This Is the Old Testament is part of a twelve-week thematic overview of the entire Bible. As we read, we’ll gain a broader understanding of the redemptive story of Scripture. Each day we’ll read a thematic selection from a different book of the Bible, along with supplemental passages that show how the theme of that day’s main reading is found throughout Scripture. We’ll also read a brief summary of each book and a reflection on how the book fits into the larger story of Scripture.
The Book of Deuteronomy: The book of Deuteronomy, meaning “second law” or “repetition of the law,” contains commentary on the law given to Moses at Mount Sinai, which equipped the covenant community of Israel with instruction on how to live faithfully in their covenant with God. In Deuteronomy, Moses repeated the law to the new generation of Israelites preparing to enter into the promised land after forty years of wandering in the wilderness.
How Deuteronomy Fits Into the Story: Deuteronomy emphasizes the need for God’s law to be internalized into the hearts and minds of God’s people. After the books of Psalms and Isaiah, the New Testament alludes to Deuteronomy more than any other book in the Old Testament. Jesus and the apostles considered the book of Deuteronomy to be vital in their own teaching about God and His relationship with His chosen people and all of humanity.
Reflection Questions:
1. How does your reading in Deuteronomy point to God’s faithfulness, holiness, and justice as motivation for obedience to the law?
2. How does today’s reading shape your understanding of the story of redemption?
Take time to reflect on your responses and share what you are learning with others in the community in the comments.
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90 thoughts on "Deuteronomy"
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It seems that everyday in my reflection, I’m answering one of the questions with some variation of “He wants us.” How precious.
Because He loved us.
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How does it shape my understanding of the story of redemption? It tells me that God is both infinitely holy and infinitely loving; that He does not despise the small things but longs for them to come to Him (as Israel was the smallest of nations). Sin cannot be left unpunished by a fair, just, and holy God. God, who defines love, also found a way to reconcile us to Himself through His Son. Sin is dealt with by His son’s death on the cross, and, in this, we see both justice and love in their most extreme capacity, and this matters to each one of us because not one of us can live a perfect, sinless life.
I love you, LORD!
Beautifully said.
God is so so good!
Reflection Questions:
1. How does your reading in Deuteronomy point to God’s faithfulness, holiness, and justice as motivation for obedience to the law? The book of Deuteronomy shows God’s faithfulness, holiness, and justice as motivation for obedience to the law by reminding us that we need to stick to our faith. God has provided us with a clear path to the promised land. We just have to stick to the path. The Israelites were given the law to guide them back to God and His ways and to show them how to continue to be faithful to Him moving forward after their ancestors were in the wilderness. This shows how God was faithful, holy and just to His people. He didn’t leave them in the dark as He was guiding them to the land He promised to give them.
2. How does today’s reading shape your understanding of the story of redemption?
Staying faithful to the Lord through practice helps us to continue to keep hope in our redemption. We will have hiccups, but we have been given the road map to come back to Him anytime we get lost.
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We need Gods law to be internalized into all the hearts and minds of all Gods people
Thankful that Jesus came and completed His mission and sat down at the right hand of God! I agree that Deuteronomy shows God’s heart for His people!
Praying for all.
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One thing that stood out to me in today’s reading from Deuteronomy is that in this re-emphasis of God’s laws for his people, is that these rules are not because God is trying to make life harder/decrease his people’s joy. On the contrary, his rules/restrictions are for their good (and ultimately for his Glory as well of course)- ie don’t do X “for that will be a snare to you”- its helpful to remember that God’s rules (even now) are for our good even when they feel restrictive
Their/our good and His glory. Amen ❤
Reflection Questions:
1. How does your reading in Deuteronomy point to God’s faithfulness, holiness, and justice as motivation for obedience to the law?
