The Theme of Deuteronomy

Deu 1:1 These [be] the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red [sea], between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

Deu 1:2 ([There are] eleven days’ [journey] from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)

Deu 1:3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first [day] of the month, [that] Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them;

The book of Deuteronomy is sometimes referred to as the second law. That really is not a very good description because it is the same law that was given before. The same law was just given a second time.

One of the reasons for restating the law is very practical. All the people, with very few exceptions, that heard it the first time were now all dead. It was now in the 40^th year and the children of Israel are now camped on this side of Jordan. So now the law is restated to the new generation that is getting ready to go into the Land of Canaan.

The people Moses is talking to were to be in a covenant with their God. And the basis for this covenant is important. There are two key statements in Deu. About this relationship.

Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Deu 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

This relationship with God is to come from the heart. Deu. Is full of commandments. It is very important when reading Deu. To never forget that it is all to be primarily a heart matter.

A second key statement is found in Deu. 7:6-9

Deu 7:6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

Deu 7:7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

Deu 7:8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Deu 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

They were chosen because the Lord loved them. Important also is the truth that He is faithful and does what He says and has mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments.

When reading Deu. Always remember it is a heart matter both ways. God loves these people and all of the commandments that He gives them are right and just and for their good.

The law was given to the last generation and they chose to rebel against God’s plan for their lives and rebel against his commands. And had to end up wandering around in the wilderness for 40 years until they passed away.

Now we have a new generation. They are given the same choice. So the same law is given to them.

This time special emphasis is placed on the only two resulting actions to God’s commandments. When God commands something you only have two choices. You either obey it or you disobey it. There is no middle ground.

And this book shows us what the result of our response will be.

The theme of the book is God’s word and the results of how we react to it. Obedience brings blessing and Disobedience brings judgment. That is the theme of Deuteronomy.

Moses opens his talk with this new generation by recounting to them what happened 40 years earlier. He tells them how God told them to go into the land. He tells them of how God promised to give the land to them. He tells of the blessing that they could have had if they had obeyed God’s commandment. And then Moses tells them of how they disobeyed and rebelled against God’s commandment.

Deu 1:26 Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God:

Deu 1:27 And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.

Deu 1:28 Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people [is] greater and taller than we; the cities [are] great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.

Moses then tells how he tried to persuade them to believe God.

Deu 1:29 Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.

Deu 1:30 The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;

They had been given the Word of God and had been encouraged by the man of God to obey it and thereby receive the blessing. But they did not.

Deu 1:31 And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.

Deu 1:32 Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God,

And then Moses tells this new generation what the result was of not obeying.

Deu 1:34 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,

Deu 1:35 Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers,

Deu 1:36 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD.

Moses starts by encouraging this new generation to not make the same mistake that the last generation made.

They had to spend 40 years wondering in the wilderness watching that generation die one by one. Joshua and Caleb were the only ones that were over 20 to make it to the Promised Land.

And all because they would not obey God and thereby receive His blessing.

Deu 4:1 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do [them], that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.

They are to be obedient to God’s statutes and do them. The result is the blessing of possessing the land.

And they are to follow God’s Word exactly.

Deu 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish [ought] from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

We are not to add to God’s Word and we are not to take away from God’s Word.

Obedience to God’s Word brings blessing. How can we be obedient to God’s Word if we change it? We can’t. If we change it, then we are being obedient to man’s word and not God’s.

We see disobedience and obedience contrasted in Deu 4:3-4.

Deu 4:3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you.

Deu 4:4 But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God [are] alive every one of you this day.

Baalpeor was a false god. Everyone who disobeyed God’s Word about worshiping false gods were destroyed. Disobedience brings judgment.

Those who obeyed God’s Word and cleaved unto the Lord were alive and were now ready to enter the land. Obedience brings blessing.

Deu 5:1 And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.

God’s Word was not given for entertainment. It was given to learn, and keep, and to do.

Deu 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

God’s desire is for us to keep His commandments always, that it might be well with us. God’s commandments are for our good. He gave them to us so that it will be well with us.

Deu 5:32 Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

Deu 5:33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and [that it may be] well with you, and [that] ye may prolong [your] days in the land which ye shall possess.

Obedience brings blessing and we see this again in chapter 6.

Deu 6:1 Now these [are] the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do [them] in the land whither ye go to possess it:

Deu 6:2 That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

Deu 6:3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do [it]; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.

Obedience brings blessing and you see it over and over in Deuteronomy. But you also see the other side also over and over. Disobedience brings judgment.

Deu 6:13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

Deu 6:14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which [are] round about you;

Deu 6:15 (For the LORD thy God [is] a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

We can only react one of two ways to God’s word. Obey or disobey. And our choice will bring one of two results. Blessing or judgment.

Deu 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

Deu 7:10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

It is true that you will reap what you sow.

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Deu 7:12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

Deu 7:13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

Would you not rather sow obedience and reap blessing. God clearly declares that He wants to bless them. Or would you rather sow disobedience and reap judgment. That is your only two choices.

We see the same theme in chapter eight.

In chapter nine Moses tells them of the result Israel’s disobedience with the golden calf.

In chapter ten Moses tells them to fear God, walk in His ways, to love Him, and serve Him, with all their heart and soul. You know if you do that, then all the commands of God just come naturally. You will want to do them all out of love. And if you do them, it will be for your good.

And remember what Jesus says.

1Jo 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

In chapter 11 Moses sets before them a blessing and a curse.

Deu 11:26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;

Deu 11:27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:

Deu 11:28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.

Obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings judgment.

And if we took the time we could see this theme in almost every chapter, but I think that you get the point.

So let’s go forward to chapter 27 and let’s see Moses preaching the whole counsel of God. Preachers must preach all the counsels of God not just the blessings, they must also preach the curses.

Deu 27:15 Cursed [be] the man that maketh [any] graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth [it] in [a] secret [place]. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.

The people are not to say I am out a here.

It is all the word of God and the people are to say Amen.

Deu 27:16 Cursed [be] he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deu 27:17 Cursed [be] he that removeth his neighbour’s landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deu 27:18 Cursed [be] he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deu 27:19 Cursed [be] he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deu 27:20 Cursed [be] he that lieth with his father’s wife; because he uncovereth his father’s skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deu 27:21 Cursed [be] he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deu 27:22 Cursed [be] he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deu 27:23 Cursed [be] he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deu 27:24 Cursed [be] he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deu 27:25 Cursed [be] he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deu 27:26 Cursed [be] he that confirmeth not [all] the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Then immediately after the curses we have the blessings.

Deu 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe [and] to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

Deu 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

Deu 28:3 Blessed [shalt] thou [be] in the city, and blessed [shalt] thou [be] in the field.

Deu 28:4 Blessed [shall be] the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

Deu 28:5 Blessed [shall be] thy basket and thy store.

Deu 28:6 Blessed [shalt] thou [be] when thou comest in, and blessed [shalt] thou [be] when thou goest out.

There are only two ways that you can react to God’s Word. Obey or disobey. There is no middle ground. You cannot halfway obey.

I like what Matthew Henry wrote, “Should not a people be ruled by their God?” Most “Christians” do not believe that today, and that is just a tragedy.

Obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings judgment. That is the theme of Deuteronomy.

In Due. the same law is given but there is an emphasis on the two choices and the results. The theme of Due. Is Obedience brings blessings and disobedience brings judgment. There is also an emphasis on how God loves them and how they are to love God back. Obedience and love are tied together.

See more Themes of Old Testament Books