Deuteronomy is a diary of the journeys of the Children of Israel from the book of Exodus. Moses was restating all that had happened on their journey of nearly forty years. Moses was leading them from Mount Sinai where they had received God’s law and Moses spoke to the people in the plain opposite Suph between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab (v1).
The people were camped on the east side of the Jordan River, on the plains of Moab, across from the city of Jericho and apparently able to see over the river Jordan into the Promised Land to which they were heading. They were on the verge of entering the land that had been promised centuries earlier to their forefathers (Genesis 12). This was the fortieth year since leaving Egypt (v3). Moses was recounting the words of The LORD God to the people and began to explain His laws (v5). They had come through the wilderness and there had been grumblings and disobedience, as a result of which, only himself, Joshua and Caleb, and, possibly, children, especially those who had been born since they left, were still alive who left Egypt and therefore, they needed reminding of God’s words. Moses himself would not enter the Promised land because of his disobedience; thus, Deuteronomy is a book of reminding and preparation.
It is interesting that when Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness after his baptism and resisted the devil by quoting three times from this book of Deuteronomy, thus, it is a vital book for our Christian Walk. If it was important to Jesus, it must be important to us and, therefore, must not be disregarded as an irrelevant or out-of-date book. I believe that it is quoted more than eighty times in the New Testament.
It was eleven day’s journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea (v2). They had been at Kadesh Barnea before but because of their disobedience they wandered around in the wilderness for nearly forty years before arriving back there. They had been so close and yet so far from the Promised Land. In the fortieth year, the eleventh month on the first day of the month, Moses spoke The LORD’s commandments to the children of Israel (v2-4). It had taken those forty years for a generation, those who had left Egypt, to die and this was all down to their unbelief and disobedience. The LORD had given them victory over Sihon king of the Amorites dwelling in Hashbon, and Og king of Bashan, dwelling in Ashtaroth in Edrei.
Kadesh Barnea was the place where they refused to believe the report of the two good spies and instead believed the bad report of the ten spies who had been into the Promised Land (Numbers 13,14). They were afraid of the Canaanites and disobeyed God but when they were ready to obey, The LORD gave them the victory over Sihon and Og.
In Numbers 21 we have recorded for us these events – “Then Israel sent messengers (v21-23) to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into fields or vineyards; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.” But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and he came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.”
Sihon wouldn’t allow them to pass through just as the Edomites wouldn’t. Sihon attacked the Israelites. It is interesting to note in Deuteronomy 2:30 we are told that “Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand.” Thus, it was God’s doing so that Israel would defeat him.
Then Israel defeated him (v24-32) and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as Ammon; for the border of the people of Ammon was fortified. So, Israel took all these cities, and dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and in all its villages. For Sihon king of the Amorites, had fought against the former king of Moab, and had taken all his land from his hand as far as the Arnon. The land of the Amorites continued to be Israel’s possession and became the inheritance of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh.
From the land of the Amorites, Moses sent out men to spy Jazer; and it seems that they soon took the villages and drove out the Amorites. God, in His mercy, was preparing them for the big battles in Canaan. God often leads us in this way, giving us little victories to prepare us for something bigger. We must trust Him.
Now they go up to Bashan and Og the king of Bashan attacked them at Edrei. (v33-35). The Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.” This land again becomes part of Israel as God had given them victory.
Moses reminded them that The LORD their God had spoken to them in Horeb (also known as Sinai) and told them that they had been long enough at that mountain and they were to journey on to the mountains of the Amorites, the neighbouring places in the plain, the mountains and lowland in the South and on the sea coast, to the land of the Canaanite and Lebanon as far as the River Euphrates, referred to as the great river (v6-8). He assured them that he had set before them the land and that they were to go in and possess it just as He had promised to their forefathers.
They had spent a year at Sinai, and it was time to move on. Wonderful things had happened there. God had appeared and spoken with Moses and the Law had been given. Disastrous things had taken place too when they made and worshipped the golden calf. Maybe they were comfortable there, it was easier than fighting battles, but God had bigger and better plans for them. God had promised them a land and they had to move on in faith to that land.
Moses reminded them that The LORD had kept them to that very day and multiplied them to numberless multitude too large for him to manage alone and so had appointed wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from each tribe and he made them heads over them (v9-18) (see Numbers 11). He also appointed judges (Exodus 18) to deal with cases impartially and judge righteously on lesser cases so that Moses could deal with the more serious cases and make his burden lighter.
He also reminded them when they were in the wilderness and they saw the mountains of the Amorites, then they came to Kadesh Barnea (v19-21) and The LORD told them not to fear or be discouraged and to go up and take the land. This was Kadesh Barnea for the first time just one year after leaving Egypt. God was ready to lead them into the Promised Land, but they were afraid and because of their unbelief and lack of faith they asked Moses to send spies in first (v22,23). Moses was persuaded and sent the twelve spies, one from each tribe. God had previously told them that the land was a good land so there was no need to spy out the land. Relating this must have been painful for Moses. Ten spies brought news which discouraged the people, but two spies brought a good report. The people were afraid and thus they wandered around the wilderness for another 39 years because of their lack of faith in God and their disobedience (v24-33).
He reminded them how they had behaved and rebelled against The LORD. Moses was faithful to God in recalling the bad points as well as the good points. It was perfectly correct that he should. It is not a case of living in the past and beating ourselves with guilt, but rather, learning from the past and seeing how God has been faithful despite our failings. He reminded them that they hadn’t obeyed God and took notice of the spies who gave a bad report. They doubted God’s power and ability to lead them and rebelled and complained even though God had brought them to the place. He had led around two and a half million people and provided for them. He had never let them down, but they still doubted that God loved them and cared for them. They had been on the verge of going forward into the land, with The Lord who had told them that He would lead them and fight for them, but they didn’t go, and as a result, none of them entered except the two spies who trusted in God, Caleb and Joshua and the children (who were innocent (v39)). God had heard their words of rebellion and was angry with them. Even Moses didn’t go in because virtually at the last moment he too disobeyed God by striking the rock for water when God had told him to speak to it (v34-40).
It is just the same today, we often doubt the love of God even though he has given the ultimate Gift of His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, to die for and take away our sins. What more could we ask for and what greater evidence could He give for His love and care for us? It is in simple trust, like a child, and obedience, that we receive salvation, offered, and provided for, in Christ Jesus. It is by faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone.
Moses reminded them that they admitted that they had sinned against The LORD and said that would go and fight but when they were ready to go, The LORD told Moses to stop them from going because He wasn’t with them, and they would be defeated (v41-46). However, they would not listen, and they rebelled against The LORD and went up the mountain to fight the Amorites who went out against them like a swarm of bees and drove them back from Seir to Hormah. Their apparent repentance was not genuine, and their fighting was in vain.
