Deuteronomy 1:3, commentary and pictures

In the fortieth year, in his final work in Moab just before his death, Moses gathered the new generation of Israel encamped on the borders of Jordan near Jericho, with the time at hand to possess Canaan after their fathers had died in the wilderness, to speak to them all that the Lord had commanded him. At God's direction he rehearsed their journeyings since leaving Egypt with their trials, failures, victories, blessings, mistakes and warnings, and repeated the laws first given at Sinai with enlargement and explanation rather than as a new revelation, including the ten commandments with the circumstances of their giving, because many had been small children at Sinai or born in the wilderness. He repeated the law before they took possession so they would know God's commands and the conditions of inheritance and prosperity, for the Lord's promises are upon condition of obedience and disobedience forfeits the promised blessing, as shown when the adults who left Egypt were refused entry. These words with Deuteronomy 7 and 8 are written for the admonition of those living at the end of the world to be read and obeyed, calling them to give up human judgment and self-pleasing, to ask only for the Lord's will, and to be molded after Christ in self-denial and self-sacrifice to His standard of perfection of character. The setting shows that the ways God has led His people must be preserved and kept before them, so that work long neglected must now be done to republish the record of His workings for those who have since come into the truth in ignorance of it.

Time, Place, and Repetition

The date given marks Moses' address to Israel in the fortieth year, in his final period of work just before his death in Moab. He spoke to the children of Israel according to all the Lord had given him in commandment to them, delivering what God had commanded him. In that final period he gathered the people to rehearse their past experience.

Israel had crossed the desert and was encamped on the borders of Jordan near the Jordan, with the appointed time to possess Canaan at hand and approaching possession of Jericho. Their fathers who left Egypt had died in the wilderness according to the word of the Lord, and their children had grown up as the new generation to inherit the promise of possessing the land of Canaan. As this new generation prepared to enter the promised land and take possession, the law and the Lord's instructions were repeated to them so they would know God's commands and the conditions of inheritance and obedience.

At God's direction Moses gathered the children of Israel together and rehearsed their past experience, including all the journeyings of the host since leaving Egypt, their deliverance, trials, failures and victories during forty years of wandering, blessings received, mistakes, warnings received, and God's dealings with them because of those mistakes. The book of Deuteronomy is the record of that rehearsal of the Lord's dealings with them during their wilderness journey. The laws he repeated had first been given at Sinai and were not a new revelation. He enlarged on them, explained some precepts and their reasons, and gave methods for enforcing them.

He repeated the ten commandments with all the laws and judgments and all the circumstances connected with the giving of the law. This was because many were small children when the law was given with no remembrance of the grandeur of Sinai, and others were born in the wilderness, lest they fail to realize the necessity of obeying them. Commands violated in earlier judgments were repeated to make clear that disobedience would bring God's punishment.

Obedience and End-Time Admonition

Deuteronomy 1 records why the adults of the army that left Egypt were refused entry into the promised land. It proves that the Lord's promises are upon condition of obedience. Disobedience forfeits the promised blessing.

The law and the Lord's instructions were repeated to Israel before they took possession of the land. This rehearsal included their failures and victories during forty years of wandering. It was given so the new generation preparing to enter would know God's commands and the conditions of inheritance and obedience. The principles God gave then were to guide each new move as Israel approached possession of Jericho and Canaan. Obedience to them was the condition of prosperity in the promised land.

These are presented as the Lord's words, to be read and obeyed, belonging with Deuteronomy 7 and 8. They were written for the admonition of those living at the end of the world, upon whom the ends of the world are come. For those at the end, this requires giving up human judgment and opinion and ideas about pleasing self. The only question to be asked is whether a course is the will of the Lord. There must be no following only up to the point that agrees with self, but a being molded after the similitude of Christ in self-denial and self-sacrifice to meet the Lord's standard of perfection of character.

The setting, with Moses rehearsing to Israel the Lord's dealings with them during their wilderness journey as they camped on the borders of Jordan, illustrates the need to preserve and review the ways God has led His people so later generations can learn from their experience. The book of Deuteronomy is the record of that rehearsal of all His dealings with them during their journeyings through the wilderness after they had crossed the desert. It means a work that should have been done long ago must now be done. The record of the experience through which they have passed and the way the Lord wrought for them is to be republished and kept before God's people, because many who have since come into the truth are ignorant of it.