Month: <span>January 2016</span>

The final scenes of Deuteronomy detail the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua. But the change of leadership is set in the backdrop of Israel’s soon-to-be covenant failure in Canaan. While Joshua had every reason to be confident of God’s leadership (Deut 30:1-8), just as he had been at Kadesh-Barnea (see Numbers 13-14), Moses was yet concerned for Israel to hear the law so that they would live in the land (Deut 31:9-13; 24-30). Moses prophesied that Israel would enter Canaan, but—because of their unfaithfulness—they would not remain (Deut 31:16-23)

In Deuteronomy 32, Moses poetically warned Israel to obey God, their Rock. Throughout Moses’ song, he called Israel to consider the blessings of refuge in the Lord and the vanity of seeking shelter in any other (Deut 32:4, 15, 18, 30-31, 37). Moses’ imagery here may have been a personal confession as well—since he struck the rock rather than speaking to it, as “the Rock” had commanded (Deut 32:48-52; see Num 20:2-13). On the whole, Moses’ song reminded Israel that their God is Holy—and since they had received His blessings, they were obligated to follow His demands.

Though in Deuteronomy 31-32 Moses prophesied Israel’s ultimate failure in the land, in Deuteronomy 33 he blessed the tribes as they looked toward Canaan. The blessings here open and close with praise of God (Deut 33:2-5; 26-29). Deuteronomy 33 is thus a word of immediate grace—in light of imminent discipline.

Paul and the author of Hebrews employed phrases from Moses’ prophesies in Deuteronomy 31-34 to explain God’s redemptive work in Christ and call their audiences to commit themselves fully to Him.

(1) In Rom 10:18-19; 15:10, Paul cited Moses’ prophecy that the Lord would make Israel jealous by calling the Gentiles (Deut 32:21, 43) to explain what God was doing in his day. Moses’ prophecy that the Lord was angry with Israel for their idolatry—and that He would provoke them to jealousy with an inferior people and enrage them with a foolish nation (Deut 32:21, 43)—helped Paul to explain why it was that so many Jews had rejected Christ. Paul wrote that since Israel had rebelled against the law God gave them, He was using Gentiles to provoke Jews to jealousy (Rom 10:18-19). Paul’s vision in Romans was that Gentiles would rejoice with Jews because of their common salvation in Christ (Rom 15:10).

(2) Paul and the author of Hebrews quoted Deut 32:35, “Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay,” making application for their specific audiences. Paul saw in Moses’ command a basis for the Romans to display the mercy they had received in Christ. In Rom 12:19, Paul warned his readers that they should not avenge themselves but trust God to repay those who harmed them—just as Moses said. In Heb 10:30, the author placed apostates in the sphere of those upon whom the Lord would exhibit His wrath. Moses warned Israel that God would not excuse their hardness of heart, the Lord would repay. According to Hebrews, any who turned away from God’s provision in Christ would find themselves on the receiving end of the wrath of God.

(3) In Heb 3:1-6, the author described Jesus’ superiority over Moses, urging his readers to trust God’s word to them. The concluding words of Deuteronomy emphasize Moses’ greatness: “No prophet has arisen again in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. He was unparalleled for all the signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do against the land of Egypt” (Deut 34:10-11). But Moses’ stature was no match for Israel’s rebellion—as Moses himself stated in Deuteronomy 32. Indeed, no leader had the charisma, strength, wisdom, and courage to deal with the sin of humanity. The author of Hebrews wrote that though Moses was faithful as a servant in God’s household, Jesus is the Son over God’s household. The author called his audience to respond appropriately to what they had received in Jesus and hold fast their confidence to the end.

