Category: <span>Old Testament</span>

Judges 1-5

Under Joshua’s leadership, Israel had conquered the boundaries of Canaan but many pagan peoples still lived within the areas allotted to these tribes. The book of Judges is the record of how Israel failed to diligently keep the command to exterminate those pagan nations (see Deuteronomy 7; Joshua 23) and how God repeatedly delivered His people into their hands.

In the first two chapters of Judges, the author describes the situation first from a military/survey perspective and then from a spiritual/causal perspective. In Judges 1, the author uses military imagery to briefly describe the campaigns of the southern tribes (Judg 1:1-21) and the success and setbacks of the northern tribes (Judg 1:22-36). In Judges 2, the author notes the spiritual failure that led to Israel’s military failure. Israel covenanted with the Canaanites and exchanged the worship of the Lord, who brought them out of Egypt, for the worship of idols (Judg 2:1-5, 11-13). Further, Joshua’s generation failed to teach their children all the Lord had done for them and the requirements of obeying Him in the land (Judg 2:6-10).

The result? A cycle was set in motion in which the Lord would repeatedly give His people into the hands of their enemies: “He sold them to the enemies around them, so that they could no longer resist their enemies. Whenever the Israelites went out, the LORD was against them and brought disaster on them, just as He had promised and sworn to them. So they suffered greatly” (Judg 2:14-15). Although the Lord was regularly moved to compassion and responded to Israel’s cries for deliverance (Judg 2:16-18), the Lord ultimately let the nations remain as “thorns in their sides” due to their continued unfaithfulness (Judg 2:3; 20-23).

Israel’s true character was revealed as the Lord tested His people (Judges 3). The text records at least two of the Lord’s motives. The Lord did this “to teach the future generations of the Israelites how to fight in battle, especially those who had not fought before” (Judg 3:2) and to determine if Israel would keep the commands He had given their fathers through Moses (Judg 3:4). Israel failed the test. The author wrote, “The Israelites took their daughters as wives for themselves, gave their own daughters to their sons, and worshiped their gods” (Judg 3:6). Judges 3-5 thus begins the cycle of discipline and deliverance through the Judges, and Israel’s return to idolatry when each judge died. The initial judges included: Othniel, Caleb’s younger brother, (Judg 3:7-12), Ehud (Judg 3:12-30), Shamgar (Judg 3:31) and Deborah, with the assistance of Barak (Judges 4-5).

The final phrase of the book of Judges, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted” (Judg 21:25), places the narrative within the storyline of Scripture. Israel’s heart was more cowardly than courageous, more accommodating to pagan idols than fearing of the Lord. The implicit warning here is repeated in the New Testament.

(1) Paul warned the Corinthians that the consequences of Israel’s failures “happened to them as examples, and they were written as a warning to us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall!” (1 Cor 10:11-12). Paul’s concern was not just that his audience abstain from idolatry, but that they do so because of their privileged place in redemptive history. Paul warned them, “My dear friends, flee from idolatry. I am speaking as to wise people. Judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor 10:14-16a).

(2) The author of Hebrews warned his audience that if God judged Israel for their hardness of heart, “How much worse punishment, do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God, regarded as profane the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Heb 10:29). He went on to remind them that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb 13:8).

(3) John concluded his first letter with the general warning, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).

Commentary Judges Old Testament

Joshua 23-24; Psalms 50, 81

Joshua’s farewell address reflects Moses’ final speech in Deuteronomy 28-32. Like Moses, Joshua argued that God’s faithfulness to His people ought to inspire their commitment to the Lord. Joshua reminded Israel that their place in the land was the result of the Lord fighting for His people (Josh 23:1-5). Israel’s success in the Promised Land, Joshua said, was inextricably linked to practicing the law of Moses (Josh 23:6-8). Joshua inferred that if the people associated with the remaining pagan nations of Canaan and committed idolatry, they would be in violation of the covenant and removed from the Promised Land (Josh 23:9-16).

