introduction deuteronomy

DEUTERONOMY

NEW HOME, NEW HABITS

STUDY FIVE | CHAPTER 11:8-12:14

INTRODUCTION This is a tricky passage to tackle in one study because it bridges two very large sections of Deuteronomy. First, Moses outlines the basic principles of the relationship between God and his people. The rest of Moses’ sec-ond sermon will focus on how Israel should behave in the Promised Land, begining with Deuteronomy 12.1. You might well wonder: why all these details? It’s because the land isn’t just land, it’s God’s land; the place where the LORD will dwell. That means it is set apart for his pur-poses (holy).

Chapter 11 revisits many of the themes we encountered earlier, but focuses on the new home that Israel is being given, and sets before them the two paths we encoun-tered in Study #1: the way of life (blessings) and the way of death (curses). IIn Chapter 12, the people are intro-duced to the new habits of this renewed relationship, and God extends an invitation to meet and eat with him. From this context, Israel will be given the remainder of the laws in Deuteronomy. Placing these two themes of land and worship next to each other is very intentional.

STUDY FRAMEWORK

• Bible Passage• Study Notes + Study Questions • Prayer

Bible PassageDEUT 11:8- 12:14 CHAPTER 11 8 You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land that you are going over to possess, 9 and that you may live long in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give to them and to their o!spring, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it, like a garden of vegetables. 11 But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, 12 a land that the LORD your God cares for. The eyes of the LORD your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. 13 And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. 15 And he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full. 16 Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; 17 then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land

DEUT STUDY 1 1 :8 - 12: 14 | BIBLE PASSAGE 1 / 6

will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly o! the good land that the LORD is giving you. 18 You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 20 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. 22 For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the LORD your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, 23 then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you. 24 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours. Your territory shall be from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea. 25 No one shall be able to stand against you. The LORD your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you. 26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today,

28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known. 29 And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. 30 Are they not beyond the Jordan, west of the road, toward the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah, opposite Gilgal, beside the oak of Moreh? 31 For you are to cross over the Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you. And when you possess it and live in it, 32 you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the rules that I am setting before you today. CHAPTER 121 These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. 2 You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3 You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. 4 You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way. 5 But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go,

DEUT STUDY 1 1 :8 - 12: 14 | BIBLE PASSAGE 2 / 6

6 and there you shall bring your burnt o!erings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow o!e- rings, your freewill o!erings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. 7 And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the LORD your God has blessed you. 8 You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes, 9 for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the LORD your God is giving you. 10 But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety, 11 then to the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt o!erings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contr- bution that you present, and all your finest vow o!erings that you vow to the LORD. 12 And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male servants and your female servants, and the Levite that is within your towns, since he has no portion or inheritance with you. 13 Take care that you do not o!er your burnt o!erings at any place that you see, 14 but at the place that the LORD will choose in one of your tribes, there you shall o!er your burnt o!erings, and there you shall do all that I am commanding you.

Study Notes BACKGROUND Ancient Agriculture: When God promises in 11.14 that “he will give the rain for your land in its season,” He is making a serious commit-ment. Two or three bad years of low rainfall could mean starvation for a village in Iron Age Palestine.

The Sacrificial System: In 12.10-14 we get some rules about the place of sacrifice. A good way to think about this ceremony is as a barbe-que with and dedicated to the LORD. The very best is o!ered up to him, and the remaining portions of food are enjoyed in remem-brance and celebration of how God has provided for them.

This is another big passage. Here is one way to divide it:• Chapter 11 - New Home (breakdown by Daniel Block)

> 11.8-12:The Gift of the Land > 11.13-21: The Test in the Land > 11.22-25: The Promise of the Land > 11.26-31: The Opportunity of the Land • Chapter 12 - New Habits > 12.1-4: God’s Invitation - False Worship > 12.5-14: God’s Invitation - True Worship

IMMEDIATE CONTEXT• Prior to this passage, at the start of chapter 10, Israel is remind-

ed of the covenant renewal which God undertook even in spite of their idolatry. Remembering God’s graciousness, Israel is admonished to “circumcise [their] heart,” and love God whole-heartedly.

• DEUT STUDY 1 1 :8 - 12: 14 | STUDY NOTES 3 / 6

• We’re dropping into the middle of an argument here, since v.8 begins with “therefore.” Read Deut 10.12-11.7 to help fill in the context.

