Lecture 22.docx

Alright, we turn now to Deuteronomy. Let me drop down to number three in the introduction, the history of interpretation. In the Jewish tradition, Deuteronomy, though viewed as being as it truly is, the final speeches of Moses to Israel, and obviously Moses being considered their greatest prophet, t...

Alright, we turn now to Deuteronomy. Let me drop down to number three in the introduction, the history of interpretation. In the Jewish tradition, Deuteronomy, though viewed as being as it truly is, the final speeches of Moses to Israel, and obviously Moses being considered their greatest prophet, the words of Moses in this culmination of the Torah have had a special respect, but never to the extent of the words that Yahweh commanded Moses speak to the sons of Israel in Leviticus. It's always been a shadow, it's always been second place to the importance of Leviticus. And we've already talked about the Christian tradition that has tended to see Genesis as the most important part of the Torah throughout our history. But it's been amazing now about the last two generations, the last approximately 50 to 60 years, that Deuteronomy has been viewed as the most important part of the Torah. In fact, has become more and more recognized as maybe the most significant book in all of the Old Testament itself. And more work is now being done on Deuteronomy and the influence of Deuteronomy on the rest of the Old Testament, and of course once you talk about Deuteronomy's influence on the rest of the Old Testament, Deuteronomy's influence on Scripture. So that Sam Schultz, and he was the first one that I read who made such a bold statement, but in about the mid-70s, so approximately 40 years ago, and he taught for many years the Old Testament at Wheaton, and Sam Schultz made the declaration in the 70s that Deuteronomy is the most important book in the Bible. In fact, reoriented his whole survey, the most well-known influential survey was his Old Testament Speaks, and in the 70s he produced a new survey because actually at Wheaton he viewed Deuteronomy as so important that he began his Old Testament survey classes with Deuteronomy. And in the Gospel of Moses you can read the Old Testament survey classes he taught and how he changed from beginning in Genesis to changing, and you can read those lectures in the Gospel of Moses. And I remember reading that and saying, you know, Schultz, you've made a pretty good case. Deuteronomy is the key to understanding all of the Scripture, all of the Old Testament. Now he didn't convince me enough to begin my teaching with Deuteronomy, but they convinced me to start with the Torah as a whole, which climaxes in Deuteronomy. Get the big picture and then go back and pull it apart. But that's the importance that Deuteronomy has, and so I've given you the pages in Craigie and Merrill where they speak about this contemporary transformation that has taken place and how Deuteronomy has really become front and center as the most important work. And of course they also detail the whole debate upon Moses' influence as far as Deuteronomy. Are we hearing the voice of Moses in Deuteronomy or not? And of course that's where contemporary evangelicalism is reaffirming what has been true in the history of interpretation, both Orthodox Judaism and Orthodox Christianity, that when you read Deuteronomy you are hearing Moses preaching, you are hearing Moses' speeches, you are hearing what Moses said to second-generation Israel on the plains of Moab before they went into the Promised Land. So the history of interpretation culminating, as I said, in the last couple of generations, now Deuteronomy is being viewed as the most important part of the Torah and, as I said, really the most important part of the Old Testament. And many like Schulz are saying if you don't understand Deuteronomy, if you don't spend time learning Deuteronomy, the rest of the Old Testament will not make sense. The first part of the Torah, which went before it and beginning with Joshua through the end of the Old Testament canon, so many times reflecting and echoing what is in Deuteronomy. Well that shows us the importance of the book. Quickly the title, another book that is misnamed. Deuteronomy is not a second law. It's not a second law code. It's interesting that this came from a mistranslation in the Septuagint of Deuteronomy 17, 18 which talks to the fact that the king is to write his own copy of the Torah. It shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom. He that is the king whom God shall choose shall write for himself a copy of this law, this Torah on a scroll. And literally what this refers to is the whole Torah beginning in Genesis 1 and going all the way through Deuteronomy 34. This is the whole thing. So this copy of the Torah is not in any way a second law. Though that is the way it was translated in the Septuagint. He shall write for himself a second law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. So within the context there never has been a second law. There has been one Torah that has been given by Yahweh and the king was