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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and from the one end of the sky to the other, whether there has been anything like this great thing, or has been heard like it?- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>No other God came so close to His people to speak to them directly. The tragedy was that Israel asked that God <em>not </em>do this, and speak with them through Moses. They wanted to interpose a religious system between God and themselves for fear of facing up to the awesome reality of personal relationship with God. And so it has ever been amongst 'religious' people. The invitation to search through the records of all human history would have been more relevant to Judah in captivity in Babylon, with access to such records, than to Israel in the wilderness. I suggest this is another example of where Deuteronomy was rewritten under Divine inspiration for the exiles- for they too needed to quit idolatry and go forward in faith to possess the same promised land and establish God’s Kingdom in it. See on :44.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire as you have heard, and live?-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel complained that no other nation had ever been asked to hear the voice of their God in a personal way; they feared that hearing this voice meant their condemnation (<em><a href='B:50 5:26'>Deu 5:26</a></em>). But God meant it so positively; the fact they had heard God’s voice was a sign of His amazing grace (<em><a href='B:50 4:32-33'>Deu 4:32-33</a></em>). Yet Israel turned the display of that grace into a reason to fear condemnation. They were far happier not being confronted by such radical grace, and the personal engagement of God with them. And so they desperately sought to use mere religion to shield them from this, asking Moses to go through with this engagement with God and then give them a few rules to obey, which didn’t too deeply interrupt their lives. This is the abiding tendency of men of all ages; to flee from grace to the structures of mere religion.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Or has God tried to take a nation for Himself- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew word for "trials" means just that. God tried, He attempted, to take Israel out of Egypt and make them His own loyal people- just as He tries, unsuccessfully, with so many today. And it seems not all Israel kept the Passover, some were slain, and perhaps some chose to remain in Egypt. And the majority He took out, returned there in their hearts. But He tried, with amazing effort. In this we see the limitation of God, albeit self-imposed, due to His huge respect for human freewill. No other God tried (and tries) so hard to bring His people out from Egypt (the world) to be solely His. Every Red Sea / baptism deliverance of an individual is the sum of a huge amount of work from God. Those who were raised as believers need not think this to be irrelevant to them.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>From the midst of another nation by trials, by signs and by wonders- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It is stressed that Israel were taken out from the "midst of Egypt" (<em><a href='B:50 4:34'>Deu 4:34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:110 8:51'>1Ki 8:51</a></em>). The plagues and wonders were done in "the midst of Egypt" (<em><a href='B:20 3:20'>Exo 3:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:3'>Deu 11:3</a></em>). The midst of Egypt appears to be defined in <em><a href='B:230 135:9'>Psa 135:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 19:3'>Isa 19:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 29:3'>Eze 29:3</a></em> as being Pharaoh and his servants. The narrative therefore stresses so much his response to the plagues. God’s especial focus had been upon his conversion, and yet he refused. Israel were taken out right from under his nose, from the very heart of Egypt. <em><a href='B:330 20:8'>Eze 20:8</a></em> reveals what is not recorded in the historical record; that because the Israelites were so devoted to Egyptian idolatry still, His thought had been to destroy them "in the midst of the land of Egypt" (<em><a href='B:330 20:8'>Eze 20:8</a></em>). But God’s pole of grace overcame the pole of necessary judgment. He tolerated them and saved them, with enthusiasm, by the grace which comes from love- love taken to its ultimate, saving term. The whole narrative speaks as if the Hebrews were all at one place at one time and left "the midst of Egypt" together. Although unrecorded in the historical narrative, this would have meant that they gathered together "in the midst of Egypt" with Moses, who was not in Goshen but in the locality and presence of Pharaoh.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>By war and by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm and by great terrors, according to all that Yahweh your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses was to stretch forth his hand to cause the waters of the Red Sea to part and return, not his rod; because he was manifesting the hand of Yahweh which was to deliver Israel (s.w. <em><a href='B:20 7:5'>Exo 7:5</a></em>). The repeated references to the stretched our arm or hand of Yahweh to save His people invite us to recall this incident, and to perceive that Yahweh's hand had been manifest through the hand of Moses (<em><a href='B:50 4:34'>Deu 4:34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:15'>Deu 5:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:19'>Deu 7:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:2'>Deu 11:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 26:8'>Deu 26:8</a></em>). That stretched out, saving arm and hand of Yahweh was and is stretched out still, to save His people (<em><a href='B:110 8:42'>1Ki 8:42</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 20:34'>Eze 20:34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 9:15'>Dan 9:15</a></em> "as at this day") and bring about a new creation in human lives (<em><a href='B:290 45:12'>Isa 45:12</a></em>). For the deliverance through the Red Sea is intended to be experienced by all God’s people, and is now seen through His saving grace at baptism (<em><a href='B:530 10:1-2'>1Co 10:1-2</a></em>). What happened there was but the beginning of the work of God’s outstretched arm (<em><a href='B:50 3:24'>Deu 3:24</a></em>). Yet the stretched out arm / hand of God is also a figure for His judgment (<em><a href='B:130 21:16'>1Ch 21:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 9:12'>Isa 9:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 10:4'>Isa 10:4</a></em>). His hand is at work in our lives- either to our condemnation or our salvation. And it is for us therefore to humble ourselves beneath that mighty hand (<em><a href='B:670 5:6'>1Pe 5:6</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>It was shown to you so that you might know that Yahweh is God and that there is none else besides Him- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>“I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God (the Hebrew word for ‘god’ essentially means ‘power’) beside Me” (<em><a href='B:290 45:5'>Isa 45:5</a></em>); “Is there a God beside Me? There is no God; I know not any”, God says (<em><a href='B:290 44:8'>Isa 44:8</a></em>). Such verses occur time and again throughout the Bible. Because God is the source of all power and the only God, He is therefore a jealous God, as He often reminds us (e.g. <em><a href='B:20 20:5'>Exo 20:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:24'>Deu 4:24</a></em>). God gets jealous when His people start believing in other gods, if they say to Him, ‘You are a great God, a powerful God, but actually I believe there are still some other gods beside You, even if they are not as powerful as You’. This is the problem with believing that there are demons or a Devil in existence as well as the true God. This is just the mistake Israel made. Much of the Old Testament is spent showing how Israel displeased God by believing in other gods as well as in Him. The “demons” some people believe in today are equivalent to those false gods Israel believed in.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Out of heaven He made you hear his voice so that He might instruct you, and on earth He made you see His great fire and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Although God spoke to Moses alone in the mount, Moses stresses that actually God "spake unto <em>you</em> in the mount out of the midst of the fire". The word of God to His scribes really is, to the same gripping, terrifying degree, His direct word to us (<em><a href='B:50 4:36'>Deu 4:36</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:4'>Deu 5:4</a></em>. This explains why David repeatedly refers to the miracle at the Red Sea as if this had affected him personally, to the extent that he could ecstatically rejoice because of it. However it has to be noted that it was God’s intention that Israel heard His voice directly. This would persuade them of His unique existence. But they refused to hear that word directly, preferring to hear it through Moses indirectly, and therefore the potential strengthening of faith didn’t happen. And that is true of so many apparently Christian people today.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their seed after them and brought you out-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>“You did not choose me, but I chose you… out of the world” (<em><a href='B:500 15:16'>Joh 15:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 15:19'>Joh 15:19</a></em>) corresponds to the oft repeated theme of Moses that God has chosen Israel “out of all peoples” (<em><a href='B:50 7:6'>Deu 7:6</a></em> RVmg.), by grace (<em><a href='B:50 4:37'>Deu 4:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:15'>Deu 10:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 14:2'>Deu 14:2</a></em>). Israel stood at Sinai and were told that if they were obedient, then they would be God’s people. But then they were told that actually, God accepted them anyway as His people. And only <em>then</em> was the Law given to Moses- with the message that it was to be kept out of gratitude for what God had <em>already</em> done by grace in saving them just "simply so", because he loved them and had chosen their ancestors by grace (<em><a href='B:50 4:34-40'>Deu 4:34-40</a></em>). Likewise it was <em>because</em> God sanctified Israel that they were to keep the Sabbath (<em><a href='B:20 31:13-14'>Exo 31:13-14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:15'>Deu 5:15</a></em>). It wasn't that any human obedience made them holy- the laws were simply an opportunity to respond to the grace shown them. For God’s salvation of them from Egypt, like ours from this world, was nothing but grace.</p><p>"Because He loved your fathers therefore He brought them out [of Egypt]" (Dt. 4:37) is Moses' answer to Israel's belief that it was because Yahweh hated Israel that He brought them out of Egypt (Dt. 1:27).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>With His presence, with His great power, out of Egypt- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>After the sin with the golden calf, God had told Israel that His presence would not go with them. But Moses had persuaded God to change on that (<em><a href='B:20 33:15-17'>Exo 33:15-17</a></em>), and he cites this as yet another amazing grace toward Israel by God. We note that he doesn't boast about the power of his prayers, but instead glories in what God had therefore done. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>to drive out nations from before you greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as at this day-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Our separation from this world isn’t merely negative. We are separated <em>from</em> the world ("brought you out", :37)&nbsp; so that we might be separated <em>unto</em> the things of God ("to bring you in"). These two ideas are found together in the Hebrew word for ‘holiness’. We learn here that the nations of Canaan were "greater", more numerous, than Israel. I have discussed on <em><a href='B:20 12:37'>Exo 12:37</a></em> how the word "thousand" has a wide range of meaning; and it is used of the six hundred "thousand" military age men who left Egypt. I suggested that we need not read this as a literal number, and that therefore the people of Israel were still relatively few, rather than several million as would be required if they had 600,000 military age men amongst them. For if Israel numbered a few million people, then the nations in Canaan would have numbered many million, if they were so much more numerous than Israel. And there are huge logistical problems with supposing a population in Canaan of say 20 million people.&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Know therefore this day and lay it to your heart, that Yahweh He is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is none else- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Time and again, Moses speaks of the state of their heart. He warns them against allowing a bad state of heart to develop, he speaks often of how apostasy starts in the heart. Moses makes a total of 49 references to the heart / mind of Israel in Deuteronomy, compared to only 13 in the whole of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. This indicates the paramount importance which our Lord attaches to the state of our mind. This was perhaps his greatest wish as He faced death; that we should develop a spiritual mind and thereby manifest the Father and come to salvation. Moses likewise saw the state of our mind as the key to spiritual success. But do we share this perspective? Do we guard our minds against the media and influence of a mind-corrupting world? It's been observed that the phrase "The God of (somebody)", or similar, occurs 614 times in the Old Testament, of which 306 are in Deuteronomy. Our very personal relationship with God was therefore something else which Moses came to grasp in his spiritual maturity. Statistical analysis of the word "love" in the Pentateuch likewise reveals that "love" was a great theme of Moses at the end of his life (Moses uses it 16 times in Deuteronomy, and only four times in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you this day, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which Yahweh your God gives you forever- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>That God is one is a command, an imperative to action (<em><a href='B:480 12:28-29'>Mar 12:28-29</a></em>). It underlies the whole law and prophets (<em><a href='B:470 22:40'>Mat 22:40</a></em>)- it's that fundamental. If there were two Gods, Yahweh would only demand half our energies. Nothing can be given to anything else; for there is nothing else to give to. There's only one God. There can be no idolatry in our lives, because there is only one God (<em><a href='B:120 19:18-19'>2Ki 19:18-19</a></em>). Because "there is none else, you shall keep <em>therefore</em> his statutes" (<em><a href='B:50 4:39-40'>Deu 4:39-40</a></em>). The Hebrew text of <em><a href='B:50 6:4'>Deu 6:4</a></em> suggests: "The Lord is our God, the Lord is one", thereby linking Yahweh's unity with His being our God, the sole Lord and unrivalled Master of His people. It also links the first principle of the unity of God with that of the covenant to Abraham; for "I will be their God" was one of the features of the covenant. The one God has only one people; not all religious systems can lead to the one Hope of Israel. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>So does "prolong your days" mean that long life promised to the obedient Israelite under the Old Covenant? Solomon observed that a just mad perished young and "a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness" (<em><a href='B:250 7:15'>Ecc 7:15</a></em>). <em><a href='B:330 12:22'>Eze 12:22</a></em> suggests that faithless Israel cynically observed that "The days are prolonged" and God’s prophetic word of condemnation had failed- implying they thought that prolonged days were being experienced by them despite their disobedience. The Hebrew phrase 'to prolong days' is found in <em><a href='B:290 53:10'>Isa 53:10</a></em>, where it is applied to how Messiah would 'prolong His days' not in this life, but in the resurrection. The repeated promises recorded in Deuteronomy of prolonged days upon the land of Israel would therefore hint at the eternity of the Kingdom rather than this life. Indeed, <em><a href='B:50 4:40'>Deu 4:40</a></em> says they would prolong their days "for ever". For an individual Israelite might be faithful but not prolong his or her days in the land because the whole people were to be carried away captive for their sins and the land given to a Gentile power. The opposite of 'days being prolonged' was 'utter destruction' (:26)- which would then speak of condemnation in the second death. This is one of many examples of where eternal life was possible under the Old Covenant- there were multiple different possibilities and plans God could have worked by. Israel could have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Messiah and not killed Him, and so forth. It seems the closer we probe God’s word, the more open He is revealed as being.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Then Moses set apart three cities beyond the Jordan toward the east- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The emphasis was very much upon <em>them</em> making the cities of refuge, and defining the paths which led to them from all settlements in the land (<em><a href='B:50 19:3'>Deu 19:3</a></em>): "I command you, saying, You must set apart three cities for yourselves" (<em><a href='B:50 19:7'>Deu 19:7</a></em>). Yet the record in <em><a href='B:60 18:1-28'>Jos 18:1-28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 19:1-51'>Jos 19:1-51</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 20:1-9'>Jos 20:1-9</a></em> shows that Israel didn’t do this, because they didn’t even capture all the cities which were to be cities of refuge. Moses attempted to arrange it all for them; for Moses set apart cities of refuge. But arrangements for personal salvation cannot be done by someone else.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>that the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbour unawares, and didn’t hate him in time past, and that fleeing to one of these cities he might live:-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We are all in the position of the man who unintentionally committed manslaughter and must therefore die. We are under sentence of death by reason of being human, as well as for our actual sins. The avenger of blood could be seen as God, for it is He alone who has the right to execute judgment for sin. And we must note that the word<em> ga'al</em> translated "avenger" is also that translated "redeemer" or 'ransomer'. The cities of refuge are therefore understood in <em><a href='B:650 6:18'>Heb 6:18</a></em> as looking ahead to refuge in the Lord Jesus: "Who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us". The allusion is to how the person who found they had committed a sin worthy of death, yet without as it were wishing to have done so, could flee to a city of refuge and be saved there by the death of the high priest. The curse upon Levi was that the members of this tribe were to be scattered in Israel (<em><a href='B:10 49:7'>Gen 49:7</a></em>). However, this resulted in the cities of the Levites being scattered throughout the land, thus providing accessible cities of refuge to all who wished to escape the consequences of sin. Those cities were evidently symbolic of the refuge we have in Christ. Again and again, the curses and consequences of human sin are used by the Father to mediate blessing. It is the sure hope before us which is our refuge. "Hope", <em>elpis</em>, is a confident knowledge of a future reality, rather than a hoping for the best. We should be confident in our salvation. The 'guilty' person was made free totally through the death of the High Priest, clearly looking forward to the significance of the death of the Lord Jesus.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses was so sensitive to Israel’s weakness. He often reminds them that he knows that they will turn away from the Covenant he had given them (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 30:1'>Deu 30:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:29'>Deu 31:29</a></em>). He knew that one day they would want a king, even though God was their king (<em><a href='B:50 17:14'>Deu 17:14</a></em>). He foresaw how they would see horses and chariots and get frightened (<em><a href='B:50 20:1-4'>Deu 20:1-4</a></em>). He knew that there would always be poor people in the land, even though if the Law was properly kept this would not be the case (<em><a href='B:50 15:4'>Deu 15:4</a></em> mg, 11). He knew they would accidentally commit murder and would need a way of escape; therefore he twice repeats and explains the law concerning the cities of refuge (<em><a href='B:50 4:42'>Deu 4:42</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:5'>Deu 19:5</a></em>). These being a symbol of the future Messiah (<em><a href='B:650 6:18'>Heb 6:18</a></em>), this emphasis would suggest that like Paul and Jacob, the mind of Moses in his time of spiritual maturity was firmly fixed on the Lord Jesus Christ. See on 5:22</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>But Ramoth Gilead passed in and out of Israelite possession; and it is doubtful whether Manasseh ever bothered securing Golan from the local inhabitants. Likewise Kedesh, a city of refuge on the west of Jordan, was listed in <em><a href='B:60 19:1-51'>Jos 19:1-51</a></em> as a city not yet taken by Naphtali; yet it was commanded to be given by them to the Levites as a city of refuge (<em><a href='B:60 20:7'>Jos 20:7</a></em>). So their refusal or 'being slack' to take the city meant they had no wider vision, of providing a place of refuge for the needy within Israel as a whole. And there is no real evidence that this wonderful system of salvation and justice ever really worked in practice.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The cities were generally in the wilderness or mountainous areas; perhaps the idea was that they should not be used casually, but the person had to make quite some effort to get there.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>This is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Deuteronomy is largely a transcript of the final speech of Moses, given at the very end of his life. But verses like this indicate an editorial hand, and I suggested on :32 that this was done under Divine inspiration in Babylon.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>these are the testimonies, the statutes and the ordinances, which Moses spoke to the children of Israel when they came forth out of Egypt- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Came forth" is s.w. "brought forth". Israel were "brought forth" from Egypt by God; they had been unwilling to leave Egypt, preferring to serve the Egyptians rather than Yahweh (<em><a href='B:20 14:12'>Exo 14:12</a></em>). God had as it were forced through His project of saving Israel by bringing them out of Egypt. And He had done so largely for the sake of Moses, by whose faith the Red Sea parted and they were delivered (<em><a href='B:650 11:28-29'>Heb 11:28-29</a></em>). Therefore Yahweh's bringing Israel out of Egypt was what He did for Moses, and only thereby for His people. We too are brought out of this world towards God’s Kingdom by His grace alone, with His consistently taking the initiative in our hearts and life circumstances, in accord with the loving intercession of the Lord Jesus (represented by Moses). Thus Yahweh brought Israel out of Egypt (<em><a href='B:20 18:1'>Exo 18:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 19:1'>Exo 19:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 23:43'>Lev 23:43</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 25:55'>Lev 25:55</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 26:4'>Num 26:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 33:1'>Num 33:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 33:3'>Num 33:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 33:38'>Num 33:38</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:45-46'>Deu 4:45-46</a></em>), but Moses did (<em><a href='B:20 3:10-11'>Exo 3:10-11</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>beyond the Jordan, in the valley over against Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel struck, when they came forth out of Egypt- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Critics have made much of the apparent contradiction between the geographical details in <em><a href='B:50 1:1'>Deu 1:1</a></em> and the location details in <em><a href='B:50 4:45-46'>Deu 4:45-46</a></em>. But I suggest that the names in <em><a href='B:50 1:1'>Deu 1:1</a></em> are not intended to be pinned down to specific locations. There are six of them, and it was unlikely that any reader would be able to pinpoint a location in the uncharted desert from these vague places. Rather, we are given a word picture of what the desert was like. The place names in <em><a href='B:50 1:1'>Deu 1:1</a></em> mean (in order)&nbsp; "Ornamental", maybe referring to the appearance of sand sculptures made by the wind; "quagmire", "whiteness", "tower" and "golden". </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>They took his land in possession, and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"They took" again suggests an inspired editorial hand; see on :32,44.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, to Mount Sion (the same is Hermon)- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This is not to be confused with Mount Zion in Jerusalem, nor the Hermon in the north. It is significant that there were mountains called Hermon in the extreme north and south of the land. It is a form of the word<em> herem</em>, the term used in <em><a href='B:50 3:6'>Deu 3:6</a></em> for the 'devotion' of the conquered land to Yahweh. Perhaps that was the idea. But we note that already, God has recalculated Israel's inheritance, bounded now by these mountains; whereas His initial intention was to give them the far wider area promised to Abraham. He likewise adjusts His hopes and expectations of His individual people, never giving up on any of us, but always seeking to lead us to at leas some inheritance in His Kingdom. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and all the Arabah beyond the Jordan eastward, even to the sea of the Arabah, under the slopes of Pisgah- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The way Deuteronomy refers to cities East of Jordan as being "on this side Jordan" (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 4:41'>Deu 4:41</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:49'>Deu 4:49</a></em> AV) would suggest that the editor of the book was writing from a location East of Jordan- likely Babylon. Thus books like Deuteronomy were edited, under Divine inspiration, in the captivity- in order to show Judah how they were repeating the sins of their forefathers, and appealing to them thereby to learn the lessons. It has been observed that the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings have certain similarities. For example, they all quote the Deuteronomy version of Israel's earlier history, leading to the suggestion that Deuteronomy was the first of the collection, a kind of introductory background history. See on <em><a href='B:50 28:41'>Deu 28:41</a></em>.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Moses called to all Israel and said to them, Hear, Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your ears this day, that you may learn them and observe to do them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Learning / understanding God’s principles is the way towards being obedient to them. None of His laws are mere senseless tests of our obedience or submission to Him; they have specific intention. They were to "hear" in such a way as they learned and observed the commandments. But "hear" means effectively 'to obey'. Our attitude to God’s word, how we hear it, is critical. We can be a forgetful hearer, or a hearer who "does" (<em><a href='B:660 1:25'>Jas 1:25</a></em>). And obedience, 'hearing', leads to further obedience. But it all depends upon our attitude to God’s word. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses really wanted Israel's well-being, he saw so clearly how obedience would result in blessing (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 6:3'>Deu 6:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:28'>Deu 12:28</a></em>). This is a major theme of Moses in Deuteronomy. There was therefore a real sense of pleading behind his frequent appeal for Israel to "hear" or obey God’s words. "<em>Hear</em>, O Israel" in Deuteronomy must have had a real passion behind it in his voice, uncorrupted as it was by old age. He didn’t rattle it off as some kind of Sunday School proof. At least four times Moses interrupts the flow of his speech with this appeal: "<em>Hear </em>(‘be obedient’), O Israel" (<em><a href='B:50 5:1'>Deu 5:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:3-4'>Deu 6:3-4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:1'>Deu 9:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 20:3'>Deu 20:3</a></em>). And a glance through a concordance shows how often in Deuteronomy Moses pleads with them to hear God’s voice. So he was back to his favourite theme: Hear the word, love the word, make it your life. For in this is your salvation. And the Lord Jesus (e.g. in passages like <em><a href='B:500 6:1-71'>Joh 6:1-71</a></em>) makes just the same urgent appeal.&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh our God made a covenant with us in Horeb- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>But that generation to whom Moses spoke at the end of his life had not been at Horeb / Sinai 40 years previously. Israel were to teach their children that God had personally saved <em>them</em> at the Red Sea. The covenant made with Israel then was made not only with the “fathers” who were then alive, but with every member of every generation of God’s people (<em><a href='B:50 5:3'>Deu 5:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:20'>Deu 6:20</a></em>). In this sense, Biblical history is a living word to every generation. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh didn’t make this covenant with our fathers but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We must read in an ellipsis here; clearly the idea is that what God had done at Sinai wasn’t <em>only</em> between Him and the people there at that time, <em>not so much </em>with the first hearers as with the later ones, with all His subsequent people. In our Bible study we must be aware that we are reading translations of languages which often rely on understanding the idiom for their real meaning to be delivered to us the readers. In Hebrew especially, we often have to read in an ellipsis; and this verse is a parade example.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh spoke with you face to face on the mountain out of the midst of the fire-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses himself realized the extent to which God saw him as representative of Israel; thus he told Israel: "The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire, I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to shew you the word of the Lord" (<em><a href='B:50 5:4-5'>Deu 5:4-5</a></em>). This is similar to the Lord Jesus Christ saying that because he had spoken God’s words to us, we have seen God (<em><a href='B:500 14:8'>Joh 14:8</a></em>). It was Moses who saw God face to face (<em><a href='B:20 33:11'>Exo 33:11</a></em>), yet he knew he was so representative of Israel that in reality <em>they</em> had seen God face to face. All the honours and glory given to Moses were thereby given to Israel <em>if they identified themselves with him</em>. And ditto for us and the Lord Jesus.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>(I stood between Yahweh and you at that time to show you the word of Yahweh, for you were afraid because of the fire, and didn’t go up onto the mountain) saying-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The way Moses sees Israel as far more righteous than they were reflects the way the Lord imputes righteousness to us. He says that Israel didn’t go near the mountain because they were afraid of the fire (<em><a href='B:50 5:5'>Deu 5:5</a></em>), whereas <em><a href='B:20 19:21-24'>Exo 19:21-24</a></em> teaches that Israel at that time were not so afraid of the fire, and were quite inclined to break through the dividing fence and gaze in unspiritual fascination at a theophany which was beyond them. Standing between God and man means effectively to intercede (<em><a href='B:40 16:48'>Num 16:48</a></em>), so it seems even on the first or second ascent of Sinai, Moses was interceding for the people. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel heard a voice, but were scared by the noise (<em><a href='B:50 4:12'>Deu 4:12</a></em>), and so perhaps the idea is that Moses "showed" them the words by interpreting the words to them. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The fact that Yahweh really did redeem His people from Egypt is connected and associated with the command to have no other Gods apart from Him (<em><a href='B:50 5:6-7'>Deu 5:6-7</a></em>). The more we believe that we really have been redeemed, perceiving the saving hand of God in leading us out of Egypt, the more evident it becomes that this Saviour God demands our whole and total devotion. The exit from Egypt is described as a jail break, from the house of bondage. Their desire to return to it was strong, and so Moses continually stresses the true and awful nature of Egypt / the world. The language echoes that of God to Abraham: "I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur" (<em><a href='B:10 15:7'>Gen 15:7</a></em>). They were being asked to act as Abraham's seed, and respond as He did to the Divine initiative in separating them from the world- by following His commandments. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must have no other gods before Me-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It could be argued that this was a concession to weakness; for we could read this as meaning that even if Israel had other gods, Yahweh was to be supreme, and the others were not to be placed before Him. This was the attitude taken by the Lord Jesus in His tolerance of belief in demons, which were also false gods and connected with idols. But "before Me" can also mean 'in My presence'. To come into Yahweh's presence with any idol... would be unthinkable. See on <em><a href='B:20 18:11'>Exo 18:11</a></em>. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must not make an engraved image for yourself, any likeness of what is in heaven above, or what is in the earth beneath, or what is in the water under the earth-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>“Likeness” is used in the LXX in the frequent warnings not to make an image or likeness of any god, let alone Yahweh (<em><a href='B:20 20:4'>Exo 20:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:16-25'>Deu 4:16-25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 106:20'>Psa 106:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 40:18-19'>Isa 40:18-19</a></em>). The reason for this prohibition becomes clearer in the New Testament; the ultimate likeness of God is in His Son, and we are to create the likeness of His Son not as a mere physical icon, but within the very structure of our human personality and character.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must not bow down yourself to them nor serve them, for I Yahweh your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It's especially easy for young people to assume that they have little influence, that they can chose to act as they like and their choices won't affect anyone much beyond themselves. Yet we read of how God "visits" (Heb. to arrange, set in order, ordain) the sins of the fathers unto the third and even fourth generations- i.e. the number of generations which an old man is likely to see gathered around him (<em><a href='B:20 20:5'>Exo 20:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 34:7'>Exo 34:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 14:18'>Num 14:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:9'>Deu 5:9</a></em>). The choices of youth affect family life, which means our children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren are affected by the choices we make in carefree youth. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Throughout <em><a href='B:330 18:1-32'>Eze 18:1-32</a></em> God clarifies that He doesn’t punish children for the sin of their parents; He deals with people on an individual level. However, the effect of sin is often felt in the society of subsequent generations, and in the process of how that works out, God is there enabling and permitting it to happen; in the same way as we all suffer the consequence of Adam’s sin and yet can still be God’s acceptable children. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel is so often set up as the bride of God (<em><a href='B:290 54:5'>Isa 54:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 61:10'>Isa 61:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 62:4-5'>Isa 62:4-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 2:2'>Jer 2:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 3:14'>Jer 3:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:350 2:19-20'>Hos 2:19-20</a></em>). This is why any infidelity to God is spoken of as adultery (<em><a href='B:460 2:11'>Mal 2:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 17:7'>Lev 17:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:5-6'>Lev 20:5-6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:16'>Deu 31:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 2:17'>Jdg 2:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 8:27'>Jdg 8:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 8:33'>Jdg 8:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:350 9:1'>Hos 9:1</a></em>). The language of Israel 'selling themselves to do iniquity' uses the image of prostitution. This is how God feels our even temporary and fleeting acts and thoughts of unfaithfulness. This is why God is jealous for us (<em><a href='B:20 20:15'>Exo 20:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 34:14'>Exo 34:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:24'>Deu 4:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:9'>Deu 5:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:15'>Deu 6:15</a></em>)- because His undivided love for us is so exclusive. He expects us to be totally His. Just as Israel were not to be like the Egyptians they were leaving, nor like the Canaanites into whose land they were going (<em><a href='B:30 18:1-5'>Lev 18:1-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:23-24'>Lev 20:23-24</a></em>). We are to be a people separated unto Him. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The prophets were up against the same passionless spirit that pervades our societies today. “The Lord thy God (is) a jealous God” (<em><a href='B:20 20:5'>Exo 20:5</a></em>) was changed in the Targums to “I am a God above jealousy” (<em>Mechilta</em>). The prophets speak so often of God’s wrath, love, hurt, pain, passion, anger, pathos… And they speak too of the terrible “repentings”, the kindling of contradictory impulses, which there apparently is in the mind of God. But jealousy is a lead feature within Yahweh's personality (<em><a href='B:20 20:5'>Exo 20:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 34:14'>Exo 34:14</a></em>). It speaks specifically of the jealousy of a man concerning the faithfulness of his wife (<em><a href='B:40 5:14'>Num 5:14</a></em>). God was the passionate lover and husband of His people, and it is inevitable therefore that the extent of that love would produce jealousy when they spurned Him and went after other men, the idols.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>“If you love me you will keep my commandments” (<em><a href='B:500 14:15'>Joh 14:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 14:21'>Joh 14:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 14:23'>Joh 14:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 15:10'>Joh 15:10</a></em>) reflects a major identical theme in <em><a href='B:50 5:10'>Deu 5:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:9'>Deu 7:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:1'>Deu 11:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:22'>Deu 11:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:3-4'>Deu 13:3-4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:9'>Deu 19:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>. Moses at the end of his life, when he spoke Deuteronomy, was very much the image of the future Lord Jesus. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God is His word (<em><a href='B:500 1:1'>Joh 1:1</a></em>); to love God is to love His word. If we love Christ, we will keep His words (<em><a href='B:500 14:15'>Joh 14:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 14:21'>Joh 14:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 15:10'>Joh 15:10</a></em>). This is evidently alluding to the many Old Testament passages which say that Israel's love for God would be shown through their keeping of His commands (<em><a href='B:20 20:6'>Exo 20:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:10'>Deu 5:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:9'>Deu 7:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:1'>Deu 11:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:13'>Deu 11:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:22'>Deu 11:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 22:5'>Jos 22:5</a></em>). Israel were also told that God’s commands were all related to showing love (<em><a href='B:50 11:13'>Deu 11:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:9'>Deu 19:9</a></em>). So there is a logical circuit here: We love God by keeping His commands, the essence of which is love of people, therefore His commands are fundamentally about love. Thus love is the fulfilling of the law of God; both under the Old and New covenants (<em><a href='B:520 13:10'>Rom 13:10</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>One reference of this is to the idea of a wife taking her husband's name; just as we do when we call the Name upon ourselves in baptism (<em><a href='B:510 15:17'>Act 15:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 22:16'>Act 22:16</a></em>). The Hebrew for "take" is also translated "marry" or "accept". Perhaps <em><a href='B:540 6:1'>2Co 6:1</a></em> alludes to the idea in urging us not to "accept" or 'take' God’s grace (the essence of His Name) "in vain". The vulnerability and sensitivity of God is reflected in the way that He is concerned that His covenant people, His wife, who bears His Name, might profane His Name (<em><a href='B:30 19:12'>Lev 19:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 20:7'>Exo 20:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:11'>Deu 5:11</a></em>). His repeated concern that His Name be taken in vain doesn't simply refer to the casual use of the word "God" as an expression of exasperation. God is concerned about His people taking His Name upon themselves (<em><a href='B:40 6:27'>Num 6:27</a></em>) in vain- i.e., marrying Him, entering covenant relationship with Him, taking on His Name- but not being serious about that relationship, taking it on as a vain thing, like a woman who casually marries a man who loves her at the very core of his being, when for her, it's just a casual thing and she lives a profligate and adulterous life as his wife. When God revealed His Name to His people, opening up the very essence of His character to them, He was making Himself vulnerable. We reveal ourselves intimately to another because we wish for them to make a response to us, to love us for what we revealed to them. God revealed Himself to Israel, He sought for intimacy in the covenant relationship, and therefore was and is all the more hurt when His people turn away from Him, after having revealed to them all the wonders of His word (<em><a href='B:350 8:12'>Hos 8:12</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We take on the Name of the Lord by baptism into that Name, just as Israel carried God’s Name as a people in Old Testament times. Our relationship with Him is not to be a vain thing to us, a mere social club we joined, a casual association- it is to be our life, at the very core of our being. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>But the idea of not taking Yahweh's Name "in vain", 'vanity', is often associated with idolatry. Israel never formerly rejected Yahweh, and never became atheists. They mixed Yahweh worship with idolatry on the basis that they claimed that they worshipped Yahweh through worshipping the idols. This is what emboldened them to later place idols in Yahweh's temple. They were taking Yahweh's Name as a form of vanity, "in vain", a kind of idol. Thus their relationship with Yahweh was not to be a "vain thing" (<em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Guiltless" is a term which can mean "clear of responsibility to covenant relationship' (<em><a href='B:10 24:8'>Gen 24:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 24:41'>Gen 24:41</a></em>). God would not overlook the fact they were in covenant with Him and had taken His Name upon them, just as we take His Name upon us in baptism. And we are therefore not guiltless or clear of responsibility to Him.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, as Yahweh your God commanded you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We note that the Sabbath was one of the ten commandments. But&nbsp;the Sabbath was specifically "a sign between them (Israel) and Me (God), that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them" (<em><a href='B:330 20:12'>Eze 20:12</a></em>).&nbsp;As such, it has never been intended to be binding on Gentiles (non-Jews). “... the Lord has given <em>you</em> (not all mankind) the Sabbath (<em><a href='B:20 16:29'>Exo 16:29</a></em>); “... You (God) made known to them (Israel) Your holy Sabbath” (<em><a href='B:160 9:14'>Neh 9:14</a></em>). The Old Covenant refers to the Law of Moses, which was replaced on the cross by the New Covenant.&nbsp;The ten commandments, including that concerning the Sabbath, were part of the Old Covenant which was done away by Christ. God "declared to you (Israel) His covenant which he commanded you (Israel) to perform, that is the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone" (<em><a href='B:50 4:13'>Deu 4:13</a></em>).&nbsp;God "wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments" (<em><a href='B:20 34:28'>Exo 34:28</a></em>). If we argue that keeping the covenant made in the ten commandments is necessary, we must also observe every detail of the entire Law, seeing that this is all part of the same covenant.&nbsp;It is evidently impossible to do this. “There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb ... the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord” (<em><a href='B:110 8:9'>1Ki 8:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:110 8:21'>1Ki 8:21</a></em>). Those tablets, on which were the ten commandments, were the covenant. <em><a href='B:650 9:4'>Heb 9:4</a></em> speaks of "the tablets of the covenant".&nbsp;The ten commandments were written on the tablets of stone, which comprised "the (old) covenant". Paul refers to this covenant as "written and engraved on&nbsp;stones", i.e. on the tablets of stone.&nbsp;He calls it "the ministry of death... the ministry of condemnation...” that which is “... passing away" (<em><a href='B:540 3:7-11'>2Co 3:7-11</a></em>).&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>First. - <em><a href='B:560 4:6'>Eph 4:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:690 5:21'>1Jn 5:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 4:10'>Mat 4:10</a></em>; Second. - <em><a href='B:530 10:14'>1Co 10:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 1:25'>Rom 1:25</a></em>; Third. - <em><a href='B:660 5:12'>Jas 5:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 5:34-35'>Mat 5:34-35</a></em>; Fifth. - <em><a href='B:560 6:1-2'>Eph 6:1-2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 3:20'>Col 3:20</a></em>; Sixth. - <em><a href='B:690 3:15'>1Jn 3:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 5:21'>Mat 5:21</a></em>; Seventh. - <em><a href='B:650 13:4'>Heb 13:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 5:27-28'>Mat 5:27-28</a></em>; Eighth. - <em><a href='B:520 2:21'>Rom 2:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 4:28'>Eph 4:28</a></em>; Ninth. - <em><a href='B:580 3:9'>Col 3:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 4:25'>Eph 4:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:620 3:3'>2Ti 3:3</a></em>; Tenth. - <em><a href='B:560 5:3'>Eph 5:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 3:5'>Col 3:5</a></em>.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:40 3:1-51'>Num 3:1-51</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 5:1-31'>Num 5:1-31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 6:1-27'>Num 6:1-27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 7:1-89'>Num 7:1-89</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 8:1-26'>Num 8:1-26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 9:1-23'>Num 9:1-23</a></em> can be found in <em><a href='B:610 1:1-20'>1Ti 1:1-20</a></em> alone, and <em><a href='B:40 1:1-54'>Num 1:1-54</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 2:1-34'>Num 2:1-34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 10:1-36'>Num 10:1-36</a></em> in <em><a href='B:530 5:1-13'>1Co 5:1-13</a></em>.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'> But never is the fourth commandment concerning the Sabbath repeated in the New Testament as obligatory for us. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall labour six days and do all your work- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The context in :15 explains that one reason for the Sabbath was so that servants might rest, just as Israel had been servants in Egypt and had been given rest. The Sabbath was therefore not just to remember creation, but also the salvation from Egypt. Which is why, as explained on :12, the Sabbath was uniquely a sign between God and Israel rather than with other nations.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The idea is that man's week of labour is to reflect God’s six days of labour during the creation week (:11). This parallel empowers us to see the grind of daily work as ultimately creative, and not mere vanity. The daily work which was part of the curse in Eden now becomes creative- if done "as unto the Lord". But we could also consider "you shall labour" to be a command to work, rather than laze around and by all means seek to avoid the results of the curse. Rather we are to see in the six days of labour an opportunity to reflect God’s creative work; to use our labour to create, rather than to merely exist. This lifts the curse of labour so far above what it otherwise is.