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I. |
AUTHOR--MOSES: Particular internal
evidence argues that Moses was the author of most of Deuteronomy.
There was also an editor who concluded the book after Moses' death |
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A. |
Moses was the author of most of
Deuteronomy: |
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1. |
These are the words Moses spoke at
the Transjordan (1:1-5) across from the Jordan in the valley
opposite Beth-peor in the land of Sihon (4:44-49), in the land of
Moab (29:1) |
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2. |
“Moses went and spoke these words
to all Israel ... I am 121 years old ... no longer able to come
and go ..." and not allowed to cross the Jordan (31:1-2) |
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3. |
40 years after what should have
been an 11 day journey Moses spoke to the children of Israel
according to all that YHWH had commanded him to give to them 1:2-3 |
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4. |
Moses says, “The LORD our God” 1:6 |
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5. |
All throughout chapters 1-4 Moses
refers to himself as among the people: "we" (1:19; 2:1,8;
3:1,4,6,7,12), “I and you” (1:9,13,15,16,20,24,29,43;
3:13,15,16,18,19,20,21,23; 4:1,2,5,8ff; 5:5; 6:2; 8:1,19;
9:9,15-21,25-26; 10:2-3,5,10; 12:32; 13:18; 30:15,18,19; 31:2 ),
"me"(1:14,17,22,23,37,41,42; 2:1,9 17; 3:2; 4:5; 6:1; 10:11; 18:15
), "our" (1:6,19,20,25; 3:3; 5:2,3; 9:10), “us” (1:20,25; 3:1;
5:2), to this day (8:18) |
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B. |
Someone beyond Moses concluded the
book of Deuteronomy: |
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1. |
The parenthetical discussion of
the need for Israel not to take the land The Lord has given to
another just as the nation will take the land of their possession
is presented in the past tense indicating that it was written
after Israel had already taken the land and thus after Moses died:
"just as Israel did to the land of their possession which the LORD
gave to them” (2:10-12) |
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2. |
“As it is to this day” (3:14)
seems to imply a later editor. |
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3. |
The settings are written from a
3rd person perspective "this is the ... which Moses ...." (1:1-5;
4:41-43,44--5:1a; 27:1; 29:1; 31:1,30; 32:48; 33:1). This could
have been done by Moses as well as an "editor." |
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4. |
The final chapter is written in
the 3rd person (except for 34:4 which is a direct discourse of the
Lord with Moses from Mt. Nebo). This could have been added by
Joshua with the Lord's words communicated by Moses to him just
before he died or communicated by the Lord to him. However one
phrase, "since then no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses"
sounds as though it goes beyond Joshua to a time when Israel was
an established nation in the land. Beyond that one can not be
certain of the timing of this last chapter |
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II. |
DATE: The internal record of the
chronology from Egypt to Moab is helpful in a reconstruction of
the date of 1406 B.C. (or following) for the writing of
Deuteronomy: |
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A. |
The people departed from Egypt on
the fifteenth day of the first month--March/April [Nisan] 15, 1446
(Num 33:3; cf. Ex. 12:2 ,5) |
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B. |
The people reached the wilderness
of Sinai on the first day of the third month--May/June [Sivan] 1,
1446 (Ex 19:1) |
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C. |
The tabernacle was erected on the
first day of the first month of the second year--March/April
[Nisan] 1, 1445 (Ex. 40:17) |
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D. |
Leviticus is given during the one
month interval immediately following the filling of the Tabernacle
by the glory of YHWH and before the people prepared to leave Sinai
for the promised land--March/April [Nisan] 1-30, 1445 (Num 1:1;
cf. Ex 40:17) |
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E. |
Numbers opens with a census taken
on the first day of the second month in the second year--April/May
[Iyyar or Ziv] 1, 1445 (Num 1:1) |
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F. |
The cloud is taken up to begin to
lead the people to the promised land from the wilderness of Sinai
on the twentieth day of the second month of the second year--
April/May [Iyyar or Ziv] 20, 1445 (Num 10:11) |
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G. |
The people sin at Kadesh=Barnea
(Num 13--14) and are sentenced to wander 40 years in the
wilderness (Num 14:33). Numbers covers 38 years and nine months
(cf. Num 1:1 with Deut 1:3) |
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H. |
Aaron dies on Mount Hor on the
first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year--July/August [Ab]
1, 1406 (Num 33:38) |
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I. |
Deuteronomy opens on the
Transjordan on the first day or the eleventh month of the fortieth
year after what should have been an eleven day journey--
January/February [Shebat] 1, 1406 (Deut 1:1-3 |
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J. |
Therefore, a more precise date for
the giving of the book of Deuteronomy would be January or February
1, 1406 B.C. |
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III. |
AUDIENCE: The Audience was all of
Israel |
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All Israel |
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Across the
Hordan in the wilderness in the Arabah |
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opposite Suph between Paran and
