God. This is a guaranteed promise, but it’s conditional upon obedience. (Which they obviously fail).
..a. Our covenant with God is based on a far better premise: the obedience of Christ & not ourselves! He is faithful – He is victorious – and our salvation is based totally upon His work & none of our own.
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15 – 19 [virtually point-for-point reversal of blessings]
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20 “The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me.

A. Summary statement of what’s about to follow… Moses enters to a sermon series of prophecies detailing what will be involved with the curses that follow Israel’s disobedience. It’s a bit overwhelming, and that’s exactly what it’s meant to be.

21 – 22 [Health problems: disease, plagues, death]

23 – 24 [Environmental problems: drought & famine]

25 – 26 [Military problems: utter defeat & death]

27 – 28 [more health issues: physical & mental diseases]

29 And you shall grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness; you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you. 30 “You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but shall not gather its grapes. 31 Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat of it; your donkey shall be violently taken away from before you, and shall not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you shall have no one to rescue them. 32 Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all day long; and there shall be no strength in your hand. 33 A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of your labor, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually. 34 So you shall be driven mad because of the sight which your eyes see.

A. Note the difference here between what they were supposed to gain & what they were losing. By relying on God’s promise & walking into obedience, they were supposed to live in houses they didn’t build & work vineyards they didn’t plant (Deut 6:11). Now this is all going to be stripped away from them & their belongings & families would be taken away by invading nations.
B. This is exactly what happened in the various invasions – specifically with Babylon. The choice boys were taken away & thrown into a re-education program (Daniel 1)…
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35 The LORD will strike you in the knees and on the legs with severe boils which cannot be healed, and from the sole of your foot to the top of your head. 36 “The LORD will bring you and the king whom you set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods—wood and stone. 37 And you shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations where the LORD will drive you.
A. Forced idolatry (Nebuchadnezzar – Dan 3)…
B. Instead of being a witness of the One True God, the Hebrews would become a curse word. Absolute reversal of what God desired for them!
..a. Not unlike what happens to Christians due to sin. How many times has our witness been ruined because of actions of others (or ourselves!)?

38 – 42 [more agricultural problems & famine]

43 – 44 [national humiliation]
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45 “Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. 46 And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your descendants forever. 47 “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you.

A. God lays out the reason why: it’s because they didn’t serve the Lord with joy & gladness! How much do we lose when we do not worship the Lord? Inevitably when we don’t worship God, we worship other things/people & we suffer the consequences as a result…
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49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a nation of fierce countenance, which does not respect the elderly nor show favor to the young. 51 And they shall eat the increase of your livestock and the produce of your land, until you are destroyed; they shall not leave you grain or new wine or oil, or the increase of your cattle or the offspring of your flocks, until they have destroyed you. 52 “They shall besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you at all your gates throughout all your land which the LORD your God has given you. 53 You shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and your daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you.

A. Prophecy regarding the horrors of siege and invasions… Aspects of this are reflected in the Assyrian, Babylonian, and even Roman invasions. (Rome might even be specifically mentioned by the ‘eagle’)
B. Cannibalism took place with the Syrian invasion of Samaria in 2 Kings 6:28-29… Spoken of in Jerusalem with the Babylonian invasion in Lam 4:10… It’s hard to conceive of any straits more desperate than when someone is willing to eat their own children.
..a. People often claim that sin is no big deal. It’s ALWAYS a big deal eventually. One leads to the next & on & on, and it gets worse & worse. Finally, God gives us over to our debased minds in order that we might do those things which are not fitting (Rom 1:28).
..b. The ONLY thing that stops sin is salvation! We must be saved from our reprobate mind…

54 – 57 [complete degradation…]

58 “If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD, 59 then the LORD will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues—great and prolonged plagues—and serious and prolonged sicknesses. 60 Moreover He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. 61 Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the LORD bring upon you until you are destroyed.

A. All the judgments of Egypt. If THAT didn’t strike fear into their hearts, not much else would!
B. Note: even with all the judgments & curses, God is still to be praised. He is still the Lord our God & we are still to fear His “glorious and awesome name”! The severity of the curses was simply to wake up the people & get them to fall on their needs in repentance – and turn & worship the Lord again.
..a. Whatever we’re going through, God is still awesome (in the truest sense of the word)…He is still worthy to be praised!
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62 You shall be left few in number, whereas you were as the stars of heaven in multitude, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God. 63 And it shall be, that just as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess. 64 “Then the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known—wood and stone.

A. Is this really a reversal of the Abrahamic covenant? Not really. Keep in mind two things:
..a. God always kept a remnant (Rom 11:5).
..b. The ultimate fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant is in Christ! We Gentile believers have been grafted into the olive tree of Israel (Rom 11:17), and through faith we are children of Abraham (Rom 4:12). Truly the number of those saved by faith in Christ is innumberable…God always keeps His word!
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65 And among those nations you shall find no rest, nor shall the sole of your foot have a resting place; but there the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and anguish of soul. 66 Your life shall hang in doubt before you; you shall fear day and night, and have no assurance of life. 67 In the morning you shall say, ‘Oh, that it were evening!’ And at evening you shall say, ‘Oh, that it were morning!’ because of the fear which terrifies your heart, and because of the sight which your eyes see. 68 “And the LORD will take you back to Egypt in ships, by the way of which I said to you, ‘You shall never see it again.’ And there you shall be offered for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.”

A. Is there a Biblical account of the Jews being sent back to Egypt? No – but there is a historical account of it shortly after the New Testament was completed & Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus in 70AD… (Guzik) “More than 600,000 died from starvation, and their dead bodies were dumped over the walls of the city. In total more that a million died and 97,000 were captured, with most of the captives being shipped as slaves to Egypt. The promise of Deuteronomy 28:68 was tragically fulfilled: you shall be offered for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you. This happened as too many Jewish slaves glutted the Egyptian slave market, and no one could buy all the available slaves.”

Conclusion:
When reading over the curses & prophecies, we think, “This is terrible – awful – overwhelming! No one would dare want to endure these things!” And that’s the point. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10) … God WANTED His people to know the worst possible result of their sin in forsaking Him in order to give them motivation in obedience…

“It’s a good thing this all ended in the OT!” Wrong…it doesn’t. God is the same in the NT & the OT. Granted, we have the glorious opportunity now to experience the grace of God – but God WILL pour out His wrath and judgments on the world again. Thus we have the book of Revelation…

The good news for us today? These curses have ALREADY been poured out on Christ Jesus for us & we received the blessing instead. Galatians 3:13-14 (13) Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), (14) that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Deuteronomy 25-26, Concluding the Law

Deuteronomy 25-26, “Concluding the Law”
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Deuteronomy 25 (NKJV)
1 “If there is a dispute between men, and they come to court, that the judges may judge them, and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, 2 then it shall be, if the wicked man deserves to be beaten, that the judge will cause him to lie down and be beaten in his presence, according to his guilt, with a certain number of blows. 3 Forty blows he may give him and no more, lest he should exceed this and beat him with many blows above these, and your brother be humiliated in your sight.

A. Justice system… Corporal punishment…
..a. Paul received this on several occasions (2 Cor 11:24). Actually received 39, which was merciful tradition in order to avoid a miscount.
B. Judges have the responsibility to “justify the righteous and condemn the wicked”… … Just like God!
C. Why not more than 40 lashes? Humiliation… Punishment CAN be excessive. Justice is just; not vengeful. [Shechem – Dinah, vengeance – Gen 34] Tells us something very important about Hell: as awful as it is that there is a place where the worm never dies & the fire is never quenched for all eternity, Hell is NOT excessive. It is the just & fair consequence of rebellion against a Holy, Perfect, Infinite God…
..a. Tradition tells us Jesus got 39 lashes. In truth, all Scripture tells us is that He was scourged. But this was a Roman punishment & not necessarily derived from Hebrew law. History tells us a lot about scourging… … This is what Jesus went through for you & me.
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4 “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.

A. Basic idea: don’t punish the animal for doing its work. The ox would be used to walk around in a circle with grain on the ground in order to break out the grain from the husk. To not allow the ox to eat of the grain it was treading was just cruel.
B. Interesting timing – going to be looking at this on Sunday in 1 Tim 5. Paul uses this Scripture several times in relation to churches having the responsibility to provide for those who minister to them.
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5 “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. 6 And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.

A. Levirate marriage… (Not “levi”, but “levir” from Latin “brother”) Most familial relationships were forbidden to intermarry, but this one exception allowed for the family inheritance to be passed from generation to generation. As long as the brothers dwelt on the same land, they were supposed to have the land split between them – the problem arose if one of the brothers died, then the land wouldn’t be divided as an inheritance & the widow would be left destitute. Thus the surviving brother was expected to take her as a wife & the resulting child would receive the inheritance.
B. Sadducees attempted to trap Jesus with this law… (Matt 22:23-32)
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7 But if the man does not want to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate to the elders, and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to raise up a name to his brother in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.’ 8 Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him. But if he stands firm and says, ‘I do not want to take her,’ 9 then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, spit in his face, and answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who will not build up his brother’s house.’ 10 And his name shall be called in Israel, ‘The house of him who had his sandal removed.’

A. What happens if the brother refuses? He has to refuse in public – he is disgraced by the widow – his disgrace is ongoing & part of his identity… Why the shoe? (Unger) “Taking off the shoe arose from the custom of walking on the soil, declaring one’s right to ownership.” See this played out in Ruth & Boaz… [BIBLE – Ruth 4:7-8]
..a. Sin always brings consequences… Why is this sin? God desires His people to show mercy & grace (because God does) – when God’s people refuse, it’s a slap in the face to the God who showed mercy unto them…
B. Note the community is to try to persuade the brother to do the right thing. If the brother is going to refuse, he has to do so despite the pleas of the elders of the city.
..a. News flash: we ARE our brothers’ keepers! Sometimes we get blinded by our own sin & flesh & we need to have a loving confrontation from godly people who care for us. Galatians 6:1-2 (1) Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. (2) Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. []
C. Why is the provision of a family line so important? Because a family line was needed to bring about Jesus Christ…this was the 1st Messianic prophecy in the Bible (Gen 3:15). Possible that Jesus’ lineage was the primary reason God gave this law in the 1st place! Without it, Ruth wouldn’t have had a reason to be married by Boaz – who ended up being the great-grandfather of David.
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11 “If two men fight together, and the wife of one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of the one attacking him, and puts out her hand and seizes him by the genitals, 12 then you shall cut off her hand; your eye shall not pity her.