IN DEUTERONOMY• 11.12 “A land that the LORD your God cares for…” The land is both

an expression of God’s providence and of Israel’s relationship with Him. The choice of the verb “cares for” (darash) is unique and denotes a particular, loving attention.

• 11.26 “I am setting before you a blessing and a curse” is the basis of the covenant renewal ceremony in Deut 27.

• 12.5 “The place that the LORD your God shall choose” is a phrase that occurs 11 times in Deuteronomy, always with respect to proper worship. Right worship is a crucial part of this book!

• 12.7 “You shall rejoice!” is a recurring theme when Deuteronomy speaks about worship, e.g. 12.18; 14.26; 16.11-14; 26.11; 27.7.

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT• 11.30 “beside the oak of Moreh” is a little detail with profound

significance. In Genesis 12 the oak of Moreh is where God reveals himself to Abram and enters into covenant. The nearby town of Shechem also plays a big role in the early history of Israel (e.g. Gen 33.18; Josh 24.25 and 24.32; Jdg 9.6).

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT• As with last week’s study in Deuteronomy 8, there is a clear

connection to Hebrews 4, especially in Deut 12.9• Read John 4.21-24 for Jesus’ fulfillment of Israel’s place of wor-

ship.

Study QuestionsWHAT DOES IT SAY? This passage breaks into two major sections. What is the focus of each section? How are they related to each other?

Pay attention to the verbs in this passage. What is God doing? What is Israel sup-posed to do?

What is the Lord’s relationship to the land? What do we learn about the purpose of the land?

DEUT STUDY 1 1 :8 - 12: 14 | STUDY QUESTIONS 4 / 6

STUDY TIPS A Pray

B Look closely ê Commands ê Descriptions of God or His People ê Words and phrases ê Repetitions, Contrasts, Surprises ê Big Bible Words ê Characters ê Dialogue – who is talking to whom? ê Setting (timeline and place) – does it

change?

C Look at the context ê What kind of writing is this?

(eg. narrative, poetry, teaching) ê How does the dialogue progress? ê Divide the passage into its natural sec-

tions, looking for transitions in setting, speaker, or theme can help with this

ê Create a heading for each section ê Summarize the section in your own words

D Share ê In your small group share something

you noticed

WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Read 10.12-11.710.12-13 and 11.13 talk about loving and serving. What do you think the relationship between loving and serving God is?

Chapter 12 begins a new section where the LORD lays out detailed laws for living in the land, both vertical (with regard to God) and horizontal (with regard to neighbour). What are some of these laws? Why would this new section begin with rules about worshipping the LORD rightly?

What is the character of right worship (see 12.7 and 12.12 in particular), and how does it connect to loving and serving God?

DEUT STUDY 1 1 :8 - 12: 14 | STUDY QUESTIONS 5 / 6

STUDY TIPS A Look at the context

ê Read the passage immediately before and after

ê How does the context help us under-stand the meaning of the text?

ê Look up cross references. ê How do they help us better understand

the passage? ê In your small group share how the con-

text has added to your understanding of this week’s passage.

B Summarize the big idea ê So, what’s the main idea of the

passage? How would you title this passage?

ê In your small group share the main idea

C Stop to pray ê Thank God for all he has already re-

vealed to you, and ask him to help you see Jesus more clearly, and love him more deeply, through the next steps of your study.

DEUT STUDY 1 1 :8 - 12: 14 | STUDY QUESTIONS & PRAYER 6 / 6

WHAT DOES IT REVEAL? Entering into and enjoying God’s presence is the key to this passage. Why does God care how Israel worships? What does this say about God? What does this say about us?

Read John 4.19-26. How do the lessons of today’s passage apply to Christian worship today?

HOW WILL I RESPOND? Our hearts need constant reminding of the blessings & curses God lays before us. How do you “lay up” God’s Word in your heart and soul?

How does knowing that God’s great desire is to meet with his people help you worship joyfully?

PrayerTake time to say back to God the things which he has been teaching you here in this passage. Ask for his help in making them a reality in your life.

