Deuteronomy 5 - 11: Remember the Lord Your God
INTRODUCTION.
A. As pointed out in our first lesson in the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is the author of this book.
B. Deuteronomy seem to be a series of farewell speeches by Moses. These speeches are designed to help prepare the second generation of Israelites for the entering, conquering, and possessing the promised land of Canaan.
C. With this lesson, we will pick up our examination of Deuteronomy in chapter 5.
D. Overview of this lesson:
1. Moses reminds the Israelites of the need to obey and be true to God.
I. MOSES REMINDS ISRAEL OF THE NEED TO OBEY AND BE TRUE TO GOD. (5:1 - 11:32)
A. Moses reminded the current generation of Israelites of the Ten Commandments given to the people at Horeb. (5:1-33)
1. The giving of the Ten Commandments. (vs 1-22)
2. The Israelites feared being in the presence of the Lord. Moses speaks to the Lord alone. (vs 23-33)
B. Moses stressed the importance of always abiding by the commands of God as well as the importance of teaching these commands to their children. (6:1-26)
1. These commands given by the Lord were to be observed in the land of Canaan. If the Israelites and their descendants feared the Lord and kept His statutes and commandments, then the Lord would richly bless the people. (vs 1-3)
2. To insure continued obedience, Moses instructed the Israelites on the importance teaching their children the Law of the Lord on a daily basis. (vs 4-9)
3. Moses instructed the people to exercise caution so that when the Lord brought them to Canaan and blessed them, that they not forget the Lord and turn to idolatry. (vs 10-25)
C. Moses instructed the people on the restrictions of interacting with the people of the land and in the fact that they were to utterly destroy the inhabitants of the land. He also reminded them that if they obeyed the Lord, then they would have no reason to fear the people of the land. (7:1-26)
1. The Israelites were to conquer and destroy. There were to be no marriages with the inhabitants of the land. The altars in the land were to be torn down. (vs 1-5)
2. The purpose for the decimation of the inhabitants of the land and their idols and for not marrying the inhabitants was the keep the nation of Israel holy. The Lord loved Israel and wanted to preserve them and bless them. (vs 6-16)
3. The Israelites were not to fear the inhabitants of the land. The Lord promised to drive the inhabitants from the land little by little. (vs 17-26)
D. In the continuing reminder to obey the Lord and never to forget Him, the Lord promised Israel that He would provide for them and would take care of them. (8:1-20)
E. Moses explained to the people the true reason why the Lord would drive the inhabitants out of the Lord of Canaan. Moses then reviews the past rebellion of Israel. (9:1-29)
1. The Lord would deliver the land of Canaan into the hands of Israel because of the great wickedness of the inhabitants of the land. He emphasized that the Israelites would receive the land, not because of their righteousness (for they were “stiff-necked” or rebellious), but so that the Lord could fulfill the promise He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (vs 1-6)
2. Moses reviewed the past instances of Israel’s rebellion. (vs 7-29)
F. Moses reminded the people of God giving them the tablets of stone, the Ten Commandments. He also explained to the people that all God required of them was to fear Him, to walk in His ways, and to love Him with all their heart and with all their soul. (10:1-22)
1. Moses recalls God giving the tablets of stone to the Israelites. (vs 1-11)
2. Moses calls upon Israel to fear God, walk in God’s ways, and to love God with all their heart with all their soul. (vs 12-14)
3. Moses explained that God delighted in Israel’s fathers and chose their descendants to be His people. He calls for Israel to “circumcise the foreskin” of their heart and to no longer be stiff-necked. (vs 15-22)
G. Because God had made Israel as the “stars of heaven in multitude” (10:22) they were to love Him and to keep His commandments. In return, the Lord would provide for the people, He would provide for the land, and He would provide for their livestock. (11:1-21)
1. If the Israelites obeyed the Lord, then He would give them land better than the land of Egypt, He would water the land for them, and He would send grass for their livestock. (vs 1-17)
2. All these words of promises and warnings, the children of Israel were to teach to their children so that the days of their children would “be multiplied in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them.” (vs 21, NKJV)
H. The Lord promised the Israelites victory in the promised land if they would love the Lord, walk in all His ways, and hold fast to Him. He also set before them a blessing and a curse. (11:22-32)
1. The Lord would drive out the inhabitants of the land and would give the Israelites whatever land upon which the Israelites would put their feet. (vs 22-25)
2. The Lord set before them a blessing and a cursing: (vs 26-32)
a. A blessing would be given if they obeyed the commandments of the Lord. The blessing for obedience would be proclaimed from Mount Gerizim.