A. Serious punishment! Seems to be a natural follow-up to the levirate marriage. If the whole purpose of the levirate marriage is to help provide a family heir, then it would make sense to punish a woman whose actions would destroy the ability for a man to have an heir.
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13 “You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a heavy and a light. 14 You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. 15 You shall have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure, that your days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. 16 For all who do such things, all who behave unrighteously, are an abomination to the LORD your God.

A. Weights & measures… Each merchant would have their own measures & it wasn’t uncommon for people to try to cheat one another with weights in their own favor.
B. God expects His people to be just. Why? Because HE is just…HE is righteous! Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He. []
..a. Thus cheating is an abomination to the Lord because it goes against His very character… We’re to love our neighbors as we love ourselves & cheating has no place in that…
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17 “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, 18 how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. 19 Therefore it shall be, when the LORD your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget.

A. Amalekite review… (Exo 17:8-16 – holding up Moses’ arms)
B. Saul had the opportunity, but missed it. (1 Sam 15)
C. The point? Never compromise with the flesh! Until the day God takes us home, we are engaged in an ever-present battle against sin & the “old man.” …
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Deuteronomy 26 (NKJV)
1 “And it shall be, when you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, 2 that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide.

A. Good reminder: this isn’t an IF; it’s a WHEN. The Israelites WILL be coming into the land. (Sooner at this point than ever before)…
B. Firstfruits. This seems to be different from the actual feast of Firstfruits (Lev 23:10) – but rather the 1st of the 1st fruits given when Israel actually lived in the land.
C. Why? (1) God gave them the land… (2) God gave them the produce… (3) God invited them to worship Him…this isn’t an offering of sacrifice; this is an offering of thanks & worship.
..a. It’s an amazing thing to consider that God invites us to worship Him through Christ Jesus!
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3 And you shall go to the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, ‘I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the country which the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.’ 4 “Then the priest shall take the basket out of your hand and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God. 5 And you shall answer and say before the LORD your God: ‘My father was a Syrian, about to perish, and he went down to Egypt and dwelt there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and laid hard bondage on us. 7 Then we cried out to the LORD God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and our oppression. 8 So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. 9 He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, “a land flowing with milk and honey”; 10 and now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land which you, O LORD, have given me.’ “Then you shall set it before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God.

A. Firstfruits ceremony: give the basket to the priest – ceremonial recitation of history, acknowledging God’s constant hand of provision on them.
B. Important aspects about their history:
..a. Abraham was a Syrian pagan when he was Abram…and God called him as His own…
..b. Israel was indeed about to perish before going to Egypt…and God provided for their survival (using a tragic sin against Joseph…)
..c. In Egypt, God made a tribe into a nation…
..d. God gave them their freedom
..e. God gave them their home.
C. The response to all this? Set the offering before God & worship Him!
..a. It’s all about the work of God! It’s all about His glory! He’s worthy!
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11 So you shall rejoice in every good thing which the LORD your God has given to you and your house, you and the Levite and the stranger who is among you.

A. Has God blessed you? Then praise the Lord with it. He’s given it to you for His glory & your enjoyment… We merely need to acknowledge that it is in fact the Lord Who gave it to us to begin with. James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. [] Whether this is wisdom which He gives freely, or strength to endure temptation through the Holy Spirit – or even the basic provisions of life, it all comes from our Jehovah Jireh…
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12 “When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year— the year of tithing—and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, 13 then you shall say before the LORD your God: ‘I have removed the holy tithe from my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. 14 I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for an unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the LORD my God, and have done according to all that You have commanded me. 15 Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, just as You swore to our fathers, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’

A. What’s the difference between 1st fruits & the tithe? If the 1st Fruits was to celebrate the initial harvest after the Lord brought them into the land; this particular tithe was to celebrate God’s ongoing provision once they were settled there.
B. What was the 3rd year tithe for? The “Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow” – IOW, those who completely depended on the Lord for daily bread & provision… This wasn’t the only tithe; this was extra reserved the particular purpose of providing for those in need. Ch 14 detailed the regular tithe which was given year by year.
C. The Hebrew was invited to rejoice in all his increase in vs. 11 – but the tithe was not to be touched. It belonged to God & His purposes…it certainly wasn’t to be used in pagan rituals & other sinful activities. This was set aside to be holy unto God.
..a. Sometimes we get the wrong idea about giving. We think we’re giving to the Lord what rightfully belongs to us. In truth, we’re giving back to the Lord what rightfully belongs to HIM. He’s simply allowed us to be stewards of these resources in the meantime.
D. In response, the Hebrew prayed for blessing (vs 15)… God desired to bless the Hebrews for the tithe – even invited them to test Him on the matter. Malachi 3:8-10 (8) “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. (9) You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. (10) Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. []
..a. Be careful not to turn this into a get-rich-quick-off-of-God scheme. This was a specific promise given to a specific people in a specific situation. However, the general principle is true: we are simply not going to be able to ‘out give’ God! He may not always entrust more finances to us, but He’s going to bless anything given to Him in true worship…
E. Is there a NT command to tithe? Not really. There’s no NT verse stating, “You must set aside 10% of your income for God.” At the same time, no where in the NT is the tithe denounced…Jesus actually commended the Pharisees for giving it (Matt 23:23) & His greatest praise for giving was reserved for the widow who gave everything! (Luke 21:3) Thus the tithe becomes a great model of giving for NT believers. What do we see from the tithe?
..a. Giving should be unto God: It’s not done for our benefit; it’s given as worship unto Him. If we’re ‘giving to get’ then we’ve got the wrong motives.
..b. Giving should be consistent: The tithe was done on a regular basis & thus so should ours. Paul regularly asked the churches to set the giving aside in order to avoid confusion & pressure. (2 Cor 9:5)
..c. Giving should be generous: A tithe is (by definition) a 10th – no small amount of a yearly harvest. We may not see a specific percentage outlined in the NT, but we have the example of Jesus giving His life for us. And if we sow bountifully, we’ll reap bountifully. (2 Cor 9:6)
..d. Giving should be cheerful: This isn’t as explicitly stated in the tithe – but it’s definitely implied. The reason the tithe could be given in the 1st place was because God had graciously provided for the people in the land in abundance. Thus this was a response of cheerful worship. (2 Cor 9:7)
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16 “This day the LORD your God commands you to observe these statutes and judgments; therefore you shall be careful to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 Today you have proclaimed the LORD to be your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments, and that you will obey His voice.

A. Wrapping up the whole civic section.
B. Note that the Lord doesn’t desire mere lip-service on these laws. He wanted them to “observe them with all your heart and with all your soul”
C. This was a commitment Israel was making – a public vow to walk with the Lord & serve Him as His people. Keep in mind that Deuteronomy follows the form of a vassal-treaty – this is indicating Israel’s acceptance of the covenant (later demonstrated on the mountains).
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18 Also today the LORD has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments, 19 and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be a holy people to the LORD your God, just as He has spoken.”

A. God made them a “special people”… … Did they earn this honor? No – God had promised it to them! He was keeping His word to Abraham… (Gen 12?)
B. Did God set Israel above all the nations? After all, Israel is pretty tiny… … Yes! Through Jesus Christ.
C. Will God still set Israel above the nations? Possible reference to the Millennium.

Conclusion:
Are we representing God? In His justice, His mercy, and His fairness…
Are we honoring God? In our possessions & service…

God has chosen us! WE as the church are the special people of God () – He’s bought us & called us by name. May we honor Him as we represent Him to the world in witness of the gospel.

Deuteronomy 21-22, “What We’re Saved From”

Deuteronomy 21 (NKJV)
1 “If anyone is found slain, lying in the field in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him, 2 then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance from the slain man to the surrounding cities. 3 And it shall be that the elders of the city nearest to the slain man will take a heifer which has not been worked and which has not pulled with a yoke. 4 The elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with flowing water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and they shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley.

A. So far, God has already dealt with murder (10 Commandments), death in warfare (Ch 20), unintentional manslaughter (cities of refuge) – but what about the cases that aren’t so obvious? What if you don’t know how a person died? Our own culture doesn’t have a method to deal with it at all (it’s an ‘unsolved mystery’) – but God gave Israel a way to address it.
B. Why the sacrifice? Because regardless how the person died, he still died. And death is a result of sin… (Genesis – the Fall)
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5 Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to Him and to bless in the name of the LORD; by their word every controversy and every assault shall be settled.

A. Ministry of the Levitical priests…served to show the judgment of God in the matter. Note: God chose them – God has a purpose for them – God uses them to spread truth. Knowing that we are a priesthood of believers (), there’s a lot of NT parallel here:
__a. God chose you! We love Him because He 1st loved us (1 John 4:19).
__b. God has a purpose for you! He equips you to serve in the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:7).
__c. God uses you to proclaim truth! That’s exactly what we do through the Great Commission.
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6 And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley. 7 Then they shall answer and say, ‘Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen it. 8 Provide atonement, O LORD, for Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, and do not lay innocent blood to the charge of Your people Israel.’ And atonement shall be provided on their behalf for the blood. 9 So you shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD.

A. Innocent blood needs to be atoned for; it cries out from the ground (Gen 4:10). Thus the innocent heifer was killed in response to the sin that took place – this was the work of “atonement”. Atonement = turning the wrath of God away…a covering over of sin. … This is what Jesus does for us! We are forgiven only because we are covered by the innocent blood of Jesus Christ, who became sin for us. (2 Cor 5:21)
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10 “When you go out to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God delivers them into your hand, and you take them captive, 11 and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and desire her and would take her for your wife, 12 then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails. 13 She shall put off the clothes of her captivity, remain in your house, and mourn her father and her mother a full month; after that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. 14 And it shall be, if you have no delight in her, then you shall set her free, but you certainly shall not sell her for money; you shall not treat her brutally, because you have humbled her.

