Bible Commentaries
Deuteronomy

THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY

X

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

In no other book in the Bible can you find such examples and such a model of religious oratory as in the book of Deuteronomy. The preacher whose heart cannot be fired by a study of the book of Deuteronomy has no heart to be fired. Our theme for this study is a general introduction to the book of Deuteronomy. In a primary sense Deuteronomy is the closing division of the Pentateuch. The Pentateuch must be considered as one continuous book, artificially divided into the parts that we now have. Each foregoing division demands all subsequent ones and each subsequent one presupposes all the foregoing ones. The unity of the Pentateuch is as marked as the unity of the human body.

In literary form Deuteronomy is distinguished sharply from all preceding divisions. Genesis is generally narrative; Exodus is narrative and legislation; Leviticus is legislation; Numbers is generally narrative, but Deuteronomy consists almost altogether of orations and poems, and is throughout expository and hortatory. In the other books of the Pentateuch we had the historians and legislators, but here we have the prophet, the orator and the poet, and this fact sufficiently accounts for the difference in style and method and largely governs the interpretation. It is further distinguished from Leviticus in that Leviticus is restricted to a single tribe and treats of religious service only in its priests, sacrifices, types, holy days and rituals, but Deuteronomy is addressed to the nation as a unit, touching civic righteousness and national life arising from the peculiar relations of the people of Jehovah.

In a good sense Leviticus with Exodus 25-40 may be called the priest’s code, while Deuteronomy with Exodus 19-23 may be called the people’s code. But we would be void of literary and spiritual sense in attempting to deduce from this fact different authors or widely separated dates of composition for the two codes. Deuteronomy as well as all subsequent history presupposes the antecedent Leviticus. Anybody may find it a profitable study to trace in Deuteronomy its historical dependence upon each one of the foregoing divisions of the Pentateuch. I certainly found that to be a profitable study. Look through the book of Deuteronomy to find how much of it is dependent upon the history contained in Genesis, how much of it is dependent upon the history contained in Exodus, how much of it is dependent upon the legislation contained in the book of Numbers. This is one of the best ways to prove the relation of this book to the other books. Any intelligent student who has a copy of my chronological analysis of Numbers, which furnishes indissoluble links binding Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy together, will have an advantage in this line of study.

Now we come to the title of this book. It has four Jewish titles. First, in the Hebrew canon, there is the name debarim. In my Jewish Bible this is at the head of the book of Deuteronomy. It simply means the words, or these be the words. The second Jewish name is the fifth of the fifths of the law, that is, the fifth part of the five divisions of the law. Its third Jewish name is the book of reproofs, because there are so many admonitions in it. The fourth Jewish name given by certain rabbis is the iteration of the law. These are the four Jewish names in the book of Deuteronomy.

The Greek – the Septuagint and other Greek versions – follow the fourth Jewish title, styling the book Deuteronomion, or the second giving of the Law.

The Latin – the Vulgate – merely Latinizes the Greek, so that we have Deuteronomium. The English versions merely Anglicize the Greek and Latin so that we have Deuteronomy. So the name of this book as we have it now came from the fourth Jewish name, iteration of the Law. And it is supposed that they got the name from the phrase, "A copy of this law" (Deuteronomy 17:18). If they got it there, they misinterpret the phrase, which simply means and refers to the whole Pentateuch. Thus from a misunderstanding of the phrase in Deuteronomy 17:18, we derive our name of the book. This name "Deuteronomy" is, in some sense, misleading, because the book does not recapitulate all preceding law; it leaves out many important sections, and it enlarges the previous law by necessary supplementary statutes; hence to call it, a second giving of the Law, is a misnomer.

The orator, while recognizing all past law and history as a basis for his exhortations, simply recites so much of that law and history as meets his purpose and then enacts such additional legislation as was necessary to their becoming occupants of the Promised Land, all of this to be the basis of exhortation and prophecy. You will recall that when we were studying what is called "The Book of the Covenant" (Exodus 19-23), that is) the Covenant of Sinai) it was clearly explained that this covenant was divided into three distinct parts: first, the Decalogue, the ten words of the moral law; second, the civil and criminal statutes necessary for national life; and third, the altar, or the way of approach to God. All the subsequent part of the Pentateuch is but a development of that covenant; for instance, the book of Deuteronomy is simply a development of the first two sections, that is, the Decalogue and the civil and criminal statutes of national life. The original book of the covenant as set forth in Exodus 10-23 may be called the constitution and the rest derivative legislation from the-constitution. Deuteronomy looks back, I say, mainly to the first two sections, the Decalogue and the civil and criminal statutes, and it is a development from them. So much for the name.

