"Moses' First Address: Lessons In The Wilderness"
Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29
Lesson 4
"Moses' First Address: Lessons In The Wilderness"
Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29
Lesson 4
| These Bible study outlines were written and submitted by: Joseph M. Willmouth, Pastor of Trinity Bible Church in Biloxi, Mississippi 39532. This contributed article is copyright protected, and the sole property of the contributing author. It may be freely copied and used provided the above credits are included. Document expiration: indefinite. Dr. Willmouth states: "These Outlines were prepared for our Sunday Evening Bible Study, as a 2 page handout (front & back), at Trinity Bible Church, Biloxi, Mississippi." |
| | The webservant of bibleteacher.org began using these excellent studies in our local Bible study group. Any additional notes added by bibleteacher.org as a result of this independent study will be marked and enclosed by this type of table. This way the original work of Pastor Willmouth will in no way be modified. |
"Moses' Second Address: A Call To Listen & Obey "
Deuteronomy 4:44-5:1-33
Lesson 6
Introduction: In Moses' second address , he gives a rehearsal of Israel's covenant responsibilities with glimpses of its' national prophetic history. This lengthy section of Deuteronomy comprises the core of the book (4:41-26;19). Moses calls for Israel to listen and obey God's commands so that the Lord will bless the nation in the Land.
I. Background (4:44-49).
1. Moses begins his second message with the retelling of the Law ("torah").
A. If the people were going to prosper individually and nationally they must obey the covenant.
| | FOCAL - Deuteronomy 4:44-45 "And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel: [45] These are the testimonies, ([`edah ay-daw'], things witnessed) and the statutes, ([choq khoke], ordinance, decrees, laws) and the judgments, ([mishpat mish-pawt'], sentence) which Moses spake unto the children of Israel, after they came forth out of Egypt" Matthew Henry says of these verses, "Their present triumphs were a powerful argument for obedience. And we should understand our own situation as sinners, and the nature of that gracious covenant to which we are invited. Therein greater things are shown to us than ever Israel saw from mount Sinai; greater mercies are given to us than they experienced in the wilderness, or in Canaan. One speaks to us, who is of infinitely greater dignity than Moses; who bare our sins upon the cross; and pleads with us by His dying love" Or, as Jesus said, (John 14:15) "If ye love me, keep my commandments", and again (John 14:23-24) "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me". If God loved Israel, and devoted Himself to her growth and protection, was it too much to expect that Israel obey God's Word. If God loves the Christian, and gave Himself for that Christian, is it too much to ask that we obey His commandments. And what are these commandments? 1 John 3:23-24 "And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. [24] And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us" 1 Thessalonians 4:9 "But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another" |
B. See Scripture AboveThe "testimonies" "statutes" and "judgments" were originally given 3 months after Israel had left Egypt (Ex.20:1-17; 21-23).2. The setting is after the Exodus, the wilderness wandering, and the defeat of Sihon and Og (2:26-3:11), opposite of Beth Peor.- Therefore, Deuteronomy is not a new covenant, but a renewal of a previous covenant.
II. The Call To Heed And To Obey (5:1-5).
| | FOCAL - Deuteronomy 5:1 "And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, ([shama` shaw-mah'], attentively listen to so you may be able to understand and obey) O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, ([shamar shaw-mar'], to guard, set a watch on so as to protect) and do ([`asah aw-saw'], manufacture or produce something, make something out of something) them" The Christian who keeps his eyes on god has perfect inner peace: Isaiah 26:3-4 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. [4] Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength" The believer is to live his life by faith: Habakkuk 2:4 "Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith" There are rewards on earth and in Heaven for living your life faithful to God: James 1:22-25 "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.[23] For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: [24] For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. [25] But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed" |
1. The term "to hear" carries the idea of listening attentively, as to understand and obey (v.1).
2. Most of the people who had heard the Law the first time at Mt. Horeb were now dead, but God's covenant stood fast and Moses recounts those events (vv.2-5).
Application: Faith comes not only by hearing but also by heeding. It's just as important today for us to do more that just "hear," but we need to listen carefully to God's Word so that we understand and apply it.
III. The Ten Commandments (5:6-21; Ex.20:1-17).
1. See Text BelowThey were not to worship any other gods (v.7).
A. "Before Me" can be translated "near by Me," "at My side," "against Me," "in defiance of Me," or "to My detriment."1) All these translations point out the Yahweh stands alone, and that there are no other gods.B. This commandment calls for a life dominated by a relationship with God, that God must control every area of their lives.
