Moshe Exhorts God’s People
to Obey the Torah
4: 1-40

The Israelites were encamped on the edge of the Promised Land for about three months. It had probably been over seven months since they began their final approach to the Land. The events that occurred during that seven month time may have proceeded as follows: the peaceful passing through Edom, Moab, and Ammon; the conquest of Sihon and Og; the beginning of settling into the inheritance by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half-tribe of Manassah, while the rest of the tribes set up camp across the Jordan River from Jericho; Moses’ completion of the book of Deuteronomy and presentation of it to the people; Moshe’s death; the mourning of God’s people for him; and the preparation of God’s people for entrance into Canaan.¹⁰⁶

The first three chapters of Deuteronomy were a history lesson about the failure of the generation of the Exodus and conquests of the new generation. Having traced the highlights of their experience over the past forty years, Moses now draws conclusions from that experience and urges a course of action that will affect both the present and the future. He pleads with them to follow God and live in covenant faithfulness – trusting in the promises of the covenant and obeying the obligations of the covenant. Chapter 4 is, therefore, in essence, a miniature sermon on the covenant and the Torah. It prepares the way for the presentation of the Ten Words, and God’s expectations of His servant-nation in the General Stipulations of the Covenant in Chapters 5:1 to 11:32.

The Eternal Torah
Matthew 5: 17-20

B’rit Chadashah believers should also love the Torah because it is the Word of God, and it is eternal. At Shavu’ot about three thousand were saved (see the commentary on Acts An – Peter Speaks to the Shavu’ot Crowd). But around thirty years later, tens of thousands of believers were still zealous for the Torah (Acts 21:20). Therefore, the Torah is not merely for the righteous of the TaNaKh. Even Rabbi Sha’ul said: The Torah is holy (Romans 7:12), and gives freedom (James 1:25).

Messiah is the model disciple, the perfect Son who fulfilled all righteousness by completely obeying the Father’s will (Matthew 4:4 and 10). As humanly possible, that same obedience should characterize believers today. Obedience to God was to be a priority in the disciple’s life (Matthew 6:33), and complete devotion to God the Father was the goal (Matthew 5:48). Thus, this same righteousness and faithfulness to God the Father and His commandments that is seen in the words of Messiah here (Matthew 5:17-20), not only speaks to the true nature of the Torah, but also its relationship to Messiah.

Do not think I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish, but to complete (Matthew 5:17 CJB). Messiah completed the Torah in that He accomplished all that the Torah or the Prophets had said of Him and His coming. Therefore, Messiah provided us with the fullest meaning of the Torah as demonstrated in His life and teachings.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your holiness and that You never change. Praise You for Your Torah that You used to guide the children of Isra’el in how to live holy lives – for You, God, are holy; so unlike the gods of Egypt where Isra’el had just left behind. Praise You for how You use the Torah now as our guardian to lead us to realize that no one can follow perfectly all of 613 commandments written therein (Galatians 3:24); for we are saved not by works but by our faith in Yeshua as our perfect High Priest who always lives. Therefore, He is also able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, always living to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25). Praise You for making a way for us to be purified by Your Son’s fulfilling all of the Torah and giving those who love and follow Him, His perfect righteousness (First Corinthians 5:7, Second Corinthians 5:21). In Your Holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah – not until everything that must happen has happened (Matthew 5:18 CJB). The yud is the smallest letter in the Hebrew Alef-Bet, and the stroke refers to the tiny artistic marks on the tops of Hebrew letters. By saying this, Yeshua reminded his listeners that neither the smallest letter nor even the tiniest part of a letter of the Torah would ever be done away with.

The rabbis teach that when ADONAI gave the Torah to Isra’el, He inserted both positive and negative commandments and gave commands, saying: The king must not acquire a great number of horses for himself . . . neither shall he take many wives or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold (Deuteronomy 17:16-17). But Solomon arose and studied the reason for God’s decree, and said, “Why did ADONAI command this? Well, I will acquire a great number of horses, take many wives, and still my heart will not be led astray. Because God granted him a wise and discerning heart (First Kings 3:12), Solomon thought that he could marry as many wives as he wanted.

At that time the yud, the first letter of the Hebrew phrase yarbeh (that means the king must not take many wives), went up on high and prostrated itself before ADONAI and said, “Master of the Universe! Have you not said that no letter shall ever be abolished from the Torah? Behold, Solomon has now arisen and abolished one. Who knows? Today one, tomorrow another, until the whole Torah will be nullified.” And God responded by saying, “Solomon and a thousand like him will pass away, but the smallest letter will not be cancelled from you.”

Therefore, it is interesting to see that Messiah agreed with this teaching, and as believers, we should strive to obey God and all of His commands. For as Messiah said: If you love Me, you will obey what I command (John 14:15).

So, whoever disobeys the least of the commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches others to do so will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:19 CJB). Actions speak louder than words. The teacher must apply the doctrine personally before being able to teach it to others. The scribes and the Pharisees did not practice what they preached (Matthew 23:2-4). Messiah demands from us a much higher form of righteousness than the hypocrisy of false teachers.

For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and Pharisees, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:20 CJB). Here the term far greater can best be translated as far exceeds. Like a river overflowing its banks, it is something that far exceeds the norm. In this context, Yeshua is teaching us that the righteousness that He requires is one of genuine holiness, which far exceeds the hypocritical standards of the world.

In fact, not only does ADONAI require genuine holiness, He requires perfect righteousness. To be qualified for God’s kingdom we must be as holy as the King Himself. But of course, this is a standard we can never obtain by our own efforts. We are spiritually dead in our sinfulness. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). It is only through the grace of God, for while we were still sinners, Messiah died for us (Romans 5:8). When we trust/have faith/believe in Him, all His righteousness is transferred to our spiritual bank account. That is the greatest transaction in history, our sin for His righteousness! We are then justified and considered perfect in His sight. What Messiah is saying here in this passage, is that the Torah is not abolished in this process – but completed. The true path of the true believer is demonstrated through obedience to ADONAI and His Torah.

During the Torah procession in messianic synagogues today, believers in Messiah kiss their bibles and then touch the Torah as it passes by. They believe that the Torah points us to Yeshua, and represents the holiness and purity of God. This custom is taken from the Psalms, where the Ruach ha-Kodesh instructs us to kiss the Son (Psalm 2:12).

Therefore, Messiah, as the perfect expression of obedience to God the Father, did not come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets, but instead He completes our understanding of the Torah by calling us to live lives in obedience to His commandments. Not for salvation, but as a blueprint for living. Solomon referred to the Torah when he wrote: She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed (Proverbs 3:18).

Lord, bind our hearts to Your Torah.

Moshe and the Torah
20: 1-26

One of the great events in the history of Isra’el, and also in the history of mankind, was God giving the Torah to the children of Isra’el through Moshe. It was not given so that the Israelites, by keeping it, could attain righteousness (see the commentary on Galatians Bj – The Righteous Shall Live by Faith). A righteous standing before God has always been by faith in God alone (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3 and 22, 5:1; Galatians 2:16, 3:6 and 21). The Torah functioned, and continues to function, to teach the Israelites about both righteousness and their sinfulness (Romans 3:19-20b). Rabbinic tradition teaches that there are two main sections of the Torah: 248 positive commandment and 365 negative commands, which together comprise the 613 mitzvot of the Torah. 248 is said to be the number of bones in the human body and 365 represents every day of the solar year. Hence, Jews are called on to perform the mitzvot every day of their lives with all their being (Tractate Makkot 23b).

We do not worship the Torah. But when we give reverence to it, we practice the reverence that we will give to the Messiah when He comes again. In fact, the Torah means the teacher and the rabbis believe that the Torah is the light of the world.

The Torah was given by means of angels. There are many Jewish traditions that are passed down but are ignored in the B’rit Chadashah and therefore carry no validity. However, there are other traditions contained in Jewish writings that apparently do have weight because the B’rit Chadashah validates them. Nowhere in the TaNaKh are we told that when Moshe received the Torah he received it from angels. Nevertheless, the fact that God gave the Torah by means of angels is validated three times in the B’rit Chadashah (Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 2:2).

What was the purpose of the Torah? Well, one thing we know for sure, it was never intended to be a means of salvation. Because if that were true, it would mean that salvation was by works. The clear teaching of Scripture is that salvation is always by grace through faith, plus nothing. However, the content of faith changed from dispensation to dispensation. And what the content of faith was in different dispensations was determined by the amount of revelation that ADONAI had given up to that time. Progressive revelation teaches: God did not choose to give all of the Scriptures at one time, but they were recorded for over sixteen hundred years by about forty different authors. The more Scripture that was given, the more revelation was given and man had greater knowledge of what it meant to be saved.

Therefore, if the Torah was not meant to save anyone, what was its purpose?
There were seven basic purposes.

First, it revealed the holiness of God. It revealed the standard of righteousness that God demanded. One would not have to read many of the six hundred and thirteen commandments to realize that he or she had broken quite a few of them. One would conclude that it was hopeless to be saved by works.

Dear Heavenly Father, We worship You! Please forgive us for so often we have not given You due reverence as the perfect and holy King of all kings (Revelation 19:16). We need to remember that You are both our Father and the Holy King of kings. Praise You that You have taken as Your children all who love and follow Yeshua as Lord (John 1:12, First John 3:1, 3). Praise You that You live in Your children (Romans 8:9, 11; First Corinthians 6:19; Second Timothy 1:14) and have given us Your power to conquer temptation (First Corinthians 10:13) so that we can follow You in purity (First John 3:3).We love You our wonderful and Holy Father. In the name of Your Holy Son and the power of His resurrection. Amen

Second, it was to provide a blueprint for living for the righteous of the TaNaKh (Romans 3:20 and 28). The way they demonstrated their faith was by striving, although never succeeding, to keep the Torah.

Third, it was to serve as a barrier, or a dividing wall of hostility separating Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14). As long as the Torah was in effect, Gentiles could not enjoy the spiritual blessings of the Jewish covenants. The only way they could was: to become converts to Judaism, put themselves under total subjection to the Torah, submit to it by means of circumcision and in all practical purposes, live as any Jew would live. So only Gentiles as converts to Judaism, but not Gentiles as Gentiles, could enjoy those Jewish spiritual blessings.

Fourth, the Torah was to reveal sin (Romans 3:19-20, 5:20, 7:7). After reading the Torah no one could claim to be without sin. The Torah was like a mirror being held up to each Israelite to reveal his or her own sin.

Fifth, interestingly enough, was to make people sin more (Romans 4:15, 7:8-13). Our sin nature actually uses the Torah as a basis of operation because where there is no commandment there is no transgression of it. For example, as soon as the Torah said: You shall not, the sin nature says, “Oh, yes I will.” Or if the Torah said you will do this or that, the sin nature says, “Oh, no I won’t.” Suddenly, the sin nature had a base of operation, the Torah. Paul goes on to state that the problem was not with the Torah because it was holy, righteous and ordained by God. The problem was our sin nature. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Torah (First Corinthians 15:56). Plus, those who felt they were keeping the commandments of the Torah judged others that they felt were not keeping the commandments.

Sixth, it was to teach the way of righteousness. The Hebrew word Torah is derived from the Hebrew root yarah, which means to shoot an arrow or to teach. Torah means teaching or instruction that is true and straight as if the words of Torah are shot in a direct path like an arrow, with power and force for living life to the fullest.

Seventh, and most important purpose of the Torah, was to lead Jews to faith in the Messiah. Rabbi Sha’ul stated that the Torah was our guardian to lead us to the Messiah that we might be justified by faith (see the commentary on Galatians Bm – The Torah Became our Guardian to Lead Us to Messiah). If we really learned the lesson of the fourth purpose, that no one could claim to be without sin; and the lesson of the fifth purpose, that our sin nature causes us to sin more, that will lead to the sixth purpose, that is to lead us to faith in the Messiah because we would understand that it would be impossible to fulfill His perfect, righteous standard.

Moshe Pleads
3: 23-29

Moshe pleads DIG: What does Moses’ prayer reveal about his relationship with YHVH? Who do you think was responsible for Moshe’s rebellion at Meribah? The Israelites who provoked him? Or Moshe himself? Why? How did Moses accept the sovereignty of ADONAI? Was his request appropriate? What do you think it was like for Moshe to look at the Promised Land and know he wasn’t going to be able to enter in after all he had done to get the people there? What do you think it was like for Moshe to commission Joshua?

REFLECT: When have you, like Moses, been prevented from experiencing a much-awaited event? How did you feel? What did you do? At what stage of your walk with the LORD are you in: (a) On the outside looking in? (b) Waiting to cross over? (c) Newly arrived on the other side? (d) Taking possession of God’s gift? What are you doing to prepare yourself to move on to the next stage? Who in your congregation is ADONAI encouraging you to assist along the way? What barriers will you have to overcome together? When have you paid a very high price when you failed to accept the “NO!” that God gave you?

Parashah 45: va’Et’chanan (I pleaded) 3:23-7:11
(to see link click Af – Parashah)

The Key Person is Moshe, continuing to speak to all Isra’el.

The Scene is the wilderness east of the Promised Land. The Israelites were in the land of Mo’av, just east of the Jordan River, waiting to enter the Promised Land.

The Main Events include Moses’ pleading to enter the Land with his people. But ADONAI said, “No!” Other events were God warning against idolatry and intermarriage, establishing cities of refuge, repeating the Ten Words for the next generation, introducing the first and greatest mitzvah to love God, known as the Sh’ma, and reminding the people that YHVH would be faithful to keep His covenant with those who obey.⁹⁷

Moses fervently requested ADONAI’s permission to enter the Land of Promise, but would only be allowed a panoramic view from the top of Mount Pisgah. YHVH commanded Moshe to invest his final energies in preparing Joshua for his leadership of the nation of Isra’el.

I pleaded (Hebrew va’etchannan, the verb is pluperfect, meaning I had previously prayed) with ADONAI for His grace at that time. Respectfully, he interlaced praise with a plea, saying: O Lord ADONAI, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand – for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do deeds and mighty acts like Yours? Please! Let me cross over and see the good land across the Jordan – that good hill country and Lebanon (3:23-25). Here we see the tragedy of Moses’ position. He had begun to see the marvelous works of the LORD, from the Exodus to the conquest of the Transjordan. But now, just when the climax was drawing near, he would be unable to see YHVH’s fulfillment of the ancient promise. It was a promise to which he had devoted his whole life, and the thought that he would not see its fulfillment was too much for him to accept without question.⁹⁸ Joshua, who foreshadowed Yeshua Messiah, would be the one to bring the people into the Promised Land.

God did not show any favoritism to Moses. The Great Moses, the deliverer of Isra’el from Egyptian slavery, the giver of the Torah, pleaded with Ha’Shem to allow him one small favor, and just let him cross the Jordan river and step into the Promised Land that was promised to Abraham and his descendants forever. But Moshe’s tearful plea for mercy fell short (Hebrews 12:17).

Moshe then declared to the people, “ADONAI was angry with me because of you, so He would not listen to me.” Once again (1:37), Moses pointed out to the Israelites that because of them YHVH was angry with him and would not allow him to enter the Promised Land. Moshe was not insisting that he was blameless and punished despite his innocence; rather, Isra’el’s rebellious conduct at Meribah (Numbers 20) may have prompted Moses’ sin, but their behavior did not excuse his rebellion from God’s clear instructions not to strike the rock. Although Moshe was affected by Isra’el’s rebellious heart, he, himself, had sinned against the LORD (Numbers 20:12; Deuteronomy 32:51). Whether Isra’el provoked him or not, God held Moses accountable for his own sin.⁹⁹

ADONAI said to me, “(Hebrew: rav-lach) Enough (implying he had been making a persistent request)! Do not speak to Me anymore about this matter” (3:26). How ironic that YHVH’s (Hebrew: rav-lachem) to the younger generation commanded entry (1:6), whereas God’s rav-lach to Moshe barred entry into the very same Land. This conversation reveals the deep relationship between God and a man that is rarely seen in all the Bible except perhaps between Jeremiah and Ha’Shem. It also heightens the feeling of tragedy in the life of a man who devoted his life to fulfilling God’s promise for Isra’el, but knew he would never see its completion.¹⁰⁰ The depth of the pain and disappointment that the divine refusal caused Moses can be seen in the number of times he refers to it (1:37, 3:26, 4:21, 31:2, 32:48-52, 34:4). So, even if he stopped talking to YHVH about it, he didn’t stop reminding the Israelites about it.¹⁰¹

It’s hard for us to accept the answer “no,” especially today. We live in a generation in which we think we deserve everything. No matter what, if we make an effort and work hard enough, we can receive all of our heart’s desires. This is a tremendous lesson for all of us. We should be prepared to accept the answer “no” from ADONAI. For instance, no to healing, no to success, no to our various requests and pleas. It is not pleasant, but in our prayer, there must be a willingness to accept the refusal of YHVH. We can, and should, continue to plead for the members of our community, our family, and our health, but in the end, our prayer should be: Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). We continue to serve ADONAI in sickness and in health. We are vessels in the hands of God. We are faithful servants, instruments of blessing, vessels of honor in the hands of Ha’Shem. If God wants us to continue to serve Him in sickness, so be it. We will serve Him to the best of our ability.¹⁰²

Moses’ generation did not see the Land before dying (1:35-36), but Moses got the chance to see it from afar (see Gj – The Death of Moses). Go up to the top of Mount Pisgah, look around to the west and the north and the south and the east, and see with your eyes – for you will not cross over this Jordan” (3:27). In fact, Moses’ death is not recorded until Chapter 34, so that the whole book of Deuteronomy, like book-ends, is framed between the announcement of Moshe’s impending death and the announcement of his actual death.¹⁰³

Also, and almost incredibly, the LORD will redeem His words to Moses. Following his death, Moshe, with his glorified body, will awaken inside the Land of Promise, next to Elijah and Messiah, in full view of Yeshua’s closest apostles (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Gb – Jesus took Peter, James and John Up a High Mountain where He was Transfigured).¹⁰⁴

With all possibility of Moshe crossing the Jordan removed, the words of the LORD returned to Joshua. But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, a task for which Moses himself would require great strength and graciousness, for it was not easy to pass on the office of command to a younger and less experienced man. For he will cross over before this people, and he will enable them to inherit the land that you will see. So, we stayed in the valley opposite Beth-peor, and from there they proceeded to the plains of Mo’ab (3:28-29).