DEUTERONOMY GENEROUS

GOD, GENEROUS

PEOPLE

STUDY SIX | CHAPTER 16:1-17

INTRODUCTION Feasts and festivals are marked in the calendar to cele-brate special occasions, which is exactly what Deuteron-omy 16 is all about. Here we have three major Old Testa-ment festivals, reinstated by God for use in the promised land, which are still celebrated by observant Jews today. The motivation for these celebrations is to remember the work of God, past and present. Though Israel is the main participant in these annual celebrations, they are called to include the marginalized in these feasts, as well as others not counted among the twelve tribes of Jacob. Remembering God’s generosity gives rise to a joyful and generous response!

Last week’s passage entered into the heart issue of loving and serving God within the context of Israel’s new home, the promised land. Today’s passage picks up this same theme and explores the implications that loving and serving God has for our celebrations and the re-sources given to those celebrations.

STUDY FRAMEWORK


Bible PassageDEUT 16:1- 17 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 And you shall o!er the Passover sacrifice to the LORD your God, from the flock or the herd, at the place that the LORD will choose, to make his name dwell there. 3 You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of a"iction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. 4 No leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory for seven days, nor shall any of the flesh that you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain all night until morning. 5 You may not o!er the Passover sacrifice within any of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, 6 but at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell in it, there you shall o!er the Passover sacrifice, in the evening at sunset, at the time you came out of Egypt. 7 And you shall cook it and eat it at the place that the LORD your God will choose. And in the morning you shall turn and go to your tents. 8 For six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD your God. You shall do no work on it. 9 You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain.

DEUT STUDY 16:1- 17 | BIBLE PASSAGE 1 / 6

10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill o!ering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you. 11 And 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 towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there. 12 You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes. 13 You shall keep the Feast of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your wine press. 14 You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns. 15 For seven days you shall keep the feast to the LORD your God at the place that the LORD will choose, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful. 16 Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unlea- vened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. 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 that he has given you.

Study Notes BACKGROUND Structure: One way this passage can be broken down:• vv. 1-8: The Passover• vv. 9-12: The Feast of Weeks• vv. 13-15: The Feast of Booths • vv. 16-17: Give generously as God has given to you.

Calendars: “Abib” in v.1 is the old Canaanite word for the Jewish month of Nisan, which is roughly March/April in our Gregorian calen-dar. Abib/Nisan is the first month of the year in the ancient Mesopo-tamian lunisolar calendar, marking the beginning of spring. All three of the feasts in this passage are spring celebrations, which mark the beginning of the harvest season and the first signs of God’s plentiful provision.

IMMEDIATE CONTEXT• vv 16.1-17 is focused on feasts but is part of a larger section on

generosity, including tithing, debt cancellation, and Sabbath.• Immediately following this passage are laws for leadership

(16.18-18.22) and for a just society (19.1-21.23).

IN DEUTORONOMY Moses second sermon (chapters 5-28) has 5 big sections of laws:

• 12.1-16.17: Worship/Consecration• 16.18-18.22: Leadership• 19.1-21.23: Ethical Conduct

DEUT STUDY 16:1- 17 | STUDY NOTES 2 / 6

IN THE OLD TESTAMENTThis passage draws heavily upon Israel’s history for the reinstitution of older feasts:• vv.1-8: The Passover is instituted by God in Exodus 12, and is

the event in Israel’s memory of God’s mercy and deliverance.• vv. 9-12: The Festival of Weeks is first mentioned in Exodus

23.16. The practice of thanking God for a plentiful harvest is not a new one, but the promise of a new abundant beginning in the promised land is an even greater cause for celebration.

• vv.13-15: The Feast of Booths was first given in Leviticus 23.34, and serves as a reminder that during the wilderness wanderings God miraculously and generously provided for his people.

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT• The Festival of Weeks is also called “Pentecost” amongst Greek

speakers, and is the festival where Peter preaches to the thou-sands (Acts 2) and the Holy Spirit gives birth to the Church.

• The Festival of Booths is mentioned only in John 7. It is one oc-casion that Jesus chooses to teach many in the temple.

• The Passover obviously holds a great deal of importance for Christians. It is the basis for the giving of the “Lord’s Supper” from Jesus to his disciples, and is the occasion when he forms a new covenant for our salvation. (Luke 22, Matt 26, Mark 14, John 13)• 22.1-25:19: Purity Laws

• 26.1-15: Tithes & O!erings

Study QuestionsWHAT DOES IT SAY? Take note of the verbs in this passage. What do they reveal about the roles of God and his people here?

