Deuteronomy
As we begin the book
Deuteronomy, let’s talk a little about the name. The word Deuteronomy means “second law.” So, you should expect that a good portion of
this book is going to be about a retelling of the law, the Israelites journey
through the wilderness, and Moses’ charge to the new generation. I like to think of this book as Moses’
farewell address. I like to think of
Moses gathering the tribes together and speaking to them about his journey with
them as their leader as well as encouraging them forward knowing that they will
not be under him for too much longer. As
we read through this text, that frame of reference will be important. Deuteronomy is not Moses giving a new
law. Rather, this book is about Moses
giving the same law to a new generation who are now facing new challenges and
about to be under new leadership as they move into the Promised Land.
40 Years Instead of Eleven Days
I think I needed to
hear this chapter today. Or, at the very
least, I needed to hear this chapter in conjunction with the words of a good
companion. Although I don’t personally
know him, Warren Wiersbe writes in his Expository Outlines of the Old
Testament:
“It had taken them forty years to
get there, yet v. 2 states that the journey should have taken eleven days! This
is the tragedy of unbelief: it wastes time, energy, and manpower; and it robs
God of the glory due His Name.”
I think that is a
powerful place to begin this chapter. I
am no better than these Hebrew people who wasted a generation instead of
getting down to what God would have them do.
How many times have I taken days, months, or years to do what God asked
me to accomplish in far less time?
Rebellion
I think it is also important
to pause and assert that this chapter begins with a reminder of the Hebrew
rebellion. No matter how much we would
like to cover it up, no matter how much we’d love to put a positive spin on who
we are as people, no matter how religious and holy we would like to present
ourselves – the truth is that our very nature is utterly and completely in
rebellion to God. We struggle with
God. We wrestle with God. It is who we are as a people. I think this is why the book of Deuteronomy
opens with rebellion as the major topic.
Only when we are honest and allow our rebellion to be brought out into
the light is it exposed and God is able to deal with it. So long as we bury it within us, deny its
existence, and hide it from others it will continue to fester inside.
I think this is one
of the dangers of the godly life. People
assume that once you walk with God you should always say the right words, make
the right decisions, and do the right things.
But that is not reality! Moses
made his share of mistakes. Joshua will
make his in the readings to come. David
certainly made many mistakes in his life!
In the New Testament, Peter made mistakes, Paul made mistakes, James the
brother of our Lord made mistakes! Yet
so many people try to bury their humanity under this false veil of perfection
so that the mistakes can’t be brought out into the open and dealt with.
To me, that is not
true theology. If we cannot let our
depravity out in the open so that it can be exposed for what it is and then crucified,
then we aren’t really interested in letting God change who we are. {See
one of my all-time favorite verses: Galatians 2:19-20.} When we bury our true self inside of us and
present some false image in which everything is okay, we are denying Paul’s
words in Galatians to have their power!
So, today we begin
with rebellion. As we read about a new
generation on the verge of undertaking God’s will, we hear how they start the
story in the story of their own people’s rebellion. They needed to understand rebellion so that
they could fight against it within themselves.
We must come to the same conclusion.
Where rebellion exists, don’t bury it.
Expose it, allow it to be seen for what it is, then allow God to crucify
it.
Declare
One last comment
before I sign off for the day.
Deuteronomy 1:3 tells us that Moses spoke to the people. The Hebrew word there means “declare” or “command.” The word “declare” literally means “make clear,
reveal, disclose, or announce.” Moses is revealing
the law to the people. But Moses is
revealing the true nature of humanity to the people as well. It is what this chapter – and this whole book
of the Bible – is all about.
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