In Josh 24:1-13, Joshua chronologically reviewed God’s work in Israel’s history. Joshua’s analysis emphasizes the dynamic character of Israel’s past. From the time Abraham entered Canaan until Jacob went to Egypt, God had been faithful (Josh 24:1-4). From the time God called Moses and Aaron until the exodus, God had been faithful (Josh 24:5-7). From the southern edge of the Transjordan until Israel took that territory, God had been faithful (Josh 24:8-10). From the occupation of the Transjordan to the conquest of Canaan, God had been faithful (Josh 24:11-13).

This catalogue of God’s faithfulness to Israel inspired them to renew the Sinaitic covenant (Josh 24:14-28). The scene is composed of call-and-response between the Lord’s spokesman Joshua and Israel. Two themes dominate Joshua’s speech: devotion to monotheistic religion (Josh 24:14-15, 23) and Israel’s inability to carry out their commitment (Josh 24:19-20; 25-28). Likewise, two themes structured Israel’s reply: commitment to monotheistic religion (Josh 24:16, 21, 24) and a recounting of God’s faithfulness from the exodus through the conquest of Canaan (Josh 24:17-18).

The burials of Joshua, Joseph, and Eleazar in the land (Josh 24:29-33) served to place an exclamation point on God’s faithfulness to His people. Sarah’s grave was the first property God’s people possessed in Canaan (Gen 23:14-20), and the burials of Joshua, Joseph, and Eleazar signified the Lord’s blessing upon His people since the early days of the Abrahamic covenant. The burial of Joseph’s bones recalled not only the exodus event, but also the reality that Israel had preserved the patriarch’s remains from one generation to the next, fulfilling Joseph’s request to be buried in Canaan (Gen 50:24-25; see Psalm 81). The account of the burial of Joshua and Eleazar in Canaan is fitting since these two men divided the Promised Land among the descendants of Jacob (Josh 14:1).

Joshua’s farewell address in Joshua 23-24 demonstrates that Joshua understood his call, and that of Israel, to be part of something larger, ultimately the storyline of Scripture. After reviewing the history of Israel from the patriarchs to the present, Joshua made predictions about their future. His sentiments echoed the pessimistic phrases Moses spoke on the plains of Moab in Deuteronomy 28-32. Joshua predicted that Israel would fail in the land, and the book of Judges wastes no time detailing the truth of Joshua’s prophetic words. Ultimately, Israel failed to heed Joshua’s exhortation concerning the jealousy of their God and the corresponding demand that they avoid idolatry (Josh 23:11-13). It is no wonder then that Paul so sharply warned the Corinthians—those who had experienced God’s grace in Christ, been made rich in every spiritual ability, and been called into fellowship with Christ (1 Cor 1:4-9)—about their idolatrous tendencies. Paul urged the Corinthians to flee from idolatry and cling wholly to Christ lest they provoke the Lord to jealousy (1 Cor 10:14-18, 21-22).

Commentary Joshua with Select Psalms Old Testament

Joshua 20-22

In Joshua 20-22, Israel enjoyed God’s blessing and began to live faithfully in Canaan. By establishing cites of refuge, Israel displayed a commitment to justice and mercy. By granting cities to the Levites, they showed devotion to God’s presence among them. By insisting on purity in the incident over the Transjordan altar, they revealed the degree of their zeal for the Lord.

In ancient Israel, retribution for murder was handled by the family of the deceased. Since emotional vengeance in this kind of a matter has a large margin of error, cities of refuge were established so that those who maintained their innocence could flee there and await trial (see Num 35:19-27; Deut 19:6-12). These cities were thus places of protection and legal procedure (Josh 20:1-6). Other cities were also noteworthy in the settlement of the Promised Land, especially the cities for the Levites (Joshua 21). After the distribution of land and cities was completed, the author paused for doxology saying, “The LORD gave them rest on every side according to all He had sworn to their fathers…None of the good promises the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed. Everything was fulfilled” (Josh 21:44-45).