A. Like we’ve done so many times, we need to take off our 21st Century mindset & consider what this meant for a culture 1500 years before Christ. When all the men of age in your city have been killed in war, as a woman – what are your options for survival? Other cultures would have encouraged their men to rape the women & leave them for dead – with no means for future provision if they did survive. If you were taken as a slave (which was the least that could happen with a war with Israel – Deut 20:14), you were best off being a slave of the Hebrews as God gave very specific rules for how to treat slaves. But even then, you’re still a slave. Thus in His grace, God gives an option for a slave woman to be taken as a wife – with time to mourn & all the rights of being a Hebrew wife…fully provided for. … …
__a. Christianity isn’t a religion just for men – it’s a religion for everyone! In every culture that Christianity has gone, women have been historically lifted up & treated better… … Why? Because once we are in Christ, everything changes – all our previous statuses disappear & we become one in Him. Galatians 3:26-28 (26) For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. []
B. Given a full month – not just for mourning, but as a time to separate herself from her previous culture. Her hair is shaved & nails are trimmed & clothes are changed in a symbolic ‘starting over.’
C. After the month, the man still has the option not to marry her, and if he does, he apparently has guidelines regarding divorce. (More details in Ch 24) There may not be a family for her to return to, but God still protects the woman by not allowing her ex-husband to profit off of the divorce & throw her back into slavery…
__a. Keep in mind that although God provided regulations regarding divorce, God hates it (Mal 2:16) – it’s allowed due to our hardness of heart (Matt 19:8).
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15 “If a man has two wives, one loved and the other unloved, and they have borne him children, both the loved and the unloved, and if the firstborn son is of her who is unloved, 16 then it shall be, on the day he bequeaths his possessions to his sons, that he must not bestow firstborn status on the son of the loved wife in preference to the son of the unloved, the true firstborn. 17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

A. Jacob may have been a Patriarch, but he could have learned a lot from Moses. Rachel & Leah were constantly pitted against each other & their children reflected it with how they treated Joseph.
__i. The Bible never approves of polygamy; it only acknowledges it. God’s perfect plan is for a monogamous husband/wife lifelong marriage. When divorce or other extra-marital affairs get in the way, children always suffer as a result…the command here would help lessen the blow to the 1st born.
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18 “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them, 19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city. 20 And they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear.

A. Rebellion at home… Interesting that this section would follow the instruction regarding the rights of the 1st born. Fathers are instructed not to provoke their children to wrath (Eph 6:4); treating them as less than their true son would definitely do that!
B. Is this too harsh of a punishment? Not for the crime; remember, this is the 5th Commandment… No record that this punishment was ever carried out. Either the culture ignored this rule, or the possibility was severe enough that sons didn’t rise to this level of rebellion.
C. Compare this with the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15)…
__a. Did Jesus give the wrong ending? Should the son have been killed? Yes – according to the law. … But according to grace, the son was not only shown mercy; he was brought back into the family in a tremendous display of grace. Luke 15:20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. [] Even beyond receiving him back into the family, the father demonstrated tremendous grace by running (which a patriarch didn’t do) & meeting him at the outskirts before anyone else could lay hands on him.
__b. Keep in mind that even in the gospel, the son is still killed – only that the death belongs to the Son of God. This is the glorious idea behind the substitutionary atonement – OUR punishment was put on Jesus…what should have happened to us happened to Him…
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22 “If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.

A. “Hanging” isn’t the idea of strangulation; it’s one of exposure… Definitely a harsh form of punishment! But even here, there’s mercy that’s evident. The body isn’t left up on the pike to be devoured by animals or rot; one day’s worth of humiliation was enough. The land was not to be defiled, so the body was removed & given a proper burial afterwards.
B. Direct application to Jesus! Galatians 3:13-14 (13) Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), (14) that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. []
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Deuteronomy 22 (NKJV)
1 “You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray, and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly bring them back to your brother. 2 And if your brother is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it to your own house, and it shall remain with you until your brother seeks it; then you shall restore it to him. 3 You shall do the same with his donkey, and so shall you do with his garment; with any lost thing of your brother’s, which he has lost and you have found, you shall do likewise; you must not hide yourself. 4 “You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fall down along the road, and hide yourself from them; you shall surely help him lift them up again.

A. Mutual responsibility… When we willingly allow our brother to suffer, we’re sinning by omission (as opposed to sinning by commission).
B. Love your neighbor as you love yourself…(Matt 22:39) Interesting that we have to have “good samaritan” laws now…some of these things should be common sense to us in helping our neighbor.
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5 “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God.

A. Transvestitism… Why is this important to God? Because God created genders! We were knitted together in our mothers’ womb – and although situations in life may confuse people, God didn’t make a mistake in anyone’s birth. To say, “I don’t want to be a man/woman” is rebellion against God Himself & demonstrates a fundamental lack of trust in God.
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6 “If a bird’s nest happens to be before you along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, with the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young; 7 you shall surely let the mother go, and take the young for yourself, that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days. 8 “When you build a new house, then you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring guilt of bloodshed on your household if anyone falls from it.

A. Examples of merciful provision:
__a. Take the eggs, but leave the mother alive. Ensured ongoing food & encouraged human treatment of animals.
__b. Build a protective wall/fence around the rooftop. People spent a lot of time up there & that would stop people from falling off.
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9 “You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled. 10 “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. 11 “You shall not wear a garment of different sorts, such as wool and linen mixed together. 12 “You shall make tassels on the four corners of the clothing with which you cover yourself.

A. Examples of purity. Some have seen various benefits in single-seeded fields, the way donkeys & oxen work together, etc. But most likely, these were practical ways of demonstrating their commitment to the Lord & His commandments, and demonstrating the purity that God alone brings.
B. Definitely NT application here. Don’t be unequally yoked…seems to be what Paul was referring to – 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (14) Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? (15) And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? [] Whether we’re talking about business arrangements, marriage, or whatever – we don’t want to be so closely joined to an unbeliever that they would pull us away from God.
C. Tassels – (Num 15:37-41) Used to remind believers of the commandments of God. Perhaps used as a memory aid; primarily used as a physical visible reminder that they were set apart unto God (holiness).
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13 “If any man takes a wife, and goes in to her, and detests her, 14 and charges her with shameful conduct, and brings a bad name on her, and says, ‘I took this woman, and when I came to her I found she was not a virgin,’ 15 then the father and mother of the young woman shall take and bring out the evidence of the young woman’s virginity to the elders of the city at the gate. 16 And the young woman’s father shall say to the elders, ‘I gave my daughter to this man as wife, and he detests her. 17 Now he has charged her with shameful conduct, saying, “I found your daughter was not a virgin,” and yet these are the evidences of my daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. 18 Then the elders of that city shall take that man and punish him; 19 and they shall fine him one hundred shekels of silver and give them to the father of the young woman, because he has brought a bad name on a virgin of Israel. And she shall be his wife; he cannot divorce her all his days.

A. [Context for custom] Still practiced in some Middle Eastern cultures today.
B. Again, this is protection for the woman. It definitely would not be desirable to be married to a man who “detests” her – but it would be worse to be divorced & likely left without prospects for marriage for the rest of her life. …
C. Note the public shaming for the man – not only is he brought before the elders, he’s likely whipped (“punish”), and has to pay a large fine to his father-in-law (due to the accusation against her family)…this would have been a powerful deterrent from falsely accusing her.
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20 “But if the thing is true, and evidences of virginity are not found for the young woman, 21 then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done a disgraceful thing in Israel, to play the harlot in her father’s house. So you shall put away the evil from among you.

A. Should she be guilty, she’s subject to the death penalty. It may seem harsh, but it’s a rough equivalent of dealing with a rebellious son. In this case, the woman would herself have broken the 5th Commandment by bringing dishonor on her parents.
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22 “If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then both of them shall die—the man that lay with the woman, and the woman; so you shall put away the evil from Israel. 23 “If a young woman who is a virgin is betrothed to a husband, and a man finds her in the city and lies with her, 24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he humbled his neighbor’s wife; so you shall put away the evil from among you.

A. Dealing with adultery…even though the wedding hasn’t yet taken place, a betrothal carried the same legal weight as marriage. Breaking this brought a stiff punishment, but it’s an obvious violation of the 7th Commandment.
B. The famous contrast is with John 8 & the woman the Pharisees brought to Jesus. Jesus never told the people the law commanding her death was incorrect; but He rightly pointed out that they were ALL deserving of death under the law – and it highlighted the fact they didn’t even follow this law correctly in that they only brought the woman & not the man.
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25 “But if a man finds a betrothed young woman in the countryside, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. 26 But you shall do nothing to the young woman; there is in the young woman no sin deserving of death, for just as when a man rises against his neighbor and kills him, even so is this matter. 27 For he found her in the countryside, and the betrothed young woman cried out, but there was no one to save her.

A. Dealing with rape…treated as serious as murder (rightfully so).
B. Note the emphasis on the innocence of the woman. Too often, women are blamed – but rape is a crime of violence; the punishment belongs to the rapist alone.
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28 “If a man finds a young woman who is a virgin, who is not betrothed, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are found out, 29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the young woman’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife because he has humbled her; he shall not be permitted to divorce her all his days.

A. Like Shechem & Dinah (Gen 34)… Again, this would be unthinkable today; but we live in a completely different culture than they did. For a culture that treated its women little better than livestock, this commandment would ensure that a raped women would be provided for all her life, rather than tossed aside.
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30 “A man shall not take his father’s wife, nor uncover his father’s bed.

A. Dealing with incest – the instance doesn’t necessarily refer to a man’s mother, but likely his step-mother (which is still incest).
B. Corinth dealt with the same issue (1 Cor 5:1-2). We should know better! These are things that even the heathen don’t do… Paul instructed Corinth to (1) stop bragging about how ‘tolerant’ they were, (2) cast out the sinning member, (3) wait for his repentance…
__a. God calls us to a life of purity & holiness! Not that we can ever be sinless; but if we are in Christ we should “sin less”. His work in us as new creations should create a distaste for sin & a desire to live as He calls us to live.

Conclusion:
Murder, rebellion, adultery, rape, incest…a lot of sin dealt with in these two chapters. Why does the Bible have so much to say about it? Because this is exactly the stuff Jesus Christ saves us from! Before Christ saves us, we’re wallowing in sin – nothing restraining us except the witness of our own conscience against us. We may not physically kill someone, but we all get away with murder (so we think).

But in Christ, everything’s different! He’s the innocent heifer killed for our unknown sin. He’s the innocent Son of God that took the sin of the rebellious son. He’s the Holy Messiah who bore the dishonor of the promiscuous daughter. And yet He’s also perfectly just, Who will judge every rape & murder – both solved & unsolved.

