AM Bible Study Group; February 23, 2011
Deuteronomy
Theme: An Introduction to the Book of Deuteronomy.
WHAT IS ITS PLACE IN THE BIBLE?
It’s the fifth book of the Pentateuch. The Pentateuch (a Greek name; penta meaning “five”; teukhos meaning “tool” or “scroll” [i.e., book]) or “Torah” (the Jewish word for “instruction”) is the name given to the first five books of the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), given through the human author Moses (see Deuteronomy 31:9-13, 24-29; Matthew 19:7-8; John 1:17; Acts 7:37-38). The essentials of the gospel are given through the Pentateuch: Genesis tells us of our fall and of our bondage to sin; Exodus tells us of the grace of God in delivering us from that bondage; Leviticus tells us of the cleansing of atonement through a Substitute; Numbers tells us of our journey to God’s promised place of rest through faith in Him; and Deuteronomy tells us of the life of holiness in heart and conduct to which God now calls us.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
Psalm 103:7 tells us that the Lord “made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” And this serves as a good description of the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy. It is a book through which God made His ways known to His people through His servant Moses.
Deuteronomy—the last book of the Pentateuch—is the book that contains Moses’ final words to the people of God before they entered the Promised land. It is both ‘historical’ and ‘instructional’ in nature. The people had wandered in the wilderness for thirty-eight years in a region that would have ordinarily only taken only 11 days to travel (Deuteronomy 1:1-3); and that was because of the refusal of the people thirty-eight years prior to enter the land as God had commanded (see Numbers 14:28-35). And so, on the fortieth year after the exodus of the Jewish people from captivity in Egypt—after the first generation had died (with the exceptions of Caleb and Joshua; see Numbers 14:30), and the second generation prepared themselves to enter the land—Moses gives them these closing words of review and instruction.
Jesus Himself is promised to us in Deuteronomy (compare Deuteronomy 18:15-19 with Acts 3:19-26); and repeatedly quoted from this book when the devil tempted Him in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).
WHAT DOES ITS NAME MEAN?
The Jewish people called this book by a name taken from the first few words written in it: ēlleh haddebarîm; which means “These are the words . . .”). Sometimes, it was known by the shortened name debarîm, “words”. It was also known as mišneh hattôrâ (or sometimes just mišneh) from Deuteronomy 17:18: “this law in a book”. A third title that was given to it was sēper tôkahôt; which means “book of admonitions”. The Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint, or LXX) also drew the name of this book from Deuteronomy 17:18; but mistakenly translated it to deuteronomion touto (literally, ‘this second law’). The Latin Vulgate rendered this deuteronomium; which is how we have its name in our Bibles today (see J.A. Thomson, Deuteronomy [Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1974], pp. 11-12). It is sometimes also known as “The Fifth” (that is, a fifth of the law); or “Five-Fifths” (being the fifth of the five books of the law). It is also sometimes called “the Book of Reproofs”; and “the Book of Remembrance”, since its object is to help the people remember the law that God had given to them.
As Dr. Thompson writes, “The contents of the book were thus regarded as a second law. The first had been given on Mount Horeb (Sinai). The second was a repetition of the first on the plains of Moab. Despite a mistaken translation of the Hebrew mišneh hattôrâ hazzō,t the name of the LXX translators is not entirely inappropriate since Deuteronomy is, in some measure at least, a re-presentation of the law of Sinai, albeit in the form of an exposition of the Mosaic law (pp. 11-12).
WHO WROTE THE LAST CHAPTER?
One of the controversies concerning its authorship is the question of who wrote chapter 34; because it describes Moses death and burial. The most sensible suggestion is that it was written by Joshua—the successor of Moses in the leadership of the people. The beginning words of the Book of Joshua call Moses “the servant of the LORD”; which is what Moses is called in Deuteronomy 34:5.
A KEY PASSAGE:
The theme of this great book is “Love and Obedience”; and so, a key passage would be Deuteronomy 6:4-9:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).
A BASIC OUTLINE
(Adapted from the Ryrie Study Bible)
I. INTRODUCTION (1:1-5).
II. RECAPITULATION OF ISRAEL’S WANDERINGS (1:6-4:43).
A. Israel at Sinai (1:6-18).
B. Israel at Kadesh-Barnea (1:19-46).
C. Israel’s Journey from Kadesh to Moab (2:1-3:29).
D. Israel on the Plains of Moab (4:1-43).
III. REHEARSAL OF ISRAEL’S LAW (4:44-26:19).
A. Commands Concerning God (4:44-12:32).
B. Commands Concerning False Prophets (13:1-18).
C. Commands Concerning Food (14:1-21).
D. Commands Concerning Tithes (14:22-29).
E. Commands Concerning the Sabbath Year (15:1-23)
F. Commands Concerning Festivals (16:1-17).
G. Commands Concerning Leaders (16:18-18:22).
H. Commands Concerning Human Relationships (19:1-26:19).
IV. RATIFICATION OF ISRAEL’S COVENANT (27:1-30:20).
A. Prerequisite Ceremonies (27:1-26).
B. Promise of Blessings (28:1-14).
C. Promise of Curses (28:15-68).
D. Provisions of the Palestinian Covenant (29:1-30:20).
V. CONCLUSION (31:1-34:12).
A. Charges Related to Moses (31:1-29).
B. Song of Moses (31:30-32:47).
C. Testimony of Moses (32:48-33:29).
D. Death of Moses (34:1-12).