to make his own copy. Why? That he might read it, delight in it, meditate upon it, and it might guide his thoughts and guide his steps that he might have success before the law. We already talked about that. So it is never Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy means second law. So it is misnamed, it is mis-titled. So what is better? Well it is interesting that the Hebrew starts off with these are the words. In fact the whole statement is these are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel. So the words of Moses, the speeches of Moses, would be a very very apt title for this portion of the Torah. This is where God is going to lead Moses to exposit, to explain, to exhort Israel based upon everything that has been in Torah up until this point. Now we talk about the date of events. Well the event is Moses gathering Israel and giving these words to them. It happened during the 11th month of the 40th year. We already said Moses preached his sermons, wrote them down, culminating the Torah, and died. As I said wouldn't you like that to be your end? Preach your messages, write your book, and die. And of course that is 1406 BC. In fact the 11th month on our calendar would be right around February 1406 BC. Late winter before the first month of the 41st year and it was in that month that Israel went into the land and we have the record in Joshua chapter 5 of the Passover being kept. So it is literally these words are given two months before that Passover, the 11th month and you have the 12th month of mourning and then the first month is when Israel goes into the land and starts to deal with the conquest beginning with Jericho. So this gives us a little bit of the background as far as Deuteronomy is concerned. Now certainly as you read through Deuteronomy we start to see the major themes in the book. And the first major theme in Deuteronomy is Israel's, Yahweh's choice of Israel. So I put it in the theological language, his election of Israel. It is reiterated first of all by the frequent reference to the fact that Yahweh was Israel's God. 280 times and I went ahead and took the three major speeches in this chart. Chapters 1 to 4, basically chapters 5 through 26, chapters, I'm sorry through chapter 28, 29 and 30 and then brought the final three speeches together 31 to 34. And as you can see throughout the book, pretty evenly distributed throughout the whole of Deuteronomy, Moses continually refers to Yahweh as Israel's God. Beginning in 1 10, Yahweh your God has multiplied you. By way significant that you see the echoes of the Abrahamic covenant. God's choice of Israel is based upon the promise that was made to Abraham that you know go and I will make of you a great nation and that nation is Israel. And so God has chosen them. And so Moses says Yahweh your God has multiplied you and behold you are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. May Yahweh the God of your fathers increase you a thousandfold more than you are and bless you just as he has promised. That is that's the Abrahamic covenant. He's blessed you, he's multiplied you and may he bless you even more. What does that mean Moses? Well being a thousandfold. If they're already closing in on three million, a thousandfold, all right, 300,000 million, whatever that is. Now is that the population of Israel during the millennium? I don't know. But I'm gonna tell you this gentlemen, you better be ready because you're gonna run into a lot of Israelites during the millennium. All right, they're going to be multiplied because they will be under God's blessing. So certainly we see the echo and it's interesting this follows right after you know Moses is looking back and talking about what happened right as their time at Horeb, their time at Sinai came to an end and where he basically said okay turn and take the land which Abraham promised to give you. All right and so I spoke to you about the fact I'm not able to go in but may Yahweh your God who has multiplied you give you blessing as you go into the land. So the whole context as he begins is a speech in 1 6 and following you know through verse 11 is echoing the Abrahamic covenants, the nation, the land that that nation is to go in and to possess. So Yahweh your God and continues to speak in those terms throughout the book as I said 280 times culminating in Deuteronomy chapter 31. Deuteronomy chapter 31 where we read in verse 26, take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God that it may remain there as a witness against you. This is command to the Levites. Yahweh your God and now Moses is leaving but the written record that he has produced for Israel and the direction of Yahweh is to go with them as a continual witness of the covenant that God had made with them. Now along with that Yahweh of Moses at times as he is preaching then those the emphasis is more is more I'm speaking to you about Yahweh your God your God your God your God because a major theme of Deuteronomy is is that Moses is going to die and that's listed for you in your notes under theme 7. So Moses isn't going to go with them so