Tophel and Leban and Hazeroth and Dizahab 1:1 |
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A. |
40 years after what should have
been and 11 day journey Moses spoke to the children of Israel
1:2-3 |
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B. |
Chapters 1-3 describe historical
Israel from the Exodus to their time at the Transjordan. |
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C. |
Chapter 4 is a charge to Israel
(4:1) at Beth-peor (3:29) |
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D. |
The nation is charged outside of
the land (7:1) |
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E. |
Chapter 5 is a summons to Israel
across form Beth-peor (4:44-49; 5:1a) |
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F. |
The nation is about to cross the
Jordan to possess the land (11:31) |
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G. |
The nation is about to dispossess
the nations from the land (12:2) |
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H. |
The nation has not yet come to the
resting place and the inheritance which the Lord is giving them
(12:9) |
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I. |
The nation is told what to do
“when you enter the land” (17:14; 18:9) |
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J. |
God has not yet cut off the
nations or had Israel dispossess the nations and settle in their
houses (19:1) |
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K. |
Israel is told “when you enter the
land” implying that they are yet outside of it (26:1) |
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L. |
Israel is spoken to about the “day
when you cross the Jordan to the land" (27:2,4,12 |
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M. |
The sons of Israel wept for Moses
in the plains of Moab thirty days (34:8) |
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IV. |
INSTRUCTION / DESIGN: |
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A. |
rab in the piel has the sense of
“making clear, distinct, explaning or expounding (cf. Hab. 22;
Deut. 27:8 cf. BDB, p. 91) This is what Moses was doing with the
Law which they had. |
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B. |
The purpose of Moses’ exhortation
is so that the nation might live, possess the land, and obey God
(4:1-2; 6:3, 17-19, 24-25; 8:1; 10:12--11:32) |
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C. |
Moses warns the nation so that
they might not be judged but blessed by the Lord in the land
(6:15-19, 24-25; 7:4, 9-16; 15:4-6,10) |
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V. |
THE INTERNAL COMPONENT: GENRE
(narrative, covenant, etc.) |
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A. |
Parenthetical descriptions are
given to explain Israel’s actions (2:10-12, 20-23; 3:9-11; 21:23) |
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B. |
Historical setting 1:1-5; 3:29;
4:44--5:1a |
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C. |
A recounting of History with
respect to Israel’s wanderings 1:6--3:28 |
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D. |
Story or recounting of the event
is employed (1:19-46; 2:1,8,13b,24-25, 26-30,
32--3:1,3-8,12-22,23,26,29; 4:41-43; 5:22-23, 28a) |
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E. |
Dialogue (or direct discourse) is
employed (1:6-8, 9- 14, 16-18, 20-22, 27-31, 35-43;
2:2-7,9,13a,18-19,31; 3:2, 24-25, 26-28; 4:1-40; 5:1-5, 6-21,
24-27, 28b-31; 32-33) |
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F. |
A listing of commands -- legal
literature (NB -- many of these sections begin with an
introduction concerning "the statutes," or "commandments") |
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1. |
10 commandments 5:6-21 |
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2. |
To Love God 6:1-25 |
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3. |
To destroy the nations 7:1-26 |
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4. |
To remember their historical
relationship with the Lord (8--11)(This is developed through the
retelling the story of history with direct discourse from Moses
and God to heighten its effect. There is also a historical) |
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5. |
To not copy the practice of those
in the land whose places of worship Israel is to destroy but to
worship at a central location which the Lord will reveal (12) |
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6. |
To destroy anyone who would
attempt to lead the nation away from YHWH to any false gods (13)
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7. |
To separate themselves from those
in the land in how they mourn for the dead and eat their food
(14:1-21) |
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8. |
To tithe of their produce each
year before the Lord except for every 3rd year where it goes to
the Levite in their city (14:22-29) |
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9. |
To remit all debt at the end of
the seventh year for those of Israel for the Lord to bless them
(15:1-18) |
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10. |
The first born are to be
consecrated and then offered in a sacrificial meal before the Lord
except for those with defect (15:19-23) |
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11. |
Three times a year all of Israel's
men are to appear before the Lord with an offering: the Feasts of:
Unleavened bread, Weeks, and Booths (16:1-17) |
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12. |
Israel is to appoint judges who
rule uprightly and execute the judgments of God in order to purge
the evil from the land (16:18--17:13) |
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13. |
Israel's king is to be
appointed by God from among the people and to not multiply horses,