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God in which you must not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your livestock, nor the stranger who is within your gates; so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Lord Jesus invites those who follow Him to accept the “rest” which He gives (<em><a href='B:470 11:28'>Mat 11:28</a></em>), using the word which is used in the Septuagint for the Sabbath rest. Jesus was offering a life of Sabbath, of rest from trust in our own works (cp. <em><a href='B:650 4:3'>Heb 4:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:650 4:10'>Heb 4:10</a></em>). We shouldn’t, therefore, keep a Sabbath one day per week, but rather live our whole lives in the spirit of the Sabbath. Just as we are to live the "eternal life" now, the type of life we will eternally live in the Kingdom is to be lived and experienced now. In this sense, as Hebrews makes clear, we "have entered into rest", and yet in another sense we labour now to enter into that rest at the Lord's return. This is a classic case of the "now but not yet" theme of the Bible.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm, therefore Yahweh your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel stood at Sinai and were told that if they were obedient, then they would be God’s people. But then they were told that actually, God accepted them anyway as His people. And only <em>then</em> was the Law given to Moses- with the message that it was to be kept out of gratitude for what God had <em>already</em> done by grace in saving them just "simply so", because he loved them and had chosen their ancestors by grace (<em><a href='B:50 4:34-40'>Deu 4:34-40</a></em>). Likewise it was <em>because</em> God sanctified Israel that they were to keep the Sabbath (<em><a href='B:20 31:13-14'>Exo 31:13-14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:15'>Deu 5:15</a></em>). It wasn't that any human obedience made them holy- the laws were simply an opportunity to respond to the grace shown them. For God’s salvation of them from Egypt, like ours from this world, was nothing but grace.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses was to stretch forth his hand to cause the waters of the Red Sea to part and return, not his rod; because he was manifesting the hand of Yahweh which was to deliver Israel (s.w. <em><a href='B:20 7:5'>Exo 7:5</a></em>). The repeated references to the stretched our arm or hand of Yahweh to save His people invite us to recall this incident, and to perceive that Yahweh's hand had been manifest through the hand of Moses (<em><a href='B:50 4:34'>Deu 4:34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:15'>Deu 5:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:19'>Deu 7:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:2'>Deu 11:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 26:8'>Deu 26:8</a></em>). That stretched out, saving arm and hand of Yahweh was and is stretched out still, to save His people (<em><a href='B:110 8:42'>1Ki 8:42</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 20:34'>Eze 20:34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 9:15'>Dan 9:15</a></em> "as at this day") and bring about a new creation in human lives (<em><a href='B:290 45:12'>Isa 45:12</a></em>). For the deliverance through the Red Sea is intended to be experienced by all God’s people, and is now seen through His saving grace at baptism (<em><a href='B:530 10:1-2'>1Co 10:1-2</a></em>). What happened there was but the beginning of the work of God’s outstretched arm (<em><a href='B:50 3:24'>Deu 3:24</a></em>). Yet the stretched out arm / hand of God is also a figure for His judgment (<em><a href='B:130 21:16'>1Ch 21:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 9:12'>Isa 9:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 10:4'>Isa 10:4</a></em>). His hand is at work in our lives- either to our condemnation or our salvation. And it is for us therefore to humble ourselves beneath that mighty hand (<em><a href='B:670 5:6'>1Pe 5:6</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Honour your father and your mother as Yahweh your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Paul quotes this in <em><a href='B:560 6:2'>Eph 6:2</a></em>, with the comment that this is "the first commandment with promise"<em>. </em>Paul clearly saw "the promise" of the old covenant as being the hope of the new covenant; the hope of the promises made to the Jewish fathers was the Christian hope, as Paul so clearly stated at his trials. This involves eternal possession of a glorified earth- and not going to Heaven on death as an immortal soul.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The contemporary Near Eastern legal codes prescribed the most severe penalties for crimes against the wealthy and their property. Rich people were given lesser punishments than poor people for the same crime. The value of persons reflected in Yahweh's law meant that all people were judged equally before the law, and truly there was no respect of persons with the true God. Both father and mother are placed together as worthy of equal honour (<em><a href='B:30 19:3'>Lev 19:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 20:12'>Exo 20:12</a></em>)- whereas the contemporary laws were oriented towards respect of the male rather than females. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Lord Jesus saw as parallel the commands to honour parents and also not to curse them. These two separate commands (from <em><a href='B:20 20:12'>Exo 20:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 21:17'>Exo 21:17</a></em>) He spoke of as only one: "<em>the</em> commandment" (<em><a href='B:480 7:9'>Mar 7:9</a></em>). He therefore saw that not to honour parents was effectively to curse them (<em><a href='B:480 7:10'>Mar 7:10</a></em>). <em>Omitting</em> to honour parents, even if it involved appearing to give one's labour to God’s temple, was therefore the same as <em>committing</em> the sin of cursing them. Sins of omission are perhaps our greatest weakness.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must not murder- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The command not to murder has as its basis the fact that human life is not for us to use as we will (<em><a href='B:20 20:13'>Exo 20:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 17:11'>Lev 17:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 9:6'>Gen 9:6</a></em>). It is God’s life and is His- and this applies to our view of others lives as well as our own. Others, therefore, are not for us to use as we will. Gentleness and sensitivity to the life of others, in family life, the workplace, on the road... is therefore an outcome of our belief that the 'other' person likewise has been created by God and has life from Him. To drive in an unkind way, to act in a thoughtless way to others detriment, is therefore the same basic error as taking human life in murder. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The command "You shall not murder" must be understood in the context of a situation where the same Law also commanded certain sinners to be put to death within the community, and at times Israel were Divinely commanded and enabled to kill others outside of the community. We have to look, therefore, for a more specific meaning for this commandment- and it seems it is speaking specifically of blood revenge, killing the person who murdered one of your relatives. According to <em><a href='B:40 35:25-28'>Num 35:25-28</a></em>, if the murder was unintentional, i.e. manslaughter rather than murder, then the person could flee to a city of refuge lest he be slain by the avenger of blood. There is no guidance for the avenger of blood in these 'cities of refuge' passages; rather is there the assumption that he might well attempt to take revenge even for manslaughter, and in this case the unintentional murderer should flee from him into a city of refuge. But clearly enough, this was not God’s will- for "You shall not kill". But such is God’s grace that He built into His law a recognition that His people would fail. This isn't what we would expect of a 2+2=4 God, where broken commandments are to be punished and period. In this case, we see here a tacit recognition even within the Mosaic Law that the commandments- in this case "You shall not kill"- wouldn't always be obeyed, and therefore extra legislating was added to enable this situation to be coped with. This isn't only an example of God’s sensitivity to human sin and weakness of hot blood (although it is that). It's an insight into how the very structure of His law is such that He understands human weakness, and is eager to ensure that it hurts others as little as possible. No more human 'god' would have dreamed this up. This grace has the stamp of the ultimately Divine, and any attempt to understand it within the frames of literalistic, legalistic analysis are doomed to failure. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Neither must you commit adultery- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This is as is, but we note the majority of references to "adultery" in the Hebrew Bible refer to unfaithfulness to God. And we cannot rule out the possibility that God also had that in view; for these commandments were the basis of His relationship with His people.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Neither must you steal- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew indeed means to steal, but also carries the idea of deceit. For to deceive another is to effectively steal from them, to take away and misuse their belief and trust in you and your integrity. And all deceit is ultimately in order to gain something wrongly, even the thing gained isn't anything material.&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Neither must you give false testimony against your neighbour- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>AV "bear false witness". But the Hebrew for "bear" means not only "to give" in a legal sense. Otherwise this commandment would only apply to the need to be truthful in a court case. The Hebrew<em> anah</em> is literally "to eye", 'to give heed to'. Don't pay attention to lies, don't listen to gossip- understood like that, this commandment becomes relevant to daily life, and not just to the occasional times when a person might have to bear legal witness against someone.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Neither must you covet your neighbour’s wife, neither shall you desire your neighbour’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbour’s-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Law of Moses was the only legal code to criminalize internal attitudes; nobody knows who covets what in their hearts, and there was no legal apparatus to punish this particular transgression of law. But the Law of Moses was a direct covenant between God and every individual amongst His people, and to Him they were personally responsible and answerable.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The command not to covet what looks good is very much rooted in a warning not to commit Eve’s sin of seeing the fruit and yielding to temptation (<em><a href='B:20 20:17'>Exo 20:17</a></em> = <em><a href='B:10 3:6'>Gen 3:6</a></em>). The sin in Eden was every sin; we see elements of every one of our own sins in that sin. The frequent command "You shall not covet" (<em><a href='B:20 20:17'>Exo 20:17</a></em> etc.) uses the same Hebrew word translated "desire" when we read of how Eve "desired" the fruit (<em><a href='B:10 3:6'>Gen 3:6</a></em>); yet Israel "desired" the wrong fruit (<em><a href='B:290 1:29'>Isa 1:29</a></em>). As Eve saw the fruit and fell for it, so the people of Reuben and Gad saw the land East of Jordan and imagined how good it would be to have it, despite having been given 'all the land' West of Jordan to enjoy (cp. Adam and Eve's dominion in Eden) (<em><a href='B:40 32:1-2'>Num 32:1-2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 32:7'>Num 32:7</a></em>). In all these allusions (and they exist in almost every chapter of the Bible) we are being shown how human sin is a repetition in essence of that of our first parents. The insistent emphasis is that we should rise above and <em>not</em> be like them. And yet this call for personal effort and struggle with ourselves in order to overcome sin is muted and misplaced by all the stress upon a supposed Devil tempting Eve, pushing the blame onto him, and thereby de-emphasizing our role in overcoming sin within ourselves. And so we see so many loud-mouthed condemners of the Devil totally not 'getting it' about the need for personal self-control and spiritual mindedness in daily life and private character. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>These words Yahweh spoke to all your assembly on the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud and the thick darkness, with a great voice; and He added no more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>When he commented about the commandments that God “added no more” (<em><a href='B:50 5:22'>Deu 5:22</a></em>), he foresaw his people’s tendency to add the Halacahs of their extra commandments… He could foresee the spiritual problems they would have in their hour by hour life, he appreciated how both their nature and their disobedience would be such a problem for them, and Moses foresaw that they would not cope well with it (ditto for our Lord Jesus). See on <em><a href='B:50 4:42'>Deu 4:42</a></em>.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:20 13:21'>Exo 13:21</a></em> says that there was a pillar of cloud in the day time and a pillar of fire by night. But at the time of the Exodus, there was a pillar of cloud for the Egyptians and a pillar of fire to give light in the night for the Israelites (<em><a href='B:20 14:20'>Exo 14:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 14:24'>Exo 14:24</a></em>). Could this mean that the meaning of time was collapsed at this time? It was night for the Israelites but daytime for the Egyptians? <em><a href='B:290 42:16'>Isa 42:16</a></em>, amidst many exodus / Red Sea allusions, speaks of how God makes the darkness light before His exiting people. The many Johanine references to the Lord Jesus being a light in the darkness for His followers would then be yet more elaborations of the idea that the Lord Jesus is the antitype of the Angel that led Israel out of Egypt (<em><a href='B:500 8:12'>Joh 8:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 12:35'>Joh 12:35</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 12:46'>Joh 12:46</a></em>). <em><a href='B:40 9:21'>Num 9:21</a></em> says that the pillar of cloud was with the Israelites at <em>night</em>, and sometimes it was taken up in the night and they therefore had to move on. Does this mean that there were times when the meaning of time was collapsed during their journey, and the night was made as the day (perhaps <em><a href='B:230 139:12'>Psa 139:12</a></em> alludes to this experience)? When Yahweh came down on Sinai, He was enveloped in a <em>cloud</em> of <em>fire</em>- suggesting that there was no day and night for Him (<em><a href='B:20 24:15-17'>Exo 24:15-17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:22'>Deu 5:22</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness as the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>They came near to Moses, but remained at a distance from God, indeed they fled away from Him (<em><a href='B:20 20:18'>Exo 20:18</a></em>). The original plan had been as in <em><a href='B:20 19:13'>Exo 19:13</a></em> LXX: "When the voices and trumpets and cloud depart from off the mountain, they shall come up on the mountain<em>".</em> But this didn’t happen- see on <em><a href='B:20 19:14'>Exo 19:14</a></em>. They were not sufficiently sanctified; see on <em><a href='B:20 19:10'>Exo 19:10</a></em>. The people "perceived" Yahweh's holiness and their sinfulness and continued idolatry. And they shied away from Him, whereas His intention was that they came close. These words are so sad. It was a rejection of intimacy with God.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>There were so many similarities between Elijah and Moses; Dale Allison points out:</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Confronted Ahab (<em><a href='B:110 17:1'>1Ki 17:1</a></em>) = Confronted Pharaoh (<em><a href='B:20 5:1'>Exo 5:1</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Fled into the wilderness fearing for his life (<em><a href='B:110 19:3'>1Ki 19:3</a></em>) = Fled into the wilderness fearing for his life (<em><a href='B:20 2:15'>Exo 2:15</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Miraculously fed “...bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening...” (<em><a href='B:110 17:6'>1Ki 17:6</a></em>) = Miraculously fed “...meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning...” (<em><a href='B:20 16:8'>Exo 16:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 16:12'>Exo 16:12</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Gathered all Israel to Mount Carmel (<em><a href='B:110 18:19'>1Ki 18:19</a></em>)=Gathered all Israel to Mount Sinai (<em><a href='B:20 19:17'>Exo 19:17</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Combated the prophets of Baal (<em><a href='B:110 18:20-40'>1Ki 18:20-40</a></em>) = Combated the magicians of Pharaoh (<em><a href='B:20 7:8-13'>Exo 7:8-13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 7:20-22'>Exo 7:20-22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 8:1-7'>Exo 8:1-7</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Successful in his intercession for Israel to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel (<em><a href='B:110 18:36-39'>1Ki 18:36-39</a></em>) = Successful in his intercession for Israel to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel (<em><a href='B:20 32:11-14'>Exo 32:11-14</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Elijah took twelve stones at Carmel “...according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob...” (<em><a href='B:110 18:30-32'>1Ki 18:30-32</a></em>) = Moses had twelve pillars set up at Sinai “...corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel...” (<em><a href='B:20 24:4'>Exo 24:4</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Lord accepted Elijah’s offering by sending fire from heaven and consuming it completely. The people threw themselves down on their faces. (<em><a href='B:110 18:36-39'>1Ki 18:36-39</a></em>) = The Lord accepted Moses and Aaron’s offering by sending fire from heaven and consuming it completely. The people threw themselves down on their faces. (<em><a href='B:30 9:22-24'>Lev 9:22-24</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>By Elijah’s authority 3000 idolatrous prophets were slain (<em><a href='B:110 18:40'>1Ki 18:40</a></em>) = By Moses’ authority 3000 idolaters were slain (<em><a href='B:20 32:25-29'>Exo 32:25-29</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>After killing the prophets of Baal Elijah climbed Carmel to pray. (<em><a href='B:110 18:42'>1Ki 18:42</a></em>) = After killing the idolaters Moses climbed Sinai to pray (<em><a href='B:20 32:30'>Exo 32:30</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Went without food for forty days and forty nights (<em><a href='B:110 19:8'>1Ki 19:8</a></em>) = Went without food for forty days and forty nights (<em><a href='B:20 34:28'>Exo 34:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:9'>Deu 9:9</a></em>) </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Elijah was in “the cave” on Horeb (=Sinai) when the Lord “passed by” (<em><a href='B:110 19:9-11'>1Ki 19:9-11</a></em>) = Moses was hidden “in the cleft of the rock” when the Lord passed by Sinai (<em><a href='B:20 33:21-23'>Exo 33:21-23</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Elijah saw storm, wind, an earthquake and fire upon Horeb (=Sinai). (<em><a href='B:110 19:11-12'>1Ki 19:11-12</a></em>) = Moses saw storm, wind, an earthquake and fire upon Sinai (<em><a href='B:20 19:16-20'>Exo 19:16-20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 20:18'>Exo 20:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:11'>Deu 4:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:22-27'>Deu 5:22-27</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Prayed that he might die (<em><a href='B:110 19:1-4'>1Ki 19:1-4</a></em>) = Prayed that he might die. (<em><a href='B:40 11:10-15'>Num 11:10-15</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Lord brought down fire from heaven upon his enemies (<em><a href='B:120 1:9-12'>2Ki 1:9-12</a></em>) = The Lord brought down fire from heaven upon those who rebelled against him (<em><a href='B:40 16:1-50'>Num 16:1-50</a></em>; cf. <em><a href='B:30 10:1-3'>Lev 10:1-3</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Elijah parted the waters of the Jordan by striking the waters with his cloak and passed over on dry ground. (<em><a href='B:120 2:8'>2Ki 2:8</a></em>) = Moses parted the waters of the Red Sea by stretching out his staff and passed over on dry ground (<em><a href='B:20 14:16'>Exo 14:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 14:21-22'>Exo 14:21-22</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>His successor was one who had served him and came to resemble him in many ways, parting the waters of the Jordan as he had (<em><a href='B:120 2:1-25'>2Ki 2:1-25</a></em>) = His successor was one who had served him and came to resemble him in many ways, parting the waters of the Jordan as he had the Red Sea (<em><a href='B:60 3:1-17'>Jos 3:1-17</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Was taken away in the Transjordan (<em><a href='B:120 2:9-11'>2Ki 2:9-11</a></em>) = Died in the Transjordan (<em><a href='B:50 34:5'>Deu 34:5</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Mysteriously translated (<em><a href='B:120 9:1-37'>2Ki 9:1-37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:120 10:1-36'>2Ki 10:1-36</a></em>; <em><a href='B:120 11:1-21'>2Ki 11:1-21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:120 12:1-21'>2Ki 12:1-21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:120 13:1-25'>2Ki 13:1-25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:120 14:1-29'>2Ki 14:1-29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:120 15:1-38'>2Ki 15:1-38</a></em>; <em><a href='B:120 16:1-20'>2Ki 16:1-20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:120 17:1-41'>2Ki 17:1-41</a></em>; <em><a href='B:120 18:1-37'>2Ki 18:1-37</a></em>) = Died mysteriously and buried in a valley, but his burial place was unknown. (<em><a href='B:50 34:6'>Deu 34:6</a></em>)</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The point of these similarities was that the Angel wanted Elijah to be like Moses; to pray for the peoples’ salvation, to return to the people and lead them and teach them. Moses had begged for God’s mercy for His people; but Elijah was so full of self-justification that he prayed against Israel. And so with us, we are potentially led into situations where we are to discern the similarities between us and Bible characters; we are set up with opportunities to respond in a way that reflects how we have learnt the lessons from them. The way the Lord Jesus perceived this in His wilderness temptations is a great example.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and you said, Behold, Yahweh our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God does speak with man and he lives- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>They recognized the theory- that they had heard the voice of their God, and that God could speak with a man like Moses directly without the man dying. But they didn’t want that intimacy; it was not for them (:25). And they justified it beneath a veneer of fake humility, claiming they were too sinful to hear God’s voice. They rejected intimacy with God for religion and following a man, even if he were a very good and genuine man.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of Yahweh our God any more, then we shall die- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The tragedy was that to hear the personal voice of their God was intended to build their faith, and was the most wonderful empirical, experiential evidence that He was real (<em><a href='B:50 4:32-33'>Deu 4:32-33</a></em>). But faced with it, they hurriedly turned away. And this is true in essence of so many people. See on :26. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For who is there of all humanity that has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire as we have, and has lived?- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel complained that no other nation had ever been asked to hear the voice of their God in a personal way; they feared that hearing this voice meant their condemnation (<em><a href='B:50 5:26'>Deu 5:26</a></em>). But God meant it so positively; the fact they had heard God’s voice was a sign of His amazing grace (<em><a href='B:50 4:32-33'>Deu 4:32-33</a></em>). Yet Israel turned the display of that grace into a reason to fear condemnation. They were far happier not being confronted by such radical grace, and the personal engagement of God with them. And so they desperately sought to use mere religion to shield them from this, asking Moses to go through with this engagement with God and then give them a few rules to obey, which didn’t too deeply interrupt their lives. This is the abiding tendency of men of all ages; to flee from grace to the structures of mere religion.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Go near and hear all that Yahweh our God shall say, and tell us all that Yahweh our God shall tell you, and we will hear it and do it-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:50 30:12'>Deu 30:12</a></em>. God wanted to speak directly with Israel at Sinai; and yet they urged Moses personally to go and hear what God wished to say, and tell them about it: "Go thou (you singular) near and hear" (<em><a href='B:50 5:23'>Deu 5:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:27'>Deu 5:27</a></em>). Moses urged them not to fear, and told them that this was all a test from God for them (<em><a href='B:20 20:20'>Exo 20:20</a></em>). But they didn’t rise to it. Yet God accepted this lower level, so did He wish to communicate with them. And He used Moses as a mediator through whom He spoke His word to His people.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We too have a tendency to shy away from a direct relationship with God through His word, and prefer a system of human mediators to bring God to us- as we see in the established churches. But God wants to have direct contact with us through the medium of His word.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me and Yahweh said to me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you; they have well said all that they have spoken- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This is all intentionally similar to the situation with Pharaoh in <em><a href='B:20 10:29'>Exo 10:29</a></em>, when "Moses said, You have spoken well. I will see your face again no more". For Israel had seen God’s face insofar that Moses had seen it (<em><a href='B:50 5:24'>Deu 5:24</a></em>). And they didn’t want it, and so they would not be given it.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Oh that there were- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God’s capacity to imagine, to see possible futures to some extent, explains the poignancy behind His words in places like <em><a href='B:290 48:18'>Isa 48:18</a></em>: "O that you had hearkened to my commandments!", "Oh that they would have a mind such as this always" (<em><a href='B:50 5:29'>Deu 5:29</a></em>), "O Israel, if you would but listen to me" (<em><a href='B:230 81:8'>Psa 81:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 81:13'>Psa 81:13</a></em>). It's as if He could see the potentially happy future which they could've had stretching out before Him. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Adam Clarke correctly understands the Hebrew here as meaning "Who will give such a heart to them, that they may fear, etc. They refuse to receive such a heart from me; who then can supply it?". God was willing to give them a new heart, to work through His Spirit directly upon their spirit. But they didn’t accept that gift, just as many refuse it today, preferring to keep God at a distance and follow mere religion. The new covenant as explained in Jeremiah and Ezekiel is all about accepting this new heart and spirit from God.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Time and again, Moses speaks of the state of their heart. He warns them against allowing a bad state of heart to develop, he speaks often of how apostasy starts in the heart. Moses makes a total of 49 references to the heart / mind of Israel in Deuteronomy, compared to only 13 in the whole of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. This indicates the paramount importance which our Lord attaches to the state of our mind. This was perhaps his greatest wish as He faced death; that we should develop a spiritual mind and thereby manifest the Father and come to salvation. Moses likewise saw the state of our mind as the key to spiritual success. But do we share this perspective? Do we guard our minds against the media and influence of a mind-corrupting world? It's been observed that the phrase "The God of (somebody)", or similar, occurs 614 times in the Old Testament, of which 306 are in Deuteronomy. Our very personal relationship with God was therefore something else which Moses came to grasp in his spiritual maturity. Statistical analysis of the word "love" in the Pentateuch likewise reveals that "love" was a great theme of Moses at the end of his life (Moses uses it 16 times in Deuteronomy, and only four times in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Go, tell them, Return to your tents- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God went along with their rejection of intimacy with Him, and so He surely said these words with much regret. They preferred <em>their </em>tents to His tent. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>But as for you, stand here by Me- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God through the Angel had earlier stood upon a rock in Sinai with Moses next to Him (<em><a href='B:20 17:6'>Exo 17:6</a></em>). Later, Yahweh asks Moses to stand upon a rock in Sinai next to Him (<em><a href='B:20 33:21'>Exo 33:21</a></em> s.w.). We see how God gently and progressively leads His people closer to Him, using every experience He gives us to prepare for the next one, on an ever more intimate level with Him.&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And I will tell you all the commandments, the statutes and the ordinances, which you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew <em>mishpat</em>, "ordinances", has a wide range of meaning. The idea is of judgment, as if God and His Angels gave these laws as their considered judgment after considering the human condition, and Israel were to abide by them. But the word also the idea of a right or privilege; and that is how we should see God’s laws. They are only felt as a burden because of human hardness of neck towards God’s ways. His laws are not of themselves burdensome, but rather a privilege and blessing. The law was indeed "holy, just and good" (<em><a href='B:520 7:12'>Rom 7:12</a></em>), designed to inculcate a holy, just and good life (<em><a href='B:630 1:8'>Tit 1:8</a></em>), a way in which a man should "walk" in daily life (<em><a href='B:30 18:4'>Lev 18:4</a></em>), a culture of kindness and grace to others which reflected God’s grace to man. If we dwell upon the idea of "rights" carried within the word <em>mishpat</em>, we note that the law begins in <em><a href='B:20 21:1-2'>Exo 21:1-2</a></em> (also <em><a href='B:50 15:12-18'>Deu 15:12-18</a></em>) with the rights of a slave- those considered to have no rights in the society of that day. The "rights" to be afforded by us to others are the essence of God’s rightness / justice.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must observe to do therefore as Yahweh your God has commanded you; you must not turn aside to the right hand or to the left- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The wall of water on their right hand and left when they crossed the Red Sea is twice emphasized (<em><a href='B:20 14:22'>Exo 14:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 14:29'>Exo 14:29</a></em>). It is alluded to later, when they are urged to not depart from God’s way, not to the right hand nor left (<em><a href='B:50 5:32'>Deu 5:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 17:11'>Deu 17:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 17:20'>Deu 17:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:14'>Deu 28:14</a></em>). We passed through the Red Sea when we were baptized (<em><a href='B:530 10:1-2'>1Co 10:1-2</a></em>). We were set upon a path which is walled up to keep us within it. And we are to remain in that path upon which we were set. To turn aside from it would be as foolish as Israel turning away from their path and trying to walk into the walls of water.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must walk in all the way which Yahweh your God has commanded you, in order that you may live and that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Does "prolong your days" mean that long life promised to the obedient Israelite under the Old Covenant? Solomon observed that a just mad perished young and "a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness" (<em><a href='B:250 7:15'>Ecc 7:15</a></em>). <em><a href='B:330 12:22'>Eze 12:22</a></em> suggests that faithless Israel cynically observed that "The days are prolonged" and God’s prophetic word of condemnation had failed- implying they thought that prolonged days were being experienced by them despite their disobedience. The Hebrew phrase 'to prolong days' is found in <em><a href='B:290 53:10'>Isa 53:10</a></em>, where it is applied to how Messiah would 'prolong His days' not in this life, but in the resurrection. The repeated promises recorded in Deuteronomy of prolonged days upon the land of Israel would therefore hint at the eternity of the Kingdom rather than this life. Indeed, <em><a href='B:50 4:40'>Deu 4:40</a></em> says they would prolong their days "for ever". For an individual Israelite might be faithful but not prolong his or her days in the land because the whole people were to be carried away captive for their sins and the land given to a Gentile power. The opposite of 'days being prolonged' was 'utter destruction' (:26)- which would then speak of condemnation in the second death. This is one of many examples of where eternal life was possible under the Old Covenant- there were multiple different possibilities and plans God could have worked by. Israel could have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Messiah and not killed Him, and so forth. It seems the closer we probe God’s word, the more open He is revealed as being.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>In the land which you shall possess- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Drive out" is s.w. "possess". We must note the difference between the&nbsp; Canaanite peoples and their kings being "struck" and their land "taken" by Joshua-Jesus; and the people of Israel permanently taking possession. This is the difference between the Lord's victory on the cross, and our taking possession of the Kingdom. Even though that possession has been "given" to us. The word used for "possession" is literally 'an inheritance'. The allusion is to the people, like us, being the seed of Abraham. The Kingdom was and is our possession, our inheritance- if we walk in the steps of Abraham. But it is one thing to be the seed of Abraham, another to take possession of the inheritance; and Israel generally did not take possession of all the land (<em><a href='B:60 11:23'>Jos 11:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 13:1'>Jos 13:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 16:10'>Jos 16:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 18:3'>Jos 18:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:4'>Jos 23:4</a></em>). The language of inheritance / possession is applied to us in the New Testament (<em><a href='B:560 1:11'>Eph 1:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:14'>Eph 1:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 3:24'>Col 3:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 20:32'>Act 20:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 26:18'>Act 26:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 1:4'>1Pe 1:4</a></em> etc.). Israel were promised: "You shall possess it" (<em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:23'>Deu 33:23</a></em>). This was more of a command than a prophecy, for sadly they were "given" the land but did not "possess" it. They were constantly encouraged in the wilderness that they were on the path to possessing the land (<em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:18'>Deu 30:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:3'>Deu 31:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:13'>Deu 31:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>), but when they got there they didn’t possess it fully. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Now these are the commandments- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>In the RV this verse reads: "Now this is <em>the commandment</em> (singular), the statutes and the judgments… the Lord our God is one" (:4). And then they are told to write the statutes on their door posts etc. It would have been hard to literally write all 613 of them there. Yet the whole way of life for Israel was epitomized in the single command… that God is one. It was and is a <em>command</em>; not a mere statement; and it was this they were to speak to their children about and continually meditate upon. Thus the unity of God is even today a summary of all God’s desires and requirements for us, that He should be the one and only in our lives, with all this means in practice. The Jewish zealots who died at Massada had as their battle cry "the Lord our God is one!", and some time later Rabbi Akiba was flayed alive by the Romans, crying as the skin was stripped from his bones: "The Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might". And there are many accounts from the Holocaust of similar things. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>The statutes and the ordinances which Yahweh your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land which you go over to possess-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>In <em><a href='B:50 6:1-2'>Deu 6:1-2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:6-7'>Deu 6:6-7</a></em> Israel is commanded to <em>do</em> the law so that their children would do it also. Whilst on one hand we each have sovereign free will, there can be no doubt that we are affected by others. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Drive out" is s.w. "possess". We must note the difference between the&nbsp; Canaanite peoples and their kings being "struck" and their land "taken" by Joshua-Jesus; and the people of Israel permanently taking possession. This is the difference between the Lord's victory on the cross, and our taking possession of the Kingdom. Even though that possession has been "given" to us. The word used for "possession" is literally 'an inheritance'. The allusion is to the people, like us, being the seed of Abraham. The Kingdom was and is our possession, our inheritance- if we walk in the steps of Abraham. But it is one thing to be the seed of Abraham, another to take possession of the inheritance; and Israel generally did not take possession of all the land (<em><a href='B:60 11:23'>Jos 11:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 13:1'>Jos 13:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 16:10'>Jos 16:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 18:3'>Jos 18:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:4'>Jos 23:4</a></em>). The language of inheritance / possession is applied to us in the New Testament (<em><a href='B:560 1:11'>Eph 1:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:14'>Eph 1:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 3:24'>Col 3:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 20:32'>Act 20:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 26:18'>Act 26:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 1:4'>1Pe 1:4</a></em> etc.). Israel were promised: "You shall possess it" (<em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:23'>Deu 33:23</a></em>). This was more of a command than a prophecy, for sadly they were "given" the land but did not "possess" it. They were constantly encouraged in the wilderness that they were on the path to possessing the land (<em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:18'>Deu 30:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:3'>Deu 31:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:13'>Deu 31:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>), but when they got there they didn’t possess it fully. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>in order that you might fear Yahweh your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, yes you, your son and your son’s son, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The commandments were given in order to be obeyed (:1), so that they would keep the commandments. This at first blush appears circular reasoning. But rather the idea is of an upward spiral of spirituality, whereby obedience led to obedience. The various laws were designed to be self reinforcing, which is why the law was "perfect", and was not to be added to nor subtracted from. The intention was that obedience to the commandments elicited a spirit of life which was spiritual, and which facilitated further obedience and spirituality.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Hear therefore, Israel, and observe to do it, so that it may be well with you and that you may increase mightily, as Yahweh the God of your fathers has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It's been observed that the phrase "The God of (somebody)", or similar, occurs 614 times in the Old Testament, of which 306 are in Deuteronomy. Our very personal relationship with God was therefore something else which Moses came to grasp in his spiritual maturity.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses really wanted Israel's well-being, he saw so clearly how obedience would result in blessing (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 6:3'>Deu 6:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:28'>Deu 12:28</a></em>). This is a major theme of Moses in Deuteronomy. There was therefore a real sense of pleading behind his frequent appeal for Israel to "hear" or obey God’s words. "<em>Hear</em>, O Israel" in Deuteronomy must have had a real passion behind it in his voice, uncorrupted as it was by old age. He didn’t rattle it off as some kind of Sunday School proof. At least four times Moses interrupts the flow of his speech with this appeal: "<em>Hear </em>(‘be obedient’), O Israel" (<em><a href='B:50 5:1'>Deu 5:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:3-4'>Deu 6:3-4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:1'>Deu 9:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 20:3'>Deu 20:3</a></em>). And a glance through a concordance shows how often in Deuteronomy Moses pleads with them to hear God’s voice. So he was back to his favourite theme: Hear the word, love the word, make it your life. For in this is your salvation. And the Lord Jesus (e.g. in passages like <em><a href='B:500 6:1-71'>Joh 6:1-71</a></em>) makes just the same urgent appeal.&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel came to describe the Egypt they had been called out from as the land flowing with milk and honey (<em><a href='B:40 16:12'>Num 16:12</a></em>), and denied that the Kingdom was in fact like that. And so we have the same tendency to be deceived into thinking that the kingdoms of this world, the world around us, is effectively the Kingdom of God, the only thing worth striving after.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The fact there is only one God means that He is to have our total loyalty and love (:5). If there were two gods, each would have 50%. But the one God demands our total devotion. That God is one is a command, an imperative to action (<em><a href='B:480 12:28-29'>Mar 12:28-29</a></em>). It underlies the whole law and prophets (<em><a href='B:470 22:40'>Mat 22:40</a></em>)- it's that fundamental. If there were two Gods, Yahweh would only demand half our energies. Nothing can be given to anything else; for there is nothing else to give to. There's only one God. There can be no idolatry in our lives, because there is only one God (<em><a href='B:120 19:18-19'>2Ki 19:18-19</a></em>). Because "there is none else, you shall keep <em>therefore</em> his statutes" (<em><a href='B:50 4:39-40'>Deu 4:39-40</a></em>). The Hebrew text of <em><a href='B:50 6:4'>Deu 6:4</a></em> suggests: "The Lord is our God, the Lord is one", thereby linking Yahweh's unity with His being our God, the sole Lord and unrivalled Master of His people. It also links the first principle of the unity of God with that of the covenant to Abraham; for "I will be their God" was one of the features of the covenant. The one God has only one people; not all religious systems can lead to the one Hope of Israel. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:50 6:4'>Deu 6:4</a></em> is far more than a Sunday School text. Indeed God is one; but consider the context. Moses has set the people up to expect him to deliver them a long list of detailed commands; he has told them that God told him to declare unto them "all the commandments… that they may do them… ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you… ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you… now these are the commandments… that ye might do them…<em> hear therefore O Israel and observe to do it</em> (singular)…". Now we expect him to reel off a long list of commands. But Moses mirrors that last phrase with simply: "<em>Hear, O Israel</em>, the Lord our God is one" (<em><a href='B:50 5:31-33'>Deu 5:31-33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:1-4'>Deu 6:1-4</a></em>). And in this context he gives no other commandments. "Observe to do <em>it</em>" is matched with "The Lord our God is one". This is the quintessence of all the commands of God. And he goes straight on to say: "And these words…shall be in your heart" and they were to talk of them to their children in the house and by the way, bind them upon their hands and on the posts of their homes. Some Jewish traditions, perhaps correctly, place the <em>shema</em>, "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one" in their phylacteries. And this is indeed the context. It was the unity of God and the imperative from it to love Him with all the heart which is what was to be programmatic for their daily living. This is why it was Jewish practice to recite the <em>shema</em> several times a day, and also on their deathbed. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The record in <em><a href='B:480 12:32'>Mar 12:32</a></em> presents an obviously monotheistic Jewish scribe as being in complete agreement with the Lord Jesus about the unity of God. The Lord Jesus evidently supported the Old Testament's strict monotheism. When Jesus speaks of His Father as "the one who alone is God" (<em><a href='B:500 5:44'>Joh 5:44</a></em> NRSV), He is evidently alluding to the classic statement of monotheism in <em><a href='B:50 6:4'>Deu 6:4</a></em> - that Yahweh is the one God. And the inspired writers of the New Testament did the same thing. James commented to Jews upon their belief in one God: "You believe that God is one. You do well" (<em><a href='B:660 2:19'>Jas 2:19</a></em>). He doesn't seek to correct their monotheism. Why, if the Trinity issue was so utterly vital and obvious? </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Some time, read through the book of Deuteronomy in one or two sessions. You'll see many themes of Moses in Deuteronomy. It really shows how Moses felt towards Israel, and how the Lord Jesus feels towards us, and especially how he felt towards us just before his death. For this is what the whole book prefigures. "Love" and the idea of love occurs far more in Deuteronomy than in the other books of the Law. "Fear the Lord your God" of <em><a href='B:20 9:30'>Exo 9:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:14'>Lev 19:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:32'>Lev 19:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 25:17'>Lev 25:17</a></em> becomes "love the Lord your God" in Deuteronomy (<em><a href='B:50 6:5'>Deu 6:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:9'>Deu 7:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:12'>Deu 10:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:1'>Deu 11:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:9'>Deu 19:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:6'>Deu 30:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:20'>Deu 30:20</a></em>). There are 23 references to not hating in Deuteronomy, compared to only 5 in Ex. - Num.; Moses saw the danger of bitterness and lack of love. He saw these things as the spiritual cancer they are, in his time of maturity he warned his beloved people against them. His mind was full of them. The LXX uses the word ekklesia eight times in Deuteronomy, but not once in Moses' other words (<em><a href='B:50 4:10'>Deu 4:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:10'>Deu 9:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 18:16'>Deu 18:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 23:1-3'>Deu 23:1-3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 23:8'>Deu 23:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:1'>Deu 32:1</a></em>). Responsibility for the whole family God had redeemed was a mark of Moses; maturity at the end of his life, at the time of Deuteronomy. It is observable that both as a community and as individuals, this will be a sign of our maturity too.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Love the Lord your God with <em>all </em>your heart, and with <em>all </em>your soul, and with <em>all </em>your might". Time and again, Moses in his final hours used these words, as he pleaded on that last day of his life for Israel to grasp the nettle, to take on board the idea of loving God, of giving our all (<em><a href='B:50 6:5'>Deu 6:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:12'>Deu 10:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:13'>Deu 11:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:22'>Deu 11:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:3'>Deu 13:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:9'>Deu 19:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:6'>Deu 30:6</a></em>; an impressive seven-fold emphasis). I can almost hear his voice cracking as he stressed the word "all" . Having pleaded six times for them to love God with <em>all </em>their soul and <em>all</em> their might, Moses then makes the point that if they enter the Kingdom, there they will be <em>made by God</em> to love Him then with all their soul and might (<em><a href='B:50 30:6'>Deu 30:6</a></em>). The logic is over-powering. In the Kingdom, our very nature, every fiber of our being, will be bent towards love of God. If this will be our eternal destiny, isn't it logical that we at least aspire to it now? Statistical analysis of the word "love" in the Pentateuch likewise reveals that "love" was a great theme of Moses at the end of his life (Moses uses it 16 times in Deuteronomy, and only four times in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Loving Yahweh with all the heart, soul and mind was understood by Joshua as meaning that those who loved Yahweh would not "mix with" and intermarry with the nations and accept their gods (<em><a href='B:60 23:11-12'>Jos 23:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:16'>Jos 23:16</a></em>). "Love" for God was not therefore a feeling; Joshua said that they must "take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love Yahweh" (<em><a href='B:60 23:11'>Jos 23:11</a></em>). This is the love of conscious direction of the mind, the love which is a choice rather than an emotion.