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Article written by Sombra Wilson
Moses begins to write Deuteronomy, and by the end of it, Moses has died and the
Children of Israel need to continue on into the Promised Land without Him.The Greek
word Deuteronomy means Second Law or a repetition of the law. In Hebrew this book is
called Devarim, which means “Words”. These are the final words of Moses, the final
speeches he makes to Israel that they may keep the commandments of Yehovah.
Last week we mentioned inheritance, and how the children of the concubine do not get
an inheritance, how a woman without a covenant has no protection or provision in the
case of the man’s death or if he leaves her. In Deuteronomy 1, the children of Israel are
being offered their inheritance following their receiving the covenant at Mount Sinai.
Moses is speaking to the Young Nation of Israel on the East side of the Jordan. They
are about to enter and take possession of their inheritance, but Moses reminds them of
what happened over the last 40 years and reminds them to trust their Bridegroom and
not fear, not fail to keep the covenant.
Deuteronomy 1:1-8
The Command to Leave Horeb
[1] These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the
wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth,
and Dizahab. [2] It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to
Kadesh-barnea. [3] In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses
spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him in
commandment to them, [4] after he had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites, who
lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth and in Edrei. [5]
Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this law, saying, [6]
“The LORD our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this
mountain. [7] Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and
to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the
Negeb and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the
great river, the river Euphrates. [8] See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take
possession of the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and
to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them.’All that you see in this map was supposed to be the inheritance for the Nation of Israel,
from the where they were in the South near the Red Sea, to the Mediteranean sea on
the west all the way to the Euphrates in the east, to the mountains in Lebanon in the
north. It should have taken them only 11 days to journey to their inheritance, but
because the spies brought back a bad report, and they trusted in the evil report rather
than in Yehovah’s word, they were then given a consequence of 40 years in the
wilderness for this lack of faith. They would die in the wilderness, but their children
would still gain an inheritance.
Number 14:20-23 Then the LORD said, “I have pardoned, according to your word. 21 But
truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD, 22 none of the
men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and
yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see
the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall
see it.
Number 14:28-35 28 Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the LORD, what you have said in my
hearing I will do to you: 29 your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your
number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled
against me, 30 not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you
dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 But your little
ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land
that you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.
33 And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer
for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. 34
According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year
for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.’
35 I, the LORD, have spoken. Surely this will I do to all this wicked congregation who are
gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there
they shall die.”
This inheritance of land symbolizes God’s covenant. He is faithful and gives good gifts,
a tangible blessing that will be a home, in perpetuity, enduring provision. It is a home
where Yehovah can continue their relationship with His people. It’s a sign of God’s love
and promise, but requires obedience for the fulfillment of the covenant; we forfeit this
inheritance when we are unfaithful, including the ultimate inheritance which is eternal
life with Him.
Leviticus 25:23-24 “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you
are strangers and sojourners with me. 24 And in all the country you possess, you shall
allow a redemption of the land.
We could have inherited all this land from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates, and
today we fight to keep the land wedged between the Mediterranean and the Jordan,
every day we are threatened with wicked men trying to take our inheritance from us.
Let’s keep reading Deuteronomy 1:9-11
[9] “At that time I said to you, ‘I am not able to bear you by myself. [10] The LORD your
God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous as the stars of heaven.
[11] May the LORD, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as
you are and bless you, as he has promised you!
At the time Moses was to take the Children of Israel into the Promised Land at the end
of the 40 years there were approximately 2 -3 Million in the camp of Israel. Moses
prays that there would be 1000 times as many. In 2026, there are about 15.7 Million
Jews world wide, about half living in the State of Israel. But what of the others – the rest
of the tribes of Israel, those who went into the Assyrian exile and never came back?
They have scattered around the world, and there’s no real way to count them. But
Christians are part of Greater Israel, and there are an estimated 2.6 Billion Christians. I
would say Yehovah has answered Moses prayer.
Deuteronomy 1:12-18[12] How can I bear by myself the weight and burden of you and your strife? [13]
Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint
them as your heads.’ [14] And you answered me, ‘The thing that you have spoken is
good for us to do.’ [15] So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men,
and set them as heads over you, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds,
commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and officers, throughout your tribes. [16]
And I charged your judges at that time, ‘Hear the cases between your brothers, and
judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him. [17] You
shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall
not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard
for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’ [18] And I commanded you at that time
all the things that you should do.
I have recently been in the situation that I have had trouble with a brother. I have not
been able to bear the trouble myself. I could not defend myself from the assault and
instead of going to God with my troubles I began to comfort myself with food. This is
the sin of gluttony. The food is not the sin, the eating is not the sin, rather, the
comforting myself with food rather than comforting myself by seeking Yehovah to be my
defender, my protector, my comforter; that was the sin.