At the end of this historical overview, everything was in place for the conquest of Canaan. Moshe had commissioned Joshua, the people were located at Beth Peor (about a day’s journey from the Promised Land), and Moses had stirred up the people’s remembrance of their failures, and God’s rich blessing on them. Now, Isra’el needed to look ahead, taking to heart ADONAI’s surpassing character and abundant intervention on her behalf.¹⁰⁵

Dear Great and Awesome Father, You are so merciful and forgiving – yet also just when You discipline Your children. We are humbled that Your discipline is always fair, never harsh. Because ADONAI disciplines the one He loves and punishes every son He accepts” (Hebrews 12:6). Praise You that You use discipline in a positive way for our good, to train us to be purer. Now all discipline seems painful at the moment – not joyful. But later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11). We love You and want to learn by Your discipline so that we please You more. Your love for us is Awesome! In Your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen.

Moshe Remembered the Distribution of the Conquered Land
3: 12-22

Moshe remembered the distribution of the conquered land DIG: Why did the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manassah want to live apart from the other tribes? What would allow them to settle east of the Jordan (see Numbers 32:1-5)? Why? How would all parties involved benefit from these instructions? The Jordan Valley was a natural geographical barrier to their communication. What problems between the tribes might this create? Why do you think ADONAI allowed them to remain in separate camps? What was Joshua told and why?

REFLECT: How are you and your relatives interwoven and interdependent? What communication problems have you had to overcome? When has someone shared the battles of life with you? In what ways? How did their presence make a difference in the outcome?

Moses once again recalls the allotment of the newly conquered land in the Transjordan to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, as well as his challenge to those specific tribes to participate in the conquest of the land of Canaan, their responsibilities were not finished until the Holy War was complete.

The sons of Reuben and Gad had very large herds and flocks, and they especially wanted this land because they saw that the territory of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for livestock. So, the sons of Reuben and Gad came and said to Moses, Eleazar the cohen, and the princes of the community saying:  Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon – the territory ADONAI conquered before the community of Isra’el – are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. Then they said: If we have found favor in your eyes, let this territory be given to your servants as a possession. Don’t make us cross the Jordan (Numbers 32:1-5).

This land we took in possession at that time – from Aroer by the Wadi Arnon and half the hill country of the Gilead and its cities – I gave to the Reubenites and Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh (3:12). In general, the tribes of Reuben and Gad shared the southern half, while the half-tribe of Manassah received the northern part of Gilead and Bashan.

Another parenthetical note: Though it is impossible to determine precisely when verses 13-22 were inserted, 2:12b indicates that it was after the initial conquest of the Land. Editorial notes in the Pentateuch do no harm to the doctrine of biblical inspiration. Inspiration refers to the final product rather to the manner of writings. The original texts of Scripture are God-breathed (Second Timothy 3:16), and therefore contain no errors, for God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). The Ruach Ha-Kodesh superintended the work of editors just as He did the historical research of Luke (Luke 1:1-4) so that the final words of the text, though obtained by different methods, are the words intended by ADONAI. It was this final text (including editorial insertions) that Yeshua Messiah pronounced to be perfect (Matthew 5:18; John 10:35).⁹¹

The rest of northern Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, which is otherwise called the region of the Argob, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh. All the Bashan is called the land of Rephaim. Jair son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites. He called them – the Bashan – after his own name, Havvoth-jair’s Villages, as it is the case to this day. To Machir, another sub-tribe of Manassah, I gave the Gilead (3:13-15).

The Reubenites’ and Gadites’ territory is now described in more detail. To the Reubenites and Gadites I gave from the Gilead as far as the Wadi Arnon in the south – the middle of the wadi as the border – and as far as Jabbok River (where it makes a sharp turn to the north), the wadi that is the border of the sons of Ammon, and the Arabah, with the Jordan River as the border from Kinneret (or the Sea of Galilee) as far as the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea (which is now called the Dead Sea), under the slopes of Pisgah eastward (3:16-17). The Dead Sea and the Jordan River formed the tribes’ western border.

These next verses emphasize the unity of God’s people. It would have been easy for the Transjordan tribes to settle down in their land and let the other tribes get on with their conquests. So, Moshe reminded them that ADONAI your God has given you this land to possess it, but there was to be no selfish enjoyment of it until the whole nation had rest. In all respects, the nation had to act as one army, under the leadership of YHVH. They were to get ready for battle, because they were to cross over ahead of your brothers Bnei-Yisrael – all the men of valor. Only your wives and your little ones and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) may stay in your cities (to see link click At – Isra’el’s Conquest of the Transjordan) that I have given you, until ADONAI gives rest to your brothers as He has for you, and they also possess the land that ADONAI your God is giving them across the Jordan. Then they could return to their families, each man to his possession that I have given you (3:18-20). The now deceased rebellious generation of the Exodus had used their children as an excuse for their disobedience (1:39); however, the new generation had obeyed God and their obedience meant that now they could leave their families in the security of their newly acquired towns.⁹²

Israelites had been encamped on the edge of the Promised Land for about three months. It had probably been over seven months since they began their final approach to the Land. The events that occurred during that seven month time may have proceeded as follows: the peaceful passing through Edom, Mo’ab, and Ammon; the conquest of Sihon and Og; the beginning of settling into the inheritance by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half-tribe of Manassah, while the rest of the tribes set up camp across the Jordan River from Jericho; Moses’ completion of the book of Deuteronomy and presentation of it to the people; Moshe’s death; the mourning of God’s people for him; and the preparation of God’s people for entrance into Canaan.⁹³

In a Holy War, ADONAI Elohei-Tzva’ot: the LORD God of heaven’s angelic armies, leads and fights for His people. He is a tender-Warrior (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Ec – When Abram Heard Lot Had Been Taken Captive, He Went in Pursuit as far as Dan). No one should doubt His help at this time after witnessing the total destruction of Sihon (see Au – The Defeat of Sihon), and Og (see Av – The Defeat of Og).

Moses then looked to the future as entrusted into the hands of his successor, Joshua. He commanded Joshua at that time saying: Your eyes have seen all that ADONAI your God has done to these two kings. ADONAI will do the same to all the kingdoms you are about to cross into. You must not fear them, for it is ADONAI your God who fights for you (3:22-22). Without the LORD’s help, Isra’el’s victory would be impossible. God’s power, not Isra’el’s unaided strength, would achieve the victory. Moshe bolstered Isra’el’s resolve and faith by giving this assurance (see 1:20, 2:31, and 20:4).⁹⁴ These words, placed here, are picked up again later (see Fs – Moses Went), when Moses actually commissions Joshua. They therefore reinforce the nature of Deuteronomy as the “last testament” of Moshe, and give the book a forward look toward life in the Land of Promise. This is confirmed again when the book of Joshua opens with a repetition of Moses’ encouragement to his successor, but this time placed in the mouth of the LORD.⁹⁵

Moses found great encouragement in YHVH’s call to action. God allowed him to conquer and distribute the lands east of the Jordan River. As a result, Moshe began to hope that Ha’Shem would show grace and allow him to enter the Land of Promise. But even his repentance with tears will not change the mind of ADONAI, as we shall see next.⁹⁶

Therefore, just as the Ruach Ha’Kodesh says: Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness. There your fathers put Me to the test, though they saw My works for forty years. Therefore, I was provoked by this generation, and I said, “They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.” As I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter My rest” . . . saying through David after so long a time, just as it has been said before, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.  So, there remains a Shabbat rest for the people of God. (Hebrews 3:7-11; 4:7b-9).

Haftarah D’varim: Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 1:1-27
(to see link click Af – Parashah)

A brood of evildoers with deprived children hardened by sin (Isaiah 1:4), Isra’el in Isaiah’s day became like Sodom and Gomorrah (Isaiah 1:10; Deuteronomy 32:32). Judges took bribes, and justice could not be found for the orphan or the widow (Isaiah 1:23). Ha’Shem needed to purify that sinful nation and restore just judges. Wicked judges who defer to the rich must be purged, even if chaos and destruction would shake their society. God vowed to cleanse Isra’el’s impurities as one uses lye to purify metals (Isaiah 1:25). This Haftrarh, third on the theme of affliction, culminates in judgment on Isra’el. This portion is always read on the Sabbath that precedes Tisha B’Av (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Mt – The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple on Tisha B’Av in 70 AD), since the the vision of Isaiah concerns the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. It is a fast day examining the destruction of both Temples and the suffering that follows from national exile. The sins of idolatry and baseless hatred must be uprooted to reverse the causes of exile and loss of nationhood.

B’rit Chadashah suggested readings for Parashah D’varim:
Yochanan (John) 15:1-11; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 3:7-19

Hardening from the effects of sin across generations led to Stephen’s charge: Stiffnecked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You continually oppose the Ruach Ha’Kodesh! You do the same things your fathers did (Acts 7:52)! Rabbi Sha’ul witnessed Stephen’s martyrdom and looked on approvingly (Acts 8:1). Even Stephen’s last words: Lord! Don’t hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60), fail to change Sha’ul’s mind. In fact, Sha’ul began persecuting the entire Messianic Community after that, imprisoning men and women alike (Acts 8:3). The scattering of Hellenistic Jews, however, led to the most significant step forward in spreading the Good News, much to the dismay and rage of those who saw Messianic Judaism as an idolatry that had to be destroyed.

Moshe Remembers the Conquest of Og
3: 1-11

Moshe Remembers the conquest of Og DIG: What happens en route to Bashan that is like and unlike what happened with King Sihon of Heshbon (2:24-35)? How does the conquest of Bashan begin to fulfill God’s promise in 2:25? What makes the defeat of Og such a powerful victory? Where was Og’s territory located? What do these two conquests reveal about how God prepared the Israelites for the conquest of the Promised Land? What is the cherem judgment of ADONAI?

REFLECT: Knowing God’s Word and obeying God’s Word are two different things. Paul said it this way, “For what I do not want, this I practice; but what I hate, this I do” (Romans 7:15b). How are you doing with this life-long struggle? Where do you see God at work right now in your life? What might “the Promised Land” look like in that context? What about your relationship with ADONAI continues to amaze you? How can it affect your sleep tonight?

Isra’el’s conquest of the kingdoms that controlled the territory of the Transjordan continued with their victory over Og of Bashan.

The account of the victory over Sihon’s kingdom is followed by a description of the next military success of the Israelites, this time over Og, king of Bashan. Next we turned and went up the way to the Bashan (Deuteronomy 3:1a; Numbers 21:33a). Bashan was the area north and north-east of Galilee, and according to the prophet Amos, it was famous for its abundance and rich pastureland (Amos 4:1).

King Og of the Bashan came out against us – he and all his people – for battle at Edrei. But ADONAI said to me: Do not fear him, for I have handed him over and all his people and his land. You will do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon (Deuteronomy 3:1b-2; Numbers 33b-34). As an Amorite king, Og and his people were subject to the same fate as Sihon and the Amorites under his control . . . total destruction (to see link click Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh). As with Sihon, YHVH determined the outcome of the battle but required that Isra’el trust His promises and conquer the Bashanites.⁸⁴

In the concise nature of the account, the entire battle is virtually reduced to this one verse: So, ADONAI our God also handed over King Og of the Bashan and all his people. We struck him and his sons down with his entire army until no survivor was left because Ha’Shem had declared them cherem, or devoted to destruction (Deuteronomy 3:3; Numbers 21:35). The conquest took the Israelites slightly off their route, in that Bashan lay considerably north of the point at which they would cross the Jordan River for the occupation of western Palestine. From a military point of view, however, the conquest of Bashan was wise, for it meant that the right flank of the Israelites would be protected when they prepared to cross the Jordan for the main assault.₈₅

The cherem judgment in Deuteronomy and elsewhere in the TaNaKh (Numbers 31:15-17; Deuteronomy 3:6-7, 7:2, 20:17, 26:16-17; Joshua 10:11 and 11:12; Judges 21:11; First Samuel 15:3 and 27:9-11; Jeremiah 25:9), were seen as wars waged as part of a Holy War at the command of ADONAI Elohei-Tzva’ot: the LORD God of heaven’s angelic armies. However, a careful reading of the conquests of Joshua suggests that it was not completely carried out, since the Canaanites remained alongside Isra’el in the Land (Joshua 15:63 and 16:10). Isra’el’s failure to fulfill the cherem judgment on the Canaanites during the conquest of the Promised Land does not reflect YHVH’s inability . . . but human unwillingness. Later in Deuteronomy, the command to strike them down and utterly destroy them (7:22a), is followed by commands not to make treaties or intermarry with them (7:22b-3).⁸⁶ It was as if the LORD knew the weakness of His people and, in His grace, tried to give them further direction to keep them from sinning. But alas, His wisdom fell on deaf ears, and the Isrealites did eventually intermarry with them and, surprise-surprise, fell into sin.

Currently, however, the cherem judgment was fully executed (pun intended) as no survivors were left, and by defeating Og, Isra’el controlled the entire Transjordan from Mo’ab to the heights of Bashan in the vicinity of Mount Hermon. The victories over Sihon and Og eventually became the subject of a song (Psalm 135:11, 136:19-20) and is now a regular part of the commemoration of the works of the LORD in the celebration of Pesach (see the commentary on Leviticus Dy – Pesach).⁸⁷

We captured all his cities at that time – there was not a town that we did not take from them – sixty cities, the whole region of Argob (another name for Bashan), the kingdom of Og in the Bashan. All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates and bars, in addition to a great many unwalled towns. We utterly destroyed them, just as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying every city – men, women and children. But all the livestock and the spoils of the cities we took as plunder for ourselves (3:4-7). It was as if Moses was saying to the next generation, “The cities in the Transjordan were walled high with gates and bars. But look, Ha’Shem gave us the victory here, and He will give us the victory over those types of cities in Canaan once we cross the Jordan.

A parenthetical note: So, at that time we took from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land across the Jordan, from the Wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon. This verse summarizes the conquest of the territory controlled by Sihon and Og, two Transjordan Amorite kings. The repetitive statements have to be seen in the context of the address of Moshe, where the emphasis and repetition serve to hammer home to the listeners the truth of the faithfulness of ADONAI. The Sidonians, descendants of Zidon, Canaan’s firstborn son, the original owners of the mountain called Hermon (from cherem, meaning devoted to destruction, or banned, was given to the mountain because of its 9,200-foot altitude and its bleak, unapproachable character) Sirion, while the Amorites, who were then in possession of it called it Senir, meaning snow in their language. Mount Hermon was a natural physical barrier to the north of Bashan. We took all the cities of the plain and all the Gilead and all the Bashan, as far as Salcah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in the Bashan (3:8-10).

Though it is impossible to determine precisely when verses 8-11 were inserted, 2:12b indicates that it was after the initial conquest of the Land. Editorial notes in the Pentateuch do no harm to the doctrine of biblical inspiration. Inspiration refers to the final product rather than to the manner of writings. The original texts of Scripture are God-breathed (Second Timothy 3:16), and therefore contain no errors, for God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). The Ruach Ha-Kodesh superintended the work of editors just as He did the historical research of Luke (Luke 1:1-4) so that the final words of the text, though obtained by different methods, are the words intended by ADONAI. It was this final text (including editorial insertions) that Yeshua Messiah pronounced to be perfect (Matthew 5:18; John 10:35).⁸⁸

Another parenthetical note: An interesting detail is seen here about Og. For only King Og of the Bashan survived from the remnant of the Rephaim. All the Bashan is called the land of Rephaim (3:13). Although Og reigned over the Amorites and was called the king of the Amorites, he himself belonged to the giant-like people Rephaim, as was Goliath, and was their last survivor. In fact, his coffin (literally resting place, referencing the deceased) was made of iron – is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits was its length and four cubits its width (thirteen-and-a-half feet long and six feet wide), according to the cubit of a man. (3:11). The cubit is derived directly from the Latin cubitus, meaning the lower arm. The Hebrew word is ammah, meaning the mother of the arm, that is, the forearm. It is evidently a measure taken from the human body; as were other measurements of length among the Hebrews and other nations. There seemed to be two kinds of cubits. Here we read of the cubit of a man. In Ezeki’el 40:5 we read of a normal cubit and a handbreadth. Both are difficult to determine the exact length. Various estimates of the Mosaic cubit have been given, varying from twelve to twenty-two inches. The Jews did not use the cubit of twenty-one inches, which was the Babylonian cubit, until after the captivity (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule).⁸⁹ Ironically, the monument to the hero king’s memory became an eloquent witness to the power of Ha’Shem over all such giants.

The children of Isra’el were finally becoming victorious in battle. These are some important lessons we can learn concerning successful warfare from Deuteronomy 2:16-3:11.

1.  Our spiritual battles are to be a cooperative effort with God. The formula is simple: ADONAI our God gave [Sihon] over to us . . . and we struck him down along with his sons and all his people (2:33). So, ADONAI our God also handed over Og of the Bashan and all his people . . . and we struck him down until no survivor was left (3:3). For example, Paul encourages us in our spiritual battle with temptation by saying: No temptation has taken hold of you except what is common to mankind. But God is faithful – He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can handle. But with the temptation, He will also provide a way of escape, so you will be able to endure it (First Corinthians 10:13).

