OTI-05

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When Jesus was face to face with the Devil in the Wilderness of Temptation, what weapon did He choose to use against this old foe? The Scriptures, yes, but specifically where? THE BOOK WE STUDY TONIGHT! All three of Satan’s attacks were met by the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Remember that moment in Matthew 4? Thus, Deuteronomy is a book about Dedication to God.

Israel is on the plains of Moab. The promised land lays before them. Moses is saying farewell at the age of 120. Moses is departing, their only visible link to the God who Delivered them from Egypt. Joshua is taking the reins…

Key Word: Covenant occurs 27x in this book. As we study this word, we find four components of God’s Plan revealed by His Covenant: His Character, His Expectations, His Blessings and His Warnings. Lets examine these briefly.

I.                   His Character

A.               God is Unique Deuteronomy 4:35 Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightiest know that the LORD he [is] God; [there is] none else beside him. (KJV)

B.               God is Holy Deuteronomy 32:4 [He is] the Rock, his work [is] perfect: for all his ways [are] judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right [is] he. (KJV)

C.               God is Omnipotent Deuteronomy 10:17 For the LORD your God [is] God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible,  (KJV)

D.               God is Jealous Deuteronomy 5:9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God

[am]

a jealous God, (KJV)

E.               God is Gracious Deuteronomy 6:24 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as [it is] at this day. (KJV)

F.                God is Father Deuteronomy 1:31 And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place. (KJV)

II.                His Expectations

A.               Total Obedience Deuteronomy 11:27-28 “the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you today; 28 “and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. (NKJV)

B.               Total Adoration Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (KJV)

C.               Total Trust Deuteronomy 6:13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. (KJV)

D.               Total Devotion Deuteronomy 11:18-20     Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, (KJV)

III.             His Blessings

A.               Victorious Lives Deuteronomy 7:22 And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee (KJV)

B.               Prosperous Lives Deuteronomy 28:3 Blessed

[shalt]

thou [be] in the field. (KJV)

C.               Fruitful Families Deuteronomy 28:4 Blessed

[shall be]

the fruit of thy body, (KJV)

D.               Healthy Bodies Deuteronomy 7:15 And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, (KJV)

IV.            His Warnings

A.               National Disasters Deuteronomy 28:25 The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. (KJV)

B.               Ecological Disasters Deuteronomy 28:24 The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed. (KJV)

C.               Personal Disasters Deuteronomy 28:22 The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. (KJV)

Key Verses:

Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, (KJV)

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, [and] that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he [is] thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. (KJV) 

The book of Deuteronomy may best be seen as three sermons by Moses. Look Back, God has been Faithful; Look Around, God is watching; Look Ahead, God is Leading! Lets do just those three things. Through the words of Moses, inspired by God, look and learn what Israel failed to see.

I.                   Look Back, God has been Faithful! Deuteronomy 1-4

A.               God judges Disobedience

B.               God Rewards Obedience

II.                Look Around, God is Watching!   Deuteronomy 5:1-26:19. In these chapters there are three categories of the Law explained.

A.               God has Moral Expectations [5-11]. These are His “Testimonies”.

B.               God has Ceremonial Expectations [12:1-16:17] These are His “Statutes”.

C.               God has Societal Expectations [16:18-20:20]. These are His “Ordinances”.

1.                Israel’s Civil Duties [16-20].

2.                Israel’s Social duties [21-26] These were their system of justice, criminal laws, warfare rules, property laws and so on. 

III.             Look Ahead, God is Leading!  Deuteronomy 27-33

A.               CONSEQUENCES: There are blessings [28:1-14] to be sought and curses [27; 28:15ff] to be feared.

B.               CHASTISEMENT: The result of Disobedience will be Dispersion [29:22-29; 31:14-18].

C.               COMFORT: There is a Return always available [30:1-10]. 

IV.            Epilogue   Deuteronomy 33-34 

The NT quotes Deuteronomy over 90 times, which is more than any other OT book quoted in the NT. Some of the key quotes are

Deuteronomy New Testament
Deuteronomy 1:31 And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place. (KJV) Acts 13:18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. (KJV)
Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD thy God [is] a consuming fire, [even] a jealous God. (KJV) Hebrews 12:29 For our God [is] a consuming fire. (KJV)
Deuteronomy 6:4-5     Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God

