Week 11 (December 12-18) Reading and Reflection Questions

Introduction

This week we our reading will be in Deuteronomy 16-34, Joshua 1-2, and Psalm 105.

The Book of Deuteronomy...

After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites were on the eve of entering the promised land. Before they did, it was necessary (lest they forget what God had done and who they were) that they be reminded about all that God had done for them and about God’s holy law which was so vital to their ability to remain in the land and function as God’s holy nation and as a kingdom of priests to the nations (Deut. 4:1- 8). Therefore, shortly before his death Moses preaches three sermons urging the people of Israel to live in faithful obedience to the covenant laws given at Mt. Sinai 40 years earlier.

Moses’ three speeches can be divided as follows:

Deuteronomy 1:6-4:43

Through a rehearsal of covenant history, Moses traces Israel’s experience with the Lord from Horeb, to Kedesh-barnea, through their wilderness wandering and up to their taking of the land from Beth-peor so that they will remember the character of the Lord and obey Him as they prepare to enter the Land.

Deuteronomy 4:44-26:19

Through a rehearsal of Israel’s covenant responsibilities with glimpses of national prophetic history, Moses proclaims obedience as the means by which the Lord will bless the nation in the Land.

Deuteronomy 27:1-30:27

Through a covenant renewal with the nation on the plains of Mob, Moses
proclaims the blessing and/or cursing which will come upon the nation depending upon whether they obey or disobey the word of the Lord.

Study the Text...

In his final words, Moses challenges Israel as he foretells a turbulent future. Moses wants the people to know that their failure to keep the covenant will mean troubled times. However, he does not warn them so that they will live in the knowledge of future doom but so that they will heed the warning and amend their ways.

Read Deuteronomy 30.

• What challenge is Moses setting before the nation?
• What is going to happen to Israel in the future?
• What are some of the consequences (positive and negative) of worshipping a God who cares whether you love him or ignore him (vv. 1-2, 8-9, 17-18)?
• How might an Israelite who has yet to enter the land respond to the warnings written here (vv. 11-14)?
• What issues of the heart are woven throughout the passage (vv. 2, 6, 10, 20)?
• How might this chapter be considered a summary of the entire book (vv. 19-20)?

Reflection . . .

• What did Moses mean when he said “he (referring to the Lord your God) is your life? (v. 20)”
• How is the Lord your God “your life?”
• Count how often the word “Lord” is used in the chapter? In light of the primary context of the chapter why do you think this is important? What does it communicate to the people of Israel? What are the practical implications of this for your life?
• What challenges would the people of Israel face in the future that would make it difficult to keep the covenant and obey the Lord? What about you? What daily challenges are you presented with that make it difficult to serve the Lord and easy to forsake Him?
• Throughout this chapter and the final chapter in Deuteronomy, Moses speaks often about blessings and cursings based upon the people’s disobedience or obedience? How is this teaching the same for believers under the New Covenant? How is this teaching different for believers under the New Covenant?

The Book of Joshua...

For centuries, the people of Israel had anticipated possessing the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 12:1-3). At the close of the book of Deuteronomy, Moses and the people of Israel were camped in the hills of Moab, just across the Jordan River from the promised land of Canaan. So Deuteronomy ends with the expectation that soon, these people would cross the river and begin their lives in Canaan. But Moses would not be the one to lead them into this land, instead Joshua would be the new leader of the people. Therefore, the book of Joshua is the compelling history of the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants. After 400 years of slavery in Egypt and 40 years in the desert, the Israelites finally are able to enter the Promised Land. The long awaited promise to Abraham becomes a reality! However, unlike most military histories, in the book of Joshua the focus is on the commander’s Commander, the Captain of the Lord’s host (5:15). Repeatedly, as Joshua’s name illustrates (Yahweh saves), the book
demonstrates that Israel’s victories were due to God’s power and intervention.

The story is told in four parts:

• Chapters 1:1-5:12 - Israel’s entrance into the land
• Chapters 5:13-12:24 - Israel’s conquest of the land
• Chapters 13-21 - The distribution of the land
• Chapters 22-24 - Israel’s continued loyalty to Yahweh

Study the Text...
Entrance into the Land

The generation that refused to trust God’s promises is now dead, and the new generation is at Canaan’s doorstep. God is about to fulfill His promises to give Israel the land and make it a great nation. The mantle of leadership has passed from Moses to Joshua. Now, Joshua is responsible to lead the people into the Promised Land.

Read Joshua 1:1-18.

• What does God tell Joshua to do in 1:1-9? List all the commands you can find.
• What does God promise Joshua in these verses?
• What role will God have in the conquest of the land He has promised? (notice a repeated idea in Joshua 1:2-3,5,9,11,13-15.)
• What will be Israel’s responsibilities in obtaining the land (1:2,7-18)?
• How did the people respond to Joshua’s instructions before entering the land (1:16- 18)?
• How is the people’s response different from that of the previous generation (Numbers 14:1-10)?

Reflection. . .

The New Testament uses the story of Israel’s journey and entrance into the Promised Land to instruct believers in Christ. The following questions help us think through how the book of Joshua is applicable to us today.

