Deuteronomy 34: Moses' Funeral: Officiated by God

Moses wrote another poem (Psalm 90) in which he contrasted the everlasting nature of God with the temporary nature of human life on earth (70 or 80 years). Moses lived far beyond that average—an additional 40 years. And how well he used them in faithful service. Physically, he did not have to die in Deuteronomy 34—he wasn’t weak or sick—it was just time, according to God. And God conducted the funeral. What more can be said?

Deuteronomy 33: "To the Tribes" - Last Words of Moses

Every verse of this chapter (except verse 1) is poetry. This poem is Moses’ address to various tribes, describing their character, function, and future. All of the tribes are mentioned except Simeon (see 27:12). No reason is given. But what is said about the others can give us a lot of reasons to meditate on how we can and should serve God today as His family (Ephesians 3:14-21).

Deuteronomy 32: Let's Sing

The first 43 verses of this chapter are poetry. It could easily be a song. In fact, it is often called, “The Song of Moses.” When the song leader announces his number and waits for us to find it, he often says, “Let’s sing.” And then we sing. If Israel had sung this song with the right attitude through the centuries, who can say how many of the bad things in their history could have been avoided? Let’s remember that every time our leader says, “Let’s sing.”

Deuteronomy 31: Time Is Filled with Swift Transition

One short meditation cannot do anything but begin to encourage us to learn about the changes that come about in all lives. Sometimes these changes are very big. Joshua is taking over for Moses. How big was that? Moses’ dream will not be fulfilled due to sin. But God gave him something better. Joshua takes the dream and fulfills it—he leads Israel into rest (Hebrews 4:1-13). Maybe we will be able to handle our big transitions better by working harder on the small ones.

Deuteronomy 30: When You Come to Your Senses

After predicting that they would indeed offend God, Moses moves on to announce what God would do for them when they came to their senses (“call them to mind,” KJV). Let us keep in mind that God is predicting their future here. The apostasy of chapter 29 would occur (see 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles), and some of them would come to their senses—in captivity (see Daniel and Ezekiel). But none of this had to happen! What about me—how much of what has happened to me could have been avoided if I had just been obedient?

Deuteronomy 29: Covenant: God Did All of This for You

The word “covenant” in this chapter refers to a treaty or agreement He had made with Israel. God’s claim was that He had done this, and that, and the other—all for Israel. He was making an amazing offer to the stiffnecked (stubborn) nation for their own good and for the furtherance of His commitment to offer redemption to the entire human race. On the other side of this covenant, God reminded them of the terrible consequences they would suffer if they aroused His fierce anger by continuing in their stubbornness.

Deuteronomy 28: Blessings

The word used here has to do with giving good things to the people. In this case, it was the good that God promised Israel as a result of their obedience. However, we need to remember that being blessed by God is not always a sign that He is pleased with us (Matthew 5:45). The only way we can know that our blessings are a sign of His good pleasure is if we have obeyed—and that is easy to determine. Just keep His commandments!

Deuteronomy 27: Curses

The word used here is used to describe punishment that will surely come for disobedience. It is also meant to be a means of keeping the people from disobedience (deterrence). Think carefully about each one and then look in your concordance for other places where it is used (including the next chapter).

Deuteronomy 26: Let's Sum It Up

This is the end of Moses’ second speech in Deuteronomy (beginning in 4:44). In the last four verses (16-19), he reviewed the whole thing in very basic terms:

¨ God told you what to do.

¨ You knew it.

¨ You have said you will do it.

¨ He has made it clear how special you are.

¨ He has said He will make you His Own.

Why wouldn’t anyone honor such a God? See Acts 10:44-45.

Deuteronomy 25: Amalek

As the journey to Canaan began, the Israelites met with and fought against Amalek (Exodus 17). Amalek was to pay a high price for this—as far as God was concerned. In today’s meditation, He tells them to blot the memory of Amalek out from under heaven. When the time came to inherit the land, Israel did not blot Amalek out. Hundreds of years later, Saul was told to do it—and he chose not to. It was a great tragedy (1 Samuel 15) and led to Saul’s ruin and death for him and others, including his own sons (1 Samuel 31). When God gives us a distasteful job to do, it is best that we do it.