b. A cursing if they do not obey the commandments of the Lord, but turn aside to go after other gods. The curse for disobedience would be proclaimed from Mount Ebal.
II. LESSONS LEARNED.
A. On several occasions throughout this lesson text, Moses reminded the Israelites of the importance of doing as the Lord God commanded, neither turning to the right nor the left.
1. Deuteronomy 5:32-33
2. Deuteronomy 6:1-3
3. Deuteronomy 7:11-12
4. Deuteronomy 8:1,11
5. Deuteronomy 10:16,20
6. Deuteronomy 11:8,13-14,18,22-23
7. Jesus also taught His followers the necessity of obeying His commands.
a. Matthew 7:21-27
b. John 12:46-50
B. In order to keep one’s children faithful to the Lord, the children must be taught about God and His word. This should happen with every generation. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; cf. 11:18-21)
1. The continuing obedience of the children of Israel was crucial to their retaining the land that God had promised to their fathers. (Deuteronomy 11:22-23)
2. Christians today must also recognize the need to instruct their children in the Word of God on a daily basis. (Ephesians 6:4)
3. Consider the example of Timothy’s mother and grandmother. (II Timothy 1:5; II Timothy 3:15)
C. The Israelites were chosen by God to be His holy people. (Deuteronomy 7:6) A similar statement is made about God’s people under the new covenant, those who were purchased by the blood of Christ.
1. Titus 2:14 - “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (KJV)
a. Peculiar (KJV) is translated from the Greek word periousios per-ee-oo’-see-os which means 1) that which is one’s own, belonging to one’s possessions.
b. According to Titus 2:14, Jesus has purified unto Himself a people of His own possession.
2. I Peter 2:9 - “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” (KJV)
a. The Greek word translated as peculiar (KJV) in this verse is similiar to the Greek word used in Titus 2:14. The Greek word used in this verse is peripoiesis per-ee-poy’-ay-sis which means 1) a preserving, a preservation 2) possession, one’s own property 3) an obtaining
b. According to I Peter 2:9 Christians are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, and a people who are possessed or owned by God.
3. What made our purchase possible? The death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary.
a. Acts 20:28 - “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
b. Ephesians 1:14 - “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” * purchased possession - same Greek word translated as peculiar (KJV) in I Peter 2:9
D. The Lord assigned two mountains from which blessings and cursing would proclaimed. (Deuteronomy 11:26-28) Under the New Covenant, the blessings and cursing are proclaimed from the same source and direction: God’s Word.
1. Hebrews 4:12 - “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (KJV)
2. Matthew 7:21-23
3. II Thessalonians 1:6-10
CONCLUSION.
A. While there are many more lessons that we could learn, let us carry with us the thought from Deuteronomy 10:16-21.
1. Let us not be stiff-necked.
2. Let us respect our Lord and God who is mighty and awesome and who shows no partiality.
3. Let us fear the Lord, serve the Lord, and hold fast to the Lord and His commands.
B. If you are not a Christian, become one today by becoming a child of God.
C. If you are a Christian, one of God’s own possession, then work daily to serve the Lord and never forget what He has done for you in the salvation of your soul.
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Old Testament Series: Deuteronomy 5 - 11: Remember the Lord your God -- September 22, 2000 -- File # 668
by John M. Duvall – Lawton ,OK