What a glorious Savior we serve! He’s absolutely righteous & absolutely merciful! He’s saved us from so much – may we be empowered by the Spirit to live for Him & not go back to the way we were before.

Violence or Justice?

Deuteronomy 19-20, “Vigilante or Justice?”
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Deuteronomy 19 (NKJV)
1 “When the LORD your God has cut off the nations whose land the LORD your God is giving you, and you dispossess them and dwell in their cities and in their houses, 2 you shall separate three cities for yourself in the midst of your land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess. 3 You shall prepare roads for yourself, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, that any manslayer may flee there. 4 “And this is the case of the manslayer who flees there, that he may live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, not having hated him in time past— 5 as when a man goes to the woods with his neighbor to cut timber, and his hand swings a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these cities and live; 6 lest the avenger of blood, while his anger is hot, pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and kill him, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated the victim in time past. 7 Therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall separate three cities for yourself.’
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A. Cities of refuge. Specifically for people who had accidentally killed someone else… These are actually the 2nd set to be established, as Moses had already set aside 3 cities (Deut 4:41). Keep in mind this was during a time when vengeance killings were commonplace – they didn’t have the kind of protections we do in modern society. Thus God was providing safety and mercy for them. For the innocent, they had a place to stay until their ‘case’ was cleared or the family avenger calmed down.
B. Underlying principle here: sin doesn’t solve a problem caused by sin. Even though the person’s death wasn’t intentional, it was still was an offense (not unlike our own sin…some is intentional; some isn’t – but it’s all sin). But a vigilante revenge isn’t any better. Vengeance belongs to the Lord (Rom 12:19), so any vengeance we might personally extract (context is personal; not gov’t) is sin as well.
__a. What we need is not sin; but justice! Sin doesn’t solve any problems; it just makes it worse by compounding the issue. But true justice resolves the issue – which is why only the Lord can truly dispense it.
b. As Christians, we need justice too – only we also experience the grace of God. The perfect justice of God WAS dispensed…on Christ Jesus. Every lash, every nail was ours to take, yet Jesus bore them for us. And on top of it, Jesus offered His grace to us… Thus do we have refuge today? Yes! In Christ Jesus (Heb 6:18).
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8 “Now if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you the land which He promised to give to your fathers, 9 and if you keep all these commandments and do them, which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and to walk always in His ways, then you shall add three more cities for yourself besides these three, 10 lest innocent blood be shed in the midst of your land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and thus guilt of bloodshed be upon you.
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A. Israel wasn’t limited to 3 cities of refuge – the number could grow if needed. Keep in mind God was giving them the land, but His covenant of blessing with them was conditional (based on their obedience). If they obeyed, they’d grow – and if they grew, they’d need extra cities of refuge spread throughout the land.
B. God doesn’t want innocent blood to be shed…this is what happened with Cain & Abel (Gen 4:10). Bloodshed can only be met by bloodshed – which is why it takes sacrifice for our sins to be forgiven (Heb 9:22).
C. Notice the reiteration of the Great Commandment in vs 9 – keeping these other commandments were part of loving God; we might look at it today as a balance between faith & works. For a Hebrew to say, “I love the Lord my God” but then ignore the Law was an oxymoron. Likewise for the Christian who just gives lip-service to the Lord Jesus. John 14:21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” [] Question: Is Jesus preaching legalism here? Not at all – simply describing a fact. If we truly love Jesus, our lives will reflect it through obeying His commands to love God & others through word & deed. And we will experience intimate fellowship with God in the process – all because of the work HE has done in us.
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11 “But if anyone hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises against him and strikes him mortally, so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities, 12 then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there, and deliver him over to the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. 13 Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.
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A. Big difference between accidental death & murder – and a big difference in the way of dealing with them. The innocent receives refuge; the guilty receives death… Would have prevented murderers from using the cities of refuge as “sanctuary” cities. There are no ‘loopholes’ to take advantage of with God.
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14 “You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which the men of old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
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A. Seems pretty random. Is this something that people would kill over? Yes. (Nelson’s) “Removing a landmark was far more than moving a stone. Is was changing a property line and in effect cheating some family out of the inheritance of land that God had given them.”
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15 “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.
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A. Need for multiple witnesses…we see the same thing reflected in our own judicial system (which was based off this). The more witnesses a lawyer can bring for his client, the clearer of a picture that the jury will see of what actually took place. The worst place to be is a ‘he said/she said’ scenario where it’s just one person’s words against the other.
B. See this same principle reflected in the gospels – for bad & good.
__a. Bad: Jews tried to abuse this & railroad Jesus as a criminal…couldn’t get the witnesses to agree. (Mark 14:56 – Emphasizes the fact that Jesus was absolutely innocent!)
__b. Good: Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs… Mark 6:7 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. [] Was this a good number for safety & accountability – yes, but much more…it also showed that 2 or more witnesses agreed that Jesus is the Messiah.
____i. Still a good idea for us when we witness to others…
C. God uses the same principle regarding Christ!
__a. Multiple witnesses to His divinity…Jesus appealed to a 4-fold witness to the Jews (John 5): John the Baptist – Jesus’ works/miracles – God the Father – the Scriptures/Moses. Jesus was showing He had twice as many witnesses (at least) as needed to demonstrate & proof He is the Son of God.
__b. Multiple witnesses to His death: It’s a truly incredulous thing that some people claim Jesus never died. Jesus’ family watched Him die – Jesus’ disciples watched Him die – the Jewish authorities watched Him die (and certified it by getting a Roman guard on the tomb) – the Romans even verified His death…
__c. Multiple witnesses to His Resurrection: The women knew He had risen – the disciples knew that He had risen – the Romans (definitely) knew that He had risen – the Jews demonstrated that they knew He had risen… According to Paul, there were over 500 people who saw the Risen Jesus at one time (1 Cor 15:6). If it only takes 2-3 witnesses for a matter to be established, the Resurrection blows the standard out of the water!
__d. This is the CORE of the gospel! Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. [] His divinity shows that He is Lord – His death shows that He paid the price for sin – His resurrection proves He was victorious…and in every aspect we have multiple historical witnesses! We can KNOW that the gospel is true!
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16 If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, 17 then both men in the controversy shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. 18 And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, 19 then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you. 20 And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you. 21 Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
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A. How to deal with perjury. … Note that if a person insists on bearing false witness against his brother, he’s going to have to do it at the Tabernacle before the LORD Himself. Would have been a very sobering deterrant.
__i. Keep in mind this is a very serious offense – breaks the 9th commandment (Exo 20:16).
__ii. Is bearing false witness a sin against our brother? Yes. But it’s primarily a sin against God! Sin is vertical… (David & Bathsheba) Psalm 51:4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. []
B. How is perjury punished? According to the crime, and only by the state. The law here does not permit mob violence done by individual to individual, but rather gives guidelines to the local government on what the appropriate punishment should be. What should be the personal response? Mercy. Matthew 5:38-39 (38) “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ (39) But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. [] Jesus isn’t contradicting the Law; He’s clarifying it’s use among individuals to show the heart of God…
__i. The principle is still quite valid. How are sinful people punished? According to the crime – those without Christ serve an infinite sentence in an infinite Hell because of the infinite sin against an infinite God… …
__ii. Think about that for a minute & then remember Jesus’ words at the cross: “It is finished!” Jesus Christ fulfilled an infinite sentence against you ONCE AND FOR ALL at the cross! …
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Deuteronomy 20 (NKJV)
1 “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
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A. Note the presupposition: they WILL be going up against armies bigger & more powerful than them. Their enemies will have more people, more horses, and fiercer weapons.
B. What makes the difference? GOD! If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31) When under the protection of God, no weapon formed against you shall prosper (Isa 54:17). God makes ALL the difference!
__a. We will face difficulties that seem far to difficult to possibly manage. How can we possibly walk through them? Because the Lord your God is with you. That can seem trite if you’re overwhelmed by what’s going on around you (talk is cheap!) – but not if you realize that what the Scripture is saying is absolutely true. We have a promise straight from Scripture that God will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5) – we have the word of the Lord Jesus that He will be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt 28:10)…do we believe it?
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2 So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. 3 And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; 4 for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’
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A. Priest will give reassurance before the fight. Like the Lord did with Joshua – the assigned priest comes out to encourage the people to be strong & courageous.
B. Because God is with us, we don’t have to be fearful! 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. []
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5 “Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying: ‘What man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. 6 Also what man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it. 7 And what man is there who is betrothed to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man marry her.’ 8 “The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.’ 9 And so it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
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A. All sorts of ‘outs’ given to the people. If they’re looking for an excuse not to fight, God graciously allows them not to do so. Note there are both good & not-so-good excuses listed here. Those who had planted a vineyard might lose the whole crop while gone & come back to poverty – those who were betrothed may never be able to marry. All valid reasons for not wanting to go to war! Yet at the same time, God still provides for those who are simply caught up with fear.
__a. Did the same thing with Gideon – God specifically told Gideon to whittle the army down. Went from 32000 to 300! Why? So that God would get the glory (Judges 7:2)
B. Why here? Likely for the same reason – so that God would get the glory. Keep in mind that God had already promised the victory to Israel as long as they were obedient to Him. Thus those who stay are trusting in the Lord to save them & bring them through victorious.
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10 “When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it. 11 And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you. 12 Now if the city will not make peace with you, but war against you, then you shall besiege it.
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A. Peace offer. … Isn’t this amazing? God had already given the land to Israel – but He still offered the people peace!
B. Same thing with Noah – same thing with Sodom – same thing today…the offer of peace has gone throughout the whole world! For 2000 years, Christians have been proclaiming the gospel: the good news that man can have peace with God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Over & over, God is offering His peace – even while people reject it.
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13 And when the LORD your God delivers it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword. 14 But the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself; and you shall eat the enemies’ plunder which the LORD your God gives you.
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A. The men are killed…standard action at the time. Any male of age would have been considered a threat to the state, so they were put to death in battle.
B. The women & children are plundered…i.e., they become slaves. We’ve got to remove ourselves from our 21st century mindset here. Slaves were very common in the time, and in this case was an act of mercy. Not only would they be spared from death, but they’d be brought into a people who worshipped the One True God – and they’d be exposed to the Law & grace of God as well.
C. The spoil belongs to the Israelites for their use. Only a few cities at the beginning of the conquest belonged solely to the Lord; the rest were to be used in the future.
D. Is this cruel & merciless?
__a. People still ask the same question about God today. ‘So, unless I repent & trust Christ for salvation, God’s going to throw me into Hell for all eternity?! What kind of loving God would do that?’ First of all, any punishment we receive is absolutely deserved… … Secondly, God IS loving & merciful – He provided every means possible for us to be saved through Christ Jesus. WE would have been the ones to reject His offer of grace… …
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15 Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations. 16 “But of the cities of these peoples which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, 17 but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has commanded you, 18 lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the LORD your God.
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A. The peace offer did have a limitation: it was only for those who were afar off. For the other nations within Canaan itself, God had already determined & pronounced their judgment.
__a. Critics of the Bible often attempt to portray the OT as permanently commanding this level of destruction of God’s enemies – but they miss the point. This was God’s judgment on these people (to whom He’d given 400 years to repent) – these are specific commands for a specific time period. For other wars, Israel was to offer mercy & compassion 1st.
__b. Even these acts of the judgment of God are merciful! We haven’t even begun to see what it would be like when the full wrath of God is poured out on sin during the Great Tribulation. Jesus told us it’d be easier for Sodom & Gomorrah than in that day…(Matt 11:24). The world hasn’t seen anything yet…God’s wrath is that great because sin throughout history has been that egregious.
____i. Yet that only helps us appreciate the grace of Christ even more!
B. Why did the destruction of the Canaanites, etc. have to be so complete? Because otherwise the pagans would turn Israel after their own gods & sins… … And that’s exactly what happened. As late as Solomon’s reign, there were people listed from the Hittites, Amorites, etc. in the land (2 Chr 8:7) & there’s no doubt that the Israelites had learned of the Ashereh poles & pagan worship practices from them – to the point of even allowing their children to be sacrificed through the fire of Molech. If they had simply destroyed the inhabitants of the land as God commanded them, they would have saved themselves a lot of heartache & kept themselves from a lot of sin.
__a. Some bridges are worth burning! We don’t want to leave a door open for a situation that would drag us down into sin…
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19 “When you besiege a city for a long time, while making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field is man’s food. 20 Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, to build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it is subdued.
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A. The difference between animals & plants. That which had breath was to be utterly destroyed; trees & other vegetation for food was to be left alive…that was part of God’s provision for Israel. (vineyards they did not plant)
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Conclusion:
Our God is good! Our God is gracious – our God is merciful! It’s an amazing thing to consider that He’s saved us – He’s made Himself our refuge & yet His perfect justice is still accomplished in Christ Jesus.