he's speaking about Yahweh your God but obviously there are times when he includes himself within the context 24 times Yahweh our God. He was with them at Sinai at Horeb as Moses commanded them to leave and so 1 6 Yahweh our God spoke to us at Horeb. He was there. You've stayed long enough at the mountain. Moses was part of Israel at that point. He is hearing the word of the Lord with them so at times he will include himself because historically that's exactly what took place that he was part of Israel and so it is Yahweh our God. But all of this this emphasis upon Yahweh your God is a continually continual reminder of the fact that God had chosen this people who are hearing this message these speeches because they were Yahweh's people. He had chosen them therefore Yahweh is your God. Yahweh who was Israel's God. Yahweh who was our God. Moses included was also six times Yahweh the God of your fathers. Yahweh the God of our fathers. Yahweh the God. Now as the Gentiles are speaking of the judgment that has come to Israel in the land the God of their fathers is that which has brought this to pass. So eight times it's emphasized that Yahweh was the God of Israel's fathers who said this is the basis of their election and then twice in 4 5 and 26 3 Moses speaks of Yahweh being his God singular. But all this is a continual reminder of God's election of Israel because they were the physical seed of Abraham. As you go through Deuteronomy you find out that God is a choosing God and he states explicitly in the four passages I have given to you that he chose Israel. He chose Israel to be his people to have a special relationship with them. So we've already reflected and spoken about chapter 7 that even though they were few fewest among the peoples that God chose them because of the love his choosing his setting apart of the fathers. But that was first stated in Deuteronomy 4 37 because he Yahweh your God because he loved your fathers therefore he chose he elected their seed after them and with his presence he brought you from Egypt by his great power. So again reiterating what we've seen within the Torah God loved the patriarchs he loved Abraham Isaac and Jacob his love was manifest in the fact that he made a covenant with them and part of that covenant was that that they would bring forth a nation the sons of Israel and therefore you today stand you're the chosen seed because your sons of Abraham sons of Israel and God has already shown his previous fidelity that covenant by bringing your your fathers in fact you from Egypt by his great power now only those over 40 years of age had literally been brought from Egypt but Moses is going to make the point even though those under 40 that what God did for the first generation he did for you when God spoke to his heart you were there at Sinai and they weren't there physically but they have the Torah all the instruction God gave to Israel at Sinai they have as Moses speaks they to hear it they are preached to every generation and after this will have the Torah read to them and they will hear date it's like they go back and participate in in being in Egypt and participating in the Exodus and being brought to Sinai and hearing what Moses had what Yahweh has to say through Moses to Israel what he said historically what he preaches to the second generation they continue hear it and hear it and hear it here because even though they were not there physically they were there in their ancestors and through the Word of God they hear what God said and so God has chosen God has chosen you that's why you're hearing these words because God chose you and so pay attention pay heed listen this is what Yahweh your God who chose you is saying to you I mean this is the thrust of what of what Yahweh is saying his choice of Israel and significantly in the future the one who chose Israel in the past when Israel gets into the land is going to choose a place for his name to dwell the name represents the the person the character of the person and so there's going to be a name is going to be a place where Yahweh's presence will be displayed where his character will be revealed of course that name that is a place where his name is going to dwell which is he going to choose out of all the tribes of Israel we're going to find out in the prophets is going to be Jerusalem and the Psalter is going to reiterate that as well God ultimately in the future is going to choose for Israel a king and and he gives the criteria so that Israel might know on what basis they are to set this king you shall set a king over you whom Yahweh your God chooses we're going to come back to this in first Samuel chapter 8 this is a very important passage that's what God says all right you're to get the king I choose so you better know who I've chosen so you better take the heart you know what is in Genesis chapter 49 you better take heart when the revelation is given of what is in second Samuel chapter 7 because Israel you got to make sure you set a king over you whom Yahweh has chosen in fact that's going to be the first criteria when you want a king your desire