When the Transjordan tribes returned home, Joshua dismissed them with great wealth (Josh 22:6-8) and the exhortation to love the Lord and keep his commands (Josh 22:1-5). Yet upon crossing the Jordan, these tribes, without statement of rationale, “built a large, impressive altar” (Josh 22:10). The Israelites living in Canaan immediately interpreted this as a brazen act of idolatry and gathered for war against their brothers (Josh 22:12). Phinehas the priest (introduced in Num 25:6-13) and the representatives of the ten tribes argued against the Transjordan settlers, reminding them of their solidarity as a people and that God would discipline all Israel for the sin of the Transjordan altar (Josh 22:18-20; see Joshua 7). The two-and-a-half tribes maintained their innocence, saying that the altar was built out of concern that future generations of tribes dwelling on the western side of the river might chastise and separate from the Transjordan Israelites (Josh 22:24-25). Phinehas and the leaders with him were pleased with the response, saying, “Today we know that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against Him” (Josh 22:31).

Joshua 20-22 provides the opportunity to synthesize the concept of Sabbath rest in the storyline of Scripture. God rested on the seventh day of creation, signifying His satisfaction with His creative work (Gen 2:2-3). After the exodus, God tested Israel’s reliance upon Him by withholding manna on the seventh day (Exodus 16). In the ten commandments, God ordered Israel to rest on the Sabbath day because it was the day He rested after creation (Exod 20:8-11) and because the exodus itself testified to His ability to provide for Israel’s needs (Deut 5:12-15). All of these find their initial fulfillment in Josh 21:44, which says, “The LORD gave them rest on every side according to all He had sworn to their fathers.” Jesus told his followers, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke upon you and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30). The author of Hebrews noted the temporary nature of Israel’s rest under Joshua and exhorted his audience to labor toward rest in Christ (Heb 4:1-2, 8, 11).

Commentary Joshua with Select Psalms Old Testament

Joshua 12-19; Psalms 111, 117

The allotment of the Promised Land in Joshua 12-19 synthesizes the flow of Scripture from Genesis 12 onward. Jacob’s departure to Egypt (Genesis 46), the exodus (Exodus 12-15), the giving of the law at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-31), the failure of faith at the report of the twelve spies at the southern edge of Canaan (Numbers 13-14), and the conquest recorded in Joshua 1-11 lead to the distribution of the Promised Land in Joshua 12-19.

The list of defeated kings in Joshua 12 was arranged not only as an historical record for Israel but also as a basis for future generations to praise the Lord. The psalmist wrote, “He [the Lord] has shown His people the power of His works by giving them the inheritance of the nations” (Ps 111:6; see also Psalm 117). Nonetheless, the Lord’s words to Joshua, “You have become old, advanced in years, but a great deal of the land remains to be possessed” (Josh 13:1), underscore the fact that while Israel had secured the boundaries of the Promised Land, many foreign peoples still occupied its territories. In the meantime, Joshua was to “distribute the land as an inheritance for Israel” (Josh 13:6).

The bulk of Joshua 12-19 records this process of distribution. Two phases are evident. First, Joshua allotted land east of the Jordan to the two-and-a-half tribes, Rueben, Gad, and East Manasseh (Josh 13:8-32). Their inheritance fulfilled the agreement that Moses had made with them in Numbers 32 (see also Deut 3:8-20), which said that after they helped their brothers take the land west of the Jordan, they could return to the east of the Jordan and settle there.

Joshua then distributed the land west of the Jordan to the remaining tribes (Josh 14:1-19:51). Because of his faithfulness in scouting out Canaan from the south (Numbers 13-14), Caleb was the first to receive any inheritance, even though he was not one of Jacob’s sons (Josh 16:6-15). Caleb’s faithfulness was matched by that of his future son-in-law, Othniel, who captured Debir (Josh 15:13-19). The tribes of Judah (Josh 15:63), Ephraim (Josh 16:10), West Manasseh (Josh 17:12-13), and Joseph (Josh 17:16-17) received a portion of the land but had yet to drive out the Canaanites from around them.