Deuteronomy 24: What if...?

Even though God’s plan for marriage is “one man and one woman for life,” He knew that all kinds of situations could (and would) arise in life. His wisdom made provisions for those situations. That’s how the chapter begins. Jesus referred to this provision as having been given due to the hardness of their hearts (Matthew 19:1-12). But even with this—God requires us—men and women—to treat our mates correctly. This will prevent the “what if…” from ever coming up.

Deuteronomy 23: Oh, Those Consequences!

Many times in every person’s life there are consequences that are not a result of the person’s sin or wrong-doing. But they are consequences anyway, and they need to be dealt with honorably. Some of those situations—extreme ones, I might say—are given in this chapter. God pronounced the consequences (without necessarily implying any guilt). One valuable element of these situations is the lesson of humble dependence on God that can be learned.

Deuteronomy 22: Because I Said So

There are many commands in the Bible that do not have an explanation from God. He simply says to “do” or not to “do” a certain thing. This reading has a number of them. It seems to me that something to learn from this (beyond obeying!) is that those who are in positions of authority have the right to tell us what to “do” or not “do” simply “because I said so.” Let us learn to honor the authority that others have over us by doing what we are supposed to—even when we do not have an explanation.

Deuteronomy 21: What if my Child Is...

The principle of honoring and obeying parents is so important to God that He not only has made the Bible a manual for the home, He has also given a number of statements showing what He thinks of disobedient children (Romans 1:30; Hebrews 12:5-12; and the whole book of Proverbs). This chapter has one of those references. When you come to it, read it with a desire to understand why this is so important to God. Then decide to be a part of the solution by encouraging people to learn these principles.

Deuteronomy 20: Rules of War

The Israelites were an earthly nation with an earthly homeland. This land was possessed by nations who had become idolaters and no longer deserved to live there. To eliminate them, God chose to send His people out to war. So He gave them rules of war. That is all simple enough—so let us now compare it to the spiritual Israel of the New Testament (the church—Galatians 1:2; 6:16). We are also an army, we have “enemies,” and we have rules of war (Ephesians 6; 2 Timothy 2). Our objective is different, for our mission is to make friends out of our enemies with the sword of the Spirit (Matthew 5:9,43-48).

Deuteronomy 19: Part of the Pattern

How do we learn whether or not a person is guilty of a charge? Some people think that if they have two or more “reliable witnesses,” they need to do no more. They use such “proof texts” as verse 15 of this chapter. However, Moses does not say that the witnesses must be “reliable,” but that their testimony must “establish a fact.” And in no way are we to stop with this one text as the entire pattern anyway. At Jesus’ trial even He was given the option of testifying. The goal is to be fair and come to the correct conclusion, isn’t it?

Deuteronomy 18: Like unto Me: That Prophet

The spiritual growth of Moses from Exodus 3 is one of the great stories of the Bible, and the fact that he was 80 at the beginning is truly thought-provoking. In this chapter, he makes one of the more remarkable prophecies of the Old Testament regarding the prophet Who would be like Moses. Among the references to this prophecy in the New Testament is Acts 3:23-26. Compare it with verses 15-19 in today’s reading and meditate on the many similarities between these two men.

Deuteronomy 17: The King Is Coming - But Should He Be?

It was not God’s plan for Israel to have an earthly king. This chapter is the one where Moses predicts that they would someday desire  a king (for all the wrong reasons). God was going to permit it, but He still expected them to honor Him. The fulfillment of this sad prediction began in 1 Samuel 8. There is another King coming, someday. He will come to judge us according to our works (Matthew 25:31-46). Let us honor Him now so we can be welcomed into the everlasting kingdom (2 Peter 1:10-11).