wives or silver and gold, but is to obey the Lord for continuity
of his reign in the generations to come (17:14-20) |
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14. |
The Levitical priests from the
whole tribe of Levi shall have no portion of the inheritance of
the land with Israel but shall be specifically provided for, in
addition to any of their own assets, through the offerings to the
Lord since He is their inheritance (18:1-8) |
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15. |
When Israel enters into the land,
the Lord does not permit them to imitate the detestable spiritual
practices of the nations: child sacrifices, divination,
witchcraft, interpreting omens or orcery, casting spells, or
acting as a medium or spiritist by calling up the dead so that
they will not be driven out of the land as the nations before them
are being driven (18:9-14) |
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16. |
The Lord will
raise up a prophet like Moses to speak as a mediator between the
people and the Lord, as the people requested of Moses, bringing
judgment from the Lord upon all of those who do not listen to him
(18:15-19)
This is
developed by: |
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a. |
affirmation (18:15) |
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b. |
The recounting of the story of
history (16-19) |
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c. |
direct discourse (16-19) |
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17. |
Any "prophet" who speaks for
another god or who says that he speaks for the Lord but is proven
to be false since his words do not come true is to be killed by
the people (18:20-22) |
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18. |
Israel is to prepare at least
three and up to six cities of refuge (under God’s blessing) so
that the nation might protect the unintentional manslayer from an
angry avenger but not to protect the premeditated manslayer who
must be brought before his avenger so that the Lord will continue
to bless the land (19:1-13) |
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19. |
Israel is not to move his
neighbor's boundary mark from here the ancestors placed it to mark
off the inheritance of the Lord (19:14) |
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20. |
A matter against a man is never
confirmed on the witness of one person but on the evidence of two
or three witness with false witnesses receiving the punishment
they intended for their brother so as to purge the evil from the
land and to be a deterrent to others (19:15-21) |
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21. |
When Israel comes to battle
against powerful enemies they are to realize that it is the Lord
who is fighting for them, send home those who have unfinished
beginnings in the land and to either wage a measured attack on
distant cities or an unmeasured destruction on those peoples near
to them (20:1-20)(This unit contains: commands (1- 20)which are
often expressed through direct discourse (20:3-4,5-9) |
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22. |
In the event of an undetected
homicide in the open country, the elders of the nearest city had
to make atonement by breaking the neck of a heifer and then
confessing their innocence before the priests above the dead
heifer whereupon God would remove the bloodguiltness from upon the
people (21:1-9) |
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23. |
Command with direct discourse by
the elders (21:7- 8) |
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24. |
Laws concerning the family are
expounded: marring a captive woman, blessing the first born of an
unloved wife and stoning a rebellious son (21:10- 21) |
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25. |
Laws concerning community life in
the land are given: burial of a criminal, responsibility toward
neighbors, dress, animal life, building codes, purity rather than
mixture in all of life, men who rape women, and children with
stepmothers (21:22--22:30) |
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26. |
Laws concerning congregational
life are given: whom to allow into the assembly, what to do with
bodily functions, how to deal with runaway slaves, not to seek
fertility from pagan gods (23:1-18) |
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27. |
Laws concerning the weak are
given: charging interest, vows, eating when hungry, divorce,
marriage taking pledges, kidnapers, leprosy, paying wages,
responsibility for sin, widows, orphans and aliens, punishment of
the wicked, levirate marriage, talionic justice, measuring
weights, dealing with the ruthless Amalekites (23:19--25:19) |
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28. |
When Israel enters the land they
are to offer the first fruits to the Lord at the place where He
chooses to dwell declaring the Lord's faithfulness to him and on
the third year he is to give it to the Levite, stranger, orphan,
and stranger in his city asking for the Lord's blessing in
obedience (26:1-15) |
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a. |
Legal prescription
(26:1-3a,4-5a,10b-11,12- 13a) |
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b. |
Story/direct discourse
(26:3b,5b-10a,13b-15) |
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29. |
In a summary charge the Lord
commands Israel to do all of the statutes and ordinances given
with all of their heart and soul since they are in covenant
relationship with Him so that in their obedience He may exalt the
them as a people separated unto Him (26:16-19) |
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30. |
Moses, the elders, and the
Levites, exhort Israel to keep all of the commandments of the Lord
and to proclaim them to the nation by writing the curses on Mt.