(4) In Heb 13:5, the author quoted Deut 31:6 to remind his hearers that the Lord would meet their financial needs. Though Moses prophesied Israel’s failure in Canaan, He also proclaimed that the Lord would be faithful to His people. Moses told them to be strong and courageous because the Lord would not leave or forsake them (Deut 31:6; see Josh 1:9). The audience of Hebrews suffered financial persecution (Heb 10:33-34) and the author encouraged his readers that their lives should be free from the love of money because God had promised to never leave or forsake them (Heb 13:5).

These chapters record the final instructions of Moses. In Deuteronomy 5-26, Moses unpacked the ten commandments as instruction for Israel’s soon-to-be situation in Canaan. In Deuteronomy 27-30, he set forth covenant blessings and curses (chs. 27-28) and provided a concluding charge for Israel to obey God (chs. 29-30).

Moses first instructed Israel to remember the law (Deut 27:1-8). Once Israel crossed into Canaan, they were to copy the law onto plaster-covered stones that would be set on Mount Ebal (Deut 27:1-4, 8; see Josh 8:30-35). Moses then described the ceremony of corporate confession the Levites were to lead once Israel entered Canaan (Deut 27:9-26). Israel was to echo covenant blessings and curses from Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. The focus of these words is upon the individual Israelite, who would be recompensed according to his faithfulness to the law (see Deut 5:6-21).

Deuteronomy 28 is the record of stipulations Moses established for Israel’s success in the land. As Israel obeyed the law, they could expect God’s blessing of protection and provision (Deut 28:7-13). Likewise, Israel’s unfaithfulness to the law would be recompensed with curses (Deut 28:15-68). These curses include not only a removal of the Lord’s protection and lack of the Lord’s provision, but the fact that Israel’s unfaithfulness would place them in a position of being God’s enemy. Sadly, once in Canaan Israel did not obey the law—and they were deported from the land (see 2 Kings 17, 24).

In Deuteronomy 29-30, Moses exhorted the people to be faithful to the law they had received at Mount Sinai. Moses reviewed God’s call and blessings upon Israel, exhorting them on the plains of Moab to obey so that they would succeed in their conquest of Canaan (Deut 29:1-8). Though all of the people assembled to acknowledge the covenant (Deut 29:10-15), Moses vividly described how future generations would come and see the destruction God had brought to the land because of the infidelity of the people (Deut 29:16-29). Moses nonetheless encouraged Israel to return to the Lord (Deut 30:1-10) and choose life in the land (Deut 30:11-20). Moses’ closing words display the rubric for the Sinai covenant: as Israel obeyed the covenant, they would live (i.e., “be saved”) in Canaan; if they were unfaithful to their gracious Lord, they would perish.

Moses acknowledged that in his day, the Lord had not yet given the people eyes and ears of spiritual sensitivity that they might heed God’s instruction (Deut 29:4). Yet, Moses exhorted Israel that the law was not a distant message, but near them, in their mouth and heart, that they would submit to what God had revealed to them (Deut 30:14). The prophetic tone of Moses’ messages toward the end of Deuteronomy was taken up by Jesus and the authors of the New Testament in calling their audiences to live in accord with the new covenant.

(1) Jesus employed Deut 29:4 to explain to the disciples why so many rejected His message. When Jesus began to speak in parables with increasing frequency, the disciples asked Him to explain why (Matt 13:10//Mark 4:10//Luke 8:9). Moses told Israel that God had not given them an ability to understand and Jesus told the disciples that the messages of His parables could not be understood by those who were in the same spiritual state as Moses’ audience. But the disciples were in a different state. Jesus told His disciples that the secrets of the kingdom of heaven were given to them but not to everyone following Jesus in the crowds (Matt 13:11//Mark 4:11//Luke 8:10).

(2) In Rom 10:6-8, Paul quoted from Deut 30:12-14 to describe the proximity of the gospel message. Paul ministered in the new covenant, when God changed the hearts of both Jews and Gentiles so that they would believe. Throughout Romans, Paul argued that since the gospel is received by faith, Jews and Greeks have equal access to the righteousness of God in Christ. The message of the kingdom of God in Christ is near to all. Paul noted that while Moses said in Lev 18:5 that Israel would live in the Promised Land if they practiced the law, Moses also said in Deut 30:12-14 that God’s command was near and ready to be followed. Paul saw in Deut 30:12-14 a framework for explaining justification by faith. Paul urged his readers to see the gospel as near, available, ready to be believed.