Like Israel, we have many battles to fight. The war has been won (PTL!), and our rest is in Christ – but Satan will try to throw as many things at us as possible between now & the judgment. Don’t let him overwhelm you – as a Christian, you belong to the Lord God! He is our Savior & He fights for us – none can stand against Him.

Are you struggling? Lay it at the feet of Christ tonight, placing yourself in His hands, relying on His grace.

Judgment, Kings, Priests, Prophets

Deuteronomy 17-18, “Judgment, Kings, Priests, Prophets”
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Introduction:
It’s truly an amazing thought to consider that God not only invites us to worship Him (which He is worthy of, despite whether or not we believe) – but that He also invites us to have a relationship with Him. Yes, we come before Him in praise & adoration, but He graciously desires us to not only know of Him, but to know Him. His invitation to Israel was no different. He wanted them to know His word & commands, and provided so many opportunities for them to learn it through the coming kings, the serving Levites, and the line of prophets – all of which God gives direction on in Ch 17-18. He also provides warnings on how NOT to seek God (through pagan practices) – and that’s basically how He begins.

Deuteronomy 17 (NKJV)
1 “You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God a bull or sheep which has any blemish or defect, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God.
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A. Where does this come from? It might seem somewhat out of place… Ch 16 ended with a prohibition against idolatry; Ch 17 will go on to talk about prohibition against pagan ‘magic’ practices. Is vs. 1 just a random verse between them? Not really – all are dealing with some sort of perversion of worship & vs. 1 makes the point that even if the Hebrews are sacrificing to the One True God, it’s still possible to do it in a way which would be an abomination.
B. How so? The Hebrews were not to bring God their leftovers or 2nd best. (You can imagine the temptation…) Instead, God was to be worshipped with the very best they had to offer…He’s worthy of such a sacrifice because God is supremely perfect and holy!
C. How does God view imperfect sacrifices? As “an abomination”…no better than idols – it’d be better if they hadn’t brought anything! Why? Every sacrifice ultimately points to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for sin. Thus the only sacrifice that will do is one that is perfect…otherwise they weren’t really looking ahead to Christ. [] That’s why Jesus is the ONLY sufficient sacrifice; He’s the only One truly without blemish or defect.
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2 “If there is found among you, within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing His covenant, 3 who has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, 4 and it is told you, and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination has been committed in Israel, 5 then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones.
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A. Referring to pagan worship practices – many cultures worshiped the different celestial bodies…not the least, the Egyptians (Ra = sun god). This is exactly what God had called them out of & God doesn’t share His glory! The Hebrews were HIS people – and they were to worship HIM alone.
B. The proper response in Israel to paganism? Death. It was a capital crime, as it was basically an act of adulterous treason…
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- How to properly administer the death penalty:
6 Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 7 The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from among you.
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A. Capital punishment is not taken lightly…a serious investigation was to take place. Multiple witnesses were established, and they were under the command of God (the 8th Commandment: don’t bear false witness) to tell the truth of the matter. The more witnesses, the better – but all that was truly required was 2-3 credible ones.
B. Capital punishment was to be administered with responsibility…the actual witnesses were the ones to cast the stones, thus they had to deal with their own consciences & judgment of God if they were less than completely truthful.
¬¬__a. We see a great example of this with Jesus & the woman caught in adultery. The woman was plainly guilty – not even she denied it. But the proper punishment as dictated by the law could not be administered responsibly, because none of them followed the law responsibly. By law, both man & woman were guilty (Lev 20:10) – but they were plainly trying to judge Jesus & using the woman as a tool to do so. Thus when Jesus brought up the law, their hearts were convicted & the witnesses could not fast the 1st stone.
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8 “If a matter arises which is too hard for you to judge, between degrees of guilt for bloodshed, between one judgment or another, or between one punishment or another, matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the LORD your God chooses. 9 And you shall come to the priests, the Levites, and to the judge there in those days, and inquire of them; they shall pronounce upon you the sentence of judgment.
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A. “degrees of guilt” is a reference to deciding what level of a crime an offense was. Is it murder, or accidental manslaughter? Those were the types of decisions the priests & Levites were charged with deciding. Somewhat of a change from the way things had been working with Moses & the elders of 10’s, 100’s, 1000’s, etc. Makes sense considering the changes upon entering the land. Levites would be scattered around the nation – and thus accessible to for this kind of judgment.
B. Note the care that goes into these judgments. No punishment was to be given hastily or under mob-rule, or revenge – judgment was to be delivered justly. Why? Because God is just!
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10 You shall do according to the sentence which they pronounce upon you in that place which the LORD chooses. And you shall be careful to do according to all that they order you. 11 According to the sentence of the law in which they instruct you, according to the judgment which they tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left from the sentence which they pronounce upon you. 12 Now the man who acts presumptuously and will not heed the priest who stands to minister there before the LORD your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall put away the evil from Israel. 13 And all the people shall hear and fear, and no longer act presumptuously.
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A. Don’t vary from God’s word (in this case, judgment). What He instructed the Israelites to do (via the Levites), they were to do it…period.
B. What to do with someone who ignores the voice of the Lord regarding someone’s criminal punishment? Treat it as a capital crime – that person himself incurs the death penalty. Eliminates vigilantism…
C. Also underscores the authority of the word of God. It’s not up to us to decide what’s right & wrong for ourselves…we haven’t been invested with that kind of authority. ‘That’s kind of a harsh thing to say!’ No, it’s simply the truth about human nature. Without a standard of morality given to us, we disintegrate into chaos & like the Judges, every man does what is right in his eyes (Jud 21:25). This is one reason the written Word of God is such a gift to us! We don’t have to guess at what’s right & wrong – we KNOW it because we’ve been given an objective standard based on God’s ultimate righteousness. Without the Law & Scripture, we wouldn’t understand what sin is (Rom 7:7), but now we know! Psalm 119:103-105 (103) How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth! (104) Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. (105) Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. []
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14 “When you come to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,’ 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ 17 Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.
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A. Note this isn’t an “if”; it’s “when.” God’s perfect plan for Israel was to be a true theocracy, with God Himself ruling over His people. But God knew that eventually the people would reject this and want a monarchy…and that’s exactly what they did. 1 Samuel 8:6-7 (6) But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. (7) And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. [] What a tragic thing: to reject the rule & reign of the Lord – to reject Him for ‘status’ in the eyes of man!
__a. Can Christians do the same thing? After all – Christians (by definition) belong to Christ & are ruled by Him. Yet many times we do reject His rule in certain areas of our life: pet temptations, family members, whatever. When we do that, we’re turning away from His perfect plan for us – and it’s still a tragedy!
B. What are the regulations for the king?