Moses is telling of how he could not bear the weigh of all the troubles between the
brethren, and Jethro, his Father in Law, advised him to set up judges to over see courts
beneath him to support him. There are definitely times we need others to help us
resolve our troubles, advisors, intermediaries, judges. But the best and first solution
should always be to seek Yehovah’s face regarding the troubles you are in, for Yehovah
is never overburdened like Moses was with our troubles. Rather, He longs for us to run
to Him, especially for the little troubles, for if we did that with the little things, there would
be far fewer big things that we would need to stand before a human Judge for.
Because of the corruption in the world we live in, we fear the courts. The courts are
supposed to be there to protect us, to discern right from wrong, to restore justice and
order. But corruption in our world has made everyone feel the victim, feel oppressed
and feel there is no trust for the system. Both the plaintif and the defendant feel they
are the victim and feel victimized by the courts. This is why we fear to come before
Yehovah – we feel we are the victim and rarely want to face that we are guilty of sin,
even the smallest sin. Scripture gives us a pattern that we are to come before Yehovah
and bring our sacrifices twice daily – whether it be sacrifices in the temple, or the
sacrifice of prayer. If we were in the habit of doing this, with true humility, with the soul
searching done to recognize our responsibility in a trouble with another – with reverence
asking forgiveness, and doing the work to change what ever it is that caused us to do
this part in the trouble with our brother, then we would have a much more peaceful
society and the troubles would be resolved without needing the courts.
2 Peter 1:2-15
2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our
Lord.
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through
the knowledge of him who called us to[c] his own glory and excellence,[d] 4 by which he
has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may
become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the
world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement
your faith with virtue,[e] and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control,
and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness
with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities[f] are
yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so
nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
10 Therefore, brothers,[g] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election,
for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly
provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.
12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them
and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this
body,[h] to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my
body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every
effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
Moses knew he needed to teach the people to come before Yehovah themselves. Every
good teacher knows they are trying to work themselves out of a job. My design is not to
be your teacher forever, my design is that each of you would grow to have your own
deep intimate relationship with the Father so YOU can go out and teach others, that you
would outgrow your need for me to teach you every week. Peter also knew that his
disciples needed to grow to not need him. We are all human, we all will die, but if the
body of believers falls apart when a teacher dies, then the teacher has failed to teach
the disciples.
Let’s keep reading Deuteronomy 1: 19 -33Israel’s Refusal to Enter the Land
[19] “Then we set out from Horeb and went through all that great and terrifying
wilderness that you saw, on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the LORD our
God commanded us. And we came to Kadesh-barnea. [20] And I said to you, ‘You have
come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. [21] See,
the LORD your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the LORD,
the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’ [22] Then all of you
came near me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, that they may explore the land for
us and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up and the cities into which
we shall come.’ [23] The thing seemed good to me, and I took twelve men from you,
one man from each tribe. [24] And they turned and went up into the hill country, and
came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied it out. [25] And they took in their hands some of
the fruit of the land and brought it down to us, and brought us word again and said, ‘It is
a good land that the LORD our God is giving us.’
[26] “Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your
God. [27] And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the LORD hated us he
has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to
destroy us. [28] Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt,
saying, “The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up
to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’ [29] Then I said
to you, ‘Do not be in dread or afraid of them. [30] The LORD your God who goes before
you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, [31] and in
the wilderness, where you have seen how the LORD your God carried you, as a man
carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ [32] Yet in spite of
this word you did not believe the LORD your God, [33] who went before you in the way
to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and in the cloud by day, to
show you by what way you should go.
Yehovah has given us a direction, instructions on how to get to His Promised Land.
Just as Leviticus 23 tells us the feast days, the path the betrothed heavenly couple
takes on their journey toward eternity together, and we are to rehearse these steps
yearly, Moses too is reviewing and retelling and reminding the Children of Israel about
the fatal steps they made along their journey which lead to Yehovah’s wrath. The could
have entered the Promised Land at Kadesh Barnea, instead they were sent back to
learn some more, to grow in intimacy with Him.
Mark 12:3434 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far
from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more
questions.
Sometimes we are so close to where we are supposed to be but we slip, we miss the
mark. We suffer trials and tribulations, then we need to learn a lesson. The trial are
not designed to destroy us, they are designed to teach us, to strengthen us, to learn
to use what we have already been taught, but have failed so far to implement.
When we read the story in Numbers, it seemed it was Yehovah’s idea to send the spies
into the Land, but here in Deuteronomy it says Yehovah gave them permission after
they were apprehensive and needed proof the Promised Land was a good place to go.
We too sometimes need to put a fleece out before Yehovah to know what we are
supposed to. It is OK to ask Him what to do, it is ok to have trepidation, but when you
ask for a sign, you need to trust the sign and not doubt.