These chapters form the heart of Deuteronomy. Here Moses maintained his thesis: Israel should fully obey God’s instruction so they would be successful and set-apart in the Promised Land. Thus, if Israel was going to enter Canaan and live, they needed to pursue justice without partiality (Deut 21:1-22:4). In the case of unsolved murders, justice was manifested as a city purged itself of shedding innocent blood (Deut 21:1-9). Likewise, even women who were captured as spoils of war were to be dealt with justly according to the standards of the day (Deut 21:10-14). Justice was to rule family relations in the household (Deut 21:15-21). Even the display of executed people was to be handled with justice, since injustice would defile the land (Deut 21:22-23). Neighborly relations were also to be maintained under the rule of justice (Deut 22:1-4).

Further, if Israel was going to enter Canaan and live, they needed to pursue integrity in all things (Deut 22:5-30). This included preserving natural distinctions in dress, animal relations, and clothing (Deut 22:5-12), as well as maintaining proper sexual conduct (Deut 22:13-30). Israel was commanded: “you must purge the evil from you” (Deut 22:22, 24). Of all things, Israel’s success and vitality in Canaan were dependent upon vigorously maintaining their national purity. Nowhere would this be more prominent than establishing strict boundary markers for permission to enter the Lord’s assembly (Deut 23:1-8). The pursuit of national purity unified all of Israelite life (Deut 23:15-25:19).

Finally, if Israel was going to enter Canaan and live, they needed to remember their dependence upon God’s provision (Deuteronomy 26). This included the practice of giving the first fruits (Deut 26:1-11) and providing for the needy through a tithe every third year (Deut 26:12-15). Here Moses affirmed Israel’s role in the covenant; their obedience was the display of their relationship with the Lord their God (Deut 26:16-19).

The authors of the New Testament took up several of Moses’ phrases in Deuteronomy 21-26 to establish principles of theology and ethics in the storyline of Scripture.

(1) In Matt 22:24//Mark 12:19//Luke 20:29, the Sadducees used Moses’ command in Deut 25:5-6 that a brother have children with the wife of a brother who died as a basis to question the reality of the resurrection. The Sadducee’s query was an attempt to catch Jesus as His popularity grew. He took it as an opportunity to teach plainly about the reality of the resurrection, grounding it in the fact that God is eternal—as Moses heard the Lord say to him at the bush, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (Exod 3:6).

(2) In Matt 19:7//Mark 10:4, the Pharisees cited Moses’ statement in Deut 24:1 that a woman be issued a certificate of divorce if her husband wished to send her away. If a husband issued a formal divorce certificate, it signified that he would not take her back again. Moses’ command allowed a woman with the certificate of divorce to marry a different man and prevented her former husband from later changing his mind and claiming her again. The Pharisees saw Moses’ command as an expansive legitimization for divorce. Jesus exposed the heart of the matter and warned the Pharisees that Moses’ injunction resulted from human sin. Jesus offered His followers participation in the kingdom of God on earth and called them to demonstrate His kingdom through enduring marital relations.

(3) In Gal 3:13, Paul quoted Moses’ statement in Deut 21:22-23, “If anyone is found guilty of an offense deserving the death penalty and is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, you are not to leave his corpse on the tree overnight but are to bury him that day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse,” applying the last phrase to Christ’s crucifixion. Paul concluded that since Christ had hung on the tree for believers, He had fulfilled the curse the law brought on all who attempted to follow it. “The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal 3:14), Paul wrote.

