Deuteronomy: Obedience & Disobedience

1:1-46, 10:12-13, 30:19-20 (Pastor Heo)

The Command to Leave Horeb

1 These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the desert east of the Jordan–that is, in the Arabah–opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. 2 (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)

3 In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the LORD had commanded him concerning them. 4 This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. 5 East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab, Moses began to expound this law, saying: 6 The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. 7 Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. 8 See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers–to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob–and to their descendants after them.”

The Appointment of Leaders

9 At that time I said to you, “You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone. 10 The LORD your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as many as the stars in the sky. 11 May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised! 12 But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself ? 13 Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you.”

14 You answered me, “What you propose to do is good.” 15 So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you–as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials. 16 And I charged your judges at that time: Hear the disputes between your brothers and judge fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien. 17 Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it. 18 And at that time I told you everything you were to do.

Spies Sent Out

19 Then, as the LORD our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites through all that vast and dreadful desert that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea. 20 Then I said to you, “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. 21 See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” 22 Then all of you came to me and said, “Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.”

23 The idea seemed good to me; so I selected twelve of you, one man from each tribe. 24 They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and explored it. 25 Taking with them some of the fruit of the land, they brought it down to us and reported, “It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving us.”

Rebellion Against the LORD

26 But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. 27 You grumbled in your tents and said, “The LORD hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us. 28 Where can we go? Our brothers have made us lose heart. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.’ ” 29 Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. 30 The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”

32 In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God, 33 who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go. 34 When the LORD heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore: 35 “Not a man of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your forefathers, 36 except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly.” 37 Because of you the LORD became angry with me also and said, “You shall not enter it, either. 38 But your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will enter it. Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it. 39 And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad–they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it. 40 But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.”

41 Then you replied, “We have sinned against the LORD. We will go up and fight, as the LORD our God commanded us.” So every one of you put on his weapons, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country. 42 But the LORD said to me, “Tell them, ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.’ ” 43 So I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the LORD’s command and in your arrogance you marched up into the hill country. 44 The Amorites who lived in those hills came out against you; they chased you like a swarm of bees and beat you down from Seir all the way to Hormah. 45 You came back and wept before the LORD, but he paid no attention to your weeping and turned a deaf ear to you. 46 And so you stayed in Kadesh many days–all the time you spent there.

…

10:12 And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to observe the LORD’s command and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

…

30:19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

This is the last day of the study of the 5 books of Moses. Before studying, let’s briefly review:

The Pentateuch (pent = 5)

1. Genesis: 50 chapters
   1. Beginnings – starting point = 4000+ B.C.
   2. Turning point = 12 (calling of Abram)
      1. Part One: chp 1-11 cover 2,000 years
         1. Period: 2,000 years
         2. Place: Eden → Haram – fertile crescent (secular history)
         3. Focus: Creation → Fall → Flood → Tower of Babel
      2. Part Two: chp 12-end of OT = 2,000 years
         1. Period: 286 years (calling of Abram (75 y.o) – death of Joseph (110 y.o))
         2. Place: Canaan / Egypt
         3. Focus: Abraham → Isaac → Jacob → Joseph
2. Exodus: 40 chapters
   1. Focus: Redemption, salvation, freedom, mission
   2. Turning point = chp 12 Passover (430 years to here)
      1. Part One: 430 years in Egypt
      2. Part Two: 2 month journey in the wilderness
      3. Part Three: 10 months at Mt. Sinai to build the tabernacle

3. Leviticus: 27 chapters
   1. Focus: Sacrifice/sanctification – worship, holiness
   2. Period: 1 month
   3. Place: Mt. Sinai
4. Numbers: 36 chapters
   1. Part One: At Mt. Sinai – 20 days prep to enter Canaan – as we read, they failed due to bad report & sin
      1. Focus: The OLD Generation
   2. Part Two: wandered in the wilderness 38 years, 3 months, 10 days
      1. Focus: Transition
   3. Part Three: arrived at plains of Moab
      1. Focus: NEW generation ready to go into Canaan
5. Deuteronomy: 34 chapters
   1. Now almost ready to enter Canaan
   2. Period: 1 month (1-2 days preaching; 30 days mourning)
   3. Place: plains of Moab
   4. Focus: Remembrance of the Law and Covenant – obedience vs. disobedience

According to the Bible, the starting point = 4,000 B.C. – how old do you think the universe is then? – we don’t know clearly, nor do they – BUT – it is MUCH younger than carbon dating and science thinks – IF God created it.

• God did NOT start with a Seed – but with Full-grown trees, plants, humans, etc.
• He did not start with a baby – but a full-grown adult man and woman.
• He did not start with dust only – but a fully built/created planet.
• He began with PERFECTION not with a starting point.

The new generation now has arrived at Moab, the old generation is gone. And they are ready and waiting for all to be ready.

Today’s book = continuation + extension of Numbers

• location = the same (plains of Moab)
• period = 1 month (like Leviticus – no geographical movement)

Count from Exodus – from the departure from Egypt – how long did they spend out?

• Exodus = 2 months journey + 10 months at Sinai
• Leviticus = 1 month
• Numbers = 20 days + 38 years, 3 months, 10 days + 5 months
• Totally = 39 years, 10 months

See how accurate the record of the Bible is: v.3

“In the fortieth year on the first day of the eleventh month…”

Here, they will spend one more month.

• Total = 39 years, 11 months
• Deuteronomy = 1 month

Guess – what did they do? Preparations, receive the word of the LORD. –

This is the final teaching of Moses – this is the farewell message/goodbye speech/last sermon/final will – of the 120 years old spiritual leader.