Now we come to the scene where the discussion took place. I wonder if you could locate the scene of the book, with the book before you. Would you not be misled by the first two verses which are retrospective and give the scenes of Numbers? My answer to the question of the scene is simply this: the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan, opposite Jericho.

Next is the time covered by the book. What time does the book cover? Note these scriptures: Deuteronomy 1:3, which says, "And it came to pass in the fortieth year" (that is of the exodus), "in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel." Now, this is the beginning date. Turn to Joshua 4:19. That says they crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the new year, so that between the beginning of Deuteronomy and the crossing of the Jordan, there were two months plus ten days, or seventy days. You have now two distinct elements that will help you to fix the time. Your next scripture is Deuteronomy 34:8, which says that thirty days Israel mourned the death of Moses; thirty from seventy leaves forty. You have not the date yet. Now, by looking at Joshua 1:11; Joshua 3:2, you will find that you must subtract three more days, so this leaves for the book of Deuteronomy just thirty-seven days. You are to understand that, with the exception of the last chapter, which was written by Joshua after Moses died, connecting it with the book of Joshua, the thirty-three chapters of Deuteronomy cover what occurred in the last month of the life of Moses. You may say that in that last month there were seven speeches to be made and a little history to be enacted.

We next come to the occasion of the book of Deuteronomy: The first element is, they had completed their wanderings and had arrived at the very place on the Jordan where they were to cross over into the Promised Land. You remember that thirty-eight years before this they had gotten to the edge of the Promised Land, at Kadesh-barnea, in the southern part of what is now Judea. Now they are back to the borders of the Promised Land, but at a different place. That is the first element of the occasion. They are now about to go over into the Promised Land, and whatever speeches are made and whatever poems are recited are bound to bear on the occasion. The second element of the occasion is that all territory of the Promised Land east of the Jordan River, what was later called Perea, had just been conquered from Sihon, the Amorite king, Og, king of Bashan, and the Midianites, and divided among two tribes and a half-tribe, so that part of the Promised Land, all east of the Jordan, is in possession.

The third element is that they are now to install a successor to Moses, their wonderful leader of the past forty years, who no doubt considered himself as their deliverer for the last eighty years. The marvelous hero of the past is to die and not to go with them over into the Promised Land. We are to consider, then, the speeches and poems of a man who knows that he is to live but one month. They are, therefore, the farewell words of a dying man.

The next element of the occasion is that before Moses died he wanted them to renew the covenant with God. You remember the covenant at Sinai had been broken when they worshiped the golden calf. You remember it had been broken at Kadesh-barnea and for thirty-eight years had been, in a measure, suspended. They did not worship God nor circumcise their children, but now as the children of men who perished in the wilderness, they are about to go into possession of the Promised Land, it is necessary for them to renew the covenant of the people, with exhortations based thereon. The last element of the occasion is that they must be made to understand the covenant. Hence the expository character of the book.

See if you can group in your mind the elements of the occasion of the book of Deuteronomy: first, travels completed; second, all east of the Jordan has been captured and occupied; third, a successor to their leader must be appointed and Moses must bid farewell; fourth, they are now to cross the last boundary that intervenes between them and the Promised Land; fifth, it is necessary to renew the covenant intelligently; sixth, it is necessary to understand it. So I think that constitutes the occasion of the book.

Now, the purpose of the book you can guess from the occasion. In general, the purpose is to magnify their relation to Jehovah and to commit the people to obedience. If ever a speaker on earth had a definite purpose in his mind, it was Moses in delivering these speeches which we call Deuteronomy.

Next, what is Deuteronomy? This is a great question. I have already shown you that it is not merely a recapitulation of laws. Rather it is an inspired and authoritative commentary on past law and history, with exhortations based upon that law and history. This is the first thing it is. The book of Deuteronomy is an inspired, authoritative commentary on, or an exposition of, the past laws and history of the people, with exhortations based thereon. Second, it consists of prophecies concerning the future, with exhortations thereon. Some of the most remarkable prophecies in the world are in the book of Deuteronomy. Third, it consists of rewards promised to obedience and punishments denounced upon disobedience. Now, that is what Deuteronomy is.

The historical elements of the book of Deuteronomy are merely connecting links to hold the addresses and poems together. There is very little forward history in the book, however much he recited past history. This history is to be found in Deuteronomy 1:1-5; Deuteronomy 4:44-49; most of Deuteronomy 31; Deuteronomy 32:44-52; Deuteronomy 34. These are the historical elements of the book.