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The book of Deuteronomy contains some challenging and intense passages especially today, where God commands the Israelites to utterly destroy the inhabitants of the land and show them no mercy. GOD is a mighty man of war, may we never forget this attribute, and this Man of Mighty Valor is coming back. Anyhow, this prompted me to do some background digging, and I found some disturbing Canaanite religious practices worth mentioning. These included child sacrifice (the ritual burning of infants to the gods Molech and Baal), which GOD condemned sternly in Deuteronomy 12:31: “You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods”). Their culture also engaged in sacred prostitution and forbidden sexual rituals involving violence, homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22), and bestiality (a new word I learned, the meaning is here, Leviticus 18:23:
“Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion”). And, as if that was not gross enough, their society was in deep cultic practices like sorcery, witchcraft, psychic overload, and divination (Deuteronomy 18:9–12 warns loudly, “…Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord…”). They worshipped carved images, which the Israelites were commanded to destroy completely to avoid spiritual contamination… and not to salvage (Deuteronomy 7:25–26: “The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves…”).
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Looking at all of this, it is clear that getting involved in hidden occult practices is incredibly dangerous and disturbing. Personally, I would run as far away as possible. These rituals and traditions are dark, evil, ultimately opening the door for Satan to claim a person’s soul. The ones who participate in them (knowingly or unknowingly) grant demonic forces permission to come in, to bring harm, disruption, sickness, torment, death and oppression into their life. Yesterday we talked on trauma, these practices absolutely bring in abuse within a closed system. They will contaminate the purity and the holiness of a child of God.
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2. How does today’s reading shape your understanding of the story of redemption?
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Redemption today shows me that it’s not just a small undertaking, it is a complex, total structural transformation of an entire generation’s life, actions, and character. It takes a lot of deep work of God. Why did He tell them to do so much, difficult and hard things? Redemption is an active, ongoing displacement to cast out every bit of darkness, and every workers of iniquity. Ecclesiastes 3:3 says, “a time to kill and a time to heal”, a famous phrase. I will borrow CEE GEE’s notes today, by asking, pause and ask ourselves, “Why are we doing what we’re doing?”. Is it to please ourselves or others, or to impress the world? Are we doing the will of God because we want Him to bless us? Or do we do “the will of God from the heart” (Eph. 6:6), because we love Him? Incredible questions. Now, consider this, is GOD not good when He erases evil from the face of the earth? Is He not merciful when He used the flood of Noah’s day to purge the corrupted and mixed DNA of fallen celestial beings and humanity thereby preserving the bloodline through which Jesus would eventually be born of a virgin? Is GOD not good when He commanded that no mercy be shown to those wicked nations in His judgment? is GOD not good? He is good all the time. Absolutely, He is amazingly good. We must be fully persuaded, or else the cunning mastermind snake satan will play with a double minded mind (…did God really say..? Yes, as it is written in Psalm 34:8 taste and see that the LORD is so good, Psalm 145:9: the Lord is good to all, He has compassion on all He has made). Ask ourselves. “A time to kill, and a time to heal”. To guard our minds, our persuasion in GOD’s goodness must be total.
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Be blessed dear sisters.
So much truth and power in your notes and the Scriptures you shared. ❤
Excellent! Amen
Very powerful! Amen.
Yes and Amen.
So informative. Thank you for these thought provoking notes.
It’s hard to fathom that a loving God would require total destruction of a nation that were the enemies of Israel – His chosen, beloved, people. When He says destroy them totally – that includes babies, toddlers, all women and children. This is so, so, hard to wrap my head around – especially as I think of my two year old and 8 week old granddaughters. But God is God and we are not. He has His reasons and purpose and although they do not make sense to us, they do to Him. Obedience is not obedience unless it is complete.
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I thank God that He does not choose us because we are numerous, strong, or powerful – but He chooses us because He loves us. If it depended on the afore mentioned, then I would be a sorry lost soul!
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Praise God for Jesus and Hebrews 7:26,27 – Such a high priest (Jesus) truly meets our need — One who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He sacrificed for their (our) sins once for all. Yes, and Amen!! (parenthesis added)
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I love how all of the Old Testament connects to the New!
