Which book of Moses mentions “love” more than any other?
(Gen. 2:16-17; Ex. 19:4-8; 2 Kings 23:1-25; Acts 7:20-36; Gal. 3:6-11) Blog Sep 26-Oct 2, 2021
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
INTRODUCTION: This quarter we will consider the book of Deuteronomy. In it Moses addresses God’s people just before they are to enter the promised land. The lessons he taught have special significance to God’s people today as our earthly history is about to end and we are to cross over antitypical Jordan.
A Loving Start
1. What book was unearthed from the rubble in God’s temple during the reign of King Josiah? Holy Scripture calls the book unearthed in the days of King Josiah, “The Book of the Covenant” which most likely refers to the book of Deuteronomy for of all the books of Moses it mentions “covenant” the most tmes (2 Kings 23:2).
2. When the Book of the Covenant was read by King Josiah to the people, what was the result? The reading of the Book of the Covenant & vowing to keep its precepts brought a great reformation among God’s people in the days of Josiah (2 Kings 23:4-25).
3. What portion of Deuteronomy did Jesus quote when asked which was the great commandment? Jesus quoted the words of Deuteronomy 6:4-6 when asked which was the great commandment, repeating Moses’ emphasis on a covenant of love (for the Ten Commandments are the “words” of God’s everlasting covenant (Deut. 4:13; Mark 12:28-30).
4. What type of relationship did God desire to create with his people by entering into a covenant with them? God desired a relationship of mutual love with his people. That is why he entered into covenant with them, for only in covenant can love be maintained & grow (Deut. 23:5; Isa. 43:4-5; Jer. 31:3, 31-37; Amos 3:3).
5. Which book of Moses mentions “love” more than any other? The book of Deuteronomy mentions love more than any other book of Moses (Deut. 5:10; 6:5; 7:7 etc.).
6. What element in the Garden of Eden gave evidence that God extended and desired voluntary love from his creatures? The tree of the knowledge of good & evil demonstrated that God extended freedom of choice to his creatures so that they were free to love hm or not (Gen. 2:16-17; 3:1-7).
Attempted Restoration
7. When Adam and Eve chose to not love God by eating the forbidden fruit what steps did God take to restore his covenant of love? When Adam & Eve sinned God went looking for them & promised them a Substitute for their sin as represented by a slain lamb & coats of skin (Gen. 3:8-15, 21).
8. What vivid illustration of God’s desire to have a covenant relationship with his people is given after the construction of the tower of Babel? God’s proposal to cut a covenant with Abraham & his descendants is a vivid illustration of God’s continual desire to be in covenant with his people (Gen. 12:1-3; 15:1-6, 18; 17:1-7).
9. By what means did Abraham, and do we, become heirs of God’s promised salvation? Abraham & we become heirs of God’s promised salvation through faith alone in God & his Word (Gal. 3:6-11).
10. In what way did God seek to renew his covenant of love with Israel when they were in Egyptian bondage? God heard the cry of his oppressed people & called Moses to deliver them (Ex. 2:23-24; 6:4-5; Acts 7:30-36).
11. In Deuteronomy how does Moses describe the exodus from Egypt? Moses says: God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors (Deut. 4:34).
12. How was God’s covenant at Sinai enacted and ratified? In grandeur & noise God spoke the words of the covenant from Mount Sinai, the people promised to obey all God’s words, & Moses ratified the covenant by sprinkling blood on the book & on the people (Ex. 19:8, 16-18; Heb. 9:19-20).
13. Why did God’s covenant people break their promise while in the shadow of Mount Sinai and at Kadesh? The promise God’s people made at Sinai they were unable to keep because their hearts (like ours) were sinful. Their (& our) only hope is in a Substitute (Deut. 5:29; Mar. 10:45; 1 Pet. 2:22-25).
Prelude to the plains of Moab
14. According to Paul in Hebrews, what did God’s people lack that kept them from entering the promised land the first time they came to Kadesh? Because of lack of faith in God & in his Word, God’s people failed to enter the promised land the first time they came to Kadesh (Heb. 3:18-19).
15. When Israel’s faith failed to produce obedience at Kadesh what was the result? Israel said they would rather die in the wilderness than follow God’s plan of conquering Canaan, so God gave them their desire & all that generation except Caleb & Joshua died while wandering forty years in the wilderness (Num 14:28-35; Deut. 1:32-40).
16. What positive events took place when after wandering in the wilderness Israel came back to the borders of the Promised Land? After their wilderness wandering the children of Israel passed peacefully by the territory of Esau, Moab, & Ammon. Then they defeated Sihon King of the Amorites & Og King of Bashan & settled down by the Jordan River in the plains of Moab (Num, 21:23-35).
17. What negative events took place when after wandering in the wilderness Israel came back to the borders of the Promised Land? After their wilderness wandering Moses & Aaron offended God at the Waters of Meribah, many of God’s people died by fiery serpents when complaining about the manna, & Balak, King of Moab, hired Balaam who, after failing to curse Israel, devised a destructive plan to seduce God’s people, using seductive Midianitish women (Num. 20:9-13; 21:5-8; Deut. 4:3).
18. In the light of all these traumatic events, what did Moses undertake to do in the plains of Moab just across the Jordan River from Jericho? After all the traumatic events of the previous forty years Moses gave a brief history & covenant review to God’s people just before God sent him up to Mount Nebo to die (Deut. 1:1-5).