Deuteronomy, Moses’ “Upper Desert Discourse,” consists of a series of farewell messages by Israel’s 120-year-old leader. It is addressed to the new generation destined to possess the Land of Promise—those who survived the forty years of wilderness wandering.
Like Leviticus, Deuteronomy contains a vast amount of legal detail, but its emphasis is on the laymen rather than the priests. Moses reminds the new generation of the importance of obedience if they are to learn from the sad example of their parents.
Title
The Hebrew title of Deuteronomy is Haddebharim, “The Words,” taken from the opening phrase in 1:1, “These are the words.” The parting words of Moses to the new generation are given in oral and written form so that they will endure to all generations. Deuteronomy has been called “five-fifths of the Law” since it completes the five books of Moses. The Jewish people have also called it Mishneh Hattorah, “repetition of the Law,” which is translated in the Septuagint as To Deuteronomion Touto, “This Second Law.” Deuteronomy, however, is not a second law but an adaptation and expansion of much of the original law given on Mount Sinai. The English title comes from the Greek title Deuteronomion, “Second Law.” Deuteronomy has also been appropriately called the “Book of Remembrance.”
Author
The Mosaic authorship of Deuteronomy has been vigorously attacked by critics who claim that Moses is only the originator of the tradition on which these laws are based. Some critics grant that part of Deuteronomy may have come from Mosaic times through oral tradition. The usual argument is that it was anonymously written not long before 621 B.C. and used by King Josiah to bring about his reform in that year (2 Kin. 22–23). There are several reasons why these arguments are not valid.
External Evidence: (1) The Old Testament attributes Deuteronomy and the rest of the Pentateuch to Moses (see Josh. 1:7; Judg. 3:4; 1 Kin. 2:3; 2 Kin. 14:6; Ezra 3:2; Neh. 1:7; Ps. 103:7; Dan. 9:11; Mal. 4:4). (2) Evidence from Joshua and First Samuel indicates that these laws existed in the form of codified written statutes and exerted an influence on the Israelites in Canaan. (3) Christ quotes it as God’s Word in turning back Satan’s three temptations (see Matt. 4:4, 7, 10) and attributes it directly to Moses (see Matt. 19:7–9; Mark 7:10; Luke 20:28; John 5:45–47). (4) Deuteronomy is cited more than eighty times in seventeen of the twenty-seven New Testament books. These citations support the Mosaic authorship (see Acts 3:22; Rom. 10:19). (5) Jewish and Samaritan traditions point to Moses.
Internal Evidence: (1) Deuteronomy includes about forty claims that Moses wrote it (see 31:24–26; cf. 1:1–5; 4:44–46; 29:1; 31:9). (2) Deuteronomy fits the time of Moses, not Josiah: Canaan is viewed from the outside; the Canaanite religion is seen as a future menace; it assumes the hearers remember Egypt and the wilderness; Israel is described as living in tents; and there is no evidence of a divided kingdom. (3) A serious problem of misrepresentation and literary forgery would arise if this book were written in the seventh century B.C. (4) Geographical and historical details indicate a firsthand knowledge. (5) Deuteronomy follows the treaty form used in the fifteenth and fourteenth centuries B.C. (6) Moses’ obituary in Chapter 34 was probably written by Joshua.
Date and Setting
Like Leviticus, Deuteronomy does not progress historically. It takes place entirely on the plains of Moab due east of Jericho and the Jordan River (see 1:1; 29:1; Josh. 1:2). It covers about one month: combine Deuteronomy 1:3 and 34:8 with Joshua 5:6–12. The book was written at the end of the forty-year period in the wilderness (c. 1405 B.C.) when the new generation was on the verge of entering Canaan. Moses wrote it to encourage the people to believe and obey God in order to receive God’s blessings.