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Praying for your requests. Happy Friday! ❤️
Very excited to be going to Sight & Sound on Tuesday!
“… God is God and we are not.” Amen! ❤
Obedience is not obedience unless it is complete.
God was faithfulfu to his covenant promise to Abraham. He brought his descendants out of Egypt into the promised land just like He promised.
God promised a deliver to Adam and Eve and this deliverer would deliever us from the
bondage/slavery of sin.
We obey God not to get something but out of a grateful heart and because we love Him!
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
I don’t know maybe God’s love language is obedience.
If we love God we will keep his commandments.
We don’t keep the commandments to curry favor but to demonstrate our love and gratitude to God. As humans we are transactional in our relationships. However just because we love someone we do that things that pleases them.
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V12 “He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place Once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.” AMEN!!!
Once and for all time, praise Jesus!
HE chose ME and has His heart set on me, not because of who I am, but because He loves me. It’s not me, it’s Him!
Praying over your mom Connie, and new strength and new hope for you as you navigate this challenging time with her, may the right support and diagnosis be given, a great provision every step of the way.
Thanks, Mercy. ❤️
Deuteronomy reminds me that God is always there and He is a fair and just God! You should fear Him, He gives you free will and loves you no matter what! He knows your mistakes knows the future and still loves you and wants you to choose Him every day!!
1) Because the Lord loves us He gave His only Son Jesus. It is by His own blood that we receive redemption for our sins.
2) The shedding of Jesus blood was to bear the sins of many. Jesus will appear a second time not to bear sin, but to bring salvation for those that believe and are waiting for Him.
Claiming God’s faithfulness over my housing situation! I’ve only had one girl express interest in the apartment. She said after talking to her family they’d like to come see the apartment in person. They live about an hour away and will be coming on Saturday. My leasing office needs a decision by Sunday and the office is closed on Sunday, so I plan to email the leasing office today and stop by in person to ask for a one-week extension to have our lease signed. Please pray the Lord’s favor over me as these leasing offices feel ruthless at times. Thank you all and praying for the requests <3
I take the parents’ involvement as a good sign, but continue to pray for wisdom/discernment and now FAVOR in allowing a brief extension! ❤
I agree with CeeGee! ❤️
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Praying for you right now Taylor. Please keep us updated. And please remind me, is this college housing?
Continued prayer for your housing – and Lord may you rule in Taylor’s favor and let the lease be extended for the week. ❤️
Praying for your housing decisions Taylor. ❤️
Praying for favors with lease office and a great roommate for you.
Taylor – just curious where you live? Maybe one of us SHEs will know someone…
God showed His faithfulness to the promise to Abraham by bringing Israel out of Egypt. He showed His holiness by estblishing the sacrifice system. And He showed His justice by commissioning Israel to rid the land of evil. His power and awesomeness was on display through out it all, which should have been motivation for Israel to obey the law.
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Today’s reading shows me that each generation needs to enter into the redemption plan. It is not a given (or negated) because of the previous generation’s obedience (or disobedience).
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Amen, each generation has their own work cut out.
Q1 I’m always puzzled by the Israelites continuing disobedience and want to scream, Stop, Don’t Do That! Wish I could remember to tell myself to stop at times :/
God spoke plain as day about their takeover of the promised land and its people – what did they do? The exact opposite :(
And oh, the consequences.
Q2 God is holy, faithful and true. As CEE GEE shared yesterday, let’s Walk With Jesus (by Consumed By Fire) and as KELLY (NEO) reminded, make it a daily choice.
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KIMBERLY Z ❤️
GISELLE LOLLAR ❣️
TERESA COOPER DONLEY ❤️ praying for successful surgery and relief of pain!
TAMI ❤️ I am so sorry your friend’s husband has not laid down his disappointment/anger and moved on! You not responding & realizing it could lead to pride – I am so proud of you! I mentioned previously that we had a similar situation with a family member several years ago and over the years I have terminated friends as clients – hurt feelings all around but all let go after a while. Praying this man will come to the realization that friendship doesn’t obligate business associations.
