TDM: Doctrine of God Deuteronomy 1:1-8 Scripture Focus Deuteronomy 1:1-8 Key Verse Deuteronomy 1:8 TDM Competency: Living Biblically: Understand and apply biblical principles to all areas of life. Overview Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because of their sin against God. During those 40 years, a new generation of God s people was born in the wilderness. This new generation was the recipients of the Promised Land (Gen 12). Moses is giving the commands of God to this new generation so that they would know God s requirements for His people. Theme Faithfulness to God is measured by heart-obedience to His commands. Apart from God s commands we have no clear means of knowing the expectations of God. Moses gives the law of God to this new generation in order for them to do what their fathers did not do, namely, follow the commands of God and trust God to do what He promised. Desired Learner Response [Aiming at the Heart for Life Transformation] Response: To begin to measure obedience by God s standard. To guard against heartless obedience to a set of rules by allowing the Law of God to examine their hearts. To obey God from a heart that is passionate for His glory. Outline I. God Spoke to a Specific People (vv. 1) II. God Spoke a Specific Message (vv. 2-5) III. God Spoke Specific Promises (vv. 6-8) Introduction Ask: Why do we value the Bible? Note: Lead your class to understand that the Bible is God s Word. Not just words about God; not just a book that contains some of God s words, but the Bible is the very, actual Word of God. We know the character and activity of God because He chose to reveal Himself to us by inspiring men to write His Word. Emphasis: Celebrate with your class that we know the will of God for He has revealed His purposes, expectations and directions for man in His Word. We know that which is
right and that which is wrong because God gave us His standard in His Word. We know what to believe and what not to believe because God has given us the truth in His Word. Primary Question: What do we learn about God in the instructions of Moses to the new generation of Israelites? I. Author a. Moses as the author of Deuteronomy was not debated until the beginning of liberalism in the 18 th century. i. The Testimonies of Mosaic Authorship. 1. Deuteronomy 31:22 2. Jesus - Matthew 19:7-8 3. Paul Romans 10:19 ii. Chapter 34 recounts Moses death. Some people may ask, How can a dead man write? 1. Options for Explanation a. Historians and some modern scholars say it was written by Moses. They contend that he was inspired by God to see the future and then wrote it down. b. A better explanation is that under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Joshua or another prophet added these words concerning Moses death. 2. Either option is plausible, but Joshua adding this final chapter seems to be supported by the most evidence. II. Date a. Fifth century B.C. b. Deuteronomy covers approximately 3 to 4 months of time in the life of Moses and the Israelites. III. Outline a. God Spoke to a Specific People (vv. 1) i. Moses was speaking to the children of Israel as an elderly father figure. This generation was the offspring of the generation that was delivered from Egypt and sinned at the foot of Mt. Sinai (Ex. 32). ii. spoke to Israel 1. The purpose of Moses speaking was to prepare all Israel for God s gift of the Promised Land. It was also a reminder of God s promise to Abraham (Gen. 12). 2. Deuteronomy means second law. It does not give a new law, but rather repeats the law of God to this new generation of Israelites in order to prepare them to enter the Promised Land.
3. Most of Deuteronomy is a repetition of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. The new generation needed to see the past in order to appreciate the gift of the land. 4. This repetition was necessary since the generation who first left Egypt had died. The previous generation did not fulfill their responsibilities of passing God s promises to the next generation. Deuteronomy corrects the failure of the previous generation by sharing the law and promises of God with the new generation. 5. Moses reminds this new generation that the land was a gift from God. He emphasizes that they are not receiving the land because they are good, but rather because God is faithful to His promises. 6. They had to be grateful before God and cautious against the corrupting influence of the Canaanites. iii. on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness 1. Numbers 20:8-12. 2. Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. He went to the threshold of the land, but was not allowed to cross over. Sin kept him from receiving the blessings of God. Application: Doctrine of God: Show your class that we learn the following about God in this verse: 1. God has spoken. 2. God s commands are personal and intended to be specifically followed by His people. 3. God is faithful to all He is and all He promises to accomplish regardless of man s obedience or disobedience. 4. God will not allow His people to misrepresent Him as seen in the previous generation not receiving the Promised Land. 5. God punishes His people when they rebel against Him. Ask: What must we do to pass the Word of God to the next generation? Allow time for the class to offer suggestions. Lead your class to specific actions this week that intentionally share the Word of God with other believers. Help them to understand that passing God s Word to another believer is a command of God (II Timothy 2:1-2) and should be done as an act of worship. To pass God s Word to another believer demonstrates: 1. We believe that God has spoken. 2. We believe His message is life-changing to all that come to Him through faith.