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>These words which I command you this day shall be on your heart- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Time and again, Moses speaks of the state of their heart. He warns them against allowing a bad state of heart to develop, he speaks often of how apostasy starts in the heart. Moses makes a total of 49 references to the heart / mind of Israel in Deuteronomy, compared to only 13 in the whole of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. This indicates the paramount importance which our Lord attaches to the state of our mind. This was perhaps his greatest wish as He faced death; that we should develop a spiritual mind and thereby manifest the Father and come to salvation. Moses likewise saw the state of our mind as the key to spiritual success. But do we share this perspective? Do we guard our minds against the media and influence of a mind-corrupting world? It's been observed that the phrase "The God of (somebody)", or similar, occurs 614 times in the Old Testament, of which 306 are in Deuteronomy. Our very personal relationship with God was therefore something else which Moses came to grasp in his spiritual maturity. Statistical analysis of the word "love" in the Pentateuch likewise reveals that "love" was a great theme of Moses at the end of his life (Moses uses it 16 times in Deuteronomy, and only four times in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The names of God’s people are in the heart of the Lord Jesus, our great High Priest (<em><a href='B:20 28:29'>Exo 28:29</a></em>); just as God’s words are to be upon the hearts of His people (<em><a href='B:50 6:6'>Deu 6:6</a></em>). Through the medium of His word, there is thus a mutuality between God and man. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and you must teach them diligently to your children and talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The latter day repentant remnant will be characterized by talking to each other of spiritual things (<em><a href='B:460 3:16'>Mal 3:16</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:340 12:2'>Dan 12:2</a></em>), especially of the law (<em><a href='B:460 3:7'>Mal 3:7</a></em>). But we are to do this now in our day of opportunity, and not be forced to it by tribulation. The priests were the official teachers of Israel, but it was ever God’s intention that all Israel should be priests. All under the new covenant are declared priests (<em><a href='B:670 2:5'>1Pe 2:5</a></em>). All Israel were to be teaching each other (<em><a href='B:300 31:34'>Jer 31:34</a></em>), especially their children- not leaving it to others, nor over relying upon a priesthood or spiritual eldership to teach their children. This is a myth inadvertently created by the Sunday School movement, excellent and commendable as that movement is- that a child is sent to "Sunday School" and there learns God’s ways. The real teaching is done sitting in the house and walking by the way, and not by specialist teachers. The specific reference to teaching when you lie down and rise up could suggest that God specifically intended His people to teach their children, every morning and every evening. This is the essence of family life in the Lord.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall bind them for a sign on your hand and they shall be for memorials between your eyes- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>As taught in <em><a href='B:50 6:6'>Deu 6:6</a></em>, the essence was that "These words which I command you this day shall be on your heart". The heart refers to the mind, the brain, if you will; and we could understand this as meaning that this was to be externally memorialized by binding them between the eyes. This is how orthodox Judaism understands it. But I suggest that the memorial was essentially in the heart, and this is just another way of speaking about the wholeness of internal and external devotion to God’s words. Whatever is done externally with the hand, whatever is thought about in our mind between our eyes, is to be dominated by our awareness of God’s laws. We fail to read in later scripture any mention of literally making boxes containing God’s law and wearing them. The Passover deliverance was likewise to be a "frontlet" (s.w. "memorial") between the eyes and upon the hand (<em><a href='B:20 13:16'>Exo 13:16</a></em>); but not in any literal sense. They were to be ever mentally aware of their great salvation, and live accordingly.</p><p>The idea is not that the entire law could literally be placed there. Rather, the equivalent of pagan amulets was to be a mental awareness of God's law. The use of phylacteries in Judaism is a complete missing of this point.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Contemporary ideas about Satan, demons etc. are often alluded to in the Pentateuch, and Israel are given the true understanding. Wearing a phylactery wasn't a new concept; the idea "refers to amulets which were worn in order to protect their wearers against demons". So by giving this command, Israel's God was showing His people that instead of being on the <em>defensive</em> against demons, needing good luck charms against them, they should instead replace these by a positive remembrance of God’s words in their hearts and actions. Rejoicing in His salvation and constantly remembering it was intended to totally sideline the various false beliefs about demons which were prevalent at the time. It could be argued that God is saying that instead of the literal phylacteries of the pagan Gentile world, they were to have an internal mental awareness of their God.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Writing God’s laws on door posts recalls the daubing of Passover lamb blood on the door posts. Indeed at Passover time, the faithful Israelite would have painted over the laws of Moses with the blood of the Passover lamb. This was looking ahead to how those laws were to be blotted out by the Lord's sacrifice. It was perhaps also to remind them that the blood of the Passover lamb, shed for their salvation, was an imperative to their obedience to God’s laws. And again we see contemporary religious ideas deconstructed; for "It was the custom of the ancient Egyptians to inscribe on lintels and door-posts sentences of good omen". Such good luck charms were to be replaced with realistic practical calls for obedience in real life; for this was the basis of Divine blessing, and not good luck charms.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When Yahweh your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers to give you, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, great and good cities which you didn’t build- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This continues the repeated reminder that they had been shown grace and a place in the Kingdom not according to works. This emphasis upon grace now leads up to the appeal to quit any other gods (:14)- because Yahweh alone is the God of grace. The other gods had no concept of this; it was unique to Yahweh. And true grace is likewise the unique feature of true Christianity.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:390 2:8'>Jon 2:8</a></em> reflects Jonah's understanding of this: "Those who regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy". This is a profound truth; true grace ("mercy" is<em> hesed</em>) and salvation is only found in Yahweh the God of Israel. To forsake Him is to forsake our own access to mercy and grace. Jonah was surely reflecting upon how the sailors had begged their idols and gods for salvation, and not found it. Only Yahweh had provided such saving grace, both to them and to Jonah. This reflection was surely to motivate Jonah to now go and try to persuade the Ninevites of Yahweh's grace. Jonah is constantly quoting from the Psalms, and here he may have in mind <em><a href='B:230 31:6'>Psa 31:6</a></em>: "I have hated them that regard lying vanities". But now Jonah doesn't hate the idolaters personally, but rather perceives the tragedy of the fact that they are rejecting their own access to Yahweh's grace. Yahweh is all about mercy, or grace; again, <em><a href='B:230 59:17'>Psa 59:17</a></em> "the God of my mercy" is in mind. But we preclude His grace if we trust in the lying vanities of this world.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>houses full of all good things which you didn’t fill, and wells dug out which you didn’t dig, vineyards and olive trees which you didn’t plant, and you shall eat and be full-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The gift of these things to Israel was by God’s grace- for He could have commanded them to destroy all such vineyards. They were intended to learn from this grace, that works cannot save, and our blessings are a pure gift from God rather than achieved by our works. But instead they forgot Yahweh (:12) and turned to justification by religious works, because they had refused to be awed by His grace. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>then beware lest you forget Yahweh, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel never became atheists, they never formally abrogated Yahweh, never formally rejected Him. But they forgot Him, in that in daily life they forgot the wonder of His grace, especially in His historical salvation of them. And it is day by day spiritual mindedness which is the context here. The exit from Egypt is described as a jail break, from the house of bondage. Their desire to return to it was strong, and so Moses continually stresses the true and awful nature of Egypt / the world. The language echoes that of God to Abraham: "I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur" (<em><a href='B:10 15:7'>Gen 15:7</a></em>). They were being asked to act as Abraham's seed, and respond as He did to the Divine initiative in separating them from the world- by following His commandments.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must fear Yahweh your God and you shall serve Him and shall swear by His name-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:490 4:8'>Luk 4:8</a></em> records how “Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve”. He understood that we can only serve two masters: God or the flesh (“mammon” is another personification of the flesh, similar to ‘satan’). He saw His own flesh, His own internal thoughts, as a master begging to be served which He must totally reject. His words are a quotation from <em><a href='B:50 6:13'>Deu 6:13</a></em>, which warns Israel to serve Yahweh alone and not idols. He perceived His own natural mind and desire as an idol calling to be served.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Lord quoted <em><a href='B:50 6:13'>Deu 6:13</a></em> against His wilderness temptations “You shalt fear the Lord your God (alone)”. He probably had <em><a href='B:50 6:14'>Deu 6:14</a></em> in mind “You shall not go after other gods”. Perhaps He interpreted the pagan idols as the evil thoughts of His heart. Earlier <em><a href='B:50 6:7-8'>Deu 6:7-8</a></em> had warned that not repeating the Law would result in idol worship – and Christ saw that His neglect of the Father’s word would result in His serving His evil desires. Thus the purpose of the temptations was to prove whether Christ would really keep and apply the word in His heart (<em><a href='B:50 8:2'>Deu 8:2</a></em>), as it was for Israel in their wilderness.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Go after" is a phrase Moses frequently uses in his last speech in Deuteronomy, but not elsewhere. It means literally to follow or walk after. He warns against going after other gods (<em><a href='B:50 4:3'>Deu 4:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:14'>Deu 6:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:19'>Deu 8:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:28'>Deu 11:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:2'>Deu 13:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:14'>Deu 28:14</a></em>), and urges following / walking behind / going after Yahweh alone (<em><a href='B:50 13:4'>Deu 13:4</a></em>). I suggest he was reflecting upon how by following after Yahweh in the Angel, the people had been brought out of Egypt, through the wilderness and to the promised kingdom. Caleb had faithfully followed / walked after Yahweh, and so entered the land. The phrase is used of the people following after the ark to enter Canaan (<em><a href='B:60 3:3'>Jos 3:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 6:9'>Jos 6:9</a></em>). Following after idols led them just to pointless wandering in circles. And so it is in human life today. Following idols leads to pointless wandering, whereas following Yahweh has a specific destination in view- possession of the Kingdom. Elijah uses the phrase when telling Israel they could either follow after Baal, or Yahweh; and if Yahweh is God, then we are to follow Him (<em><a href='B:110 18:21'>1Ki 18:21</a></em>). We cannot follow two directions. But Israel followed after (s.w.) vanity and thereby became vain (<em><a href='B:120 17:15'>2Ki 17:15</a></em>). They carried the tabernacle of Moloch and also of Yahweh, throughout the wilderness journey (<em><a href='B:510 7:1-60'>Act 7:1-60</a></em>:). Following after Baal is paralleled with following / walking after the imagination of their own evil heart (s.w. <em><a href='B:300 3:17'>Jer 3:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 9:14'>Jer 9:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 13:10'>Jer 13:10</a></em>), walking after their own spirit rather than God’s (<em><a href='B:330 13:3'>Eze 13:3</a></em> s.w.) and their own covetousness (s.w. <em><a href='B:330 33:31'>Eze 33:31</a></em>). To walk / live just according to the word of our own imaginations is our great temptation. But we are to instead follow God’s imaginations and heart, as revealed in His word (<em><a href='B:330 20:16'>Eze 20:16</a></em> s.w.). This is where our acceptance of the word of God as indeed His word... has endless implications. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>for Yahweh your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of Yahweh your God shall be kindled against you and He shall destroy you from off the face of the land- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Like Paul in his time of dying, Moses in Deuteronomy saw the importance of obedience, the harder side of God; yet he also saw in real depth the surpassing love of God, and the grace that was to come, beyond Law. This appreciation reflected Moses' mature grasp of the Name / characteristics of God. He uses the name "Yahweh" in Deuteronomy over 530 times, often with some possessive adjective, e.g. "Yahweh thy God" (AV- i.e. you singular), or "Yahweh our God". He saw the personal relationship between a man and his God. Jacob reached a like realization at his peak. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel is so often set up as the bride of God (<em><a href='B:290 54:5'>Isa 54:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 61:10'>Isa 61:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 62:4-5'>Isa 62:4-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 2:2'>Jer 2:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 3:14'>Jer 3:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:350 2:19-20'>Hos 2:19-20</a></em>). This is why any infidelity to God is spoken of as adultery (<em><a href='B:460 2:11'>Mal 2:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 17:7'>Lev 17:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:5-6'>Lev 20:5-6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:16'>Deu 31:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 2:17'>Jdg 2:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 8:27'>Jdg 8:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 8:33'>Jdg 8:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:350 9:1'>Hos 9:1</a></em>). The language of Israel 'selling themselves to do iniquity' uses the image of prostitution. This is how God feels our even temporary and fleeting acts and thoughts of unfaithfulness. This is why God is jealous for us (<em><a href='B:20 20:15'>Exo 20:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 34:14'>Exo 34:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:24'>Deu 4:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:9'>Deu 5:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:15'>Deu 6:15</a></em>)- because His undivided love for us is so exclusive. He expects us to be totally His. Just as Israel were not to be like the Egyptians they were leaving, nor like the Canaanites into whose land they were going (<em><a href='B:30 18:1-5'>Lev 18:1-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:23-24'>Lev 20:23-24</a></em>). We are to be a people separated unto Him. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>If God’s wrath burns hot against people, it means death for them (s.w. <em><a href='B:20 22:24'>Exo 22:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 11:1'>Num 11:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 11:33'>Num 11:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 22:22'>Num 22:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 25:3'>Num 25:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:15'>Deu 6:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:17'>Deu 31:17</a></em>). But Moses averted this at the time of <em><a href='B:20 32:10'>Exo 32:10</a></em> by his intercession. He does so because God’s wrath had burned hot against him personally (<em><a href='B:20 4:14'>Exo 4:14</a></em> s.w.), but he had been saved from death by grace. And so he reflects this in appealing for he salvation of others, against whom God’s wrath burned hot (<em><a href='B:20 32:10-11'>Exo 32:10-11</a></em>). But Moses at the end of his life warns them not to make God’s wrath burn hot against them again- because he will not be around to intercede for them (<em><a href='B:50 6:15'>Deu 6:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:4'>Deu 7:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:17'>Deu 11:17</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must not test Yahweh your God as you tested Him in Massah-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Meditate upon scripture as you go around daily life. Israel were told: "Ye (plural) shall not tempt the Lord". The Lord Jesus personalized this to Himself, and quoted it as: "Thou (singular) shalt not tempt the Lord" (<em><a href='B:50 6:16'>Deu 6:16</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:470 4:7'>Mat 4:7</a></em>). He told the Jews that when it is written "I am the God of Abraham", this was God speaking unto <em>them personally </em>("...which was spoken unto you by God, saying..."), teaching them personally that there would be a resurrection (<em><a href='B:470 22:31'>Mat 22:31</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>At the very time Israel put God to the test at Marah (<em><a href='B:50 6:16'>Deu 6:16</a></em>), God responded by testing <em>them</em> (<em><a href='B:20 15:25'>Exo 15:25</a></em>). When Israel were weary of God, He wearied them (<em><a href='B:290 43:22'>Isa 43:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 43:24'>Isa 43:24</a></em>). Because they turned their back on Him (<em><a href='B:300 2:27'>Jer 2:27</a></em>), He turned His back on them (<em><a href='B:300 18:17'>Jer 18:17</a></em>); because they broke His eternal covenant with them, He eventually did likewise. On the other hand, God set the rainbow in the sky so that whenever <em>He </em>looks upon it, He will remember His covenant with man (<em><a href='B:10 9:16'>Gen 9:16</a></em>). The pronouns seem wrong; we would expect to read that the rainbow is so that whenever <em>we </em>look upon it, we remember... but no. God condescends to man to such an extent that He invites us to understand that whenever we remember the covenant with Him, He does likewise.&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God comes down to the terms and language of men in His zeal to save. He invites the Jews to put Him to the test: if they paid their tithes, He would bless them with fruitful harvest (<em><a href='B:460 3:10'>Mal 3:10</a></em>). And yet surely the whole message of God’s revelation is that we are to accept His hand in our lives, that obedience won’t automatically bring blessing now, that we are not to put our God to the test (<em><a href='B:50 6:16'>Deu 6:16</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:470 4:7'>Mat 4:7</a></em>) but to trust in Him and the coming of His Kingdom to resolve all things. And yet Yahweh seems to come down from these high principles in Malachi’s time, to try to convince them of the logic of devotion to Him. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Ahaz quoted these words about not testing God. "The pride that apes humility" says all that is necessary. We can appear to be humble, and by doing so actually express our pride. The point has been made elsewhere that a brother may say to a sister full of praise for his Bible study: "It was nothing really, no, not that good". But if another sister says to him: "I thought your Bible study was nothing really, not much good at all"; how does he react? Did he <em>really</em> mean his 'humble' words to his admirer? Ahaz is one of many Biblical examples of this kind of false humility. He refused to ask a sign of Yahweh, when invited to, lest he be like apostate Israel in the wilderness, and tempt Yahweh (<em><a href='B:290 7:12'>Isa 7:12</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:50 6:16'>Deu 6:16</a></em>). But this was actually a 'wearying' of God, and he was given a sign relating to his condemnation (<em><a href='B:290 7:12-13'>Isa 7:12-13</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must diligently keep the commandments of Yahweh your God and His testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The word so often used for "diligently observing" Yahweh's commandments is from the word meaning a thorn hedge; the idea originally was to hedge in. Taking this too literally led Judaism to all their endless fences around the law, i.e. forbidding this or that because it might lead to doing that or this, which in turn would then lead to breaking an actual commandment. And those various fences become elevated to the level of commandments. But this is not the idea. We are indeed to hedge ourselves in ("take heed to yourself", <em><a href='B:50 11:16'>Deu 11:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:13'>Deu 12:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:19'>Deu 12:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:30'>Deu 12:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:32'>Deu 12:32</a></em> s.w.), so that we may keep / hedge ourselves in to keep the commandments of God (<em><a href='B:30 18:4-5'>Lev 18:4-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:26'>Lev 18:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:30'>Lev 18:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:19'>Lev 19:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:37'>Lev 19:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:8'>Lev 20:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:22'>Lev 20:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:9'>Lev 22:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:31'>Lev 22:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 25:18'>Lev 25:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:3'>Lev 26:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 28:2'>Num 28:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:11-12'>Deu 7:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:1'>Deu 8:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:11'>Deu 8:11</a></em> (s.w. "beware"); 10:13; 11:1,8,22,32; 12:1; 13:4,18; 15:5,9 ("beware"); 17:19; 19:9; 23:9 ("keep yourself"); 24:8; 26:16-18; 27:1; 28:1,9,13; 29:9; 30:10,16; 31:12; 32:46). And without falling into the legalism of Judaism, self discipline does require a degree of fencing ourselves in to the one way. Thus the man struggling with alcoholism avoids the supermarket where alcohol is pushed in front of the eyes of the shoppers; the married woman struggling with attraction to another man makes little laws for herself about avoiding his company. And if we do this, then the Lord will "keep" us, will hedge us in to keeping His way (s.w. <em><a href='B:40 6:24'>Num 6:24</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must do that which is right and good in the sight of Yahweh, that it may be well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land which Yahweh swore to your fathers-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Having stated that the Canaanite tribes would only be cast out if Israel were obedient, Moses goes on to enthuse that those tribes would indeed be cast out- so positive was he about Israel’s obedience (<em><a href='B:50 6:18-19'>Deu 6:18-19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:1'>Deu 7:1</a></em>). And yet on the other hand he realistically was aware of their future failures. He said those positive words genuinely, because he simply loved Israel, and had the hope for them which love carries with it. Throughout his speech, Moses is <em>constantly</em> thinking of Israel in the land; he keeps on telling them how to behave when they are there, encouraging them to be strong so that they will go into the land. I estimate that about 25% of the verses in Moses' speech speak about this. Israel's future inheritance of the Kingdom absolutely filled Moses' mind as he faced up to his own death. And remember that his speech was the outpouring of 40 years meditation. Their salvation, them in the Kingdom, totally filled his heart. And likewise with the Lord Jesus. <em><a href='B:230 22:1-31'>Psa 22:1-31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 69:1-36'>Psa 69:1-36</a></em> shows how his thoughts on the cross, especially as he approached the point of death, were centred around our salvation. And Moses was so positive about them. “The Lord thy God <em>shall</em> bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands”, even though these blessings were conditional upon their obedience. Moses was this confident of them (<em><a href='B:50 16:15'>Deu 16:15</a></em> cp. 28:1,4,12). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel had been told by Moses that their doing what was "good and right" was required for them to possess the land (<em><a href='B:50 6:18'>Deu 6:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:28'>Deu 12:28</a></em>). The Gibeonites use the same phrase in appealing for Joshua to do what was "good and right" (<em><a href='B:60 9:25'>Jos 9:25</a></em>) in not slaying them but accepting them into covenant relationship with Yahweh. The people generally didn’t want to do this (<em><a href='B:60 9:26'>Jos 9:26</a></em>). It seems God’s providence used Joshua's initial unwisdom in order to give Joshua a chance to do what was "good and right", so that Israel could indeed possess Canaan. We marvel at how God works through human unwisdom and dysfunction, in order to achieve His final purpose of giving His people His Kingdom. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew word for "spied out" in <em><a href='B:50 1:24'>Deu 1:24</a></em> also means 'to slander' (s.w. <em><a href='B:100 19:27'>2Sa 19:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 15:3'>Psa 15:3</a></em>). Their slander of the land was in that they misrepresented the strength of the people there, who were in fact fearful of the Israelites. They brought up an evil report of the land (<em><a href='B:40 13:32'>Num 13:32</a></em>), characterizing it as not "good" but "evil", as if inhabited by insuperable forces of cosmic evil. They disbelieved God’s simple statement that He was bringing them a "good land" (<em><a href='B:20 3:8'>Exo 3:8</a></em>). Moses therefore repeatedly calls the land a "good land", denying their wrong idea that the land was inhabited by 'evil spirits' (<em><a href='B:50 3:25'>Deu 3:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:21-22'>Deu 4:21-22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:18'>Deu 6:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:7'>Deu 8:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:6'>Deu 9:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:17'>Deu 11:17</a></em>). We see here how belief in 'evil spirits' or 'demons' militated against their faith in God and His eagerness to give His good Kingdom to His people. That continues to be His "good pleasure" (<em><a href='B:490 12:32'>Luk 12:32</a></em>) toward us, but like Israel, we are tempted to disbelieve this and allow our own perceptions and empirical conclusions to lead us away from simple faith in this. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>to thrust out all your enemies from before you, as Yahweh has spoken- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The thrusting out of Israel's enemies from the land was conditional upon Israel's obedience (<em><a href='B:50 6:18-19'>Deu 6:18-19</a></em>). They were disobedient, and yet still God thrust out the tribes and warned them therefore not to think that this was done because of their righteousness (<em><a href='B:50 9:4'>Deu 9:4</a></em>). It was by grace alone that they inherited the Kingdom, as with us. But there was always a tendency for Israel to forget that they had been given the Kingdom despite their lack of the required personal righteousness; they became over familiar with living in it under such grace. And so the warning comes down to us.&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When your son asks you in time to come, What do the testimonies, the statutes and the ordinances which Yahweh our God has commanded you mean?- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew <em>mishpat</em>, "ordinances", has a wide range of meaning. The idea is of judgment, as if God and His Angels gave these laws as their considered judgment after considering the human condition, and Israel were to abide by them. But the word also the idea of a right or privilege; and that is how we should see God’s laws. They are only felt as a burden because of human hardness of neck towards God’s ways. His laws are not of themselves burdensome, but rather a privilege and blessing. The law was indeed "holy, just and good" (<em><a href='B:520 7:12'>Rom 7:12</a></em>), designed to inculcate a holy, just and good life (<em><a href='B:630 1:8'>Tit 1:8</a></em>), a way in which a man should "walk" in daily life (<em><a href='B:30 18:4'>Lev 18:4</a></em>), a culture of kindness and grace to others which reflected God’s grace to man. If we dwell upon the idea of "rights" carried within the word <em>mishpat</em>, we note that the law begins in <em><a href='B:20 21:1-2'>Exo 21:1-2</a></em> (also <em><a href='B:50 15:12-18'>Deu 15:12-18</a></em>) with the rights of a slave- those considered to have no rights in the society of that day. The "rights" to be afforded by us to others are the essence of God’s rightness / justice.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>then you shall tell your son, We were Pharaoh’s bondservants in Egypt and Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The might of Yahweh's hand was shown through His grace in as it were forcing Israel out of Egypt, when they actually wanted to remain there and He wished to destroy them (<em><a href='B:330 20:8'>Eze 20:8</a></em>). They were idolatrous and had told Moses to leave them alone and let them serve the Egyptians. Yahweh's strength therefore refers to the power of His grace in continuing His program with them.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and Yahweh showed great and awesome signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh and on all his house, before our eyes- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Subsequent generations were to consider that the wonder of redemption had been played out before their own eyes. There is a deep sense in human beings that history is bunk, or at best of merely passing historico-cultural interest, which the hurrying man of modern life has little serious time for. This is where Biblical history is so different; and it's why God’s word in the Bible is in a sense all history. But it is history to live by, moment by moment. The implications of our redemption on a hill just outside Jerusalem, on a Friday afternoon, on a day in April... affect today and every day our every thought and action in secular life.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land which He swore to our fathers-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The meaning of ‘holiness’ is both to be separated <em>from</em> and separated <em>unto</em>. Separation isn’t only something negative; it’s more essentially something positive. We are separated <em>from</em> this world because we are separated <em>unto</em> the things of God’s Kingdom; the separation <em>from </em>is a natural, unpretended outcome of our involvement in the things of God’s Kingdom.&nbsp; It’s not part of a cross which the believer must reluctantly, sacrificially bear. Like all spiritual growth, it is unaffected; the number of hours spent watching TV. goes down (to zero?) <em>naturally</em>; the friendships with the world <em>&nbsp;naturally</em> frizzle out, the way we dress, the things we hope for and talk about... all these things will alter in their own time. Israel were brought out from Egypt through the Red Sea (cp. baptism) that they might be <em>brought in</em> to the land of promise (<em><a href='B:50 6:23'>Deu 6:23</a></em>). The Nazarite was separated <em>from</em> wine, because he was separated <em>unto</em> the Lord (<em><a href='B:40 6:2-3'>Num 6:2-3</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Yahweh our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>A striking difference between the Pentateuch and other contemporary legal codes is that those codes are straight codices of statutes; whereas God’s law isn't like that. It is commandment interspersed between historical documents and incidents. We read of some incident in the wilderness journey, then we have some commandments recounted, then another incident, some more commandments, etc. This surely reflects how God intended obedience to His law to not be a legalistic exercise- it was a code for real human life, which should affect the very spirit of human existence in a way which no dry legal code really could. It was to set a rhythm of life, revealing how that law was "for our good always, that God might preserve us" (<em><a href='B:50 6:24'>Deu 6:24</a></em>)- the person who obeyed the law was to live in it (<em><a href='B:420 2:4'>Hab 2:4</a></em> etc.). The motive for obedience to the law was not so that God might give them salvation or status as His people- it was precisely because He had done that, by grace, that they were to respond in obedience (<em><a href='B:20 12:26'>Exo 12:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 13:8'>Exo 13:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 13:14'>Exo 13:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:20'>Deu 6:20</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It might help if we try to visualize the practical benefits of keeping the laws. "In keeping of them is great reward", David commented (<em><a href='B:230 19:11'>Psa 19:11</a></em>). Moses likewise: "The Lord commanded us to do all these statutes... <em>for our good always</em>" (<em><a href='B:50 6:24'>Deu 6:24</a></em>)- not for their irritation, or as a pointless test of obedience. Perhaps this is why the giving of the Law is described as an expression of God’s <em>love</em> for Israel (<em><a href='B:50 33:2-4'>Deu 33:2-4</a></em>). It was the loving marriage contract between God and Israel. We must see the keeping of the law by the faithful Israelite as being done within a certain spiritual atmosphere. It would have been impossible to keep all those laws from a series of deliberate acts of the will. The truly obedient Israelite would have developed a way of life and thinking, a culture of kindness to others, which achieved obedience to them. This was surely how Jesus was able to perfectly fulfil the Law. "If a man do (the commands) he shall even live in them" (<em><a href='B:30 18:5'>Lev 18:5</a></em>) seems to refer to this atmosphere of obedience.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>As at this day- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel were to teach their children that God had personally saved <em>them</em> at the Red Sea. The covenant made with Israel then was made not only with the “fathers” who were then alive, but with every member of every generation of God’s people (<em><a href='B:50 5:3'>Deu 5:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:20'>Deu 6:20</a></em>). In this sense, Biblical history is a living word to every generation. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>It shall be righteousness to us if we observe to do all these commandments before Yahweh our God, as He has commanded us- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Righteousness to us" is an Old Testament foretaste of Paul's teaching about imputed righteousness. For that is the idea here; not that they should congratulate themselves at their own righteousness in keeping Passover. But rather that remembering their deliverance with faith and gratitude would be counted to them as righteousness. The NIV in <em><a href='B:630 1:1'>Tit 1:1</a></em> speaks of "the truth which leads to Godliness". Thus true understanding <em>is</em> related to true Godly living- <em>if</em> we translate the doctrines into practice. The Passover would only be properly kept, Moses explained, if the meaning of it was understood (<em><a href='B:50 6:20-25'>Deu 6:20-25</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you go to possess it and casts out many nations before you, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, seven nations greater and mightier than you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God and Moses had stated that the Canaanite tribes would only be cast out if Israel were obedient, but here Moses enthuses that those tribes would indeed be cast out- so positive was he about Israel’s obedience (see too <em><a href='B:50 6:18-19'>Deu 6:18-19</a></em>). And yet on the other hand he realistically was aware of their future failures. He said those positive words genuinely, because he simply loved Israel, and had the hope for them which love carries with it. Throughout his speech in Deuteronomy, Moses is constantly thinking of Israel in the land; he keeps on telling them how to behave when they are there, encouraging them to be strong so that they will go into the land. Roughly 25% of the verses in Moses' speech speak about this. Israel's future inheritance of the Kingdom absolutely filled Moses' mind as he faced up to his own death. And remember that his speech was the outpouring of 40 years meditation. Their salvation, them in the Kingdom, totally filled his heart; just as like Paul we should enthuse about others’ salvation, not simply our own. And likewise with the Lord Jesus. <em><a href='B:230 22:1-31'>Psa 22:1-31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 69:1-36'>Psa 69:1-36</a></em> show how His thoughts on the cross, especially as he approached the point of death, were centred around our salvation. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Drive out" is s.w. "possess". We must note the difference between the&nbsp; Canaanite peoples and their kings being "struck" and their land "taken" by Joshua-Jesus; and the people of Israel permanently taking possession. This is the difference between the Lord's victory on the cross, and our taking possession of the Kingdom. Even though that possession has been "given" to us. The word used for "possession" is literally 'an inheritance'. The allusion is to the people, like us, being the seed of Abraham. The Kingdom was and is our possession, our inheritance- if we walk in the steps of Abraham. But it is one thing to be the seed of Abraham, another to take possession of the inheritance; and Israel generally did not take possession of all the land (<em><a href='B:60 11:23'>Jos 11:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 13:1'>Jos 13:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 16:10'>Jos 16:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 18:3'>Jos 18:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:4'>Jos 23:4</a></em>). The language of inheritance / possession is applied to us in the New Testament (<em><a href='B:560 1:11'>Eph 1:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:14'>Eph 1:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 3:24'>Col 3:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 20:32'>Act 20:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 26:18'>Act 26:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 1:4'>1Pe 1:4</a></em> etc.). Israel were promised: "You shall possess it" (<em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:23'>Deu 33:23</a></em>). This was more of a command than a prophecy, for sadly they were "given" the land but did not "possess" it. They were constantly encouraged in the wilderness that they were on the path to possessing the land (<em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:18'>Deu 30:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:3'>Deu 31:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:13'>Deu 31:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>), but when they got there they didn’t possess it fully. <em></em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Seven nations were to be destroyed (<em><a href='B:50 7:1'>Deu 7:1</a></em>), but <em><a href='B:60 12:8'>Jos 12:8</a></em> lists six as having been defeated. The Girgashites are omitted from the list there. So it seems that only the Girgashites were completely destroyed as was potentially possible. The remaining six were defeated by Joshua, but remained in the land, to be thorns in the flesh for Israel. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Passages like <em><a href='B:50 7:1'>Deu 7:1</a></em> confidently proclaim that "When the Lord your God shall bring you into the land... and shall pluck off / cast out many nations...". Yet this casting out was dependent upon Israel doing this work; if they did it, God was eager to work mightily with them. But the reality is that they didn’t drive out all the nations. This doesn't falsify Scripture; rather does it indicate the positive hope of God that His people will work with Him to make His potentially true prophecies turn into reality. Even the promises to Abraham were to some extent conditional- Israel would no longer be "as the stars of heaven for multitude; because you would not obey the voice of the Lord" (<em><a href='B:50 28:62'>Deu 28:62</a></em>). Hence the fulfillment of those promises was dependent to some extent upon the obedience of the promised seed. Having stated that the Canaanite tribes would only be cast out if Israel were obedient, Moses goes on to enthuse that those tribes would indeed be cast out- so positive was he about Israel’s obedience (<em><a href='B:50 6:18-19'>Deu 6:18-19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:1'>Deu 7:1</a></em>). And yet on the other hand he realistically was aware of their future failures. He said those positive words genuinely, because he simply loved Israel, and had the hope for them which love carries with it. Throughout his speech, Moses is constantly thinking of Israel in the land; he keeps on telling them how to behave when they are there, encouraging them to be strong so that they will go into the land. I estimate that about 25% of the verses in Moses' speech speak about this. Israel's future inheritance of the Kingdom absolutely filled Moses' mind as he faced up to his own death. And remember that his speech was the outpouring of 40 years meditation. Their salvation, them in the Kingdom, totally filled his heart. And likewise with the Lord Jesus. <em><a href='B:230 22:1-31'>Psa 22:1-31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 69:1-36'>Psa 69:1-36</a></em> shows how his thoughts on the cross, especially as he approached the point of death, were centred around our salvation. And Moses was so positive about them. “The Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands”, even though these blessings were conditional upon their obedience. Moses was this confident of them (<em><a href='B:50 16:15'>Deu 16:15</a></em> cp. 28:1,4,12). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and when Yahweh your God delivers them up before you and you defeat them, then you must utterly destroy them. You must make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:650 11:31'>Heb 11:31</a></em> comments that "By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace". Rahab's faith was faith in God’s grace. For Rahab was an Amoritess and according to the law of Moses there was to be no pity or covenant with them- only death (cp. <em><a href='B:50 7:2'>Deu 7:2</a></em>).Rahab had the spiritual ambition to ask that they make a covenant with her- she requests <em>hesed</em>, the common term for covenant relationship ("deal kindly with me", <em><a href='B:60 2:12'>Jos 2:12</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:90 20:8'>1Sa 20:8</a></em>). And the spies made a covenant with her. Grace, like love, finds a way. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Rahab was aware of what Israel had done to their enemies on their way to Jericho- and she appears to allude to Moses' commands to destroy utterly and not make covenant with the peoples of the land (<em><a href='B:50 2:32-37'>Deu 2:32-37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:1-5'>Deu 7:1-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 20:16-18'>Deu 20:16-18</a></em>). When she says that she was aware that God had "given you the land" (<em><a href='B:60 2:9'>Jos 2:9</a></em>), she uses the same two Hebrew words used repeatedly in Deuteronomy regarding God’s promise to give Israel the land of the Canaanites. "Your terror is fallen upon us" is likewise an allusion to <em><a href='B:20 15:16'>Exo 15:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 23:27'>Exo 23:27</a></em> (the same Hebrew word for "terror" is used by Rahab). Rahab speaks of how her people are "fainting" in fear- quoting <em><a href='B:20 15:15'>Exo 15:15</a></em> about how the inhabitants of Canaan would "faint" (AV "melt away") because of Israel. Knowing all this, she has the ambition to request the impossible- that she would be the exception, that with her a covenant would be made. When she says that "we have heard" about the Exodus (<em><a href='B:60 2:10'>Jos 2:10</a></em>), she may be referring to the prophecy of <em><a href='B:20 15:14'>Exo 15:14</a></em>: "The people shall hear and be afraid". In this case, her emphasis would have been upon the word "have"- 'yes, we have heard indeed, as Moses sung, and yes, we are afraid'. Seeking God’s face is actually to strive for the unachievable in this life; but it's what we are to do. Spiritual ambition of the type Rahab had lifts us far above the mire of mediocrity which there is in all human life under the sun.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God stressed to the later children of Abraham that since they had a covenant with Him, they were not to make covenants with the people who lived around them in the land- time and again God references His covenant with His people, and in that context tells them not to make covenants with the peoples of the land (<em><a href='B:20 34:10-12'>Exo 34:10-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 34:15'>Exo 34:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 34:27'>Exo 34:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:2'>Deu 7:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 2:1-2'>Jdg 2:1-2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 2:20'>Jdg 2:20</a></em>). Yet Abraham made covenants with those very people (<em><a href='B:10 14:13'>Gen 14:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 21:27'>Gen 21:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 21:32'>Gen 21:32</a></em>)- perhaps indicating his lack of appreciation of his covenant relationship with Yahweh?. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>neither shall you arrange marriages with them; your daughter you shall not give to his son, nor shall you take his daughter for your son- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel were in covenant with God, <em>therefore</em> they were not to make covenants with the other nations, and marriage is mentioned as an example of this (<em><a href='B:20 34:10'>Exo 34:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 34:12'>Exo 34:12</a></em>). In his repetition of this part of the law in Deuteronomy, Moses gave even more repeated emphasis to the fact that our covenant with God precludes any covenant relationship with anyone else (<em><a href='B:50 7:2-11'>Deu 7:2-11</a></em>). The wonder of our relationship with Yahweh is stated time and again. To marry back into Egypt, the house of bondmen from which we have been redeemed, is to despise the covenant, to reverse the redemptive work which God has wrought with us. In this context of marriage out of the Faith, we read that God will destroy "him that hates Him" (<em><a href='B:50 7:2-11'>Deu 7:2-11</a></em>), and repay him to his face. On the other hand, not marrying Gentiles was part of <em>loving</em> God (<em><a href='B:60 23:12-13'>Jos 23:12-13</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For he will turn away your son from following me to serve other gods; so the anger of Yahweh would be kindled against you and He would destroy you quickly-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The pronouns often change (in Deuteronomy especially), showing a confusion between the voice of God and that of Moses. <em><a href='B:50 7:4'>Deu 7:4</a></em> is an example: “They will turn away thy son from following me (this is Moses speaking for God)... so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you”. Thus Moses’ comments on God’s words are mixed up with the words of God Himself. There are other examples of this in <em><a href='B:50 7:11'>Deu 7:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 29:1'>Deu 29:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 29:10'>Deu 29:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 29:14-15'>Deu 29:14-15</a></em> (“I” cp. “us”). Consider especially <em><a href='B:50 11:13-14'>Deu 11:13-14</a></em>: “If ye shall diligently hearken unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord... that I will give you the rain of your land... I will send grass in thy fields”. The “I” here switches at ease between God and Moses. The Moses/God pronouns are also mixed in <em><a href='B:520 10:19'>Rom 10:19</a></em>.