Q: What do these three feasts celebrate?

Q: What emotions are expressed in this passage?

DEUT STUDY 16:1- 17 | STUDY QUESTIONS 3 / 6

STUDY TIPS A Pray


change?






you noticed

WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Read Deut 14.22-29, 16.18-22Why is Passover the first festival to be celebrated?

What is Israel remembering with these festivals, and what does this reveal about Israel’s motivations for feasting?

Verse 16-17 are not instructions for the festivals themselves. Why does the passage finish this way?














WHAT DOES IT REVEAL? How do these festivals reflect the actions of God to Israel?

What are some valid responses the people should have?

Why are the festivals so important to the life of Israel?

HOW WILL I RESPOND? Deuteronomy 16 puts the generosity of God on full display and brings with it a call to respond. What opportunities for celebrating God’s gen-erosity are there for us as Christians? How do our weekly celebrations aid you in responding generously to God and to his people?

How do Christ’s death and resurrection shape your weekly and monthly patterns of life?

DEUT STUDY 16:1- 17 | STUDY QUESTIONS & PRAYER 6 / 6

HOW WILL I RESPOND? (continued) These festivals show us that God wants his people to enjoy and share the generous provision that he has given. How can we live thankfully while also faithfully resisting the constant temptations in abundance?


ADDITIONAL NOTES

DEUTERONOMY REMEMBERING

JOYFULLY

STUDY SEVEN | CHAPTER 26:1-19

INTRODUCTION In chapters 12-26 we get all of the specific stipulations that God requires in the covenant he is making with Is-rael. This section of the book is now drawing to a close, which makes these the final commandments that God gives to Israel in Deuteronomy, and it closes the way it began: with worship. Deuteronomy 12 opened with an invitation to learn the new habits of true worship in the land God was giving them. Today’s passage takes that same emphasis on worship and grounds it in the giving of firstfruits - the best of what is gathered at the beginning of the harvest. The cultures surrounding Israel gave their firstfruits in hope of appeasing their gods, always unsure about whether they had the deities on their side. In contrast, Israel is asked to give out of remembrance for what God has done in faithfully keeping his covenant and deliver-ing Israel, a cause for great joy.

STUDY FRAMEWORK


Bible PassageDEUT 26:1- 19 1 When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it, 2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. 3 And you shall go to the priest who is in o!ce at that time and say to him, ‘I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come into the land that the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.’ 4 Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God. 5 And you shall make response before the LORD your God, ‘A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. 7 Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our a"iction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. 9 And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O LORD, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the LORD your God and worship before the LORD your God.

DEUT STUDY 26:1- 19 | BIBLE PASSAGE 1 / 5

11 And you shall rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the so journer who is among you. 12 When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the so journer, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled, 13 then you shall say before the LORD your God, ‘I have removed the sacred portion out of my house, and moreover, I have given it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all your commandment that you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. 14 I have not eaten of the tithe while I was mourning, or removed any of it while I was unclean, or o#ered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the LORD my God. I 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 ground that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ 16 This day the LORD your God commands you to do these statutes and rules. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 You have declared today that the LORD is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his rules, and will obey his voice. 18 And the LORD has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, 19 and that he will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made, and that you shall be a people `holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.”.

Study Notes CULTURAL BACKGROUND The idea of giving firstfruits to a deity was common in Iron Age Pal-estine. Israel’s giving was distinct in at least two ways: • The motivation to give was love rather than fear of reprisal (an-

cient pantheistic deities constantly needed appeasement).• This love also expressed itself in the community, through gener-

ous care for the economically and socially disadvantaged.

The idea of firstfruits involves giving the first and best as an o!ering to the LORD, even before the harvest has been fully gathered. In ancient Israel, giving the best of your crop even before you knew what the harvest would be (and how much you would eat for the year) was a profound step of faith.

IMMEDIATE CONTEXT• The final verses of this chapter (vv.16-19) are a summary state-

ment, indicating that we’ve come to the end of Moses’ second sermon (Deut 5.1-26.19).

• Immediately after this passage is the covenant renewal ceremo-ny from our first study in Deut 27. Review your notes from that study.