2.  God’s initial action should be followed with prompt obedience. ADONAI said to me, “See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you – begin to take possession in order to take hold of his land (2:31). When we know that God has given us marching orders, He expects us to follow them immediately. Remember, delayed obedience is disobedience.

3.  ADONAI chooses the weak to accomplish great things. Now when all the men of war had finished dying from among the people, that the Israelites engaged in war. In order to demonstrate His supreme power, Ha’Shem had to eliminate anything that could give His people a false sense of security. Therefore, the temptation to trust the generation of the Exodus and their military ideas needed to be removed first. Paul also teaches us this same concept from the B’rit Chadashah. For you see your calling, brothers and sisters, that not many are wise according to human standards, not many are powerful, and not many are born well. Yet God chose the foolish things of the world so He might put to shame the wise; and God chose the weak things of the world so He might put to shame the strong; and God chose the lowly and despised things of the world, the things that are as nothing, so He might bring to nothing the things that are – so that no human might boast before God. But because of Him you are in Messiah Yeshua, who became to us wisdom from God and righteousness and holiness and redemption – so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in ADONAI.” When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with excellence of speech or wisdom, proclaiming to you the mystery of God. For I decided not to know about anything among you except Yeshua the Messiah – and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. ⁴ My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power – so that your faith would not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (First Corinthians 1:26-2:5).

4.  One success encourages another. Regarding the fate of Og, YHVH said: You will do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon (3:2). And we utterly destroyed them, just as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon (3:6). God was creating a winning atmosphere to prepare His people for their most important battle, the crossing of the Jordan. Another example of this is David’s confidence when explaining to King Sha’ul why he was willing to face Goliath. David said to Sha’ul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” Then Sha’ul said to David, “You can’t go fight this Philistine – for you’re just a youth, and he’s been a warrior since his youth.” But David said to Sha’ul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb out of its mouth. If it rose up against me, I grabbed him by its fur, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear, so this uncircumcised Philistine will become like one of them – since he has defied the ranks of the living God.” Then David said, “ADONAI, who has delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go!” said Saul to David, “and may ADONAI be with you” (First Samuel 1:26-2:5).

5.  The art of war is not as important as the art of faith. The experience of the generation of the Exodus had not produced victory, but only fear. The inexperience in warfare of a new generation that had faith in YHVH produced victory! All human efforts become worthless if they are not grounded upon faith in the LORD.⁹⁰

Dear Great Father, We worship You! We praise You that the outcome of battles is not in our strength or ability- but in Your mighty, omnipotent hands! How awesome that no power, no matter how mighty it is, can stand up against You. For at the end of the 7 years of Tribulation Satan in anger gathers the nations against You. Also, I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the One who sat on the horse and against His army. (Revelation 19:19).

No battle is needed, for You strike them down with the sword from Your mouth. From His mouth comes a sharp sword – so that with it He may strike down the nations – and He shall rule them with an iron rod, and He treads the winepress of the furious wrath of Elohei-Tzva’ot. (Revelation 19:15).

Trusting You brings peace, even in the midst of awful times of pandemics. You are in control! We lovingly bow in worship of You, our great, mighty and wonderful Daddy. In the holy name of Your Son and the power of His resurrection. Amen

Moshe Remembers the Conquest of Sihon
2: 26-37

Moshe Remembers the conquest of Sihon DIG: Verse 30 informs us that ADONAI stiffened the spirit of King Sihon, and hardened his heart. What does this reveal about YHVH? Recall Ha’Shem’s dealings with Pharaoh (Exodus 9:12, 10:20 and 27, 11:10, and 14:4). Explain why Isra’el would once again experience this hardening by an opposition leader before entering the Promised Land. How do you think the Israelites felt as they prepared to confront Sihon? How complete was the destruction of King Sihon and his people? Why were the women and children killed? What do these Scriptures reveal about how the LORD works to prepare his people to carry out His plan?

REFLECT: What part of your life seems directionless? How do you go about seeking God’s will in that area? If YHVH solves life’s problems in different ways, what advice would you give to someone approaching God with a problem? Why is it sometimes difficult for us to discern His guidance? In what ways can you guard against hardening your heart to the direction of ADONAI?

Moses sent messengers to Sihon, king of Heshbon, requesting safe and unhindered passage through his territory, but was firmly refused (because YHVH had hardened Sihon’s heart). In the battle between Isra’el and Sihon, the Israelites completely destroyed all of his people and took his territory (but not the territory of the Ammonites).

After a peaceful journey through the previous lands, Isra’el came to the point of conflict. Sihon’s land was to be possessed (2:24) and would become part of the Promised Land. They were not to provoke battle or take aggressive military action; in the plan and promise of ADONAI, the means of victory would become clear.⁷⁵

The Israelites could only reach the Promised Land by traveling through King Sihon’s territory. As he did with the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites, Moshe first made Sihon an offer of goodwill, promising to pass through his land peacefully and pay for whatever food and water the people consumed. The request was certainly reasonable. So, I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of shalom saying: Let me pass through your land – I will go only by way of the road. I will not turn to the right or to the left. You will sell me food for money so that I may eat and give me water for money so that I may drink. Just let me pass through on foot – as the sons of Esau dwelling in Seir and the Moabites in Ar did for me – until I cross over the Jordan River into the land that ADONAI our God is giving to us (2:26-29).

However, YHVH wanted Isra’el to defeat Sihon and seize all of his land, so ADONAI Elohei-Tzva’ot: the LORD God of heaven’s angelic armies, hardened the king’s heart as He had hardened the heart of Pharaoh in Egypt, which is the classic case study. Why did Isra’el take the land of Sihon? At one level, it was because Sihon chose to reject the peaceful request of Isra’el to travel through his land – a decision for which he was fully responsible. But on another level, it was because Ha’Shem had already given Sihon’s land into the hand of the Israelites. Neither decision outweighs the other. It is characteristic of Deuteronomy and the Hebrew Scriptures generally to affirm with equal strength the divine will and purpose with the human responsible choice.⁷⁶

But, Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, because ADONAI your God stiffened his spirit and hardened his heart like He hardened the heart of Pharaoh in Egypt (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Bb – God and the Struggle with Pharaoh) , in order to hand him over to you this very day (2:30). If we compare Sihon’s case with that of Pharaoh in Exodus there are many parallels. In either case the hardening of the man’s heart was quite as much by his own act as by the decree of God, for both Pharaoh and Sihon were unaffected by the demands of YHVH which came through His servants. Neither would bend his will to the will of the LORD and each refusal produced a further hardening of the heart. Therefore, the demands of Ha’Shem, once rejected, became a hardening influence on Sihon’s heart, so that he was unable to respond favorably to Isra’el’s request.⁷⁷ The point of the parallel with the Exodus is to show that the conquest of the Land of Promise continues the history of the deliverance that began there. No human power can stand against God’s will to save His people. This is still an important reminder for us today.

ADONAI said to me: See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you – begin to take possession in order to take hold of his land (2:31). Ha’Shem’s order here summarizes the pattern that Isra’el would follow in their conquest of Canaan. The point of the parallel with the Exodus is to show that the conquest of the Land of Promise continues the history of the deliverance that began there. YHVH would tell Joshua which city or people to attack; He would assure the Israelites of victory; and He would go with them to help them win the battle. Isra’el’s defeat of Sihon and Og was especially important because it would send a message ahead to the nations in Canaan, and bring fear to their hearts (11:25). By the time Joshua was ready to enter the Land, the news of Isra’el’s invincible march had already gone before them (Joshua 2:8-11).⁷⁸

See (Hebrew: ra’ah), I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you, a change from plural to singular, signaling a change in the organizational structure of Moses’ historical prologue (see Aj – The Historical Prologue). No longer will sons bear the sins of their fathers, walking in circles and waiting for the old to die. Each person must now assume the burden of his or her own disbelief and face the giants when Ha’Shem orders warfare.⁷⁹

Then Sihon came out against us – he and all his people – to battle at Jahaz (2:32). It was when Sihon abandoned the protection of the high walls of Heshbon, and advanced out into the open country, that Isra’el defeated him in battle. Driven on by a strange stubbornness, Sihon threw away his one chance of survival.⁸⁰

Exactly what Ha’Shem promised would happen, in fact, came to pass! ADONAI our God gave him over to us, and we struck him down along with his sons and all his people. The people of God did not sit back and observe the acts of God; they entered the battle and experienced the presence of the LORD in their active obedience and commitment.⁸¹ We captured all his cities at that time, and utterly put under a cherem ban of judgment every city – men, women and children. The Amorites were destroyed completely this time, and Moshe recounts: We didn’t leave a single survivor. We took only the livestock as plunder for ourselves, as the spoils of the cities we captured (2:33-35).

There are several examples of the cherem judgment in the TaNaKh (Numbers 31:15-17; Deuteronomy 3:6-7, 7:2, 20:17, 26:16-17; Joshua 10:11 and 11:12; Judges 21:11; First Samuel 15:3 and 27:9-11; Jeremiah 25:9). Probably the best-known example is that of Achan. The entire city of Jericho was declared cherem, or devoted to destruction by the LORD Himself. That meant everything in Jericho wasn’t to be touched. But when Achan kept a beautiful robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, the Israelites were unexpectedly defeated in their next battle of Ai because of his disobedience. Because Achan had touched that which was cherem, he became devoted to destruction. As a result, Joshua, together with all Isra’el, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor and stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them (Joshua 6:18 to 7:28). The same fate awaited anyone who sacrificed to foreign gods.

Liberal critics of the Bible are horrified that Isra’el destroyed entire nations, killing “innocent people,” and confiscating their cities and their lands. But how “innocent” were those people? These critics of Scripture (and the LORD) ignore the fact that the nations Isra’el encountered east of the Jordan River, and in Canaan itself, were incredibly wicked. They were immoral people who sacrificed their own children to the false gods they worshiped. Male and female prostitutes served in their temples and fornication was an important part of the Canaanite religion. And like an aggressive cancer, Ha’Shem knew that radical surgery was needed. Little Amorites would grow up to be big Amorites (see Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh).

These people were not left without a witness from YHVH in creation (see the commentary on Romans Ak – The Pagan Gentile), as well as through the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who had lived in Canaan. Furthermore, the news of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (see the commentary on Genesis Fa – It Rained Down Sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah), the plagues of Egypt (see the commentary on Exodus Bj – The Ten Plagues of Egypt), and Isra’el’s deliverance through the Sea of Reeds (Joshua 2:8-11), came to the ears of these people and bore witness that Ha’Shem alone is the one true God. The LORD had been long-suffering with these wicked nations even in Abraham’s day, but now their time had run out and their judgment had come (Genesis 15:16). If these evil civilizations had not been exterminated, Isra’el would have been in constant danger of being tempted by pagan idolatry. In fact, that’s exactly what happened during the period of the Judges, and Ha’Shem had to discipline His people to bring them back to Him. Isra’el had important work to do on the earth in producing the written TaNaKh, and bringing the Messiah into the world, and imitating the pagan nations would have polluted Isra’el and threatened ADONAI’s great plan of salvation for mankind.⁸²

The land won is now described in a manner that reminds us of the account in Joshua 10:40-43. The battle and accompanying destruction extended far beyond the battlefield of Aroer. From Aroer (the southern limit of the victory) which is on the edge of the Wadi Arnon and the city by the wadi, all the way up to the Gilead (the northern limit), there was not a town too high for us. The fact that the cities had high walls, or that Og was a giant (2:11), didn’t seem to create any problems that the generation of the Exodus had feared (Numbers 13:28). In obedience to YHVH’s command, Isra’el did not encroach on the land of the Ammonites, avoiding even the banks of the Wadi Jabbok. Only you did not come near the land of the sons of Ammon – all along the Wadi Jabbok and the cities of the hill country. and wherever ADONAI our God had commanded. Whereas the failure at Kadesh-barnea (see Al – Events at Kadesh-barnea) had served as a severe warning in Moshe’s address, the victory over Sihon is employed as a source of strength and encouragement.⁸³ ADONAI our God gave everything over to us (2:36-37).

Dear Wonderful Father, We love and worship You! How wonderful that Your love opened the gates of Heaven to all who chose to love and worship You, no matter if they are: male or female, rich, or poor, brown, black, white, any skin color, any age etc.

How wonderful that both Your divine will and human responsibility are true. You want everyone saved, yet You patiently wait for each one to turn from their pride and choose to love and follow your son as Lord. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some consider slowness. Rather, He is being patient toward you – not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance (Second Peter 3:9).

Your Awesome grace offered Yeshua’s blood as our sacrifice, He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). The key to Heaven’s door is Messiah’s blood and our faith turns the key to open the door. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not from yourselves – it is the gift of God. It is not based on deeds, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).  We love You, worship You and praise You for opening the door to salvation to all who choose to love You. In Your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

Moshe Remembers Isra’el’s Conquest of the Transjordan
2:26 to 3:22

For thirty-eight years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness until entire Exodus generation, twenty years of age and older, had died. According to the midrash Eichah Rabbah, every year until fortieth year, on the eve of the Ninth of Av (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Mt – The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple on Tisha B’Av in 70 AD), Moses would command the people, “Go out and dig,” and the people would leave the camp, dig graves and sleep in them overnight. The following morning a messenger would proclaim, “Let the living separate from the dead!” And fifteen thousand would die that night, but the survivors would return to the camp for another year.

This occured year after year, but in the thirty-eighth year no one died. Since they thought they might have miscalculated the days, they slept in their graves an additional night. This went on for five nights until the fifteenth of Av, when they saw the full moon, realized that their calculations were correct, and rejoiced that no more of the Exodus generation would die. They subsequently declared Tu B’Av (the fifteenth of Av) as a day of celebration. The “desert generation” had died off and the new generation was finally ready to enter the Promised Land. Then ADONAI instructed Moshe to go to war with the kings of the Transjordan.

Moses remembers the beginning of Isra’el’s conquest of the Land of Promise that had already taken place (see the commentary on Numbers). Jacob had acquired the land of Canaan by purchase and inheritance. Now Moses recalled how his descendents claimed their ancestral homeland. Sihon and Og, two kings of two kingdoms of the Transjordan, figure prominently because Sihon and Og (and their peoples) represented the firstfruits of the dispossession of the inhabitants of the entire region around Canaan. The victories over Sihon and Og served as a paradigm of Holy War in which God’s covenantal nation would utterly destroy His enemies (see Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh).⁷⁴

After those victories, the Transjordan was regarded as Israelite territory. As a result, ADONAI gave the newly won territory to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh as their tribal inheritance. However, the entire Transjordan area, from the Wadi Arnon in the south to Mount Hermon in the north (Deuteronomy 4:48-49; Joshua 12:1), served as the base of operation for the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half-tribe of Manassah, settling their wives, children and cattle there. The rest of the tribes set up camp across the Jordan River from Jericho. No matter where they settled, all of the tribes were preparing to cleanse the Land of idolatry in Ha’Shem’s Holy War.

Moshe Remembered the Events in Ammon
2: 16-25

Moshe remembered the events in Ammon DIG: We have seen that prior to the allotment of territory respectively to Edom (2:1-8), Mo’ab (2:9), and Ammon (2:18-19), the land was already occupied by inhabitants who were tall and ominous. Those threatening enemy peoples went by many names – Emim, Anakim, Rephaim, Horim, and Zamzummim. Why did the Holy Spirit include them in the text? What is the point He is making? How different are the instructions concerning Heshbon in verse 24 from those in verses 5, 9 and 19? Why the difference? What were the Israelites to do? What was God going to do?

REFLECT: Do you think that the world fears believers in Messiah, or the Word of God, at all today? On the topic of not believing in abortion, for example, what is their fear? What about prayer in school? What is their fear? What about believing in a set of absolutes in the universe? What is their fear? What about needing to be saved from their sinful lifestyle? What is their fear? What has God given you “possession” of that you have always longed for? What have you “inherited” that was denied to your parents?

The death of the generation of the Exodus, who had trembled at the report of the twelve spies and refused to enter the Land of Promise, now makes possible the resumption of the journey and fulfillment of God’s promise. As with Edom and Mo’ab, ADONAI commanded the Israelites to pass through Ammon without provoking its inhabitants to war since He gave this territory to the Ammonites.

Moshe remembered that ADONAI had told Isra’el not to harass Esau’s descendents (2:4-5), or the Moabites (2:9); now He said the same about the Ammonites because they were descendents of Lot (see the commentary on Genesis Fb – Let’s Get Our Father to Drink Wine, and then Lie With Him to Preserve Our Family Line). Now, when all the men of war had finished dying from among the people, ADONAI spoke to me saying: Today you are about to cross the border of Mo’ab at Ar. When you come opposite the sons of Ammon, do not harass or provoke them – for I will not give you any of the land of the sons of Ammon for a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession (2:16-19).

Another parenthetical note: The area of Ammon, like Mo’ab (2:10-12), had formerly been occupied by a tall people like the Anakim, known to the Ammonites as the Zamzummim (meaning murmur and meditate, which implies demon worship and communication with evil spirits). Therefore, ADONAI destroyed them (2:21). Once again, we learn that YHVH, the LORD of the nations (Acts 17:26), dispossessed this people and gave the land to Ammon because they were descendents of the second incestuous son of Lot (see the commentary on Genesis Fb – Let’s Get Our Father to Drink Wine, and then Lie With Him to Preserve Our Family Line).⁷⁰ That also is considered a land of Rephaim. The Rephaim used to live there, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim (Genesis 14:5) – a great and numerous people, as tall as the Anakim. But ADONAI destroyed the Zamzummim from before them, and the Ammonites dispossessed them and settled in their place. It was just as ADONAI did for the sons of Esau, who dwell in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites before them. They drove them out and settled in their place even to this day (2:20-22).