Deuteronomy 16: Make Sure They Are Fair

One of the things Israel would have to do in the land of Canaan was to have officials in all the tribes and towns to deal with everyday issues. The fundamental characteristic of these officials was to be that they were to be fair! Read verses 18-20 carefully and note that all of the things Moses said led to this point. We need fair-minded people in leadership positions of all kinds. Character counts!

Deuteronomy 15: You Need to Remember This

The word “remember” always includes the idea of looking back. But the reason for looking back is also important. In verse 15, Moses tells them to remember (that is, “do not forget”) that they had been slaves in Egypt and that God redeemed them (delivered; 7:8). One of the most powerful motivations to right living is to use the “rememberer” correctly—as, for example, when Christians observe the Lord’s Supper every Sunday (1 Corinthians 11:23-29).

Deuteronomy 14: You Are Chosen - Do Not Compromise Your Holiness

One of the parallels between the Israel of the Old Testament and the Israel of God today—the church of Christ (Galatians 6:16) is found in the wording of verse 2 (see 1 Peter 2:5-9):

¨ You are holy people of the Lord

¨ He has chosen you—specially

¨ Chosen out of all of the people of the earth

Let us also learn—from the failure of that Israel—to be sure that we do not compromise our holiness (our “chosen-ness”) by doing that which is unclean.

Deuteronomy 13: Can You Pass This Test? Yes!

False religion is wrong. One of the main things that makes it wrong is the claims made by the leaders regarding the source of their instructions. God allows people to make choirs, even wrong ones. By giving us the right to choose, we automatically are placed in the situation of being tested by religious error (v. 3). Passing the test (by searching the Scriptures) leads to a life of loving God with all of the heart and soul (v. 3). Since the “dreamers of dreams” are all around us still, let us not fail the test by following their errors and arousing the wrath of God.

Deuteronomy 12: Don't Do This to Jehovah

Moses continues his lesson by speaking of the details of pagan worship, the need to destroy all of the things that were a part of it, and the moving plea that I have paraphrased as—                                       

“Don’t do this to Jehovah”

He then tells them what they should do to God—bring Him what He said He wanted and offer it as He said He wanted it offered. The reading ends with another clear reminder about how to treat the commandments of God.

Deuteronomy 11: But Your Eyes Have Seen

In this reading, we are reminded that the children in the audience were not witnesses to the mighty acts of God that are described in Exodus through Numbers (v. 2). But the adults were: “Your eyes have seen” (v. 7). They were responsible for telling their children about these things so that they could believe in God and follow Him faithfully. Today, by using the Bible correctly, we can develop great faith that leads to holy living.

Deuteronomy 10: "...For Your Own Good..."

As we learn more about God in our reading of the Bible, we come to understand that He never gives a commandment unless it is “for your own good.” This is the point of verses 12 and 13 which are followed by Moses’ claims that God loved their fathers—even delighted in them. He was devoted to their welfare as He is to ours. Think of your devotion to and delight in Jehovah as you read this remarkable chapter.

Deuteronomy 9: I Got up with a Stiff Neck

Physically, a stiff neck is a real pain in the neck. Spiritually, it is a death sentence (v. 13; see Exodus 32:9; 33:3; 34:9). It is a sign of pride, stubbornness, rebellion, and spiritual deafness. Until it is softened by the exercise of humility, there is no hope (Zechariah 7:11-12). If our fathers were stiff-necked, it is even harder for us to be humble because we have to see them as they are and choose to be different if we are going to be acceptable to God. This is one of the messages of Deuteronomy 9.

Deuteronomy 8: No Swollen Feet

The details of the Bible can make us stop dead in our tracks sometimes (if we are being good readers!). I do not know all of the things that can cause our feet to swell, but walking for forty years in a wilderness is surely one of them. God was so good to this nation that He did not let their clothes wear out (v. 4; 29:5), their shoes did not get old (29:5), and their feet did not even swell up (v. 4). They could not look anywhere without seeing proof of God’s providing care—from His voice on the holy mount to their own healthy feet.