3. We believe that the Bible is solely sufficient to tell us what to believe, what not to believe, what to do and what not to do. 4. We believe that God is worthy to be praised through gospel-centered conversations with other believers. Challenge: Share one way you are going to personally invest God s Word in someone younger than you this week. b. God Spoke a Specific Message (Vv. 2-5) i. eleven days 1. Israel s lack of trust in God and rejection of God s plan (Numbers 13:32-14:4). 2. God s rejection of the people (Num. 14:11-12, 31-33). 3. The Israelites lack of faith kept them out of the Promised Land which was only an 11 day journey. 4. Their rebellion turned 11 days of travel into 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. ii. Kadesh Barnea 1. Numbers 13:26 2. The people of God had stood at the threshold of the Promised Land before. 3. They stood there again hearing the same call to obedience. God punishes sin, but He is gracious to offer second chances and He will always fulfill His promises. iii. Verse 3 fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day 1. Numbers 33:38 6 months after Aaron died. 2. Numbers 20:24 Aaron died to join his ancestors. 3. Forty years is the period of time God had determined for Israel to live in the desert. 4. Forty years represented a generation specifically the generation that disobeyed God at Kadesh. iv. According to all the Lord had given him as commandments 1. Indicates the source of the book s content is God. 2. Nature of Moses ministry was that of a communicator of God s commands. 3. Demonstrates Authority. v. Verse 4 after he had killed Sihon and Og 1. Numbers 21:23-24, 33-35 2. A word of confidence for the Israelites entering the Promised Land that God would defeat any enemy that stood in their way. It was a call to this generation not to fear like their fathers feared, but rather to trust God. vi. Verse 5 on this side of the Jordan 1. A reminder of Moses sin and lack of faith on the part of God s people.
2. Also a reminder that even though Moses knew he would not enter the land, he continued to faithfully serve the Lord. His goal in life was not the reception of the blessing but rather honoring God. Application: Doctrine of God: Show your class that we learn the following about God in these verses: 1. God punishes those that disobey Him. 2. God is gracious to those that repent: turn away from sin and turn to Him alone as the only One they seek to glorify. 3. God gives specific commands and will hold His people accountable to keeping those commands. 4. God can be trusted to keep His promises. 5. God will defeat any enemy that stands in the way of His promises being fulfilled. 6. God expects His specific commands to be specifically obeyed. Spend time emphasizing these application questions. Print them out or write them on the board so that each class member can take the questions with them. Lead your class to ask themselves the following questions throughout the coming week. They will need to ask these questions with an open Bible: What specific commands of God (point to the verses) am I obeying and what specific commands of God (point to the verses) am I disobeying? A greater question must follow the previous question: Why am I being faithful to God by obeying those commands (point to the verses) and why am I being unfaithful to God by disobeying those commands (point to the verses)? Ask: Could it be that the reason many believers seem to be roaming in a wilderness today is because they have not honored God by obeying His Word? Or, could it be because they have been obedient to His Word but for a reason other than honoring Him? c. God Spoke Specific Promises (Vs. 6-8) i. Lord our God 1. Emphasizes their unity under God. Unity of believers is historically a prerequisite to a movement of God. 2. The position of the Lord in Deuteronomy is that of superiority to all other gods. A reminder that He can accomplish any goal and overcome any obstacle. 3. No other god is truly God. There is only one true God. ii. Horeb 1. Mountain of God 2. Horeb may refer to the mountain range and Mt. Sinai the peak of that range.
3. Place where Moses met with God (Ex. 3:1, 11-12). God is involved in the lives of His people. God gave His commands. Keeping His commands because He is worthy, is a personal act of worship. Breaking His commands, because we think little of Him, is sin against Him. iii. Long enough 1. They had been there 11 months and 6 days 2. God was about to give them passage to the Promised Land. iv. Verse 7 The Promised Land had the best of every land type. It is a reminder to this generation that God gives the very best. v. Verse 8 God s promise of the Promised Land to each generation: 1. Abraham Gen. 12:7 2. Isaac Gen. 26:3 3. Jacob Gen. 28:13 vi. Descendants after them 1. The faithfulness of one generation (literally same blood ) influences the next generation to love Jesus or love self. 2. They were not to neglect investing the Word of God in their children as their parents had. vii. go in and possess the land 1. Another way of saying inherit the land. 2. It was contingent on their being obedient to the Lord s directives to enter, conquer, and take possession of the land. 3. God set the land before them as a gift, but they must go in and take possession of it. This directive is an example of divine sovereignty and human responsibility working together. God is in control of all things, but man must be responsible with God s commands. Application: Doctrine of God: Show your class that we learn the following about God in these verses: 1. God is personal and can be personally known by those that repent before Him 2. God alone is the one true God. All other gods are man s invention and have no comparison to Him. 3. God is worthy of man s obedience to His commands. 4. God cares and provides for His people. 5. God disciplines His people by withholding His provisions and blessing. 6. God will fulfill His promises through His obedient people. 7. God s promises cannot be thwarted by His people s disobedience. 8. God requires His people to obey Him.
Lead your class to consider for their own lives that God s plan requires: Faithfulness to His Word: His Word is the only standard of right and wrong that honors Him. Trust in His Work: His Work is solely sufficient to accomplish all that He intends to accomplish. Hard Work: God is sovereign over all things, yet allows man freedom to labor in His work as an act of worship to Him. Ask: Do you give evidence that you trust God by obeying His Word? Do you worship God through obedience or is there another motive for your obedience? If there is another motive for your obedience, will you repent right now and ask God to transform your heart so that you may obey as an act of worship?