Why did God tell Israel to entirely blot out men, women, and children?
(Deut. 1:1-4:14) Blog Oct. 3-9, 2021
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: We have seen events that led up to Moses’ farewell address to God’s people as recorded in Deuteronomy: God entered into a covenant of love with them at Sinai, they rebelled at Sinai and at Kadesh Barnea, God gave that generation their wish to die in the wilderness, forty years later they peacefully skirted their relatives and defeated Sihon and Og, but Moses’ sin at Meribah, death by fiery serpents, and adultery with the Midianites stained their history just before they were to cross the Jordan River. It was from that book that Jesus met every temptation in the wilderness and that book brought reformation to God’s people in the days of King Josiah. In Deuteronomy we too can find help to meet temptation and inspiration to bring reformation on the borders of our Land of Promise
Moses’ Introduction
1. According to Holy Scripture, whose ideas was Moses going to communicate on the Plains of Moab? Scripture says that Moses spoke what the Lord had commanded him (Deut. 1:3).
2. As Moses begins his farewell address to God’s people, what is the first thing he wants them to remember? Moses begins his farewell address by recounting that after receiving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, God told them to move on towards the promised land (Deut. 1:6-7).
3. How many days would it take for a normal traveler to walk from Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea? The journey from Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea was normally an eleven-day walk (Deut. 1:2).
4. With the delays because of complaining, because of the harvest of quails, and because of Miriam’s leprosy how long must it have taken Israel to journey from Sinai to Kadesh Barnea? The journey from Sinai to Kadesh Barnea must have taken Israel about ten months (Num. 10:11; Deut. 2:14).
5. What should we learn from God’s command “to move on” and Israel’s slow progress towards Canaan? God desires continual growth in grace even though our sinful natures hinder our progress in the Christian life (2 Pet. 3:18).
6. On what basis did God encourage his people to possess the promised land? God encouraged Israel (& he encourages us) to possess the promised land for he swore to give it to them (& to us) in his covenant of love made with Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob (Deut. 1:8).
Historical Ups and Downs
7. What was Moses’ attitude toward the growth in numbers of God’s people? Moses was very glad that God had greatly multiplied his people & prayed that they would multiply a thousand times more, but only in the light of the divinely approved plan to appoint levels of rulers over the people in an organized structure, otherwise, he admitted that it would be impossible to lead such a multitude (Deut. 1:9-18).
8. How did Moses as a good leader encourage God’s people to enter and take possession of the promised land? Moses encouraged God’s people saying: “Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our God doth give unto us. Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.” (Deut. 1:20-21).
9. When the twelve spies returned with their report in what did the majority of the people erroneously trust. At Kadesh Barnea the first time, God’s people erroneously trusted the word of men over the Word of God (Deut. 1:28; Psa. 118:8-9; Prov. 29:25).
10. When God suggested to Moses that he would blot out his rebellious people what intercessory argument did Moses present to God? Moses told God that all the nations would say, “Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness (Num. 14:16).
11. Why did God tell Israel to entirely blot out men, women, and children from the tribes whose territory they were to possess? Even God’s mercy has limits – the wickedness of the tribes Israel was to utterly destroy had passed the limits of God’s forbearance (that was not yet true in Genesis 15) & like the antediluvian world they had to be eradicated before their influence permeated all societies. God first judges & then executes his judgment. Like Nineveh these nations were given a 40-year extension (Gen. 6:3-8; 15:16; Josh. 2:8-11; Rom. 2:5-6; 2 Pet. 3:9; Rev. 20:15).
12. What important lesson should we learn from the fact that the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh were required to cross Jordan and fight alongside their brethren even though their territory had already been conquered? That the men from the 2 ½ tribes whose territory lay east of the Jordan were required to cross Jordan and fight alongside their brethren should teach us the level of harmony that should exist between different ministries in God’s church as they seek to conquer the world for Christ (Rom. 16:17-18; 1 Cor. 1:10).
13. How does Moses end the historical prologue of his farewell address? As he concludes his review of Israel’s history from Sinai to the plains of Moab, Moses recounts his request that God allow him also to enter the promised land & God’s response that he would only be allowed to see from far off & die on Mount Nebo (Deut. 3:23-27).
Why the History Lesson?
14. For what reason did God through Moses give the history lesson recorded in Deuteronomy 1-3? Deuteronomy chapter 4 begins with a clear statement as to why the address on the plains of Moab began with a history lesson: God wanted to remind his people of how he had led, protected, & disciplined them in love up to that point so they would trust his directions for how to live in the future (Deut. 4:1-5).
15. Besides the reminder of God’s past care and leading, what other reason is given in Deuteronomy 4, for obeying God’s directions? Moses tells God’s people that their obedience to God’s directions will be seen by other nations as wise understanding on the part of God’s people (Deut. 4:6-8).
16. What warning does Moses add after stating two reasons to obey God? Moses warns God’s people not to forget God’s leading in their past history & to teach that history to their children (Deut. 4:10).
17. What part of Israel’s history did Moses say they should especially remember? Moses told God’s people to especially remember the day God spoke the words of his covenant of love from Mount Sinai (Deut. 4:10-13).
18. In what way does reviewing God’s leading and instruction in our past history bring us confidence in his leading and courage to face the future? As we remember that God has led us beside still waters, in green pastures, & in paths of righteousness it gives us courage to face even the valley of the shadow of death for he has never left nor forsaken those who put their trust in him (Psa, 23:1-6; Matt. 28:20: Heb. 13:5-6).