MERCY ❤️❤️ I always read to the end :) I am agreeing with CEE GEE, brilliant composition yesterday! Thank you.
MARGARET W ❤️ praying for your daughters’ job interviews, for discernment in acceptance, for salvation for both
WENDY B ❤️ oh goodness, waiting can beat us down, especially in your situation. Praying you hear something soon! Agree this is a challenging study – I am making notes each day as I think this & following NT study will be great references in the future.
SHARON JERSEY GIRL joining with you in prayer for your sons and all prodigals.
TAYLOR ❤️ continuing to pray for clarity and peace for housing answers. So thankful for your dad’s health!
KELLY (NEO) daily choices, Amen. ❤️
MONIE MAG ❤️
HANNAH CARMEL ❤️
B ❤️ praying for an encouraging day ❤️
Such a good post – ‘brilliant’ in your own right! We see a lot around the planks in our eyes, don’t we? Thankful for His patience and mercy!
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Agreeing with SEARCHING in above prayers
I don’t even think they even cared about their own God as they wanted immediate satisfaction.
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❤️ thank you Searching. I am praying along with you over the needs. Thank you for your faithfulness demonstrating through love and care daily. Amen to “remembering to tell myself to stop”, not just the Israelites but me too lol.
Thank you for your encouragement Searching!
Thank you❤️
Thank you Searching
I think these notes from Warren Wiersbe NKJV Study Bible address the reflection questions. I am putting his quote in brackets since there are too many quotation marks within the body of the quote to change.
[It’s good for God’s people to pause occasionally and ask, “Why are we doing what we’re doing?”
Is it to please ourselves or others, or to impress the world? Are we doing the will of God because we want Him to bless us? Or do we do “the will of God from the heart” (Eph. 6:6)— because we love Him?
To obey God just to avoid punishment and receive blessing is a selfish motive that follows the philosophy of Satan (Job 1–2), but if we obey God out of love, it pleases His heart and He will give us what is best and what glorifies Him the most.
Like Israel of old, the church today must move forward by faith, conquer the enemy, and claim new territory for the Lord (2 Cor. 2:14–17; Eph. 6:10–18). But unlike Israel, we use spiritual weapons, not human weapons, as by faith we overcome the walls of resistance that Satan has put into the minds of sinners (John 18:36; 2 Cor. 10:1–6; Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12). The apostolic church had no buildings, budgets (Acts 3:6), academic degrees (Acts 4:13), or political influence, but depended on the Word of God and prayer (Acts 6:4), and God gave them great victory. Can He not do the same for His people today? Jesus has overcome the world and the devil (John 12:31; 16:33; Eph. 1:19–21; Col. 1:13; 2:15); therefore, we fight from victory and not just for victory. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).]
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SONG SHARE (beautiful song of surrender and I just listened to it for the first time. New favorite!):
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Obey | Official Lyric Video | Tiffany Hudson
Tiffany Hudson
Lyrics:
My will and Yours a tug of war
But I’ll stay yielded, I’ll stay yielded
I will not dare to call You Lord
If I don’t mean it, If I don’t mean it
Keep me tender and tethered to Your decrees
Let my love be a covenant that I keep
I will obey
I will obey
Not because I have to
But because I love You
Sweeter than honey on my lips
Is Your teaching, is Your teaching
Show me the way, I’ll walk in it
I will Jesus, Oh I will Jesus
Be the light and the lamp that my feet follow
Keep the eyes of my heart on the narrow road
Till every fiber of my being cries yes God
And I will follow where You’re leading yes God
If none go with me still my answer is yes God
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Love, hugs, and prayers! ❤
TAYLOR, praying for today’s decision! ❤
SONG SHARE overload this morning! I came across Chris Tomlin’s song “I Will Follow”- another gooo one. I found a new to me artist and song. Great lyrics! Alk 3 skngs reflect today’s Scriptures.