Theme and Purpose
“Beware lest you forget” is a key theme in Deuteronomy. Moses emphasizes the danger of forgetfulness because it leads to arrogance and disobedience. They must remember two things: (1) when they prosper, it is God who has caused it, and (2) when they disobey God, He will discipline them as He did when the previous generation failed to believe Him at Kadesh-barnea. Deuteronomy is a call to obedience as a condition to blessing. God has always been faithful to His covenant and He now extends it to the new generation. Deuteronomy is a covenant renewal document that uses the same format as Near Eastern treaties in the time of Moses. These treaties had the following elements: (1) a preamble (a list of the parties making the treaty; 1:1–5), (2) a historical prologue (the benevolent dealings of the king in the past; 1:6–4:43), (3) stipulations (conditions of the covenant; 4:44–26:19), (4) ratification (blessings and cursings; 27–30), and (5) continuity (provisions for maintaining the covenant; 31–34). There is an emphasis on choice, and the people are urged to choose life rather than death (30:19–20). They are told to “hear” (50 times) and “do,” “keep,” “observe” (177 times) God’s commands out of a heart of “love” (21 times).
Keys to Deuteronomy
Key Word: Covenant
Key Verses (10:12–13; 30:19–20)—“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” (10:12–13).
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him: for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them” (30:19–20).
Key Chapter (27)—The formal ratification of the covenant occurs in chapter 27 as Moses, the priests, the Levites, and all of Israel “Take heed and listen, O Israel: This day you have become the people of the LORD your God” (27:9).
Christ in Deuteronomy
The most obvious portrait of Christ is found in chapter 18, verse 15: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear” (see also 18:16–19; Acts 7:37). Moses is a type of Christ in many ways as he is the only biblical figure other than Christ to fill the three offices of prophet (34:10–12), priest (Ex. 32:31–35), and king (although Moses was not king, he functioned as ruler of Israel; 33:4–5). Both are in danger of death during childhood; both are saviors, intercessors, and believers; and both are rejected by their brethren. Moses is one of the greatest men who ever lived, combining not just one or two memorable virtues but many.
Contribution to the Bible
Deuteronomy is a supplementary book to the rest of the Pentateuch and fills a role similar to that of the Gospel of John compared to the synoptic Gospels. It fills in missing elements and gives the spiritual significance of the history found in the other books of Moses. Genesis to Numbers portray God’s ways, Deuteronomy reveals God’s love.
The emphasis on God’s love in this book (4:37; 7:7–8; 10:15; 23:5) was a crucial step for Israel’s understanding. Deuteronomy was perhaps Christ’s favorite book. He quoted from it often (see Matt. 4:4,7,10; 22:37–38; Mark 7:10; 10:19, 29–30).
Survey of Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy, in its broadest outline, is the record of the renewal of the old covenant given at Mount Sinai. This covenant is reviewed, expanded, enlarged, and finally ratified in the plains of Moab. Moses accomplishes this primarily through three sermons that move from a retrospective, to an introspective, and finally to a prospective look at God’s dealings with Israel.
Moses’ First Sermon (1:1–4:43): Moses reaches into the past to remind the people of two undeniable facts in their history: (1) the moral judgment of God upon Israel’s unbelief, and (2) the deliverance and provision of God during times of obedience. The simple lesson is that obedience brings blessing, and disobedience brings punishment.
Moses’ Second Sermon (4:44–26:19): This moral and legal section is the longest in the book because Israel’s future as a nation in Canaan will depend upon a right relationship with God. These chapters review the three categories of the Law: (1) The testimonies (5–11). These are the moral duties—a restatement and expansion of the Ten Commandments plus an exhortation not to forget God’s gracious deliverance. (2) The statutes (12:1–16:17). These are the ceremonial duties—sacrifices, tithes, and feasts. (3) The ordinances (16:18–26:19). These are the civil (16:18–20:20) and social (21–26) duties—he system of justice, criminal laws, laws of warfare, rules of property, personal and family morality, and social justice.
Moses’ Third Sermon (27–34): In these chapters Moses writes history in advance. He predicts what will befall Israel in the near future (blessings and cursings) and in the distant future (dispersion among the nations and eventual return). Moses lists the terms of the covenant soon to be ratified by the people. Because Moses will not be allowed to enter the land, he appoints Joshua as his successor and delivers a farewell address to the multitude. God Himself buries Moses in an unknown place, perhaps to prevent idolatry. Moses finally enters the Promised Land when he appears with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:3). The last three verses of the Pentateuch (34:10–12) are an appropriate epitaph for this great man.
Wilkinson, B., & Boa, K. (1983). Talk thru the Bible (p. 36). Nashville: T. Nelson.