As with the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites, the Caphtorim had gained territory by dispossessing peoples who had earlier inhabited this region. As for the Avvim who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim who came from Crete (are better known in the Bible as the Philistines) destroyed them and settled in their place (2:23). The Avvim, Rephaim and Horim are all identical with the Hivite mentioned by Moses as one of the seven peoples promised to Isra’el (7:1). After giving an account of some of the Hivite territory which was forbidden to Isra’el – the lands possessed by Mo’ab, Esau and Ammon – Scripture states that the country of the Caphtorim was permitted to be taken by Isra’el. The Caphtorim were an Egyptian people, and in no way related to Abraham, and therefore had no claim to Canaanite territory.

Though it is impossible to determine precisely when verses 20-23 were inserted, 2:12b indicates that it was after the initial conquest of the Land. Editorial notes in the Pentateuch do no harm to the doctrine of biblical inspiration. Inspiration refers to the final product rather than to the manner of writings. The original texts of Scripture are God-breathed (Second Timothy 3:16), and therefore contain no errors, for God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). The Ruach Ha-Kodesh superintended the work of editors just as He did the historical research of Luke (Luke 1:1-4) so that the final words of the text, though obtained by different methods, are the words intended by ADONAI. It was this final text (including editorial insertions) that Yeshua Messiah pronounced to be perfect (Matthew 5:18; John 10:35).⁷¹

After several interruptions the narrative proceeds to the defeat of Sihon: After being encamped at Horeb (Mount Sinai) for almost a year, Moshe remembered that the LORD commanded Isra’el to “Rise up, journey on, and cross over the Wadi Arnon. See, I have handed over Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land to you.”  Once the Israelites crossed over the Wadi Arnon, they entered the region controlled by the Amorites (not to be confused with the Ammonites). Sihon’s kingdom at the time extended north from the Wadi Arnon which ran into the Dead Sea and the Jordan River on the west, and the kingdom of the Ammonites on the east. The Israelites could advance with confidence in the word of ADONAI to them, “Begin to possess it! Engage him in battle” (see the commentary on Numbers Do – The Defeat of Sihon and Heshbon)! The previous rebellious generation of the Exodus had said in their stubbornness that Ha’Shem was going to hand us over to the Amorites, to destroy us (1:27), but to the new and obedient generation, the Amorites were to be delivered into their hands. Moshe remebered that at last the Israelites were to begin to taste the promise of the Land promised to them, for not only would the LORD deliver the Amorites to Isra’el, but their land would also be given to them (2:24).⁷²

Moshe remembered that Ha’Shem commanded the Israelites to engage in their first significant military battle, and promised that the outcome of that conflict had already been determined – by YHVH Himself. The LORD employed a tool against the Amorites that had been at work in their midst since Isra’el’s crossing of the Sea of Reeds. News of God’s powerful intervention in Isra’el’s behalf had preceded their arrival in this area by almost four decades (Exodus 15:14-18).⁷³ This very day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under heaven. When they hear the report about you, they will tremble and twist in anguish because of you (2:25).

Dear Father God, What a treasure You are! We praise You our Mighty Powerful Father! You are always ready to help Your child and You are greater than any enemy that may try to come against Your child. We worship You and ask You to help us to take our eyes off our momentary trials and to fix our eyes on the eternal Joy of life in Heaven with You.

Praise You that though our love will prompt us to do many acts of love for You, our works are not what save us, but it is our heart love for You that counts. For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, and with the mouth it is confessed for salvation (Romans 10:10). Our heart’s love enables us to wear the righteousness of Your Son and so enter heaven. We beg you on behalf of Messiah, be reconciled to God.  He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (Second Corinthians 5:20b-21). In the loving and mighty name of Yeshua and by His powerful resurrection. Amen

Moshe Remembered the Journey from Kadesh-barnea
to the Plains of Mo’av
2: 1-25

About 40 years after Isra’el’s wilderness wanderings, ADONAI commanded Bnei-Yisrael to begin their journey back to the Promised Land. Therefore, the Israelites left the region surrounding Kadesh-barnea and to pass near the territory held by the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites. Although the following narrative (2:1 to 3:11) shares the basic details of the parallel account in Numbers 20-24, the present narrative shows a greater interest in theology than in the details of geography and chronology.

With regard to the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites, YHVH prohibited Isra’el from taking any land from them (2:1-25). Ha’Shem is the Owner of the whole world. He allocates His properties as He pleases. ADONAI was orchestrating all these events for the Israelites. At this point in time in biblical history, the blood relationship of these three peoples with Isra’el protected them from the destruction the LORD promised to bring on the Amorites, Bashanites, and Canaanites. The Amorites had no such relationship with God’s people and therefore faced a different fate.⁵⁸

Moshe Remembered the Events in Mo’av
2: 9-15

Moshe Remembered the events in Mo’av DIG: As the Israelites prepare to enter the Land which ADONAI had given them, what fears might they have about the people who live there? How might the events of this passage and the demonstration of God’s care for the Moabites, Ammonites, and Edomites help the Israelites face their fears? Are editorial notes still part of God’s Word? Why? Did the men of war die a natural death? What was the significance of the nation of Isra’el passing over the Wadi Zered? What did it mark?

REFLECT: How do you feel about unbelievers who are successful? Do you think any of their success is attributable to the LORD? Why or why not? In what sense is God concerned about the welfare of unbelievers today? What examples can you give? How are these similar to this passage? What challenge are you facing in your life today? What provision do you need from God? What have you learned here about the character of YHVH that can help calm and strengthen you for that challenge?

Moshe remembered that as the children of Isra’el approached the boundary of Mo’av, Ha’Shem forbid them to attack and plunder the territory of Mo’ab since He gave this land to the Moabites. Moshe also points out that Isra’el’s crossing over the Wadi Zered represented the official end of God’s punishment of Isra’el for their rebellion at Kadesh-barnea.

Just as the Edomites were not attacked and conquered because they were related to Jacob, so the Moabites and Ammonites were spared because they were the descendents of Lot, the nephew of Abraham (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Fb – Let’s Get Our Father to Drink Wine, and then Lie With Him to Preserve Our Family Line). The Israelites were to pass through the region of Mo’ab (located east of the Dead Sea) without taking any territory.⁶³ ADONAI said to me: Do not harass Mo’ab or engage them in battle. For I will not give you any of his land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession (2:9). YHVH is supreme over all nations and assigns their territories according to His sovereign will (Acts 17:26-28; Second Chronicles 20:6). In fact, the LORD even helped these other nations defeat their enemies and take their land (2:20-23). Ha’Shem is on His throne and deals with the nations according to His perfect will (Dani’el 4:35). Neither the Moabites nor the Ammonites deserved this kindness, but ADONAI sometimes blesses people because of their relationship to other people. Isra’el was certainly blessed because of the LORD’s covenants with Abraham and David, the invisible Church, made up of Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14), is blessed today because of the Father’s eternal covenant with Yeshua Messiah (Hebrews 13:20).⁶⁴

A parenthetical note: The Emim (meaning terrors or dreaded ones) used to live there – a great and numerous people, as tall as the Anakim (2:10). The Emim, the original inhabitants of Ar (representing the whole region of Mo’ab), are identical with the Rephaim whose territory was promised to Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 15:20). The conquest of this territory, inhabited by such mighty people, by a descendant of Lot, was nothing else but a divine act in fulfillment of YHVH’s promise to Abraham. Therefore, it was Ha’Shem who gave Ar to Mo’ab, Seir to Esau, part of the Rephaim territory to Ammon, just as He gave Canaan to the Israelites.

These people also are considered Rephaim, like the Anakim; but the Moabites call them Emim (2:11). The Anakites, also called the Nephilim in Numbers, belonged to a race of giants known as the Rephaim (2:10-11 and 21). Og of Bashan, an Anakite, had an iron bed that was over thirteen feet long (see Av – The Defeat of Og). The Rephaites and Anakites were also found in Philistia (see the commentary on the Life of David Eg – David’s Heroes).⁶⁵

Now the Horites (a non-Semitic people) used to live in Seir, but the sons of Esau drove them out and destroyed them from before themselves and settled in their place (2:12a). The Horites were identical with the Hivites who were descended from the sixth son of Canaan (Genesis 10:17), and always mentioned among the seven Canaanite peoples in connection with Isra’el’s inheritance. Seir, the territory of these people promised to Abraham’s descendants, was meant for Esau, and should therefore have been respected by Isra’el. Just as the Edomites dispossessed the Horites, so Isra’el did (past tense) to the land of Canaan, its possession, that ADONAI gave to them (2:12b).

Though it is impossible to determine precisely when verses 10-12 were inserted, verse 12b indicates that it was after the initial conquest of the Land. Editorial notes in the Pentateuch do no harm to the doctrine of biblical inspiration. Inspiration refers to the final product rather than to the manner of writings. The original texts of Scripture are God-breathed (Second Timothy 3:16), and therefore contain no errors, for God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). The Ruach Ha-Kodesh superintended the work of editors just as He did the historical research of Luke (Luke 1:1-4) so that the final words of the text, though obtained by different methods, are the words intended by ADONAI. It was this final text (including editorial insertions) that Yeshua Messiah pronounced to be perfect (Matthew 5:18; John 10:35).⁶⁶

The story which began at verse 9 and was interrupted by the parenthetical note in verses 10-12 is now resumed: Now rise up, and cross over the Wadi Zered.” Since you are not permitted to pass through the lands of Esau and Mo’ab without their permission, change direction and approach the Jordan through the Wadi Zered, which lies beyond the borders of those two countries. So, we went over the Wadi Zered (2:13).

Moshe reminded his audience of the terrible judgment that his own rebellious generation had suffered. When the Jews crossed over into the Wadi Zered, it marked a turning point in their history. Just as the crossing of the Sea of Reeds had marked a new beginning of freedom from Egyptian bondage, so the crossing of the Wadi Zered marked freedom from the oath of YHVH against the generation of the Exodus.⁶⁷

Now, however, they had all died in the wilderness . . . all, except for Moses (see the commentary on Jude Aj – The LORD Delivered His People Out of Egypt, But Later Destroyed Those Who Did Not Believe). Thus, because of their rebellion against YHVH, this first generation of Israelite warriors actually found themselves objects of God’s holy war! They left the protective care of His hand in their arrogant rebellion only to find that Hand turned against them as they endured painful deaths outside the Promised Land. By reminding the people of this, Moshe said, in effect, that Ha’Shem is faithful to His promises and His threats, and has the power to execute both.⁶⁸

Moses remarked: The time that we traveled from Kadesh-barnea until we crossed over the Wadi Zered was about 40 years (38 years had elapsed since Isra’el’s departure from Kadesh-barnea the first time) – until all the generation of the men of war, from within the camp came to an end, as ADONAI had sworn to them (see Ao – God’s Judgment on Isra’el). These men of war did not die a natural death from old age; it was the direct action of Ha’Shem that hastened their death. Indeed, the hand of ADONAI was against them, to destroy them from within the camp until they came to their end (2:14-15). But, Isra’el’s time of divine discipline had finally ended. Isra’el could now look forward to defeating their enemies and moving into the Land of Promise that the LORD had promised to them.⁶⁹

Dear Great and Awesome Father, Praise You that in Your love, You Yourself have redeemed us by paying the penalty for our sins.  He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). Someday all our trials will be over. He shall wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death shall be no more. Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4). Please help us to keep our eyes focused on Heaven where we will live in joy with You for all eternity and never more have any sufferings. This time on earth will be over so quickly. May we use it to glorify You and bring You much joy. In Your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen.

Moshe Remembered the Events in Seir
2: 1-8

Moshe remembered the events in Seir DIG: Why is there no details of Isra’el’s 40 years of wilderness wanderings? What had happened in the wilderness that allowed the 40-year judgment to end? How were the Israelites and the Edomites related? What grudge did the Edomites continue to carry against the children of Jacob? How did the Edomites treat their brothers centuries later? Why were the Edomites afraid of the Israelites? Why wasn’t it necessary for the Israelites to attack their brothers? What was the end result?

REFLECT: Turned is the key word in this file. When did you turn toward the LORD? When have you turned away from ADONAI? Where are you on your journey today? Are you in the Promised Land, or in the wilderness? How do you feel when YHVH tells you to turn toward the Promised Land? Read 2:7 again and apply it to yourself. Do you believe God has provided you with all you need? We often mistake what we “want” with something we “need.” All we really need is found in Yeshua. What are you seeking?

Moshe remembered that after almost forty years of wilderness wanderings, the LORD commanded His children to pass around the hill country of Mount Seir and then pass north toward the Land of Promise without disturbing the Edomites or their possessions in any way.

Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness. This is one of the saddest statements in the Bible. Dreams are dashed as the people turn their tasks on the Land of Promise.

After spending a long, but undermined, amount of time in the oasis of Kadesh-barnea, the Israelites turned and journeyed into the wilderness by the way to the Sea of Reeds (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Ce – Salvation at the Sea of Reeds). In spite of this 40-year judgment of the ungrateful and rebellious generation, YHVH had not given up on His people, for Moses could still say ADONAI had directed me. We went around the hill country of Seir, the mountain range of Edom located south of the Dead Sea and extended down the eastern flank of the Arabah, for many days (2:1).

The transition from verse 1 and 2 spans almost 40 years! Moshe gave no details of what Isra’el experienced while wandering. During that time, Isra’el was out of God’s covenant favor. It was a death march; an anti-Exodus for the generation of the Exodus. There is no record that the people observed the Passover, or even circumcised their sons. After Joshua led the nation across the Jordan River, he took care of those responsibilities when Isra’el was back in YHVH’s covenantal blessing (Joshua 5:1-12). The people in Moses’ congregation who were nineteen years old when the wandering began were now fifty-seven (19 + 38 when they left Kadesh-barnea) and certainly would remember those difficult years and tell their children and grandchildren about them.⁵⁹

ADONAI now commands the people, go north, toward your Promised Land. The LORD spoke to Moshe, saying: You have gone around this hill country long enough. And now we have another decisive turn, to the north, towards the Land of Promise (1:2-3). By that time the rebellious generation of the Exodus had died, their corpses being consumed in the wilderness (Numbers 14:33b). No longer will the children bear the sins of their parents, walking in circles and waiting for the old to die. The wandering had finally ended. Now, the LORD pointed the survivors toward Canaan, the Land flowing with milk and honey (6:3).

Throughout this section of Scripture, God is continually guiding His people. Even the wandering has a sense of purpose. The life of a believer is in the hands of ADONAI as a bow and arrow are in the hands of an archer. YHVH is aiming at something that we cannot see; He stretches and we stain, and at times we say, “I cannot stand it anymore!” But the LORD goes on stretching until His purpose is accomplished – then He lets the arrow fly. God has a purpose in every zig-zag in our lives.⁶⁰

Ha’Shem told Moses, “Command the people saying: You are about to cross into the territory of your relatives, the sons of Esau, who dwell in Seir.” Moshe refers to the inhabitants of the region of Seir as the sons of Esau, rather than the Edomites, in order to highlight the kinship between Isra’el and Edom. And as predicted in Exodus 15:14-16, the Edomites (among others) had heard of YHVH’s great deeds on Isra’el’s behalf and, as a result: They will be afraid of you, so be very careful (2:4).⁶¹

Moshe was commanded by the LORD not to declare war on the people of Edom. The LORD had promised to give His own people land; but other peoples, too, had been granted possessions by ADONAI. The Edomites were descended from Jacob’s brother Esau (Genesis 36). Do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land – not even a footprint – because I have given the hill country of Seir to Esau as a possession, as an inheritance from Abraham (2:5). Although Esau’s descendents remained hostile, the children of Jacob did not go to war with them. Such good will for Esau’s seed contrasts sharply with the wars against Sichon (see Au – The Defeat of Sihon) and Og (Av – The Defeat of Og), whose sons embraced idolatry and other abominable practices. YHVH had graciously cared for Isra’el and blessed His people even during their years of wandering, so there was no need for them to attack their brothers and exploit them. For ADONAI your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand – He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These 40 years ADONAI your God has been with you – you have lacked nothing (2:7). So it is with us. There is nothing you can do to make God love you more. There is nothing you can do to make God love you less. His love is unconditional, impartial, everlasting, infinite, and perfect!

Moses at first tried the friendly approach, but the Edomites wouldn’t accept their brothers even though the Israelites were prepared to pay for food and water. Even though Isra’el’s powerful army could have raided and taken what was needed, Ha’Shem commanded: You are to buy food from them for money so that you may eat, and you are also to buy water from them for money so that you may drink (Deuteronomy 2:6; (Numbers 20:14-21). So, he led them by another route that bypassed Mount Seir. The Edomites should have shown Isra’el brotherly love, but instead they preferred to continue the ancient feud between Jacob and Esau (Genesis 27). Centuries later, Edom was still angry with Isra’el and rejoiced when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem (Psalm 137:7; Ezeki’el 2:12-14; Amos 1:11; Obediah 10-13).

So, we went on past our relatives, the sons of Esau who dwell in Seir, away from the way of the Arabah from Elath and Ezion-geber. Although nothing of the negotiations are conveyed here, the Edomites prohibited Isra’el from taking the customary route through their region (the King’s Highway) and required them to take the longer route around the borders of Edom. But, in reality, they really didn’t need the short-cut because YHVH was leading them. We turned once again, and passed by the way of the wilderness of Mo’ab, probably traveling on the Transjordanian plateau, near the transition between habitable land and the Arabian desert (2:8).