Despite the celebratory tone of Joshua 12-19, the goal of the Promised Land was never realized. God wished for His people to have rest and fellowship with Him in Canaan, demonstrating His greatness to the surrounding nations. But Israel failed to drive out the remaining Canaanites, disobeying the commands of Deuteronomy 7. In the storyline of Scripture, the Promised Land would not function as the second Eden. Only in an entirely new creation—inaugurated by the death and resurrection of Christ—would God’s people finally have uninhibited fellowship with Him. In the New Testament, this new creation is depicted by a new city, the new Jerusalem. The author of Hebrews reminded his audience that “here we do not have an enduring city; instead, we seek the one to come” (Heb 13:14). John noted that though the new Jerusalem was heavenly and eternal and distinct in Christ, it yet reflected God’s promise to the tribes of Israel. In Rev 21:9-14, John wrote that the heavenly Jerusalem had twelve gates, each inscribed with a name of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Commentary Joshua with Select Psalms Old Testament

Joshua 9-11; Psalms 42, 67 and 100

The first several chapters of the book of Joshua display the significance of both Joshua’s leadership and Israel’s devotion to the law. Joshua 9-11 magnifies the purpose for which the Lord had given His people a leader and the law. Israel’s occupation in the land of Canaan, the central land-bridge of three continents and the locale of the major trade-routes of the day, was missional. As Israel occupied their inheritance and lived according to the law, the nations that surrounded them would witness God’s glory and want Him to be their God too (Deut 4:1-8; Psalms 67, 100).

However, Israel had a track record of partial obedience to the law, so much so that in Deuteronomy 28-32 Moses prophesied the people’s failure in Canaan. In Deut 7:2, the Lord commanded that after He delivered Canaan into the hands of His people, they were to “completely destroy” the inhabiting nations and “make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.” While the kings of Canaan were terrified of Israel (Josh 9:1-2), the people of Gibeon were able to trick Joshua and Israel’s leaders into making a treaty of peace with them (Josh 9:3-15; 22-27).

Joshua 10 records that the compromise with Gibeon did not decrease the dread that the kings of Canaan felt when they considered the threat posed by Israel. After forming a desperate alliance, these kings attacked Gibeon, perhaps thinking the tribe void of its strongest warriors (Josh 10:4-5). Israel demonstrated repentance through their faithfulness to help Gibeon (Josh 10:6-7) and was blessed by the Lord. He cast Israel’s opponents into confusion (Josh 10:10) and “threw large hailstones on them from the sky,” killing more people than Israel’s swords did (Josh 10:11). The Lord even caused the sun to stand still “until the nation took vengeance on its enemies” (Josh 10:13). In fulfillment of the law in Deut 7:2, Joshua killed all five Amorite kings (Josh 10:16-27).

The final section of these chapters describes how Israel routed the lands of what would later be known as Judah (Josh 10:28-43) and Israel (Josh 11:1-23). Joshua emphasized that the Lord delivered these nations to His people (Josh 10:30, 32; 11:6, 8) and that Israel completely destroyed their enemies (Josh 10:28, 32-33, 35, 37, 39, 40; 11:8-9, 11-15, 17). At the end of Joshua 11, Joshua wrote, “For it was the LORD’s intention to harden their hearts, so that they would engage Israel in battle, be completely destroyed without mercy, and be annihilated, just as the LORD had commanded Moses” (Josh 11:20). According to what the Lord commanded Moses, Joshua led Israel to conquer the land and distribute it to the tribes of Israel with the result that the land enjoyed rest from war (Josh 11:23).

Joshua 9-11 provides the opportunity to analyze the concept of mission in the storyline of Scripture. Israel’s missional success was based upon their static geographical placement. In Deut 4:1-8, Moses wrote that as Israel lived in the land in accord with all that God commanded them, foreign nations would see God’s greatness and inquire of Him. The author of Psalm 67 beseeched God to bless Israel that the nations would see His ways and praise Him. Jesus’ teaching differed in that He taught His disciples to scatter among all nations proclaiming the gospel (Matt 28:18-20). Just as the Lord placed Israel in the land-bridge of three continents, believers are to spread throughout the cities and towns of the globe, sharing the message of Christ in their neighborhoods and workplaces. In Rev 7:9-10, John saw the scope of Gentile inclusion as a white-robed throng from every nation and language standing before the throne singing songs of praise to God and to the Lamb.