__a. God makes the choice. This was not to be left up to the people to decide (as they tried to do in Judges 9); this was a choice to be made solely by the Lord. He was their Sovereign King, thus He was the only one who could empower someone else for the monarchy.
__b. The king has to be Hebrew. No matter what their system of government, they were still under covenant with God – thus they could never have a foreigner reigning over them (which was one reason ‘King’ Herod caused such turmoil…he had Jewish background, but wasn’t considered a ‘true Jew.’)
__c. Not dependent on military. King Asa got into trouble on this point. Early on, he relied on the Lord to fight his battles; later he relied on his diplomacy to gain military advantage (2 Chr 16). God disciplined him with wars.
__d. Not dependent on allies: combining the reference to Egypt & multiplying wives. Kings often married to form allies & treaties with other countries.
__e. Not dependent on wealth.
____i. Solomon failed on most counts…he multiplied his horses & wives, traded with Egypt, and was the richest man in the world. And in the end, he fell away from the Lord.
____ii. Jesus fulfills all counts! As the Son of David, Jesus is the rightful King of Israel. Chosen by God, descended of Abraham, Jesus needed no army, was rejected by the nations, and had no wealth (not even a place to rest His head). He came in humility, but will return in glory!
f. Instead, he must be dependent only on God! By knowing the Word of God. See vs 18…
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18 “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.
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A. He makes his own copy! He was to literally take the book of Deuteronomy & write out a personal copy by hand. [Interesting experience!] You never pay quite so much attention to something you’re reading as when you’re writing it down. And that was the point.
B. He doesn’t just write it down; he reads it daily. Writing it down once doesn’t do any good if you don’t pay any attention to it later.
C. He doesn’t just read it; he observes it. In doing so, he’s building his house on the rock (Matt 7:24).
D. The result? His heart remains humble… His reign is blessed…
__a. We may not be kings – but we do serve the King of Kings. Want your life to be transformed? Write the law on your heart – read it daily – do what it says.
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Deuteronomy 18 (NKJV)
1 “The priests, the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and His portion. 2 Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the LORD is their inheritance, as He said to them. 3 “And this shall be the priest’s due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it is bull or sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach. 4 The firstfruits of your grain and your new wine and your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. 5 For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons forever.
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A. Reminder that the Levite’s inheritance is the Lord Himself.
B. Because they are the Lord’s, the Lord provides for them through the people they serve. They received the 1st fruits, and meat from the offerings – truly they were dependent on God for ‘daily bread.’
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6 “So if a Levite comes from any of your gates, from where he dwells among all Israel, and comes with all the desire of his mind to the place which the LORD chooses, 7 then he may serve in the name of the LORD his God as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the LORD. 8 They shall have equal portions to eat, besides what comes from the sale of his inheritance.
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A. Levites are to receive fair wages…whether they serve in the Levitical cities, or at the Tabernacle itself.
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9 “When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. 14 For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you.
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A. Reiteration against pagan idolatrous practices. Why does God hit this over & over? Because He wants them to learn it! Because He knows it will be a constant temptation & so He continually warns them away from it.
__a. God never gives us commands to see us squirm or not engage in fun – His commands are always based on His character & nature & are meant to protect & provide for us. In this case, God is protecting Israel by keeping them away from demonic influences.
B. Specifically details witches, spiritists, psychics, etc. These things are an abomination to the Lord – and even though we’re in the NT, we’re still to avoid these things completely. (Sorcery is specifically mentioned in Gal 5:20)
__a. King Saul fell into this trap by using the witch of En Dor to summon Samuel from the dead – ended up having judgment pronounced on him that he’d be dead the next battle (1 Sam 27:19)
__b. Are these things real? Yes & no. Most of these things are designed to fleece people out of money. But there are truly demonic forces unseen to us – and they’ll use whatever opportunity given to them to drive people away from God. Christians should have nothing to do with these things (real or imagined). 1 Corinthians 10:21-22 (21) You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. (22) Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? []
C. Ultimately, God’s making the point that if we want to learn about the supernatural, we’re not to turn to the perversions of the Devil; we’re to look to our supernatural God Himself! If we want to know the future or God’s revealed will, we simply need to turn to His word – as revealed through the prophets (vs. 15)…
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15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, 16 according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ 17 “And the LORD said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. 18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.
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A. A prophet like Moses. Is this every prophet to follow? In a sense, yes – they brought the words of the Lord to the people in the same tradition. They each had a responsibility to speak the words of God to whomever God directed – and they got in trouble when they refused (see: Jonah, fish ).
B. Ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ! He is truly a prophet like Moses…both in personal history & purpose.
__i. Personal history: they had both survived death sentences for newborns – they had both been called out of Egypt – they had both fasted for 40 days – Moses gave the Law; Jesus explained it’s intent – they both radiated the glory of God — they either lifted up or were lifted up for deliverance & more.
__ii. Purpose: this is probably more of Moses’ intent with this prophecy & again, Jesus fulfills this perfectly. After God gave the 10 Commandments, the people were so terrified of God’s awesome holiness that they asked Moses to speak to God on their behalf. That’s exactly what Jesus does as our Mediator (1 Tim 2:5). We cannot approach God by ourselves, so Christ Jesus does it for us – and He’s truly the only One who can.
__iii. Keep in mind, this is more than pure speculation – the NT affirms that Jesus Christ IS the fulfillment of this prophecy: Acts 3:19-22 (19) Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, (20) and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, (21) whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. (22) For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. [] To this day, the Jews are still waiting – but there’s no one left to be waiting for! Christ Jesus IS the Prophet as unto Moses – demonstrated in His 1st coming, and will be so again at His 2nd.
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19 And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.
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A. People ignore the Lord Jesus at their own peril. He didn’t come to tickle anyone’s ears or to make them ponder at His wisdom. He came to seek & save the lost! He came to glorify the Father & provide the ultimate sacrifice for sin. Those who will not hear the words of Christ, do not hear the very words of God – thus they do not hear the gospel and remain in their sin. And God absolutely will require it of them.
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20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
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A. Dealing with false prophets… The problem with many false prophets is that their prophecies are so appealing, we want them to be true. Jeremiah dealt with his share of false prophets before the Babylonian captivity. Whereas he was preaching that God would allow the nation to be captured, the false prophet preached nationalistic victory & a return to the land after 2 years. Sounds good, right? The problem was that it encouraged further rebellion & God had already decreed the captivity was going to take place. Jeremiah was simply trying to prevent further destruction & loss of life (Jer 27:17).
__a. The same thing happens today all the time. People follow the ‘signs & wonders’ circus from city to city & receive all sorts of ‘prophecies’ regarding healing, finances, and power – and although they sound good at the time, they inevitably come to nothing & people are heartbroken…
B. God would save us from all this! This is why we’re supposed to judge prophecy (1 Cor 14:29) We have a very simple test for how to know if a prophet is false: do their words come true? If not, be assured he/she is a false prophet & forget about them – don’t fear anything they have to say. (Recent prophecies at L. Outpouring commissioning – all proven to be false.)
__a. Applies to non-predictive prophecy as well. Are the words true? Do they line up with the already revealed truth of Scripture? God will never contradict through prophecy what He’s already given through written revelation. Be a Berean!