Of all the problems we face in life, family disagreements are probably the most painful and the hardest to solve, and yet the Bible records so many of them. Cain killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4); Jacob and Esau were rivals; Jacob’s wives competed with one another (Genesis 29-30); Jacob favored Joseph and therefore Joseph’s brothers hated their younger brother (Genesis 37); and David’s father-in-law, King Sha’ul, hounded after him and even tried to kill him (First Samuel 19-20). Even within the local community of believers, brothers and sisters don’t always love each other. The church at Corinth was divided four ways (First Corinthians 1:12); the Galatian believers were biting and devouring one another (Galatians 5:15); and in the Philippian church, two women were at odds with each other (Philippians 4:2-3).⁶² We must do all we can to love one another, just as Yeshua loves us. By doing this, all will know that we are His disciples (John 13:34-35).

Dear Father God, Praise You for your wonderful example of love! Praise You that you are never selfish, never grumpy, and never unkind. You are always kind and loving with a great, great love. Please help us to bring You joy and return Your love by our loving others. Remind us of the rewards You want to give us when we enter heaven and you discern our heart’s attitude with fire. For no one can lay any other foundation than what is already laid – which is Yeshua the Messiah.  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear. For the Day will show it, because it is to be revealed by fire; and the fire itself will test each one’s work – what sort it is. If anyone’s work built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward (First Corinthians 3:11-15a).

May we remember that it is not how the act looks outwardly to our friends or family, but the reward is based on our heart attitude of love for You. For He [ADONAI] does not see a man as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but ADONAI looks into the heart. (First Samuel 16:7). You are so worthy of all our love. We will not look with fear to any problem-but we will keep our eyes fixed on You, our big and caring and powerful Daddy – which will make our problem seem small. Praise You that when disagreements happen, we do not need to fear, we only need to look up at You for You are in control, even with world–wide pandemics. We bow in worship of You. We do not need to know the why, for we know how great is the love of our Almighty and All-powerful God who cares so deeply for each of His children. In Your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Moshe Remembered God’s Judgment on Isra’el
1: 34-46

Moshe Remembered God’s judgment of Isra’el DIG: Explain the reason that God judged the older generation and swore that they would not enter the Promised Land. Why is ADONAI so angry, even with Moshe? Why does he make an exception of Caleb and Joshua? What punishment is meted out to everyone else? What about that seems fair? Unfair? Merciful? Harsh? What response does this punishment elicit? Why does the LORD respond as He does? What must Isra’el still learn about YHVH before they re-enter the Land? How would remembering this history lesson from Moshe help them to learn this? What is the difference between unbelief and doubt?

REFLECT: When has obedience led you to receiving the best of what the LORD had for you? How hard is it for you to stand up to what you know is right when you are in the minority? How are you like Caleb and Joshua? How are you different? What “frightening” thing have you attempted for God? Did fear get the best of you? Or did he calm your fears? How? What “miraculous” thing has he done for you? What impact has that had on your faith? On your family’s faith? What is YHVH leading you to do that you are not heeding? What does faithful obedience look like today? Be specific.

Moshe remembered Isra’el’s refusal to obey God’s command to march against Canaan, and their unwillingness to believe ADONAI’s promise of victory caused Him to respond in anger. The entire adult population of the Exodus would be sentenced to death in the wilderness.

Your carcasses will fall in the desert; and your children will wander about in the desert for forty years bearing the consequences of your prostitutions until the desert eats up your carcasses. It will be a year for every day you spent reconnoitering the land that you will bear the consequences of your offenses – forty days, forty years. Then you will know what it means to oppose me (see the commentary on Numbers Cg – The Judgement of Forty Years)!

From the Sea of Reeds to Horeb (1:34-40): Isra’el’s refusal to obey YHVH’s command to march against the pagan nations in Canaan, and her unwillingness to believe the LORD’s promise of victory caused Him to respond in anger. Since Moshe had already delineated the penalties for not listening, or carrying out all of His mitzvot (Leviticus 26:14-39), when He heard the tone of Isra’el’s words (James 3:3-8), He swore that the generation of the Exodus would die in the wilderness. He was angry and swore an oath (1:34) saying: Not one of these men and women of this evil generation will see the good Land that I swore to give your fathers (1:35). The rabbis place the age of accountability at twenty (Shabbat 32b; 1 QS 1:10-11). Disobedience causes us to forfeit the best of what ADONAI has for us.

The only exceptions were Caleb and Joshua. Caleb is mentioned in four other passages (Numbers 14:24; Joshua 14:8-9 and 14), and both Caleb and Joshua are referred to once (Numbers 32:12).⁵² Both stood firm against a nation of doubters (Numbers 14:6-9). They had complete confidence that YHVH was fully capable of leading Isra’el to victory over the giants of Canaan. As a result, they were exceptions to the death sentence issued upon the entire adult generation of the Exodus. In the book of Numbers, Caleb and Joshua symbolized the new generation that was unmarked by unfaithfulness, and who would receive the Promised Land. The contrast between these two and all the others is the contrast between belief and unbelief, and consequently, between those who receive the Land and those who did not.⁵³ Caleb and Joshua will see it – yet to them and their children I will give the Land that they have walked on, because they have followed ADONAI wholeheartedly (1:36). Obedience allows us to receive the best of what God has for us.

What’s the difference between unbelief and doubt? Unbelief is a matter of the will; it causes people to rebel against YHVH and say, “No matter what the LORD says or does, I will not believe and obey!” Doubt, however, is a matter of the heart and the emotions; it’s what people experience when they waver between fear and faith (Matthew 14:31; James 1:5-8). The doubter says, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24)! ADONAI wants to encourage doubters, and help them believe; but all He can do with rebels is bring judgment. At Kadesh-barnea, Ha’Shem declared that the generation of the Exodus would wander for the next thirty-eight years (they had already been in the wilderness two years) until all the people twenty years and older had died. Then he would take the next generation – the children and teenagers – and lead them into the Promised Land where they would conquer the enemy and claim their inheritance.⁵⁴

Caleb and Joshua believed God, so He decreed that they would live through the wilderness wanderings and enter the Promised Land. But later, even Aaron and Moses rebelled against YHVH and were kept out of the Land. When the LORD instructed Moshe to provide water by speaking to the rock, he struck the rock instead (Numbers 20:11)! As a result, Moses forfeited the privilege of leading the people into the Land, when God said: You will not enter there, either (1:37).  Leaders are ultimately responsible for the decisions of their people. Moshe’s identification with his people meant that he also accepted with them the penalty for their failure to obey.

When Moses declared that YHVH was even angry with me on your account, he wasn’t excusing himself by blaming the Israelites. What this means is that the rebellious attitude of the people had provoked him to disobey ADONAI. Moshe had been grieved so often by the people’s complaining and disobeying that it finally got the best of him and he lost the meekness for which he was so well-known.

Even the greatest spiritual leaders are but frail human beings apart from the grace of God, and many of them failed in their strongest points. Moses’ greatest strength was meekness, but he lost his temper. Abraham was known for his great faith, yet in a time of testing he fled to Egypt and lied about his wife. David’s greatest strength was his integrity (Psalm 78:72), but he failed miserably and became a liar and a hypocrite, and Peter’s great strength was his courage, yet three times he became afraid and denied his Lord. Therefore, let the one who thinks he stands watch out that he doesn’t fall (First Corinthians 10:12).⁵⁵

Because Moshe would not go into the Land with the new generation, a new leader would have to be appointed, namely, Joshua. The LORD said to Moses, “Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, will enter there – encourage him, for he will enable Isra’el to inherit the Land” (1:38).

What was different about Caleb and Joshua? They saw the same things that the other ten men saw! They interpreted it differently. Why? Because they had faith. And faith gives you a different perspective. The lesson is simple: Not by might, nor by power, but by My Ruach! Says ADONAI-Tzva’ot (Zechariah 4:6b). Joshua said at that time: If ADONAI is pleased with us, He will lead us into that Land and give it to us – a Land flowing with milk and honey. Only don’t rebel against ADONAI, and don’t be afraid of the people of the Land. Like the mana in the wilderness, they will be food for us. The protection over them is gone. ADONAI is with us! Do not fear them (Numbers 14:8-9).

Moses goes on to point out the irony of Isra’el’s rebellion that his present audience will clearly understand. Moreover, your little ones – whom you said would become plunder, and your children who today have no knowledge of good or evil – will enter there. The generation of Israelites who rebelled against God out of a desire to protect themselves and their children from what they thought was certain death would be survived by those very children. They, rather than their parents, would inherit the Land promised by YHVH. They had been innocent in the matter of the rebellion, having no knowledge of good or evil.⁵⁶ This phrase does not signify innocence, but a lack of ability to discern morally. The LORD said: To them I will give it and they will possess it (1:39).

The reason the covenant between YHVH and His people must be renewed (see Fm – Renewal of the Covenant) is that God’s people had become disobedient and had lost His promise for one generation. Moses is reminding a new generation that this renewal is both a warning and a blessing. The warning is that each generation is responsible for obedience to the LORD. The blessing is that each generation has a new hope for God’s best, regardless of the disobedience of previous generations.⁵⁷

But as for you, turn around and journey back into the wilderness by way of the Sea of Reeds (1:40). The Sea of Reeds Road ran to the east of Kadesh-barnea, extending from Elath in the south to the southern region of the Dead Sea (by Zorah) in the north. YHVH had closed the door of opportunity for them to enter Canaan. It is not always possible or permissible to recoup an opportunity lost by unbelief.

From Horeb to Kadesh-barnea (1:41-46): Then rebellion turned to chutzpah. You answered and said to me, “We have sinned against ADONAI. We will go up and fight ourselves, just as ADONAI our God commanded us.” So, each of you strapped on his weapons of war, figuring it was easy to go up to the hill country. But it was too late! When they had Ha’Shem’s protection, they failed to act; now that He would no longer protect them, they wanted to charge forward. But ADONAI said to me, “Tell them, ‘Do not go up and fight – for I am not with you, and you will be defeated by your enemies’ (1:41-42).” But, once again, the people did not listen. The LORD would not dwell in the midst of such people and their defeat was inevitable.

So, even after a further attempt at correction, the people did not hear the LORD’s immediate instruction. I told you, but you would not listen (Hebrew: shema) – you rebelled against the command of ADONAI and presumptuously went up into the hill country (1:43). The details are not given, but the Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you, and they chased you as bees, who attack and sting anyone who approaches their hive, and scattered you from Seir to Hormah (related to the Hebrew word cherem, meaning devoted to destruction). This demonstrated the fact that not every war in which Isra’el fought was a valid part of the Holy War (1:44).

Tears mean nothing in the face of willful disobedience. Then, you returned and wept before ADONAI, but ADONAI did not listen to your voice or pay attention to you because your repentance was not sincere; in fact, you persisted in your rebellion to the last in spite of continued warning, and only changing your attitude through fear, after the fatal decree had already been proclaimed (1:45).

So, you stayed in Kadesh-barnea for a long, but unspecified period – many days – like the days you had spent before (1:46). It was as if Isra’el hovered between Egypt, the place of deliverance, and the Land of Promise, yet to be fulfilled.

Dear Awesome Father God, How I love and respect You! Every good attitude/ability that I might desire in a friend to have- is in You. You not only have so many wonderful qualities, but You have nothing about you that is not wonderful. I can completely trust You at all times for You see the future with crystal clarity. You love each of Your children and delight in blessing them. Even when a trial happens to Your child, You can turn it into a blessing when they have an attitude of trusting You. These trials are so that the true metal of your faith (far more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire) may come to light in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Messiah Yeshua. (First Peter 1:7). Praise You that when You clearly tell me to do something, even when I don’t understand, I can totally trust You and know that the wisest thing is to follow Your guidance. I love You. In Your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Moshe Remembered Isra’el’s Lack of Faith
1: 26-33

Moshe Remembered Isra’el’s lack of faith DIG: To which generation was Moses speaking? But who was he speaking about? What is the point he was trying to get across? Why was this rebellion the most serious and the costliest of all? When faced with the choice between faith and fear, why did they choose fear? How were they stiff-necked? How did the LORD address the real issue? How does he build his case? With what images? Toward what end?

REFLECT: God carried Isra’el as a father carries a son. What do you recall about your father “carrying you?” Did that help or hinder your learning to trust God’s love? How so? If you had no such human father, were you able to lean on your heavenly Father? No matter how big our obstacles seem to us, the faith that YHVH is willing to give us is much stronger. When have you found it so?

In spite of the LORD’s command that Israel should conquer Canaan, His unconditional divine promise to fulfill the grant of the Land (Genesis 15:18-21), and the recent evidence of the Land’s abundance (1:25), Isra’el lacked the faith to move forward.

In recounting the failure of the Exodus generation thirty-eight years previous, Moses remembered that all agreed the Land was good, and that it had been promised to the Israelites by YHVH. Nevertheless, they failed to act (see the commentary on Numbers, to see link click Cc – The Report of the Spies). Three reasons for the people’s lack of faith are given:

First, grumbling rebellion (1:26-27): Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of ADONAI your God (1:26). In your tents you grumbled (1:27a). This tradition of grumbling dates back to their journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai (see the commentary on Exodus Cq – If Only We Had Died by the LORD’s Hand in Egypt). The grumblers looked back to Egypt with an imagined preference for the conditions of slavery; they looked forward to the Promised Land and only saw obstacles. Stiff-necked had become Moshe’s favorite term for them, echoing YHVH’s own opinion (Exodus 32:9, 33:3, 34:9; Deuteronomy 9:6). But this time there is something of a climax. Of all their rebellions this was surely the most serious and the costliest. The bitterness of their disobedience is expressed in their words in which they accused God of absurd motives in what He had done to them.⁴⁵ Because ADONAI hates us, He has brought us out from the land of Egypt to hand us over to the Amorites, to destroy us (1:27b)! The people’s rebellion had completely perverted their understanding of the nature of the LORD. They said ADONAI hates us, and yet the essence of the covenant was the love of God. They said their God had only brought them out from Egypt only to hand them over to the Amorites, but the truth of the Exodus was that YHVH had brought them out of Egypt and would deliver the Amorites into their hands. They said that Ha’Shem wanted to destroy them, but the purpose of ADONAI was to give them life.⁴⁶

Secondly, paralyzing fear (1:28): The people’s exclamation: Where are we going? Was a cry of despair in the face of promise. Our brothers (the spies) have discouraged our hearts saying: The people living in the Land are greater and their cities are fortified and very large. We even saw the sons of Anak there. We also saw the Nephilim there, and we seemed like grasshoppers in our eyes as well as theirs (Deuteronomy 1:28; Numbers 13:28 and 33)! The Anakites, also called the Nephilim in Numbers, belonged to a race of giants known as the Rephaim (2:10-11 and 21). Og of Bashan, an Anakite, had an iron bed that was over thirteen feet long (see Av – The Conquest of Og). The Rephaites and Anakites were also found in Philistia (see the commentary on the Life of David Eg – David’s Heroes).⁴⁷

The spies had their eyes open. They had discovered a number of obstacles which they reported to the people:

1. The people living in the Land are powerful (Numbers 13:28a).

2. The cities are fortified and very large (Numbers 13:28b).

3. They would encounter people who had previously given them problems (Numbers 13:29).

4. They saw themselves as weaker than their enemies (Numbers 13:31).

5. They stressed the negative rather than the positive (Numbers 13:32).

6. They saw themselves as inadequate and perceived that their enemies saw them in the same light (Numbers 13:33).

But there was an oasis of encouragement within this discouraging report. Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “We should definitely go up and capture the Land, for we can certainly do it (Numbers 13:30)! Isn’t it interesting that Caleb and Joshua saw the same Land as the other ten spies, yet they wanted to attack the enemy while the others screamed no? Why the difference? We see things not as they are, but as we are. They were focusing on the problems instead of the possibilities.

This is what happened with the spies. Ten saw the barriers; two saw the blessings. Ten saw giants; two saw ADONAI. Ten saw fortified cities and their faith crumbled; two possessed faith and saw the fortified cities crumble. Two said, “The best is yet to come,” ten said, “The best is not to come.”⁴⁸

Thirdly, stubborn unbelief (1:29-33): In the face of such cowardice Moses encouraged the people in terms they understood, saying: Don’t tremble or be afraid of them (1:29). One antidote to fear is a good memory. Moshe urged the Israelites to be unafraid in view of what they had already experienced in their own recent past. ADONAI your God, who goes before you, He Himself will fight for you – just as He did for you in Egypt before your own eyes. Not only did they see His works in Egypt, and in the wilderness, where you saw how ADONAI your God carried you as a man carries his son, everywhere you went until you came to this place. What was the response of the people after the many blessings of Ha’Shem? Unfortunately, again, the plea fell on deaf ears (and hard hearts). Moses summed it up when he said: Yet for all this you did not trust in ADONAI your God (1:30-32). In spite of such evidence, however, they would not move forward in faith. And faith was no leap in the dark, but a perfectly reasonable step forward with their eyes opened wide to what YHVH had done in the past and He had promised to do in the future.⁴⁹

The Israelites should have been full of confidence because Ha’Shem is the One who goes before you, a phrase implying military leadership. He is ADONAI-Tzva’ot, the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (Second Kings 19:31; Psalm 24:10; Second Corinthians 6:18), on the way to scout out a place for you to camp and to show you the way you should go, in fire by night and in the cloud by day (1:33). Moshe found out that YHVH’s blessings do not automatically produce grateful hearts. As far as the Israelites were concerned, the glorious past was immediately negated by the discouraging present. In their fears, they forgot ADONAI and His blessings.⁵⁰ Isra’el’s refusal in this case was not prudence or realism, but stubborn unbelief that exhausted ADONAI’s patience and led to judgment.