Commentary Joshua with Select Psalms

Joshua 5-8; Psalm 43

In Joshua 1-4, God demonstrated His provision for Israel by establishing Joshua as their new leader. In Joshua 5-8, Joshua led the people to follow God’s law in the conquest of the Promised Land. When Israel obeyed the demands of the old covenant, they enjoyed success in Canaan. But the disobedience of one man, Achan, brought harm to many. The reference to Rahab in Josh 6:25 links chs. 1-4 with chs. 5-8. Having entered Canaan, Joshua spared Rahab and her family just as he had promised.

The initial scene of Joshua 5 demonstrates the significance of the law in the conquest of Canaan. Israel’s battle was spiritual as well as physical. Rather than marching straightaway into the land and attacking the inhabiting nations, Israel obeyed the Lord’s command that males born after the exodus should be circumcised (Josh 5:2-9; see Gen 17:9-14; Exod 12:48; Lev 12:3). Israel also kept the Passover according to the law (see Exodus 12; Numbers 9; Deuteronomy 16) before their military conquest (Josh 5:10-12).

Israel’s devotion to the law demonstrated their dependence upon God in the conquest of Canaan. And in the battle plan to take Jericho (Joshua 6), God showed His jealousy to fight for Israel. Jericho was especially fortified because it was a city within range of any seeking to conquer it by way of the Transjordan plains (Josh 6:1). Israel followed God’s plan, marching around the city for six days (Josh 6:6-14). After receiving the final instructions on the morning of the seventh day (Josh 6:15-19), the volume of their corporate shout at the sound of the trumpets demolished the fortified walls of Jericho (Josh 6:20-21). According to the word of the Lord, Israel placed the gold and silver plunder of the battle into the Lord’s treasury (Josh 6:24-26). The degree of success in the initial conquest of Canaan was evident in the cursing of any who attempted to rebuild Jericho (Josh 6:26-27).

But all had not gone as well as Joshua thought. Joshua 7 begins with “However” (Josh 7:1). Achan had stolen some of the plunder that was to be set apart for destruction (Josh 6:18-19, 24; see Deut 7:2; Num 31:11, 12, 21-23). Achan’s sin had several consequences: the Lord’s anger burned against all of Israel (Josh 7:6:18; 7:2, 10-18), Israel’s first combat mission ended in defeat and the death of three dozen soldiers (Josh 7:3-5), and Achan was destroyed, along with the stolen plunder, his family, and all that he had (Josh 7:20-26).

Nevertheless, as is clear in Genesis-Deuteronomy, God’s word of discipline is never His last word to those who turn to Him in repentance (see Exodus 32-23; Numbers 12-15). The successful conquest of Ai, through another divine plan of attack in Joshua 8, confirmed that the Lord would not abandon His covenant faithfulness to His people. Established in the land, Joshua and Israel gave allegiance to the Lord by enacting the ceremony of commitment to the law on the peaks of Mount Ebal and Mount Gerazim (Josh 8:30-35), just as the Lord had commanded in Deut 27:1-8.

The faithfulness of Rahab, Israel, and God in Joshua 5-8 provide windows for observing how New Testament writers employed the Old Testament.

(1) In Matt 1:5, Matthew noted Rahab’s place in the genealogy of Jesus. Rahab was a foreigner and a prostitute in Jericho. But when she feared the Lord and His people, she acted faithfully in hiding the spies Joshua had sent to scout out the city (Joshua 2). Joshua spared her and her family (Josh 6:25) and Matthew provides snapshots of what followed. Rahab became a part of Israel through her marriage to Salmon. They had Boaz, who would be the great grandfather of King David. Rahab’s story anticipates God’s grace to Gentiles and Jews together in Christ.

(2) In Heb 11:30, the author wrote, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after being encircled for seven days.” The author’s concern was not with Israel or Joshua or the particular individuals who marched. Faith works, Hebrews notes, it acts and has an effect. The unseen God alters the visible, even mighty walls, as God’s people trust Him.

(3) References to trumpets in 1 Cor 15:52, 1 Thess 4:16, and in the seven trumpet judgements in Revelation 8-11 recall the blowing of the trumpets at the battle of Jericho in Josh 6:4 (see also Num 10:1-10). In Scripture’s storyline, trumpets call God’s people to remember Him and signal that He is about to remember them in deliverance.