Read Hebrews 3:12-4:11

• What rest (or inheritance) has God promised those who have trusted in Christ?
• What caused the people of Israel to come short of God’s rest? What does this mean for us today? How can we avoid this?
• According to the passage in Joshua and Hebrews what role does God play in seeing that we inherit His rest and not fall short? Why is this so important to remember?
• According to Hebrews what role does the body of Christ play in seeing that we inherit God’s rest and not fall short? How is this lived out in your small group?
• The author of Hebrews instructs his recipients in chapter 4 verse 11 to “be diligent to enter that rest.” What does this practically look like in your life?

Week 10 (December 5-11) Discussion and Reflection Questions

Introduction

This week our reading will be from Numbers 29-36 and Deuteronomy 1-15.

Study the Text . . .

The Stakes Involved (Deut. 6:1-3)

This chapter contains some of the most foundational verses in all of the Old Testament. The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) was a statement of faith in God and a commitment to love Him with all that we have. Devout Jews would repeat this statement at set times during the day as an affirmation of the uniqueness and holiness of their God. In distinction from the pagan nations surrounding them, God called upon Israel to boldly proclaim His existence alone. Jesus quoted the Shema in Mark 12:29, declaring this
text to be the most concise summary of the entire Law. For Israel, attached to the upholding of this affirmation in word and deed was the
blessing of God. In vv. 1-3, we see that God outlines the stakes involved. If they fear God—keeping his statutes, abstaining from idolatry, etc.—they may be assured that things will go well with them in the land. They will enjoy a productive land and long lives in the land. Although unstated in this particular text, the opposite is implied as well. If they do not obey all that God says and go after foreign gods, they may be assured that
the land will not be fruitful and their days will be short in the land.

Reflect

• Fearing the Lord is shown to be what He commands. Furthermore, the blessing of God is expressly connected with the upholding and doing of His Word in thought and deed. Have you done what He commands in word and deed?

• If we are honest, we will recognize that there are thousands of ways that we have failed to uphold God’s commands in word and deed? If this is so, how is it that we enjoy the blessing of God? Doesn’t God bless those who obey His Word?

• In light of the two previous questions, how does this text lead us to Christ? Think about the life of Christ (see Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5). How does His obedience on our behalf relate to the blessing of God upon us?

• Ultimately, we enjoy the blessing of God through the obedience of Another, Jesus Christ. We are blessed “in Him.” Does that mean that we no longer need to obey God?

• Why do we obey God (see, for example, Galatians 5:13-23)?

The Devotion Demanded (Deut. 6:5-6)

The devotion demanded is expressed in two statements, although careful consideration reveals that verses five and six go hand-in-hand. The Israelites are told in clear terms that their God—revealed as Yahweh—is the only God that exists. All other representations and conceptions of deity apart from Yahweh typify the vain imaginations of men. The God of Israel is the God of the universe and He will permit no rivals to His
throne. Indeed, there are none! In light of the foundational theological truth that God alone is God, the Israelites were commanded to love Him with all their heart, soul, and might. Although we might be tempted to compartmentalize these aspects of love for God, the idea communicated is one of wholehearted devotion. They were to worship and adore God with the totality of their being—intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, physically, etc. If God is indeed the Lord of everything that exists, He is also the Lord of everyone that exists. The truth of absolute Lordship leads quickly and without exception to the command of absolute obedience.

Reflect

• The Israelites were to affirm the uniqueness of God in the midst of a pagan culture. False gods were in great supply. How does their situation intersect with our own?

• What did total devotion look like for the Israelites? What does it look like in your life?

• Is total devotion possible for us?

The Danger Described (Deut. 6:7-25)

Given the stakes involved and the devotion demanded, God commanded the constant reinforcement of vv. 4-5. The Israelites were to teach them diligently to their children in the course of everyday life. Morning and evening, on the way and at home, Israelites were to instruct future generations of God’s holiness and total Lordship in all areas of life. Even the décor of their homes and parts of their bodies were to bear these
instructions. The total saturation of God’s Word was to match the total demands involved in the command. Furthermore, God knew the propensity in every Israelite heart toward forgetfulness and idolatry. They stood on the brink of the Promised Land—milk and honey, olive trees and vineyards, stocked homes and full cisterns. And they stood on the brink of forgetting the God who would make all these things a reality. Moreover, they would be tempted to turn to other gods, disobeying the foundational command of vv. 4-5 and thereby kindling the wrath and anger of Almighty God. The antidote to this inclination was not a redoubling of their effort but a rehearsing of God’s story (vv. 21-25). The Exodus was behind them, but it was to be ever before them. They were to recount generation unto generation the mighty hand of God in their deliverance from slavery. God defeated Pharaoh, God brought them up, and God gave them the land. In consequence of these truths, how could they rightfully turn away to other gods?

Reflect

• How did the instruction of future generations in Israel proceed? Formally or informally? What does this say about discipleship in our context?

• The tendency of the Israelites was forgetfulness that led to idolatry? Do we see that in our own lives? How does this lead us to Christ? How do we avoid this through the power of Christ?