It is hard to imagine how the apple of His eye (32:10) could have turned against their LORD. Yet, we ought to be warned. The stubborn wavering displayed here is not unique to the generation of the Exodus. We suffer from the same disease of sin. James needed to warn his believing readers – who after the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Yeshua Messiah never had cause to doubt God’s love or power – not to hesitate as they approached ADONAI. “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all without hesitation and without reproach; and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without any doubting – for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord – he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:5-8).⁵¹

Only after Moshe interceded for Isra’el (see the commentary on Numbers Cf – The Intercession of Moses), did ADONAI relent from His anger at the people. However, the decree had already been made: because of their unbelief, Isra’el’s entry into the Promised Land would be delayed for no less than 40 years – a year for each day the spies were in the Land (with two years already served). During this exile, every person 20 years of age and older were destined to die in the wilderness – except for Joshua and Caleb, the two spies who showed faith in the word of the LORD. The other ten spies were immediately killed by a plague send by Ha’Shem (see the commentary on Numbers Cj – The Death of the Evil Spies).

Dear Loving and Gracious Heavenly Father, Praise You that No power or enemy is too much for You. You never are too busy, or too sick, or too tired to care for each of Your children. Bigger than any personal problem is when Satan and all the armies of the world will march out against You. Yet it is as nothing to You, for You defeat them with the sword coming out of your mouth. Also, I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the One who sat on the horse and against His army.  Then the beast was captured, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs before him by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast, as well as those who had worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the One riding on the horse. (Revelation 19:19-21a).

Help me to keep my eyes on You and not on the problem. As I choose to meditate on the many times You have shown your gracious love and mighty power, my problem becomes smaller. I will place hard situations into the big and mighty hands of my Sovereign God who is more than able to handle it. I love You, Father, and delight in pleasing You. In the name of Your holy Son and the power of His resurrection. Amen

Moshe Remembered Sending in the Spies
1: 19-25

Moshe remembered sending in the spies. DIG: In verse 21, is God making an offer they can’t refuse, or one they can? Was their strategy in verse 22 borne out of fear or faith? Head or heart? Wisdom or folly? Can you fill in the details of the spy mission (see Numbers 13-14)?

REFLECT: How can you see beyond the problems and see the opportunities? Spying might be a delaying tactic. How do you try to confirm God’s will rather than do it? Are your eyes of faith bigger than your stomach of fear? How so?

Reviewing the history of the generation of the Exodus, the Israelites traveled from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea. It was a grueling journey, but God had spoken and the people must go forward. From there, twelve spies traveled through the whole Land (Numbers 13:21), and their report was initially positive.

From Horeb to Kadesh-barnea (1:19-21): Remembering the journey that he himself had taken forty years ago with the Exodus generation, Moses recalled: Then we journeyed from Horeb (which is the name used for Mount Sinai in Deuteronomy) and went through a waterless limestone plateau, a great and terrible wilderness, that you saw on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as ADONAI our God commanded us. It was a journey of more than a hundred miles, and over those dusty and dry miles the prospect of the Promised Land must have become very inviting.⁴⁰ Then we came to Kadesh-barnea, a major oasis in the arid south (1:19). This place was prominent in Isra’el’s history as a familiar stopping place on her journey (Numbers 13:23-27, 32:8-15).⁴¹ They were not in the Promised Land yet, but they were close. No doubt there was excitement in the camp. At last the Exodus generation was about to realize the promise that had been given hundreds of years before to their father Abraham.

Every great accomplishment begins with a vision. We have to see it before we can seize it. Our vision is the picture of what we can be one day. Therefore, Moshe said to the people, “You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which ADONAI our God is giving to us. See, ADONAI your God has set the Land before you – go up, take possession, as ADONAI God of your fathers has promised you.” The present reality of the Land being given by the LORD to Isra’el is based on YHVH’s perspective. As far as He is concerned, the conquest is an accomplished fact. Only Isra’el’s actual conquest of the Land awaited fulfillment. Reference to ADONAI God of your fathers cements the link between the commanded conquest of Canaan and the LORD’s past promises to Abraham (see the commentary on Genesis Dy – Go, Walk Through the Land, for I am giving it to You), Isaac (see the commentary Genesis Go – Isaac Went to Abimelech King of the Philistines in Gerar), and Jacob (see the commentary Genesis Ii – After Jacob Returned from Paddan Aram, God Appeared to Him Again at Bethel). This great leader also understood that many people see the obstacles but not the objective. Not wanting this to happen, he added: Do not be afraid or discouraged (1:20-21).

Far too often, however, some believers feel that ability to see an obstacle is the mark of maturity and insight. However, usually the problems are the easiest things to see. The sad truth is that many of us look for problems, then use them as an excuse to stay right where we are. The LORD wants us to see beyond the difficulties and give encouragement to those facing challenges.

Moshe remembered sending in the spies (1:22-25): Moshe remembered that he was ready for an assault on inhabitants of Canaan. The community of Isra’el, however, was more cautious and wanted to send out a scout team that would be able to advise the best line of attack and give the people some idea of the kind of opposition to expect and the size of the cities.⁴² Then all of you came near to me and said: Let’s send men ahead of us to explore the Land for us and bring us back word about the best way we should go, and the cities we will attack first (1:22). Notice, there is no mention of basing the decision whether to go or stay on the spies’ mission. The issue was not whether they should or should not possess the Land. The will of YHVH had already been spoken: The people were to go forward. The spies were sent to map out the strategy for Isra’el’s conquest of the Land.⁴³

Moses remembered approving the mission, saying: The idea seemed good to me, only because you demanded it, so I took twelve men from among you – one man for each tribe (1:23). This is an interestingly different way of describing the initiative of sending out the spies from how it is described in Numbers, where it is said to be at the command of YHVH (Numbers 13:1-3). But there is no need to assume that everything Moshe interpreted as a word or command from Ha’Shem had to come by direct revelation. The LORD could speak to him through the ideas and suggestions of others. In a similar way, 1:9-14 describes a proposal that originally came from Jethro as if it were Moshe’s own idea. It is perfectly natural to envision a suggestion of the people being interpreted by Moses as the will of God, and then the actual command being given by Moses himself.⁴⁴

They turned and went up into the hill country, and they came to the beautiful Wadi Eshcol (so named because of the grape-cluster, eshcol, which was taken from there) in a fertile valley near Hebron, and spied it out (1:24). The Land the spies explored was a striking contrast to the great and terrible wilderness through which they recently passed (see the commentary on Numbers Cb – Spying Out the Land). The twelve men explored the Promised Land for forty days and returned to the camp with the enthusiastic, unanimous report that everything YHVH had said about it was accurate. The report shouldn’t have surprised anyone because God’s Word is always true.

They took in their hands some of the fruit of the land and brought it down to us from the mountainous country in the south which they had traveled. They also brought back word (Hebrew: ha-d’varim, meaning words, matters, things, commandments, events or reasons) to us and said: Good is the Land that ADONAI our God is giving to us, it truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit (Deuteronomy 1:25; Numbers 13:26-27). All the spies, even the ten who brought an evil report about the impossibility of conquering the country, spoke well of the Land itself in the presence of Moses and the authorities. The report that the Land is good is a kind of climax, which confronted the people with a decision. This alone would have been enough for the eyes of faith to see. ADONAI had not deceived them. The evidence lay before their eyes. He is trustworthy.

It has been said that faith is not believing in spite of the evidence – that’s superstition – but obeying in spite of the circumstances and consequences. How much more evidence did the people need that their God was able to defeat the enemy, and be with them as they took possession of their Land? Hadn’t He defeated and disgraced all the false gods of Egypt, starting with Pharaoh himself, protected Isra’el, and provided for them on their journey through the wilderness? Ha’Shem’s commandments always provide a way to carry them out. The righteous of the TaNaKh, then, and believers, today, need only trust and obey.

Dear Mighty Father God, How much I love You! How wonderful to have You by my side, guiding and caring for me. I praise You for Your faithful steadfast love. Even when life seems full of “giants” about to attack, help me remember that nothing is beyond Your mighty power. You saw this problem before it happened, and You hold the solution in Your hand – For nothing will be impossible with God (Luke 1:37). Praise You that Your love delights in helping Your child. I want to serve and worship You always. In Your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

Moshe Remembered the Events at Kadesh-barnea
1: 19-46

Continuing with the historical prologue (to see link click Aj – The Historical Prologue), Moshe remembered that the journey from Horeb (Mount Sinai) to the oasis of Kadesh-barnea took about eleven days for the generation of the Exodus. But when the newly freed Israelites got there, they lacked the faith to possess the Promised Land. After arriving in Kadesh-barnea (1:19), Moses commissioned twelve spies to survey the Promised Land, but ten of them brought back a discouraging report, which caused the children of Isra’el to reject the LORD’s promise of a victorious conquest. Consequently, God’s punishment of those rebels was that no adult from that generation (except Joshua and Caleb) would enter the land of milk and honey. The people’s rebellious attempt to enter Canaan on their own strength was thwarted by the Amorites.³⁸ That faithless generation had to wander in the wilderness for about forty years until they had all died without seeing the Promised Land. The events of Numbers 13 and 14 are recalled here in order to challenge the new generation not to fail once again. One wasted generation was enough. It is an interesting feature of Deuteronomy, however, that the succeeding generations of Isra’el are treated as if that history were their very own. This is consistent with the view expressed elsewhere in the book that the Israelites were prone to unfaithfulness (Deuteronomy 9:4-6).³⁹

Moshe Remembered the Events at Horeb
1: 6-18

Moshe remembered the events at Horeb DIG: Korah told Moses and Aaron, “(Hebrew: rav from rabab) – You’ve gone too far” (Numbers 16:3)! Why would YHVH use the same words when directing the Israelites to leave Horeb? Why did Moshe remind the people of those words now? Why was Moses eager to share leadership? What’s the wisdom of his proposal? Who qualified to be a judge? Whose justice did they represent? In what sense is Moshe’s job now both lighter and heavier? How will this help the Israelites as they enter the Promised Land? What does “all the things” mean in 1:18?

REFLECT: Compare Deuteronomy 1:17 and John 5:22 and 27. Yeshua’s d’varim (words) are powerful and true because He speaks what He hears from His Father. In the same way, God’s d’varim are made available to you through His Ruach ha-Kodesh (John 16:13). In what way are you listening, hearing and responding in faith? What “clogs” your ears from hearing His voice? How can you tell a good leader from a bad one?

As with any introduction, try to identify the main characters (who), the time references (when) and the setting (where). Here, Moses recounts God’s command a generation ago to leave Horeb. It was time to move on.

A grasp of history is important to every generation because it gives a sense of identity. If you know who you are and where you came from, you will have an easier time discovering what you should be doing. A generation without identity is like a person without a birth certificate, a name, an address, or a family. If we don’t know our historic roots, we may become like tumbleweeds that are blown here and there and never arrive at our destination.²⁸

At Horeb: Moshe then took this new generation back thirty-eight years and explained to them why their parents did not make it to the Promised Land. But even though he spoke to this new generation, Moses spoke to them as if they had shared in the collective failure, as if that history were their very own (1:26). ADONAI our God spoke to us at Horeb (which is the name used for Mount Sinai in Deuteronomy) saying, “You have stayed long enough (Hebrew: rav from rabab) at this mountain” (1:6). He says to us, as if they were actually there. This is not the only place Moshe uses the collective pronoun us, connecting the past and present generations, and he will use it many times throughout the first two chapters. The Israelites, then as now, are seen as one congregation, one unit, one people.

An example of this is when Achan, only one Jew, sinned, and the whole nation of Isra’el was held accountable: But Bnei-Yisra’el unfaithfully violated the ban, Achan son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the things devoted to destruction. So Ha’Shem’s anger burned against Bnei-Yisra’el (Joshua 7:1). Even in the diaspora this principle followed the Jewish people. When Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman (see the commentary on Esther, to see link click At – Haman was Honored, But Mordecai would not Kneel Down Him), an action carried out by one man, the nation was seen as a unit and Haman wanted to annihilate all of the Jews. This same principle is seen again in the nations’ rejection of Yeshua. Who rejected the Messiah? Only a small group of religious leaders, who in turn, mislead the whole nation, who suffered as a result. As the saying goes, “If you forget that you are Jewish, someone will remind you.”

As part of His command that the Israelites break camp and travel toward Canaan, the LORD provided an overview of the main geographical divisions of the Promised Land. ADONAI had said: Turn, journey on, and enter the hill country of the Amorites and all their neighbors, in the Arabah, north of the Dead Sea, the hill country, the lowland, the Negev, and by the seashore – the land of the Canaanites and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the Euphrates (1:7). The Land described was enormous, it covered an area that even exceeded the boundaries of Isra’el during the glory days of David and Solomon. All of Canaan and Syria are included in this geographical description. Possession of the Promised Land would, thus be, in itself, a monumental, tangible proof of the faithfulness of YHVH to His promise.

God’s promise to Abraham had more in mind than Isra’el alone. Although it is not explicit in the text at this point, the universal dimension of the Abrahamic covenant (see the commentary on Genesis Dt – I Will Bless Those Who Bless You and Whoever Curses You I Will Curse) is never far from the surface whenever it is mentioned. The “bottom line” of that covenant was that all the families of the earth will be blessed in, or through, Abraham and his spiritual descendents.

There is a missionary dimension to Deuteronomy’s call for committed obedience. There always is. In the ultimate purpose of ADONAI, therefore, a lot more was at stake in Isra’el’s crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land than merely getting them out of the wilderness. Their next step of obedience was also the next step in the redemption of the world. They needed to be motivated to take the next step, not just for their own sake, but to move forward in God’s historical strategy for bringing blessing to the nations.²⁹

What began as a covenant promise made to Abraham, continued up to the present moment in the life of the nation. See, I have set the Land before you. Enter and possess the Land that ADONAI swore to your fathers – to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob (Genesis 12:1-7, 13:14-17, and so on) – to give to them and to their descendants after them (1:8). What YHVH had done in the past He is able to continue to do in the future.

But when one compares the extent of the Land that the first generation was promised, to what the second generation was about to actually conquer, there is quite a difference between the two. What happened? Although the Promised Land was open to them, something terrible must have happened along the way. Something that caused them to forfeit the great blessings that were at their disposal, because the more they advanced in the Land, the more the Land seemed to dwindle. The LORD had told Abraham: I have given this Land to your descendents, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River (Genesis 15:18). But when they came to the Edomites, Ha’Shem said: Do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land – not even a footprint – because I have given the hill country of Seir to Esau as a possession (2:5).

While still at Horeb, the LORD declared: Do not harass Mo’ab or engage them in battle. For I will not give you any of his land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession (2:9). And further: When you come opposite the sons of Ammon, do not harass or provoke them – for I will not give you any of the Land of the sons of Ammon for a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession (2:19). Why were the boundaries the Land reduced from the original size promised in Genesis? What happened for the promise to not be fulfilled? It was, of course, because of sin (see Al – Moshe Remembered the Events at Kadesh-barnea). Isra’el’s ability to enjoy the Promised Land was conditioned on their faith in the LORD. It is still true for us today. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not from yourselves – it is the gift of God. It is not based on deeds so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).³⁰

Would YHVH keep all of His promise of land for Isra’el? Yes, God always keeps all of his promises completely. So, ADONAI gave to Isra’el the entire land that He had sworn to give to their fathers. They took possession and settled in it.  Then ADONAI gave them rest on all sides, just as He had sworn to their fathers. Not one man of all their enemies withstood them, for ADONAI gave all their enemies into their hand.  Not one good thing that ADONAI had promised to the house of Isra’el failed. All came to pass (Joshua 21:43-45).

Do God’s children always get all that He promises to them? Unfortunately, no, God’s children do not always receive what He has promised. Why? Does Ha’Shem change His mind? No, the LORD who is holy cannot change His mind. God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes his mind (Numbers 23:19a)! The LORD always keeps His promises one-hundred percent. Some promises are a one-sided done deal, and some have conditions to be met before they can be fulfilled. God’s promise of the gift of the land to Isra’el as their possession was a done deal as far as God’s part in the promise, for only God took part in the covenant making promise. When the sun set and it became dark, behold, there was a smoking oven and a fiery torch that passed between these pieces. On that day ADONAI cut a covenant with Abram, saying: I give this land to your seed, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River (Genesis 15:17-18a).

The land of Canaan was given by Ha’Shem to Isra’el as a permanent possession. But here was a condition to them receiving what YHVH gave them. God did not throw it into their laps while they did nothing. He expected them to obey and fight for the Land which He had promised them and which He would help them to conquer. It is sad that some of the tribes choose the easier path of avoiding fighting the pagan inhabitants of the land. We read that the children of Benjamin did not drive out. . . Manasseh, however, did not drive out. . . Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites. . .  Nor did Asher drive out . . .Nor did Naphtali drive out. . . the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill country, for they would not let them come down into the valley  (Judges 1:1, 27, 29, 31, 33-34). They would find to their sorrow that they should have obeyed and conquered the pagan inhabitants for God had given them that command because He loved them and wanted the best for them. Their children would intermarry with the pagan inhabitants bringing many tears and hardships that they could have avoided by obedience to God. The path of coexistence had appeared to be easier, but in the long run it brought much sorrow.