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Many passages make the connection between marriage out of the covenant, and adopting idolatry: <em><a href='B:20 34:12-16'>Exo 34:12-16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:2-9'>Deu 7:2-9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 3:6-7'>Jdg 3:6-7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:110 11:2-3'>1Ki 11:2-3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:460 2:11'>Mal 2:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:540 6:14'>2Co 6:14</a></em>. <em><a href='B:50 7:4'>Deu 7:4</a></em> RV dogmatically predicts that a Gentile man will definitely turn away the heart of his Hebrew son-in-law… So certain is it that marriage to Gentiles leads to accepting their idols that <em><a href='B:150 9:1-2'>Ezr 9:1-2</a></em> reasons that Israel hadn't separated from idols <em>because</em> they had married Gentiles. Time and again, those who marry out of the covenant claim that they feel strong enough to cope with it, that marriage is only a human thing, and that their spiritual relationship with God is between them and God, and unaffected by their worldly partner. Yet this is exactly the opposite of what God’s word says. It's not true that you can marry into the world and be unaffected in your own spirituality. Solomon thought he could handle it; and apparently, he did- for the first 20 years or so. But his Gentile wives were his spiritual ruin at the end. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>If God’s wrath burns hot against people, it means death for them (s.w. <em><a href='B:20 22:24'>Exo 22:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 11:1'>Num 11:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 11:33'>Num 11:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 22:22'>Num 22:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 25:3'>Num 25:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:15'>Deu 6:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:17'>Deu 31:17</a></em>). But Moses averted this at the time of <em><a href='B:20 32:10'>Exo 32:10</a></em> by his intercession. He does so because God’s wrath had burned hot against him personally (<em><a href='B:20 4:14'>Exo 4:14</a></em> s.w.), but he had been saved from death by grace. And so he reflects this in appealing for he salvation of others, against whom God’s wrath burned hot (<em><a href='B:20 32:10-11'>Exo 32:10-11</a></em>). But Moses at the end of his life warns them not to make God’s wrath burn hot against them again- because he will not be around to intercede for them (<em><a href='B:50 6:15'>Deu 6:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:4'>Deu 7:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:17'>Deu 11:17</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>But you must deal with them like this: break down their altars and dash their pillars in pieces and cut down their Asherim poles and burn their engraved images with fire- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel were told to "throw down", "break in pieces" and "utterly destroy" the idols and altars of Canaan. There were times during their history when they obeyed this command by purging themselves from their apostasy in this. The Hebrew words used scarcely occur elsewhere, except very frequently in the context of how God "broke down", "threw down" and "destroyed" Israel at the hands of their Babylonian and Assyrian invaders as a result of their not 'breaking down' (etc.) the idols. "Throw down" in <em><a href='B:20 34:13'>Exo 34:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:5'>Deu 7:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:3'>Deu 12:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:140 31:1'>2Ch 31:1</a></em> is the same word in <em><a href='B:140 36:19'>2Ch 36:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 4:26'>Jer 4:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 31:28'>Jer 31:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 33:4'>Jer 33:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 39:8'>Jer 39:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 52:14'>Jer 52:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 16:39'>Eze 16:39</a></em>; <em><a href='B:410 1:6'>Nah 1:6</a></em>. "Cut down" in <em><a href='B:50 7:5'>Deu 7:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:3'>Deu 12:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:140 31:1'>2Ch 31:1</a></em> later occurs in <em><a href='B:290 10:33'>Isa 10:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 48:1-47'>Jer 48:1-47</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 25:1-38'>Jer 25:1-38</a></em>; <em><a href='B:310 2:3'>Lam 2:3</a></em>. So Israel faced the choice: either cut down your idols, or you will be cut down in the day of God’s judgment. Those who worshipped idols were like unto them. The stone will either fall on us and destroy us, or we must fall on it and become broken men and women (<em><a href='B:470 21:44'>Mat 21:44</a></em>). For the man untouched by the concept of living for God’s glory, it's a hard choice. God will conquer sin, ultimately. When a man dies, it isn't just a biological, clockwork process. It is God’s victory over sin in that individual. Either we must be slain by God; or with His gracious help, we must put sin to death in our members through association with the only One who really did this- and thereby rise to life eternal. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God; Yahweh your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession above all peoples who are on the face of the earth-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We are to live out in practice what we have been made in status by our gracious Father. The very fact He counts us as in Christ, as the spotless bride of His Son, must be both felt and lived up to by us. The way He counts us like this is a wonderful motivation to rise up to it all. Consider how God told Israel that <em>if</em> they kept His commandments, <em>then</em> they would be His “peculiar treasure” (<em><a href='B:20 19:5'>Exo 19:5</a></em>). This conditional promise is then referred to by Moses as having been fulfilled- Israel became His “peculiar treasure” by status even though they did <em>not</em> keep His commandments (<em><a href='B:50 7:6'>Deu 7:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 14:2'>Deu 14:2</a></em> s.w.; <em><a href='B:230 135:4'>Psa 135:4</a></em>). Moses concludes by saying that “the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people (s.w.)…<em> that</em> thou shouldest keep all his commandments” (<em><a href='B:50 26:18'>Deu 26:18</a></em>). See what’s happening here. God said that <em>if</em> they were obedient, <em>then</em> they would be His special people. Yet He counted them as His special people even though they were not obedient. And He did this so that they would be so touched by this grace that they <em>would</em> be obedient. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>“You did not choose me, but I chose you… out of the world” (<em><a href='B:500 15:16'>Joh 15:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 15:19'>Joh 15:19</a></em>) corresponds to the oft repeated theme of Moses that God has chosen Israel “out of all peoples” (<em><a href='B:50 7:6'>Deu 7:6</a></em> RVmg.), by grace (<em><a href='B:50 4:37'>Deu 4:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:15'>Deu 10:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 14:2'>Deu 14:2</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh didn’t set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any people, for you were the fewest of all peoples- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew word translated as "thousand" can mean a family, or some other administrative division. Many of the 'number problems' in the Hebrew Bible are only really resoluble using this approach. And that may be in view in the census of Israel taken in <em><a href='B:40 1:1-54'>Num 1:1-54</a></em>, and in the statement that six hundred 'thousands' of footmen left Egypt (<em><a href='B:20 12:37'>Exo 12:37</a></em>). The census of <em><a href='B:40 1:1-54'>Num 1:1-54</a></em> gives figures such as those in <em><a href='B:40 1:21'>Num 1:21</a></em> for Reuben, which could be rendered: "forty six families ('thousands') and five hundred (men)". Although a "hundred" might also refer to an administrative division. The total in <em><a href='B:40 1:1-54'>Num 1:1-54</a></em> would then be 598 families with a total of 5550 men. The sum given in the second census in <em><a href='B:40 26:1-65'>Num 26:1-65</a></em> comes out as roughly the same, with 596 families amounting to 5730 men. On this basis, the total population (including women and children) would be anything between 20,000 to 40,000. This would enable us to make better sense of the statements that Israel were the smallest numerically of all the surrounding peoples (<em><a href='B:50 7:1'>Deu 7:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:7'>Deu 7:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:23'>Deu 11:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 20:1'>Deu 20:1</a></em>). If we insist upon taking "thousand" literally in <em><a href='B:20 12:37'>Exo 12:37</a></em>, then 600,000 male foot soldiers would imply a total population of between two and six million. The population density would have been intense, and far greater than that of many modern nations. Estimates of global population at the time suggest it was only about 40 million, and the population of Egypt was a maximum of three million (probably far less). If the Israelites were smaller than the other nations, and they numbered say 5 million, then the total population of the seven peoples of Canaan would have been at least 40 million. The territory of Canaan could not have supported such numbers. Only 70 Israelites came into Egypt with Jacob. Expansion over 430 years to several million is not realistic. This approach helps us better understand how all the men of war marched around Jericho (<em><a href='B:60 6:3'>Jos 6:3</a></em>). If there were literally 600,000 men then the city would have had to be many kilometers in circumference for them all to march around it seven times in one day. Archaeological evidence from Jericho simply doesn't support the idea of such a vast city. If Israel numbered say 5 million people, and recall there was also a "mixed multitude" with them, then if they marched 10 abreast this would require a column stretching around 1000 kilometers. Their promises to Edom and the Amorites to march only along a highway and not spill over it (<em><a href='B:40 20:17'>Num 20:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 21:22'>Num 21:22</a></em>) is unrealistic if they had such huge numbers. A figure of 600 family units leaving Egypt is more realistic; otherwise we start to wonder how ever all the Israelites, millions of them, came to be in one place at one time on Passover night.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>but because Yahweh loves you and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, therefore has Yahweh brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondage from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel were not to marry people from the surrounding world because God had chosen them to be His special people, "and because he would keep the oath that he had sworn unto your fathers" (<em><a href='B:50 7:2'>Deu 7:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:8'>Deu 7:8</a></em>). Those "fathers" were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. By baptism, we enter into the same covenant as they did; the promises to Abraham are made to us (<em><a href='B:550 3:27-29'>Gal 3:27-29</a></em>). We enter that same Abrahamic covenant which in prospect extended to Israel (although it was only ratified or enabled by the death of Christ). The everlasting, Abrahamic covenant extended to <em>all</em> generations of Abraham's seed (<em><a href='B:10 17:7-9'>Gen 17:7-9</a></em>). The fact Israel were forbidden to marry Gentiles was not only a <em>type </em>of how the new Israel should not marry unbelievers; we are in essence in their position. We <em>are</em> the Israel of God, not just their antitype. We too have been chosen, we too share the same fathers, and the covenant made to them. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Know therefore that Yahweh your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with them who love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>“If you love me you will keep my commandments” (<em><a href='B:500 14:15'>Joh 14:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 14:21'>Joh 14:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 14:23'>Joh 14:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 15:10'>Joh 15:10</a></em>) reflects a major identical theme in <em><a href='B:50 5:10'>Deu 5:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:9'>Deu 7:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:1'>Deu 11:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:22'>Deu 11:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:3-4'>Deu 13:3-4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:9'>Deu 19:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>. Moses at the end of his life, when he spoke Deuteronomy, was very much the image of the future Lord Jesus. But the truth is that God kept His love and covenant with Israel even when they didn’t love Him nor abide in His covenant. The more legal statement here, that God’s love is for those who love Him, therefore provides the backdrop for the awesome marvel of the way He often protests His eternal love for Israel, e.g. in Hosea. His love for Israel was eternal, despite their not loving Him. </p><p>I discussed on Ex. 20:5 that  "unto / upon a thousand generations" uses a word for "generations" that is strangely singular. The idea is therefore 'a generation of a family', as discussed on Ex. 20:5.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them; He will not be slack to him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This implies a face to face meeting between God and the sinner in judgment. But this will only happen finally at the last day, when the responsible dead are raised to judgment. For as the Bible often notes, in this life the wicked apparently prosper. Judgment day will be a personal, face to face encounter with God, in the face of Jesus Christ.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must therefore keep the commandment, the statutes and the ordinances which I command you this day, to do them-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew <em>mishpat</em>, "ordinances", has a wide range of meaning. The idea is of judgment, as if God and His Angels gave these laws as their considered judgment after considering the human condition, and Israel were to abide by them. But the word also the idea of a right or privilege; and that is how we should see God’s laws. They are only felt as a burden because of human hardness of neck towards God’s ways. His laws are not of themselves burdensome, but rather a privilege and blessing. The law was indeed "holy, just and good" (<em><a href='B:520 7:12'>Rom 7:12</a></em>), designed to inculcate a holy, just and good life (<em><a href='B:630 1:8'>Tit 1:8</a></em>), a way in which a man should "walk" in daily life (<em><a href='B:30 18:4'>Lev 18:4</a></em>), a culture of kindness and grace to others which reflected God’s grace to man. If we dwell upon the idea of "rights" carried within the word <em>mishpat</em>, we note that the law begins in <em><a href='B:20 21:1-2'>Exo 21:1-2</a></em> (also <em><a href='B:50 15:12-18'>Deu 15:12-18</a></em>) with the rights of a slave- those considered to have no rights in the society of that day. The "rights" to be afforded by us to others are the essence of God’s rightness / justice.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>If you listen to these ordinances and keep and do them, Yahweh your God will keep with you the covenant and the loving kindness which He swore to your fathers-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>On one hand, the promises to Abraham and the fathers depended for their realization upon human obedience; even though on the other hand, the covenant of <em><a href='B:10 15:1-21'>Gen 15:1-21</a></em> appears to be a unilateral expression of God’s grace and assurance to His people. “If you listen to these ordinances and keep and do them, Yahweh your God will keep with you the covenant and the loving kindness which He swore to your fathers” (<em><a href='B:50 7:12'>Deu 7:12</a></em>). That covenant was initially given in terms which omitted direct reference to any conditions for fulfilment. But it would be ‘kept’ by God if His people ‘kept’ His ways. The promises that God would multiply the seed of Abraham were conditional also; <em>if</em> Israel separated themselves from the peoples of the land, <em>then</em> He would “multiply you, as He has sworn unto your fathers” (<em><a href='B:50 13:17'>Deu 13:17</a></em>). The strength of God’s grace also makes some of His promises ‘conditional’ in a different sense; thus He had promised Reuben and Manasseh that they could return to their possessions only when the others had possessed the land (<em><a href='B:50 3:20'>Deu 3:20</a></em>). This condition never happened- yet they were allowed to return. And our very salvation from death and the consequences of sin is in a sense another example of this kind of thing.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your livestock and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your fathers to give you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Analyzing usage of the word "love" in the Pentateuch reveals that "love" was a great theme of Moses at the end of his life (Moses uses it 16 times in Deuteronomy, and only four times in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers). Love is indeed the proof of spiritual maturity (<em><a href='B:580 3:14'>Col 3:14</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Reflection upon the nature of God’s covenant relationship reveals His grace. There are no lack of Bible passages which speak of His love and blessing in the covenant as being conditional- <em>if</em> the people were obedient, then God would keep His covenant "and he will love you and bless you and multiply you". Yet the record of the history of Israel shows that Israel were not obedient; and yet God still kept His covenant, loved them and multiplied them. It's rather like a parent setting conditions for a child, and yet not abiding by the deal, so great is the love felt for the child. God’s covenant is in a sense conditional; and yet in another sense it isn't, because His love has the characteristic of unconditionality about it, simply because we are His children. The whole history of Israel is encouragement in this. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You will be blessed above all peoples. There shall not be male or female barren among you or among your livestock- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Law could not give life,&nbsp; but it offered temporal blessings, within the context of the Middle East in the two millennia BC, as a recognition of the principle that God rewards obedience. Thus they were promised long life, fruitful land and wombs (i.e. many children) if they were righteous (<em><a href='B:50 7:13'>Deu 7:13</a></em>). But now, long life and fruitful land aren't seen by us as blessings. They were blessings relevant to the context in which they were given; and likewise fertility is to be seen in the same light. And this must be given due weight when we consider issues of fertility, choices to have or not have children, and infertility.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt which you know, will He put on you, but will lay them on all those who hate you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This is not to be read as meaning that Israel would be free from all sickness; for mortality involves sickness, and that is part of the human condition. And sickness came upon righteous men, we think of Hezekiah, and how the Lord Jesus "bore our sicknesses" as predicted in <em><a href='B:290 53:1-12'>Isa 53:1-12</a></em>. Israel were smitten with sickness, but the Lord Jesus bore the result of their sins. The sickness here is parallel with the "evil diseases of Egypt", the specific judgments which came upon Egypt at the time of Israel's deliverance from them. This is made specific in <em><a href='B:20 15:26'>Exo 15:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:27'>Deu 28:27</a></em>. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall consume all the peoples whom Yahweh your God shall deliver up unto you; your eye shall not pity them, neither shall you serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses warns them not to " take pity" on false teachers, but to purge them from the community (<em><a href='B:50 7:16'>Deu 7:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:8'>Deu 13:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:13'>Deu 19:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:21'>Deu 19:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 25:12'>Deu 25:12</a></em>). Not once in the earlier Law does this warning occur. Moses had come to know Israel so well that he could see how they were tempted to fail, and so he warned them forcibly against it. The way the Lord Jesus knows our thought processes, the mechanism of our temptations, is wondrously prefigured here. There are so many other examples of Moses showing his recognition of exactly <em>how</em> Israel were likely to be tempted (<em><a href='B:50 6:11-13'>Deu 6:11-13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:11-20'>Deu 8:11-20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:4'>Deu 9:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:16'>Deu 11:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:13'>Deu 12:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:19'>Deu 12:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:23'>Deu 12:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:30'>Deu 12:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:1-4'>Deu 13:1-4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 14:27'>Deu 14:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 15:9'>Deu 15:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 15:18'>Deu 15:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 17:11-12'>Deu 17:11-12</a></em> ("will"),14,16,17; 21:18; 22:1-4,18; 23:21; 25:8).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Twice in 1 Timothy, Paul speaks about a snare; the snare of the devil (<em><a href='B:610 3:7'>1Ti 3:7</a></em>), and the snare of wanting wealth (<em><a href='B:610 6:9'>1Ti 6:9</a></em>). The desire for wealth in whatever form is the very epitome of the devil, our inherent sin which we must struggle against. The idea of a snare is that it results in a sudden and <em>unexpected</em> destruction. The unexpectedness of the destruction should set us thinking: surely the implication is that those who are materialistic don't realize that in fact this is their besetting sin, and therefore their rejection in the end because of it will be so tragically unexpected. It's rather like pride; if you're proud and you don't know it, then you really are proud. And if we're materialistic and don't know it, we likewise really have a problem. The idea of riches being a snare connects with copious OT references to idols as Israel's perpetual snare (<em><a href='B:20 23:33'>Exo 23:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:16'>Deu 7:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 2:3'>Jdg 2:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 8:27'>Jdg 8:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 106:36'>Psa 106:36</a></em>; <em><a href='B:350 5:1'>Hos 5:1</a></em>). Paul's point is surely that the desire of wealth is the equivalent of OT idolatry. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Despite such great love for Israel, Moses knew them so well that he fully appreciated that they were extremely prone to weakness. This is one of the major themes of Moses in Deuteronomy. He did not turn a blind eye to their sins; Deuteronomy is punctuated with reminders of how grievously they had sinned during their journey, and yet at the same time Moses is so positive about them- setting a wonderful pattern for us in how to deal with others. Time and again he comments on how easily they will be tempted to disobey commandments. "Take heed" runs like a refrain throughout Moses' speech. He warns them here not to "take pity" on false teachers, but to purge them from the community (7:16; 13:8; 19:13,21; 25:12). Not once in the earlier giving of the Law does this warning occur. Moses had come to know Israel so well that he could see how they were tempted to fail, and so he warned them forcibly against it. The way Jesus knows our thought processes, the mechanism of our temptations, is wondrously prefigured here. </p>&nbsp;


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>If you say in your heart, These nations are more than I, how can I dispossess them?- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Time and again, Moses speaks of the state of their heart. He warns them against allowing a bad state of heart to develop, he speaks often of how apostasy starts in the heart. Moses makes a total of 49 references to the heart / mind of Israel in Deuteronomy, compared to only 13 in the whole of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. This indicates the paramount importance which our Lord attaches to the state of our mind. This was perhaps his greatest wish as He faced death; that we should develop a spiritual mind and thereby manifest the Father and come to salvation. Moses likewise saw the state of our mind as the key to spiritual success. But do we share this perspective? Do we guard our minds against the media and influence of a mind-corrupting world? It's been observed that the phrase "The God of (somebody)", or similar, occurs 614 times in the Old Testament, of which 306 are in Deuteronomy. Our very personal relationship with God was therefore something else which Moses came to grasp in his spiritual maturity. Statistical analysis of the word "love" in the Pentateuch likewise reveals that "love" was a great theme of Moses at the end of his life (Moses uses it 16 times in Deuteronomy, and only four times in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers). <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>you shall not be afraid of them; you shall well remember what Yahweh your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Like Paul in his time of dying, Moses in Deuteronomy saw the importance of obedience, the harder side of God; yet he also saw in real depth the surpassing love of God, and the grace that was to come, beyond Law. This appreciation reflected Moses' mature grasp of the Name / characteristics of God. He uses the name "Yahweh" in Deuteronomy over 530 times, often with some possessive adjective, e.g. "Yahweh thy God" (AV- i.e. you singular- very often in <em><a href='B:50 7:1-26'>Deu 7:1-26</a></em>), or "Yahweh our God". He saw the personal relationship between a man and his God. Jacob reached a like realization at his peak. <em></em></p>&nbsp;<p style='margin-left:1em'>“Let not your heart be troubled… neither let it be afraid” (<em><a href='B:500 14:1'>Joh 14:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 14:27'>Joh 14:27</a></em>) repeats Moses’ final encouragement to Israel “fear not, neither be dismayed” (<em><a href='B:50 31:8'>Deu 31:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 1:21'>Deu 1:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 1:29'>Deu 1:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:18'>Deu 7:18</a></em>).<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>the great trials which your eyes saw and the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand and the stretched out arm by which Yahweh your God brought you out; so shall Yahweh your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God addresses those who had not been present at the Red Sea and who hadn't seen the plagues on Egypt as if they had personally been there. He speaks of these things "which your eyes saw". The people were to so feel themselves into God’s word, into Biblical history, into their membership in the people of God, that it was as if they had seen these things with their own eyes. And in the context, God uses this as the basis to appeal for their trust that He will likewise give them the victory over the Egyptians and crises in <em>their</em> lives.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The great works of Yahweh which He showed at the time of their exodus from Egypt (cp. the world) and baptism at the Red Sea were in essence repeated throughout their wilderness journey (<em><a href='B:50 7:19'>Deu 7:19</a></em>). Therefore whenever they faced discouragement and an apparent blockage to their way, they were to remember how God had redeemed them at their baptism, and to realize that in fact His work was still ongoing with them (<em><a href='B:50 20:1'>Deu 20:1</a></em>). He told them in the desert that He was "Yahweh that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt" (<em><a href='B:30 11:45'>Lev 11:45</a></em>). Therefore the overcoming of Edom, Moab and the Canaanite tribes is described in language lifted from the Red Sea record (e.g. <em><a href='B:20 15:15-17'>Exo 15:15-17</a></em>). Throughout their history, Israel were reminded that what God had done for them in their Red Sea deliverance He was continuing to do, and therefore all their enemies would likewise perish if they remained God’s people (e.g. <em><a href='B:290 43:16'>Isa 43:16</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses was to stretch forth his hand to cause the waters of the Red Sea to part and return, not his rod; because he was manifesting the hand of Yahweh which was to deliver Israel (s.w. <em><a href='B:20 7:5'>Exo 7:5</a></em>). The repeated references to the stretched our arm or hand of Yahweh to save His people invite us to recall this incident, and to perceive that Yahweh's hand had been manifest through the hand of Moses (<em><a href='B:50 4:34'>Deu 4:34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:15'>Deu 5:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:19'>Deu 7:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:2'>Deu 11:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 26:8'>Deu 26:8</a></em>). That stretched out, saving arm and hand of Yahweh was and is stretched out still, to save His people (<em><a href='B:110 8:42'>1Ki 8:42</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 20:34'>Eze 20:34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 9:15'>Dan 9:15</a></em> "as at this day") and bring about a new creation in human lives (<em><a href='B:290 45:12'>Isa 45:12</a></em>). For the deliverance through the Red Sea is intended to be experienced by all God’s people, and is now seen through His saving grace at baptism (<em><a href='B:530 10:1-2'>1Co 10:1-2</a></em>). What happened there was but the beginning of the work of God’s outstretched arm (<em><a href='B:50 3:24'>Deu 3:24</a></em>). Yet the stretched out arm / hand of God is also a figure for His judgment (<em><a href='B:130 21:16'>1Ch 21:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 9:12'>Isa 9:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 10:4'>Isa 10:4</a></em>). His hand is at work in our lives- either to our condemnation or our salvation. And it is for us therefore to humble ourselves beneath that mighty hand (<em><a href='B:670 5:6'>1Pe 5:6</a></em>).</p>&nbsp;<p style='margin-left:1em'><em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Moreover Yahweh your God will send the hornet among them until those who are left and hide themselves perish from before you-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The fear amongst the Canaanites prior to Israel's approach and the weakness of those nations was due to "the hornet" being sent before Israel (<em><a href='B:50 7:20'>Deu 7:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 24:12'>Jos 24:12</a></em>); it would seem that this is a reference to the Angels softening up the Canaanite tribes, perhaps through inciting the Egyptians to raid them and ruin the economy. And specifically, the two kings of the Amorites attacking the other Canaanites (<em><a href='B:60 24:12'>Jos 24:12</a></em>). "The hornet" could also refer to the Phoenician raiders, who had hornets as totems; they too weakened Canaan before the Israelites arrived, and would have been manipulated to do so by an Angel. In <em><a href='B:20 23:27'>Exo 23:27</a></em> God says He will "send My fear before you, and will destroy all the people to whom you shall come". Jacob likens his guardian Angel to "the God before whom my fathers walked" (<em><a href='B:10 48:16'>Gen 48:16</a></em>), who is called "the fear of&nbsp;Isaac" (<em><a href='B:10 31:42'>Gen 31:42</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 31:53'>Gen 31:53</a></em>) when Jacob describes the personal presence of God in his life. So the "fear of God" is associated with an Angel; God sent His fear, an Angel, before Israel into Canaan, as promised explicitly in <em><a href='B:20 23:1-33'>Exo 23:1-33</a></em>. "The hornet" could have referred to literal hornets, used by God to destroy the nations of Canaan. For they were indeed a problem in the land; "Zorah" in Judah means "place of hornets". But I prefer the idea that the Angel manipulated Gentile nations to soften up the Canaanites before Israel's arrival. The same figure is found in <em><a href='B:290 7:18'>Isa 7:18</a></em>, where God whistled for the "fly that is in Egypt and the bee that is in Assyria". We note that this was all built in to God’s wider plan; for had Israel entered Canaan 40 years before they did, they would've found the Canaanites that much stronger than they were after "the hornet" had weakened them for 40 years. It's as if God recalculated the program according to the great weakness of Israel. They didn’t enter when they could have done, and so He used the period of their wilderness wanderings to make their entrance to the land that much easier than it would otherwise have been.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall not be scared of them, for Yahweh your God is in the midst of you, a great and awesome God- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>They were not to repeat the failure of Israel when they first approached Canaan. They allowed their fear of the local tribes to displace their faith in God, and His repeated word of salvation and promise of possession of His Kingdom. Fear is always the antithesis of faith. God is often called an "awesome God" (<em><a href='B:50 7:21'>Deu 7:21</a></em> etc.). The Hebrew word for "awesome" is that for 'fear' (s.w. <em><a href='B:10 3:10'>Gen 3:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 15:1'>Gen 15:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 18:1-33'>Gen 18:1-33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 15:1-21'>Gen 15:1-21</a></em> etc.). The idea is that God’s people are to be in such fear / awe of Him that they fear / are in awe of nothing else. Hence <em><a href='B:50 7:21'>Deu 7:21</a></em> says that Israel should "not be scared of" their enemies, because their God is "awesome", He is the one to be feared.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh your God will cast out those nations before you by little and little; you may not consume them at once- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Perhaps God’s ideal intention for Israel wasn't fulfilled, and therefore according to some later plan of action, He gave Israel the land "at one time" (<em><a href='B:60 10:42'>Jos 10:42</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Lest the animals of the field increase on you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Time and again Israel's surrounding, neighbouring enemies are likened to "wild beasts".&nbsp;The list of references is impressive: <em><a href='B:350 2:12'>Hos 2:12</a></em>;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:330 5:17'>Eze 5:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 14:15'>Eze 14:15</a></em>;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:230 80:13'>Psa 80:13</a></em>;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:300 7:33'>Jer 7:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 15:3'>Jer 15:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 16:4'>Jer 16:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 19:7'>Jer 19:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:22'>Deu 7:22</a></em>.&nbsp;Job's Sabean (i.e. Arab) invaders are called "the beasts of the earth... the beasts of the field" (<em><a href='B:220 5:22-23'>Job 5:22-23</a></em>). It is possible that "beasts" in these passages can be read as an intensive plural - i.e. 'the great beast', which symbolizes all of Israel's various enemies.&nbsp; This equivalence of the multitude of these enemies with a singular beast is seen in <em><a href='B:330 34:28'>Eze 34:28</a></em>, which parallels "the heathen" (enemies of Israel) with "the beast of the land" (singular).&nbsp; <em><a class='bible' href='#b66:17:1-18'>Rev 17:1-18</a></em> similarly exhibits <em>the</em> (singular) beast as comprising a number of nations (heads / horns).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>But Yahweh your God will deliver them up before you and will confuse them with a great confusion until they are destroyed-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>There are no conditions attached to this prediction in the record, and yet we must clearly understand it as meaning ‘This is what is potentially possible for you, I have enabled it in my plan, but it depends upon your faith’. And tragically, Israel would not. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He will deliver their kings into your hand and you shall make their name perish from under the sky; no man shall be able to stand before you, until you have destroyed them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Just as all the animals and everything in the <em>eretz </em>promised to Abraham was 'delivered into the hands' of Noah (s.w. <em><a href='B:10 9:2'>Gen 9:2</a></em>), so the nations of that<em> eretz</em> were delivered into the hands of Israel (s.w. <em><a href='B:20 6:8'>Exo 6:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 23:31'>Exo 23:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 2:24'>Deu 2:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 3:2-3'>Deu 3:2-3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:24'>Deu 7:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 21:10'>Deu 21:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 2:24'>Jos 2:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:720 1:2'>Jud 1:2</a></em>). Tragically, like Adam in Eden (perhaps the same <em>eretz </em>promised to Abraham) and Noah in the new, cleansed <em>eretz</em>, Israel didn’t realize this potential. What was delivered into the hand of Joshua (<em><a href='B:60 2:24'>Jos 2:24</a></em>) actually wasn't delivered into their hand, because they disbelieved (<em><a href='B:70 2:23'>Jdg 2:23</a></em>); and this looks ahead to the disbelief of so many in the work of the Lord Jesus, who has indeed conquered the Kingdom for us. They considered the promise of the nations being delivered into their hand as somehow open to question, and only a possibility and not at all certain (<em><a href='B:70 8:7'>Jdg 8:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 21:2'>Num 21:2</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:40 21:34'>Num 21:34</a></em>). Some like Jephthah (s.w. <em><a href='B:70 11:32'>Jdg 11:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 12:3'>Jdg 12:3</a></em>), Ehud (<em><a href='B:70 3:10'>Jdg 3:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 3:28'>Jdg 3:28</a></em>), Deborah (<em><a href='B:70 4:14'>Jdg 4:14</a></em>), Gideon (<em><a href='B:70 7:15'>Jdg 7:15</a></em>) did, for a brief historical moment; but as individuals, and their victories were not followed up on. Instead they were dominated by the territory. And so instead, they were delivered into the hands of their enemies within the <em>eretz</em> (s.w. <em><a href='B:30 26:25'>Lev 26:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 13:1'>Jdg 13:1</a></em>).<em>&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must burn the engraved images of their gods with fire. You must not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for yourself, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to Yahweh your God- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Materialism is perhaps the direct equivalent of idol worship under the old covenant. They were to not even desire “the silver and gold that is on them… for it is an abomination to the Lord your God… you shall utterly detest it; and y<em>ou</em> (like God) shall utterly abhor it” (<em><a href='B:50 7:25-26'>Deu 7:25-26</a></em>). God despises idolatry; and we also must go a step beyond merely avoiding materialism; we must despise it. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must not bring an abomination into your house and become a devoted thing like it. You shall utterly detest it and you shall utterly abhor it, for it is a devoted thing- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Those who make and worship idols are "like unto them" (<em><a href='B:230 115:8'>Psa 115:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 135:18'>Psa 135:18</a></em>). We become like that which we worship. If we worship Yahweh, then we become devoted to Him; and all else becomes detestable to us. As Israel were to "detest" idols and idolatry as "abomination" (<em><a href='B:50 7:26'>Deu 7:26</a></em>), so they were to "abhor" and treat as "abomination" unclean animals (<em><a href='B:30 11:11'>Lev 11:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 11:13'>Lev 11:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 11:43'>Lev 11:43</a></em>), lest they "make yourselves abominable (s.w. "detestable") with any creeping thing" (<em><a href='B:30 20:25'>Lev 20:25</a></em>). I suggest this is the reason why God designated some animals as 'abominable'; because of their association with idol worship. The idols of Egypt were often in the form of animals, and sex with animals was part of the rites. Just as in primitive societies today. There is nothing unclean of itself (<em><a href='B:520 14:14'>Rom 14:14</a></em>); no animal is morally more or less clean than another. The commandments about unclean animals were clearly intended just for Israel living within a culture of idolatry / abomination involving those kinds of animals.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must observe to do all the commandments which I command you this day, that you may live and multiply and go in and possess the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Again we perceive God’s grace. They were not obedient, and yet by grace they did go in and possess the Kingdom. We cannot presume upon such grace, but we can note the deep good pleasure and will of God that His people inherit His Kingdom, despite their weaknesses.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Drive out" is s.w. "possess". We must note the difference between the&nbsp; Canaanite peoples and their kings being "struck" and their land "taken" by Joshua-Jesus; and the people of Israel permanently taking possession. This is the difference between the Lord's victory on the cross, and our taking possession of the Kingdom. Even though that possession has been "given" to us. The word used for "possession" is literally 'an inheritance'. The allusion is to the people, like us, being the seed of Abraham. The Kingdom was and is our possession, our inheritance- if we walk in the steps of Abraham. But it is one thing to be the seed of Abraham, another to take possession of the inheritance; and Israel generally did not take possession of all the land (<em><a href='B:60 11:23'>Jos 11:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 13:1'>Jos 13:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 16:10'>Jos 16:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 18:3'>Jos 18:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:4'>Jos 23:4</a></em>). The language of inheritance / possession is applied to us in the New Testament (<em><a href='B:560 1:11'>Eph 1:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:14'>Eph 1:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 3:24'>Col 3:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 20:32'>Act 20:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 26:18'>Act 26:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 1:4'>1Pe 1:4</a></em> etc.). Israel were promised: "You shall possess it" (<em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:23'>Deu 33:23</a></em>). This was more of a command than a prophecy, for sadly they were "given" the land but did not "possess" it. They were constantly encouraged in the wilderness that they were on the path to possessing the land (<em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:18'>Deu 30:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:3'>Deu 31:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:13'>Deu 31:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>), but when they got there they didn’t possess it fully. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall remember all the way which Yahweh your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Recollection of our spiritual biography is intended to humble us. And the intention of our wilderness walk is to humble us; for humility is one of the most critical characteristics which God seeks to develop in His children. We must be humbled beneath His mighty hand, that we might be exalted in due time (1 Pet. 5:6). And so life's really a race to the bottom; by the end of our days, the intention is that we have been suitably humbled. So that we might be exalted at the resurrection. It's no surprise, therefore, that life often doesn't work out- so that we are humbled.</p><p>We must remember that the 40 years wandering were punishment for sin, it was the experience of condemnation, and serves as the basis for later Biblical pictures of the rejected. Unable to enter the Kingdom they so wanted to enter, wandering until they died. But Moses in Deuteronomy perceives that God wanted to humble them and give them even another chance. For this was why He led them 40 years... "Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers didn’t know, that He might humble you and that He might prove you, to do you good at your latter end" (:16). But they didn't want that and perished in the desert.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>To prove you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The original is ambiguous. It was to reveal to God what was the state of their hearts; and yet God knows the human heart without the need for experimentation. But it can also imply that the experiences were so that they knew what their heart was. Hence LXX "that the things in thine heart might be made manifest". The idea may be that man's self examination is in fact God's examination of that heart; hence Prov. 20:27: "The spirit of man is the candle of Yahweh, searching all the inward parts of the belly". Our wilderness journey is therefore partly intended for us to come to fuller self knowledge, as to whether or not we have a heart for God. At the start of our journey, we may simply hope we have a heart for God; but in maturity, we are intended to know for sure that we do, despite many imperfections. Alternatively, it could be argued that it was the Angel gave them trials in order to find out what was in their heart. God "knows the secrets of the heart" (<em><a href='B:230 44:21'>Psa 44:21</a></em>);&nbsp; "I the LORD search the heart" (<em><a href='B:300 17:10'>Jer 17:10</a></em>), and therefore He does not have to test us in order to know what is in our hearts. But His Angels do. Abraham and Hezekiah are other examples; see on <em><a href='B:140 32:31'>2Ch 32:31</a></em>. We know that Angels can’t sin: and yet they are limited in knowledge (e.g. <em><a href='B:470 24:36'>Mat 24:36</a></em>). an Angel commented that now he knew that Abraham feared God, after he had seen his willingness to offer Isaac (<em><a href='B:10 22:12'>Gen 22:12</a></em>); Israel’s guardian Angel lead them through the wilderness in order to learn about Israel’s spirituality (<em><a href='B:50 8:2-3'>Deu 8:2-3</a></em>). God Himself, of course, already knew the hearts of men. The “sons of God”, in the context of the book of Job, refer to the Angels (<em><a href='B:220 38:7'>Job 38:7</a></em>), and Job's 'satan' may have likewise been an Angel testing him to see his response. </p><p>Whether you would keep His commandments or not-