Conclusion:
Make no mistake that our God is a supernatural God! (By definition.) He still gives His people prophecy, and He definitely speaks to us through His supernatural Word. And because we can be assured of that, we have absolutely no reason to be looking anywhere else for divine revelation. We know exactly what God is like because we worship Christ – who is the image of the invisible God, the 1st born of all creation. He has declared God to us, and because we have received Christ, we have become children of God. Why would we ever settle for any substitutes? Be it false prophecy or outright paganism – it’s a cheap substitute for our loving God & King.

With that in mind – are you taking advantage of the glorious opportunity God has set before you to know Him? Every day is a new day to boldly & humbly approach God through prayer & His Word. Let us not waste a single day!

Mercy towards people and from God

Deuteronomy 15-16, “Mercy towards people and from God”
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Deuteronomy 15 (NKJV)
1 “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. 2 And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the LORD’s release.
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A. So in addition to a Sabbath rest every 7 days, there is also a Sabbath rest every 7 years from debt, where the debtor has a year of relief. Keep in mind contextually, this comes immediately following a section instructing Israel about the tithe of harvest, livestock, and income. The whole underlying theme here is trust. They are utterly dependent on God for every aspect of their life – and nothing underscores that as much as letting God set the rules for their pocketbook.
__a. Ultimately, all Sabbaths point to Christ Jesus – He IS our Sabbath rest, and we are utterly dependent not on our work, but on His…
B. Why release it? It’s the “LORD’s release.” If God is truly our Lord, then He is our Master in everything. The whole Sabbath year was dedicated unto the Lord, and in His grace we find freedom.
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3 Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, 4 except when there may be no poor among you; for the LORD will greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance—5 only if you carefully obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today.
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A. Can collect from foreigners, but not family. The foreigners who lived in the land did not worship the One True God, nor did they have a covenant with Him. That was reserved for Israel itself.
__a. We see the same principle reflected in the NT. We are certainly to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Matt 22:39), but we show preference to fellow believers…they’re family! Galatians 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. [] This is a distinguishing mark of believers in Christ (John 13:34)…that we love one another!
B. There is an exception for the poor – but the Lord’s plan was that there would be no poor. If they obeyed, the whole nation would be financially prosperous…they’d experience national blessing. Keep in mind this was God’s perfect will and intent for Israel. Did they actually experience this? Of course not – they had terrible times of famine & poverty. Could they have been prevented? Apparently so – if they had only obeyed the Lord.
__a. So many times we wonder why we’re experiencing the natural consequences of our sin when we thought we were supposed to be protected from them. God wants us to be protected from them – WE are the ones who ignore His instruction to us. We throw ourselves into situations where we know we will be tempted & then wonder why we fall into sin. God wants so much more for us than that!
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6 For the LORD your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.
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A. They can lend; they can’t borrow. Why? God desired for them to be independent from the Gentile nations & dependent solely on Himself. After all, He had purchased them from the Egyptians – so they weren’t to enslave themselves to any other nation via debt. And that’s exactly what happens with debt – Proverbs 22:7 The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. [] It’s a glorious feeling to be debt-free (I’ve been there once or twice ) – you’re completely free to serve the Lord as He leads you to serve without being concerned about the house note, the car note, etc.
B. Should we owe anything? Yes: Love! (Rom 13:8)
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7 “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. 9 Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the LORD against you, and it become sin among you.
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A. Beware of a hardened heart… Why? Because a stiff heart can lead to sin. To Israel, it was the temptation not to help the poor out of the fear of not being released/reimbursed. The Sabbath year was to be a year of blessing & worship; not one of restraining mercy from those who were in need.
B. Likewise, we’re fooling ourselves when we think that our faith only pertains to our personal knowledge. Sometimes we react so vehemently against the ‘social gospel’, that we neglect to demonstrate the gospel at all in society… The most effective presentation of the gospel not only declares the good news; it demonstrates it! (Be warmed & be filled…) James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. []
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10 You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. 11 For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’
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A. The poor will always be with us…Jesus affirmed the same thing. (John 12:8) Is this a contradiction with vs. 4? No. Again, God’s will was for them to be blessed as a nation not to experience poverty – but in God’s Omniscience He knew what Israel would actually do. Because of this reality, He instructs them to have compassion on the poor in the land.
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12 “If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. 13 And when you send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed; 14 you shall supply him liberally from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress. From what the LORD has blessed you with, you shall give to him. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this thing today.
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A. How to deal with Hebrew slavery. Anytime we look at slavery in the Scriptures, we need to keep in mind that both Hebrew & Roman practices were VASTLY different than the slavery that was known in the United States. To the Hebrews, slaves were basically members of the household – and temporary members at that. God required that slaves be treated well & be given an opportunity for release at the Sabbath year.
__a. Even in the NT, masters are commanded to treat their slaves well – they have a Master to answer to in heaven (Eph 6:9, Col 4:1).
__b. Does this mean that God approves of slavery? No – no more than He approves of polygamy. But it was a reality of the day, and so He places loving restrictions on the practice in order to protect the weak & show His own glory.
B. Note the slaves weren’t supposed to walk away empty-handed…the former owner was to send him/her away with a payment (which would have provided the slave a good incentive to serve the master well!).
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16 And if it happens that he says to you, ‘I will not go away from you,’ because he loves you and your house, since he prospers with you, 17 then you shall take an awl and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise. 18 It shall not seem hard to you when you send him away free from you; for he has been worth a double hired servant in serving you six years. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all that you do.
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A. Every 7 years, the master is commanded to offer release to his slaves – but what happens if they didn’t want to leave? Remember they were treated as part of the household & they may have developed a love for the family – maybe they were living a far better life than they would otherwise – maybe they had married a fellow slave as well & didn’t want to leave. In that case, God doesn’t force a family of friend to break up – but allows for them to stay together forever. Master would take the slave to a public place (the door) & pierce their ear…giving them the mark of a bondslave/ bondservant.
__a. Who was the Ultimate Bondservant? Christ Jesus! Isaiah 50:5-7 (5) The Lord God has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away. (6) I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. (7) “For the Lord God will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed. [] The Lord Jesus came in humility – not as a military king, but as a suffering servant. He willingly submitted His will to the Father & allowed Himself to endure the wrath you & I deserved…in truly horrific ways.
__b. NT has a common use of the word bondservant/bondslave = “doulos.” It was one of Paul’s favorite descriptions of himself (opened 4 epistles that way)…he bore the marks of a bondservant (Gal 6:17). And it’s not just Paul…we’re all called to be ‘doulos’ – we were bought at a price & we serve the Risen King!
B. Vs 18: For those who don’t stay, don’t feel bad sending other servants away – they don’t belong to you. Makes a great transition to the 1st born redemption in vs 19…
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19 “All the firstborn males that come from your herd and your flock you shall sanctify to the LORD your God; you shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. 20 You and your household shall eat it before the LORD your God year by year in the place which the LORD chooses. 21 But if there is a defect in it, if it is lame or blind or has any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God. 22 You may eat it within your gates; the unclean and the clean person alike may eat it, as if it were a gazelle or a deer. 23 Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground like water.
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A. Why the reminder of the 1st born? Perfect sense after the instructions on slaves – the 1st born redemption is the reminder of what God did to purchase & redeem Israel from the hand of Egypt.
B. Keep in mind Jesus fulfills this perfectly! He is the image of God, the 1st born over all creation (Col 1:15) – He is flawless, w/o defect – His blood purchased us from the slavery of sin. Our redemption is in Christ alone…the perfect sacrifice of God!
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Deuteronomy 16 (NKJV)
1 “Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to the LORD your God, for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 Therefore you shall sacrifice the Passover to the LORD your God, from the flock and the herd, in the place where the LORD chooses to put His name. 3 You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, that is, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), that you may remember the day in which you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.
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A. Passover… Came out of Egypt…
__a. Ultimately fulfilled at Calvary!
B. Would have coincided with the barley harvest
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4 And no leaven shall be seen among you in all your territory for seven days, nor shall any of the meat which you sacrifice the first day at twilight remain overnight until morning. 5 “You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you; 6 but at the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide, there you shall sacrifice the Passover at twilight, at the going down of the sun, at the time you came out of Egypt. 7 And you shall roast and eat it in the place which the LORD your God chooses, and in the morning you shall turn and go to your tents. 8 Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a sacred assembly to the LORD your God. You shall do no work on it.
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A. No leaven… Why? Leaven is generally a picture of sin – and sin is exactly the issue that was being addressed in both Egypt & at the Cross. In Christ, sin is completely done away with & atoned for – thus Israel was to get rid of any leaven in the house, which painted the picture of their coming Messiah.
B. No waste… Emphasizes the holiness & sanctity of the feast. This was a meal fully dedicated to the Lord…just as Jesus was fully & totally set apart for the Lord God.
__a. Can Christians ‘waste’ Jesus? Not really – but there are many who claim to be Christian who don’t actually follow Christ. Jesus is not a part-time Savior – we’re either fully born again of Him, or we’re not born-again at all. That’s not to say Christians don’t fall occasionally into sin, but there’s a vast difference between knowing you’re fully reliant on the grace of God for life itself & trampling the grace of God underfoot at every opportunity. This gift is not something to be wasted!
C. No other way but God’s way…they’ve can’t sacrifice it anywhere except where God commands – they’ve got to eat it the way God tells them to – they’ve got to do it at the exact time God instructs.
__a. ‘Isn’t that kind of restrictive & legalistic?’ No! This is God’s compassion & love being poured out on His people. We come to God on HIS terms & not our own… Likewise – God desires the whole world to repent & follow Christ, but we’ve got to do it in His way, or else we’re acting in vain. John 14:5-6 (5) Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” (6) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. [] Want to know the way? Jesus already told us! It’s through Him…no other way is equally valid because no other way works!
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9 “You shall count seven weeks for yourself; begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain. 10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you. 11 You shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are among you, at the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide. 12 And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
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A. Feast of Weeks – celebrated 50 days after Passover & known later as Pentecost. Coincided with the wheat harvest & celebrated the time of ingathering between the harvests. Ultimately fulfilled in Acts 2 with the Holy Spirit coming down upon the church & baptizing them with power. If Passover/Unleavened Bread/Firstfruits (not mentioned here) spoke of the cross & resurrection, Pentecost speaks of the birth of the church in the ‘new harvest’.
B. Worship & Rejoice! This was a time of celebration & everyone (including servants & strangers) was invited to participate.
__a. There’s a reason the gospel is called the “good news!” It’s something we can rejoice in as we invite the whole world to come & lay their lives at the feet of Christ the King. This is the best news to ever cross the record of history: we can be forgiven!
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13 “You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. 14 And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates. 15 Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.
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A. Feast of Tabernacles… Coincided with the fall harvest. Spoke of the time Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years & spent their time in tabernacles (tents or booths). Symbolically looks forward to the Millennial rest we (and Israel) have in Christ.
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16 “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.
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A. These are national worship times…
B. Don’t appear empty-handed; but don’t give under duress either…
__a. The NT standard? Give worshipfully (2 Cor 8:5) – give regularly (2 Cor 8:24) – give generously (2 Cor 9:5) – give cheerfully (2 Cor 9:7). The 1st standard is foundational! If we’re not giving worshipfully, we’re missing the point.
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18 “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment. 19 You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. 20 You shall follow what is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
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A. Those who worship a just God should judge justly. We are representatives of a holy, righteous, and just God – our judgments should reflect His character and commandments. God cannot be bribed nor bought – and neither should we.
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21 “You shall not plant for yourself any tree, as a wooden image, near the altar which you build for yourself to the LORD your God. 22 You shall not set up a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates.
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A. Prohibition against idolatry & pagan worship practices…

Conclusion:
We serve a merciful God! Because we were shown mercy, we should show mercy to others… And we were indeed shown mercy? Absolutely at the cross – no greater example of it there! Pictured in Passover, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the kingdom reign we’ll share with Christ – all examples of the abundant mercy & grace He’s given us.