(4) In 1 Cor 9:9 and 1 Tim 5:18, Paul quoted Moses’ statement in Deut 25:4 that Israelite farmers should not muzzle an ox while it was treading grain. Paul saw the text in light of Christ’s church and her leaders. If God demanded that animals enjoy the fruit of their labor, apostles and elders should be paid a fair wage.

Moses covers a variegated landscape of ideas in Deuteronomy. But the necessity of heeding God’s instructions is never far from view. Moses instructed Israel to remember the Lord through special worship events (Deut 16:1-17). The festival of Passover (Deut 16:1-8), the festival of Weeks (Deut 16:9-12), and the festival of Booths (Deut 16:13-17) were each calculated for annual observance so that all Israelite males would come before the Lord three times a year to present offerings according to their resources (Deut 16:16-17).

Principles of justice, Moses urged, were to govern relationships among Israelites (Deut 16:18-17:20). The judges’ work included both sentencing any prone to idolatry (Deut 16:21-17:7) and executing any who rebelled against a verdict (Deut 17:8-13). Moses predicted that God’s people would one day grow dissatisfied with being governed by judges. Deuteronomy 17 introduces what would later be described in the historical books of Israel. The nation was ruled by judicial figures until their desire to be like other nations prompted them to desire a king (Deut 17:14-20; see 1 Samuel 8). Under the rule of the judiciary, Moses forbade the people from taking vengeance arbitrarily—a principle underlying cities of refuge (Deut 19:1-15) and courtroom procedures (Deut 19:15-21). That tribal allotments could be sandwiched into the midst of this discussion (Deut 19:14) may further accentuate the fact that the Promised Land was to be a place of justice. It was just for Israel to provide for the Levites, since they had no portion in the Land (Deut 18:1-8)

And it was just for Israel to maintain covenantal purity as they related corporately with the nations around them. Moses exhorted the people to abstain from Canaanite religion (Deut 18:9-14) and devote themselves to the genuine prophetic word (Deut 18:15-22). Israel would show loyalty to God by being vigorous in conquest (Deut 20:1-20). Israel’s strength was a humble reliance upon the Lord (Deut 20:1-4). Men who were distracted or fainthearted were to abstain from battle (Deut 20:5-9). Cities were to be engaged according to their willingness to fight (Deut 20:10-18). Israel was to be a good steward of natural resources since they had to live in the land after their enemies were deposed (Deut 20:19-20).

Moses’ statements in Deuteronomy 16-20 form a how-to manual for Israelite success in Canaan. The writers of the New Testament saw in Moses’ instructions a basis for understanding the coming of Christ and how His followers should live.

(1) In Deut 18:15, Moses prophesied that, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.” At two points in the book of Acts—during Peter’s sermon in Solomon’s Colonnade (Acts 3:22) and during Stephen’s defense (Acts 7:37)—speakers identified that Moses referred explicitly to Jesus Christ. It was Jesus’ coming and His message that Peter and Stephen respectively urged their audiences to heed.

(2) In 1 Cor 5:13 Paul quoted Deut 17:7, “Put away the evil person from among yourselves.” Moses commanded legal proceedings which would have the effect of cleansing Israel from her idolatrous tendencies; as idolaters were executed, the land would be cleansed. Paul saw in Moses’ statement a word applicable to the sexual license of the Corinthians—who had not only allowed but even applauded a man who was having relations with his stepmother (1 Cor 5:1). Paul wanted the Corinthians to get their house in order and excommunicate the arrogant man.

(3) In Deut 19:15, Moses commanded that during legal procedures, “One witness cannot establish any wrongdoing or sin against a person, whatever that person has done. A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” Both Jesus and Paul saw Moses’ instruction as valid for how believers should handle accusations of wrongdoing within the church—even when leaders are accused of sin (Matt 18:16; 1 Tim 5:19-21).