Commentary Joshua with Select Psalms Old Testament

Joshua 1-4; Psalm 114

In Exodus-Deuteronomy, the Lord spoke directly to Moses more than 100 times, but nowhere had the Lord ever spoken to Joshua. The opening phrase of the book of Joshua, “After the death of Moses the LORD’s servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun” (Josh 1:1), places Joshua in the position Moses once enjoyed as mediator between the Lord and His people. The Lord spoke to Joshua saying, “I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you” (Josh 1:5). The remainder of Joshua 1 records God’s encouragement and warning to Joshua regarding faithfulness to the law (Josh 1:6-9) and his role in holding the two-and-a-half tribes accountable for fighting alongside their brothers in Canaan (Josh 1:12-18; see Numbers 32; Deut 3:8-20).

The commissioning of the spies and the faithfulness of Rahab in Joshua 2 reveal that the people of Jericho understood their days as free people to be numbered. Rahab confessed to the spies, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that dread of you has fallen on us, and everyone who lives in the land is panicking because of you” (Josh 2:9). Rahab’s act of faith to hide the spies should also be seen as an act of fear (Josh 2:12-13). She told the spies, “Everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below” (Josh 2:11). Upon returning to the camp, the spies reported to Joshua, “The LORD has handed over the entire land to us. Everyone who lives in the land is also panicking because of us” (Josh 2:24).

As Israel crossed the Jordan, the Lord further encouraged Joshua saying, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they will know that I will be with you just as I was with Moses” (Josh 3:7). In response, Joshua declared God’s faithfulness and reminded the congregation that the Lord would dispossess the nations in Canaan (Josh 3:9-10). As the priests entered the Jordan, the waters were cut off and the nation crossed into the Promised Land (Josh 3:14-17; see Ps 114:3)—an act so significant that twelve stones were taken from the dry Jordan river bed to remind future generations that they should fear God (Josh 4:1-18). The Lord had been faithful to His people under Joshua at the Jordan just as He was to those under Moses at the Red Sea (Josh 4:19-24; see Exod 14:15-31).

In the storyline of Scripture, Rahab is noted as an example of faith and faithfulness.

(1) In Jas 2:25, James argued that Rahab, like Abraham, was justified by her works of faith. When Rahab received the spies and sent them out by a different route (Joshua 2), she trusted God with her life. Her desperation mirrored Abraham’s desperation when he offered Isaac (Jas 2:20-23). Faith that justifies before God is faith that is desperate for God’s intervention alone.

(2) In Heb 11:31, the author wrote, “By faith Rahab the prostitute received the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed.” The fact that Rahab was faithful in the days of the old covenant, before God’s faithfulness had been revealed in Christ, was noteworthy for the author of Hebrews. Rahab trusted God in the age when those walking by faith did not receive what was promised, since God made those promises in the days of anticipation, before the death and resurrection of Christ. Old Testament saints were thus perfected in Christ along with all those believing in Him since the days of His ministry recorded in the New Testament (Heb 11:39-40). The author of Hebrews cited Rahab and others listed in Hebrews 11 to exhort his audience to be faithful to all that they had received in Christ. If some who lived in the era of the old covenant could walk by faith and trust God for an inheritance in Canaan, then his present audience—who knew of God’s faithfulness in Christ, and forgiveness of sins, and unfettered access to God, and an eternal inheritance in heaven—should do no less.

Commentary Joshua with Select Psalms Old Testament

Deuteronomy 31-34; Psalm 119:169-176

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).

Commentary Deuteronomy Old Testament

Canaan Decalogue History Holy Spirit Moses Promise Promised Land Sermons Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy 27-30; Psalm 119:161-168

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.

Commentary Deuteronomy Old Testament

Canaan Decalogue History Holy Spirit Moses Promise Promised Land Sermons Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy 21-26; Psalm 119:153-160

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.

Commentary Deuteronomy Old Testament

Canaan Decalogue History Holy Spirit Moses Promise Promised Land Sermons Ten Commandments