The Prophetic Elements. – "Prophet" in the Old Testament means both teacher and foreteller, but when I say prophecies of this book, I do not refer to the teachings, but to the foretellings, where Moses has the veil which hides the future from view pulled away so that he could look almost to the end of time. There is one messianic prophecy of tremendous signification in Deuteronomy 18 where he says, "Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me . . . and it shall come to pass that whosoever shall not heed that prophet shall be cut off from his people." You recall the scene on the Mount of Transfiguration, where Peter said, "Let us make three tents, one for thee, one for Moses and one for Elias," with God’s reply, "Hear ye him." Whosoever shall not hear that prophet shall be cut off from his people.

From Deuteronomy 28 to the end of the thirty-third, there are most wonderful prophecies concerning the future of the Jewish people. If he had been present and an eyewitness of the future destruction of Jerusalem, he could not have more vividly depicted the fact. Now, Josephus witnessed it and describes a part of it, but Moses describes it more faithfully than the eyewitness does. Then he tells of some things not yet fulfilled, viz.: the restoration of the Jews, and it certainly teaches the ingathering of the Gentiles. So you see what you have before you in this book.

Now we come to the next question – Who is the author of Deuteronomy? To put it plainly, nobody else but Moses, since Adam was created until now, could have been the author of the thirty-three chapters. Let the higher critics say what they please, that man is void of both literary and spiritual sense who makes any other man the author of this book. He may be a scholar, a bookscholar, but he is emphatically a fool as to literary and spiritual sense. Deuteronomy, as it is treated in the "Expositor’s Bible" by one of the higher critics, is both a poison and a shame. The Bible Commentary on the introduction to Deuteronomy gives this fair sample of the value of radical criticism: "In truth no more convincing evidence could be afforded that the method of criticism in question is untrustworthy than the results of its application to Deuteronomy. The older scholars, Gesenius, de Wette, Ewald, Bleek, etc., unhesitatingly-affirm that Deuteronomy was written long after the rest of the Pentateuch was extant in its present shape. The newer school sees no less certainty in Deuteronomy the primeval quarry out of which the writers concerned in the production of the preceding books draw their materials." Some of the higher critics say it is here, others it is there. Now that finishes my discussion on the introduction of the book of Deuteronomy.

QUESTIONS

1. For what is the book of Deuteronomy especially valuable?

2. What it its relation to the other books of the Pentateuch?

3. Distinguish its literary form from that of the preceding books.

4. How do you account for the difference in style and method of Deuteronomy from the other books of the Pentateuch?

5. How is it further distinguished from Leviticus?

6. What constitutes the priest’s code? The people’s code?

7. Does this fact justify the claim for different authors and dates for these codes?

8. Trace in Deuteronomy the historical dependence of the book upon each of the preceding divisions of the Pentateuch.

9. What the Jewish titles and how derived?

10. What the Greek title and how derived?

11. What the Latin title and how derived?

12. What the English name and how derived?

13. How does the English name, Deuteronomy, fit the book and why?

14. Deuteronomy is a development of what part of the Sinaitic covenant?

15. What the scene of the book?

16. What the time covered by the book, and how obtained?

17. What the elements of the occasion of the book?

18. What its purpose?

19. What is Deuteronomy?

20. Locate its historic, prophetic and poetic parts.

21. What are some of its most remarkable prophecies?

22. Who the author, and why?

23. Give a fair sample of the value of radical criticism.

XVII

THE HOMILETIC VALUE OF DEUTERONOMY

The book of Deuteronomy, like the letters to the Romans and to the Hebrews, is expository, abounding in both single texts and topics. It is a mine from which a preacher or platform speaker digs the richest themes. So our Saviour and his apostles found it and used it more than they did, perhaps, any other book in the Old Testament. You have followed these discussions and have done what studying you have done to very little purpose if you have not filled your quiver with feathered, sharp, and polished arrows.

On account of the homiletical value of the book arising from its expository nature, I have thought it well to devote this last section to calling your attention to some of the many great pulpit themes in the book.

When I was a young preacher, I studied this book a solid month and then carefully wrote out a list of 250 special sermon outlines from texts selected from the book. Of course I am not going to inflict any 250 on you in this discussion. The first time I ever read Deuteronomy, I felt as if I had gotten into a rich mine from which a good miner could dig tons and tons of preaching material.

TEXTS FOR SERMONS

1. Deuteronomy 1:5: "Moses began to declare [expound] this law." I take that first because it marks the character of the book; to declare, to dig up, to get under, to expound, not to enact or proclaim.

