Set Back by Sin for 38 Years (Dt 1:1-46)

Deuteronomy 1:1-46; Key Verses: Dt 1:21, 26 (Read Dt 1:26-43)

"See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it..." "But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God."

Introduction: Deuteronomy consists of three speeches (sermons) Moses gave to his people before handing leadership to Joshua and before their entrance to the promised land. Key Verses may be:

•  "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (Dt 6:5).
• "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?" (Dt 10:12-13)
• "This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" (Dt 30:19-20).

Main Theme: Grace followed by obedience. God blessed his people by redeeming them from slavery (grace). Obedience to God's commands is the result of love and grace already experienced. God's people do not obey to be blessed. We obey because we are already blessed.

Outline of Deuteronomy (based on Moses' Three Addresses to Israel):

1. Remembering the Grace of God (Retrospect) - What God Has Done (1:1-4:43).
2. Explaining the Grace of God - What God Commands for the Future (4:44-28:68).
3. Trusting the Grace of God - Recapitulation of the Covenant Demand and the Call to Choose God and Obey (29:1-30:20).
4. The Death of Moses - The Transition from Moses to Joshua (31:1-34:12).

Title: Choose Life That You May Live and Love God.

Questions (Dt 1:1-46):

1. What are the words that Moses spoke to Israel (Dt 1:1, 3b, 5; Ps 119:105; 2 Tim 3:16)?
2. How long were the Israelites in the wilderness (Dt 1:2-3a)? Why the 40 year delay (Num 14:32-34; Dt 2:14-15)?
3. The victory over Sihon and Og (Dt 1:4; Num 21:21-35) is mentioned 17 times in the O.T. Why?
4. What did God command them to do (Dt 1:6-7)? What promise was given (Dt 1:8, 21, 30-31)? Are God's promises contingent on our obedience (in contrast to salvation)? What should we do (1 Cor 9:27; 2 Tim 4:7)?
5. What do leaders experience (Dt 1:9-12; 2 Cor 11:28-29)? How should they deal with it (Dt 1:13-15, 17b, 18; Num 11:28-29; Josh 1:7-8; Ac 20:27)? How should leaders judge (Dt 1:16-17; Jas 2:1; Prov 29:25; Mt 10:28)?
6. How did God make concessions when the people were afraid to obey because of weak faith (Dt 1:19-22, 23-25; Num 13:1-2; Judg 6:36-40)?
7. Why did the people disobey (Dt 1:26-28)? How did God reassure them (Dt 1:29-31)? How did they respond (Dt 1:32-33)? How does God regard this (1 Cor 10:5; Heb 3:16-19)? What can we learn (Rom 6:23a; Gal 6:7)?
8. How did God deal with their rebellion (Dt 1:34-35)? How was Caleb different (Dt 1:36-39; Num 14:24; Josh 14:14)?
9. How did the people sin further after sinning (Dt 1:41-43)? With what result (Dt 1:44-46)?
10. When we stumble in sin, what can we remember (Dt 1:21, 30a, 30b, 31)?

Preparatory references:

1. 22 question fun quiz.
2. An Overview of the Pentateuch.
   
3. Various Outlines and Overview of Deuteronomy.
4. The Gospel in Deuteronomy.
5. The Leaders (Dt 1:9-15).
6. The Judges (Dt 1:16-18).
   
7. The Words Moses Spoke (Dt 1:1-46). Sermon preached in Manila in Mar 2013.