| Speaker: Rusty Kennedy Series: Bible Stories |
Rusty's Notes | |
Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Bible and the final book of the Pentateuch, traditionally attributed to Moses. It serves as a series of speeches by Moses to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. Here’s a brief summary:
Reiteration of the Law (Chapters 1-11):
DEUTERONOMY 1:3
3 In the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first of the month, Moses told the Israelites everything the Lord had commanded him to say to them.[1]
12 But how can I bear your troubles, burdens, and disputes by myself? 13 Appoint for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will make them your leaders.
14 “You replied to me, ‘What you propose to do is good.’
15 “So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and respected men, and set them over you as leaders: commanders for thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and officers for your tribes. 16 I commanded your judges at that time: Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge rightly between a man and his brother or his resident alien. 17 Do not show partiality when deciding a case; listen to small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it. 18 At that time I commanded you about all the things you were to do.[2]
22 “Then all of you approached me and said, ‘Let’s send men ahead of us, so that they may explore the land for us and bring us back a report about the route we should go up and the cities we will come to.’ 23 The plan seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men from among you, one man for each tribe. 24 They left and went up into the hill country and came to Eshcol Valley, scouting the land. 25 They took some of the fruit from the land in their hands, carried it down to us, and brought us back a report: ‘The land the Lord our God is giving us is good.’
26 “But you were not willing to go up. You rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. 27 You grumbled in your tents and said, ‘The Lord brought us out of the land of Egypt to hand us over to the Amorites in order to destroy us, because he hates us. 28 Where can we go? Our brothers have made us lose heart, saying: The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, fortified to the heavens. We also saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’ [3]
23 “At that time I begged the Lord: 24 Lord God, you have begun to show your greatness and your strong hand to your servant, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can perform deeds and mighty acts like yours? 25 Please let me cross over and see the beautiful land on the other side of the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.
26 “But the Lord was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. The Lord said to me, ‘That’s enough! Do not speak to me again about this matter. 27 Go to the top of Pisgah and look to the west, north, south, and east, and see it with your own eyes, for you will not cross the Jordan. 28 But commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit this land that you will see.’ 29 So we stayed in the valley facing Beth-peor. [4]
1 “Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live, enter, and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2 You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you.[5]
DEUTERONOMY 4:9-14
9 “Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren. 10 The day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, ‘Assemble the people before me, and I will let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days they live on the earth and may instruct their children.’ 11 You came near and stood at the base of the mountain, a mountain blazing with fire into the heavens and enveloped in a totally black cloud. 12 Then the Lord spoke to you from the fire. You kept hearing the sound of the words, but didn’t see a form; there was only a voice. 13 He declared his covenant to you. He commanded you to follow the Ten Commandments, which he wrote on two stone tablets. 14 At that time the Lord commanded me to teach you statutes and ordinances for you to follow in the land you are about to cross into and possess. [6]
DEUTERONOMY 4:29-31 (God will not leave you)
29 But from there, you will search for the Lord your God, and you will find him when you seek him with all your heart and all your soul. 30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, in the future you will return to the Lord your God and obey him. 31 He will not leave you, destroy you, or forget the covenant with your ancestors that he swore to them by oath, because the Lord your God is a compassionate God.[7]
4 “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one., 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.[8]
Deuteronomy 8:2-3 (through the wilderness)
2 Remember that the Lord your God led you on the entire journey these forty years in the wilderness, so that he might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your ancestors had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.[9]
DEUTERONOMY 11:26-28 (Blessings & Curses)
26 “Look, today I set before you a blessing and a curse: 27 there will be a blessing, if you obey the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you today, 28 and a curse, if you do not obey the commands of the Lord your God and you turn aside from the path I command you today by following other gods you have not known.[10]
Detailed Laws and Regulations (Chapters 12-26):
22 “Each year you are to set aside a tenth of all the produce grown in your fields. 23 You are to eat a tenth of your grain, new wine, and fresh oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, in the presence of the Lord your God at the place where he chooses to have his name dwell, so that you will always learn to fear the Lord your God. 24 But if the distance is too great for you to carry it, since the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his name is too far away from you and since the Lord your God has blessed you, 25 then exchange it for silver, take the silver in your hand, and go to the place the Lord your God chooses. 26 You may spend the silver on anything you want: cattle, sheep, goats, wine, beer, or anything you desire. You are to feast there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice with your family.[11]
21 You may say to yourself, ‘How can we recognize a message the Lord has not spoken?’ 22 When a prophet speaks in the Lord’s name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the Lord has not spoken.[12]
DEUTERONOMY 23:12-14 (Must remain holy)
12 You are to have a place outside the camp and go there to relieve yourself. 13 You are to have a digging tool in your equipment; when you relieve yourself, dig a hole with it and cover up your excrement. 14 For the Lord your God walks throughout your camp to protect you and deliver your enemies to you; so your encampments must be holy. He must not see anything indecent among you or he will turn away from you. [13]
DEUTERONOMY 26:16-19 (Covenant summary)
