Deuteronomy 1

Deuteronomy 1

The book opens by setting itself up as a continuation of the story that has already been told. Through Moses’ first speech, Deuteronomy reminds readers of all that has gone before. He mentions their refusal to enter the Promised Land, which ended up causing an entire generation of Israelites to be lost. He then mentions their victories over some of the surrounding nations as they made their way toward Jericho. As Moses is speaking, the Israelites are still waiting to enter the land, and the rest of this book will serve as Moses’ final words to the Israelites.

This book is basically a repeat of what has gone on in the previous three books of the Bible. However, the people that Moses is speaking to did not experience what Moses is about to tell them. It was their fathers that encountered the many miracles of God as they exited Egypt. It was their fathers who refused to the enter land (and were punished). So this retelling of the story is actually a reminder for the new generation of what their fathers had been through, stories which many of them had probably grown up listening to. This practice is vital for us today. By reading these stories in Scripture and even hearing of great stories from our own ancestors, we are able to see how big and great God really is. We realize that He is not just the God of our small town or our circle of friends. It helps us understand that God has been working before us, and that He will continue to work after us. It is always good to be reminded of how God has worked in others’ lives.

Moses begins with the Israelite’s departure from Egypt. As they began their journey, he soon realized that God had indeed blessed Israel, allowing them to grow to an enormous number, as He had promised Abraham. As a result, Moses knew that there was no way that he could manage all the concerns and problems that would arise (for there were probably close to 2 million people at the time). Therefore, they set up leaders in each tribe that could help Moses in dealing with the problems. In essence, a hierarchy was established, with Moses as the human head and God as the ultimate head (for Moses went to God for discernment).

But everything changed when Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land the first time. God was going to give them the strength to overcome all of the people groups already living there; He just needed to know that they trusted Him. The people were rightfully fearful of the giant task before them, but they should have known that there was no cause for fear. To help, Moses allowed them to let a select group of men spy it out. So he chose one man from each tribe to see how the land was. They came back singing praises about the land. They even brought back some of the food, showing the Israelites how great it was. But when they brought back a report of how big the people were that were living there, the Israelites became fearful. In the end, they chose to not enter the land, ultimately displaying a lack of trust in God.

As a result, God declared that none of that generation would reap the benefits of His promise; none of them would see the Promised Land. Only Caleb and Joshua, who reported that they knew God would give them the strength they needed to conquer the land, would now be allowed to enter. This upset the Israelites, and they decided that they would go in and take the land themselves. God then warned them not to do so, telling them that He would not go with them, and that they would surely fail. Once again, they did not listen, and many Israelites died that day. When they came back weeping to God over the battle, He did not hear their cries. It is such a depressing end to the Israelites’ story. All because of a lack of faith and disobedience, God took their inheritance away and gave it to their children. This story should serve as a reminder of the importance of trusting God. It is not always easy, and there are large battles in life. Sometimes the task will seem too great, but when He gives us His word that He will be with us through it all, we can count on Him. We have nothing to fear and no reason to turn our backs on Him. Instead of focusing on this great mistake the Israelites made, we must realize that we could fall victim to the same sin. Therefore, we should guard ourselves against that possibility by clinging to Christ, trusting completely in Him for all of life’s decisions and battles.

Matt