Moses’ sermon #2

Author’s preface

4:44-49

• A sermon about the Law of God
• Preached near Beth Peor in land taken from King Sihon (land had also been taken from King Og)

[cf. Num 21:21-35, Dt 2:24 – 3:11. Beth Peor is situated in the Plains of Moab east of the Jordan; Moses mentions camping there in Dt 3:29]

Part A¹: An exhortation to love God and keep His Law

5:1-22

• God had declared His covenant: the [ten] commandments [now repeated here] [See Ex 20:1-17]

5:23-31

• The people had feared God’s voice & asked Moses to listen on their behalf [See Ex 20:18-21]

5:32 – 6:3

• You must do what God has commanded so that you may live a long time (cf. 4:1)

6:4-25

• Love Yahweh
• Keep this Law on your hearts; teach it to your children; do not forget God; teach your children about your salvation from Egypt & about God’s Law (cf. 4:9, 11:18-21)

Part A²: Prepare to fight for and live in the Promised Land

7:1-5

• Destroy the [idolatrous] nations in the Land, or God will destroy you
• Destroy their false gods

7:6-15

• God chose to save you from Egypt because of His love & His covenant [in Gen 15:12-21];
• God keeps His covenant but opposes those who hate Him; keep His laws & you will be blessed

7:16-26

• Destroy the nations
• Remember what God did to Egypt! He will fight for you
• Destroy idols

ch. 8

• Obey the Law; God tested you with manna to see if you would keep the Law; remember God

9:1-3

• Enter the Land; God will destroy the Anakites [the most feared inhabitants of Canaan, Num 13:31-33]

Part A³: Recap: Israel’s wickedness& God’s goodness

9:4-6

• You are not receiving the Land because you are righteous but because its natives are wicked

9:7-21

i. Remember, you rebelled against God by making a [golden] calf [idol], [See Ex ch. 32]

9:22

• & you angered God at Taberah, Massah and Kibroth Hattaavah, [See Num 11; Ex 17:1-7]

9:23-24

• & you rebelled against God by refusing to enter the Promised Land [See Num 13:25 – 14:35]

9:25-27

ii. Moses spent 40 days & nights interceding for Israel [at Sinai / cf. 9:18-19], [See Ex 34:28]

9:28-29

• & asked that the land [of Egypt] should not say, ‘God failed [to save Israel]!’, [See Ex 32:11-14]

10:1-5

• & Moses made 2 new stone-tablets [having broken the first ones, see 9:17], [See Ex 34:4]

10:6-7

• & [when] Aaron died, Eleazar replaced him [continuing the High Priesthood], [See Num 20:28]

10:8-9

• & God chose the Levites to serve Him, [See Num 1:50]

10:10-11

• & God listened to Moses’ prayer [of intercession] & said, ‘Go to the Land’ [See Ex 34:8-11]

Part A⁴: An exhortation to love God and keep His Law

10:12-22

• You are to fear, love & obey God & circumcise your hearts, because He loved your ancestors

11:1-7

• Love God & keep His laws, because you saw what He did to Egypt & to the disobedient

11:8-25

• Obey God & He will bless you in the Land; remember God’s words & teach them (cf. 6:6-9)

11:26-32

• There are blessings for obedience & curses for disobedience; declare them! (see 27:11 – 28:68)

Part B¹: Laws

12:1-14

• Destroy the pagan places of worship; there must only be one place for sacrificing to God

12:15-28

• You may kill & eat meat anywhere in the Land, but must not eat the blood;
• all tithes & sacrifices must only be eaten at God’s one place of worship [the tabernacle] [See Lev 17:8-14]

12:29 – 13:18

• Do not be curious about false gods
• Anyone who tells you to follow idols must be killed

14:1-2

• Do not cut yourselves for the dead [as that is a pagan practice for mourning]; you are a holy people

14:3-21

• Do not eat bad [ritually ‘unclean’] food;
• List: Animals that can & cannot be eaten [See Lev ch. 11]

14:22-29

• Use your tithe to eat before God;
• every 3^rd year, give your tithe to the Levites & the poor

15:1-18

• Every 7^th year, cancel debts to fellow Israelites and set Hebrew servants free [cf. Ex 21:2]

15:19-23

• Firstborn animals must be [sacrificed to God, then] eaten before God (unless they are blemished)

16:1-17

• Keep the Passover & Feast-of-Unleavened-Bread & Feast-of-Weeks & Feast-of-Tabernacles

16:18-20

• Appoint judges in every town [in the Land] and ensure there is justice [cf. 1:9-18, Ex 18:21-26]

16:21 – 17:7

• Do not make an idol; do not sacrifice blemished animals to God; idolators must die

17:8-13

• In a difficult trial, consult the head Judge; any person who disobeys their verdict must die

17:14-20

• If Israel wants a king, he must be chosen by God; he must read the Law daily & be humble

18:1-8

• Priests & Levites have no inheritance as God is their inheritance; they can eat food offerings

18:9-14

• Do not worship like the Canaanites (with mediums, fortune-tellers, divination, seances, etc.)

Part B²: The prophet that God will send

18:15-19

• God will send the people a prophet like Moses who must be listened to [Jesus, see Acts 3:22-26]

18:20-22

• False prophets (who prophesy things that do not come to pass) must die [cf. warning at 13:1-5]

Part B³: Laws

19:1-13

• Set apart Cities of Refuge; keep the laws for manslaughter & murder [See Num 35:9-34]

19:14

• Do not move a boundary stone

[or you will be cursed, see 27:17, for it is the same as stealing land]

19:15-21

• There must be more than one witness to a crime (cf. 17:6); false witnesses must be punished

ch. 20

• Rules of engagement during war (including, v18, reason for destroying the Canaanites)

21:1-9

• For an unsolved murder, sacrifice a heifer to make atonement (removing guilt of bloodshed)

21:10-21

• Laws: If you marry a captive woman... / If you hate your firstborn... / If your son is a rebel...

21:22-23

• If you hang a man on a tree, then bury him the same day, as he is cursed [cf. Jesus in Gal 3:13]

22:1-12

• Miscellaneous laws #1: [Various laws]

22:13-30

• Laws: What to do if a man questions his bride’s virginity
• Punish adultery, rape & incest

23:1-8

• List: People who are excluded from the assembly of God [contrast Isa 56:3-7, Acts 8:26-38]

23:9-14

• During war, remain [ritually] ‘clean’ because God is present to save you from your enemies

23:15 – 25:16

• Miscellaneous laws #2: [Various laws]

25:17-19

• Destroy the Amalekites [cf. Ex 17:8-16]

26:1-15

• The prayer for offering firstfruits
• The prayer for offering tithes in the 3^rd year (cf. 14:28-29)

Part B⁴: The people have agreed to obey God’s Law

26:16-19

• Today, Yahweh has commanded obedience (cf. 10:12-13);
• Today, you have agreed to obey;
• Today, God has declared you to be His treasured people (cf. 27:9-10 & 29:9-15)

Lev / Num / DEUT / Josh / Jdg