IN DEUTORONOMY • The phrase “mighty hand and outstretched arm” in v.8 is also

found in Deut 4.34; 5.15; 7.19; 11.2; and 26.8.• v.12 “the tithe of your produce in the third year” refers to a

unique practice of setting resources aside for the needy. This

DEUT STUDY 26:1- 19 | STUDY NOTES 2 / 5

tithe is referred to as “the sacred portion” (v.13), and is also con-nected to the sabbatical year (Deut 15.4)

• v.12 “the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow” formed a unique group of disadvantaged peoples who would have had di"culty providing for themselves. God also commanded the wealthy to leave some of the crop for them (e.g. Deut 24.19-22).

• v.16 “With all your heart and with all your soul” is a phrase we’ve run into many times in Deuteronomy (e.g. Deut 4.29; 6.5; 11.13).

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT• The phrase “a mighty hand and outstretched arm” in v.8 con-

nects Deuteronomy to the book of Exodus where it is revealed that God, rather than Pharaoh, is the truly powerful one.

• v.14 “while I was unclean.” Participating in a feast while ritually unclean was forbidden in Leviticus. The concept of purity is closely related to holiness, the act of setting apart, or being set apart, for service to God. Under this system, being unclean does not necessarily entail moral failure.

• v.18 “to be a people for his treasured possession” is a fairly rare, and specifically covenantal, phrase that God uses of His chosen people (e.g. Exod 19.5, Mal 3.17). The term “treasured posses-sion” denotes special, private property, often of kings.

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT• v.2 is also picked up in 2 Thess 2.13, where Paul describes us as

firstfruits, because of Christ who was the “firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15.20-23).

• v.19 “A people holy to the LORD” is a common theme in Paul’s writing, e.g., Eph 1.4-5, and we also get it in the famous passage from 1 Peter 2.9.

Study QuestionsWHAT DOES IT SAY? Trace all the uses of the verb “give” or “given.” We get something that looks a lot like a creed in vv.5-10. What are the main elements of this confession/testimony?

What are the di!erent components for the o!ering of firstfruits? What is the focus of Moses’ concluding words in vv.16-19?


STUDY TIPS A Pray


change?






you noticed

WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Moses finishes his second (rather long!) sermon in this passage. After giving all these laws, why do you think he finishes with tithing?

This study has strong connections with last week’s study in Deuteronomy 16. What is at the root of feasts like Passover and the giving of tithes?

Why does God want Israel to give firstfruits?













5 / 5

WHAT DOES IT REVEAL? Why does God want his people to remember his deliverance when they give their gifts? What is the relationship between gratitude and generos-ity?

Why does the tithe go both to God and to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless and the widow? Refer back to Deut 15.4 for help.

What is the nature of Israel’s mission in the land?

HOW WILL I RESPOND? 2 Corinthians 8: 9 “ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor…”.How does the generosity and grace of Christ to you help make you a joyful giver? In what areas of your life could you be more generous?

It is both comforting and challenging to know that God promises to make us a holy people (v.19), his treasured possession. How does his promise help you live for him?

PrayerIf time allows -try to put your own name and testimony in place of that of the “wandering Aramean” vv.5-10 and retell the account God’s grace in your life and the response God is calling you to make to him.

DEUT STUDY 26:1- 19 | STUDY QUESTIONS & PRAYER

INTRODUCTION This passage is a part of Moses’ third and final address to the people of Israel before they enter the promised land. Before Israel stands the choice of life or death, that is, either to love the Lord their God by walking in all his ways, or to turn their hearts away from him. The final words in the law section of Deuteronomy are an impassioned plea to hold fast to God.

Previous chapters focused a lot on the recent past or the immediate future. Chapter 30 speaks of Israel’s more distant future and God’s unwavering eternal faithfulness despite their constant failure to love and serve him. It is important to note why Moses is giving this word to Israel. Despite curses, exile, and hardship, God’s blessing shall have the last word and his plans shall always be carried out.

