Last time we looked at Numbers. Now we’re up to Deuteronomy, a book filled with familiar content, because it covers the trek of the Israelites led by Moses.
Remember the bike ride?
I haven’t mentioned the bike ride I went on in the last few posts, so I’ll remind you about it now. Last I spoke of it I was riding through a 1.661 mile tunnel that was pitch black save the lights on each person’s helmet. Does that ring a bell?
What we’ve covered so far
Do you remember what we’ve covered so far? Deuteronomy is the book of remembrance. The fifth book of the Pentateuch, the books of the Law or the books of Moses. Don’t worry about remembering all that but do consider noting a few details.
How Deuteronomy begins
Deuteronomy begins, “These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan…” (Deuteronomy 1:1a)
Moses is the one speaking
It’s helpful to remember that Moses is the one speaking throughout most of the book of Deuteronomy, reminding the Israelites of all that has transpired up to this point. You see, the Israelites will soon enter the Promised Land but Moses won’t be going with them. This is his speech to the people before they depart without him.
What Moses highlights
With that in mind, here is some of what Moses highlights:
Ch 1 -3 A bit of a travel log, the good, bad, and the ugly.
– How far they’ve traveled, where they are going, and where God is leading them; who is to lead; their travels and what they’ve encountered along the way.
Key verses are Deuteronomy 1:34-38 to see who actually gets to enter the Promised Land and who doesn’t.
Ch 4-26 The bulk of this book is a reminder of the commands, instructions and regulations God has given the Israelites.
Ch 18:1-2 References the inheritance of the Levites.
Ch 28 – 30 Blessings, covenant, and curses.
Ch 31 The passing of the baton to Joshua. Notice which book follows Deuteronomy?
Reminders to the Israelites
As you peruse the book of Deuteronomy, keep in mind these are reminders to the Israelites. Moses reminds them what God has done and what they have been taught. He also gives them instructions for the next phase of their journey.
Context
To help bring context and tie this book into the four that preceded it, look for familiar names or situations that appeared in one of the earlier books of the Bible, for instance, the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5 and Exodus 20) or the incident with the Golden Calf (Deuteronomy 9:7-21 and Exodus 32).
Don’t get bogged down in the details of this book, but do let it be a reminder of what came before.