Date Written: about 1407-1406

Author: Moses (except for the final summary, which was probably written by Joshua after Moses’ death)

Setting: The east side of the Jordan River, in view of Canaan

Key People: Moses, Joshua

Purpose: To remind the people of what God had done & encourage them to rededicate their lives to Him.

Key Verses: Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart & with all your soul & with all your strength. 6:4-5

 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him & keep His commands. 7:9

Chapter Outline:

1-4 Sermon #1 – Journey review

5-28 Sermon #2 – Laws

29-30 Sermon #3 – Covenant

31-34 Final farewells

Importance of reading Deuteronomy:

• We read in Deuteronomy: Moses reviewed the mighty acts of God where He freed Israel from slavery in Egypt. He recounted how God had helped them & how the people had disobeyed. What we can learn from this: By reviewing God’s promises & mighty acts in history, we can learn about His character. We come to know Him more intimately through understanding how He has acted in the past. We can also avoid mistakes in our own lives through learning from Israel’s past failures. Remember God’s involvement in your life so that it will give you hope & encouragement for the future.
• What we read: God reviewed His laws for the people. The legal contract between God & His people had to be renewed by the new generation about to enter the promised land. What we can learn: Commitment to God & His truth can’t be taken for granted. Each generation & each person must make their own, personal commitment to obey God. God still calls us to be committed to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind & strength.
• What we read: God’s faithful & patient love is seen more often than His punishment. He shows His love by being faithful to His people & His promises. In response, God desires love from the heart, not just legalistically keeping His law. What we can learn: God’s love should be the foundation for our trust in Him. We trust Him because He loves us & because He loves us we should desire to obey Him.
• What we read: God reminded His people that in order to ratify His agreement they must choose the path of obedience. A personal decision to obey would bring blessing to their lives, but rebellion would bring curses. What we can learn: Our choices matter. Our choices make a difference between us being blessed or cursed.
• What we read: God commanded the Israelites to teach their children His ways. They were to use ritual, instruction & memorization to make sure their children understood God’s principles & passed them on to the next generation. What we can learn: Teaching our children about God must be a priority. It’s important to pass on God’s truth to future generations. In addition to sharing the stories from the Bible, also share with them personal stories from your life. Tell them of the times God healed you, when He met a need in your life, how He worked things out when there seemed to be no way. If they only hear Bible stories in Sunday school once a week, how will they ever know how great our God really is? God needs to be personal to them.
• What we read: Although Moses made some serious mistakes, he had lived uprightly & carried out God’s commands. Moses died with integrity. What we can learn: We too may make some serious mistakes, but that should not stop us from living with integrity & godly commitment.    

Things to think about as you read Deuteronomy:

• What kind of allegiance does God call for from Israel? Do you think He expects anything less from the church, from you? Do you think grace allows us to continue in sin & disobedience without any consequences or discipline from the Father?
• What have you learned about the long suffering of God & His gracious ways with His covenant people?
• How does a follower of God show their love for the Lord?

Video Teaching Link: https://youtu.be/XPvP9k52HCw?si=Zhoae3JCrvE7yPkn

Blessings,

Nichole Henson, Fullness of Joy Ministry