STUDY FRAMEWORK


DEUTERONOMY CHOOSE

LIFE

STUDY EIGHT | CHAPTER 30:1-20

Bible PassageDEUT 30.1 -20 1 And 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 has driven you, 2 and return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4 If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. 5 And the LORD your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. 6 And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your o!spring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. 7 And the LORD your God will put all these curses on your foes and enemies who persecuted you. 8 And you shall again obey the voice of the LORD and keep all his commandments that I command you today. 9 The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers,

DEUT STUDY 30:1-20 | BIBLE PASSAGE 1 / 5

10 when you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 11 For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far o!. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither 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. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. 15 See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your o!spring may live, 20 loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Study Notes STRUCTURE • vv. 1-10: Salvation from exile.• vv. 11-14: What you have been asked to do is not impossible.• vv. 15-20: Two truths with heavenly witness.

IMMEDIATE CONTEXT• Moses begins his third sermon in Deut 29, with a major empha-

sis being the possibility of future failure.• Chapter 31 details the handing o! of leadership for Israel from

Moses to Joshua who will now lead them into the land after Moses dies.

• The third sermon is the last one. Moses’ life is nearly over, and he shall not enter the promised land with Israel.

IN DEUTORONOMY • v.1 “The blessing and the curse…” is a theme we have seen be-

fore (Deut 11.26-28 and 27.15-28.19).• v.6 speaks about “circumcision of the heart, which we first ran

into in Deut 10.12-16.

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT• The story of the exile and eventual return of Israel make up a

large portion of the Old Testament. We read about the fall and exile of Israel in 1 and 2 Kings, and the return in Ezra and Nehe-miah.

DEUT STUDY 30:1-20 | STUDY NOTES 2 / 5

• vv. 5-10 speak about God’s future plans. Abraham’s covenant is restated, along with a new promise to change the hearts of the people. These ideas are echoed in the prophets (Jer 31.31-34, Ezek 36.24-28).

IN THE NEW TESTAMENTIn the New Testament we read about God’s heart-changing salva-tion, often expressed often in terms similar to those found here:

• Romans 2.28-29, where Paul elaborates upon the true meaning of circumcision as a matter of the heart, occuring by the Spirit. That inner change comes from God, and for God’s worship.

• Romans 10.5-13, where Paul quotes Deut 30.11-14. The Gospel is the fulfillment of this promise that salvation is not “di"cult to find.”

Study QuestionsWHAT DOES IT SAY? Pay attention to: 30.1-10: all the promises that are made by God. 30.11-14: all the uses of “not.”30.15-20: all the contrasts.

Why is the section on di!culty (vv.11-14) placed in the middle of the passage and not at the end?

DEUT STUDY 30:1-20 | STUDY QUESTIONS 3 / 5

STUDY TIPS A Pray


change?






you noticed

WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Read 29.18-29 and 31.1-18. Why does the covenant with Abraham keep appearing in Deuteronomy? How is it di!erent in this passage?

Read Ezekiel 36.24-28. What does this passage reveal to be the fulfillment of God’s promise in Deuteronomy 30.6?

How does Moses motivate the people to choose life? Why does his final sermon finish this way?

DEUT STUDY 30:1-20 | STUDY QUESTIONS 4 / 5












5 / 5

WHAT DOES IT REVEAL? Is the eventual exile of Israel a failure of God’s plan?

What do the promises God makes reveal ?

Read Hebrews 9.11-14 and 10.12-18 What do we learn about the nature of our hearts and our need for Christ?

HOW WILL I RESPOND? Failure is an expected part of our lives as Christians. How are vv. 30.11-14 and the gift of the Gospel still encouraging for you?

Once again in Deuteronomy, matters of the heart are of utmost impor-tance to God. How does knowing that “the Lord your God is your life and length of days” help you choose life and reorient your heart to-wards God?


DEUT STUDY 30:1-20 | STUDY QUESTIONS & PRAYER

INTRODUCTION Deuteronomy is often thought of as a law book - which is true - but as we’ve discovered over the past eight studies, Deuteronomy is a book thoroughly shaped by God’s grace. It is this gracious God who has been with Moses leading the people for over forty years, bringing them to the land promised so many years ago to Abraham, and it is this gracious God who will continue with his people, uphold-ing his covenant with them. Though Moses shepherded God’s people faithfully, he will not go into the land with them because of his own sins, which makes the two songs of Deuteronomy 32 and 33 Moses’ last words to his people. With these songs, and with his death, Moses points God’s people to their faithful Rock, the one who was, is, and will be their true home.