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Yes (Obedience) – David & Nicole Binion ft. @MDSN official
Last verse:
With every yes that I say
Let it bring a smile to Your face
Anything for You
Anywhere with You
Jesus I offer obedience
Apologies for the typos! I could not activate the edit option on my 2nd song share.
Cee Cee, thanks for sharing Warren Wiersbe’s notes. That is so good! If God is for us, who can be against us indeed!
❤ most welcome! ❤
I haven’t heard it, but love her voice, and love those lyrics!! It’s funny cause I just listened to a new one from her and Jen Johnson and Tiffany.
warren W always has profound commentary and easy to understand, thanks for Sharing. I want to get his study bible.
❤ I agree about Wiersbe’s commentary. I, too, would love to have the ‘real’ study Bible of his, but for now I just use the resources on Biblegateway.
Gonna try to find the song you mentioned! ❤
Well, I didn’t see a song with the 3 of them. If you find the name, please share!
Oh, it is just Jen Johnson and Tiffiny (typo)-
the name is Walk With Me
I LOVED “Obey!”
Thanks! I did listen to some of Walk with Me and then went back to my hunt. Yes, I love Obey, too1
“but depended on the Word of God and prayer” …If only! Father God may this always be our first defense!
“if only!” amen ❤
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Many good nuggets today, and I love the songs. Thank you for sharing. Side note, whenever you swap places with KELLY in posting order, i always wonder if you guys slept well :) I hope your sleep was good. You too KELLY ❤️.
❤ Awww, what a sweet (and astute!) observation and comment! I unfortunately did not sleep well last night- troubled by a weird headache. Thank you for your compassion! I pray you are finding some refreshing time. Glad you were encouraged by the notes and songs. ❤
7:7 “It is not because you were more in number”… Our God knows that his believers are sometimes smaller in numbers but He gives us His Strength to be faithful.
Blessings to you on this Friday ❤️Hannah
❤ Well said, Hannah and praying His blessings iver your day, too!
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Amen
It’s so easy to forget the sacrifices the people of the Old Testament had to make in order to atone for their sins. Thank you Jesus for being the eternal sacrifice for each of us! May we never forget the blessings that came after that.
When we choose to walk in obedience to Christ, we know and see the fruit of His hand in our lives. God instructed Moses to lead the Israelites well. The law in the OT feels so heavy as we read it and I’m so glad we dont live under that any more. Considering how sinful my human nature is and so greatly entangles, I always feel like I would forever be preparing for a sacrifice. Goodness, how did people even accomplish anything else during that time and place?!? But, there is such hope and promise in just making the choice to walk on obedience with Him and keep His commands. Find us faithful Lord in walking with you and thank you for making a way to You and that you are our Mighty God.
I love this verse.
‘Know that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps his gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commands.’
I am finding this study challenging – a combination of brain fog, disjointed thinking and lack of focus due to not feeling well and also the broad topic/fly over view format. I appreciate everyone’s relectiions and thoughts that have helped with clarity and understanding. Appreciate you ladies so much and have prayed for you all. Blessings on your day. ❤️
I’m honestly having a hard time answering the questions without “generating” a response from the comments.
I hear you! I rely a lot upon the wisdom of this group. ❤️ I am trying to focus and answer before reading comments. :)
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❤ Good word,Wendy! Brain fog here, too, from a 2 day headache. Praying for you! ❤
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Wendy, I often felt the same way about all the sacrifices. How did they have time for anything else? Also, I would sure need a lot of lambs without blemish. If I were not making a sacrifice, I would be feeding all the lambs without blemish!!
Prayers for you in the waiting!! It is a difficult time to be in!! The “what ifs” go crazy!!
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Deuteronomy reveals the heart of the law, which in turn reveals the heart and character of God! Seeing his character should lead us to respond in obedience—even more as we see Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of the law, creating a path for salvation and eternal communion with Him!
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I’m forever thankful that we no longer have to live by the Old Testament law. Thank you Jesus for being the perfect embodiment of the Law so that we can live in eternity!!!!
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Amen❤️
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