Deut. 1:1-45
1. This is an interesting chapter in Deuteronomy and really deserves to be looked
At closely and carefully.
2. Here is Israel about to go into the Land of promise, but as we look at this
Carefully we will see that this is not the first generation of Israelites but the
Second, that is why Moses is taking his time to explain what has happened to
This point.
3. Look at Deut. 1:5, Across the Jordan in the Land of Moab, Moses began to
Explain this Law, now they were on the Moab side of the Jordan, so they would
Be able to look across the Jordan into the Land called Canaan, or the land
Flowing with milk and honey.
4. So what Moses is doing is going over the Law that had given first to they
Parents who had died in the wilderness for not going into the land as they were
Told to do by Yahweh, look at Numbers 14:26-33.
5. Look at Numbers 14:31 Yahweh says that He will bring in they’re the children
who They said would become plunder which in Hebrew means plunder, booty,
spoil, prey and Yahweh says He will make them into the Land and they will
enjoy the Land.
6. We need to be careful about what we say about things because just as that first
Generation prophesied about themselves we can do the same thing, look at
Numbers 14:1-4, the same words they used Yahweh uses toward them, He gave
Them what they said would happen.
7. Look at Proverbs 21:23, The one who guards his mouth and tongue keeps
Himself out of trouble, and look at Proverbs 18:21 Life and death are in the
Power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat of its fruit.
8. In my mind it is also noteworthy that this Land of Promise a Land flowing with
Milk and honey is still on the table, because Yahweh had made this promise to
Abraham and Abraham’s descendants this shows me that when Yahweh says
He is going to is going to do something, He is going to do it.
9. Back to Deut. 1, Moses is not only giving them a lesson on the Law but he is
Giving them a history of what happen and why they are the ones that are now
Standing looking across the Jordan into the promised Land, Winston
Churchhill quoted that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to
Repeat it, which seems fitting for where the Israelites are standing at this point,
And is a good lesson for us today.
10. It seems to me that we often are in need of a history lesson, not just human
History but history that the Bible tells us about our ancestry, perhaps should
Should cause us to ask the question do we really believe they are our ancestors
Or not.
11. Is it more than possible that we may face some of the same things that they
Faced in their journey to the Land? Just because we are not in a desert does not
Mean that we are not in a spiritual desert.
12. In Deut. 1:6, Sometimes we can find a comfortable place in our journey and it
May even be a place that Yahweh has taken us to for rest for a period, but it is
Not a place that He intends for us to stay forever, as in this verse You have
Stayed at this mountain long enough, you are to resume you journey and go to
The hill country of the Amorites and to the Land I have promised you.
13. At this point Moses knows that he could not go on the way things were going
So Moses took His father-in-laws suggestion and appoints leaders over them
So they will be able to help with the task of leadership of the Israelites, their
Job was to help with cases between brothers.
14. Then Moses goes on in verse 19, Moses uses the words great and terrible
Wilderness which the Hebrew words for great is gadol meaning mighty and
Word for terrible is yaw-ray which means to revere or worship, and to be
Fearful or frightened, so they went out into this mighty frightening desert.
15. Now having talked about the mighty frightening desert they go to the Land
Yahweh had promised, and they want Moses to send in spies to spy out the
Land they come to the Land and what happens?
16. Look at Num. 13:1-2, Yahweh tells Moses to send one leader of each of the
Tribes into the Land to scout out the land, now did you notice that Yahweh
Said it was the Land that He was going to give the Israelites, now look at
Num. 13:26-33, they come back with an excellent report about the Land, and
They said “indeed the land is flowing with milk and honey, “however” using
The word “but” or “however” takes everything away from “milk and honey”
17. The mighty and frightening desert seems less frightening then the people in
The Land was, so they were frightened by the unknown, notice their rebellion
Seemed to be stirred on by their fear, now remember the Land was promised
To Abraham’s descendants because Abraham believed Yahweh, the exact
Opposite of the Israelites at that time.
18. Now they were told to take the Land by Yahweh and that He was giving it to
Them, so look at Deut. 1:26, based on them not wanting to go in they broke
Them command of Yahweh and became rebellious.
19. They went back to their tents and accused Yahweh of bringing them out in the
Desert to die, which is the same thing they said at the Exodus, look at Ex. 14:
10-12, it seems that all that time they spent in the desert they had not changed
And learned how Yahweh had taken care of them.
20. Look at 1 Cor. 3:1-4, Paul expresses the same thing with the assembly in
Corinth saying that they were babies because there was strife and envy among
Them and they were living like unbelievers, it seems that this is a common
Problem among believers, it is called unbelief.
21. How many of us would say, if I had been in the wilderness with them and had
Yahweh do the things He had done I would have believed?