will be to have a king Yahweh has chosen put that in the back of your mind as you're reading the narrative of first Samuel chapter 8 when Israel comes and demands of Samuel king did they have Deuteronomy 17 on their heart but God is going to choose a king for Israel just as he has chosen the Aaronic family to be his priests and that the priest should come from the the tribe of Levi that just so a king can't come from any tribe a priest can't come from any tribe either why because God is a choosing God so Yahweh's election and that's why we see this emphasis upon all of Israel so that in 1 1 Moses spoke to all Israel we've already seen in Deuteronomy chapter 31 in the future all of Israel men women and children are to come together and hear the reading of the Torah so I think by the time you don't know what all Israel is by that point as Moses is speaking to all Israel is talking to all Israel that even if you're a child if you can understand you are to hear so all Israel means all Israel now other times he speaks to all the men of Israel by way that means that all the men three times a year all the men of Israel twenty years of age and above were to come before the Lord Deuteronomy chapter 16 so all Israel means all Israel men women and children all the men of Israel means all the men twenty years of age and above all the tribes of Israel means just that all the assembly of Israel means all of Israel assembled all the elders of Israel means all of the elders of the tribes of Israel so there are times when Moses's words will be directed to or be spoken about certain aspects but really the speeches that are given in Deuteronomy that we hear were for all Israel and that is all-encompassing well does a woman bring her nursing child all Israel the answer is yes you can't stay home and she's nursing the baby he can't stay home or she can't stay home either be pretty famished by the time they got home if mom's been away for seven to ten days anticipated what's going to happen when Israel gets in the land as it goes Jerusalem can you starve your you know baby for about seven to ten days and come back to a happy camper all right so all Israel means all Israel this is how vital and important what is said in Deuteronomy is right and then the attributes of the Lord I've given you the the verses there are three sections of the Old Testament where we see the preeminent revelation of Yahweh's attributes Deuteronomy Psalms and Isaiah particularly Isaiah 40 to 48 but all of Isaiah interestingly these are the three major parts of the Old Testament quoted in the New Testament Torah Psalms Isaiah and how is Yahweh revealed particularly through the words of Moses well five different ways first of all Yahweh is unique there is no other God like Yahweh he is unique we'll come back to this interpretive issue but no matter how you translate it Deuteronomy 6 for hero Israel Yahweh is our God Yahweh is one there is no other God like Yahweh he is unique among all the gods and because there is only one he is jealous for his own name for his own character for himself he is a jealous God he is a consuming fire 424 I mean if he is unique if there's no one else like him then you cannot share him you cannot share your worship you cannot share your affection with anyone but him he is unique and jealous he is faithful he is loving he is gracious he is judging by way particularly on the fact of his faithfulness and his and the fact that he is a loyal God a gracious God a compassionate God we're going to come right back to those attributes of Yahweh when we come to the book of Psalms again again it Psalms Salter is going to is going to reflect these same added the same attributes of Yahweh and their relevance as far as the worshiper in Israel is concerned Israel as a whole but where was where was that revelation first given it was given here in Deuteronomy I'll have you look up the verses now it is significant let's go to Deuteronomy 6 because the revelation of Yahweh's character by Moses is the basis of Israel's response to Yahweh this is not just a mere theology lesson Yahweh is your God this is who Yahweh is this is the character of Yahweh this is the one who has made himself known these here's the one who lives among you here is the one who has revealed himself to you but throughout Deuteronomy it's always with a call to response going back to chapter 6 verse 4 here oh Israel Yahweh is our God Yahweh is one and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your might go over to chapter 10 a very very key passage we're see Moses giving a long narrative of coming into the presence of God receiving the ten words verse 10 I'm moreover Deuteronomy 10 10 stayed on the mountain 40 days 40 nights and the Lord listened to me that time the Lord was not willing to destroy you then the Lord said to me arise proceed in your journey out of the people they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give to them and now Israel right hearing all that has taken place and all that Yahweh has done what does the Lord your God require from you but to fear him to walk in all his