16 “The Lord your God is commanding you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. Follow them carefully with all your heart and all your soul. 17 Today you have affirmed that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in his ways, keep his statutes, commands, and ordinances, and obey him. 18 And today the Lord has affirmed that you are his own possession as he promised you, that you are to keep all his commands, 19 that he will elevate you to praise, fame, and glory above all the nations he has made, and that you will be a holy people to the Lord your God as he promised.” [14]
Blessings and Curses (Chapters 27-30):
DEUTERONOMY 27:1-8 (Posting of commandments)
1 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, “Keep every command I am giving you today. 2 When you cross the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up large stones and cover them with plaster. 3 Write all the words of this law on the stones after you cross to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you. 4 When you have crossed the Jordan, you are to set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am commanding you today, and you are to cover them with plaster. 5 Build an altar of stones there to the Lord your God—do not use any iron tool on them. 6 Use uncut stones to build the altar of the Lord your God and offer burnt offerings to the Lord your God on it. 7 There you are to sacrifice fellowship offerings, eat, and rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God. 8 Write clearly all the words of this law on the plastered stones.” [15]
6 The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love him with all your heart and all your soul so that you will live.[16]
DEUTERONOMY 30:16, 19-20
16 For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess.[17]
19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20 love the Lord your God, obey him, and remain faithful to him. For he is your life, and he will prolong your days as you live in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.[18]
Final Words and Transition of Leadership (Chapters 31-34):
DEUTERONOMY 31:1-3, 6
Then Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel, 2 saying, “I am now 120 years old; I can no longer act as your leader. The Lord has told me, ‘You will not cross the Jordan. 3 The Lord your God is the one who will cross ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will drive them out. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, as the Lord has said.[19]
DEUTERONOMY 31:14-23
14 The Lord said to Moses, “The time of your death is now approaching. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting so that I may commission him.” When Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting, 15 the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood at the entrance to the tent.
16 The Lord said to Moses, “You are about to rest with your ancestors, and these people will soon prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will abandon me and break the covenant I have made with them. 17 My anger will burn against them on that day; I will abandon them and hide my face from them so that they will become easy prey. Many troubles and afflictions will come to them. On that day they will say, ‘Haven’t these troubles come to us because our God is no longer with us?’ 18 I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods. 19 Therefore write down this song for yourselves and teach it to the Israelites; have them sing it, so that this song may be a witness for me against the Israelites. 20 When I bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. They will turn to other gods and worship them, despising me and breaking my covenant. 21 And when many troubles and afflictions come to them, this song will testify against them, because their descendants will not have forgotten it. For I know what they are prone to do, even before I bring them into the land I swore to give them.” 22 So Moses wrote down this song on that day and taught it to the Israelites.
23 The Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I swore to them, and I will be with you.”[21]
1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which faces Jericho, and the Lord showed him all the land: Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all of Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, 3 the Negev, and the plain in the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. 4 The Lord then said to him, “This is the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you will not cross into it.”
5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the Lord’s word. 6 He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab facing Beth-peor, and no one to this day knows where his grave is. 7 Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not left him. 8 The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end.
9 Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses. 10 No prophet has arisen again in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. 11 He was unparalleled for all the signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do against the land of Egypt—to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to all his land— 12 and for all the mighty acts of power and terrifying deeds that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.[22]
Deuteronomy serves as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and the importance of covenant loyalty.
[1] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 1:3.
[2] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 1:12–18.
[3] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 1:22–28.
[4] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 3:23–29.
[5] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 4:1–2.
[6] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 4:9–14.
[7] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 4:29–31.
[8] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 6:4–9.
[9] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 8:1–3.
[10] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 11:26–28.
[11] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 14:22–26.
[12] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 18:21–22.
[13] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 23:12–14.
[14] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 26:16–19.
[15] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 27:1–8.
[16] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 30:6.
[17] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 30:16.
[18] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 30:19–20.
[19] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 31:1–3.
[20] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 31:6.
[21] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 31:14–23.
[22] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 34:1–12.
Reiteration of the Law (Chapters 1-11):
DEUTERONOMY 1:3
3 In the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first of the month, Moses told the Israelites everything the Lord had commanded him to say to them.[1]
- Moses begins by recounting the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to the edge of the Promised Land.
12 But how can I bear your troubles, burdens, and disputes by myself? 13 Appoint for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will make them your leaders.
14 “You replied to me, ‘What you propose to do is good.’