God delights in keeping His promises to shower blessings on His children, but when a child sins, he forfeits the blessing that the parent wants to give. That is the same in real life. Here is an example of the calling of ADONAI. An earthly father looked out and saw his four children playing in the backyard. He called all of them to come in for chocolate cake and ice cream, but he set out only three bowls for the four children. The parent knew that one child would not obey and come inside. The father wanted to give what he had promised to all. And he was very willing to reward all. But not all listened to his voice and followed with obedience. In a similar way, sin blocks the blessing God desires to give His children who obey.

The LORD’s promise of a new eternal covenant of salvation is open to all. It is based on loving in one’s heart (Jeremiah 31:33-34). Love that confesses Yeshua as Lord and believes that God raised our promised Messiah, our Lamb of God, from the dead after He died, taking our punishment for sins. The next day, John sees Yeshua coming to him and says: Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)! Salvation is promised for those whose heart believes and mouth confesses Jesus as Lord. For if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, and with the mouth it is confessed for salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever trusts in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all – richly generous to all who call on Him.  For “Everyone who calls upon the name of ADONAI shall be saved” (Romans 10:9-13). What a wonderful promise of eternal life and joy forever in heaven with our Holy Father God. Have you fulfilled the “If” condition by believing God in your heart and calling Yeshua Lord? Or do you just know about God? Make that decision right now to love/follow Yeshua with all your heart and God will keep His promise to take you to heaven forever!

Moshe Remembered when YHVH Commanded him to Appoint Qualified Leaders: After commanding Isra’el to break camp and leave the base of Mount Sinai for the Promised Land and to assist Moses in effective leadership, the LORD exhorted Moshe to appoint several respected men from each tribe to function as his subordinates.³¹

The inability of some leaders to delegate work is often a big stumbling block to progress. Many leaders fail to delegate because they have an exaggerated estimate of their own ability – the “no-one-can-do-it-as-well-as-I-can” attitude.³² Unfortunately, they fail to recognize the abilities of their team members. Poor leadership in good times can be hidden, but poor leadership in bad times is a recipe for disaster. For a description of the ten fatal flaws that derail leaders, see the commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah Ch – The Completion of the Walls Despite Opposition.

If the nation had any doubt about ADONAI’s intention or ability to fulfill His ancient covenant with Abraham, she had only to look at her present situation. His promise to Abraham resulted in the multiplication of Abraham’s descendents until they were like the stars of the heavens in number (Genesis 15:5, 22:17, 26:4; Exodus 32:13). This expression, like so many in the TaNaKh, is a vivid expression of speech. It means, simply, a great number. And that was the problem. The nation had become too large for Moshe to govern effectively. This section shows, right from the beginning of the book, how difficult leading a whole nation was for him. The discussion of a great number of Israelites leads to a discussion about the appointment of judges, and the main story line is resumed with the sin of Kadesh barnea.³³

Moses then recounts the way he lightened the load of leadership by sharing it with others. He said that he spoke to God at that time saying: I am not able to bear the burden of you by myself. ADONAI your God has multiplied you in Egypt, the fulfilment of Jacob’s blessing – and here you are today, like the stars of the heavens in number. May ADONAI, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times as many as you are, and may He bless you just as He has promised you (1:9-11)! Heritage blessings were first commanded to Adam, renewed in Noah, and granted to the Fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 1:28, 9:1, 12:1-3, 13:15-16, 26:3-4, 28:4 and 14). They now pass to Isra’el as promised by Moshe’s own words here.

Then the tone changes dramatically. How can I bear your load and burden and bickering by myself? Though it is not mentioned in this parashah (see Af – Parashah), Moses appointed judges with authority, such as had been suggested by Jethro, Moshe’s father-in-law (see the commentary on Exodus Cy – Moses Chose Capable Men from All Isra’el). He not only appointed judges, but he also appointed seventy elders to share the burden (Numbers 11:1-30). Moses declared: Choose for yourselves wise and discerning men, well known to your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads (1:12-13). The people would select the men, and then Moshe would formally appoint them, or commission them, to their new tasks.

Moses repeats three times in the first four chapters that he was tired (1:37, 3:26, 4:21). Why the insistence on this point right at the beginning of the book? What Moses and his elders had in common was that they were mediators. But here their limitations were exposed. Especially that of Moshe. He had a unique status that no one in history could ever have. He is unique in the Scriptures. The LORD spoke to Moshe like no one else: There has not arisen again a prophet in Isra’el like Moses, whom ADONAI knew face to face, as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus 34:10, 33:11). Nevertheless, Moses could not fulfill the role of mediator. In this way, the Ruach ha-Kodesh reminds us that the book is about Messiah, who has fulfilled the role of mediator, and not so much about Moshe. This is also the beginning about the warnings about idolatry. Moshe’s failure was an example to the Israelites, then, and to us today. The way out of this trap is to put the Word of God first.³⁴

The plan was accepted by the people. They answered Moses and said: The thing you have said to do is good. So, I took the heads of your tribes, men who were wise and well known, and appointed them as heads over you. There were three categories of leaders:

First, commanders (Hebrew: sarim) of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens (1:14-15a). Those men had primarily a military function, far beyond Horeb, and indeed beyond Mo’ab, the people were to launch into battle for the Land promised to them. Military leaders were necessary. It was among these very men that the twelve spies were chosen to go in and investigate the Land.

Second, officials (Hebrew: sarei) for your tribes (1:15b). They were more administrative than purely military in nature. It might be equivalent approximately to the modern term “quartermaster,” keeping a record of all the supplies needed for war or building.

And thirdly, judges (Hebrew: from shaphat), to whom Moshe gave clear instructions to guide them in rendering judgments. I commanded your judges at that time saying: Hear cases between your brothers, and judge fairly (Hebrew: tzedek, meaning with righteousness) between a man and his brother or the outsider with him (1:16). The rich and the poor are to be treated equally.

You must not show partiality in judgment (Proverbs 18:5, 24:23; James 2:1 and 9) – you must hear the small and the great alike. The emphasis here is on character and justice and the realization that YHVH is the Judge and the final authority. If all officials made their decisions on the basis of nationality, race, social position, or wealth, they would sin against Ha’Shem and pervert justice. Throughout the Torah, there is an emphasis on justice, showing kindness and fairness to the poor, especially widows, orphans, and strangers in the Land (Exodus 22:21-24; Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 14:28-29, 16:9-12, and 24:17-21).³⁵

Decision-making is a job for the courageous. Too many leaders tend to make decisions that are based on general acceptance rather than on rightness. The larger the number of people involved in any given decision, the greater the pressure for conformity. Sometimes the easiest way out is to make no decision at all. This is the coward’s way out, which can be disastrous to the morale and direction of the followers. A right decision is like a sharp knife that cuts clean and straight. There may be some pain, but the healing process will be free from infection. Indecision is like a dull knife that hacks and tears, leaving ragged edges behind. If and when the wound heals, an ugly scar will remain as a reminder.³⁶

Fear no one, for the judgment is God’s. The judges were not to be afraid of any man or woman, even if they were pressured either overtly or subtly. For they stood in the place of the LORD Himself. This principle, that judgment belongs to YHVH Himself is extremely important, for it removed the basis and the authority from the human realm and placed it firmly on the absolute principle of divine authority.³⁷ The lot is cast into the lap, but their very decision is from ADONAI (Proverbs 16:33). They were to send to Moses any case that exceeded their legal expertise or ability, saying: The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me and I will hear it (1:17). Bothe the principle and the practice are reflected also in the reforming measures taken by King Jehoshaphat (Second Chronicles 19:6 and 8-11).

This section ends with a summary statement referring to all the commandments given at Horeb. I commanded you at that time all the things (Hebrew: ha-d’varim, meaning words, matters, things, commandments, events or reasons) that you should do (1:18). What more could the people ask than a God who is faithful and a leader who is responsible? Now the people needed to be obedient.

Dear Father God, How Great and Awesome You are! Praise You, God, that You always keep Your promises, as Your apostle Paul says as he writes about keeping his promises just as ADONAI does, do I plan according to the flesh – so it might be with me “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?  But as God is faithful, our message to you is not both “Yes” and “No.” For Ben-Elohim -Yeshua the Messiah, who was proclaimed among you by us, by myself and Silvanus and Timothy – was not “Yes” and “No.” Rather, in Him it has always been “Yes.”  For in Him all the promises of God are “Yes.” (Second Corinthians 1:17c-20a).

Sin can block us from being able to receive what was promised, as when the Corinthians sin postponed Paul’s visit to them. The apostle wrote that the reason he did not come was so that he could “spare them”. Because of this confidence, I was planning to come to you first, so that you might have a second benefit – to pass by you on my way to Macedonia and again from Macedonia to come back to you, and to be helped by you on my journey to Judea . . . But I call God as my witness – to spare you, I didn’t come to Corinth again. (Second Corinthians 1:15-16, 23.)

We can always trust Your promises, God. You have said: The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some consider slowness. Rather, He is being patient toward you- not wanting anyone to perish, (Second Peter 3:9a-b). But we must read the whole verse, for you finish the verse saying, but for all to come to repentance (Second Peter 3:9c). You love all, died for all, but just as Isra’el did not get all that You had promised because they followed their own selfish way instead of loving and serving You – so many know about Your love but choose to selfishly follow their own hearts. Just as many did not love You enough to fight the pagan inhabitants and so they missed the rest you offered, so many living now do not choose to love and follow You making You the Lord of their lives- so they too will miss the rest that You have for them in heaven fight against sin but so miss the eternal rest that You have for them in heaven.

How reassuring to know that you, our wonderful and Mighty Father God loves us. When we don’t get something that we want, it is not because you could not give it for us- but either that our sin keeps us from receiving the blessing, or You, ADONAI, who knows all things, knows that that is not the best for us. We can always trust You, Father God, and we love You for always being faithful to Your every promise and always being with each of Your children always! We love You! Praise You that You promised righteousness that brings salvation because of our faith in You, and not by our works. Praise You that He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). You are such a loving, holy and awesome Father God! In Your Holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

The Historical Prologue
1:6 to 4:49

Moses now fills in some gaps of the account previously given (see the commentary on Numbers Bz – The Journey from Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea ). He begins his discourse by reviewing the events that occurred in the course of their forty-year journey from Egypt to Sinai, and then from Sinai to Mo’ab. This historical prologue, though it also represents selected material from the earlier books, serves a particular purpose in its present context. The Near Eastern treaty, in its historical prologue, described the events underlying the treaty. In Deuteronomy, likewise, the historical basis for the covenant begins with the covenant promise made to Abraham and then it continues to the initial stage in the realization of the promise at Horeb. The importance of history has two focal points: (a) there is a covenant tradition of promise, from Abraham to Moshe; and (b) there is the experience of the LORD in history working out in action the content of that promise.

Therefore, for the renewal of the covenant described in Deuteronomy, the prologue recalls not only the covenant’s history, but also the ability of the LORD of the covenant to fulfill His promise. What ADONAI had done in the past, He could continue to do in the future. There is thus a presentation of a faithful YHVH, whose demand was for a faithful people.²⁶ Moses makes it clear that history is the sphere in which the LORD works out the fulfillment of His promises. His provision of victory over Isra’el’s enemies (1:28, 2:24-25 and 30) and His care for His covenantal nation during their wilderness wanderings (1:31; 2:6-7) serve as part of His fulfillment of His oath to their ancestors that He would bring Isra’el into the Promised Land (1:8, 21 and 35).

In his description of Isra’el’s experiences, Moshe bluntly examines their repeated acts of unfaithfulness, and the dire consequences of their conduct. Isra’el’s refusal to trust in God’s promise to deliver the land of Canaan into their hands (regardless of its powerful defenses), revealed their fickle nature. In spite of all that YHVH had done up to the time of Isra’el’s rebellion at Kadesh Barnea (Numbers 13:1 to 14:45), His people rebelled against Him and declared that Ha’Shem hated them (1:26-27). Because of their treacherous conduct, Isra’el experienced the full force of the anger of Ha’Shem (1:34 and 37, 2:14-15, 3:26, 4:21 and 24-25), and faced divine rejection of sorts. ADONAI withdrew His presence (1:42) and closed His ears to their cries (1:45 and 3:26).

Finally, these chapters also have a forward look. Moses is not simply looking at past failures, but giving an overview because Isra’el’s forty days at the base of Mount Sinai would have clear implications for their future attitudes and conduct. They needed to remember and not forget (4:9-10) God’s life changing character and actions. Moshe provided this overview to prepare ADONAI’s people for the great challenge ahead of them. The Israelites would be able to conquer the land of Canaan and live in harmony with God’s expectations only if they lived in the light of His awesome power and majesty. YHVH’s promise and past faithfulness provided the grounds to trust Him in the present, and in the future. But the Israelites should never forget that Ha’Shem’s swift and harsh response to mutiny in the past, should serve as a warning against rebellion and unbelief in the days to come.²⁷

These are the Words Moses Spoke
1: 1-5

These are the words Moses Spoke DIG: Where were the Israelites encamped? How far had they traveled? Why is that significant (Numbers 14:33-34, 21:21-26)? Where were they to go? To do what? Why? Consult a map of this time period. How could the God of Isra’el expect desert nomads to take possession of such a large area of land?

REFLECT: Who has been like a Moshe to you, reminding you of the LORD’s faithfulness (past, present, and future)? Is it time for you to move on in your spiritual journey? Where to? With whom? What for? What is your next step? What has prepared you so far for this? Describe how you walk with YHVH at this time. Are you close? Distant? Why?

Parashah 44: D’varim (Words) 1:1-3:22
(to see link click Af – Parashah)

The Key Person is Moshe, speaking to all Isra’el, and Joshua. Since Moshe was not allowed to enter the Land, Moses desired to explain this Torah to the people (1:5), so that they would clearly recall everything that ADONAI said once they took possession of the Land of Promise.

The Scenes include the Jordan, in the wilderness on the plain opposite Yam Suph (the Sea of Reeds), between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-Zahab. This parashah (and book) opens with the Israelites in the land of Mo’av, just east of the Jordan River, shortly before they would enter the Promised Land.

The Main Events include Moses’ words reviewing the past: Ha’Shem’s command to enter the Promised Land, appointment of judges, spies and disbelief, thirty-eight years of desert wandering, victory over Sichon and Og, land for the tribes settling east of the Jordan, and encouragement for Joshua.¹⁹

The introduction to this book sets us up to hear Moses preaching to the nation poised to enter the Promised Land. Knowing their past history, this new generation could avoid repeating the sins of their parents.

Moshe, the preacher (Hebrew: kohelet in Ecclesiastes 1:1-2), stood at a point between the people’s past history of disobedience and their potential future obedience. He was a leader. Battles and burdens had given birth to messages. Experience had taught him well what to say. After forty years of aimless wandering and unrealized potential, he was compelled to press on in the direction that ADONAI desired. Forty years of facing failure motivated him to emphasize God’s ability to provide success. Some preachers prepare their messages, others prepare themselves. Moses was ready on both accounts.²⁰

While the book of Numbers covers a period of 38 years, Deuteronomy only covers a period of  37 days. Deuteronomy opens 37 days before Moshe was to die (to see link click Gj – The Death of Moses). Moshe died on the seventh of Adar. The Bible proves this as follows: In Deuteronomy 34:8 we read that the Jews mourned for thirty days following Moshe’s death in the Plains of Mo’av. This area borders Isra’el, just east of the Jordan River. The book of Joshua begins with God‘s command to bring the Jewish people across the Jordan River. ADONAI specifies that they are to cross in three day’s time. This instruction was given immediately after Moshe died, meaning at the earliest possible opportunity after his death. This would have been following the thirty days of mourning. In Joshua 4:19 we are told that the Jews crossed the river on the tenth of Nissan. If we subtract the three days between the command and actual crossing, plus the thirty days of mourning, we find the date of Moshe’s passing is the seventh of Adar. Incidentally, the seventh of Adar is also Moshe’s birthday. On the day he died Moshe said: Today I am one hundred and twenty years old (Deut 31:2). As such, the book has the overall tone of a farewell address from Moshe to the people of Isra’el. In fact, unlike the previous four books of the Torah, the speaker in Deuteronomy is Moses himself.

These are the words. The reference is to all the commandments contained in this look beginning with the Ten Commandments (5:6). Some of these have been previously recorded in the other books of Moshe and are now repeated for the benefit of the new generation which was to enter Canaan. Others are repeated because of additional details and points of explanation. But there are new commandments which are reported here for the first time, for example those relating to divorce, Levirate marriage, etc., although these, too, had been received by Moshe either on Mount Sinai or in the Tent of Meeting during the first year after the departure from Egypt. The main part of the book begins with the Ten Words. What precedes is an introduction in which Moshe admonished the people and recalled ADONAI’s mercy towards them.

The first verse of the book explains the nature of the whole book: These are the words that Moses spoke to all Isra’el (1:1a), a second generation of Israelites, after the first generation of the Exodus had died out. As the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai in Exodus was witnessed by the entire nation, so on this occasion, after forty years of wilderness wandering, as Moshe expounded on the completed Torah, all Isra’el had to be present. The LORD was developing a relationship with the generation born in the wilderness that would influence succeeding generations. A covenant would be renewed, a Land would be possessed, an identity would be given. All the people needed to understand and participate in the formation of their nation.

