Outline of Deuteronomy (Deu. 4:44-5:5)

3/21/2009 8:47 PM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  Outline of Deuteronomy

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Deuteronomy 4:44-5:5

 

            Message of the verses:  “44  Now this is the law which Moses set before the sons of Israel; 45  these are the testimonies and the statutes and the ordinances which Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, when they came out from Egypt, 46  across the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses and the sons of Israel defeated when they came out from Egypt.  47  They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were across the Jordan to the east, 48  from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, even as far as Mount Sion (that is, Hermon), 49  with all the Arabah across the Jordan to the east, even as far as the sea of the Arabah, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah.

            1 ¶  Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully.  2  "The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.  3  "The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today.  4  "The LORD spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, 5  while I was standing between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said,--”

            I want to write about the outline to this book of Deuteronomy using the information that is taken from Dr. Wiersbe’s book on Deuteronomy.  I think that if I am able to understand this outline then I will understand this wonderful book better.

            “The archeologist’s spade has revealed that the book of Deuteronomy follows a literary pattern used in the ancient Near East for treaties between rulers and their vassal nations.  With Israel, of course, the Lord had conquered their enemies and set the Jews free, and they were His special people; but as they entered their land, this freedom involved responsibilities.  They were a covenant people and Deuteronomy defines the terms of the covenant.  Like the ancient vassal treaties, Deuteronomy has a preamble (1:1-5) and a review of the history behind the treaty (1:6-4:49).  Then it lists the ruler’s stipulations for the conduct of his subjects (chapters 5-26) and what would happen if they disobeyed (chapters 27030).  It closes with an explanation of how the treaty would operate in future generations (chapters 31-34).”

            There is something else that needs to be understood about this covenant:  “When God made this covenant, it included every generation of the nation of Israel from that day on and not just with the generations that gathered at Sinai.”  As written about before in earlier SD’s there were two kinds of covenants, one being an unconditional covenant and the other is a conditional covenant.  The covenant that God made with Abraham in Genesis 15 is an example of an unconditional covenant for in that covenant God swore on Himself that the covenant would come about.  Now as I get into the covenants in Deuteronomy, such as the “Palestinian covenant in chapters 27-30 this is an conditional covenant in that if Israel obeyed it then God would bless them, and if they disobeyed it God would punish them, which of course is what happened.

            The verses that are covered in this section are an introduction to what will be said in verses six and following and the verses that follow will be dealt with in the next SD.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  The New Covenant which is described in the New Testament and also in Jeremiah thirty-one is an unconditional covenant that was verified through the blood of Jesus Christ.  I am a blood bought sinner who has been paid for through the blood of Jesus Christ, the blood that He shed on the cross of Calvary and although my sins and my sin has been paid for I know that in my heart because of the love that I have for Jesus Christ that I am to obey Him and live my life for Him as long as He gives me breath, or until the trumpet sounds and the dead in Christ shall rise, and we who are alive also will be changed and go to be with the Lord Jesus Christ in the air and will ever be with Him throughout eternity.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Trust the Lord to guide my path today and tomorrow and every day forward.
2. Give myself to the Lord for worship and for service.
3. Continue to learn contentment.

 

Memory verses for the week:                                  Ephesians 1:1-2

 

1.       Paul, and apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:

2.       Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

3/21/2009 9:12 PM