15 “So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and respected men, and set them over you as leaders: commanders for thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and officers for your tribes. 16 I commanded your judges at that time: Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge rightly between a man and his brother or his resident alien. 17 Do not show partiality when deciding a case; listen to small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it. 18 At that time I commanded you about all the things you were to do.[2]
- Leavener Small Groups
22 “Then all of you approached me and said, ‘Let’s send men ahead of us, so that they may explore the land for us and bring us back a report about the route we should go up and the cities we will come to.’ 23 The plan seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men from among you, one man for each tribe. 24 They left and went up into the hill country and came to Eshcol Valley, scouting the land. 25 They took some of the fruit from the land in their hands, carried it down to us, and brought us back a report: ‘The land the Lord our God is giving us is good.’
26 “But you were not willing to go up. You rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. 27 You grumbled in your tents and said, ‘The Lord brought us out of the land of Egypt to hand us over to the Amorites in order to destroy us, because he hates us. 28 Where can we go? Our brothers have made us lose heart, saying: The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, fortified to the heavens. We also saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’ [3]
- Moses then reminds the Israelites about their wandering in the wilderness and all the battles they had to endure.
23 “At that time I begged the Lord: 24 Lord God, you have begun to show your greatness and your strong hand to your servant, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can perform deeds and mighty acts like yours? 25 Please let me cross over and see the beautiful land on the other side of the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.
26 “But the Lord was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. The Lord said to me, ‘That’s enough! Do not speak to me again about this matter. 27 Go to the top of Pisgah and look to the west, north, south, and east, and see it with your own eyes, for you will not cross the Jordan. 28 But commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit this land that you will see.’ 29 So we stayed in the valley facing Beth-peor. [4]
- He emphasizes the importance of obedience to God’s commandments and reminds the people of their covenant relationship with God.
1 “Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live, enter, and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2 You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you.[5]
DEUTERONOMY 4:9-14
9 “Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren. 10 The day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, ‘Assemble the people before me, and I will let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days they live on the earth and may instruct their children.’ 11 You came near and stood at the base of the mountain, a mountain blazing with fire into the heavens and enveloped in a totally black cloud. 12 Then the Lord spoke to you from the fire. You kept hearing the sound of the words, but didn’t see a form; there was only a voice. 13 He declared his covenant to you. He commanded you to follow the Ten Commandments, which he wrote on two stone tablets. 14 At that time the Lord commanded me to teach you statutes and ordinances for you to follow in the land you are about to cross into and possess. [6]
DEUTERONOMY 4:29-31 (God will not leave you)
29 But from there, you will search for the Lord your God, and you will find him when you seek him with all your heart and all your soul. 30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, in the future you will return to the Lord your God and obey him. 31 He will not leave you, destroy you, or forget the covenant with your ancestors that he swore to them by oath, because the Lord your God is a compassionate God.[7]
- This section includes the Shema, a central declaration of faith in Judaism:
4 “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one., 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.[8]
Deuteronomy 8:2-3 (through the wilderness)
2 Remember that the Lord your God led you on the entire journey these forty years in the wilderness, so that he might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your ancestors had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.[9]
DEUTERONOMY 11:26-28 (Blessings & Curses)
26 “Look, today I set before you a blessing and a curse: 27 there will be a blessing, if you obey the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you today, 28 and a curse, if you do not obey the commands of the Lord your God and you turn aside from the path I command you today by following other gods you have not known.[10]
Detailed Laws and Regulations (Chapters 12-26):
- Moses restates and expands upon the laws given at Mount Sinai.
- Eat meat
- No idols – Beware of false prophets
- These laws cover various aspects of life, including worship, civil and social regulations, and guidelines for leadership.
- The focus is on living as a holy and distinct people in the land they are about to enter.