According to the Talmudic Sifri (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law), the numerous places listed here are not landmarks indicating where Moses spoke these words – indeed some of these places do not even exist as geographical locations. Rather, these are words of rebuke to the people of Isra’el. However, instead of mentioning their sins outright, he alluded to them with these place names: across the Jordan:

in the wilderness: the time when they complained if only we would have died in the wilderness (Ex 17:3),

in the Arabah (Plain): where they worshiped of Ba’al Peor on the plains of Mo’ab (Numbers 25),

opposite Suph: the trouble they made at the shores of Yam Suph, the Sea Reeds (Exodus 14:11),

Paran: the sin of the twelve spies, who were dispatched from Paran (Numbers 13),

Tofel (complaining) and Lavan (white): when the people complained about eating the white manna (Numbers 21:5),

Hazerot: where Korah’s mutiny against Moshe took place,

Di-Zahab (literally “too much gold”) (1:1b): the sin of the golden calf (Sifri; Rashi, et al). It is eleven days’ journey (one day’s journey would vary according to circumstances, from eighteen to thirty miles) from Horeb (which is the name used for Mount Sinai in Deuteronomy) by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea (1:2).

The generation that had experienced God’s liberation in the exodus had failed to enter the Promised Land because of their fear and rebellion, and had perished in the wilderness. The present generation here is addressed as if they had shared in that collective failure (1:26). A journey that should have taken their parents eleven days had already lasted forty years. The implication, which is hammered home repeatedly in the following chapters, is that they should not squander the opportunity this time.

Now Moshe spoke to Bnei-Yisrael, according to all ADONAI had commanded him for them. This is the only date in the whole book given here, in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month (1:3). Moses is thus a man under orders; the demand for obedience is a prominent theme throughout Deuteronomy, and in declaring that demand, Moshe was himself living his message.²¹

Moses, like any sensitive spiritual leader, does not dare speak unless Ha’Shem speaks. By ourselves we have nothing to say. Without Him we cannot speak. Without us, He will not speak. To address a congregation without any assurance that the preacher (Hebrew: kohelet) brings a divine message is the height of arrogance and folly. When we are convinced that God is who He says He is – the light of the world (John 8:12) – then we will be compelled to speak, whether preacher or lay person.

Amos expressed this thought well when he said: My Lord ADONAI has spoken, who shall not prophesy (Amos 3:8)? Similarly, Paul declares: But we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.” So, we believed, and therefore we also speak (Second Corinthians 4:13). The spirit of faith to which Paul refers is the conviction that the LORD has spoken. If we are persuaded that YHVH has spoken, then, like Moshe, we must also speak.²²

Then a historical orientation is added: After he had struck down Sihon king of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon, and Og king of the Bashan who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei (1:4). Why are these two kings mentioned here at the beginning of Deuteronomy? The fact is that both kings were Amorites, connecting the text of Deuteronomy directly with the Abrahamic Covenant. In Genesis 15:16 we read: Then in the fourth generation they will return here – for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. Not only is the defeat of these two Amorite kings mentioned, but just in Chapter 1 alone the Amorites are mentioned six times. It was as if the LORD was reminding the Israelites of the promise He made to them in Genesis 15:16. The Ruach Ha’Kodesh was telling them that the way for them to conquer the Promised Land had opened, and the iniquity of the Amorites had reached a point of no return. They were finally defeated at last.²³

After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the Isrealites finally arrive at the threshold of the Promised Land. Across the Jordan is here defined as in the land of Mo’ab, Moses desired to explain (Hebrew: be’er, meaning to expound or make absolutely clear) this Torah (1:5). Only a few passages in the book is ADONAI represented as speaking in the first person (7:4, 11:13-14, 17:3, 29:6). Nevertheless, Moses as the covenant mediator might be thought of as bringing God’s Word to the people.²⁴ In the course of the book Moshe sought, in various ways, to instill an obedient spirit in the people. He used that threat of judgment, the promise of reward, and appeals to the LORD’s faithfulness, kindness and mercy (see the commentary on Ruth Af – The Concept of Chesed) to accomplish that goal. Moses was not merely stringing together a “to do” list of 613 commandments, he was instructing (Hebrew: hattovrot from Torah) the Israelites (and us) how to walk with YHVH.

It is essential for any reader of Deuteronomy to understand that this book represents an explanation of the Torah, which ADONAI had already given at Sinai, and not a second giving of the Torah. It does not serve as a simple repetition of the Torah, nor does it constitute a contradiction of those divine standards. Moses provides an explanation of the Torah as a means of preparing the LORD’s children for the daunting task that lay before the Israelites then, and for the formidable mission that lay before us today.²⁵

They would cross the Jordan, and begin to take possession of the Promised Land beginning with the city of Jericho.

Dear Awesome Heavenly Father, We praise you for how great you are! It is so wonderful to have such an awesome father! Thank You that Your discipline is never too long or too hard, though sometimes it may feel that way, You are acting as a caring father to guide us away from what will hurt us and back to the joy of following You. Praise You that in disciplining Your children, You do it in love: My son, do not take lightly the discipline of ADONAI or lose heart when you are corrected by Him, because ADONAI disciplines the one He loves and punishes every son He accepts (Hebrews 12:5-6).

Praise You that someday for all who love You, all trials and problems will be over and our salvation in heaven will be real (John 14:6, Romans 10:9-10) Our sins will be washed away and we will be given Messiah’s righteousness so that we can enter Your Holy heaven thru Yeshua’s blood. He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21).

Heaven will be wonderful and Your children will be rewarded for deeds done with a godly attitude. For no one can lay any other foundation than what is already laid – which is Yeshua the Messiah.  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear. For the Day will show it, because it is to be revealed by fire; and the fire itself will test each one’s work – what sort it is.  If anyone’s work built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. (First Corinthians 3:11-14). Wow! Sins forgiven and rewards! You pour such wonderful gracious love on Your children! We love You so much and desire to live godly lives to please You. In Your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

Treaty of the Great King

Part of the standard procedure followed in the ancient Near East when “the great king” gave his covenant to a vassal people was the preparation of a text of the ceremony as the treaty document and witness.¹² The Near Eastern vassal treaty, used in the fifteenth to the thirteenth centuries BC, had the following parts:

1.  Preamble (“These are the words . . .”). The preamble in the Hittite suzerainty treaties normally opened by identifying the words contained in the treaty as those of the Hittite king.

2.  Historical Prologue (events leading to and forming the basis of the treaty). History plays a particular role in the covenant. The covenant prologue recounts those events that came before the founding of the covenant, which were of fundamental importance.

3.  General Stipulations (statement of substance concerning the future of the relationship, and summarizes the purpose of the specific stipulations between the two parties). Here were the principles of the new relationship. It details what the king would do for the vassals, and what the vassals (the people) would do in return.

4.  Specific Stipulations, an enlargement of the covenant stipulations.

5.  Blessings and Curses relating respectively to the maintenance or breach of the covenant. The kings would threaten their subject about the consequences of disobeying the covenant.

6.  Witnesses that the pagans would call various deities to witness the treaty.

The vassal treaty was employed in the Near East when a great power (the suzerain king) imposed certain conditions of vassaldom on a smaller state (the vassal), which would normally have been conquered by the more powerful state in battle. The treaty explained the reasons for imposition and the nature of the conditions imposed on the smaller state, and made certain provisions relating to the maintenance of the treaty. The suzerain king guaranteed the vassal benefits and protection. But in turn, the vassal was obligated to be loyal solely to the suzerain, with the warning that any disloyalty would bring punishments as specified in the covenant. How was the vassal to show loyalty? By keeping the specific stipulations of the covenant. As long as the vassal kept the specific stipulations, the suzerain knew the vassal was loyal. When the specific stipulations were violated, however, the suzerain was required by the covenant to take action to punish the vassal. The same basic type of treaty seems to have been employed throughout the Near East, and there is evidence of its use, in simpler form, in Mesopotamia as early as the third millennium. In Egypt, there is some evidence to suggest that the treaty form was employed not only in relation to external vassal states, but also in relation to foreign (labor) groups within Egypt. Both the suzerain-vassal treaties and the covenant which was established at Mount Sinai follow a similar pattern.

The Israelites adapted the Near Eastern vassal treaty form for their own use in order to express the nature of their relationship to YHVH. For many years they were in effect vassals to Egypt, but that old bondage was brought to an end in the Exodus for Egypt. Being liberated from bondage to an earthly power, they then submitted themselves in the Sinai Covenant to become vassals of God, the one who had liberated them from Egypt. The nature of this new submission, expressed in the covenant, finds its dramatic expression in the form of a treaty. While other smaller states might serve Egypt, or the Hittite Empire as vassals, the Israelites owned their allegiance only to their suzerain God. This treaty, in which their covenant was set, finds striking expression in the book of Deuteronomy as a whole; in broad outline, the treaty of the book may be described as follows:

1.  Preamble (1:1-5): Deuteronomy opens in a similar way to the Hittite suzerainty treaties, but in a distinctive manner: These are the words that Moses spoke to all Isra’el (1:1). The formal similarities are clear, but the difference in substance is noteworthy; the book does not open with the words of the LORD, the true King of Isra’el. The human words are those of Moshe. This difference does not mean that Moshe was in effect the king of Isra’el; however, it points to his role as the spokesman or prophet of YHVH. He was the first of a distinguished line of prophets in Isra’el. And, in the last verses of the book, when Moses had died, it was said that there had not been a prophet like him since then; what distinguished Moshe was that he was a man whom ADONAI knew face to face (Deuteronomy 34:10).

There is a further aspect to the prophetic role of Moses in Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy 18:15-22, there is a description of the nature of prophecy, but the passage is in itself prophetic in foreshadowing another Prophet who was to come. As Moses was the first prophet in the covenant community founded at Sinai, so too Yeshua had a prophetic role in the inauguration of the B’rit Chadashah. During the early ministry of John the Immerser, he was asked if he was the prophet (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Bl – John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah), and he answered negatively. John was only a forerunner. Yeshua was the coming Prophet, but He was more than a prophet. Therefore, in the TaNaKh, the opening words were those of Moses, representing the true King of Isra’el; in the B’rit Chadashah, the Kingdom was inaugurated by the King Himself.¹³

2.  Historical Prologue (1:6 to 4:49): The history in the biblical tradition does not, however, have the same meanings as do modern concepts of history. Biblical history isn’t merely an unbroken record of the causes and effects of different nations, rather, biblical history reflects the will of YHVH. The historical prologue provides the basis upon which the covenant between Ha’Shem and His people is remembered. But it embraces both the past and the future. Because [God] is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), when we look at how ADONAI treated Isra’el (and us) in the past, we can be confident of how the LORD will treat Isra’el (and us) in the future. In other words, the past pictures the faithfulness of God within the relationship and holds the promise for the continuation of that relationship. Conversely, the past may remind the people of their lack of faithfulness, or the unfaithfulness of their ancestors, and it may therefore impress upon them more urgently the need to live godly lives to receive the blessings of the covenant relationship.¹⁴

3.  General Stipulations (Chapters 5 to 11): The entire generation that left Egypt in the Exodus was now dead and the covenant needed to be renewed for a new generation. The renewing of the covenant thus consisted of a new commitment of love to ADONAI. The nation of Isra’el was not based on any human ruler, or no democratically elected government, but on the living God. In Deuteronomy the basic principle underlying the relationship between YHVH and His people is stated and then worked out in some detail in the address of Moshe. It was in love that the covenant was initiated by YHVH in the first place and it was by love that the people were to maintain their close relationship to the LORD. The stipulation is first stated in the Ten Commandments (5:6-21), and secondly that His people must love Him with their whole being (6:5). In the remaining portions of the general stipulations, love is a recurring theme, both God’s love for mankind and the love mankind must have for God.

The imagery used to picture the principle of love is that of a father’s love for his son, which has two characteristics. This fatherly love may be expressed in YHVH’s compassionate care for His people as in 1:31, or it may be expressed in His disciplining them as in 8:5. Both of these are aspects of fatherly love. The command to love, however, does not reduce the covenant to a legalistic relationship. Love must be a response toward the LORD from the heart, the love of God and the love for God.

Love, the basic principle of the covenant, finds its expression in the Ten Commandments, which is the constitution of the state of Isra’el whose king is YHVH. In other words, love was not simply a principle or abstract concept; it was given clear expression in the commandments, which showed the way in which man’s love for ADONAI and for his fellow man must be given expression. The Ten Commandments, then, were vital to the continued welfare and existence of the Israelites. Therefore, to break the Ten Commandments was to disrupt the relationship of love. And if there was no love, there could be no covenant.¹⁵

4.  Specific Stipulations (Chapters 12 to 26): The details contained in the specific stipulations are in many ways the most distant and foreign elements of Deuteronomy to the modern reader. The matters touched on in the exposition of the commandments are numerous and varied; some appear to be of the greatest importance, while others seem to be relatively insignificant. There appears to be a mixture of ceremonial, religious, civil and criminal law. No area of human living is immune with respect to the covenant.

In the modern world, a distinction may often be made between the religious and the secular, or the sacred and the sinful. To Isra’el, such a distinction would be merely artificial, not because there was no distinction in the spheres of life within which the commandments operated, but because all of life was under the dominion of YHVH, the Master of the covenant. Consequently, the broad scope of the specific stipulations is significant. They do not cover every possible thing that could arise in human living; however, they indicate by their diversity that no area of life is irrelevant or unimportant to the members of the covenant community. Individual responsibility was vital, not only for his or her own well-being, but also because each individual’s actions were part of the whole community. The whole was endangered by the sins of its members. If a crime was committed and the criminal were not brought to justice, the whole community was responsible to deal with the wickedness that had been done and to seek the forgiveness of the LORD. Therefore, you will purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in ADONAI’s sight (21:9).

The significance of the specific stipulations (see Cr – The Second Address: The Stipulations of the Covenant) emerges in the relationship between Ha’Shem and His people. The people declared that ADONAI was their God (26:18), and God promised that He would set His people above all nations, and that they would be a holy people, set apart for His purposes (26:19). The people’s declaration was not simply a statement of fact, but a submission to the obedience to the 613 commandments of ADONAI. It was in this section that Moshe warns against false teachers and false doctrines. He cautioned them against idolatry. Obedience was necessary, for their declaration would be null and void if their lives did not reflect the reality of the declaration. To declare that ADONAI was their God and then not walk-the-talk would be more than hypocrisy in the eyes of the world. It would drag the name of YHVH through the mud. Therefore, the object of the specific stipulations is the maintenance of a true and living relationship with the LORD of the covenant.¹⁶

5.  Blessings and Curses (Chapters 27-28): These chapters provide a somber tone to the book of Deuteronomy. The emphasis is placed on the curses rather than on the blessings, which function as a solemn warning to those who renewed their allegiance to the God of the covenant. It was no light matter to enter into a relationship with Ha’Shem. The perspective within which the blessings and curses are set is that of the whole community as a whole; obedience to the God of the covenant would result in blessing, long life, and the possession of the Promised Land, while disobedience would lead to disaster. As a result, when Isra’el renewed its covenant with the LORD, the bright prospect of a future with ADONAI was contrasted with the bleak despair of a future without Him. By emphasizing the curses, Moses brought home to his people the awesome responsibility of the commitment they were making.

The darkness of the picture given by the emphasis on the curses in Deuteronomy is clarified by the words Paul wrote to the Galatians. He quotes Deuteronomy 27:26, everyone who does not live out all 613 commandments of the five books of Moshe comes under a curse. The paradigm of ancient Isra’el finds herself in the emphatic expression, for all who rely on the deeds of the Torah are under a curse – for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep doing everything written in the scroll of the Torah” (Galatians 3:10).

Where, then, is hope to be found? How can mankind be redeemed from the curse of the Torah? Paul provides that answer by quoting Deuteronomy once again and applying the passage to Yeshua. Messiah liberated us from Torah’s curse, having become a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Galatians 3:13). Through the death and resurrection of Yeshua Messiah, the blessing of ADONAI may be set before mankind again.¹⁷ The Jewish people are still living out these blessings and curses, and that will not stop until the Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of Yeshua Messiah.

6.  Witnesses (see 30:19 and 31:28): provisions for the continuity of the covenant and a successor for Moses. The calling of witnesses was a regular feature of the suzerain-vassal treaty. The gods of the two parties to the treaty were normally invoked as witnesses. In Deuteronomy, it is YHVH Himself who speaks, and because there are no other gods to call upon as witnesses, the LORD called upon heaven and earth to witness (4:26). In the presence of witnesses the choice before Isra’el is declared, life or death, blessing or cursing. The final decision was Isra’el’s to make. It was a free choice of a free people. Moshe made sure that the words of this scroll were written down so that future generations would not lose sight of it, and would continue to have access to it. He commanded Joshua, and those leaders who would come after him, to put the scroll into the Ark of the Covenant. Moses knew that their apostasy would certainly come and their exile into the diaspora would be a reality for them. So, he did not want the Word of God to slip away from the Jewish people. But the inevitable falling away was inevitable, but especially the time Messiah made His appearance on earth. So far away were they from the Word of God that they didn’t recognize the Word made flesh.

In addition to the heavens and the earth, and scroll of the Torah (31:26), YHVH gave the Song of Moshe (31:1-43) as a witness to all the children of Isra’el. All the witnesses were given to remind Ha’Shem and Isra’el of their mutual commitments. This song recites the LORD’s many gracious acts on their behalf, as well as His demand for absolute loyalty. Any long-term departure from genuine obedience would invite the wrath of covenantal cursing.¹⁸

While the structure of this covenant was similar to the suzerain-vassal treaties of the ancient Near East, it was much longer and much more personal since it comes from a loving God. And as opposed to the other books of the Torah, here we see a Moshe that is very active and fervent. It is in this book we see him as the good shepherd. A man who is so concerned with his flock that he gives a series of emotional and compassionate farewell messages. This is contrasted with the book of Leviticus, where Moses took the back seat and merely reported the words of God. But here in Deuteronomy, he acts as a rabbi.

The book of Deuteronomy, the fifth book of Moshe, is therefore a literary account of the renewal of the covenant which ADONAI gave to Isra’el on the plains of Mo’ab.