Deuteronomy

Introduction

Deuteronomy, meaning 'second law' (from the Greek deuteronomion), is Moses' farewell address to Israel on the plains of Moab, as they prepare to enter the Promised Land without him. But it is far more than a repetition of previous legislation—it is passionate preaching, applying the Sinai covenant to a new generation facing new challenges. This is Moses the preacher, not Moses the lawgiver, pleading with Israel to choose life, to love God with all their heart, and to pass this faith to their children.

The book holds a unique place in Scripture. It is the most quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament. Jesus used it to counter Satan's temptations. He identified its central command—loving God wholeheartedly—as the greatest commandment. The vocabulary of Deuteronomy—'hear,' 'remember,' 'love,' 'obey,' 'choose'—shapes biblical theology throughout both testaments.

Structurally, Deuteronomy follows the pattern of ancient Near Eastern suzerainty treaties between great kings and vassal nations. God is the Great King who has redeemed Israel; they are His vassal people bound by covenant obligations. This treaty structure includes a preamble (the king's identity), historical prologue (past relationship), stipulations (laws), blessings and curses (consequences), and witnesses (heaven and earth).

Theologically, Deuteronomy emphasizes the oneness of God (the Shema), the centrality of love as the foundation of obedience, the danger of forgetting God in prosperity, and the necessity of teaching faith to the next generation. It presents the starkest choice in Scripture: 'I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life.' This call echoes through all subsequent revelation.

Book Outline

• First Address: Historical Review (1-4) — Moses recounts the journey from Horeb to Moab, emphasizing God's faithfulness and Israel's failures. He calls the new generation to obedience based on what God has done.
• Second Address: The Law Expounded (5-26) — The Ten Commandments restated (chapter 5), the Shema and its implications (chapter 6), warnings about Canaan (chapters 7-11), laws for worship and life (chapters 12-26).
• Third Address: Covenant Renewal (27-30) — Ceremony of blessings and curses at Shechem (chapter 27), covenant consequences (chapter 28), covenant renewal (chapters 29-30), the choice of life or death.
• Moses' Final Acts (31-34) — Joshua commissioned (chapter 31), the Song of Moses (chapter 32), Moses' blessing on the tribes (chapter 33), Moses' death on Mount Nebo (chapter 34).

Key Themes

• The Oneness of God (Monotheism): The Shema (6:4) declares Israel's foundational confession: 'Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.' In a polytheistic world, this was revolutionary. There is only one God, and He alone deserves worship. This truth grounds all subsequent theology and ethics.
• Love as the Basis of Obedience: Deuteronomy transforms obedience from duty to devotion. Israel is to love God with all their heart, soul, and might (6:5). This love is not mere emotion but wholehearted commitment expressing itself in obedience. Jesus identified this as the greatest commandment.
• Remembrance and Teaching: The command to 'remember' appears repeatedly. Israel must not forget what God has done, lest they grow complacent. They must teach God's words diligently to their children, integrating faith into daily life (6:6-9). Faith must be transmitted to each generation.
• The Danger of Prosperity: Moses warns that abundance in Canaan may lead to forgetting God (8:11-20). When needs are met, hearts grow proud, attributing success to their own power. Material blessing without spiritual vigilance leads to apostasy.
• Covenant Blessings and Curses: Deuteronomy presents two paths: obedience leading to blessing, disobedience leading to curse (chapters 27-28). These are not arbitrary rewards and punishments but the natural consequences of relationship with or rebellion against the covenant God.
• The Choice of Life or Death: Moses sets before Israel the ultimate choice: 'I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life' (30:19). This call to decision pervades Scripture and confronts every generation.
• Centralized Worship: Worship must occur at 'the place which the LORD your God shall choose' (12:5). This prevented syncretism with Canaanite worship and eventually pointed to Jerusalem. God determines how and where He is to be worshiped.

Key Verses

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna... that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.

The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him.

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Historical Context

Moses delivered these sermons during the final weeks of his life, on the plains of Moab east of the Jordan, opposite Jericho. The date was approximately 1406 BC, forty years after the exodus. The original audience was the generation born in the wilderness—children of those who died due to unbelief at Kadesh.

This new generation needed to understand the covenant they were inheriting. They had not stood at Sinai, had not seen the plagues in Egypt as adults. Moses brings the covenant to them, making it their own: 'The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day' (5:3).

The ancient Near Eastern treaty format was familiar in that world. Treaties between great kings (suzerains) and lesser kings (vassals) followed a recognizable pattern that Deuteronomy employs. This was covenant language Israel's neighbors would have understood.

The Canaanites they would encounter practiced fertility religion with temple prostitution, child sacrifice, and nature worship. Deuteronomy's warnings against these practices were urgent and practical.

Literary Style

Deuteronomy is primarily sermonic discourse—Moses the preacher passionately addressing his people. Unlike the legal precision of Leviticus, Deuteronomy features rhetorical questions, emotional appeals, and urgent exhortation. The style is warm, personal, and pastoral.