[is]

one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (KJV)

Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. (KJV)

Deuteronomy 4:35 Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he [is] God; [there is] none else beside him. (KJV)

Mark 12:32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: (KJV)

Deuteronomy 17:6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; [but] at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. (KJV)

Hebrews 10:28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: (KJV)

Deuteronomy 32:17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new [gods that] came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. (KJV)

Corinthians 10:20 But I [say], that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. (KJV)

Deuteronomy 32:21 They have moved me to jealousy with

[that which is]

not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with [those which are] not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. (KJV)

Romans 10:19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by [them that are] no people,

[and]

by a foolish nation I will anger you. (KJV)

plus 83 more

plus 83 more

Deuteronomy 1:36 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD. (KJV) This was important to God who repeated it six times [Numbers 32:11-12;Deuteronomy 1:36Joshua 14:8, 9, 14.] 

Deut._18:15-19.  Messiah to be a Prophet Like Moses.

A.               Moses was a unique prophet (Num. 12:2-8).

B.               No other Old Testament prophet was like him (Deut. 34:10).

C.               The Jews saw in Jesus the fulfillment of Moses’ prophecy (John 6:14;Luke 7:16).

D.               The early church made much of this likeness (Acts 3:22; 7:37).

E.               Christ was like Moses in His life.

1.                Both were born of poor parents under a tyrant.

2.                Both were preserved in infancy, whereas others were destroyed.

3.                Both spent many years in humble toil (shepherd, carpenter).

4.                Both demonstrated their calling by miracles.

5.                Both fasted forty days in a wilderness.

6.                Both rejected the easy way:  Pharaoh’s daughter, Satan’s temptation.

7.                Both made the sea obey them:  Red Sea, Sea of Galilee.

8.                Both their faces shone with glory:  Sinai, Mount of     Transfiguration.

9.                Both fed thousands miraculously.

10.             Both were very meek.

11.             Both were rejected by national Israel.

12.             They were the only two divinely authorized lawgivers that the world has ever seen.

F.                 Christ was like Moses in His work.

1.                Both were teachers (Deut. 4:5; Matt. 22:16).

2.                Both were judges (Ex. 18:13; John 5:22).

3.                Both were redeemers (Ex. 3:10; Is. 59:20; Gal. 4:4-5).

4.                Both were mediators (Deut. 5:5, 25-28; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb.     9:15).

5.                Both were intercessors (Num. 14:11, 18-20; Is. 53:12; Heb.     7:25).

6.                Both were leaders (Ex. 32:34; Is. 55:4; John 10:3-4).

7.                Both were kings (Deut. 33:5; Matt. 2:2; 27:37).

G.              Christ is superior to Moses.

1.                Moses’ miracles were ones of judgment; Christ’s, of healing.

2.                Moses could not lead Israel into the land (Matt. 28:18; Heb. 10:19-20).

3.                Moses was the servant; Christ, the Son (Heb. 3:1-6).

4.                Moses was for the Jews; Christ’s redemption is universal (1 John 2:1-2).

5.                Moses manifested the law; Christ, grace (Heb. 7:19; John 1:17).

H.               God will put His words in this prophet’s mouth; and if any hearken not to Him, God will require it of him  (Deut. 18:18-19). 

Deut 27:1-30:  The Palestinian Covenant.

A.               This covenant reassures Israel of their possession of the land.

B.               Sin and disobedience will bring captivity  (Deut. 28:36-37).

C.               Continued disobedience will bring worldwide dispersion (Deut. 28:63-68).

1.                This was fulfilled in the time of Titus.

2.                See Josephus:  Wars of the Jews, Book 6, Chapter 9.

D.               But Israel will be re-gathered (Deut. 30:3-4).

E.               They will be finally converted (Deut. 30:6).

F.                Israel will prosper; their enemies will be cursed (Deut. 30:7-9).

G.                This will not be done without faith on the part of Israel, but God states that they will have faith (Deut. 30:6-8).


[1] This lesson was  drawn from the following sources: The Word of God; Baxter, Explore the Book; Scroggie, The Unfolding Drama; Christ in all the Scriptures; The Criswell Study Bible; Walk through the Bible; The Compact Guide to The Bible, Lehman Strauss, CHM.