22 “Each year you are to set aside a tenth of all the produce grown in your fields. 23 You are to eat a tenth of your grain, new wine, and fresh oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, in the presence of the Lord your God at the place where he chooses to have his name dwell, so that you will always learn to fear the Lord your God. 24 But if the distance is too great for you to carry it, since the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his name is too far away from you and since the Lord your God has blessed you, 25 then exchange it for silver, take the silver in your hand, and go to the place the Lord your God chooses. 26 You may spend the silver on anything you want: cattle, sheep, goats, wine, beer, or anything you desire. You are to feast there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice with your family.[11]
- Chapter 16:
- Festival of Passover
- Festival of Weeks
- Festival of Shelters (Booths/Tabernacles)
21 You may say to yourself, ‘How can we recognize a message the Lord has not spoken?’ 22 When a prophet speaks in the Lord’s name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the Lord has not spoken.[12]
DEUTERONOMY 23:12-14 (Must remain holy)
12 You are to have a place outside the camp and go there to relieve yourself. 13 You are to have a digging tool in your equipment; when you relieve yourself, dig a hole with it and cover up your excrement. 14 For the Lord your God walks throughout your camp to protect you and deliver your enemies to you; so your encampments must be holy. He must not see anything indecent among you or he will turn away from you. [13]
DEUTERONOMY 26:16-19 (Covenant summary)
16 “The Lord your God is commanding you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. Follow them carefully with all your heart and all your soul. 17 Today you have affirmed that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in his ways, keep his statutes, commands, and ordinances, and obey him. 18 And today the Lord has affirmed that you are his own possession as he promised you, that you are to keep all his commands, 19 that he will elevate you to praise, fame, and glory above all the nations he has made, and that you will be a holy people to the Lord your God as he promised.” [14]
Blessings and Curses (Chapters 27-30):
DEUTERONOMY 27:1-8 (Posting of commandments)
1 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, “Keep every command I am giving you today. 2 When you cross the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up large stones and cover them with plaster. 3 Write all the words of this law on the stones after you cross to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you. 4 When you have crossed the Jordan, you are to set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am commanding you today, and you are to cover them with plaster. 5 Build an altar of stones there to the Lord your God—do not use any iron tool on them. 6 Use uncut stones to build the altar of the Lord your God and offer burnt offerings to the Lord your God on it. 7 There you are to sacrifice fellowship offerings, eat, and rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God. 8 Write clearly all the words of this law on the plastered stones.” [15]
- Louisiana schools posting of 10 Commandments
- Moses outlines the blessings that will come from obedience to God’s laws and the curses that will result from disobedience.
- He calls the people to choose life by loving and obeying God, emphasizing the consequences of their choices.
6 The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love him with all your heart and all your soul so that you will live.[16]
DEUTERONOMY 30:16, 19-20
16 For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess.[17]
19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20 love the Lord your God, obey him, and remain faithful to him. For he is your life, and he will prolong your days as you live in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.[18]
Final Words and Transition of Leadership (Chapters 31-34):
DEUTERONOMY 31:1-3, 6
Then Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel, 2 saying, “I am now 120 years old; I can no longer act as your leader. The Lord has told me, ‘You will not cross the Jordan. 3 The Lord your God is the one who will cross ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will drive them out. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, as the Lord has said.[19]
- Kevin Costner not returning to Yellowstone as John Dutton.
DEUTERONOMY 31:14-23
14 The Lord said to Moses, “The time of your death is now approaching. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting so that I may commission him.” When Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting, 15 the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood at the entrance to the tent.
16 The Lord said to Moses, “You are about to rest with your ancestors, and these people will soon prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will abandon me and break the covenant I have made with them. 17 My anger will burn against them on that day; I will abandon them and hide my face from them so that they will become easy prey. Many troubles and afflictions will come to them. On that day they will say, ‘Haven’t these troubles come to us because our God is no longer with us?’ 18 I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods. 19 Therefore write down this song for yourselves and teach it to the Israelites; have them sing it, so that this song may be a witness for me against the Israelites. 20 When I bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. They will turn to other gods and worship them, despising me and breaking my covenant. 21 And when many troubles and afflictions come to them, this song will testify against them, because their descendants will not have forgotten it. For I know what they are prone to do, even before I bring them into the land I swore to give them.” 22 So Moses wrote down this song on that day and taught it to the Israelites.
23 The Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I swore to them, and I will be with you.”[21]
- Moses appoints Joshua as his successor and delivers his final words to the Israelites.
- He writes down the law and instructs the Levites to read it to the people every seven years.
- The book concludes with the Song of Moses, a blessing for the tribes, and the account of Moses’ death.
1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which faces Jericho, and the Lord showed him all the land: Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all of Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, 3 the Negev, and the plain in the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. 4 The Lord then said to him, “This is the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you will not cross into it.”
5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the Lord’s word. 6 He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab facing Beth-peor, and no one to this day knows where his grave is. 7 Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not left him. 8 The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end.
9 Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses. 10 No prophet has arisen again in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. 11 He was unparalleled for all the signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do against the land of Egypt—to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to all his land— 12 and for all the mighty acts of power and terrifying deeds that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.[22]
Deuteronomy serves as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and the importance of covenant loyalty.
- It calls the Israelites to love and serve God wholeheartedly as they prepare to enter the land promised to their ancestors.
[1] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 1:3.
[2] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 1:12–18.
[3] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 1:22–28.
[4] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 3:23–29.
[5] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 4:1–2.
[6] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 4:9–14.
[7] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 4:29–31.
[8] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 6:4–9.
[9] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 8:1–3.
[10] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 11:26–28.
[11] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 14:22–26.
[12] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 18:21–22.
[13] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 23:12–14.
[14] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 26:16–19.
[15] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 27:1–8.
[16] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 30:6.
[17] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 30:16.
[18] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 30:19–20.
[19] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 31:1–3.
[20] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 31:6.
[21] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 31:14–23.
[22] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Dt 34:1–12.
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