STUDY FRAMEWORK


DEUTERONOMY

YOUR TRUE HOME

STUDY NINE | CHAPTER 33:26-34:12

Bible PassageDEUT 33:26 - 34:12 CHAPTER 33 26 There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty.27 The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, ‘Destroy.’28 So Israel lived in safety, Jacob lived alone, in a land of grain and wine, whose heavens drop down 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 triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their backs.” CHAPTER 341 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea,

DEUT STUDY 33:26 -34:12 | BIBLE PASSAGE 1 / 5

3 the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 And the LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your o!spring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” 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 the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth- peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. 7 Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. 8 And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. 9 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. 10 And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

Study Notes BACKGROUND GENRE The first part of this passage is an ancient poem. Poetry is much easier to memorize than prose, and the Hebrew in this poem is strikingly old. Because of this, some scholars think that it is the ear-liest part of the book. There are a number of other songs in Israel’s early history that are also archaic poetry, e.g., Moses’ Song of the Sea in Exodus 15. BACK TO THE FUTURE Moses is speaking in the “prophetic past tense” with vv. 28-29, by talking about events which have not yet taken place as though they have already occured. This is a particularly important emphasis in his blessing, because Israel is going to attempt their conquest of Canaan without his leadership. WHAT’S IN A NAME? “Jeshurun” is a poetic name of honour for Israel meaning “(morally) upright one.” It occurs only four times in the Old Testament (Deut 32.15; 33.5, 26; Isa 44.2).

IMMEDIATE CONTEXT• We’re dropping into the middle of Moses’ final words to the

people of God. He began with a song in chapter 32, and then blessed the people in chapter 33 before his death at the end of chapter 34. The blessing has strong military overtones, and gives a specific vision to each tribe of Israel.

DEUT STUDY 33:26 -34:12 | STUDY NOTES 2 / 5

• After this passage, the next words in the Bible (Joshua 1) will pick up right where the story left o!, and Israel finally enters the promised land.

IN DEUTORONOMY • 33.26 “O Jeshurun” is also used in Deut 32.15, but with a more

ironic tone.• 34.9 “for Moses had laid his hands on him.” This ceremony

happened back in Deut 31, where Joshua was o"cially commis-sioned in the sight of both Israel and the LORD.

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT• 33.27 “The eternal God is your dwelling place” is the main

theme of another song of Moses: Psalm 90.• 33.29 “The shield of your help…” is a phrase also regularly used

in the Psalms (e.g. Psa 33.20, 84.11, 144.2)• 34.5 “Moses...died there...according to the word of the LORD,”

fulfills the LORD’s promise to Moses in Num 20.10-13• 34.7 “His eye was undimmed…” is another way of saying that

Moses saw matters wisely. Compare this description with that of Eli, the priest in 1 Sam 3.2, whose physical disability reflects a moral defect as well.

Study QuestionsWHAT DOES IT SAY? Look at the imagery of the poem. What do these images convey?

What is the mood of the poem?

What are the main emphases of Moses’ song in 33:26-29?

How is Moses described in chapter 34?

DEUT STUDY 33:26 -34:12 | STUDY QUESTIONS 3 / 5

STUDY TIPS A Pray


change?






you noticed

WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Read chapters 32-33. Why do you think Moses chose his last words to be a song of blessing?

How do you think Moses felt looking over the Promised Land before his death?

Why do you think the book ends the way it does, focussing on Moses’ prophetic supremacy and Joshua’s leadership?

DEUT STUDY 33:26 -34:12 | STUDY QUESTIONS 4 / 5












5 / 5

WHAT DOES IT REVEAL? Though Israel is being given the Promised Land, where is their true home?

Why did God show Moses the Promised Land before his death? What does this say about God?

What does this song, and the entire book of Deuteronomy, teach us about the unique privilege of belonging to the LORD?

HOW WILL I RESPOND? “Happy are you oh Israel! Who is like you? A people saved by the Lord!” How does this passage encourage you, knowing that you have been saved by Jesus Christ and adopted into the people of God?

What does it mean for you to say that “the eternal God is your dwelling place”?

PrayerTake time to pray and give thanks to God for what he has been reveal-ing to you in Deuteronomy about his character, his purposes, and the incredible grace which he extends to all of us in Jesus Christ.

DEUT STUDY 33:26 -34:12 | STUDY QUESTIONS & PRAYER

introduction deuteronomy

Documents