(4) In Deut 19:21, Moses commanded that in legal procedures there be no favoritism, partiality, or leniency, but rather, “life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.” In Matt 5:38 Jesus urged His followers that the standard of perfect righteousness—that which was concomitant with His kingdom—demand that they go beyond Moses’ words, saying, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye’ and ‘a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matt 5:38-39).

These chapters of Deuteronomy continue Moses’ messages to Israel as they looked to life in Canaan. In Deuteronomy 5-11, Moses set forth the proposition that Israel’s success in the Promised Land was directly related to their obedience of the Lord’s instruction—the kind of obedience celebrated in Ps 119:137-144.

In Deuteronomy 12, Moses instructed Israel regarding how they should worship the Lord in holiness in the Promised Land. Israel was not to worship in the places where the Canaanites worshiped, for that would pull them away from devotion to the Lord (Deut 12:1-14). The balance of Deuteronomy 12 deals with the specifics of slaughtering animals both for regular consumption and for worship. Israel was to worship with joy (Deut 12:18) and they were to maintain their devotion to the Lord (Deut 12:29-32).

Accordingly—almost as one would expect—Moses next turned Israel’s attention to the dangers of idolatry (Deut 13:1-18). So strong is the statement against idolatry that even if a prophet’s word came true—normally the sign that one is a true prophet (see Deut 18:21-22)—but he enticed Israel to another god, he was to be killed (Deut 13:5). The command for Israel to purge the evil from among them included both an insurrectionist within one’s immediate family (Deut 13:6-12) and whole cities that may have wandered into idolatry (Deut 13:12-18).

In Deuteronomy 14, Moses articulated the relationship between holiness and wholeness. God’s commands to Israel were grounded in their sanctification: “You are sons of the LORD your God…you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. The LORD has chosen you to be His special people out of all the peoples on the face of the earth” (Deut 14:1-2), Moses said. Following the list of forbidden foods, Moses urged Israel to be whole in their diet because of their status as “a holy people belonging to the LORD your God” (Deut 14:21).

Instructions for financial stewardship and community maintenance pervade Deut 14:22-15:23. Moses reminded Israel that God is jealous and to be recognized as their Provider (Deut 14:22-29). Israel was to give a tenth so that they would “always learn to fear the LORD” (Deut 14:23). This annual tenth was festively consumed before the Lord and included a provision for the Levites. The tenth every three years was gathered as a provision for the needy (Deut 14:27-29). The consecration of firstborn animals likewise showed dependence upon God, as Israelites gave to the Lord what they might have thought rightly belonged to them (see Deut 15:19-23).

Moses established the principle that God’s people are to care for each other during times of need (Deut 15:1-11). Every seven years the people were to forgive each other’s debts (Deut 15:2) and do good to their brothers. Because of this, there would be, ideally speaking, no cause for anyone to be poor within Israel (Deut 15:4, 11). Moses’ statements in Deuteronomy 15 echo in the New Testament authors’ instructions for just and merciful financial dealings.

(1) The snapshots of the Jerusalem church in Acts include pictures of financial generosity and community maintenance. In Acts 2, Luke wrote that the believers sold their possessions and property to contribute to the needy among them. In Acts 4, he recorded that “the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common” (Acts 4:32), again selling their resources and giving them to the apostles for re-distribution (Acts 4:34-35).

(2) Paul urged churches outside of Judea to contribute to the needs of the Judean churches suffering during a famine. Paul asked the Corinthians to complete the gift they had pledged for famine relief in Judea (1 Cor 16:1-4; see Rom 15:22-33), calling them to follow the example of the Macedonians, who gave freely beyond their ability (2 Cor 8:1-7). Paul also called the Corinthians to imitate Christ, writing, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: although He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). Beyond Paul’s specific requests for famine relief, he stated generally, “As we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith” (Gal 6:10; see also Eph 4:28).

(3) John asked his churches, “If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but shuts off his compassion from him—how can God’s love reside in him?” (1 John 3:17).