2) God was, and is totally sovereign.
| | FOCAL - Deuteronomy 5:7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me. (paniym [paw-neem'], as Dr. Willmouth states "can be translated "near by Me," "at My side," "against Me," "in defiance of Me," or "to My detriment"). God is God alone, totally Sovereign, Infinite. "Infinity" refers to the cluster of unique attributes God possesses in Omnipotence , Omnipresence, and Omniscience .
See Dr. Willmouth's notes, following and underlined. |
2. They were not to worship any idols or carved images (vv.8-10).
A. To make an image of God in the natural world would have called into question the sovereignty of the One who cannot be limited by anything.
B. Also to make a image of God could be contaminated by idolatrous forms of worship like the people who lived around them.- Note: God is not against image making, as in art, but against image making for the purpose of idolatry which is false worship.
| | Deuteronomy 5:11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: (shav' [shawv] or shav [shav], see underlined notes, following) for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Wesley states, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain - Hast thou never used the name of God, unless on solemn and weighty occasions? Hast thou then used it with the deepest awe? Hast thou duly honored his word, his ordinances, his ministers? Hast thou considered all things as they stand in relation to him, and seen God in all? Hast thou looked upon heaven as God's throne? Up on earth as God's footstool? On every thing therein as belonging to the great king? On every creature as full of God?" |
3. They were not to use the Lord's name in vain (v.11).
A. "Vain" means "worthless," or "empty."1) Tie to aboveThey were not to use the Lord's name in any worthless or empty manner.B. How we use the Lord's name is an indication of our relationship with Him., and Paul argued against enforcing it (Rom.14:5-6; Col.2:16-17; Gal.4:8-11)"A) This prohibits the use of the Lord's name not only by attaching it to profanity, but also by using it in a manipulative way (like in magic or a curse on someone).
B) A believer who uses God's name flippantly or falsely attributes a wrong act to God's name has broken this commandment.
| Sabbath? | FOCAL - Deuteronomy 5:12-15 "Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. [13] Six days thou shalt labor, and do all thy work: [14] But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. [15] And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." God gave the Sabbath to Israel for health reasons, spiritual teaching, and to learn obedience. When Israel rejected the Sabbath, she was disciplined under the mighty hand of God. But what about the Church? As Dr. Willmouth notes, "This is the only commandment not repeated in the New Testament" Romans 8:2 " For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." The New Testament teaches us, Church Age Believers, that we are not under the law, but are to be controlled by the Holy Spirit of Christ. The Law was given to Israel to teach her about the coming Savior. Today we have the Savior, with all His provisions, and are rescued from the Mosaic Law. Israel's weekly Sabbath started at sundown Friday evening, and continued till sundown Saturday evening. The Church, in contrast, holds her day of worship on "the Lord's day", that is, the day our Savior resurrected from the grave (Sunday). The Apostle Paul said of the Sabbath: Romans 14:5-6 "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. [6] He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. ...." Colossians 2:16-17 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: [17] Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Galatians 4:8-11 "Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. [9] But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? [10] Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. [11] I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain." As believers we are to daily rest on the promises of God, by faith in Jesus Christ. God doesn't need to make us obey a special Sabbath, teaching of a coming Savior. Our Jesus has already come, and we who believe in Him are entered into the ultimate rest. Matthew 11:28-30 "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Jesus is our rest, our Sabbath. He paid the penalty for our sins, He did the ultimate work that one man can do for another. Am I saying that you, as a Christian, have no need for a day of rest? No! Physically and psychologically you must cease from labor at least one day weekly, and use that time to reflect on the goodness of God in your life. The writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 4:1-11) says it best, though. There does remain a rest for the people of God, and it's not a day, an ordinance, a statute. The rest that remains is the rest of salvation in Jesus. In His Sabbath we cease from our works, our feeble attempts at salvation, and trust in the finished work of the Cross. After salvation, we must labor to grow closer and closer to Jesus, to partake of His rest in our daily walk. This is a rest worth laboring for. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. |
4. Tie To AboveThey were to keep the Sabbath (vv.12-15).
A. Israel was to keep the Sabbath to commemorate God's Creation of the world in 6 days and His rest on the 7th day (Ex.20:11).
