THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
Deuteronomy |ˌd(y)o͞odəˈränəmē| the fifth book of the Bible, containing a recapitulation of the Ten Commandments and much of the Mosaic law.
Deuteronomy is the 5th book in the Old Testament and the last book written by Moses to God’s people before they crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land.
Moses starts the book of Deuteronomy by reminding the Israelites of how God miraculously rescued them from their slavery to the Egyptians—and how they rebelled and turned away from God almost immediately after they were rescued by walking through the miraculously parted waters of the Red Sea on dry ground.
The book of Deuteronomy is kind of like a “pep talk” from Moses about how God wanted His people to live once they entered the land that was promised to them through Abraham hundreds of years before: The Promised Land, the land "flowing with milk and honey,” and the land they all wanted to get to—as fast as they could.
But the promise didn’t come easily. The Israelites had to wander around in the desert for 40 years first. 40 years!!! Imagine waiting for a promise for that long. But those years weren’t for nothing. Those years were used to teach the new generation of Israelites to trust and obey God and His Word. A time where God was cultivating a deeper relationship with them—teaching them to walk with Him and listen to His voice.
The book of Deuteronomy is filled with laws and commands of how God wanted His people to live once they entered the land that was promised to them through Abraham hundreds of years before. It includes the 10 Commandments (found in Ch. 5) and a challenge for this generation to respond to God’s love with obedience. Moses continued to remind the Israelites of how God miraculously rescued them from their slavery to the Egyptians and how He will continue to rescue them from their sin through the law and obedience—and someday, Jesus.
Now, you might get overwhelmed by the number of laws the Israelites had to keep in order to stay “holy" before the Lord. There were 613 laws to be exact—but who’s counting? They were. The Israelites had to keep 613 laws in order to be holy enough to worship God and be in relationship with Him. That’s why obedience was so important—because God wanted to bless His people. (Deuteronomy 28:2-6)
Thankfully, for us, Jesus came as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins so we can enter into relationship with God through grace—not by any work on our end that we can boast of. But God still calls us to be obedient to His commands—so we can not only be saved but be blessed too!
“Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy… Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life.” Deuteronomy Ch. 30:15-20
Loving God, obeying His commands, and committing ourselves to Him is the key to a blessed life! The Israelites learned how to obey and trust God as they wandered around the desert for 40 years—and we’ll see in the next book of Joshua that God continued to be faithful to them by never leaving their side as they continued to pursue His promise for them.
Can’t wait to keep studying the books of the Old Testament with you! See you soon!
XO-
Sabrina