The grace of all this is that the forty years wanderings showed what was the heart of Israel- that they were disobedient. But all the same, God brought them in to the promised land.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He humbled you and allowed you to suffer hunger, and fed you with manna- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel were to be filled with the manna, so that they would know that "I am Yahweh your God" (<em><a href='B:20 16:12'>Exo 16:12</a></em>). This was to be the meaning of the manna. There was a daily manifestation of God’s glory along with the manna (<em><a href='B:20 16:7'>Exo 16:7</a></em> cp. 12). The daily sense of living with God’s glory is so vital for each of us in our deeply personal spirituality. We know that faith comes from hearing God’s word; so our feeding on God’s word should lead us to know Yahweh. There was something intensely personal about the teaching of the manna: "He fed thee (singular- not "ye") with manna, that he might make thee know that (every) man (lives spiritually) by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord" (<em><a href='B:50 8:3'>Deu 8:3</a></em> AV). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>How God works through sin is revealed in the way that although God always provided food for Israel in the wilderness, He ‘suffered them to hunger’ for 40 years, in order to try to teach them that man lives not by bread alone, but by God’s word (<em><a href='B:50 8:2-3'>Deu 8:2-3</a></em>). The Jews in the wilderness despised the food God gave them as worthless (<em><a href='B:40 21:3'>Num 21:3</a></em>); they went hungry not literally, but in the sense that they despised the manna of God’s provision. And He allowed them to have that hunger, in order that He might (try to) teach them about the value of His word. He didn’t simply punish them for their ingratitude. He sought to work through it in order to teach them something. Even the process of rejection results in the victims coming to ‘know the Lord’. Perhaps we find ourselves facing a situation that our upbringing and culture never addressed; we are alone, humiliated, before our God. This is what happened to Israel and to the Lord in the wilderness. The tragedy is that so many fail to respond as intended to the humbling hand of God as a loving Father. The Hebrew word there translated “humbled” is so often used about the afflictions of Israel- in Egypt, in the wilderness, at the hands of their invaders. But they wriggled against it, their bitterness driving them deep within themselves rather than to God and His Son. This is the enduring tragedy of Israel, and Jewish history. And it is the same with so many lives today.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Perhaps we find ourselves facing a situation that our upbringing and culture never addressed; we are alone, humiliated, before our God. This is what happened to Israel and to the Lord in the wilderness. The tragedy is that so many fail to respond as intended to the humbling hand of God as a loving Father. The Hebrew word there translated “humbled” is so often used about the afflictions of Israel- in Egypt, in the wilderness, at the hands of their invaders. But they wriggled against it, their bitterness driving them deep within themselves rather than to God and His Son. This is the enduring tragedy of Israel, and Jewish history. And it is the same with so many lives today.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Which you didn’t know, neither did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Yahweh- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The passages quoted by Jesus in the desert to strengthen Himself against His human desires (“the devil”) are all from the same part of Deuteronomy, regarding Israel’s experience in the wilderness. Jesus clearly saw a parallel between His experiences and theirs. The description of Him as being in the wilderness with beasts and Angels (<em><a href='B:480 1:13'>Mar 1:13</a></em>) is another connection with Israel’s experience in the wilderness- they were plagued there by “wild beasts” (32:19-24). Jesus was led up of the spirit for forty days in the wilderness, as Israel were led forty years by a Spirit-Angel. The mind of Jesus was likewise proved by the temptations. Jesus overcame by quoting the Scriptures that were in His heart (<em><a href='B:230 119:11'>Psa 119:11</a></em>). Jesus also was allowed to hunger, to reinforce His understanding of the fact that we are to live not by physical food but by the word of God. The reference to Israel being ‘chastened’ (:5) in the desert recall how God chastened His Son, Jesus (<em><a href='B:100 7:12'>2Sa 7:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 89:32'>Psa 89:32</a></em>). Thus Jesus showed us how to read and study the Word - He thought Himself into the position of Israel in the wilderness, and therefore took the lessons that can be learnt from their experiences to Himself in His wilderness trials.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The fact that God’s word is true means that we also ought to be truthful- for we should speak “as oracles of God”. Moses surely intended a connection between his words recorded in <em><a href='B:50 8:3'>Deu 8:3</a></em> and <em><a href='B:50 23:23'>Deu 23:23</a></em> - for they are the only times he uses a particular Hebrew word translated “proceed” or ‘go out’, within the same speech uttered the same day: “By every word that <em>proceeds </em>out of the mouth of the Lord does man live… that which <em>goes forth</em> (s.w. “proceeds”) out of <em>your</em> lips / mouth you shall keep and perform”. The influence of continually hearing <em>God’s</em> word should be that <em>our</em> words are likewise truthful and trustworthy. The fact that the Bible as God’s word is true has implications for our own truthfulness. <em>Pistos</em> is listed as a fruit of the spirit in <em><a href='B:550 5:1-26'>Gal 5:1-26</a></em>; but the idea it can carry is not so much of faith in the sense of belief, but of faithfulness, loyalty, reliability, utter dependability. If this is how God’s words are to us, then this is how we and our words should be to others. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Exactly because the Lord Jesus was human, and yet perfect, He was so exalted. It's perhaps noteworthy that in the wilderness temptation, Jesus was tempted "If you are the Son of <em>God</em>..." (<em><a href='B:470 4:3'>Mat 4:3</a></em>), and He replies by quoting <em><a href='B:50 8:3'>Deu 8:3</a></em> "<em>man</em> shall not live by bread alone"- and the Jonathan Targum has <em>bar nasha</em> (son of man) here for "man". If we are correct in understanding those wilderness temptations as the Lord's internal struggles, we see Him tempted to wrongly focus upon His being Son of <em>God</em>, forgetting His humanity; and we see Him overcoming this temptation, preferring instead to perceive Himself as Son of <em>man</em>. Twice in Mark, Jesus is addressed as "Messiah" but He replies by calling Himself "the Son of man" (<em><a href='B:480 8:29-31'>Mar 8:29-31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:480 14:61-62'>Mar 14:61-62</a></em>). If this was His preferred self-perception, should it not be how we perceive Him?</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Your clothing didn’t grow old on you, neither did your foot swell, these forty years- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God has likewise promised to provide us on our wilderness journey with basic clothing and food (<em><a href='B:230 37:25'>Psa 37:25</a></em>). We should be content with this, and instead of giving our strength to earn money to tickle our taste buds and buy fine clothing, instead give our lives to serving God.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Apart from the jewellery taken from the Egyptians for the construction of the tabernacle, the total unmaterialism of Israel on Passover night is something to be marvelled at.&nbsp;&nbsp; They only had the clothes they wore, and just the one pair of shoes.&nbsp;This is confirmed by the reminder that these things were miraculously preserved throughout the wilderness journey (<em><a href='B:50 8:4'>Deu 8:4</a></em>). It is also highlighted that they had no food when they left - they just grabbed some dough which later they baked into "unleavened cakes" (<em><a href='B:20 12:34'>Exo 12:34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 12:39'>Exo 12:39</a></em>).&nbsp;</p><p>We must remember that the 40 years wandering were punishment for sin, it was the experience of condemnation, and serves as the basis for later Biblical pictures of the rejected. Unable to enter the Kingdom they so wanted to enter, wandering until they died. But Moses in Deuteronomy perceives that even for those condemned people, Yahweh provided and they "lacked nothing" by His grace. We see something of God's essence here- that He cares even for the condemned. Such a far cry from the classical picture of "hell".</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall consider in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so Yahweh your God chastens you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:50 8:2-7'>Deu 8:2-7</a></em> describes God leading Israel through the wilderness for 40 years <em>so that</em> they could then enter the land. 'Israel' here must refer to the under 20s, Joshua, Caleb and the Levites. It was only they who went through the wilderness for 40 years. It was 'Israel' in this sense with whom God was in love. They considered in their heart, that God was treating them as a father does his son (<em><a href='B:50 8:5'>Deu 8:5</a></em>). This has a practical significance to it; the under 20s would have been at variance with their natural parents, who knew they were condemned to death in the wilderness, and who refused to take their covenant with God seriously. That young remnant were led to meditate that God was their Heavenly Father; natural relationships that were not based around a true love of God, paled into insignificance as they spiritually matured.&nbsp; <em><a href='B:50 8:3'>Deu 8:3</a></em> says that they learnt to live by every word of God during those 40 years. This is just not true of rebellious Israel generally. But the under 20s, Levites, Joshua and Caleb all developed into keen lovers of the word during that time.&nbsp; They are classic Biblical examples for young people.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Whilst there are of course conditions for entry into the Kingdom, it must ever be remembered that it is not right to therefore reason that if we <em>do</em> certain things, then we will be in the Kingdom. For this would be justification by works and not by faith. However, because we believe we will be in the Kingdom, we will therefore naturally respond by living according to God’s precepts. Moses encouraged Israel to keep the Law exactly because God would surely give them the promised land- not <em>so that</em> they would enter the land but because He would give them the land: "For Yahweh your God brings you into a good land" (:7).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For Yahweh your God brings you into a good land- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew word for "spied out" in <em><a href='B:50 1:24'>Deu 1:24</a></em> also means 'to slander' (s.w. <em><a href='B:100 19:27'>2Sa 19:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 15:3'>Psa 15:3</a></em>). Their slander of the land was in that they misrepresented the strength of the people there, who were in fact fearful of the Israelites. They brought up an evil report of the land (<em><a href='B:40 13:32'>Num 13:32</a></em>), characterizing it as not "good" but "evil", as if inhabited by insuperable forces of cosmic evil. They disbelieved God’s simple statement that He was bringing them a "good land" (<em><a href='B:20 3:8'>Exo 3:8</a></em>). Moses therefore repeatedly calls the land a "good land", denying their wrong idea that the land was inhabited by 'evil spirits' (<em><a href='B:50 3:25'>Deu 3:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:21-22'>Deu 4:21-22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:18'>Deu 6:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:7'>Deu 8:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:6'>Deu 9:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:17'>Deu 11:17</a></em>). We see here how belief in 'evil spirits' or 'demons' militated against their faith in God and His eagerness to give His good Kingdom to His people. That continues to be His "good pleasure" (<em><a href='B:490 12:32'>Luk 12:32</a></em>) toward us, but like Israel, we are tempted to disbelieve this and allow our own perceptions and empirical conclusions to lead us away from simple faith in this. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>A land of brooks of water, of springs and underground water gushing into valleys and hills- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>A land of brooks of water" is precisely the phrase used of a place they stopped at on the way to Canaan (<em><a href='B:50 10:7'>Deu 10:7</a></em>). They were constantly given foretastes of the Kingdom before entering it, just as we are on our wilderness journey.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>a land of wheat and barley, vines, fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees and honey- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Rabshakeh alluded to this: "Make an agreement with me... and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree... until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey" (<em><a href='B:120 18:31-32'>2Ki 18:31-32</a></em>). The repetition of the word "land" and the evident allusions to the description of the promised land Israel would have if they were faithful, show that Rabshakeh was offering the Jews a fake kingdom of God. The reference to each man eating his own vine and fig tree is alluding to <em><a href='B:400 4:4'>Mic 4:4</a></em>, a prophecy which was uttered during this period, and doubtless repeated by the prophets within Jerusalem:&nbsp;"They shall sit every man under his vine and... fig tree". The world likewise offers us a fake kingdom of God. We have a choice between the kingdoms of men now, and God’s true Kingdom.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>a land in which you shall eat bread without scarcity. You shall not lack anything in it- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>There can be little doubt that standing on a mountain looking out over God’s Kingdom would have reminded Christ of Moses on Nebo, who for one slip was denied it all. And that must have sobered Him (<em><a href='B:50 34:1'>Deu 34:1</a></em>). And having quoted <em><a href='B:50 8:3'>Deu 8:3</a></em> to Himself about living on the bread / word of God, His mind would have gone on to <em><a href='B:50 8:9'>Deu 8:9</a></em> with its description of eating bread without scarceness in the Kingdom – i.e. feeding fully on spiritual things, in the allegory.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>A land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you may dig copper-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>They would inherit a land which was blessed with iron, and from whose hills “you <em>may</em> dig brass”; and yet they failed to make the effort to dig this out, and therefore they were dominated by the Canaanite tribes who had iron weapons. The Angels had made it potentially possible, but the realization of their potential plans depended upon Israel’s freewill effort. But in Judges and 1 Samuel we read several times of how Israel hardly had any iron weapons and were dominated by the Philistines who did. So this was a potential for them- they <em>could</em> have had this blessing, but like us so often, they chose to be satisfied with the minimum and didn’t realize it for themselves.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The men of Dan quote the words of <em><a href='B:50 8:9'>Deu 8:9</a></em> in <em><a href='B:70 18:10'>Jdg 18:10</a></em>, but out of context. Those words were true of the entire land promised to Abraham. But the men of Dan didn’t drive out the tribes from the land. Instead, they applied these words to a tiny, remote part of it in Laish, and encouraged themselves on the basis of these words to go and massacre a group of unsuspecting people and take their land- with the blessing of Micah's false gods.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When you shall eat and be full, then you shall bless Yahweh your God for the good land which He has given you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel were given manna in the wilderness, and they ate it and were full (<em><a href='B:20 16:8'>Exo 16:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 16:12'>Exo 16:12</a></em>). But they were promised that in the promised land of the Kingdom, they would likewise eat and be full, again from blessing given by God (s.w. <em><a href='B:50 8:10'>Deu 8:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:15'>Deu 11:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 14:29'>Deu 14:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 26:12'>Deu 26:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:20'>Deu 31:20</a></em>). After our Red Sea baptism, we are now in the wilderness; but by feeding on the manna, the word of God in the Lord Jesus, we have a foretaste of the Kingdom experience. But the curse for disobedience was that they would eat and not be full / satisfied (<em><a href='B:30 26:26'>Lev 26:26</a></em>).&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Beware lest you forget Yahweh your God in not keeping His commandments- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The word so often used for "keeping" / "diligently observing" Yahweh's commandments is from the word meaning a thorn hedge; the idea originally was to hedge in. Taking this too literally led Judaism to all their endless fences around the law, i.e. forbidding this or that because it might lead to doing that or this, which in turn would then lead to breaking an actual commandment. And those various fences become elevated to the level of commandments. But this is not the idea. We are indeed to hedge ourselves in ("take heed to yourself", <em><a href='B:50 11:16'>Deu 11:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:13'>Deu 12:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:19'>Deu 12:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:30'>Deu 12:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:32'>Deu 12:32</a></em> s.w.), so that we may keep / hedge ourselves in to keep the commandments of God (<em><a href='B:30 18:4-5'>Lev 18:4-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:26'>Lev 18:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:30'>Lev 18:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:19'>Lev 19:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:37'>Lev 19:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:8'>Lev 20:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:22'>Lev 20:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:9'>Lev 22:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:31'>Lev 22:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 25:18'>Lev 25:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:3'>Lev 26:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 28:2'>Num 28:2</a></em>;&nbsp;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:50 7:11-12'>Deu 7:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:1'>Deu 8:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:11'>Deu 8:11</a></em> (s.w. "beware"); 10:13; 11:1,8,22,32; 12:1; 13:4,18; ; 15:5,9 ("beware");&nbsp; 17:19; 19:9; 23:9 ("keep yourself"); 24:8; 26:16-18; 27:1; 28:1,9,13; 29:9; 30:10,16; 31:12; 32:46). And without falling into the legalism of Judaism, self discipline does require a degree of fencing ourselves in to the one way. Thus the man struggling with alcoholism avoids the supermarket where alcohol is pushed in front of the eyes of the shoppers; the married woman struggling with attraction to another man makes little laws for herself about avoiding his company. And if we do this, then the Lord will "keep" us, will hedge us in to keeping His way (s.w. <em><a href='B:40 6:24'>Num 6:24</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>His ordinances and His statutes which I command you this day- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew <em>mishpat</em>, "ordinances", has a wide range of meaning. The idea is of judgment, as if God and His Angels gave these laws as their considered judgment after considering the human condition, and Israel were to abide by them. But the word also the idea of a right or privilege; and that is how we should see God’s laws. They are only felt as a burden because of human hardness of neck towards God’s ways. His laws are not of themselves burdensome, but rather a privilege and blessing. The law was indeed "holy, just and good" (<em><a href='B:520 7:12'>Rom 7:12</a></em>), designed to inculcate a holy, just and good life (<em><a href='B:630 1:8'>Tit 1:8</a></em>), a way in which a man should "walk" in daily life (<em><a href='B:30 18:4'>Lev 18:4</a></em>), a culture of kindness and grace to others which reflected God’s grace to man. If we dwell upon the idea of "rights" carried within the word <em>mishpat</em>, we note that the law begins in <em><a href='B:20 21:1-2'>Exo 21:1-2</a></em> (also <em><a href='B:50 15:12-18'>Deu 15:12-18</a></em>) with the rights of a slave- those considered to have no rights in the society of that day. The "rights" to be afforded by us to others are the essence of God’s rightness / justice.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and lived therein- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>When they had eaten and were full (<em><a href='B:50 8:10'>Deu 8:10</a></em>), they were to beware "lest" the prosperity made them forget God (<em><a href='B:50 8:12-13'>Deu 8:12-13</a></em>). This is a profound warning to all afflicted with prosperity in this life. <em><a href='B:50 31:20'>Deu 31:20</a></em> states that when they had "eaten and are full" (s.w.) they would certainly forget Yahweh and turn to other gods; but this prophecy was conditional, for it was by no means bound to happen. For the appeal in <em><a href='B:50 8:10-13'>Deu 8:10-13</a></em> had been<em> not</em> to let this happen. So much of Bible prophecy is not so much prediction as stating conditional situations, with the implicit appeal that in the gap between pronouncement and fulfilment, we can change the outcomes by prayer and changed behaviour.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and when your herds and your flocks multiply and your silver and your gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>They had left Egypt with great riches of silver and gold, and this is "your silver and gold" which was to be multiplied even more (<em><a href='B:50 8:13'>Deu 8:13</a></em>). The multiplication of Abraham's seed promised to him clearly meant not simply numerical multiplication, but material multiplication too. That is the sense too in <em><a href='B:30 26:9'>Lev 26:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>. We wonder why God gave them all this blessing, knowing that it would lead to such spiritual temptation and failure. We wonder why He gives so many of His people today the same huge blessings, however unappreciated they are. One simple answer is that it is because He loves us with all the love of a father for his children; He rejoiced to multiply them (<em><a href='B:50 28:63'>Deu 28:63</a></em>). The king of Israel was warned in the same words not to multiply silver and gold lest his heart turn away (<em><a href='B:50 17:17'>Deu 17:17</a></em>). The idea may be that we are to leave God to multiply our silver and gold if He wishes, and not set our heart to doing so.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>then your heart be lifted up and you forget Yahweh your God, Who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel never became atheists, they never formally abrogated Yahweh, never formally rejected Him. But they forgot Him, in that in daily life they forgot the wonder of His grace, especially in His historical salvation of them. And it is day by spiritual mindedness which is of the essence. The exit from Egypt is described as a jail break, from the house of bondage. Their desire to return to it was strong, and so Moses continually stresses the true and awful nature of Egypt / the world. The language echoes that of God to Abraham: "I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur" (<em><a href='B:10 15:7'>Gen 15:7</a></em>). They were being asked to act as Abraham's seed, and respond as He did to the Divine initiative in separating them from the world- by following His commandments.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with fiery serpents, scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; Who brought you forth water out of the rock of flint-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The records make it clear enough that the miraculous provision of water was in the same context as God’s constant provision of food and protection to the people (<em><a href='B:50 8:15-16'>Deu 8:15-16</a></em>). The rock gave water throughout the wilderness journey (<em><a href='B:290 48:21'>Isa 48:21</a></em>). This would surely necessitate that the giving of water at Horeb was not a one-off solution to a crisis. There is a word play in the Hebrew text of <em><a href='B:290 48:21'>Isa 48:21</a></em>: "He led them through the Horebs (AV 'desert places')" by making water flow from the rock. The Horeb experience was repeated for 40 years; as if the rock went on being smitten. Somehow the water from that smitten rock went with them, fresh and bubbling as it was the first moment the rock was smitten, right through the wilderness. It was living, spring water- not lying around in puddles. The water that came from that one rock felt as if God had opened up fresh springs and torrents in the desert (<em><a href='B:230 74:15'>Psa 74:15</a></em> NAS). It always tasted as if it was just gushing out of the spring; and this wonder is commented upon by both David and Isaiah (<em><a href='B:230 78:15-16'>Psa 78:15-16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 78:20'>Psa 78:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 105:41'>Psa 105:41</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 48:21'>Isa 48:21</a></em>). It was as if the rock had just been struck, and the water was flowing out fresh for the first time. In this miracle, God clave the rock and there came out rivers (<em><a href='B:420 3:9'>Hab 3:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 78:16'>Psa 78:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 78:20'>Psa 78:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 43:20'>Isa 43:20</a></em>). Each part of Israel's encampment had the water as it were brought to their door. And so it is in our experience of Christ, and the blessing enabled by His sacrifice. The blessings that come to us are deeply personal, and directed to us individually. He died once, long ago, and yet the effect of His sacrifice is ever new. In our experience, it's as if He has died and risen for us every time we obtain forgiveness, or any other grace to help in our times of need. We live in newness of life. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers didn’t know, that He might humble you and that He might prove you, to do you good at your latter end- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Humble you" is the word used of how the Egyptians had afflicted the Hebrews (<em><a href='B:20 1:11-12'>Exo 1:11-12</a></em>). Repeatedly, Israel were taught that they were to remember the state they had been in prior to their redemption from affliction; and redeem others from their affliction on that basis, and never to afflict people as Egypt had done to them. All this is an abiding principle for us. True redemption of others has to be rooted in an awareness of our own affliction. This is particularly necessary for those who were as it were schooled into Christ by reason of their upbringing.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and lest you say in your heart, My power and the might of my hand has given me this wealth- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Time and again, Moses speaks of the state of their heart. He warns them against allowing a bad state of heart to develop, he speaks often of how apostasy starts in the heart. Moses makes a total of 49 references to the heart / mind of Israel in Deuteronomy, compared to only 13 in the whole of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. This indicates the paramount importance which our Lord attaches to the state of our mind. This was perhaps his greatest wish as He faced death; that we should develop a spiritual mind and thereby manifest the Father and come to salvation. Moses likewise saw the state of our mind as the key to spiritual success. But do we share this perspective? Do we guard our minds against the media and influence of a mind-corrupting world? It's been observed that the phrase "The God of (somebody)", or similar, occurs 614 times in the Old Testament, of which 306 are in Deuteronomy. Our very personal relationship with God was therefore something else which Moses came to grasp in his spiritual maturity. Statistical analysis of the word "love" in the Pentateuch likewise reveals that "love" was a great theme of Moses at the end of his life (Moses uses it 16 times in Deuteronomy, and only four times in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>But you must remember Yahweh your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as at this day-</em></p>&nbsp;<p style='margin-left:1em'>“The liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand” (<em><a href='B:290 32:8'>Isa 32:8</a></em>) may suggest that the generous will “stand” in the last day because of their generous spirit. Indeed, being in covenant with God may even depend upon our recognition of the fact that all human wealth is from God. The power to get wealth, be it education, intelligence or hard work (or 'good luck' in a secular sense) is all from God. It is not our "power" (:17) but God’s. Moses urges the peoples' faithfulness so that Yahweh might "establish His covenant" with them (<em><a href='B:50 8:18'>Deu 8:18</a></em>); and we note that despite their disobedience, He still "established" the covenant with them, by grace alone (<em><a href='B:50 9:5'>Deu 9:5</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>If you forget Yahweh your God, and walk after other gods and serve them and worship them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Go after" is a phrase Moses frequently uses in his last speech in Deuteronomy, but not elsewhere. It means literally to follow or walk after. He warns against going after other gods (<em><a href='B:50 4:3'>Deu 4:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:14'>Deu 6:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:19'>Deu 8:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:28'>Deu 11:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:2'>Deu 13:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:14'>Deu 28:14</a></em>), and urges following / walking behind / going after Yahweh alone (<em><a href='B:50 13:4'>Deu 13:4</a></em>). I suggest he was reflecting upon how by following after Yahweh in the Angel, the people had been brought out of Egypt, through the wilderness and to the promised kingdom. Caleb had faithfully followed / walked after Yahweh, and so entered the land. The phrase is used of the people following after the ark to enter Canaan (<em><a href='B:60 3:3'>Jos 3:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 6:9'>Jos 6:9</a></em>). Following after idols led them just to pointless wandering in circles. And so it is in human life today. Following idols leads to pointless wandering, whereas following Yahweh has a specific destination in view- possession of the Kingdom. Elijah uses the phrase when telling Israel they could either follow after Baal, or Yahweh; and if Yahweh is God, then we are to follow Him (<em><a href='B:110 18:21'>1Ki 18:21</a></em>). We cannot follow two directions. But Israel followed after (s.w.) vanity and thereby became vain (<em><a href='B:120 17:15'>2Ki 17:15</a></em>). They carried the tabernacle of Moloch and also of Yahweh, throughout the wilderness journey (<em><a href='B:510 7:1-60'>Act 7:1-60</a></em>:). Following after Baal is paralleled with following / walking after the imagination of their own evil heart (s.w. <em><a href='B:300 3:17'>Jer 3:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 9:14'>Jer 9:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 13:10'>Jer 13:10</a></em>), walking after their own spirit rather than God’s (<em><a href='B:330 13:3'>Eze 13:3</a></em> s.w.) and their own covetousness (s.w. <em><a href='B:330 33:31'>Eze 33:31</a></em>). To walk / live just according to the word of our own imaginations is our great temptation. But we are to instead follow God’s imaginations and heart, as revealed in His word (<em><a href='B:330 20:16'>Eze 20:16</a></em> s.w.). This is where our acceptance of the word of God as indeed His word... has endless implications. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Always in the OT, “I say unto you this day" was used as a Hebraism to bring home the utter solemnity of some great truth (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 4:26'>Deu 4:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:39'>Deu 4:39</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:19'>Deu 8:19</a></em>). The Lord used this idiom in assuring the thief on the cross that he could solemnly assure him, that he would share His Kingdom with Him. It's worth noting that the comma is placed after 'today' in&nbsp; the Curetonian Syriac version of the New Testament; the Syriac versions would reflect better the original Aramaic in which the Lord likely spoke. <em><a href='B:50 9:1'>Deu 9:1</a></em> is another example of where "this day" doesn't mean "today", but is rather a way of signally a solemn statement.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>As the nations that Yahweh makes to perish before you, so you too shall perish, because you wouldn’t listen to the voice of Yahweh your God-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel did not obey / hearken to the voice of Yahweh, and He did not hearken to their voice in prayer (<em><a href='B:50 1:45'>Deu 1:45</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:23'>Deu 9:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:15'>Deu 28:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 5:6'>Jos 5:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 2:20'>Jdg 2:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 6:10'>Jdg 6:10</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:50 8:20'>Deu 8:20</a></em> s.w.). <em><a href='B:120 18:12'>2Ki 18:12</a></em> states this specifically. God hearkened to Joshua's voice in prayer (<em><a href='B:60 10:14'>Jos 10:14</a></em>) because Joshua hearkened to His voice. It was to be the same with Saul. He didn’t hearken to God’s voice (<em><a href='B:90 15:19'>1Sa 15:19</a></em>) and God didn’t hearken to Saul's voice in prayer in his final desperation at the end of his life (<em><a href='B:90 28:18'>1Sa 28:18</a></em>). If God’s word abides in us, then our prayer is powerful, we have whatever we ask, because we are asking for things according to His will expressed in His word (<em><a href='B:500 15:7'>Joh 15:7</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Hear, Israel- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses really wanted Israel's well-being, he saw so clearly how obedience would result in blessing (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 6:3'>Deu 6:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:28'>Deu 12:28</a></em>). This is a major theme of Moses in Deuteronomy. There was therefore a real sense of pleading behind his frequent appeal for Israel to "hear" or obey God’s words. "<em>Hear</em>, O Israel" in Deuteronomy must have had a real passion behind it in his voice, uncorrupted as it was by old age. He didn’t rattle it off as some kind of Sunday School proof. At least four times Moses interrupts the flow of his speech with this appeal: "<em>Hear </em>(‘be obedient’), O Israel" (<em><a href='B:50 5:1'>Deu 5:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:3-4'>Deu 6:3-4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:1'>Deu 9:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 20:3'>Deu 20:3</a></em>). And a glance through a concordance shows how often in Deuteronomy Moses pleads with them to hear God’s voice. So he was back to his favourite theme: Hear the word, love the word, make it your life. For in this is your salvation. And the Lord Jesus (e.g. in passages like <em><a href='B:500 6:1-71'>Joh 6:1-71</a></em>) makes just the same urgent appeal.&nbsp;</p>&nbsp;<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You are to pass over the Jordan this day- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>They did not pass over that day because they mourned for Moses 30 days (<em><a href='B:50 34:8'>Deu 34:8</a></em>). It is possible that Moses felt so despised by them that he assumed there would be no period of mourning for him. He could be using "this day" in a general sense of "at this time", but this may also be an example of 'I tell you this day' being a solemn statement, as discussed on <em><a href='B:50 8:19'>Deu 8:19</a></em>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>To go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and walled up to the sky- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Drive out" is s.w. "possess". We must note the difference between the&nbsp; Canaanite peoples and their kings being "struck" and their land "taken" by Joshua-Jesus; and the people of Israel permanently taking possession. This is the difference between the Lord's victory on the cross, and our taking possession of the Kingdom. Even though that possession has been "given" to us. The word used for "possession" is literally 'an inheritance'. The allusion is to the people, like us, being the seed of Abraham. The Kingdom was and is our possession, our inheritance- if we walk in the steps of Abraham. But it is one thing to be the seed of Abraham, another to take possession of the inheritance; and Israel generally did not take possession of all the land (<em><a href='B:60 11:23'>Jos 11:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 13:1'>Jos 13:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 16:10'>Jos 16:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 18:3'>Jos 18:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:4'>Jos 23:4</a></em>). The language of inheritance / possession is applied to us in the New Testament (<em><a href='B:560 1:11'>Eph 1:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:14'>Eph 1:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 3:24'>Col 3:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 20:32'>Act 20:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 26:18'>Act 26:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 1:4'>1Pe 1:4</a></em> etc.). Israel were promised: "You shall possess it" (<em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:23'>Deu 33:23</a></em>). This was more of a command than a prophecy, for sadly they were "given" the land but did not "possess" it. They were constantly encouraged in the wilderness that they were on the path to possessing the land (<em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:18'>Deu 30:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:3'>Deu 31:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:13'>Deu 31:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>), but when they got there they didn’t possess it fully. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know and of whom you have heard say, Who can stand before the sons of Anak?- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This was apparently a proverbial expression of the time, but it caught hold of the minds of the spies who first entered the land, and came to dominate the thinking of the generation who refused to enter the Kingdom and were therefore condemned in the wilderness. We see here the power of words and phrases; the little credos by which men live are often taught by snatches of lyrics from popular songs, or half remembered quotations once seen somewhere online. This is why we are to speak to ourselves in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, and not allow our self talk to be donated by the phrases of the secular world (<em><a href='B:560 5:19'>Eph 5:19</a></em>). We are to speak also to each other in these terms (<em><a href='B:580 3:16'>Col 3:16</a></em>); for our self talk is reflected in our words to others. And this is what happened to that generation who failed to enter the land; it was exactly this repetition of the words "Who can stand before the sons of Anak?", in their hearts and to each other, which led to a generation of Israel being denied the Kingdom which had been prepared for them.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Know therefore this day that Yahweh your God is He who goes over before you as a devouring fire-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It was the Angel in the pillar of fire which was to go before Israel. Deborah in <em><a href='B:70 4:14'>Jdg 4:14</a></em> quotes the words of <em><a href='B:50 9:3'>Deu 9:3</a></em> concerning the Angel going before Israel to drive out the nations to Barak, to inspire him with courage in fighting them. She recognized that the work the Angels did when they went out many years ago to do all the groundwork necessary for Israel to destroy all the tribes of Canaan was done for all time. It was not too late to make use of that work by making a human endeavour in faith. So with us, the smaller objectives in our lives as well as our main goal of reaching the Kingdom have all been made possible through the work of Christ and the Angels in the past. Deborah's recognition of this is shown in her song- <em><a href='B:70 5:20'>Jdg 5:20</a></em>: "They (the Angels) fought from Heaven; the stars (Biblical imagery for Angels) in their courses fought against Sisera".</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He will destroy them and He will bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The nations in the land being "subdued" or 'brought down' was the outcome of Israel being obedient to the covenant (s.w. <em><a href='B:50 9:3'>Deu 9:3</a></em>). We read this word "subdued" used of how the land was at times subdued before Israel (<em><a href='B:70 3:30'>Jdg 3:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 4:23'>Jdg 4:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 8:28'>Jdg 8:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 11:33'>Jdg 11:33</a></em>). But each time it is clear that the people generally were not obedient to the covenant. One faithful leader was, and the results of his faithfulness were counted to the people. This is what happened with the Lord's death leading to righteousness being imputed to us.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And make them perish quickly, as Yahweh has spoken to you-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:60 5:13-14'>Jos 5:13-14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:720 1:8'>Jud 1:8</a></em>. The implications that we should respond ‘quickly’ to the Gospel surely mean that we should not have any element of indifference in our response to the call of God, and yet the foundations of a true spiritual life cannot be laid hastily. The Father drove out the tribes from Canaan slowly, not immediately- or at least, He potentially enabled this to happen (<em><a href='B:70 2:23'>Jdg 2:23</a></em>). But Israel were to destroy those tribes “quickly” (<em><a href='B:50 9:3'>Deu 9:3</a></em>). Here perhaps we see what is meant- progress is slow but steady in the spiritual life, but there must be a quickness in response to the call of God for action in practice. Compare this with how on one hand, God does not become quickly angry (<em><a href='B:230 103:8'>Psa 103:8</a></em>), and yet on the other hand He <em>does </em>&nbsp;get angry quickly in the sense that He immediately feels and responds to sin (<em><a href='B:230 2:12'>Psa 2:12</a></em>); His anger ‘flares up in His face’. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Don’t say in your heart- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Time and again, Moses speaks of the state of their heart. He warns them against allowing a bad state of heart to develop, he speaks often of how apostasy starts in the heart. Moses makes a total of 49 references to the heart / mind of Israel in Deuteronomy, compared to only 13 in the whole of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. This indicates the paramount importance which our Lord attaches to the state of our mind. This was perhaps his greatest wish as He faced death; that we should develop a spiritual mind and thereby manifest the Father and come to salvation. Moses likewise saw the state of our mind as the key to spiritual success. But do we share this perspective? Do we guard our minds against the media and influence of a mind-corrupting world? It's been observed that the phrase "The God of (somebody)", or similar, occurs 614 times in the Old Testament, of which 306 are in Deuteronomy. Our very personal relationship with God was therefore something else which Moses came to grasp in his spiritual maturity. Statistical analysis of the word "love" in the Pentateuch likewise reveals that "love" was a great theme of Moses at the end of his life (Moses uses it 16 times in Deuteronomy, and only four times in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>After Yahweh your God has thrust them out from before you, For my righteousness Yahweh has brought me in to possess this land; because Yahweh drives them out before you because of the wickedness of these nations- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The thrusting out of Israel's enemies from the land was conditional upon Israel's obedience (<em><a href='B:50 6:18-19'>Deu 6:18-19</a></em>). They were disobedient, and yet still God thrust out the tribes and warned them therefore not to think that this was done because of their righteousness (<em><a href='B:50 9:4'>Deu 9:4</a></em>). It was by grace alone that they inherited the Kingdom, as with us. But there was always a tendency for Israel to forget that they had been given the Kingdom despite their lack of the required personal righteousness; they became over familiar with living in it under such grace. And so the warning comes down to us. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart do you go in to possess their land, but for the wickedness of these nations Yahweh your God drives them out from before you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The grace of God guarantees our salvation. Yet we find it so hard to believe- that I, with all my doubts and fears, will really be there. Israel were warned that they were being given the land (cp. salvation) "not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thy heart... for thou art a stiffnecked people" (<em><a href='B:50 9:5-6'>Deu 9:5-6</a></em>). These words are picked up in <em><a href='B:630 3:5'>Tit 3:5</a></em> and applied to the new Israel: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing (baptism) of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit" - by His grace alone. Moses urges the peoples' faithfulness so that Yahweh might "establish His covenant" with them (<em><a href='B:50 8:18'>Deu 8:18</a></em>); but here we note that despite their disobedience, He still "established" the covenant with them, by grace alone (<em><a href='B:50 9:5'>Deu 9:5</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And that He may establish the word which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We could say that the promises to Abraham which form the basis of the covenant are about grace. <em><a href='B:50 9:1-29'>Deu 9:1-29</a></em> spells out that Israel would not inherit the land sworn to their fathers because they were righteous- the implication was that it was a gift promised by pure grace. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Know therefore that Yahweh your God doesn’t give you this good land to possess- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew word for "spied out" in <em><a href='B:50 1:24'>Deu 1:24</a></em> also means 'to slander' (s.w. <em><a href='B:100 19:27'>2Sa 19:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 15:3'>Psa 15:3</a></em>). Their slander of the land was in that they misrepresented the strength of the people there, who were in fact fearful of the Israelites. They brought up an evil report of the land (<em><a href='B:40 13:32'>Num 13:32</a></em>), characterizing it as not "good" but "evil", as if inhabited by insuperable forces of cosmic evil. They disbelieved God’s simple statement that He was bringing them a "good land" (<em><a href='B:20 3:8'>Exo 3:8</a></em>). Moses therefore repeatedly calls the land a "good land", denying their wrong idea that the land was inhabited by 'evil spirits' (<em><a href='B:50 3:25'>Deu 3:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:21-22'>Deu 4:21-22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:18'>Deu 6:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:7'>Deu 8:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:6'>Deu 9:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:17'>Deu 11:17</a></em>). We see here how belief in 'evil spirits' or 'demons' militated against their faith in God and His eagerness to give His good Kingdom to His people. That continues to be His "good pleasure" (<em><a href='B:490 12:32'>Luk 12:32</a></em>) toward us, but like Israel, we are tempted to disbelieve this and allow our own perceptions and empirical conclusions to lead us away from simple faith in this. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Like Paul in his time of dying, Moses in Deuteronomy saw the importance of obedience, the harder side of God; yet he also saw in real depth the surpassing love of God, and the grace that was to come, beyond Law. This appreciation reflected Moses' mature grasp of the Name / characteristics of God. He uses the name "Yahweh" in Deuteronomy over 530 times, often with some possessive adjective, e.g. "Yahweh thy God" (AV- i.e. you singular), or "Yahweh our God". He saw the personal relationship between a man and his God. Jacob reached a like realization at his peak. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Although the people were "stiff-necked", refusing to bow their necks in obedience, and thereby liable to destruction if God was amongst them (<em><a href='B:20 32:9'>Exo 32:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 33:3'>Exo 33:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 33:15'>Exo 33:15</a></em>), God was willing to give this stiff-necked people a place in God’s Kingdom (<em><a href='B:50 9:6'>Deu 9:6</a></em>). And so although God had said that He would not go in the midst of a stiff-necked people, yet Moses asks Him to do so (<em><a href='B:20 34:9'>Exo 34:9</a></em>)- for He senses God’s desire to save them by grace despite their hardened disobedience. We contrast this with the God who demands respect, the God who slew Uzzah and insists upon loyalty to Him.&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Remember, don’t forget, how you provoked Yahweh your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you went forth out of the land of Egypt until you came to this place you have been rebellious against Yahweh- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We are left to imagine in what tone of voice Moses said that. Israel had rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh through disbelief, and therefore couldn't enter Canaan (<em><a href='B:50 1:26'>Deu 1:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:7'>Deu 9:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:23-24'>Deu 9:23-24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:27'>Deu 31:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 27:4'>Num 27:4</a></em>); they were as the rebellious son who rebelled against his father’s commandment (s.w. <em><a href='B:50 21:18'>Deu 21:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 21:20'>Deu 21:20</a></em>). For he himself had rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh and because of this was also barred from entering Canaan (<em><a href='B:40 20:24'>Num 20:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 27:14'>Num 27:14</a></em>). One reason for this was that he had called the Israelites "rebels" (<em><a href='B:40 20:10'>Num 20:10</a></em>), and no sooner had he done so, than he himself rebelled against Yahweh's commandment just like them, but in a different way. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Also in Horeb you provoked Yahweh to wrath and Yahweh was angry with you to destroy you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God can be provoked to anger (<em><a href='B:50 9:7'>Deu 9:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:150 5:12'>Ezr 5:12</a></em>), His wrath ‘arises’ because of sinful behaviour (<em><a href='B:140 36:16'>2Ch 36:16</a></em>). He drove Israel into captivity in anger and fury (<em><a href='B:300 32:37'>Jer 32:37</a></em>). The wrath of God ‘waxes hot’ against sinful men, and Moses begged God to ‘turn’ from that wrath (<em><a href='B:20 32:11-12'>Exo 32:11-12</a></em>). The whole intercession of Moses with God gives the impression of God changing His mind because of the intercession of a mere man. Admittedly the idea of anger flaring up in God’s face and then Him ‘turning’ from that wrath is some sort of anthropomorphism. The very same words are used about Esau’s wrath ‘turning away’, i.e. being pacified, as are used about the pacification of God’s wrath (<em><a href='B:10 27:45'>Gen 27:45</a></em>). But all the same, this language must be telling us something. The wrath of God did come upon Israel in the wilderness (<em><a href='B:230 78:31'>Psa 78:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 22:31'>Eze 22:31</a></em>), but Moses ‘turned’ God from executing it as He planned (<em><a href='B:230 106:23'>Psa 106:23</a></em>). Many times He turned away from the full extent of His wrath (<em><a href='B:230 78:38'>Psa 78:38</a></em>). It is by righteous behaviour and repentance that the wrath of God turns away (<em><a href='B:50 13:17'>Deu 13:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:140 12:12'>2Ch 12:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:140 29:10'>2Ch 29:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:140 30:8'>2Ch 30:8</a></em>). <em><a href='B:150 10:14'>Ezr 10:14</a></em> speaks of God’s wrath turning away because those who had married Gentile women divorced them. God’s wrath is also turned away by the death of the sinner- the heads of the sinners in <em><a href='B:40 25:4'>Num 25:4</a></em> were to be ‘hung up’ before the Lord so that His wrath would turn away. A similar example is to be found in <em><a href='B:60 7:26'>Jos 7:26</a></em>. Jeremiah often comments that God’s wrath is turned away by the execution of judgment upon the sinner (e.g. <em><a href='B:300 30:24'>Jer 30:24</a></em>). In this sense His anger and wrath are poured out or ‘accomplished’, i.e. they are no more because they have been poured out (<em><a href='B:310 4:11'>Lam 4:11</a></em>). The fact that men such as Moses and Jeremiah (<em><a href='B:300 18:20'>Jer 18:20</a></em>) turned away God’s wrath without these things happening, or simply by prayer (<em><a href='B:340 9:16'>Dan 9:16</a></em>) therefore means that God accepted the intercession of those men and counted their righteousness to those from whom His wrath turned away. We shouldn’t assume that these righteous men merely waved away God’s wrath. That wrath was real, and required immense pleading and personal dedication on their behalf.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When I had gone up onto the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which Yahweh made with you. Then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:20 24:16'>Exo 24:16</a></em> says that Moses was six and a half days on the mountain waiting for the call to meet God, so he was with God for 33 and a half days. This perhaps looks forward to the 33 and a half years ministry of the Lord Jesus.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I neither ate bread nor drank water- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It could be argued that this is not speaking of absolutely not eating nor drinking (it would be hard not to drink for 40 days), but rather that He didn’t eat bread nor drink water. The implication is that He had food to eat from God, associated with the word given him, which others weren't aware of. The Lord may allude to this in <em><a href='B:500 4:32'>Joh 4:32</a></em>. This is the third period of 40 days which Moses was there, and the Rabbis calculate that he would have therefore returned from the mountain (cp. the Lord's second coming from Heaven) on the Day of Atonement. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh delivered to me the two tablets of stone written with the finger of God- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The tables themselves were made by God, and were written on both sides (<em><a href='B:20 32:15-16'>Exo 32:15-16</a></em>). As they were small enough to be carried, we assume they contained the ten commandments and not the rest of the laws given to Moses. They were the tables of the covenant, and so the letter of the law which was to give way to the spirit of the new covenant therefore includes the command about the Sabbath. For that was one of the ten commandments.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And on them were all the words which Yahweh spoke with you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses graciously doesn't mention that they shied away from Yahweh's appearance at that time and wanted him only to engage with Yahweh. Grace and speaking graciously about others' weaknesses is a sign of spiritual maturity, and we see it in Moses now at the end of his life.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The references to fire, smoke, furnace, earthquake and the descent of Yahweh (<em><a href='B:20 19:18'>Exo 19:18</a></em>) is very similar to the language of Divine judgment, especially of Sodom (<em><a href='B:10 19:28'>Gen 19:28</a></em>; <em><a class='bible' href='#b66:9:2'>Rev 9:2</a></em>). And we know from the prophets that Israel were considered by God as Sodom. We could read this as His wrath with Israel for breaking His simple commandments about not touching the mountain, and for not having sufficiently sanctified themselves (see on <em><a href='B:20 19:10'>Exo 19:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 19:14'>Exo 19:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 19:18'>Exo 19:18</a></em>). The argument of <em><a href='B:650 12:1-29'>Heb 12:1-29</a></em> appears to be that the scene here is one of condemnation of sinful man- and we have not been called to that, but to salvation by grace in the new covenant in Christ. But out of that condemnation, God earnestly wished to reach out to His people, with words of covenant salvation.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>At the end of forty days and forty nights Yahweh gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The tables had the ten commandments written upon them, for this was the old covenant which was made with Israel (<em><a href='B:50 4:13'>Deu 4:13</a></em>). We are not now under the old covenant, but under the new. Which means we are not bound to keep the Sabbath, seeing this was one of the ten commandments. Knowing the apostacy of Israel, God still gave Moses the tokens of the covenant. The implication was that there was grace as the basis of the giving of that covenant.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh said to me Arise, get down quickly from here, for your people whom you have brought out of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made themselves a molten image- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>When God told Moses to leave Him alone to destroy them, and go back down to the people immediately (<em><a href='B:50 9:12'>Deu 9:12</a></em>), Moses stayed on to plead with God not to destroy them. And God listened (<em><a href='B:20 32:7-14'>Exo 32:7-14</a></em>). He repented of the evil He had thought to do. He changed His mind, because Moses stayed on. There is an element of striving with God in prayer, knowing that His mind is open to change (<em><a href='B:520 15:30'>Rom 15:30</a></em>). Jacob is a symbol of us all. He became Israel, he who struggles with God. And this is a key feature of all those who comprise the true Israel. This is what stimulates me to what intensity in prayer I can muster. That God is open to hearing and even changing His holy mind about something. Such is His sensitivity to us. Such is His love, that God changing His mind becomes really feasible as a concept. And such is the scary implication of the total freewill which the Father has afforded us. This is why God could reason with Moses as a man speaks to his friend and vice versa. It was a dynamic, two way relationship in thought and prayer and being. <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Furthermore Yahweh spoke to me saying, I have seen this people and truly it is a stiff-necked people- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Pharaoh was condemned and Egypt overthrown because of his hard heart- but the very word is used to describe the hardness of Israel's heart at the time (<em><a href='B:20 32:9'>Exo 32:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 33:3-5'>Exo 33:3-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 34:9'>Exo 34:9</a></em>). Israel were really no better than Egypt- just as Egypt was plagued "so that they could not drink the water" (<em><a href='B:20 7:24'>Exo 7:24</a></em>), so we find Israel in the same situation right after leaving Egypt (<em><a href='B:20 15:23'>Exo 15:23</a></em>). As the Egyptians were stripped of their jewellery, so Israel stripped themselves of it before the golden calf (<em><a href='B:20 12:36'>Exo 12:36</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 33:6'>Exo 33:6</a></em>). Although the people were "stiff-necked", refusing to bow their necks in obedience, and thereby liable to destruction if God was amongst them (<em><a href='B:20 32:9'>Exo 32:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 33:3'>Exo 33:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 33:15'>Exo 33:15</a></em>), God was willing to give this stiff-necked people a place in God’s Kingdom (<em><a href='B:50 9:6'>Deu 9:6</a></em>). And so although God had said that He would not go in the midst of a stiff-necked people, yet Moses asks Him to do so (<em><a href='B:20 34:9'>Exo 34:9</a></em>)- for He senses God’s desire to save them by grace despite their hardened disobedience. We contrast this with the God who demands respect, the God who slew Uzzah and insists upon loyalty to Him.&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>let Me alone- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This reflects the amazingly close relationship between God and Moses. It’s as if God is saying: ‘I know you might persuade Me to change My mind on this one, but please, don’t try, I might give in, when really they do need to be destroyed’. We too can have this level of intimacy with God.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This seems to suggest that God knew both Himself and Moses well enough to know that Moses could well persuade Him to change His mind, against His ideal intention. And Moses doesn't leave God alone, and does persuade Him. We marvel at the humility and humanity of God, and His extreme openness to human intercession.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Think of God’s bitter disappointment with Israel when He invites Moses into the mount as their representative, in order to enter into further covenant with them. Down below, they started worshipping other gods. When God says to Moses "Leave me alone..." (<em><a href='B:20 32:10'>Exo 32:10</a></em>), He may well refer to the desire for isolation / solitude which a person in extreme grief desires. And of course we are aware of how Moses reasons with God, and asks God to consider His own future and how it might turn out, and how that can be avoided. And God takes Moses seriously, with integrity, and appears to even acquiesce to his arguments. It's amazing. This God is our God. </p>&nbsp;<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>That I may destroy them and blot out their name from under the sky, and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses prayed that <em>his</em> name would be ‘blotted out’ instead (<em><a href='B:20 32:32'>Exo 32:32</a></em>). To be blotted out of the book God had written may have been understood by Moses as asking for him to be excluded from an inheritance in the promised land; for later, a ‘book’ was written describing the various portions (<em><a href='B:60 18:9'>Jos 18:9</a></em>). The connection is made explicit in <em><a href='B:330 13:9'>Eze 13:9</a></em>. If Israel were to be blotted out there and then in the wilderness, then Moses wanted to share this experience, such was his identity with his ungrateful people; and yet this peak of devotion is but a dim shadow of the extent of Christ’s love for us. In <em><a href='B:50 9:18'>Deu 9:18</a></em> he says that his prayer of <em><a href='B:20 32:32'>Exo 32:32</a></em> <em>was heard</em>- in that he was not going to enter the land, but they would. Hence his urging of them throughout Deuteronomy to go ahead and enter the land- to experience what his self-sacrifice had enabled. In this we see the economy of God, and how He works even through sin. On account of Moses’ temporary rashness of speech, he didn’t enter the land. And yet by this, his prayer was heard. He was temporarily blotted out of the book, so that they might enter the land. This is why Moses stresses now at the end of his life that he wouldn’t enter the land <em>for Israel’s sake</em> (1:37; 3:26; 4:21). He saw that his sin had been worked through, and the essential reason for him not entering was because of the offer he had made. It “went badly with him <em>for their sakes</em>” (<em><a href='B:230 106:32'>Psa 106:32</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Despite knowing their weakness and his own righteousness, Moses showed a marvellous softness and humility in that speech recorded in Deuteronomy. When he reminds them how God wanted to reject them because of their idolatry with the golden calf, he does not mention how fervently he prayed for them, so fervently that God changed His expressed intention (<em><a href='B:50 9:14'>Deu 9:14</a></em>); and note deeply, Moses <em>does not mention how he offered his physical and eternal life for their salvation</em>. That fine, fine act and desire by Moses went unknown to Israel until the book of Exodus came into circulation. And likewise, the depth of Christ's love for us was unrecognized by us at the time. Moses had such humility in not telling in Israel in so many words how fervently he had loved them. The spiritual culture of the Lord is even greater.&nbsp;See on <em><a href='B:20 32:32'>Exo 32:32</a></em>.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>There is almost a pattern with God- to devise His purpose, and then in the 'gap' until its fulfillment, be open to the persuasion of His covenant people to change or ammend those plans. This could be what <em><a href='B:370 3:7'>Amo 3:7</a></em> is speaking of: "Surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets". It's as if He reveals His plans to them so that they can then comment upon them in prayer. And maybe this is why God tells Jeremiah not to pray to Him to change His stated plans against Israel (<em><a href='B:300 7:16'>Jer 7:16</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:300 11:14'>Jer 11:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 14:11'>Jer 14:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 15:1'>Jer 15:1</a></em>), and why He asks Moses to 'leave Me alone' and not try to persuade Him to change His mind (<em><a href='B:20 32:10'>Exo 32:10</a></em>). He didn’t want, in these cases, His stated plans to be interrupted by the appeals of His people to change them. Interestingly, in both these examples, Moses and Jeremiah know God well enough, the relationship is intimate enough, for them to still speak with Him- and change His mind. Those who've prayed to God in cases of terminal illness (and countless other situations) will have sensed this 'battle', this 'struggle' almost, between God and His friends, His covenant people, and the element of 'persuasion' which there is going on both ways in the dialogue between God and ourselves. The simple fact that God really can change- there are over 40 references to His 'repentance' in Scripture- is vital to understand- for this is the basis of the prayer that changes things, that as it were wrestles with God. </p>&nbsp;


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:20 32:30'>Exo 32:30</a></em>. Moses in great humility doesn't mention how he persuaded God through intense intercession not to do this. The “pillar of fire” was only “as it were the appearance of fire” (<em><a href='B:40 9:15'>Num 9:15</a></em>) but the record elsewhere speaks of it as “fire”, because that’s what it looked like to the Israelites. The Scriptures speak of how a pillar of fire was with Israel in the wilderness (<em><a href='B:230 105:39'>Psa 105:39</a></em>). But actually when it first appeared, it was described as “<em>the appearance </em>of fire” (<em><a href='B:40 9:15'>Num 9:15</a></em>). It wasn’t fire, it appeared as fire. And yet it’s spoken of later simply as “fire”. There’s no inspired footnote reminding us that, well, actually, it wasn’t really fire. Likewise “the mount (of Sinai) burnt with fire” (<em><a href='B:50 9:15'>Deu 9:15</a></em>). The mountain didn’t catch fire. But that’s how it looked to the Israelites from a distance; and so that’s how it’s described. And this explains the NT language of demons.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>They were not therefore that large, and fitted within the ark, which was also not large. They would not have had space on them for all the law, just the ten commandments.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I looked and truly- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This implies Moses had such a high view of Israel and hope or them, that he didn’t fully believe what God had told him about their apostacy. Admission of past failings was a sign of his spiritual maturity, speaking now on the last day of his life. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You had sinned against Yahweh your God; you had made yourselves a molten calf; you had turned aside quickly out of the way which Yahweh had commanded you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Molten" is literally 'covered'. They had presumably made the calf of the common acacia wood, and covered it with gold- just as the tabernacle furniture was to be constructed in a similar way. Again we see that they were mixing Yahweh worship with idolatry. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>As explained on <em><a href='B:20 32:4-6'>Exo 32:4-6</a></em>, they were worshipping an idol in the name of Yahweh worship. They had corrupted or turned aside the glory of God into the form of an ox which eats grass (<em><a href='B:230 106:20'>Psa 106:20</a></em>). And this is the abiding temptation for us all. The glory of God was visible to them on Sinai at the time. God’s glory was in His invisible leading of them through the Angel (<em><a href='B:20 32:1'>Exo 32:1</a></em>). But they changed that into the visible and secular. They were not totally rejecting Yahweh, but making an ox / calf similar to one facet of the cherubim. This is classic apostacy, mixing truth with error.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It appears that Israel identified the golden calf with the Egyptian goddess Hathor. “The Egyptian goddess Hathor came in the form of a cow, a woman with a cow’s head, or a woman with cows horns and / or cows ears. She bore several other titles including The Golden One and Mistress of Music. She was the patron of love, motherhood, drunkenness, fun, dance and music. The worship of Hathor degenerated into immorality and she is depicted in some scenes and statues as a sensual young woman. Hathor was the protector of travellers from Egypt to various areas including Sinai”. So Israel so quickly forgot the lesson so artlessly taught them – that the idols / demons of Egypt were of no power at all, seeing they had all been targetted by the plagues. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The following references to Hathor provide further insight; supporting references are to be found in my book "The Real Devil" section 4-2-3:</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Hathor had several forms including, a cow, a women with a cow’s head, or a woman with cows horns and or ears.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Hathor was also known as ‘The Golden One’</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Hathor was the protector of travellers from Egypt to various areas including Sinai </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Patron of drunkenness </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Hathor had the title ‘Mistress of Music’ </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The worship of Hathor included playing on all kinds of musical instruments together with dancing </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The worship of Hathor was for the joy and pleasure of those who took part </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Hathor is also the goddess of love </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The worship of Hathor degenerated into immorality.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I took hold of the two tablets and cast them out of my two hands and broke them before your eyes- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:20 32:19'>Exo 32:19</a></em> adds: "Moses’ anger grew hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mountain". God’s anger “burned hot” and so did that of Moses. But Moses asks God not to wax hot in anger (<em><a href='B:20 32:10-11'>Exo 32:10-11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 32:19'>Exo 32:19</a></em>). What are we to make of this? Surely, positively, Moses was totally in tune with the feelings of God. And yet he does himself what he asks God not to do.&nbsp; His anger growing hot was exactly the feeling of God. But unlike God, he immediately broke the symbols of the covenant with Israel. Again, God is revealed as more gracious and patient than man. As Moses had pleaded with Yahweh not to be so angry, so Aaron was to do so with the furiously angry Moses. Aaron in all his weakness therefore becomes as Moses, who was also weak before God’s presence.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I fell down before Yahweh as at the first, forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you sinned, in doing that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh to provoke him to anger-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>At the very end of his life, Moses reeled off this great speech of Deuteronomy, knowing full well that he was to die without entering the land. In <em><a href='B:50 9:18'>Deu 9:18</a></em> he says that his prayer of <em><a href='B:20 32:32'>Exo 32:32</a></em> was heard- in that he was not going to enter the land, but they would. Hence his urging of them to go ahead and enter the land- to experience what his self-sacrifice had enabled. In this we see the economy of God, and how He works even through sin. On account of Moses’ temporary rashness of speech, he was excluded- and yet by this, his prayer was heard. He was temporarily blotted out of the book, so that they might enter. Moses’ fleeting requests to enter the land must be read as a flagging from the height of devotion he reached, rather like the Lord’s request to escape the cross in Gethsemane. But ultimately he did what he intended- he gave his place in the Kingdom / land so that they might enter (although of course he will be in the future Kingdom). This is why Moses stresses on the last day of his life that he wouldn’t enter the land for Israel’s sake (<em><a href='B:50 1:37'>Deu 1:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 3:26'>Deu 3:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:21'>Deu 4:21</a></em>). He saw that his sin had been worked through, and the essential reason for him not entering was because of the offer he had made. It “went ill with him for their sakes” (<em><a href='B:230 106:32'>Psa 106:32</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God can be grieved (s.w. 'provoke to anger'). He has emotions, and His potential foreknowledge doesn't mean that these feelings are not legitimate. They are presented as occurring in human time, as responses to human behaviour. This is the degree to which He has accommodated Himself to human time-space limits, in order to fully enter relationship and experience with us. As He can limit His omnipotence, so God can limit His omniscience, in order to feel and respond along with us.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>True prayer is to be "in secret". There should be an appropriate modesty in speaking about it to others. Consider how Moses spent 40 days in intense intercession for Israel, and succeeded in changing God’s mind. But he didn’t tell them this for about 37 years, until Moses recounted it to the people at the end of his life in <em><a href='B:50 9:18'>Deu 9:18</a></em>. We have no idea how many others are praying for us, or how the Lord in Heaven is praying for us as Moses did on Sinai. </p>&nbsp;


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which Yahweh was angry against you to destroy you. But Yahweh listened to me that time also-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel were certainly representative of us. The <em>degree</em> of love shown by Moses to Israel is only a shadow of the degree, the kind of love shown by Christ to us, who hopefully are not rejecting him as Israel did. The power of this point just has to be reflected upon. That Moses could love Israel, to the extent of being willing to give his life and salvation for them, is a fine, fine type of the devotion of Christ. There is another oft emphasized aspect of Moses' love for Israel: the power of his mediation for them. We are told that God " hearkened" to Moses' prayers for them (<em><a href='B:50 9:19'>Deu 9:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:10'>Deu 10:10</a></em>). He prayed for them with an intensity they didn’t appreciate, he prayed for <em>and gained </em>their forgiveness before they had even repented, he pleaded <em>successfully</em> for God to relent from His plans to punish them, even before they knew that God had conceived such plans &nbsp;(<em><a href='B:20 32:10'>Exo 32:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 32:14'>Exo 32:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 33:17'>Exo 33:17</a></em>&nbsp; etc.). The fact we will, at the end, be forgiven of some sins without specifically repenting of them (as David was in <em><a href='B:230 19:12'>Psa 19:12</a></em>) ought to instill a true humility in us. This kind of thing is in some ways a contradiction of God’s principles that personal repentance is required for forgiveness, and that our own effort is required if we are to find acceptability with Him. Of course ultimately these things are still true, and were true with respect to Israel.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh was very angry with Aaron to destroy him, and I prayed for Aaron also at the same time-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This must be given its full weight. Aaron comes over in <em><a href='B:20 32:22'>Exo 32:22</a></em> as more worried about the wrath of Moses his brother than that of God: "Don’t let the anger of my lord grow hot". And so it can easily be with us. We can forget God’s feelings and worry only about our image with our family and brethren.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We can as it were do the work of the Saviour Himself, if we truly live as in Him. In this spirit, <em>Moses’</em> faith in keeping the Passover led to <em>Israel’s </em>salvation, they left Egypt <em>by </em>him (<em><a href='B:650 3:16'>Heb 3:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:650 11:28'>Heb 11:28</a></em>); and when Aaron deserved death, he was redeemed by Moses’ prayer on his behalf<em>. </em>Sodom's destruction was largely due to Abraham's prayer for his deliverance; without this, it would seem Lot was altogether too unprepared and spiritually insensitive to have responded to the Angels' call in his own strength. The Lord spared Aaron because of Moses' intercession for him; and this is perhaps the basis for James' appeal to pray for one another, that we may be healed, knowing that through our prayer and pastoral work for others, we can save a man from his multitude of sins and his soul from death (<em><a href='B:660 5:20'>Jas 5:20</a></em>). The very ability we have to do this for each other should register deeply with us. And in response, we should live lives dedicated to the spiritual welfare and salvation of our brethren. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It was only thanks to Moses' intercession for Aaron that Aaron's life was spared at this point. We see here how intercession even for the impenitent can be effective (for Aaron in <em><a href='B:20 32:24'>Exo 32:24</a></em> was impenitent, claiming the calf had jumped out of the fire ready made). This has huge pastoral implications for our ministry and prayer life, recalling how for the sake of the faith of the friends, the Lord pronounced the paralyzed man forgiven (<em><a href='B:480 2:5'>Mar 2:5</a></em>; also <em><a href='B:660 5:20'>Jas 5:20</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I took your sin, the calf which you had made- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"A great sin" (<em><a href='B:20 32:21'>Exo 32:21</a></em>) is the phrase used of Jeroboam's golden calf, which was based upon this calf (<em><a href='B:120 17:21'>2Ki 17:21</a></em>). Aaron made the calf, but "you made" it. People can be made to sin by others- a sober reminder to watch our behaviour. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Biblical record highlights the sin of Aaron and the people; the Jewish literature excuses it by blaming it on Satan / "mastema". Time and again, the Jewish apocryphal literature wrongly sought to distance God from doing anything negative in human life. <em><a href='B:10 22:1'>Gen 22:1</a></em> clearly states that it was <em>God </em>who put Abraham to the test by asking him to kill his son Isaac; Jubilees retells the story with "Prince Mastema", the Satan figure, telling Abraham to do this (Jub. 17:15-18). Likewise <em><a href='B:20 4:24'>Exo 4:24</a></em> recounts how "the Lord", presumably as an Angel, met Moses and tried to kill him for not circumcising his son; but Jubilees again claims that Mastema / Satan did this (Jub. 48:1-3). Indeed, several times the Hebrew word <em>mastema</em> ('hostility, enmity') occurs, it is in the context of urging Israel to see that <em>they</em> and their internal desires to sin are the true <em>mastema</em>. <em><a href='B:350 9:7'>Hos 9:7</a></em> is an example: "Because your sins are so many and your hostility (<em>mastema</em>) so great".</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And burnt it with fire and stamped it, grinding it very small until it was as fine as dust, and I cast its dust into the brook that descended out of the mountain- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>They were forced to drink / eat dust, just as Adam had to; for he was dust and had to eat the fruit of the dust in punishment. His sin was the essence of every man's sin, including Israel's at this time. The reference to their being made naked (<em><a href='B:20 32:25'>Exo 32:25</a></em>) is another allusion to Adam. Israel had been an unfaithful wife to Yahweh, and so they were punished as the woman tested for adultery was (<em><a href='B:40 5:24'>Num 5:24</a></em>). "Grinding it very small until it was as fine as dust" would have been necessary for it to float on the surface on the water, as gold is so heavy. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>(At Taberah and at Massah and at Kibroth Hattaavah you provoked Yahweh to wrath- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God can be grieved (s.w. 'provoke to anger'). He has emotions, and His potential foreknowledge doesn't mean that these feelings are not legitimate. They are presented as occurring in human time, as responses to human behaviour. This is the degree to which He has accommodated Himself to human time-space limits, in order to fully enter relationship and experience with us. As He can limit His omnipotence, so God can limit His omniscience, in order to feel and respond along with us.&nbsp;Idolatrous Israel never <em>consciously</em>&nbsp; tried to provoke Yahweh to anger with their apostasy; the words of the prophets must have seemed to them a gross exaggeration. But this was really how God saw it (<em><a href='B:140 34:25'>2Ch 34:25</a></em>). I have suggested that Deuteronomy was edited, under Divine inspiration, during the exile. This statement has particular relevance to the exiles, who had likewise "provoked Yahweh to wrath" and had therefore been exiled, and were now to return to the land; just as Israel at the end of the 40 year wandering (<em><a href='B:150 5:12'>Ezr 5:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:450 8:14'>Zec 8:14</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When Yahweh sent you from Kadesh Barnea, saying Go up and possess the land which I have given you, then you rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh your God, and you didn’t believe Him, nor listen to His voice-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel did not obey / hearken to the voice of Yahweh, and He did not hearken to their voice in prayer (<em><a href='B:50 1:45'>Deu 1:45</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:23'>Deu 9:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:15'>Deu 28:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 5:6'>Jos 5:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 2:20'>Jdg 2:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 6:10'>Jdg 6:10</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:50 8:20'>Deu 8:20</a></em> s.w.). <em><a href='B:120 18:12'>2Ki 18:12</a></em> states this specifically. God hearkened to Joshua's voice in prayer (<em><a href='B:60 10:14'>Jos 10:14</a></em>) because Joshua hearkened to His voice. It was to be the same with Saul. He didn’t hearken to God’s voice (<em><a href='B:90 15:19'>1Sa 15:19</a></em>) and God didn’t hearken to Saul's voice in prayer in his final desperation at the end of his life (<em><a href='B:90 28:18'>1Sa 28:18</a></em>). If God’s word abides in us, then our prayer is powerful, we have whatever we ask, because we are asking for things according to His will expressed in His word (<em><a href='B:500 15:7'>Joh 15:7</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You have been rebellious against Yahweh from the day that I knew you)- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>They were disobedient from the day God knew them, i.e. Passover night<em>. </em>The number of firstborn males after Israel left Egypt was remarkably small (around 20,000, <em><a href='B:40 3:43'>Num 3:43</a></em>). Women in most primitive societies have an average of 7 births. this would mean that given a total population of around 2,800,000 on leaving Egypt (<em><a href='B:20 12:37'>Exo 12:37</a></em>), there should have been around 400,000 firstborn males. But instead, there is only a fraction of this number. Why? Did all Israel eat the Passover?&nbsp;Were many in fact slain. My suggestion- and this is well in the category of things you will never know for sure and can only ponder- is that many Hebrew firstborns died on Passover night. Israel were warned that if they did not properly keep the Passover, “the Destroyer” Angel would kill their firstborn (<em><a href='B:20 12:23'>Exo 12:23</a></em>). “The Destroyer” is mentioned in <em><a href='B:530 10:10'>1Co 10:10</a></em>: “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the Destroyer” (olothreutes; this is a proper noun in the Greek). Who was the Destroyer? If Scripture interprets Scripture, it was the ‘Destroyer’ Angel of Passover night. In similar vein <em><a href='B:650 11:28'>Heb 11:28</a></em> speaks of “He (the Angel) that destroyed (Gk. olothreuo) the firstborn”.&nbsp;Israel were side-tracked from what should have been the central object of their attention: the blood of the lamb.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>So I fell down before Yahweh the forty days and forty nights because Yahweh had said He would destroy you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It is likely that this was the first time Israel knew about this. The intensity of those 40 days intercession, after having spent 40 days also in the mountain just days beforehand, was one of the most amazing and intense spiritual achievements of anyone apart from the Lord Jesus. For Moses succeeded in persuading God to change His mind about destroying His sinful people, even without their repentance. But Moses didn’t boast of it nor tell anyone about it, until the day of his death. We like Israel can live our lives unaware of the intensity of the Lord's mediation for us over specific issues. For the Lord in Heaven with the Father, from which He will return, was represented by Moses with God at the top of Sinai.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I prayed to Yahweh and said Lord Yahweh, don’t destroy Your people and Your inheritance that You have redeemed through Your greatness, that You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Corrupted" in :12 is s.w. "'destroyed" here. All judgment is finally self inflicted. Sin is its own judgment; hence the Hebrew word for "corruption" also means "destruction", for moral corruption is its own destruction. God Himself does judge, but always prefers men to judge themselves.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The might and "greatness" of Yahweh's hand was shown through His grace in as it were forcing Israel out of Egypt, when they actually wanted to remain there and He wished to destroy them (<em><a href='B:330 20:8'>Eze 20:8</a></em>). They were idolatrous and had told Moses to leave them alone and let them serve the Egyptians. Yahweh's strength therefore refers to the power of His grace in continuing His program with them.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Don’t look at the stubbornness of this people, nor at their wickedness, nor their sin- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Corrupted" or 'destroyed' in :12 is the same word used of the threatened destruction of everyone in Sodom, which Abraham's intercession avoided (s.w. <em><a href='B:10 18:28'>Gen 18:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 18:31'>Gen 18:31</a></em>). That incident surely motivated Moses to rise up to the same possibility of dialogue with God in order to change His intended purpose. We too are to be motivated by Biblical examples of intercession. God could have given legitimate answers to each of Moses' objections; for there were indeed times when He did not turn from the fierceness of His wrath (<em><a href='B:20 32:12'>Exo 32:12</a></em>)- such as <em><a href='B:300 4:8'>Jer 4:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:120 23:26'>2Ki 23:26</a></em>. He intended to fulfil the promises to Abraham, but through Moses. But such is His sensitivity and pure pity that He accepted Moses' pleas.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>lest the land You brought us out from say, ‘Because Yahweh was not able to bring them into the land which He promised to them and because He hated them He has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness’- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Caleb and Joshua perceived that Israel were “well able” to overcome the tribes and inherit the land, seeing that the Angel-hornet had gone ahead and prepared the way; and yet due to Israel’s disabling of this possibility at the time, it was in some ways so that God Himself was “not able” to give them the inheritance, because <em>they </em>judged that <em>they </em>were “not able” to take it (<em><a href='B:40 13:30-31'>Num 13:30-31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 14:16'>Num 14:16</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The way Moses pleaded with God to change His mind and not destroy Israel for the sake of what the surrounding nations would say is indeed inspirational to us all. It surely inspired David to pray likewise- for “wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now there God?” (<em><a href='B:230 115:2'>Psa 115:2</a></em>). We see here God’s sensitivity to how the Gentiles perceive Him, and this has big implications for how we act before them. For we are God’s representatives, and how we represent Him before the world is so significant to Him. For effectively we are Him in this world, and it is our living example far more than our doctrinal explanations which will convert others to Him. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yet they are Your people and Your inheritance, which You brought out by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We are God’s portion / inheritance (<em><a href='B:50 4:20'>Deu 4:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:29'>Deu 9:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:18'>Eph 1:18</a></em>), and He is our inheritance (<em><a href='B:230 16:5-6'>Psa 16:5-6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 73:26'>Psa 73:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:310 3:22-24'>Lam 3:22-24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:11'>Eph 1:11</a></em> RV); we inherit each other. There is a mutuality between God and His people. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>At that time Yahweh said to me, Cut two tablets of stone like the first and come up to Me onto the mountain and make an ark of wood- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The tables were the "tables of the covenant", which had been broken by the apostacy with the golden calf. God now assures Moses that the covenant relationship has been restored. This must be read in the context of the previous verses, where Moses has doubted whether his intercession for Israel has in fact "worked". He struggles to believe that God can be that gracious as His word had stated. Just like ourselves. And so just as Aaron had used a chisel to fashion the golden calf, Moses is asked to chisel out two stone tablets, upon which the covenant will be reaffirmed by God. At this time, God asked Moses to also make the ark, into which the tables were to be put. This was to be the sign that His presence was really to abide with His people as promised. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke, and you shall put them within that ark- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Which you broke" is emphasized by God. Moses in <em><a href='B:20 33:1-23'>Exo 33:1-23</a></em> had been doubting whether his intercession for Israel had really "worked", even though God assured him that it had. Moses is being reminded that his anger had burned hot just as God’s anger had; but it was he and not God who had smashed the symbols of the covenant in that wrath. The idea is that God is kinder and more patient than man- even than a man as patient and loving as Moses. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Broke" is s.w. in <em><a href='B:20 34:13'>Exo 34:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:3'>Deu 12:3</a></em> used of breaking covenant relationship with idols. By doing so, Moses had purposefully sought to break Israel's relationship with Yahweh, despite having earlier prayed for it to be restored. When he saw the apostacy with his own eyes, he wanted God to revert to His 'plan A', to destroy Israel. He realizes in <em><a href='B:20 33:1-23'>Exo 33:1-23</a></em> that he was wrong in this and therefore probes God as to whether indeed His relationship with Israel is indeed intact, despite his having broken the symbols of covenant. And God is assuring him that indeed it is.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>So I made an ark of acacia wood and cut two tablets of stone like the first, and went up onto the mountain, having the two tablets in my hand- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The acacia bush was all they had in the wilderness. It was hardly suitable for making furniture, being brittle and the sticks very thin and hard to weld together. The root translated "shittim" really means a stick or rod, and is translated "thorns" in <em><a href='B:60 23:13'>Jos 23:13</a></em>. It refers to the common thorn bushes found in the scrubland they were passing through in the desert. Thorns were part of the curse in Eden. We shouldn't be surprised at the brittle nature of the folk with whom God works, their difficulty in binding together and resistance to being worked with- this is as it were all God has to work with. Acacia was plentiful in the wilderness, but it is little more than brushwood; a surprising choice of material to be used in God’s dwelling place. But His choice of <em>us</em> with all our weakness and dysfunction, the common, weak stuff of the wilderness, is no less surprising. The choice of acacia wood for constructing the tabernacle is one of several points in the whole enterprise where it seems a less than ideal material was chosen, from a construction point of view. This aspect emphasizes that God prefers to work with the soft, weak and broken in order to do His work (as also in <em><a href='B:330 15:2-5'>Eze 15:2-5</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:20 25:10'>Exo 25:10</a></em> "They shall make an ark" becomes "I made an ark" in Moses' autobiography (<em><a href='B:50 10:3'>Deu 10:3</a></em>), although apparently Bezaleel made the ark (<em><a href='B:20 37:1'>Exo 37:1</a></em>). The people were generous when asked, but were not real workers. Perhaps Moses himself had to make the ark because they didn’t get to it. Or maybe his work was counted as theirs, as happens between the Lord Jesus and ourselves. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He wrote on the tablets according to the first writing, the Ten Commandments, which Yahweh spoke to you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly, and Yahweh gave them to me- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Although God spoke to Moses alone in the mount, Moses stresses that actually God "spake unto <em>you</em> in the mount out of the midst of the fire". The word of God to His scribes really is, to the same gripping, terrifying degree, His direct word to us (<em><a href='B:50 4:36'>Deu 4:36</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:25'>Deu 5:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:4'>Deu 10:4</a></em>). This explains why David repeatedly refers to the miracle at the Red Sea as if this had affected him personally, to the extent that he could ecstatically rejoice because of it. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I turned and came down from the mountain and put the tablets into the ark which I had made, and there they are as Yahweh commanded me- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The ark was not that big, and Moses carried the tablets one in each hand as he descended the mountain. They were therefore quite small, and contained only the ten commandments.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>(The children of Israel travelled from Beeroth Bene Jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died and there he was buried, and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest’s office in his place- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Moserah" means 'place of chastisement / correction'. Aaron and Moses will be in the Kingdom despite their sin, but it needed Aaron's death for them to be corrected. The punishment was therefore their correction, and was not the angry lashing out of an offended Deity. Moses only mentions this place name at the end of his life, indicating how he looked back and perceived that indeed he had been corrected and learned his lesson, even if it cost him his life. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>From there they travelled to Gudgodah and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of brooks of water- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"A land of brooks of water" is precisely the phrase used of Canaan (<em><a href='B:50 8:7'>Deu 8:7</a></em>). They were constantly given foretastes of the Kingdom before entering it, just as we are on our wilderness journey.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>At that time Yahweh set apart the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, to stand before Yahweh to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Although the Levites had been set apart for Divine service immediately after God’s meeting with Israel at Sinai, as outlined in Leviticus and Numbers, it seems that not until Aaron died at the end of the 40 years wandering did they actually in practice begin to serve as intended (<em><a href='B:50 10:8'>Deu 10:8</a></em>). It could be that the reason was that the Levites were ever slow to accept their responsibilities. And they generally failed in their calling over Israel's history, climaxing in the priests arranging the murder of God’s own Son.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers; Yahweh is his inheritance according as Yahweh your God spoke to him.)- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Levites had no material inheritance because "the sacrifices of Yahweh the God of Israel... are his inheritance... Yahweh God of Israel was their inheritance" (<em><a href='B:60 13:14'>Jos 13:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 13:33'>Jos 13:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 18:20'>Num 18:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:9'>Deu 10:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 18:2'>Deu 18:2</a></em>). Notice how "Yahweh" is put for what is sacrificed to Him. His very existence is an imperative to sacrifice to Him, despising all material advantage in doing so. Job comments that to make gold our hope and wealth our confidence is to deny “the God that is above” (<em><a href='B:220 31:24'>Job 31:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:220 31:28'>Job 31:28</a></em>). To trust in material wealth is effectively to proclaim ourselves atheists. We are described as the new priesthood (<em><a href='B:670 2:5'>1Pe 2:5</a></em>), so all that was true for the Levites becomes true for us. We are not to seek material inheritance. God will provide for us in ways other than our possessing land and leaving an inheritance to our children. The wonder of serving Him is to more than compensate for this. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I stayed on the mountain, as at the first time, forty days and forty nights and Yahweh listened to me that time also; Yahweh would not destroy you-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel were certainly representative of us. The <em>degree</em> of love shown by Moses to Israel is only a shadow of the degree, the kind of love shown by Christ to us, who hopefully are not rejecting him as Israel did. The power of this point just has to be reflected upon. That Moses could love Israel, to the extent of being willing to give his life and salvation for them, is a fine, fine type of the devotion of Christ. There is another oft emphasized aspect of Moses' love for Israel: the power of his mediation for them. We are told that God "hearkened" to Moses' prayers for them (<em><a href='B:50 9:19'>Deu 9:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:10'>Deu 10:10</a></em>). He prayed for them with an intensity they didn’t appreciate, he prayed for <em>and gained </em>their forgiveness before they had even repented, he pleaded <em>successfully</em> for God to relent from His plans to punish them, even before they knew that God had conceived such plans &nbsp;(<em><a href='B:20 32:10'>Exo 32:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 32:14'>Exo 32:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 33:17'>Exo 33:17</a></em>&nbsp; etc.). The fact we will, at the end, be forgiven of some sins without specifically repenting of them (as David was in <em><a href='B:230 19:12'>Psa 19:12</a></em>) ought to instill a true humility in us. This kind of thing is in some ways a contradiction of God’s principles that personal repentance is required for forgiveness, and that our own effort is required if we are to find acceptability with Him. Of course ultimately these things are still true, and were true with respect to Israel.