Worship God Alone – Deut 13-14

Deuteronomy 13-14, “Worship God Alone”
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Deuteronomy 13 (NKJV)
1 “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
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A. How to test prophets (at least one test…). Deut 18 is going to deal with prophets who are presumptuous & wrong; here God deals with prophets who seem to be right, but are truly false. Note that this ‘prophet’ actually performs a sign or wonder…IOW, he does the miraculous. The miracle does NOT prove his authenticity. ‘But didn’t even Jesus appeal to His miracles in John 5:36 to the Pharisees & Matt 11:5 to John’s disciples?’ Sure – but the Lord Jesus’ miracles went hand-in-hand with what Scripture taught – and He always sought to give glory to God. Miracles that deny God or contradict the Scriptures may be visually amazing, but spiritually crippling and false.
__a. There are still whole movements in Christianity that try to do this same thing. The focus is solely on miracles & what WE can do, rather than proclaiming the gospel of what Christ Jesus has already done. We need to keep the priority straight! (Guzik) “This is why Jesus said and these signs will follow those who believe (Mark 16:17). Signs are to follow believers, instead of believers following signs.”
B. Is this prophet from the Lord? Yes & no. The prophet certainly doesn’t represent the Lord, but God uses him to test the people’s love & loyalty. This is not a godly prophet, but our omnipotent God can use anyone in His creation for His purposes and glory. Thus though God doesn’t tempt us (James 1:13), He does use the situation these false prophets set up to test His people’s love for Him. And that’s what He desires: for us to love Him!
__a. Remember the Great Commandment! Above everything else, God desires for His people to love Him (also plays into the 1st Commandment where we are to have no other gods beside Him). This is important to God! Praise God that He desires more than our fear (though this is necessary), but that He also desires our love!
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4 You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.
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A. Ultimately, this is what God wants…walk in His ways, fearing & serving Him alone. He wants His people to worship Him (go figure!). Is it possible? Not in our own strength. Jesus summed up the demands of the law in Matt 5:48 saying that we shall be perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect. But what is impossible with man is possible with God! Because of Christ Jesus, we are given HIS righteousness – thus when God sees us in Christ, He sees us as His perfect children who walk after Him & fear Him, who keep His commandments, and obey Him, etc.
__a. Every day we should wake up praising God for Christ Jesus & the new relationship with have with God because of Him!
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5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.
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A. How to deal with the false prophet? Execute him.
B. God takes enticement to sin very seriously…and that doesn’t change in the NT. Matthew 18:6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. [] Why is it so serious? Because sin itself is that serious! There is but one killer disease in all of history: sin…passed down to us from Adam. Thus when someone attempts to cause someone to turn away from the Living God, it is a most egregious offense against Him – because He desires to protect & provide for His people.
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6 “If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, 7 of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, 8 you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; 9 but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.
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A. Even if family members caused a Hebrew to worship other gods, they were supposed to be killed…and their offended family member was supposed to throw the 1st stone as a testimony against them. (Would have been a pretty good deterrent & motivation for family members to help one another in their walk with God…)
B. We love our families – we try to provide for our families – but at the end of the day, we’re supposed to love God more than family. Matthew 10:37 (37) He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. [] Our mothers & fathers bring us into the world & are fully deserving of the honor God commands us to give them – but they are not our Creator who saves us…God is.
__a. Sometimes we have to turn away from family to walk after God…
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10 And you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 11 So all Israel shall hear and fear, and not again do such wickedness as this among you.
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A. Why such a harsh punishment? In order to deter the rest of the nation from falling into the same sin.
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12 “If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the LORD your God gives you to dwell in, saying, 13 ‘Corrupt men have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” ’—which you have not known— 14 then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination was committed among you, 15 you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock—with the edge of the sword.
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A. Dealing with whole cities that have fallen away from God… Keep in mind that Israel was originally supposed to be an ideal divine theocracy (a nation ruled by a benevolent & just God) – cities that fell into idolatry were engaging in treason. Not only would they be breaking the love relationship they were to have with God (committing spiritual adultery), but they were rebelling against their Sovereign & King. Thus God commanded the rest of the nation to come against them in war.
B. Note this wasn’t supposed to be a mob mentality. God required that they “inquire, search out, and ask diligently.” God’s judgments are based on His just righteousness; not emotional instability…
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16 And you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and completely burn with fire the city and all its plunder, for the LORD your God. It shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again. 17 So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand, that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers, 18 because you have listened to the voice of the LORD your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do what is right in the eyes of the LORD your God.
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A. Everything was to be destroyed – even the plunder! This was a worse judgment than what the Canaanite cities received – the Hebrews were allowed to keep the plunder in most of the cities of the conquest. But in this case, the sin was worse – adultery & treason against the God who had saved & redeemed them & called them to His own.
__a. Sin ALWAYS has consequences…none which we want to endure.
B. The destruction was to be so complete, that the city was completely ruined & never rebuilt…would have served as a testimony to any traveler passing by…
a. We’re not supposed to have any bridge back to our old sins & temptations. Cut off the hand; pluck out the eye; reckon ourselves dead to it…whatever it takes to not go back, that’s what we ought to do. Does it mean we won’t ever fall again? No – but when we do, we confess, repent & reckon ourselves dead all over again to it.
C. If they did, the wrath of God would be satisfied…because that’s part of the result of sin. God is fully & truly righteous & He MUST pour out His wrath upon sin if He is to remain righteous.
__a. This is why the Lord Jesus had to bear the wrath of God upon Himself! Only His sacrifice was sufficient to be able to cover every sin in all mankind. 1 John 2:1-2 (1) My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (2) And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. [] Christ Jesus is the mercy-seat…He is the method by which God passes over our sins – and the only way that could take place is through the satisfaction of His wrath & righteousness.
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Deuteronomy 14 (NKJV)
1 “You are the children of the LORD your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead. 2 For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
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A. What was the purpose behind cutting or shaving? Pagan worship in funeral rites. They would express their mourning in such a way that they would disfigure & mutilate their own body. God calls His people to behave differently – because we have a different & glorious hope. We still mourn & grieve, but we don’t do so as those who have no hope – we grieve while still rejoicing in Christ Jesus – the hope of glory!
B. Note the reason why: They had been chosen & set apart for God! They were His special treasure. Out of all the people on the face of the planet – out of all the cultures in history, God reached down and chose the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…and showed Himself wonderfully strong on their behalf through mighty miracles & daily provision. Thus the Hebrews had no reason to act like the heathen around them! GOD was their God.
__a. Today, WE as the church are a special treasure to God… 1 Peter 2:9-10 (9) But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (10) who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. [] (parable of the treasure in the field – Matt 13:44, Jesus = the man) He gave everything for you in order that God might be glorified!
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– Since they are set apart for God, they have special dietary laws to demonstrate the fact they are set apart. Although there are some microbacterial issues dealt with (trichinosis & yellow fever), there doesn’t seem to be an overarching reason why God chose some animals & not others…but that in itself is a testimony to the grace of God in our own lives. We’ve done nothing to merit His favor; it’s actually the opposite! … But God in His unfathomable grace loved us when we were unlovable and offered His salvation to us. Just like the goat did nothing to be clean; neither did we. God simply set them apart as He does His own people… –
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3 “You shall not eat any detestable thing. 4 These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, 5 the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the mountain goat, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. 6 And you may eat every animal with cloven hooves, having the hoof split into two parts, and that chews the cud, among the animals.
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A. Before God reminds them of what they can’t eat, He reminds them of what they can eat…which is a lot! God wasn’t looking to throw down restrictions on their freedom – He wanted to protect & provide for them in His love for them as His people. (He does the same with us.)
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7 Nevertheless, of those that chew the cud or have cloven hooves, you shall not eat, such as these: the camel, the hare, and the rock hyrax; for they chew the cud but do not have cloven hooves; they are unclean for you. 8 Also the swine is unclean for you, because it has cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud; you shall not eat their flesh or touch their dead carcasses.
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A. No cloven hooves; no cud chewers of a specific kind. Obviously some animals that chewed the cud were considered clean (like the ox/cow).
B. Pork is known to have an obvious danger of disease if cooked unproperly – it was also widely used in pagan cultures for sacrifice. Whatever the reason, God considered it to be unclean.
__a. How does this affect NT believers? Do we need to give up bacon & spareribs? Not unless you want to. (Acts 15 council) Romans 14:2-4 (2) For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. (3) Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. (4) Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. []
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9 “These you may eat of all that are in the waters: you may eat all that have fins and scales. 10 And whatever does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.
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A. Seafood – later became a major portion of their diet (how many disciples were fishermen? A bunch. ). Fins & scales ok.
B. No fins, no scales, not ok. Eels, etc…
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11 “All clean birds you may eat. 12 But these you shall not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, 13 the red kite, the falcon, and the kite after their kinds; 14 every raven after its kind; 15 the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after their kinds; 16 the little owl, the screech owl, the white owl, 17 the jackdaw, the carrion vulture, the fisher owl, 18 the stork, the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe and the bat. 19 “Also every creeping thing that flies is unclean for you; they shall not be eaten. 20 “You may eat all clean birds.
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A. Birds don’t have any obvious pattern assigned to them. Overall, the rule seems to be that carnivorous birds are considered unclean…
__a. ‘Why does the Bible classify bats as birds? Is the Bible scientifically wrong?’ Keep in mind that modern taxonomy wasn’t developed until 1700’s…even Aristotle considered bats and birds to be the same general type of creature (walking, flying, swimming animals)
B. Again, although we tend to focus on what God restricted them from eating, there’s as much here that details what the Hebrews CAN eat. Out of all the winged creatures on the earth, the only ones that are restricted are the ones listed.
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21 “You shall not eat anything that dies of itself; you may give it to the alien who is within your gates, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a holy people to the LORD your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.
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A. Restriction on eating animals dead of natural causes… Not for the foreigners; only for the Hebrews. Would have been a violation against eating blood, since the animal would not have been properly drained.
B. Boiling goat in mother’s milk…interesting interpretations today to the point that an orthodox Jewish person won’t eat meat & drink milk in the same meal – afraid it would “boil” together as it churned in his stomach…
__a. Don’t miss the heart of God in His commands…be careful not to strain a gnat and swallow a camel.
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22 “You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. 23 And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.
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A. Tithe… Cause of a lot of heartache & debate among Christians today. It’s worth remembering that the tithe is not specifically commanded of NT believers – yet at the same time, it predates the law of Moses because Abraham gave a tithe. Bottom line: the tithe is a great model for giving in the NT – but we’re definitely not limited to only giving 10%…we’re to purposefully & consistently give as the Lord leads us.
B. Notice the purpose of the tithe: “that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.” By giving God the 1st 10%, they were trusting Him to provide the other 90%. It was both an act of worship AND a declaration of trust to the God they feared, loved, and reverenced.
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24 But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the LORD your God has blessed you, 25 then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses. 26 And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.
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A. What to do if they couldn’t take the tithe to the tabernacle? Sell it, and buy what they want to eat with God when they DO get to the tabernacle…and God didn’t put any restrictions on it. Whatever they could use to worship the Lord – they were free to worship Him with whatever food and drink they desired.
__a. God wants us to be free to worship Him! He does provide guidelines in order that we might be decent & in order – but our worship isn’t to be only in truth…it’s also to be in the spirit! We’re free to worship Him as He enables us to do so!
B. This was supposed to be a joyful celebration! Too many times, the “giving” part of a church service is turned into a solemn funeral dirge. Perish the thought! The very act of giving (OT & NT) is an act of worship! Thus we come before the Lord rejoicing – and anything we give (whatever the amount) should be done cheerfully. 2 Corinthians 9:7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. []
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27 You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you. 28 “At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. 29 And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.
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A. Most of the tithes were used in personal worship; every third year the tithe was used to support the Levite & the poor.
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Conclusion:
The bottom line to all this? God’s people were chosen & set apart to worship Him. Because they were chosen by God, they weren’t to go chasing after every other false god out there. No matter how convincing the talk or how flashy the works, only the Almighty Creator God had shown Himself strong on behalf of His people by purchasing their freedom from Egypt. Never again were they to follow after the gods of the pagans.

Likewise, they were set apart by God to worship Him. Because God showed a peculiar interest in them (solely because of His grace), they were to be a peculiar people in their actions and lives. They weren’t to live like the rest of the world did, simply because God had called them to be different.

We may be under a different (and far better!) covenant, but the principles still ring true for us. We have been chosen by the Lord Jesus to worship Him, purchased by His blood on the cross. We don’t belong to ourselves; we belong to Him…thus we are to follow after ONLY Him. Neither do we walk like the world…we ought to walk after our Master & King. WE are now a peculiar people (1 Pet 2:9, KJV), set apart to worship Him for His glory.

May we reckon ourselves dead to sin, alive in Christ, empowered by the Spirit every day!