On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,
On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, after crossing the desert as the time to enter Canaan approached, Moses began his final work before his death to declare the law. His hearers were the new generation grown up to inherit the promise, for the adult army that left Egypt had died in the wilderness, and many had been small children with no remembrance of the giving of the law or had been born in the wilderness. To declare the law was to rehearse Israel's journeyings, deliverance, blessings, failures, transgressions and judgments since leaving Egypt, and to repeat and expand the laws given at Sinai with their reasons and conditions made plain rather than to give a new revelation. He enjoined obedience as the condition of prosperity and possession of the land, proving that God's promises are conditional, so that obedience brings life and disobedience brings death and punishment and can alter His purpose toward His people. The chapter is the Lord's own instruction and warning for those living at the end of the world, to be read in full and carefully with Deuteronomy 7, Deuteronomy 8 and Deuteronomy 28, calling for full following of His voice and the example of Christ rather than human judgment.
Setting and Audience
On this side of Jordan, in the land of Moab, beside the Jordan on its borders, Moses and Israel were encamped after crossing the desert as the time to enter Canaan approached. This was Moses's final work before his death, the beginning of his final instruction to declare the law. His hearers were the new generation preparing to possess the promised land, for the adults of the army that left Egypt had died in the wilderness and their children had grown up to inherit the promise of possessing Canaan. Many had been small children when the law was given and had no remembrance of its grandeur, and others had been born in the wilderness, so the law with its commands and the conditions for possessing the land had to be taught to them again.
To declare this law meant to rehearse Israel's history and God's instruction and dealings with them. Moses was to relate all their journeyings since leaving Egypt, their deliverance from Egypt and forty years of wandering, the blessings received, trials, failures and victories, mistakes, warnings received, and the great transgressions of their fathers that brought God's judgments upon them. The book of Deuteronomy is the record of that rehearsal directed by the Lord. The declaration was not a new revelation but a repeating and expanding of laws previously given at Sinai. Its enforcement was further explained, some precepts were clarified, reasons were made plain, commands violated in earlier judgments were repeated, and the Ten Commandments with all the laws and judgments and the circumstances connected with their giving were recapitulated. These written and repeated commands were as truly God's words to the people as the commandments spoken aloud at Sinai and written on stone.
Obedience Decides Destiny
The opening of the chapter explains why the Lord refused to bring the adult men of the army that came out of Egypt into the promised land. His promises are upon condition of obedience, and the exclusion of that generation proves the condition. Their disobedience caused Him to alter His purpose toward Israel. The chapter is to be read carefully together with Deuteronomy 28 in order to see that condition of obedience. Moses presented the claims of the law and enjoined obedience as the condition of prosperity. He repeated and expanded laws previously given at Sinai rather than giving a new revelation. Their enforcement was further explained, some precepts were clarified, and the reasons for them were made plain. Commands that had been violated in earlier judgments were repeated so the people would understand that disobedience brings God's punishment. The precepts were to be kept before the people, taught by parents to their children, and read publicly. This was necessary lest the new generation fail to realize the necessity of obeying the Ten Commandments and all the laws and judgments. Israel's prosperity depended on obedience. Obedience brought life, and disobedience brought death.
Warning for Last Days
The chapter opened here is the Lord's own words and instruction for the people living at the end of the world. It is to be read in full and carefully, together with Deuteronomy 7 and Deuteronomy 8, and with Deuteronomy 28, as warning and admonition for those on whom the ends of the world are come.
It sets the Lord's standard of perfection of character against feeble human standards. It calls for learning the word of the Lord and appreciating and obeying His voice with full following of His guidance, instead of following human judgment and ideas up to a point and then holding to self and to one's own judgment. Everything is to be viewed in the light of the example of Christ, who is the truth and the true light, to be copied and followed in self-denial and self-sacrifice and in living not to please self.
At the Lord's direction Moses rehearsed to Israel all the dealings of the Lord with them during their journeyings through the wilderness, and the book of Deuteronomy is the record of that rehearsal, giving the pattern that the same work of rehearsing God's past dealings must now be done.