Deuteronomy 7: The "ites" Have It - or Do They?

There were seven “ites” already living in the land that God was giving to the Israelites. They were bigger and stronger than Israel. They had been there a long time (back to Genesis 10). But what chance did they have against God? Could they outnumber Him? Outfight Him? Outtalk Him? Outspend Him? Outflank Him? Outthink Him? So the “ites” do not have it! OUT with them! God was giving this land of milk and honey to the seed of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. And He is giving another inheritance to us—if we become and remain the spiritual seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:26-29).

Deuteronomy 6: Hear, Hear

This is the first word of verses 3 and 4. It is followed by things that God wanted them to know, believe, and do. The command to hear is the first commandment to obey if we are to learn the commandment that is first in importance—then (v. 4-5) and now:
                                  Matthew 22:34-40
                                  Mark 12:28-34
                                  Luke 10:25-37
Please, please, learn to listen—for faith comes by hearing. Only by hearing the right things can we ever believe the right things—and only by believing the right things can we ever do the right things (Romans 10:8-21).

 

Deuteronomy 5: Who Said That?

The ten commandments are repeated here (originally given in Exodus 20). Moses clearly says that they were for Israel—not for their fathers or other nations. We are not under this law either, for it was nailed to the cross (Ephesians 2; Colossians 2). Nine of them are part of the law of Christ, however; all except the Sabbath (law). But the point I want to emphasize is that these laws were spoken by God (verse 22) and they knew it! Many of the people who heard Deuteronomy 5 also heard Exodus 20. Likewise, the New Testament is also the word of God, given by His Son—The One Whom we are to hear (Matthew 17:5). The standards of Christ are the standards of God—still.

Deuteronomy 4: Let's Get This Now - Verse 2

Verse 2 is one of the places in the Bible where God expressly forbids people to alter His will by adding to it or taking away from it. The generation that was about to conquer Canaan needed to get this in their hearts before they did anything else. God’s revealed covenant was perfect for what He had in mind for them. Changing it would keep His will from occurring. This principle applies today, too. The whole human race needs the whole word of God, which is the Bible (Revelation 22:18-19). Please decide to follow the whole Bible—and nothing else. By doing this, you will have a happy judgment day (John 12:48-50).

Deuteronomy 3: A King-sized Bed

I do not know how big Og the king was, but his bed was 13 1/2 feet long and 6 feet wide. Kings seem to overdo almost everything. He was a big man (v. 11), but He was no match for the Lord of hosts. In Numbers 21—only a few months before Deuteronomy 3, he met up with the King of Heaven and Earth. Stories of earth’s kings are overflowing with information about their vanity, corruption, and idolatry. Not one of them has ever inflicted a wound on the King of Kings—except when He voluntarily became the Lamb of God to take away our sins. This is just one lesson about how big God is in Deuteronomy 3.

Deuteronomy 2: The Men of War Were Wasted

The men of war were the 603,550 who were doomed to die in the wilderness for their lack of faith. Verse 14 says that they were “wasted” (KJV). Other versions use terms such as “consumed,” “perished,” “died off.” Wasted...what a horrible thing to have to say about one life, much less 603,550 lives! And their choice to waste their opportunities, challenges, and lives affected everyone around them. Even the two survivors, Joshua and Caleb, were forever affected by these wasters. God had made them into His army, His people, His beloved—and they wasted—wasted away at the very edge of victory. Read it and learn.

Deuteronomy 1: The Lord Hated Us

Deuteronomy is a series of speeches by Moses in the last two months of the forty year trip from Egypt to Canaan. The audience is the second generation of Israelites. In this first speech, Moses is reviewing the journey. In verse 27, he quotes the parents of his audience as saying, “The Lord hated us.” He immediately begins his review of “God in the wilderness.” The speech continues until the end of chapter 4. In 4:37, Moses contradicts the claim of their parents by saying that God did these things because He loved their fathers. As you read these chapters, honestly think about God: did He hate them, or did He love them?