2. Deuteronomy 1:9-18) a topical theme: Israel’s Judicial System. In discussing that I have four divisions: (1) Its graded courts or a division of labor, judges over tens, fifties, hundreds, thousands and so on up, its appellate court being the oracle of God. This judicial system brings before our minds the first system of graded courts. (2) The character and qualifications of the judges. (3) The methods of trial and hearing evidence. (4) Verdict and penalty. These are the four divisions of the theme, Israel’s Judicial System.

3. Deuteronomy 1:2: "It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea." On account of sin they lost thirty-seven days in getting there the first time, and thirty-eight years in getting there the second time, so that the theme for that text is, "Sin makes a short way very long."

4. Deuteronomy 1:39: "The excuse about children." Men never quit making it. How many times do parents justify wrongdoing by attributing it to their concern for the little folks?

5. Deuteronomy 1:41-45, theme: "They who will not war with Jehovah as leader better not war without him." They would not go with him as leader and afterwards presumptuously went and he would not go with them.

6. Based upon the parenthetical statements in the second and third chapters. This refers to the giants, Emims, Rephims, Zamzummins, etc. Theme: "Giants are not invincible." Moses brings in the history of these giants to show that if giants could be overcome by the Edomites, by a people who were not Jehovah’s people, why on earth should his people tremble because there were giants in the way? Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress tells how a whole host of Christian people being come together at the house of Gaius and one said that it was not right for that many of God’s people to be together and do nothing for the cause, saying, "Let’s go out and kill a giant," which they proceeded to do. I oftentimes quote that at Associations and Conventions where the brethren come together to resolve, resolve, and adjourn. God’s people should kill giants when they assemble.

7. Deuteronomy 4:15: "Ye saw no manner of form," no similitude or like-ness of God.

8. Deuteronomy 4:32: "The days that are past" or Memory’s use of history.

9. Deuteronomy 6:4: "Love the fulfilling of the law."

10. Deuteronomy 6:7: "Family instruction."

11. Deuteronomy 7:2-3: "Beware of entangling alliances." I am quoting the theme from Washington’s farewell address, "Beware of entangling alliances with other nations."

12. "Man doth not live by bread alone." This was used by our Saviour and with it he turned the devil down in the temptation. In the early days of my pastorate, I was walking down the street one day and saw a man who, just as soon as he saw me, tried to hide his face. I went into his house and saw that he was one of my members who had not been to church for a good while. He was running a little retail dram shop. I never said a word, just looked at him. "A man must make a living somehow," he said; "a man must make a living somehow," repeating just that over and over. "Not necessarily," I said: "you are not bound to live. It certainly is necessary for you to obey God and you are not doing it." "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of Jehovah."

13. The greater part of Deuteronomy 9 is on "Beware of selfrighteousness." This is one of the finest chapters in the Bible. Do not attribute your spiritual prosperity to your own righteousness.

14. Deuteronomy 9:25, presents to us the intercession of Moses, that mighty man of prayer.

15. Deuteronomy 10:12, gives us the summary of duty, showing that God’s commandments are reasonable commandments.

16. Deuteronomy 10:16, gives us the spiritual meaning of circumcision, showing what is its true antitype, not baptism, but circumcision of the heart; in other words, regeneration is the antitype of circumcision.

17. A topical subject without specifying a particular place. The Deuteronomy tithe as compared with the Levitical tithe. In other words, the second tithe of the Law and what it is for.

18. Deuteronomy 13:1-3: "No sign can attest a false prophet or false doctrine."

19. Deuteronomy 18:15-19, the greatest text in the book: That prophet like unto Moses.

20. Now we come to another topical theme, national instruction as based on chapter 16, giving an account of the feasts, and in a later chapter which tells how the whole nation, men, women and children, shall come together and be instructed for a whole year in the Law. National instruction.

21. Deuteronomy 17:14-20: The king and the book.

22. Deuteronomy 19:1-11: Purpose of the cities of refuge.

23. Deuteronomy 20: Laws of war.

24. Deuteronomy 21:1-9: Civic responsibility for crime.

25. Deuteronomy 21:22: Cursed is every man that hangeth upon a tree. You can carry that over into the New Testament.

26. Deuteronomy 24:16: Personal responsibility.

27. Deuteronomy 26:1-11: Acknowledgment of Jehovah’s ownership.

28. Deuteronomy 29:5: Jehovah’s providence.

29. Deuteronomy 30:1: Jehovah’s mercy for the penitent.

30. Deuteronomy 30:11: Now I come to one that I put next to the greatest one. I called the one in Deuteronomy 18:18, the greatest. The Law not hard nor far off, the one that Paul explains in Romans 10, and to which Christ refers when he says, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."