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Corrupted" in <em><a href='B:20 32:7'>Exo 32:7</a></em> is s.w. "'destroyed" here. All judgment is finally self inflicted. Sin is its own judgment; hence the Hebrew word for "corruption" also means "destruction", for moral corruption is its own destruction. God Himself does judge, but always prefers men to judge themselves.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Yahweh said to me Arise, take your journey before the people, and they shall go in and possess the land, which I swore to their fathers to give to them-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It was only through Moses' leadership that they reached Canaan: "The Lord said unto (Moses), Arise (cp. Christ's resurrection), take thy journey before the people (as Christ, the good shepherd, goes <em>before</em> the flock, <em><a href='B:500 10:3'>Joh 10:3</a></em>), <em>that</em> they may go in and possess the land" (<em><a href='B:50 10:11'>Deu 10:11</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses led God’s people to the land, the Kingdom, but couldn’t himself take them in there- the Law with which he was associated revealed the Kingdom, but it needed Joshua / Jesus to actually bring them into it.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Drive out" is s.w. "possess". We must note the difference between the&nbsp; Canaanite peoples and their kings being "struck" and their land "taken" by Joshua-Jesus; and the people of Israel permanently taking possession. This is the difference between the Lord's victory on the cross, and our taking possession of the Kingdom. Even though that possession has been "given" to us. The word used for "possession" is literally 'an inheritance'. The allusion is to the people, like us, being the seed of Abraham. The Kingdom was and is our possession, our inheritance- if we walk in the steps of Abraham. But it is one thing to be the seed of Abraham, another to take possession of the inheritance; and Israel generally did not take possession of all the land (<em><a href='B:60 11:23'>Jos 11:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 13:1'>Jos 13:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 16:10'>Jos 16:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 18:3'>Jos 18:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:4'>Jos 23:4</a></em>). The language of inheritance / possession is applied to us in the New Testament (<em><a href='B:560 1:11'>Eph 1:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:14'>Eph 1:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 3:24'>Col 3:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 20:32'>Act 20:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 26:18'>Act 26:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 1:4'>1Pe 1:4</a></em> etc.). Israel were promised: "You shall possess it" (<em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:23'>Deu 33:23</a></em>). This was more of a command than a prophecy, for sadly they were "given" the land but did not "possess" it. They were constantly encouraged in the wilderness that they were on the path to possessing the land (<em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:18'>Deu 30:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:3'>Deu 31:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:13'>Deu 31:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>), but when they got there they didn’t possess it fully. <em></em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It was God’s intention that Moses would go before the people and lead them into the land (<em><a href='B:50 10:11'>Deu 10:11</a></em>), but Moses failed, and so it fell to Joshua. But it seems he was nervous, and so God used the ark rather than Joshua personally to 'go before the people' (s.w. <em><a href='B:60 3:6'>Jos 3:6</a></em>). All the time we see God setting up potential programs which have to be amended because of human weakness.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The repeated references to the “journeys” of the people in the wilderness had as their basis the description of Abraham taking his journey through the desert to the promised land (<em><a href='B:10 13:3'>Gen 13:3</a></em>); the very same two Hebrew words recur in the command to Israel to now ‘take their journey’ (<em><a href='B:50 10:11'>Deu 10:11</a></em>), following in the steps of their father Abraham. As Abraham was commanded to "be perfect" (<em><a href='B:10 17:1'>Gen 17:1</a></em>), so Israel were told: "<em>You</em> (after the pattern of father Abraham) shall be perfect with the Lord" (<em><a href='B:50 19:13'>Deu 19:13</a></em>). <em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Now Israel, what does Yahweh your God require of you, but to fear Yahweh your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him and to serve Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Alluded to in <em><a href='B:400 6:8'>Mic 6:8</a></em>, where walking in God’s ways is understood as walking in humility; and ‘loving God’ is expanded into loving to show justice and mercy. To love (God)" is paralleled with "to love mercy". If we love God, we will be merciful as He is. To know Him in truth is to actively be like Him. We can be tempted to think that we can ‘love God’ within our own hearts by accepting His existence and reading the Bible. But it has to be more than that; to love God is to love others, to be merciful to the irritating and ungracious (:18). We cannot love God without loving our brethren (<em><a href='B:690 3:17'>1Jn 3:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:690 4:21'>1Jn 4:21</a></em>). To love God in this way is in the end ‘for our own good’ (:13). These words are interpreted in <em><a href='B:400 6:8'>Mic 6:8</a></em>: “<em>What does Yahweh require of you</em>, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and<em> to walk humbly</em> (‘to humble yourself to walk’) with your God?”. Walking in God’s ways is paralleled with walking in humility, humbling oneself. This, then, is the end result of our obedience to the way of God: a self humbling through regular submission to God’s principles, as hour by hour we experience the provocations of our flesh. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Yahweh was to be loved with all the heart, soul and mind (<em><a href='B:50 6:5'>Deu 6:5</a></em>). This is understood by Joshua as meaning that those who loved Yahweh would not "mix with" and intermarry with the nations and accept their gods (<em><a href='B:60 23:11-12'>Jos 23:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:16'>Jos 23:16</a></em>). "Love" for God was not therefore a feeling; Joshua said that they must "take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love Yahweh" (<em><a href='B:60 23:11'>Jos 23:11</a></em>). This is the love of conscious direction of the mind, the love which is a choice rather than an emotion.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Some time, read through the book of Deuteronomy in one or two sessions. You'll see many themes of Moses in Deuteronomy. It really shows how Moses felt towards Israel, and how the Lord Jesus feels towards us, and especially how he felt towards us just before his death. For this is what the whole book prefigures. "Love" and the idea of love occurs far more in Deuteronomy than in the other books of the Law. "Fear the Lord your God" of <em><a href='B:20 9:30'>Exo 9:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:14'>Lev 19:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:32'>Lev 19:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 25:17'>Lev 25:17</a></em> becomes "love the Lord your God" in Deuteronomy (<em><a href='B:50 6:5'>Deu 6:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:9'>Deu 7:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:12'>Deu 10:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:1'>Deu 11:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:9'>Deu 19:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:6'>Deu 30:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:20'>Deu 30:20</a></em>). There are 23 references to not hating in Deuteronomy, compared to only 5 in Ex. - Num.; Moses saw the danger of bitterness and lack of love. He saw these things as the spiritual cancer they are, in his time of maturity he warned his beloved people against them. His mind was full of them. The LXX uses the word ekklesia eight times in Deuteronomy, but not once in Moses' other words (<em><a href='B:50 4:10'>Deu 4:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:10'>Deu 9:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 18:16'>Deu 18:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 23:1-3'>Deu 23:1-3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 23:8'>Deu 23:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:1'>Deu 32:1</a></em>). Responsibility for the whole family God had redeemed was a mark of Moses; maturity at the end of his life, at the time of Deuteronomy. It is observable that both as a community and as individuals, this will be a sign of our maturity too.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>to keep the commandments of Yahweh and His statutes- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The word so often used for "keeping" / "diligently observing" Yahweh's commandments is from the word meaning a thorn hedge; the idea originally was to hedge in. Taking this too literally led Judaism to all their endless fences around the law, i.e. forbidding this or that because it might lead to doing that or this, which in turn would then lead to breaking an actual commandment. And those various fences become elevated to the level of commandments. But this is not the idea. We are indeed to hedge ourselves in ("take heed to yourself", <em><a href='B:50 11:16'>Deu 11:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:13'>Deu 12:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:19'>Deu 12:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:30'>Deu 12:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:32'>Deu 12:32</a></em> s.w.), so that we may keep / hedge ourselves in to keep the commandments of God (<em><a href='B:30 18:4-5'>Lev 18:4-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:26'>Lev 18:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 18:30'>Lev 18:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:19'>Lev 19:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:37'>Lev 19:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:8'>Lev 20:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 20:22'>Lev 20:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:9'>Lev 22:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:31'>Lev 22:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 25:18'>Lev 25:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:3'>Lev 26:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 28:2'>Num 28:2</a></em>;&nbsp;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:50 7:11-12'>Deu 7:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:1'>Deu 8:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:11'>Deu 8:11</a></em> (s.w. "beware"); 10:13; 11:1,8,22,32; 12:1; 13:4,18; ; 15:5,9 ("beware");&nbsp; 17:19; 19:9; 23:9 ("keep yourself"); 24:8; 26:16-18; 27:1; 28:1,9,13; 29:9; 30:10,16; 31:12; 32:46). And without falling into the legalism of Judaism, self discipline does require a degree of fencing ourselves in to the one way. Thus the man struggling with alcoholism avoids the supermarket where alcohol is pushed in front of the eyes of the shoppers; the married woman struggling with attraction to another man makes little laws for herself about avoiding his company. And if we do this, then the Lord will "keep" us, will hedge us in to keeping His way (s.w. <em><a href='B:40 6:24'>Num 6:24</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Which I command you this day for your good?- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Throughout&nbsp;the Law of Moses, the unity of Israel was emphasized. But that unity was not predicated upon any statement of faith, and the history of Israel has no example of the faithful minority removing themselves from association or “fellowship” with the majority, who clearly were unfaithful in both theology and practice. Moses in his last great speech as recorded in Deuteronomy seems to have purposefully confused his use of "you" plural (AV “ye”) and "you" singular (AV “thee”) in addressing them; as if to show that they, the many, were also one body (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 10:12-22'>Deu 10:12-22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:1-2'>Deu 11:1-2</a></em>). He as it were zooms in from the collective to the individual, lest any should think that they were just some nameless individual before God, saved or damned only according to their group affiliation.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We note that the sum total of the commandments were intended to reinforce spirituality, obedience led to more obedience. Hence the whole system would lose its potential power if commandments were added or removed from it. But the law was "holy, just and good" because it was not a burden to man, but intended for his "good".</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Behold, to Yahweh your God belongs heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that is in it- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God’s possession of literally all things, the entire cosmos, is cited here as an encouragement to believe that He could therefore so easily give Israel the promised land. Just as it is not at all difficult for Him to give us His Kingdom. But like Israel, we balk at the promise, as if somehow His ability is somehow limited. The simplest truth is that God loves us and it is His will and pleasure to give us the Kingdom. And seeing He owns all things, to give us a place in His Kingdom is not at all difficult for Him. The choice is only with us.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>It’s just that Yahweh had a delight in your fathers to love them, and He chose their seed after them, even you above all peoples, as it is at this day- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This is a clear statement that love is a choice, not a passing emotion. For the love of God is reflected in His choosing to love His people rather than others. “You did not choose me, but I chose you… out of the world” (<em><a href='B:500 15:16'>Joh 15:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 15:19'>Joh 15:19</a></em>) corresponds to the oft repeated theme of Moses that God has chosen Israel “out of all peoples” (<em><a href='B:50 7:6'>Deu 7:6</a></em> RVmg.), by grace (<em><a href='B:50 4:37'>Deu 4:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:15'>Deu 10:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 14:2'>Deu 14:2</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:580 2:12'>Col 2:12</a></em> presents baptism as the equivalent in our day if we wish to enter the new covenant, which is based upon the same promises to Abraham. But there is more to new covenant relationship than simply the ritual of baptism. Circumcision spoke of a cutting off of the flesh in the most private and intimate place. We always read of circumcision as being done to a person. Water baptism enables us to receive the birth of the Spirit, whereby the Lord will work through the Spirit to change our hearts, to cut off our flesh in the most private and personal recesses of human hearts. <em><a href='B:580 2:11'>Col 2:11</a></em> explains: "In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ". Through baptism, we enter the "in Christ" status, and our flesh is as it were cut off, by status we are in Him and not in the flesh. This is repeated in Paul's argument in <em><a href='B:520 1:1-32'>Rom 1:1-32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 2:1-29'>Rom 2:1-29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 3:1-31'>Rom 3:1-31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 4:1-25'>Rom 4:1-25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 5:1-21'>Rom 5:1-21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 6:1-23'>Rom 6:1-23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 7:1-25'>Rom 7:1-25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 8:1-39'>Rom 8:1-39</a></em>, although there he stresses that our flesh still remains; but from God’s perspective, it is cut off. It takes faith to believe this- faith in God’s operation, that the circumcision operation was really performed by Him (<em><a href='B:580 2:12'>Col 2:12</a></em>). Baptism is the means by which we become "in Christ" and in spiritual terms cease to be uncircumcised (<em><a href='B:580 2:13'>Col 2:13</a></em>). If Israel took the initiative in attempting to circumcise their hearts (<em><a href='B:50 10:16'>Deu 10:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 4:4'>Jer 4:4</a></em>), then God would confirm them in this by doing what man cannot do- operating directly upon the human heart to cut off the flesh from it (<em><a href='B:50 30:6'>Deu 30:6</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Time and again, Moses speaks of the state of their heart. He warns them against allowing a bad state of heart to develop, he speaks often of how apostasy starts in the heart. Moses makes a total of 49 references to the heart / mind of Israel in Deuteronomy, compared to only 13 in the whole of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. This indicates the paramount importance which our Lord attaches to the state of our mind. This was perhaps his greatest wish as He faced death; that we should develop a spiritual mind and thereby manifest the Father and come to salvation. Moses likewise saw the state of our mind as the key to spiritual success. But do we share this perspective? Do we guard our minds against the media and influence of a mind-corrupting world? It's been observed that the phrase "The God of (somebody)", or similar, occurs 614 times in the Old Testament, of which 306 are in Deuteronomy. Our very personal relationship with God was therefore something else which Moses came to grasp in his spiritual maturity. Statistical analysis of the word "love" in the Pentateuch likewise reveals that "love" was a great theme of Moses at the end of his life (Moses uses it 16 times in Deuteronomy, and only four times in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For Yahweh your God, He is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty and the awesome, who doesn’t respect persons nor take reward- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The argument proceeds in :18,19 to appeal for Israel to show justice and grace to the foreigners and poor. God does this because He doesn't respect persons. And so our likely temptation not to do these things is because we effectively do respect persons. We are more likely to give some help to someone whose person we know and respect, on our own broad social or ethnic level; rather than the mass of poor folks whom we are tempted to refer to as "Them... just them...", as if their low status precludes us from having a duty to relieve them.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He executes justice for the fatherless and widow and loves the foreigner, in giving him food and clothing- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew <em>mishpat</em>, "ordinances" or "justice", has a wide range of meaning. The idea is of judgment, as if God and His Angels gave these laws as their considered judgment after considering the human condition, and Israel were to abide by them. But the word also the idea of a right or privilege; and that is how we should see God’s laws. They are only felt as a burden because of human hardness of neck towards God’s ways. His laws are not of themselves burdensome, but rather a privilege and blessing. The law was indeed "holy, just and good" (<em><a href='B:520 7:12'>Rom 7:12</a></em>), designed to inculcate a holy, just and good life (<em><a href='B:630 1:8'>Tit 1:8</a></em>), a way in which a man should "walk" in daily life (<em><a href='B:30 18:4'>Lev 18:4</a></em>), a culture of kindness and grace to others which reflected God’s grace to man. If we dwell upon the idea of "rights" carried within the word <em>mishpat</em>, we note that the law begins in <em><a href='B:20 21:1-2'>Exo 21:1-2</a></em> (also <em><a href='B:50 15:12-18'>Deu 15:12-18</a></em>) with the rights of a slave- those considered to have no rights in the society of that day. The "rights" to be afforded by us to others are the essence of God’s rightness / justice.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Therefore love the foreigner, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>One of the most repeated themes of Moses in Deuteronomy is the way he keeps on telling them to "remember" all the great things which God had done for them on their wilderness journey (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 10:21'>Deu 10:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:3-6'>Deu 11:3-6</a></em>), and especially the wonder of how he had redeemed them as children (his audience had been under twenty years old when they went through the Red Sea). Just look up all the times "remember" occurs in Deuteronomy. He really wanted them to overcome the human tendency to forget the greatness of God as manifested earlier in our lives and spiritual experience. Our tendency as the new Israel is just the same- to forget the wonder of baptism, of how God reached out His arm to save us.&nbsp;And the remembrance of our own status in the world, before we were redeemed, is to make us generous to foreigners and oppressed persons in practice.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must fear Yahweh your God; you must serve Him and cling to Him and you shall swear by His name- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The idea of 'cleaving' to God is a big theme of Moses in Deuteronomy (<em><a href='B:50 4:4'>Deu 4:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:20'>Deu 10:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:22'>Deu 11:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:4'>Deu 13:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:17'>Deu 13:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:21'>Deu 28:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:60'>Deu 28:60</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:20'>Deu 30:20</a></em>); the only other time Moses uses the word in his writings is in <em><a href='B:10 2:24'>Gen 2:24</a></em>, concerning a man cleaving to his wife. Moses seems to have been suggesting to Israel that their covenant relationship with God meant they were <em>marrying God</em>. This was a real paradigm breaker. We may be used to such things. But against the theological background of the time, not to say the generally low level of spirituality among Israel, this was a shocking idea. It reflected the heights to which Moses had risen.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Lord’s common Upper Room theme of ‘abiding’ in Him uses the same word as Moses used in the LXX when exhorting his people to ‘cleave unto’ God (<em><a href='B:50 10:20'>Deu 10:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:22'>Deu 11:22</a></em>). This abiding involved loving God and keeping His commandments- all ideas which occur together in <em><a href='B:50 13:4'>Deu 13:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:20'>Deu 30:20</a></em>.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>He is your praise and He is your God, Who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Fear is always the antithesis of faith. God is often called an "awesome God" (<em><a href='B:50 7:21'>Deu 7:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:21'>Deu 10:21</a></em> etc.). The Hebrew word for "awesome" is that for 'fear' (s.w. <em><a href='B:10 3:10'>Gen 3:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 15:1'>Gen 15:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 18:1-33'>Gen 18:1-33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 15:1-21'>Gen 15:1-21</a></em> etc.). The idea is that God’s people are to be in such fear / awe of Him that they fear / are in awe of nothing else. Hence <em><a href='B:50 7:21'>Deu 7:21</a></em> says that Israel should "not be scared of" their enemies, because their God is "awesome", He is the one to be feared.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Your fathers went down into Egypt with seventy persons, and now Yahweh your God has made you as the stars of the sky for multitude- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This was an initial, primary fulfilment of the promises to Abraham; we too have some foretastes of the Kingdom life even now. Like Paul in his time of dying, Moses in Deuteronomy saw the importance of obedience, the harder side of God; yet he also saw in real depth the surpassing love of God, and the grace that was to come, beyond Law. This appreciation reflected Moses' mature grasp of the Name / characteristics of God. He uses the name "Yahweh" in Deuteronomy over 530 times, often with some possessive adjective, e.g. "Yahweh thy God" (AV- i.e. you singular), or "Yahweh our God". He saw the personal relationship between a man and his God. Jacob reached a like realization at his peak. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Therefore you must love Yahweh your God and keep His instructions, His statutes, His ordinances and His commandments always- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Yahweh was to be loved with all the heart, soul and mind (<em><a href='B:50 6:5'>Deu 6:5</a></em>). This is understood by Joshua as meaning that those who loved Yahweh would not "mix with" and intermarry with the nations and accept their gods (<em><a href='B:60 23:11-12'>Jos 23:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:16'>Jos 23:16</a></em>). "Love" for God was not therefore a feeling; Joshua said that they must "take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love Yahweh" (<em><a href='B:60 23:11'>Jos 23:11</a></em>). This is the love of conscious direction of the mind, the love which is a choice rather than an emotion.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Some time, read through the book of Deuteronomy in one or two sessions. You'll see many themes of Moses in Deuteronomy. It really shows how Moses felt towards Israel, and how the Lord Jesus feels towards us, and especially how he felt towards us just before his death. For this is what the whole book prefigures. "Love" and the idea of love occurs far more in Deuteronomy than in the other books of the Law. "Fear the Lord your God" of <em><a href='B:20 9:30'>Exo 9:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:14'>Lev 19:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 19:32'>Lev 19:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 25:17'>Lev 25:17</a></em> becomes "love the Lord your God" in Deuteronomy (<em><a href='B:50 6:5'>Deu 6:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:9'>Deu 7:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:12'>Deu 10:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:1'>Deu 11:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:9'>Deu 19:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:6'>Deu 30:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:20'>Deu 30:20</a></em>). There are 23 references to not hating in Deuteronomy, compared to only 5 in Ex. - Num.; Moses saw the danger of bitterness and lack of love. He saw these things as the spiritual cancer they are, in his time of maturity he warned his beloved people against them. His mind was full of them. The LXX uses the word <em>ekklesia</em> eight times in Deuteronomy, but not once in Moses' other words (<em><a href='B:50 4:10'>Deu 4:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:10'>Deu 9:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 18:16'>Deu 18:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 23:1-3'>Deu 23:1-3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 23:8'>Deu 23:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:1'>Deu 32:1</a></em>). Responsibility for the whole family God had redeemed was a mark of Moses; maturity at the end of his life, at the time of Deuteronomy. It is observable that both as a community and as individuals, this will be a sign of our maturity too.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Throughout&nbsp;the Law of Moses, the unity of Israel was emphasized. But that unity was not predicated upon any statement of faith, and the history of Israel has no example of the faithful minority removing themselves from association or “fellowship” with the majority, who clearly were unfaithful in both theology and practice. Moses in his last great speech as recorded in Deuteronomy seems to have purposefully confused his use of "you" plural (AV “ye”) and "you" singular (AV “thee”) in addressing them; as if to show that they, the many, were also one body (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 10:12-22'>Deu 10:12-22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:1-2'>Deu 11:1-2</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Know this day - for I don’t speak with your children who have not known, and who have not seen the chastisement of Yahweh your God - His greatness, His mighty hand and His outstretched arm- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The might of Yahweh's hand was shown through His grace in as it were forcing Israel out of Egypt, when they actually wanted to remain there and He wished to destroy them (<em><a href='B:330 20:8'>Eze 20:8</a></em>). They were idolatrous and had told Moses to leave them alone and let them serve the Egyptians. Yahweh's strength therefore refers to the power of His grace in continuing His program with them.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses was to stretch forth his hand to cause the waters of the Red Sea to part and return, not his rod; because he was manifesting the hand of Yahweh which was to deliver Israel (s.w. <em><a href='B:20 7:5'>Exo 7:5</a></em>). The repeated references to the stretched our arm or hand of Yahweh to save His people invite us to recall this incident, and to perceive that Yahweh's hand had been manifest through the hand of Moses (<em><a href='B:50 4:34'>Deu 4:34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 5:15'>Deu 5:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:19'>Deu 7:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:2'>Deu 11:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 26:8'>Deu 26:8</a></em>). That stretched out, saving arm and hand of Yahweh was and is stretched out still, to save His people (<em><a href='B:110 8:42'>1Ki 8:42</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 20:34'>Eze 20:34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 9:15'>Dan 9:15</a></em> "as at this day") and bring about a new creation in human lives (<em><a href='B:290 45:12'>Isa 45:12</a></em>). For the deliverance through the Red Sea is intended to be experienced by all God’s people, and is now seen through His saving grace at baptism (<em><a href='B:530 10:1-2'>1Co 10:1-2</a></em>). What happened there was but the beginning of the work of God’s outstretched arm (<em><a href='B:50 3:24'>Deu 3:24</a></em>). Yet the stretched out arm / hand of God is also a figure for His judgment (<em><a href='B:130 21:16'>1Ch 21:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 9:12'>Isa 9:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 10:4'>Isa 10:4</a></em>). His hand is at work in our lives- either to our condemnation or our salvation. And it is for us therefore to humble ourselves beneath that mighty hand (<em><a href='B:670 5:6'>1Pe 5:6</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>His signs and His works, which He did in the midst of Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt and to all his land- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It is stressed that Israel were taken out from the "midst of Egypt" (<em><a href='B:50 4:34'>Deu 4:34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:110 8:51'>1Ki 8:51</a></em>). The plagues and wonders were done in "the midst of Egypt" (<em><a href='B:20 3:20'>Exo 3:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:3'>Deu 11:3</a></em>). The midst of Egypt appears to be defined in <em><a href='B:230 135:9'>Psa 135:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 19:3'>Isa 19:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 29:3'>Eze 29:3</a></em> as being Pharaoh and his servants. The narrative therefore stresses so much his response to the plagues. God’s especial focus had been upon his conversion, and yet he refused. Israel were taken out right from under his nose, from the very heart of Egypt. <em><a href='B:330 20:8'>Eze 20:8</a></em> reveals what is not recorded in the historical record; that because the Israelites were so devoted to Egyptian idolatry still, His thought had been to destroy them "in the midst of the land of Egypt" (<em><a href='B:330 20:8'>Eze 20:8</a></em>). But God’s pole of grace overcame the pole of necessary judgment. He tolerated them and saved them, with enthusiasm, by the grace which comes from love- love taken to its ultimate, saving term. The whole narrative speaks as if the Hebrews were all at one place at one time and left "the midst of Egypt" together. Although unrecorded in the historical narrative, this would have meant that they gathered together "in the midst of Egypt" with Moses, who was not in Goshen but in the locality and presence of Pharaoh.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and what He did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and to their chariots; how He made the water of the Red Sea overflow them as they pursued after you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>But they were cast into the sea by God (<em><a href='B:20 15:21'>Exo 15:21</a></em>). We see here how God confirms people in the desires of their heart, for both good and bad. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And how Yahweh has destroyed them to this day- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Although the pursuit of Israel by the Egyptians was a historical act at a specific time, caused by God’s direct action upon the hearts of the Egyptians (<em><a href='B:20 14:8'>Exo 14:8</a></em>), the pursuit and their destruction is described as ongoing "to this day" (<em><a href='B:50 11:4'>Deu 11:4</a></em>). God’s word and His actions according to that word are somehow alive to this day. This is the unique nature of Biblical history. All the incidents within it speak to us of later generations. And so in <em><a href='B:60 24:1-33'>Jos 24:1-33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 6:1-27'>Jos 6:1-27</a></em> and often, Israel are bidden understand their history as speaking directly to them, to perceive God’s grace to them in history, and respond now.&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We are to understand each victory and achievement of God as somehow ongoing right down to our own day and our own lives and experience. This is what makes the Bible a <em>living</em> word for us. This explains why David repeatedly refers to the miracle at the Red Sea as if this had affected him personally, to the extent that he could ecstatically rejoice because of it. Thus <em><a href='B:230 114:5-6'>Psa 114:5-6</a></em> RV describes the Red Sea as even now fleeing before God’s people. And thus because of the records of God’s past activities, we should be motivated in our decisions now. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>It is in this sense that the punishment for sin is ‘everlasting’, in that there will be no end to their death. To remain dead for ever is an everlasting punishment. An example of the Bible using this kind of expression is found in <em><a href='B:50 11:4'>Deu 11:4</a></em>. This describes God’s one-off destruction of Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea as an eternal, on-going destruction in that this actual army never again troubled Israel: “He made the waters of the Red sea overflow them... the Lord has destroyed them to this day”.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and what He did to you in the wilderness, until you came to this place- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The reference may be to the manna, which they received until they came to Canaan; or to the leadership of the Angel in the pillar of fire and cloud.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and what He did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben, how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households and their tents and every living thing that followed them in the midst of all Israel- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We note the Korah isn't mentioned, although he was the ringleader of the rebellion (<em><a href='B:720 1:11'>Jud 1:11</a></em>). The point here is that those who followed wicked men were punished. And that remains the abiding lesson. The earth is likened to a monster swallowing up people. A case could be made that the whole record of Israel’s rejection from entering the land of Canaan is framed to adduce a reason for this as the fact they chose to believe that the land was inhabited by an evil dragon who would consume them there. This was a slander of the good land, and the whole point was that if they had believed in the power of God, then <em>whatever</em> ‘adversary’ was in the land, in whatever form, was ultimately of no real power (<em><a href='B:40 13:32'>Num 13:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 14:36'>Num 14:36</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 1:25'>Deu 1:25</a></em>). And yet it was not God’s way to specifically tell the people that there was no such dragon lurking in the land of Canaan – instead He worked with them according to their fears, by making the earth literally open and swallow up the apostate amongst them (<em><a href='B:40 16:30'>Num 16:30</a></em>) – emphasizing that by doing this, <em>He</em> was doing “a new thing”, something that had never been done before – for there was no dragon lurking in any land able to swallow up people. And throughout the prophets it is emphasized that <em>God</em> and not any dragon swallowed up people – “The Lord (and not any dragon) was as an enemy; <em>He</em> has swallowed up Israel” (<em><a href='B:310 2:5'>Lam 2:5</a></em> and frequently in the prophets). The people of Israel who left Egypt actually failed to inherit Canaan because they believed that it was a land who swallowed up the inhabitants of the land (<em><a href='B:40 13:32'>Num 13:32</a></em>), relating this to the presence of giants in the land (<em><a href='B:40 13:33'>Num 13:33</a></em>). As Joshua and Caleb pleaded with them, they needed to believe that whatever myths there were going around, God was greater than whatever mythical beast was there. And because they would not believe that, they failed to enter the land, which in type symbolized those who fail to attain that great salvation which God has prepared.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Your eyes have seen all the great work of Yahweh which He did-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Because God saved them from Egypt by grace (cp. baptism- <em><a href='B:530 10:1-2'>1Co 10:1-2</a></em>), with they themselves so spiritually weak at the time, still taking idols of Egypt through the Red Sea with them- <em>therefore</em> they were to keep the law (<em><a href='B:50 11:7-8'>Deu 11:7-8</a></em>). Because God gave them the land of Canaan, a land for which they did not labour, didn’t do any 'work' to receive, but were given because "You did a favour unto them" (<em><a href='B:230 44:3'>Psa 44:3</a></em>)- <em>therefore </em>they were to keep the law (<em><a href='B:50 26:15-16'>Deu 26:15-16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 29:8-9'>Deu 29:8-9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:5-6'>Jos 23:5-6</a></em>). David said that he loved keeping the law <em>because</em> God’s testimony to him was so miraculous (<em><a href='B:230 119:129'>Psa 119:129</a></em> Heb.). There is an awesomeness to God’s grace in all this. Hence the paradox of <em><a href='B:20 20:20'>Exo 20:20</a></em>: "Fear not... that the fear of God may be before your faces". We are not to fear Him, for such perfect love casts out fear... yet it is exactly because of the wonder of all this that we live life in some fear / awe of misusing and abusing that grace. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Therefore you must keep all the commandment which I command you this day, that you may be strong and go in and possess the land where you go over to possess it-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:50 31:9'>Deu 31:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 1:6'>Jos 1:6</a></em>. Joshua (cp. Jesus) is repeatedly made parallel with Israel (cp. Us); his victories were theirs; what he achieved is counted to them. In the same way, the people of the Lord Jesus are counted as Him. Joshua was to be strong and possess the land (<em><a href='B:60 1:6'>Jos 1:6</a></em>), just as they had been told to do, using the same Hebrew words (<em><a href='B:50 11:8'>Deu 11:8</a></em>). Indeed, Israel and Joshua are given parallel charges, to be strong and of good courage to take the land (<em><a href='B:50 31:6-7'>Deu 31:6-7</a></em>). Both Israel and Joshua are given the same charge to keep the words of the covenant, that they might “prosper” (<em><a href='B:50 29:9'>Deu 29:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 1:7'>Jos 1:7</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and that you may prolong your days in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give to them and to their seed- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>For "prolong your days", see on :21. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>A land flowing with milk and honey- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel came to describe the Egypt they had been called out from as the land flowing with milk and honey (<em><a href='B:40 16:12'>Num 16:12</a></em>), and denied that the Kingdom was in fact like that. And so we have the same tendency to be deceived into thinking that the kingdoms of this world, the world around us, is effectively the Kingdom of God, the only thing worth striving after.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For the land where you go in to possess it isn’t as the land of Egypt that you came out from, where you sowed your seed and watered it with your foot, as a garden of herbs-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Our separation from this world isn’t merely negative. We are separated <em>from</em> the world ("come out from")&nbsp; so that we might be separated <em>unto</em> the things of God ("you go in"). These two ideas are found together in the Hebrew word for ‘holiness’.<em></em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Egypt had little rainfall, and water was supplied from the flooding of the Nile being distributed by a series of foot pumps. But Canaan would have its own rainfall. The Biblical record is consistently credible. Hence the punishment of Judah was to become like a garden of herbs which had no water (<em><a href='B:290 1:30'>Isa 1:30</a></em>). Unfaithful Israel entered the land, still clutching the idols of Egypt, and received blessings for obedience. This was by grace alone. But they failed to respond to that grace.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>but the land you go over to possess is a land of hills and valleys which drinks water of the rain of the sky- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The people were often reminded that they were about to “go over (Jordan) to possess” the land, as if they were on the banks of Jordan almost. But a lack of rain was one of the Law’s curses for idol worship (<em><a href='B:50 11:10-12'>Deu 11:10-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:17'>Deu 11:17</a></em>). Elijah’s response to Israel’s idolatry was to tell them there would be no rain (<em><a href='B:110 17:1'>1Ki 17:1</a></em> cp. 16:32,33). Those reflective upon God’s Law would have realized the implied criticism which this carried; the more unspiritual would have just cursed Elijah for bringing about a devastating drought.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>a land which Yahweh your God cares for- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Yahweh cared for / sought after the land and Kingdom He had promised Israel (<em><a href='B:50 11:12'>Deu 11:12</a></em>). The same word is used of how His people were to seek Him, to care for the things of His Kingdom above all else (<em><a href='B:50 12:5'>Deu 12:5</a></em>). There thus develops a mutuality between God and man. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>The eyes of Yahweh your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Under Michael's control (see on <em><a href='B:340 12:1'>Dan 12:1</a></em>) there are many other Angels ("the eyes of Yahweh") similarly dedicated to the affairs of the people of Israel. Does the phrase "Yahweh your God" here refer to the Angel which led them through the wilderness? The Angel Michael? Remember Moses was speaking&nbsp; to the people of Israel at this time, and they very much conceived of the "Yahweh your God" in terms of the Angel of the presence going with them. Thus God was promising that His Angels would physically be present in the land and would be especially sensitive to the events there.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Biblical record seems to very frequently seek to deconstruct popular ideas about sin and evil. One of the most widespread notions was the "evil eye", whereby it was believed that some people had an "evil eye" which could bring distress into the eyes of those upon whom they looked in jealousy or anger. This concept is alive and well in many areas to this day. The idea entered Judaism very strongly after the Babylonian captivity; the Babylonian Talmud is full of references to it. The sage Rav attributed many illnesses to the evil eye, and the Talmud even claimed that 99 out of 100 people died prematurely from this (Bava Metzia 107b). The Biblical deconstruction of this is through stressing that <em>God’s</em> eye is all powerful in the destiny of His people (<em><a href='B:50 11:12'>Deu 11:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 33:18'>Psa 33:18</a></em>); and that "an evil eye" refers to an <em>internal</em> attitude of mean spiritedness <em>within</em> people- e.g. an "evil eye" is understood as an ungenerous spirit in <em><a href='B:50 15:9'>Deu 15:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 6:23'>Mat 6:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 20:15'>Mat 20:15</a></em>; or pure selfishness in <em><a href='B:50 28:54'>Deu 28:54</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:56'>Deu 28:56</a></em>; <em><a href='B:240 23:6'>Pro 23:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:240 28:22'>Pro 28:22</a></em>. We must remember that the people of Biblical times understood an "evil eye" as an <em>external</em> ability to look at someone and bring curses upon them. But the Bible redefines an "evil eye" as a purely <em>internal</em> attitude; and cosmic evil, even if it were to exist, need hold no fear for us- seeing the eyes of the only true God are running around the earth <em>for</em> us and not against us (<em><a href='B:140 16:9'>2Ch 16:9</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>If you will listen diligently to my commandments which I command you this day, to love Yahweh your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>See on <em><a href='B:50 7:4'>Deu 7:4</a></em>. As Moses very intensely manifested God to the people, so he foreshadowed the supreme manifestation of the Father in the Son. The commands of Moses were those of God (<em><a href='B:50 7:11'>Deu 7:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:13'>Deu 11:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:18'>Deu 11:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 2:32'>Deu 2:32</a></em> concerning Moses' words is quoted in <em><a class='bible' href='#b66:22:18-19'>Rev 22:18-19</a></em> concerning God’s words); his voice was God’s voice (<em><a href='B:50 13:1-18'>Deu 13:1-18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 18:1-22'>Deu 18:1-22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 15:5'>Deu 15:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:1'>Deu 28:1</a></em>), as with Christ. Israel were to show their love of God by keeping Moses' commands (<em><a href='B:50 11:13'>Deu 11:13</a></em>); as the new Israel do in their response to the word of Christ. Indeed, the well known prophecy that God would raise up a prophet "like unto" Moses to whom Israel would <em>listen</em> (<em><a href='B:50 18:18'>Deu 18:18</a></em>) is in the context of Israel saying they did not want to hear God’s voice directly. Therefore God said that he would raise up Christ, who would be another Moses in the sense that <em>he too</em> would speak forth God’s word.&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine and your oil- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>But these blessings were given anyway, despite their disobedience; when they were conditional upon their careful obedience to God’s laws (:13; <em><a href='B:350 6:3'>Hos 6:3</a></em>). We see here God’s grace, and overpowering desire to give His people His Kingdom. And in our low moments of faith in His grace we can remember this. Israel were rebuked for failing to thank God for the former and latter rains, which were given despite their spiritual weakness (<em><a href='B:300 5:24'>Jer 5:24</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Moses is one of greatest types of the Lord Jesus, in whom the Father was supremely manifested. Because of this, it is fitting that we should see a very high level of God manifestation in Moses. Indeed it seems that God was manifest in Moses to a greater degree than in any other Old Testament character. Therefore the pronouns often change (in Deuteronomy especially), showing a confusion between the voice of God and that of Moses. <em><a href='B:50 7:4'>Deu 7:4</a></em> is an example: “They will turn away thy son from following me (this is Moses speaking for God)... so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you”. Thus Moses’ comments on God’s words are mixed up with the words of God Himself. There are other examples of this in <em><a href='B:50 7:11'>Deu 7:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 29:1'>Deu 29:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 29:10'>Deu 29:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 29:14-15'>Deu 29:14-15</a></em> (“I” cp. “us”). Consider especially <em><a href='B:50 11:13-14'>Deu 11:13-14</a></em>: “If ye shall diligently hearken unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord... that I will give you the rain of your land... I will send grass in thy fields”. The “I” here switches at ease between God and Moses. The Moses/God pronouns are also mixed in <em><a href='B:520 10:19'>Rom 10:19</a></em>.