This week we will resume our twice-monthly overviews of the books of the Bible. My prayer is that they will give you an overview of what is in each book and make your reading more interesting and spiritually enriching.
The book is a combination of a history lesson, a sermon and a call to obedience.
Deuteronomy is the fifth and final book of the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses, also known as the Torah. In Deuteronomy, we have the privilege of sitting in on Moses’ farewell address to the second generation of the Israelites, those whose parents had once been enslaved in the land of Egypt and had made their way to the Promised Land. The book is a combination of a history lesson, a sermon and a call to obedience.
Moses reminds the people of God’s blessings to them which had come as the result of obedience.
Moses reminds the people of God’s blessings to them which had come as the result of obedience. God wanted them to experience all that He had promised, going all the way back to Abraham: the blessings of land, of a national identity, a special purpose—of being a light to the nations. What He was looking for was a covenant, a mutual bond based on their adherence to the covenant of the King and His kingdom. Now He lays the choice before them. Will they follow Him or will they follow their own desires?
It’s the same question and the same choice that faces you and me.
Here’s a short video that highlights five key themes in the book of Deuteronomy. May you be blessed by it!