31. Deuteronomy 30:19: Indissoluble pairs; life and good, death and evil.

32. Deuteronomy 31:2-3: The cause does not die with its advocates. Moses dies, Jehovah remains, and Joshua succeeds.

33. Deuteronomy 31:8: Comfort and power of Jehovah’s guidance.

34. I leave you to find the expression, but the next theme is "God is a consuming fire." It is just as essential to preach God as a consuming fire as "God is love." For instance, some of you are married and have children. Now that love is not merely manifested in feeding them, clothing them, and petting them. What if you saw a rattlesnake just about to strike your child? What if you saw a wolf come into your tent and just about to grab one of your children? What would love do? What if you saw that child about to be ruined by association with incorrigible, awful children, would you separate them? Now you can see how love digs hell.

35. Here is a text that I used to preach from a great deal, "Write it plain."

36. Deuteronomy 29:18: "A root of bitterness." That is a fine text for showing how the Law goes to the bottom and does not wait until it comes out into overt acts.

37. Deuteronomy 28:56: "The delicate lady." When you get over in the New Testament, if you look at the Greek of a certain expression of Paul, it means "little women," not small in stature or youthful in age as Miss Alcott’s Little Women, but little in a moral sense.

38. Now, another one of the very greatest texts in the book. If you ever want to be transcendently eloquent and impressive in a revival sermon, and your heart is in it, take this theme: Deuteronomy 28:65-67, "The mental torture of the lost," "A scorpion circled with fire," as one writer calls it. One of the most remarkable illustrations on account of sin is found in Tiberius, the great Roman Emperor. He had become such a tyrant; he had sinned so much that all power of discrimination between right and wrong had been lost. The assembled Senate was waiting to receive his message to guide deliberation on important matters. This was his message: "What to write you, Conscript Fathers, or how to write or what not to write, may all the gods and goddesses destroy me more than I feel they are daily destroying me, if I know." Shakespeare more than any other author portrays this despair in Richard III, Macbeth, and other dramas.

39. Deuteronomy 27:26: "Amen." Now, how would you discuss it? The word means let it be so. God, by putting half the people on Ebal and half on Gerizirn, committed them to the repetition of every curse and every blessing, and when they got through with all the curses and blessings he made every one say, "Amen," "Let it be just that way." The greatest triumph of our Lord is set forth in one of Paul’s letters where he says, "Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess." That when he comes to judge the world and brings the lost from hell, and the saved from heaven, not one of whom has fully understood all of the reasons why he is saved or lost, so clearly will everything be brought out that even the lost when they turn away to enter hell forever will say, "Amen." They will have to testify that what has been done has been done well.

40. Deuteronomy 29:29: "Hidden and revealed things." Hidden things belong to God, but revealed things we are to teach to our children. The purpose and limits of revelation.

41. Here is a great topical theme: "God’s provision for the record, preservation, and publication of his Law." The first central part of the Law God spoke to Moses, and then wrote an autograph copy and filed it as a witness. Every seventh year had to be devoted to going over the entire Law and the exposition of it. You can carry the idea out into the whole of the Old Testament written in Hebrew, then translated into Greek, then into Latin, then into English, and a thousand other languages.

42. Deuteronomy 32:31: "Their rock is not our rock, even our enemies themselves being judges." A fine theme.

43. Deuteronomy 32:32: "For their vine is of the vine of Sodom."

44. The last one that I have: "There hath not arisen a prophet like unto Moses." These are some of the greatest preaching themes in the book. I could give you a thousand just as well as the forty-odd that I have given you. It is the richest mine for a preacher, it seems to me, in the whole Bible.

QUESTIONS

1. What the nature of the book of Deuteronomy?

2. Mark each text pointed out and be able to give the line of thought and application suggested.

3. The Sinaitic covenant is a development of what preceding covenant?

4. What chapters in Exodus contain the Sinaitic covenant in germ, or its constitution, and what its three elements?

5. Of which of these three elements is Leviticus a development, and of which are Numbers and Deuteronomy a development?

6. In Deuteronomy 31:24-26, does "this book of the Law" which Moses finished writing mean Deuteronomy only, or does it include the whole Pentateuch? Answer the same question concerning the "Book of the Law" found in Josiah’s time, (2 Kings 22) and the "Book of the Law" from which Ezra read, (Nehemiah 8:1).

7. Were the social laws touching marriage, divorce, slavery, parental power over children, perfect like the moral law, and if not, why not, and did they regulate these things in a way to improve them as practised by the heathen nations?

8. What is the best book on Old Testament ethics?

9. What five New Testament uses of the words of Moses most emphasize the value of his books?

10. What New Testament appearance and consociation of persons best illustrates his position in Revelation?

11. What one word best accounts for Moses?