<em></em></p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>I will give grass in your fields for your livestock and you shall eat and be full- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel were given manna in the wilderness, and they ate it and were full (<em><a href='B:20 16:8'>Exo 16:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 16:12'>Exo 16:12</a></em>). But they were promised that in the promised land of the Kingdom, they would likewise eat and be full, again from blessing given by God (s.w. <em><a href='B:50 8:10'>Deu 8:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:15'>Deu 11:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 14:29'>Deu 14:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 26:12'>Deu 26:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:20'>Deu 31:20</a></em>). After our Red Sea baptism, we are now in the wilderness; but by feeding on the manna, the word of God in the Lord Jesus, we have a foretaste of the Kingdom experience. But the curse for disobedience was that they would eat and not be full / satisfied (<em><a href='B:30 26:26'>Lev 26:26</a></em>).</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived and you turn aside, and serve other gods and worship them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>There are so many other examples of Moses showing his recognition of exactly <em>how</em> Israel were likely to be tempted (<em><a href='B:50 6:11-13'>Deu 6:11-13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:11-20'>Deu 8:11-20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:4'>Deu 9:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:16'>Deu 11:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:13'>Deu 12:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:19'>Deu 12:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:23'>Deu 12:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:30'>Deu 12:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:1-4'>Deu 13:1-4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 14:27'>Deu 14:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 15:9'>Deu 15:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 15:18'>Deu 15:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 17:11-12'>Deu 17:11-12</a></em> ("will"),14,16,17; 21:18; 22:1-4,18; 23:21; 25:8). See on <em><a href='B:50 7:16'>Deu 7:16</a></em>. We can take comfort in God’s sensitivity to us in an age unlike any other and apparently with its own unprecedented temptations. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Paul warned the new Israel that after his death ("after my departing", <em><a href='B:510 20:29'>Act 20:29</a></em>) there would be serious apostasy. This is the spirit of his very last words, in <em><a href='B:620 4:1-22'>2Ti 4:1-22</a></em>. it is exactly the spirit of Moses' farewell speech throughout the book of Deuteronomy, and throughout his final song (<em><a href='B:50 32:1-52'>Deu 32:1-52</a></em>) and <em><a href='B:50 31:29'>Deu 31:29</a></em>: "After my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves". Paul's "Take heed therefore unto yourselves" (<em><a href='B:510 20:28'>Act 20:28</a></em>) is quoted from many places in Deuteronomy (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 2:4'>Deu 2:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:9'>Deu 4:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:15'>Deu 4:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:23'>Deu 4:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:16'>Deu 11:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:13'>Deu 12:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:19'>Deu 12:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:30'>Deu 12:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 24:8'>Deu 24:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 27:9'>Deu 27:9</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We note the continual emphasis upon the heart. This was unique amongst contemporary religions, which (as today) were all about external appearance rather than the internal transformation of the spirit / mind. The worship of other gods was rightly defined as a self deception deep within the heart.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and the anger of Yahweh be kindled against you-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>If God’s wrath burns hot against people, it means death for them (s.w. <em><a href='B:20 22:24'>Exo 22:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 11:1'>Num 11:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 11:33'>Num 11:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 22:22'>Num 22:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 25:3'>Num 25:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:15'>Deu 6:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:17'>Deu 31:17</a></em>). But Moses averted this at the time of <em><a href='B:20 32:10'>Exo 32:10</a></em> by his intercession. He does so because God’s wrath had burned hot against him personally (<em><a href='B:20 4:14'>Exo 4:14</a></em> s.w.), but he had been saved from death by grace. And so he reflects this in appealing for he salvation of others, against whom God’s wrath burned hot (<em><a href='B:20 32:10-11'>Exo 32:10-11</a></em>). But Moses at the end of his life warns them not to make God’s wrath burn hot against them again- because he will not be around to intercede for them (<em><a href='B:50 6:15'>Deu 6:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:4'>Deu 7:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:17'>Deu 11:17</a></em>).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And He shut up the sky, so that there shall be no rain, and the land shall not yield its fruit and you perish quickly- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:50 11:17'>Deu 11:17</a></em> had said that God’s people would "perish (s.w. "destroy") quickly from off the good land". But by grace, that didn’t happen "quickly" at all. They were finally destroyed from off it (<em><a href='B:120 24:2'>2Ki 24:2</a></em> and often), but God did not bring that about quickly but after much patient pleading through the prophets. This is one of so many examples of where God simply did not punish His people to the extent He said He would; simply because of His grace and love toward them. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>From off the good land which Yahweh gives you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew word for "spied out" in <em><a href='B:50 1:24'>Deu 1:24</a></em> also means 'to slander' (s.w. <em><a href='B:100 19:27'>2Sa 19:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 15:3'>Psa 15:3</a></em>). Their slander of the land was in that they misrepresented the strength of the people there, who were in fact fearful of the Israelites. They brought up an evil report of the land (<em><a href='B:40 13:32'>Num 13:32</a></em>), characterizing it as not "good" but "evil", as if inhabited by insuperable forces of cosmic evil. They disbelieved God’s simple statement that He was bringing them a "good land" (<em><a href='B:20 3:8'>Exo 3:8</a></em>). Moses therefore repeatedly calls the land a "good land", denying their wrong idea that the land was inhabited by 'evil spirits' (<em><a href='B:50 3:25'>Deu 3:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:21-22'>Deu 4:21-22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:18'>Deu 6:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:7'>Deu 8:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 9:6'>Deu 9:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:17'>Deu 11:17</a></em>). We see here how belief in 'evil spirits' or 'demons' militated against their faith in God and His eagerness to give His good Kingdom to His people. That continues to be His "good pleasure" (<em><a href='B:490 12:32'>Luk 12:32</a></em>) toward us, but like Israel, we are tempted to disbelieve this and allow our own perceptions and empirical conclusions to lead us away from simple faith in this. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Therefore you must lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them for a sign on your hand and they shall be for memorials between your eyes-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>As taught in <em><a href='B:50 6:6'>Deu 6:6</a></em>, the essence was that "These words which I command you this day shall be on your heart". The heart refers to the mind, the brain, if you will; and we could understand this as meaning that this was to be externally memorialized by binding them between the eyes. This is how orthodox Judaism understands it. But I suggest that the memorial was essentially in the heart, and this is just another way of speaking about the wholeness of internal and external devotion to God’s words. Whatever is done externally with the hand, whatever is thought about in our mind between our eyes, is to be dominated by our awareness of God’s laws. We fail to read in later scripture any mention of literally making boxes containing God’s law and wearing them. The Passover deliverance was likewise to be a "frontlet" (s.w. "memorial") between the eyes and upon the hand (<em><a href='B:20 13:16'>Exo 13:16</a></em>); but not in any literal sense. They were to be ever mentally aware of their great salvation, and live accordingly.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Contemporary ideas about Satan, demons etc. are often alluded to in the Pentateuch, and Israel are given the true understanding. Wearing a phylactery wasn't a new concept; the idea "refers to amulets which were worn in order to protect their wearers against demons". So by giving this command, Israel's God was showing His people that instead of being on the <em>defensive</em> against demons, needing good luck charms against them, they should instead replace these by a positive remembrance of God’s words in their hearts and actions. Rejoicing in His salvation and constantly remembering it was intended to totally sideline the various false beliefs about demons which were prevalent at the time. It could be argued that God is saying that instead of the literal phylacteries of the pagan Gentile world, they were to have an internal mental awareness of their God.</p>&nbsp;


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must teach them to your children, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The latter day repentant remnant will be characterized by talking to each other of spiritual things (<em><a href='B:460 3:16'>Mal 3:16</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:340 12:2'>Dan 12:2</a></em>), especially of the law (<em><a href='B:460 3:7'>Mal 3:7</a></em>). But we are to do this now in our day of opportunity, and not be forced to it by tribulation. The priests were the official teachers of Israel, but it was ever God’s intention that all Israel should be priests. All under the new covenant are declared priests (<em><a href='B:670 2:5'>1Pe 2:5</a></em>). All Israel were to be teaching each other (<em><a href='B:300 31:34'>Jer 31:34</a></em>), especially their children- not leaving it to others, nor over relying upon a priesthood or spiritual eldership to teach their children. This is a myth inadvertently created by the Sunday School movement, excellent and commendable as that movement is- that a child is sent to "Sunday School" and there learns God’s ways. The real teaching is done sitting in the house and walking by the way, and not by specialist teachers. The specific reference to teaching when you lie down and rise up could suggest that God specifically intended His people to teach their children, every morning and every evening. This is the essence of family life in the Lord.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Writing God’s laws on door posts recalls the daubing of Passover lamb blood on the door posts. Indeed at Passover time, the faithful Israelite would have painted over the laws of Moses with the blood of the Passover lamb. This was looking ahead to how those laws were to be blotted out by the Lord's sacrifice. It was perhaps also to remind them that the blood of the Passover lamb, shed for their salvation, was an imperative to their obedience to God’s laws. And again we see contemporary religious ideas deconstructed; for "It was the custom of the ancient Egyptians to inscribe on lintels and door-posts sentences of good omen". Such good luck charms were to be replaced with realistic practical calls for obedience in real life; for this was the basis of Divine blessing, and not good luck charms.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give them- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Does "prolong your days" mean that long life promised to the obedient Israelite under the Old Covenant? Solomon observed that a just mad perished young and "a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness" (<em><a href='B:250 7:15'>Ecc 7:15</a></em>). <em><a href='B:330 12:22'>Eze 12:22</a></em> suggests that faithless Israel cynically observed that "The days are prolonged" and God’s prophetic word of condemnation had failed- implying they thought that prolonged days were being experienced by them despite their disobedience. The Hebrew phrase 'to prolong days' is found in <em><a href='B:290 53:10'>Isa 53:10</a></em>, where it is applied to how Messiah would 'prolong His days' not in this life, but in the resurrection. The repeated promises recorded in Deuteronomy of prolonged days upon the land of Israel would therefore hint at the eternity of the Kingdom rather than this life. Indeed, <em><a href='B:50 4:40'>Deu 4:40</a></em> says they would prolong their days "for ever". For an individual Israelite might be faithful but not prolong his or her days in the land because the whole people were to be carried away captive for their sins and the land given to a Gentile power. The opposite of 'days being prolonged' was 'utter destruction' (:26)- which would then speak of condemnation in the second death. This is one of many examples of where eternal life was possible under the Old Covenant- there were multiple different possibilities and plans God could have worked by. Israel could have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Messiah and not killed Him, and so forth. It seems the closer we probe God’s word, the more open He is revealed as being.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>As the days of the heavens upon the earth- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This is the essence of the New Testament idea of the “Kingdom of Heaven” (not, the Kingdom <em>in </em>Heaven) coming upon earth at Christ’s return. But it was precluded by Israel's disobedience.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For if you will diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love Yahweh your God, to walk in all His ways and to cleave to Him- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The idea of 'cleaving' to God is a big theme of Moses in Deuteronomy (<em><a href='B:50 4:4'>Deu 4:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 10:20'>Deu 10:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:22'>Deu 11:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:4'>Deu 13:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:17'>Deu 13:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:21'>Deu 28:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:60'>Deu 28:60</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:20'>Deu 30:20</a></em>); the only other time Moses uses the word in his writings is in <em><a href='B:10 2:24'>Gen 2:24</a></em>, concerning a man cleaving to his wife. Moses seems to have been suggesting to Israel that their covenant relationship with God meant they were <em>marrying God</em>. This was a real paradigm breaker. We may be used to such things. But against the theological background of the time, not to say the generally low level of spirituality among Israel, this was a shocking idea. It reflected the heights to which Moses had risen.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Lord’s common Upper Room theme of ‘abiding’ in Him uses the same word as Moses used in the LXX when exhorting his people to ‘cleave unto’ God (<em><a href='B:50 10:20'>Deu 10:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:22'>Deu 11:22</a></em>). This abiding involved loving God and keeping His commandments- all ideas which occur together in <em><a href='B:50 13:4'>Deu 13:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:20'>Deu 30:20</a></em>.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>“If you love me you will keep my commandments” (<em><a href='B:500 14:15'>Joh 14:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 14:21'>Joh 14:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 14:23'>Joh 14:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 15:10'>Joh 15:10</a></em>) reflects a major identical theme in <em><a href='B:50 5:10'>Deu 5:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:9'>Deu 7:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:1'>Deu 11:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:22'>Deu 11:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:3-4'>Deu 13:3-4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 19:9'>Deu 19:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>. Moses at the end of his life, when he spoke Deuteronomy, was very much the image of the future Lord Jesus. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>then will Yahweh drive out all these nations from before you and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:50 11:23-24'>Deu 11:23-24</a></em> seem to imply that after God had driven out the seven nations which lived in Canaan, He planned- given Israel's obedience- to drive out yet greater nations from before them. I can only take that as meaning that His intention was to drive out the nations who possessed the rest of the land promised to Abraham, right over to the Euphrates. I see here a promise of ultimate victory against Babylon and Assyria, who controlled the Euphrates area. But the very opposite happened- even though potentially, those nations need never have developed and their empires were intended to be Israel's. These potential victories were to be because all the land Israel trod upon (Heb. 'to bend the bow against'), they would receive (<em><a href='B:50 11:25'>Deu 11:25</a></em>). But they weren't ambitious enough to go much beyond their farmsteads. We too will be given all we tread upon, all we desire to inherit of God’s Kingdom, if we go forward in faith. It's all potentially possible, if we bend our bow with ambition, we will receive are furthermost dreams and beyond. This line of thought inevitably connects with the incident where Elisha sees the shooting of arrows as a symbol of how far God would give Israel deliverance from Syria (<em><a href='B:120 13:17'>2Ki 13:17</a></em>). </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Drive out" is s.w. "possess". We must note the difference between the&nbsp; Canaanite peoples and their kings being "struck" and their land "taken" by Joshua-Jesus; and the people of Israel permanently taking possession. This is the difference between the Lord's victory on the cross, and our taking possession of the Kingdom. Even though that possession has been "given" to us. The word used for "possession" is literally 'an inheritance'. The allusion is to the people, like us, being the seed of Abraham. The Kingdom was and is our possession, our inheritance- if we walk in the steps of Abraham. But it is one thing to be the seed of Abraham, another to take possession of the inheritance; and Israel generally did not take possession of all the land (<em><a href='B:60 11:23'>Jos 11:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 13:1'>Jos 13:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 16:10'>Jos 16:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 18:3'>Jos 18:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 23:4'>Jos 23:4</a></em>). The language of inheritance / possession is applied to us in the New Testament (<em><a href='B:560 1:11'>Eph 1:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:14'>Eph 1:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 3:24'>Col 3:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 20:32'>Act 20:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 26:18'>Act 26:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 1:4'>1Pe 1:4</a></em> etc.). Israel were promised: "You shall possess it" (<em><a href='B:50 30:5'>Deu 30:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 33:23'>Deu 33:23</a></em>). This was more of a command than a prophecy, for sadly they were "given" the land but did not "possess" it. They were constantly encouraged in the wilderness that they were on the path to possessing the land (<em><a href='B:50 30:16'>Deu 30:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 30:18'>Deu 30:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:3'>Deu 31:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 31:13'>Deu 31:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:47'>Deu 32:47</a></em>), but when they got there they didn’t possess it fully. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew word translated as "thousand" can mean a family, or some other administrative division. Many of the 'number problems' in the Hebrew Bible are only really resoluble using this approach. And that may be in view in the census of Israel taken in <em><a href='B:40 1:1-54'>Num 1:1-54</a></em>, and in the statement that six hundred 'thousands' of footmen left Egypt (<em><a href='B:20 12:37'>Exo 12:37</a></em>). The census of <em><a href='B:40 1:1-54'>Num 1:1-54</a></em> gives figures such as those in <em><a href='B:40 1:21'>Num 1:21</a></em> for Reuben, which could be rendered: "forty six families ('thousands') and five hundred (men)". Although a "hundred" might also refer to an administrative division. The total in <em><a href='B:40 1:1-54'>Num 1:1-54</a></em> would then be 598 families with a total of 5550 men. The sum given in the second census in <em><a href='B:40 26:1-65'>Num 26:1-65</a></em> comes out as roughly the same, with 596 families amounting to 5730 men. On this basis, the total population (including women and children) would be anything between 20,000 to 40,000. This would enable us to make better sense of the statements that Israel were the smallest numerically of all the surrounding peoples (<em><a href='B:50 7:1'>Deu 7:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:7'>Deu 7:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:23'>Deu 11:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 20:1'>Deu 20:1</a></em>). If we insist upon taking "thousand" literally in <em><a href='B:20 12:37'>Exo 12:37</a></em>, then 600,000 male foot soldiers would imply a total population of between two and six million. The population density would have been intense, and far greater than that of many modern nations. Estimates of global population at the time suggest it was only about 40 million, and the population of Egypt was a maximum of three million (probably far less). If the Israelites were smaller than the other nations, and they numbered say 5 million, then the total population of the seven peoples of Canaan would have been at least 40 million. The territory of Canaan could not have supported such numbers. Only 70 Israelites came into Egypt with Jacob. Expansion over 430 years to several million is not realistic. This approach helps us better understand how all the men of war marched around Jericho (<em><a href='B:60 6:3'>Jos 6:3</a></em>). If there were literally 600,000 men then the city would have had to be many kilometers in circumference for them all to march around it seven times in one day. Archaeological evidence from Jericho simply doesn't support the idea of such a vast city. If Israel numbered say 5 million people, and recall there was also a "mixed multitude" with them, then if they marched 10 abreast this would require a column stretching around 1000 kilometers. Their promises to Edom and the Amorites to march only along a highway and not spill over it (<em><a href='B:40 20:17'>Num 20:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 21:22'>Num 21:22</a></em>) is unrealistic if they had such huge numbers. A figure of 600 family units leaving Egypt is more realistic; otherwise we start to wonder how ever all the Israelites, millions of them, came to be in one place at one time on Passover night.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Every place on which the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours, from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river Euphrates, to the hinder sea shall be your border- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This meant that according to their spiritual ambition, so would be their inheritance of the Kingdom. The temptation for them, as for us, was to consider that once we have our small inheritance, our farmstead and secure land, as it was for them- then we need have no wider vision. For to go onwards from that parochial mentality and tread upon the entire land up to the Euphrates was a vision only worth pursuing if they had a vision of collective inheritance of the Kingdom. To seek to get others there is a call which few really perceive. The entire territory promised to Abraham could’ve been given to them if they had bothered to go there; but they settled just for the fertile land along the Mediterranean coast. They, like us so often, lacked any sense of spiritual ambition.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>No man will be able to stand before you. Yahweh your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you will tread on, as He has spoken to you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The command to subject the animals in Eden (the land promised to Abraham?) corresponds to later commands to subject the tribes living in the land (<em><a href='B:10 1:28'>Gen 1:28</a></em> = <em><a href='B:40 32:22'>Num 32:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 32:29'>Num 32:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 18:1'>Jos 18:1</a></em>). The “fear and dread” of humans which fell on the animals after the flood is clearly linkable with the “fear and dread” which was to come upon the inhabitants of Canaan due to the Israelites (<em><a href='B:10 9:2'>Gen 9:2</a></em> = <em><a href='B:50 1:21'>Deu 1:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:25'>Deu 11:25</a></em>). </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The blessing and curse are defined in <em><a href='B:50 28:1-68'>Deu 28:1-68</a></em>, suggesting that all of Deuteronomy was spoken on "this day"- the last day of Moses' life. The implications of "this day" lead me to think that this is the reference, although the blessing and cursings were pronounced on Ebal and Gerizim some time later.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>the blessing, if you will listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you this day- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>We can read this as meaning that the blessings of <em><a href='B:50 28:1-68'>Deu 28:1-68</a></em> were conditional upon obedience. Israel were not obedient, from Sinai onwards, as the prophets lament. But many of those blessings were still experienced by Israel. So we conclude that this was by grace alone, and indeed the idea of Abraham's seed being "blessed" is associated in the New Testament with the blessing of grace. Again we note God’s passionate desire to by all means give His people His Kingdom. He wants to do this, it is the good pleasure or will of God to give us the Kingdom. He is not indifferent to our salvation, and wants us desperately to be in His Kingdom, as the parable of the marriage supper also indicates. It concludes with pretty much anyone willing to say "yes" being ushered in to the marriage supper.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The blessing of Yahweh would come if His commands were obeyed (<em><a href='B:50 11:27'>Deu 11:27</a></em>); but in response, He would command that blessing (s.w. <em><a href='B:50 28:8'>Deu 28:8</a></em>). His commandments were therefore effectively a commandment of blessing. They were designed for Israel's good and blessing, and not as a test of mindless obedience.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and the curse if you will not listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods which you have not previously known- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>"Go after" is a phrase Moses frequently uses in his last speech in Deuteronomy, but not elsewhere. It means literally to follow or walk after. He warns against going after other gods (<em><a href='B:50 4:3'>Deu 4:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 6:14'>Deu 6:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:19'>Deu 8:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 11:28'>Deu 11:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 13:2'>Deu 13:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:14'>Deu 28:14</a></em>), and urges following / walking behind / going after Yahweh alone (<em><a href='B:50 13:4'>Deu 13:4</a></em>). I suggest he was reflecting upon how by following after Yahweh in the Angel, the people had been brought out of Egypt, through the wilderness and to the promised kingdom. Caleb had faithfully followed / walked after Yahweh, and so entered the land. The phrase is used of the people following after the ark to enter Canaan (<em><a href='B:60 3:3'>Jos 3:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 6:9'>Jos 6:9</a></em>). Following after idols led them just to pointless wandering in circles. And so it is in human life today. Following idols leads to pointless wandering, whereas following Yahweh has a specific destination in view- possession of the Kingdom. Elijah uses the phrase when telling Israel they could either follow after Baal, or Yahweh; and if Yahweh is God, then we are to follow Him (<em><a href='B:110 18:21'>1Ki 18:21</a></em>). We cannot follow two directions. But Israel followed after (s.w.) vanity and thereby became vain (<em><a href='B:120 17:15'>2Ki 17:15</a></em>). They carried the tabernacle of Moloch and also of Yahweh, throughout the wilderness journey (<em><a href='B:510 7:1-60'>Act 7:1-60</a></em>:). Following after Baal is paralleled with following / walking after the imagination of their own evil heart (s.w. <em><a href='B:300 3:17'>Jer 3:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 9:14'>Jer 9:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 13:10'>Jer 13:10</a></em>), walking after their own spirit rather than God’s (<em><a href='B:330 13:3'>Eze 13:3</a></em> s.w.) and their own covetousness (s.w. <em><a href='B:330 33:31'>Eze 33:31</a></em>). To walk / live just according to the word of our own imaginations is our great temptation. But we are to instead follow God’s imaginations and heart, as revealed in His word (<em><a href='B:330 20:16'>Eze 20:16</a></em> s.w.). This is where our acceptance of the word of God as indeed His word... has endless implications. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>When Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you go to possess it, you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>God repeated the promise of blessing to Abraham at Shechem (<em><a href='B:10 12:6'>Gen 12:6</a></em>), where later Israel had to choose between blessing and cursing (<em><a href='B:50 11:29-30'>Deu 11:29-30</a></em>)- as if they had to make the choice to appropriate the promised blessing to themselves, or not. And yet the covenant in <em><a href='B:10 15:1-21'>Gen 15:1-21</a></em> was one way, unconditional, from God to us. It's as if <em>His</em> part in our salvation is so much greater than our response. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>Aren’t they beyond the Jordan, behind the way of the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the Arabah, over against Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh?- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em><a href='B:50 27:2-8'>Deu 27:2-8</a></em> had commanded that "in the day" Israel passed over Jordan, they were to set up plastered stones with the law written upon them (perhaps just the ten commandments), and put them "in mount Ebal". The location was defined as near Gilgal (<em><a href='B:50 11:30'>Deu 11:30</a></em>), where they camped after entering the land. Clearly enough, the ceremony of blessing and cursing ought to have been done immediately they entered the land. But they let secular concerns dominate their spiritual obligation to be thankful as God had asked. For when Joshua fulfilled it in <em><a href='B:60 8:30'>Jos 8:30</a></em>, this was not "in the day" that Israel passed over Jordan. They had indeed taken stones with them from the Jordan, but had not used them as intended. They didn’t plaster them nor write the law upon them. And so perhaps God ammended His intention- which was initially that they would set those stones up in mount Ebal immediately. Instead, He sent the people against Jericho, and then against Ai. Perhaps an instant conquest of Jericho had been originally intended, so that they could proceed to mount Ebal immediately. For later in Joshua we will read of God giving His people unnaturally speedy progress against their enemies, all in the same day. Or maybe His intention was that firstly they ought to have gone to mount Ebal with the plastered stones, and only then attacked Jericho. But they didn’t plaster the stones nor wish to proceed immediately to Ebal. And so He arranged the campaign against Jericho and then Ai. We see how God is so eager to accommodate His programs to the weakness of men.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>For you are to pass over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which Yahweh your God gives you, and you shall possess it, and dwell therein- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>As noted above, possessing the land was conditional upon obedience. But they weren't obedient, but by grace they possessed the land. Their response to that grace was therefore to be that they kept the commandments (:32). Such commandments as we have are likewise to be obeyed not in order to be worthy of the Kingdom, but as a channel through which to express our gratitude for having been given the Kingdom in prospect.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall observe all the statutes and the ordinances which I set before you this day- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew <em>mishpat</em>, "ordinances", has a wide range of meaning. The idea is of judgment, as if God and His Angels gave these laws as their considered judgment after considering the human condition, and Israel were to abide by them. But the word also the idea of a right or privilege; and that is how we should see God’s laws. They are only felt as a burden because of human hardness of neck towards God’s ways. His laws are not of themselves burdensome, but rather a privilege and blessing. The law was indeed "holy, just and good" (<em><a href='B:520 7:12'>Rom 7:12</a></em>), designed to inculcate a holy, just and good life (<em><a href='B:630 1:8'>Tit 1:8</a></em>), a way in which a man should "walk" in daily life (<em><a href='B:30 18:4'>Lev 18:4</a></em>), a culture of kindness and grace to others which reflected God’s grace to man. If we dwell upon the idea of "rights" carried within the word <em>mishpat</em>, we note that the law begins in <em><a href='B:20 21:1-2'>Exo 21:1-2</a></em> (also <em><a href='B:50 15:12-18'>Deu 15:12-18</a></em>) with the rights of a slave- those considered to have no rights in the society of that day. The "rights" to be afforded by us to others are the essence of God’s rightness / justice.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>These are the statutes and ordinances which you shall observe to do in the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess all the days that you live on the earth- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew <em>mishpat</em>, "ordinances", has a wide range of meaning. The idea is of judgment, as if God and His Angels gave these laws as their considered judgment after considering the human condition, and Israel were to abide by them. But the word also the idea of a right or privilege; and that is how we should see God’s laws. They are only felt as a burden because of human hardness of neck towards God’s ways. His laws are not of themselves burdensome, but rather a privilege and blessing. The law was indeed "holy, just and good" (<em><a href='B:520 7:12'>Rom 7:12</a></em>), designed to inculcate a holy, just and good life (<em><a href='B:630 1:8'>Tit 1:8</a></em>), a way in which a man should "walk" in daily life (<em><a href='B:30 18:4'>Lev 18:4</a></em>), a culture of kindness and grace to others which reflected God’s grace to man. If we dwell upon the idea of "rights" carried within the word <em>mishpat</em>, we note that the law begins in <em><a href='B:20 21:1-2'>Exo 21:1-2</a></em> (also <em><a href='B:50 15:12-18'>Deu 15:12-18</a></em>) with the rights of a slave- those considered to have no rights in the society of that day. The "rights" to be afforded by us to others are the essence of God’s rightness / justice.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You must surely destroy all the places in which the nations that you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Israel were told to "throw down", "break in pieces" and "utterly destroy" the idols and altars of Canaan. There were times during their history when they obeyed this command by purging themselves from their apostasy in this. The Hebrew words used scarcely occur elsewhere, except very frequently in the context of how God "broke down", "threw down" and "destroyed" Israel at the hands of their Babylonian and Assyrian invaders as a result of their not 'breaking down' (etc.) the idols. "Throw down" in <em><a href='B:20 34:13'>Exo 34:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:5'>Deu 7:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:3'>Deu 12:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:140 31:1'>2Ch 31:1</a></em> is the same word in <em><a href='B:140 36:19'>2Ch 36:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 4:26'>Jer 4:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 31:28'>Jer 31:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 33:4'>Jer 33:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 39:8'>Jer 39:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 52:14'>Jer 52:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 16:39'>Eze 16:39</a></em>; <em><a href='B:410 1:6'>Nah 1:6</a></em>. "Cut down" in <em><a href='B:50 7:5'>Deu 7:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:3'>Deu 12:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:140 31:1'>2Ch 31:1</a></em> later occurs in <em><a href='B:290 10:33'>Isa 10:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 48:1-47'>Jer 48:1-47</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 25:1-38'>Jer 25:1-38</a></em>; <em><a href='B:310 2:3'>Lam 2:3</a></em>. So Israel faced the choice: either cut down your idols, or you will be cut down in the day of God’s judgment. Those who worshipped idols were like unto them. The stone will either fall on us and destroy us, or we must fall on it and become broken men and women (<em><a href='B:470 21:44'>Mat 21:44</a></em>). For the man untouched by the concept of living for God’s glory, it's a hard choice. God will conquer sin, ultimately. When a man dies, it isn't just a biological, clockwork process. It is God’s victory over sin in that individual. Either we must be slain by God; or with His gracious help, we must put sin to death in our members through association with the only One who really did this- and thereby rise to life eternal. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and you must break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You must cut down the engraved images of their gods- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Lord's description of the rejected being cut down and thrown into the fire (<em><a href='B:470 7:19'>Mat 7:19</a></em>) is surely referring to these words (cp. 7:5), where the idols of the world were to be hewn down and thrown into the fire. The Lord understood that those who worship idols are like unto them (<em><a href='B:230 115:8'>Psa 115:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 135:18'>Psa 135:18</a></em>). Because all idols (of whatever kind) will be destroyed in the last day, all who worship them will have to share their destruction. And yet we can be hewn down by God’s word now (<em><a href='B:350 6:5'>Hos 6:5</a></em>) rather than wait for God to do it to us by the condemnation process. We must cut off (s.w. hew down) our flesh <em>now </em>(<em><a href='B:470 5:30'>Mat 5:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 18:8'>Mat 18:8</a></em> cp. 7:19).</p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>And destroy their names out of that place- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>But when we read the later historical accounts of the place names in the land, we find many cases of names with idolatrous associations not being renamed. Especially we note the prevalence of the "Baal" prefix. They didn’t widely obey this. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall not do so to Yahweh your God-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Verse 3 has just spoken of the need to destroy the names of the idols which were reflected in the place names in Canaan, and instead they were to recognize that Yahweh had placed<em> His</em> Name in the land and especially at the sanctuary (:5). God placed His Name upon places in order to make them suitable places for sacrifice to be offered to Him (<em><a href='B:50 12:4-7'>Deu 12:4-7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:21'>Deu 12:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 7:12'>Jer 7:12</a></em>). They were to call upon <em>His</em> Name alone, and not allow anything else to tempt them to call upon the name of idols. Commonly enough, the New Testament speaks of baptism as a calling upon the Name of the Lord. This must be understood against its Hebrew background- <em>qara' beshem Yahweh</em>, which originally referred to approaching God in sacrifice (<em><a href='B:10 12:7-8'>Gen 12:7-8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 116:4'>Psa 116:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 116:17'>Psa 116:17</a></em>). Baptism was thus seen as a sacrificial commitment to Yahweh in solemn covenant. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>But to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put His name there- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Worldly religion is made as convenient as possible for the worshipper to come and participate in; the shrines of the Canaanite gods were everywhere in the land, whereas Yahweh insisted that there was one specific place to where His people should come to worship Him. This was perhaps partly to inspire national unity within the family of God. The pagan shrines were each different; they had no uniformity between them, as archaeologists have demonstrated. But the one true God has principles of worship and service which don’t vary geographically and are consistently the same because truth is truth and in that sense doesn’t vary from place to place nor context to context. </p><p style='margin-left:1em'><em>To His dwelling place you shall seek, and there you shall come- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The judgment will be the time when God 'requires' of us our behaviour. And yet the Hebrew word is used about our enquiring / searching to God in prayer now (<em><a href='B:10 25:22'>Gen 25:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 18:15'>Exo 18:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 4:29'>Deu 4:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:5'>Deu 12:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:110 22:5'>1Ki 22:5</a></em>), as well as His 'requiring' / searching of us at the last day (<em><a href='B:50 18:19'>Deu 18:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 23:21'>Deu 23:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 22:23'>Jos 22:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:90 20:16'>1Sa 20:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:140 24:22'>2Ch 24:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 3:20'>Eze 3:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 33:6'>Eze 33:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 33:8'>Eze 33:8</a></em>). There is a mutuality between a man and his God.</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Yahweh cared for / sought after the land and Kingdom He had promised Israel (<em><a href='B:50 11:12'>Deu 11:12</a></em>). The same word is used of how His people were to seek Him, to care for the things of His Kingdom above all else (<em><a href='B:50 12:5'>Deu 12:5</a></em>). There thus develops a mutuality between God and man. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>and bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, your vows, your freewill offerings and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The Hebrew word here for "freewill" carries the idea of spontaneity. This is the clear implication of its usage in places like <em><a href='B:20 35:27'>Exo 35:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 36:3'>Exo 36:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 5:2'>Jdg 5:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 5:9'>Jdg 5:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:130 29:5'>1Ch 29:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:130 29:9'>1Ch 29:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:140 35:8'>2Ch 35:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 54:6'>Psa 54:6</a></em>. There is a strong sense of immediate emotion attached to the word (<em><a href='B:350 14:4'>Hos 14:4</a></em>). And there was a major emphasis in the law of Moses upon freewill offerings (<em><a href='B:30 7:16'>Lev 7:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:18'>Lev 22:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:21'>Lev 22:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 22:23'>Lev 22:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 23:38'>Lev 23:38</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 15:3'>Num 15:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 29:39'>Num 29:39</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:6'>Deu 12:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 12:17'>Deu 12:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 16:10'>Deu 16:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 23:23'>Deu 23:23</a></em>). The other legal codes of the nations around Israel were all about rituals; whereas Yahweh's law encouraged spontaneous giving as part of the way of Yahweh. For He is not a God of rituals, but of relationship. The way of the Spirit is the same today; spontaneous, emotional, personal response to God’s grace, responding to Him on our own initiative and in our own way, in addition to obeying His specific requirements.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>There you shall eat before Yahweh your God and you shall rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households, in which Yahweh your God has blessed you- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>LXX "And ye shall eat there before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all the things on which ye shall lay your hand, ye and your houses". The idea may be that what they laid their hands on was the sacrifices which they offered. For that is the context. They were to rejoice in sacrificing their blessings to God. "God loves a cheerful giver" may refer to this (<em><a href='B:540 9:7'>2Co 9:7</a></em>). And to this day, the only way to "eat and enjoy the good things that you have worked for" (GNB) is by offering them to Yahweh. </p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>You shall not do all the things that we do here this day, every man whatever is right in his own eyes- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>This may refer to how the Mosaic laws were often intended for obedience once settled in the land. During the 38 years journey, it seems the people were not particularly obedient to God’s laws and had just done whatever was right in their own eyes. The lament of Judges is that Israel in the land continued to do what was right in their own eyes (<em><a href='B:70 17:6'>Jdg 17:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:70 21:25'>Jdg 21:25</a></em>). The moral anarchy sadly continued. <em><a href='B:240 21:2'>Pro 21:2</a></em> contrasts doing what is right in our own eyes or mental perception, with God judging the hearts / minds. The fact something may appear morally right to us doesn't mean it is. We may know nothing against ourselves in our own conscience, but this doesn't mean we are thereby justified before God (<em><a href='B:530 4:4'>1Co 4:4</a></em>). There is one thing which will judge us at the end, and that is the word spoken to us (<em><a href='B:500 12:48'>Joh 12:48</a></em>)- not our own native sense of right or wrong. Our conscience will not as it were jump out of us and stand there and judge us in the last day.</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>for you haven’t yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which Yahweh your God gives you-</em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>The idea may simply be that in the wilderness, they had not been able to obey all the commandments in the law because they were not yet in the land, "the rest". But there may be a hint here at something deeper. For Joshua didn’t in fact lead the people to "the rest" in ultimate terms (<em><a href='B:650 4:8'>Heb 4:8</a></em>). That was to be the work of the Lord Jesus. There is a connection between the ark and God’s resting place:</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>- <em><a href='B:40 10:33'>Num 10:33</a></em>&nbsp; "The ark&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;covenant of the Lord went before them... to search out a resting place"</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>- <em><a href='B:130 28:2'>1Ch 28:2</a></em> "An house of rest for the ark".</p><p style='margin-left:1em'>However, the real resting place of God’s Name is not in the literal ark, but in the hearts of people humble to God’s Word. The exiles were told: "Where is the house that you build unto Me? and where is the place of My rest?... to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at My word" (<em><a href='B:290 66:1-2'>Isa 66:1-2</a></em>).&nbsp;</p>


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<p style='margin-left:1em'><em>But when you go over the Jordan, and dwell in the land which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies around you, so that you dwell in safety- </em></p><p style='margin-left:1em'>Several times Moses describes Israel’s inheritance of the land as entering “rest”, mindful of how God had sworn that they would not enter into that rest, and yet he had pleaded with God to change His mind about that (<em><a href='B:230 95:11'>Psa 95:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:650 3:11'>Heb 3:11</a></em>), even though Israel at the time didn’t realize the intensity of pleading and self-sacrifice for them which was going on up in the mountain. Just as we don’t appreciate the extent of the Lord’s mediation for us, that we might enter the final “rest” (<em><a href='B:650 4:9'>Heb 4:9</a></em>).</p>