Judges 6:36-40 36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you
have said, 37 behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew
on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save
Israel by my hand, as you have said.” 38 And it was so. When he rose early next morning
and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water.
39 Then Gideon said to God, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just
once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the
fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.
” 40 And God did so that night; and it
was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.
Gideon may have had trepidation, but he asked, and asked a second time for a second
witness, but in the end, he went. If Gideon had concerns when he was first called to go
to Midian, the next part of the story tells us he doesn’t get to go with a mighty army, but
must go with just 300 men. You see, it’s not about our weakness. Or rather, it’s not
about our strength, we need to go forth in our weakness trusting Yehovah has it all
under control. What ever we are facing, going in weakness, trusting in the strength of
Yehovah – THIS is the way to victory.
If the Children of Israel had trusted in the strength of Yehovah regardless of their own
weakness, He would have given them their inheritance despite those giants in the land.
Instead they focused on their own weakness and felt they could not conquer these
giants in their own strength. And they were right.. They couldn’t. When we look at our
own lack, when that is our focus, instead of looking towards what Yehovah has
promised us, trusting Him as our faithful Bridegroom – we risk that eternal unity with
Him. There is no such thing as “Once Saved Always Saved”. There is a judgement
day. There is a door that might be closed on us.
Deuteronomy 1: 34-46
The Penalty for Israel’s Rebellion
[34] “And the LORD heard your words and was angered, and he swore, [35] ‘Not one of
these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your
fathers, [36] except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it, and to him and to his
children I will give the land on which he has trodden, because he has wholly followed
the LORD!’ [37] Even with me the LORD was angry on your account and said, ‘You also
shall not go in there. [38] Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter.
Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. [39] And as for your little ones, who
you said would become a prey, and your children, who today have no knowledge of
good or evil, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it.
[40] But as for you, turn, and journey into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.’
[41] “Then you answered me, ‘We have sinned against the LORD. We ourselves will go
up and fight, just as the LORD our God commanded us.’ And every one of you fastened
on his weapons of war and thought it easy to go up into the hill country. [42] And the
LORD said to me, ‘Say to them, Do not go up or fight, for I am not in your midst, lest you
be defeated before your enemies.’ [43] So I spoke to you, and you would not listen; but
you rebelled against the command of the LORD and presumptuously went up into the
hill country. [44] Then the Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you
and chased you as bees do and beat you down in Seir as far as Hormah. [45] And you
returned and wept before the LORD, but the LORD did not listen to your voice or give
ear to you. [46] So you remained at Kadesh many days, the days that you remained
there. (ESV)
Not even one of these, Moses included would enter this promised land.
Let that sink in.
Even Moses didn’t have “Once Saved Always Saved” and Moses spoke with Yehovah
face to face.
I do not say this to scare you. There is no fear in love.1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with
punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
Our Father Loves us, with a perfect love. Let me pray a prayer from the Sidur. It’s found
on page 89 of the Complete Artscroll Sidur (book of Prayers)
With an abundant love have you loved us, Yehovah, our God; With exceedingly great pity
have you pitied us. Our Father, our King, for the sake of our forefathers who trusted in
You and whom You taught the decrees of life, may You be equally gracious to us and
teach us. Father, the merciful Father, who acts mercifully, have mercy upon us, instill in
our hearts to understand and elucidate, to listen, learn, teach, safeguard, perform, and
fulfill all the words of Your Torah’s teaching with love. Enlighten our eyes in your Torah,
attach our hearts to Your commandments, unite our hearts to love and to fear your
name. And may we not feel inner shame for all eternity. Because we have trusted in your
great and awesome holy Name, may we exult and rejoice in your salvation. Bring us in
peacefulness from the four corners of the earth and lead us with upright pride to our
land. For you effect salvations, O God: You have chosen us from among every people
and every tongue. And You have brought us close to Your great Name forever in truth, to
offer praiseful thanks to You, and proclaim Your Oneness with love. Blessed are you,
Yehovah, who chooses his people Israel with love.
Yehovah’s love does not punish, and it does not cause us to fear, so we can draw near
to Him and we can confess our sins and be forgiven. We have nothing to fear. We must
listen to Him and follow His instructions.
Psalm 37:11
peace.
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of
That word Meek, that’s the word Anav, and it means humble or afflict. At Yom Kippor we
are to afflict ourselves so that we come before our Father to be judged as righteous.
That’s the part of the Betrothal journey where we either go forward to the wedding feast,
or are given a writ of divorce. Those who go forward to the wedding feast, they shall
inherit the earth and have abundant peace.
Philemon, would you please bring Yehovah’s blessing to us from Numbers 6 please.
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