THE L.I.F.E. PLAN DEUTERONOMY BLOCK 3 THEME 1 - THE LAW LESSON 4 (76 of 216)
BLOCK 3 THEME 1: THE LAW LESSON 4 (76 OF 216): DEUTERONOMY LESSON AIM: Briefly describe the book of Deuteronomy. The first three verses of the book of Deuteronomy are a telling commentary of the heart of the nation of Israel. God brought them out of Egyptian bondage with an awesome display of his might and with his outstretched arm. They were less than two weeks journey from the land of promise in which God intended to take them. But, forty years later, they finally made it to the edge of their destination. They had been such a rebellious people. God had prepared a place for them but he would also have to prepare them for that place. They had been here before. Moses brought them to this spot just after leaving Egypt. They took a man from each tribe of Israel to go in secretly and spy out the land and bring back a report of what they found to be there. A dozen men went into the land and were there for forty days. Their report struck both fascination and fear into the hearts of the people of Israel. They had found that the land was indeed all that God had promised it would be; a land of blessing and, as it were, flowing with milk and honey. But they also found some rather huge and strong enemies living in the land of promise. They told the people that the Israelites were like grasshoppers compared to the giant enemies who lived in the land. Of the twelve men who spied out the land, only two of them encouraged the people to go in as God had said. The other ten men discouraged them and caused them to be afraid. Their fear turned into rebellion and they chose not to go into the land. For this rebellion, God made them wander in the wilderness one year for every day the spies were in the land. One day of disobedience can cost you a year of delay. During the forty years of wandering, God worked to rid Israel of the fearful people who had delayed their entering the promised land. He blessed them with babies and multiplied them even in the wilderness. Of the millions of Israelites who came out of Egypt in the Exodus, only two were permitted to go into Canaan; Joshua and Caleb, the two spies who brought back the good report and encouraged the people. All of the others died during the wilderness wanderings. God raised up a new generation of Israelites to go into the promised land. This time, just before going in, Moses repeated the instructions, commandments, and other details God had given to them. God had not changed his mind. He had only changed the people with whom he was working to continue his plan to bring the Messiah into the world. God s expectations of these people were the same as his expectations of their parents. So, Moses repeated the law and gave it to the people. This is what the word Deuteronomy means: a second giving of the law, or a repeating of the law. The law itself was not new, but it was given to a new people who were about to finally go into the land of promise. As you read and study the book of Deuteronomy you will find these basic things. As was previously stated, the law was given a second time to Israel. This time,
however, it was given to the children of those who had experienced God s glorious deliverance from Egypt. That generation of people had witnessed the ten plagues God had brought upon Egypt in preparation of their deliverance. They saw how God had parted the waters of the Red Sea allowing them to escape Pharaoh s pursuing army. They knew how they crossed the sea bed on dry ground and how God had closed the waters upon the army, drowning and destroying them in wondrous fashion. The problem was that they had lived in Egypt so long and they had become so accustomed to their slavery that they were just not able to live in complete trust of God. In slavery, they could at least depend somewhat on whatever meager sustenance and shelter they had. Here in the wilderness, they knew not where their food and water would come from even if God made their daily bread fall from the sky and even if he gave them water to drink that flowed out of a rock. They just had too much Egypt in them to whole-heartedly follow God. God had to let them die in the wilderness, and allow their offspring to go into the new land. To this new generation, Moses gave the law of God a second time. In this book, we also find again God s covenant with his people. He repeated to them that he is One God and he alone is worthy of their full devotion and worship. Indeed, they must love him with their total being. He promised that he would also love them. In fact, Deuteronomy 7:7 is the first mention of God s love for his people in the Bible. This covenant was God s agreement with his people. I love you, you love me. I am holy, you will be holy. Follow my ways and I will bless you. Refuse to follow them and you will be cursed. It was a simple choice on paper. Making that choice moment by moment at times, day after day, can sometimes be difficult. God promised them that he would be with them and that his everlasting arms would be there to catch them when they would fall. God was working toward his purpose of bringing the Savior of the world through the people of Israel. They would have done well to remember this. Somehow, they became confused, thinking that they were the only object of his love, and forgetting that his agreement with them would result in a blessing to all the peoples of the earth. In Deuteronomy we also find a review of Israel s journey between Egypt and Canaan. We see their route, and their experiences along the way. We are reminded of the giving to them of God s law. We rehearse their mistake at Kadesh-barnea. We find more revelations of God s intentions for his people, both at their present time and into the future. And, we see the leadership of the people to change from the hand of Moses to the hand of his disciple, Joshua. And now, under Joshua, Israel again stood on the edge of God s promised land. They were now poised to go in and conquer and possess the land by faith. One great lesson we learn from this fifth book of the law is that God does not change his standards from one generation to the next. God himself is unchanging, or immutable. His standards are the same for all people for all generations. The wise thing for people to do is to align themselves with God, his purpose, and his ways of doing his work. This is true on the individual level as well. What about you? Are you obedient to God and are you following him in his great global cause?
LESSON OUTLINE BLOCK 3 THEME 1: THE LAW LESSON 4 (76 OF 216): DEUTERONOMY LESSON AIM: Briefly describe the book of Deuteronomy. I A SECOND GIVING OF THE LAW A. The old generation dies B. The new generation enters the promised land. II GOD S COVENANT IS REPEATED A. Obey and be blessed B. Disobey and be cursed III REVIEW OF ISRAEL S JOURNEY A. Out of Egypt B. Wilderness wanderings SCRIPTURES TO BROADEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING 1. Spying the promised land Numbers 13-14 2. The Egyptian army destroyed in the Red Sea Exodus 14 LINES OF THEOLOGICAL CONNECTION 1. THE DOCTRINE OF GOD His covenant with Israel God s promises, provision, and providence 2. ANTHROPOLOGY Obedience Consequences of disobedience
LESSON GLOSSARY 1. Immutable Unchangeable QUESTIONS ANSWER KEY 1. How many men did Moses send to spy out the promised land? 12 2. How many of the spies encouraged the people to go into the promised land? 2 3. What excuse did the children of Israel use for not going into the promised land? There are giants in the land and they make us look like grasshoppers. 4. What was the cost of disobedience for the children of Israel? 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and death 5. What does Deuteronomy mean? A second giving of the law 6. What Scripture reference is the first mention of the love of God for his people? Deuteronomy 7:7 7. Can you recall a time in your life when God s plan for you was delayed by your disobedience? Student response
BLOCK 3 THEME 1: THE LAW LESSON 4 (76 OF 216): DEUTERONOMY QUESTIONS TO INSPIRE THOUGHT 1. How many men did Moses send to spy out the promised land? 2. How many of the spies encouraged the people to go into the promised land? 3. What excuse did the children of Israel use for not going into the promised land? 4. What was the cost of disobedience for the children of Israel? 5. What does Deuteronomy mean? 6. What Scripture reference is the first mention of the love of God for his people? 7. Can you recall a time in your life when God s plan for you was delayed by your disobedience?