Deuteronomy = Moses’ non-stop teaching (1-2 days for non-stop teaching (chp 1-34) – then he just died – and the Israelites stayed and mourned for him for 30 days – last chapter: v.5~ “And Moses, the servant of the LORD died there in Moab as the LORD had said. HE buried him in Moab in the opposite … but to this day, no one knows where his grave is (to prevent idolatry) – he was 120 years old but he was not weak. v. 8 The Israelites grieved for him for 30 days.)

In one month –

1. only 1-2 days of non-stop teaching of Moses –
2. then 30 days of weeping for his death.

The word “Deuteronomy” = (Greek) = “Second Law” – this is not actually a “second” law, but a repetition of the First Law (originally translation error caused this “Second Law” thing). In Deuteronomy, for example, the 10 commandments are repeated, the Year of Jubilee, the regulations for foods, and feasts.

Question: WHY does Moses need to repeat this?

This is the NEW generation – the old generation is gone. Most of these people have no experience of the Passover, the 10 plagues, crossing the Red Sea, etc – therefore, he needed to repeat himself to the New generation.

This is Moses’ goodbye speech. In contrast to the “matter of fact” narrative of Leviticus + Numbers, this book comes to us from Moses’ heart – in his own fatherly, spiritual leader, style.

This is a mathematical formula: remember:

1. Obedience = blessing + happiness
2. Disobedience = punishment, sin, curses

Chp 28 : The chapter of Blessings + Curses

• chp 27:15 “The Levites shall recite to all the people ‘cursed is the man who creates an idol…’”
• “Then all the people shall say ‘Amen.’” – chp 27
• Importance of Obedience = learn from the bad example of your parents: chp 28:1-14
• Warning against Disobedience = chp 28:15-68

This book is the renewal and expansion of the Abrahamic covenant (and a reminder to the new generation).

The book = divided into 3 sermons

#1: Past – retrospective (1-4:43) – what God has done

There are 2 undeniable facts:

1. obedience = blessing,
2. disobedience = punishment

This is the MAIN point of Deuteronomy:

1. Obey = blessing;
2. rebel/complain = punishment, curse

#2: Present – introspective (4:44-26) – what is God doing for them/expecting from them –

This is the moral/legal section = the longest in the book – WHY? their future in Canaan depends on a right relationship with God

Three parts of the Law:

1. Testimonies – moral duties – 10 commandments, etc, right living
2. Statues – ceremonial duties – sacrifice, tithes, feasts
3. Ordinances – civil and social duties – social justice, personal/family righteousness – relationship between human beings

#3: Future – prospective (chp 27-34) – what will God do for them in the future?

Moses is writing/predicting their future history – he writes about their near/far future

1. Near: blessings + curses
2. Far: scattered and spread among all nations – finally returning to their home

Moses needs the terms of the covenant to be ratified because he will die immediately after this. God buried him and no one knows where his grave is – so that no one would idolize him.

Last 3 verses: epitaph – words on a gravestone

10 Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt — to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. 12 For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

Deuteronomy in the New Testament

The words in Deuteronomy are quoted/repeated in the NT MORE THAN 80 times – including allusions – almost 100 times

Just like the wandering in the desert for 40 years, Jesus spent 40 days in the desert before beginning his ministry – he fasted 40 days/nights. Then Satan approached him.

1. Temptation 1: Son of God? Make bread – (physical needs) – Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 “man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
2. Temptation 2: Son of God? Jump down – (test God) – Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16 “do not put the Lord your God to the test”
3. Temptation 3: Bow to me – I’ll give all to you – (power) – Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:13 “worship the Lord your God and serve him alone”

Also Romans 10:6-10 is famous and important for our salvation, sanctification, glorification:

6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Deuteronomy 30:12-14 is quoted

Therefore also, John 1:1 “In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the Beginning…”

Conclusion:

Moses is a type of Jesus – a simple shadow to show the reality of who Jesus is:

Moses vs. Jesus

1. BOTH = in danger of death at birth/childhood
   1. Moses = Pharaoh commanded boys killed – thrown in the Nile
   2. Jesus = Herod gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and the neighborhood who were 2 y.o and under
2. BOTH = rejected by own brothers
3. BOTH = redeemer, intercessor, savior
   1. Moses = Exodus 30, 31, 32 – the Israelites committed a terrible sin by making a golden calf – Moses prayed (interceded) on their behalf – “if not forgive them, blot my own name out of the book of life”
   2. Jesus = praying for us – on the cross for his crucifiers, up to now, sitting on the right hand of God, interceding
4. BOTH = humble
   1. Numbers 12:3 “Moses more humble than anyone else in this world” – #1 in humility on the face of this earth –
   2. Jesus says, “I’m gentle and humble so you can find rest in me” – We must also be humble – God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
5. God’s face:
   1. Moses = the only one with whom God spoke face to face
   2. Jesus = the face of God – the exact representation of God “Anyone who has seen me has seen the father God.”
6. God’s Word:
   1. Moses = received the MOST Words from God in the Bible
   2. Jesus himself = THE WORD (John 1:1)

This is why on the Mt. of Transfiguration – Moses (and Elijah) approached Jesus and talked with him about his departure

Main message today: Moses is a type/shadow of Jesus

Hebrews 3:1-6

Jesus Greater Than Moses

1 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

Very clear contrast Moses/Jesus (was/is) (servant/son) v.5-6

Lesson:

1. Obedience = blessings + happiness
2. Disobedience = punishment + curse

Jesus took the curse for us – became the curse for us.

May God bless all of us to obey.

Let’s pray.