Key literary features include:

• Repetition for emphasis: 'Hear, O Israel' introduces major sections; 'remember' and 'forget not' recur constantly
• Rhetorical questions: 'What doth the LORD thy God require of thee?' (10:12)
• The treaty/covenant structure organizing the whole book
• Poetry in the Song of Moses (chapter 32) and the Blessing of Moses (chapter 33)
• Direct address: Moses speaks to 'you' throughout, making each listener accountable

The book's unity and coherence argue for Mosaic authorship, though the account of his death (chapter 34) was likely added by Joshua or another.

Theological Significance

Deuteronomy establishes theological foundations that shape all subsequent Scripture:

Monotheism: The Shema establishes Israel's distinctive belief in one God. This stands against all polytheism and prepares for fuller revelation of God's triune nature.

Covenant Theology: Deuteronomy provides the fullest Old Testament exposition of covenant relationship. The pattern of grace-law-gratitude structures biblical understanding of how God relates to His people.

The Word of God: The emphasis on God's 'words' establishes Scripture's authority. Man lives by every word from God's mouth. These words are to be internalized, taught, and obeyed.

The Heart: Deuteronomy calls for circumcision of the heart (10:16), love from the heart (6:5), and words written on the heart (6:6). External conformity without internal transformation is insufficient.

Election and Grace: Israel's election is not based on their greatness but on God's love and faithfulness to His promise (7:7-8). Grace precedes and grounds obedience.

The Prophet Like Moses: The promise of 18:15-19 establishes prophetic expectation fulfilled in Christ, who is the Prophet, Priest, and King.

Eschatology: The blessings and curses anticipate Israel's history—exile for disobedience, but ultimate restoration through divine grace (30:1-10).

Christ in Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy points to Christ in multiple ways:

The Prophet Like Moses: 'The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me' (18:15). Peter explicitly applies this to Jesus (Acts 3:22-23), as does Stephen (Acts 7:37). Jesus is the greater Moses who leads a greater exodus.

Jesus' Use of Deuteronomy: All three of Jesus' responses to Satan's temptations come from Deuteronomy (6:13, 16; 8:3). He lived by every word from God's mouth, demonstrating perfect covenant faithfulness where Israel had failed.

The Greatest Commandment: When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus quoted the Shema (Matthew 22:37). He perfectly fulfilled what Israel could not—loving God with all His heart, soul, and strength.

The Curse of the Law: 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree' (21:23) is applied by Paul to Christ's crucifixion (Galatians 3:13). Jesus bore the covenant curse in our place, becoming a curse for us.

The Mediator: Moses mediating between God and Israel foreshadows Christ, the one mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). Moses pleads for the people; Christ intercedes for us.

The Law Written on Hearts: The new covenant promise to write the law on hearts (Jeremiah 31:33) fulfills what Deuteronomy commanded but Israel couldn't achieve—internalized obedience.

The True Israel: Christ succeeded where Israel failed, living in perfect covenant faithfulness during His forty days of testing in the wilderness, quoting Deuteronomy to resist temptation.

Relationship to the New Testament

Deuteronomy is the most quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament:

• Matthew 4:1-11: Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3, 6:16, and 6:13 to defeat Satan's temptations. His wilderness victory reverses Israel's wilderness failure.

• Matthew 22:37-38: Jesus identifies Deuteronomy 6:5 as the greatest commandment, making love for God the center of all ethics.

• Acts 3:22-23; 7:37: Peter and Stephen identify Jesus as the Prophet like Moses promised in Deuteronomy 18:15.

• Romans 10:6-8: Paul applies Deuteronomy 30:12-14 to the accessibility of salvation by faith—the word is near, in heart and mouth.

• Galatians 3:10, 13: Paul cites Deuteronomy's curses (27:26; 21:23) to show Christ bore the curse of the law for us.

• Hebrews 13:5: 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee' echoes Deuteronomy 31:6, 8.

• James 2:19: 'Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well' echoes the Shema's monotheism.

• Revelation: The covenant blessings and curses pattern reappears in Revelation's structure of judgment and restoration.

Practical Application

Deuteronomy speaks with urgent relevance to contemporary faith:

Wholehearted Love: God is not satisfied with partial devotion. He demands—and deserves—all our heart, soul, and strength. Half-hearted religion insults His majesty and misses His blessing.

The Danger of Forgetting: Prosperity breeds amnesia. When life is good, we forget our dependence on God. Regular remembrance—through Scripture, worship, and testimony—guards against spiritual complacency.

Teaching the Next Generation: Faith must be intentionally transmitted. It doesn't happen automatically. Parents must diligently teach God's words, integrating faith into daily conversation and life rhythms.

The Authority of Scripture: Man lives by every word from God's mouth. Scripture is not optional but essential for spiritual life. We cannot survive on bread alone.

The Choice Before Us: Every generation faces the choice Moses presented: life or death, blessing or curse. We cannot remain neutral. Choosing to ignore God is choosing against Him.

Obedience Flows from Love: Deuteronomy shows that true obedience is not grudging compliance but loving response. We obey because we love the One who first loved us.

God's Faithfulness: 'He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.' This promise sustains us in difficulty. The God who kept His word to Israel keeps His word to us.

The Word Near Us: Salvation is not distant or inaccessible. The word is near—in our mouths and hearts. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.