Ebal where an alter and sacrifice are also to be placed and by
writing the blessings on Mt. Gerizim by proclaiming them from each
mountain as they cross the Jordan to the people (27:1-26) |
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a. |
Narrative (27:1a; 9a, 11) |
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b. |
Commands/direct discourse
(27:1b-8, 9b-10, 12-26 |
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31. |
The Lord promises to either bless
or curse Israel in the land according to whether or not she
follows Him in diligent obedience (28:1-68) |
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32. |
Moses renews the covenant with
Israel at Moab by reviewing their historical relationship with the
Lord, presenting it before those present and a future generation,
telling of a future time when the nation will remember this
covenant and be restored to its blessing, reminding them that
these words are reachable so that they might obey the Lord, and
reminding them that disobedience will bring about judgment rom
the Lord so they should choose obedience and life (29--30) |
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a. |
Narrative (29:1-2a) |
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b. |
The story of history (29:2b-8) |
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c. |
Legal exhortation (29:9--30) |
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d. |
Prophetic exhortation (29:16-28;
30:1-10 |
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G. |
In a recounting of final charges
Moses encouraged the Nation and Joshua to not fear but enter to
take the Land, he gave the completed Law to be read to the nation
each Year of Remission before the Lord, he was told by the Lord to
write a song as a witness against the nation when Joshua was
commissioned by the Lord, and he had the Law placed by the ark of
the covenant as a witness against the nation (31:1-27) |
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H. |
Gathering all of Israel together
to proclaim one last time the need for obedience on their behalf
for there to be blessing, Moses proclaims in his song the Lord's
magnificent character which Israel will rebel against, and thus
suffer judgment under the hand of the nations and then be
delivered after they realized that the Lord alone is God
(31:28--32:47) |
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1. |
Direct discourse (31:28-29;
32:46-47) |
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2. |
Narration (31:30, 44-45) |
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3. |
Poetry (32:1-43) |
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I. |
Before Moses goes to Mt. Nebo to
see the land which he may not enter due to his sin and then to be
gathered to his people in death, He prophetically blesses the
nation tribe by tribe (32:48--33:29) |
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1. |
narration (32:48a; 33:1) |
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2. |
direct discourse (32:49-52) |
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J. |
As the last days of Moses came, he
was shown the land from Mt. Nebo by the Lord, died and was buried
in the plains of Moab according to the word of the Lord, mourned
over by Israel, replaced in leadership by Joshua, but not replaced
in Israel as a supreme prophet before the Lord (34:1-12) |
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1. |
Narration/story (34:1-3,5-12) |
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2. |
direct discourse (34:4) |
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VI. |
Purposes of Deuteronomy: |
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A. |
THE PERMISSION OF EVIL |
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1. |
YHWH does permit the nation to
grumble at Kadesh- barnea (1:26-33) |
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2. |
YHWH does permit the defeat of his
rebellious people in the land (1:44) |
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B. |
THE JUDGMENT OF EVIL |
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1. |
The nation receives the Judgment
of God for not taking the land as commanded: the men and Moses
will not see the Land (1:34-40) |
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2. |
The nation is defeat by the
Amorites when they go to take the land against the command of YHWH
(1:41- 44) |
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3. |
YHWH does not hear the nation’s
grief in their sin (1:45) |
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4. |
YHWH commands that the nation goes
into wandering for 40 years 2:1 |
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5. |
The Lord does warn the nation of
judgment for rebellion against their covenant (4:1-40) |
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6. |
YHWH Elohim will judge his people
if they disobey his law (5:8-10, 11, |
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C. |
THE DELIVERANCE OF THE ELECT |
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1. |
Promise is given by YHWH that even
though Moses and the men of the exodus will not see the land,
Caleb, Joshua and the nation's sons will see and inherit the land
(1:34-40) |
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2. |
YHWH commands the nation to go
back toward the Land after 40 years (2:3 cf. vs. 7) |
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3. |
Moses recounts the statutes and
judgments in order that the nation may live and possess the land
(sounds contingent) (4:1) |
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4. |
The Lord does promise to deliver
his people from judgment if (when) they turn again to him and
listen to Him (4:29-31) |
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D. |
THE BLESSING OF THE REDEEMED |
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1. |
YHWH intends to bless his people
with the possession of the Land (1:6-8a) |
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2. |
YHWH Elohim intends to bless His
people if they will obey the Law (5:29, 32-33 "note
underadministration 'Mosaic covenant'") |