B. Israel was also to keep the Sabbath as a testimony to God's redemption of her from Egypt (Deut.4:34; 7:19; 11:2).
C. This is the only commandment not repeated in the New Testament, and Paul argued against enforcing it (Rom.14:5-6; Col.2:16-17; Gal.4:8-11).
| | FOCAL - Deuteronomy 5:16 Honor thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. In a related text the Apostle Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, told families how to relate to each other within that unit, his admonition was specifically targeted to the male parent and the children. This is perhaps the most striking thing I note about these verses, because it emphasizes that the male role in parenting is paramount to the healthy development of the child. God's ideal for the family in leadership is that the man assume the role of authority without heavy handedness or slackness. Ephesians 6:1-4 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." I have read numerous psychological studies where it was proven time an time again that the female children will often marry a man that (either consciously or unconsciously) has characteristics that are predominant in their fathers. Conversely, male children often marry a woman that (either consciously or unconsciously) has characteristics that are predominant in their mothers. On the negative side, children that are parented by child abusers or alcoholics will often be abusive and alcoholic with their own children when they grow up. If you think about it, this really isn't that odd at all. The child's first acquaintance is not some super hero, not some athlete, not some television star. The child's first acquaintance is the image of mother or dad leaning over the bedside to take care of him when he's sick. When he or she gets hurt, they immediately run to mom or dad to for the loving caress that will make the pain go away. The parent is the role model for the child, a powerful role model that will effect that child even into adulthood. Paul begins this section with Children, the Greek TEKNON. This word refers to little children, children who have not reached adulthood. Children under the legal age (in our society, 18 years old) are under the direct commandment of God to obey (HUPAKOUO, to listen attentively to the instructions of, be under the authority of) their parents. Honor thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise... Out of all the commandments God gave Israel, only this commandment carried a built in promise (EPAGGELIA) from God. God told the children that if they obeyed and honored their parents then He would extend their lives while they were in Canaan. Exodus 20:12 "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." When a child obeys his parents not only does God extend his life, but the child learns wisdom which prevents him from disaster. Children often don't understand why something is wrong, but the parent must enforce the rules if the child is going to be protected. ILLUSTRATION: A man was visiting his boyhood home when a heavy storm hit. As he stood looking out the front window, a great gust of wind toppled a tall, stately tree in the front yard. The man could hardly believe that the beautiful tree had fallen. Later, when he examined the broken trunk, he saw that the wind was not the only reason for the fall. The tree had been weakened inside by disease. Then he recalled that as a boy he had used a hatchet to chop away some of the bark when it was only a slender sapling. Over the years, water seeped in through the gashes, and disease found an opening. Slowly, the trunk had begun to decay from within. Although the sapling grew into what appeared to be a strong tree, it could not withstand the force of the wind. Because of a hidden fault, the tree came crashing to the ground. |
5. Tie To AboveThey were to honor their parents (v.16).
A. "Honor" means to "prize," or "value" something highly.6. They were not to murder people (v.17).
B. Parents were God's representatives who passed down God's Law in the home, and as a result, respect was due them.1) Children honored parents by having a receptive spirit to their teaching of the word of God.
2) Since parents were God's representatives, when a child honored their parents they honored God.
A. This commandment has often been misinterpreted to mean that all forms of human life taking are wrong.7. They were not to commit adultery (v.18).1) There are 5 different Hebrew words which describe the taking of a human life, here the word means to take an innocent life either by criminal intent or through negligence.
2) Thus this passage does not prohibit capital punishment or engaging in war, or self-defense.
A. Extramarital sex was forbidden.8. They were not to steal (v.19).
B. While this command doesn't refer explicitly to premarital sex, the Pentateuch prohibits it (Gen.2:24; Ex.22:16; Deut.22:13-29).
A. Many scholars think that this command refers primarily to kidnaping (24:7).9. They were not to bear a false witness against someone else (v.20).
B. It would probably be best to view this as a prohibition against stealing and kidnaping.
A. This command was primarily aimed at courts of law.10. They were not to covet someone else's spouse, property, servants, or possessions (v.21).
B. You could also include gossip towards other people.
A. "Covet" means "to lust for another's property."
B. This deals with an emotional, psychological type of sin.- The act of lusting after something often leads to the acting out of that lust (Matt.5:21-32).
Application: The Law was never designed to save people, but it was given to a people who were already redeemed (brought out of Egypt) to help them to express their love for and have fellowship with a Holy God. Likewise, today the Law is still powerless to save, but it is a good compass to guide people morally and socially through this life.
IV. The Recounting Of Israel's Response To God (5:22-33).
1. After hearing the Law, the people were terrified by the manifestations of God's divine presence and feared for their lives (vv.22-26).
2. They sent Moses to speak to the Lord and to assure Him that they would do whatever He said (v.27).
3. God knew that they would not keep His commandments, but He commended them for their expressions of fear and awe of Him (vv.28-33).
Application: The fear of the Lord is still the beginning of all understanding. Many Christians today need have a proper concept of the majesty and authority of God as expressed in His Law. A person who claims to be a Christian, and doesn't fear God doesn't know the True and Living God of the Bible.