On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, after crossing the desert as the time to enter Canaan approached, Moses began his final work before his death to declare the law. His hearers were the new generation grown up to inherit the promise, for the adult army that left Egypt had died in the wilderness, and many had been small children with no remembrance of the giving of the law or had been born in the wilderness. To declare the law was to rehearse Israel's journeyings, deliverance, blessings, failures, transgressions and judgments since leaving Egypt, and to repeat and expand the laws given at Sinai with their reasons and conditions made plain rather than to give a new revelation. He enjoined obedience as the condition of prosperity and possession of the land, proving that God's promises are conditional, so that obedience brings life and disobedience brings death and punishment and can alter His purpose toward His people. The chapter is the Lord's own instruction and warning for those living at the end of the world, to be read in full and carefully with Deuteronomy 7, Deuteronomy 8 and Deuteronomy 28, calling for full following of His voice and the example of Christ rather than human judgment.
Setting and Audience
On this side of Jordan, in the land of Moab, beside the Jordan on its borders, Moses and Israel were encamped after crossing the desert as the time to enter Canaan approached. This was Moses's final work before his death, the beginning of his final instruction to declare the law. His hearers were the new generation preparing to possess the promised land, for the adults of the army that left Egypt had died in the wilderness and their children had grown up to inherit the promise of possessing Canaan. Many had been small children when the law was given and had no remembrance of its grandeur, and others had been born in the wilderness, so the law with its commands and the conditions for possessing the land had to be taught to them again.
To declare this law meant to rehearse Israel's history and God's instruction and dealings with them. Moses was to relate all their journeyings since leaving Egypt, their deliverance from Egypt and forty years of wandering, the blessings received, trials, failures and victories, mistakes, warnings received, and the great transgressions of their fathers that brought God's judgments upon them. The book of Deuteronomy is the record of that rehearsal directed by the Lord. The declaration was not a new revelation but a repeating and expanding of laws previously given at Sinai. Its enforcement was further explained, some precepts were clarified, reasons were made plain, commands violated in earlier judgments were repeated, and the Ten Commandments with all the laws and judgments and the circumstances connected with their giving were recapitulated. These written and repeated commands were as truly God's words to the people as the commandments spoken aloud at Sinai and written on stone.
Obedience Decides Destiny
The opening of the chapter explains why the Lord refused to bring the adult men of the army that came out of Egypt into the promised land. His promises are upon condition of obedience, and the exclusion of that generation proves the condition. Their disobedience caused Him to alter His purpose toward Israel. The chapter is to be read carefully together with Deuteronomy 28 in order to see that condition of obedience.
Moses presented the claims of the law and enjoined obedience as the condition of prosperity. He repeated and expanded laws previously given at Sinai rather than giving a new revelation. Their enforcement was further explained, some precepts were clarified, and the reasons for them were made plain. Commands that had been violated in earlier judgments were repeated so the people would understand that disobedience brings God's punishment.
The precepts were to be kept before the people, taught by parents to their children, and read publicly. This was necessary lest the new generation fail to realize the necessity of obeying the Ten Commandments and all the laws and judgments. Israel's prosperity depended on obedience. Obedience brought life, and disobedience brought death.
Warning for Last Days
The chapter opened here is the Lord's own words and instruction for the people living at the end of the world. It is to be read in full and carefully, together with Deuteronomy 7 and Deuteronomy 8, and with Deuteronomy 28, as warning and admonition for those on whom the ends of the world are come.
It sets the Lord's standard of perfection of character against feeble human standards. It calls for learning the word of the Lord and appreciating and obeying His voice with full following of His guidance, instead of following human judgment and ideas up to a point and then holding to self and to one's own judgment. Everything is to be viewed in the light of the example of Christ, who is the truth and the true light, to be copied and followed in self-denial and self-sacrifice and in living not to please self.
At the Lord's direction Moses rehearsed to Israel all the dealings of the Lord with them during their journeyings through the wilderness, and the book of Deuteronomy is the record of that rehearsal, giving the pattern that the same work of rehearsing God's past dealings must now be done.