ways love him serve him keep his commandments behold to Yahweh your God belong heaven and the highest heavens and the earth and all that is in it get on your fathers that he said his affection circumcised then your hearts have been in the more for Yahweh your God is God of gods and Lord of lords the great the mighty the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take bribes he executes justice for the orphans etc. so show your love for the alien notice how intertwined here is who Yahweh is what Yahweh has done how Yahweh has manifested himself to Israel therefore on that basis this is the way you're to act this is your response this is what the Lord requires of you and who is the one who requires of you the one who has got above all gods Lord above all lords the one who executes justice and shows love for the alien so you just show love for the alien you shall fear God because of his greatness because of his awesome character in other words the more you come to understand who your God is Israel the more you realize the commencement response that you're to have as his people Israel is not just given a theology lesson so they might get a theology lesson they're given a theology lesson that it might change their hearts and bend their will bend their affection they might fear Yahweh and obey him and do what he has commanded let me drop down here oh Israel again again Moses will begin sections of his exhortation here and within this context it here with obedience and respond to what Yahweh has said because of who Yahweh is and then going back to chapter 10 as you hear Yahweh well what does Yahweh require Yahweh requires first fear fear Yahweh your God that is hold him in all all them in respect give him honor for who he is fear Yahweh to walk in Yahweh's ways that means to bring your daily conduct into harmony with character and Yahweh's requirements fear him hold him in respect honor him walk in his ways and love him set your affection upon him why because he first had his affection upon you and serve Yahweh your God with all your heart and all your soul and serve here as the obedience which flows out of worship for Yahweh to keep Yahweh's commandments and his statutes which I am commanding you today for his good if you if you want to reflect Yahweh in your conduct if you want every step to honor Yahweh for who he is then you'll be careful to do exactly what has said for you to do now notice how these imperatives to fear Yahweh to walk in his ways to love him serve Yahweh keep his commands are not only here is the basic requirements for Israel but how fearing Yahweh loving Yahweh keeping Yahweh's commands walking in Yahweh's ways significantly are impressed upon Israel in many different contexts as you hear what Moses said to Israel in these final speeches so I'm gonna let you flush this out in your synopsis answer you can look up the verses but the synopsis question asks you to how did Yahweh reveal himself go through the verses and what was Israel's response to be to that revelation again you can just go through the verses and see how Yahweh makes himself known and because of who he is this is how Israel is to bring their life into conformity with him now significantly as you go through Moses keeps making an issue of the heart even here in chapter 10 verse 16 because God has chosen you therefore circumcise your heart now they have been circumcised well they hadn't been will be circumcised in flesh in Joshua 5 first-generation been circumcised a little bit of their unbelief they failed to circumcise their children alright so be circumcised not just in flesh but what circumcise your heart the heart was the place of thinking desiring willing of thought emotion and will it's where one's volition is centered as far as the Old Testament so circumcising your heart is circumcising it's it's it's your thoughts your emotions and your will the basically now are to be cut away the old is to be cut away and the heart is to come forth and again again again I've given the passages for you that Moses will speak about the heart notice the all-inclusive nature of 6 5 which I've just read and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart that is with all of your thinking and emotion in will and with all your soul and soul particularly in the Old Testament looks at passion desire almost you know person that what makes you you all your soul and all your might that is all the power the physical power that you have as you know the New Testament that strength and might so everything physically so yeah there's a sense in which okay you're to love him with the totality of your whole thoughts of your whole passion with every ounce of energy that Yahweh has given to I mean gentlemen that that kind of comes down to the Essex paraphrase love him with everything you got I mean we're at you know we're a playoff time you know baseball I mean you expect the now to give a hundred and ten percent totally focused zeroed in there's only one thing that should be on their mind right now the game doing their best and and their whole passion I mean yeah you don't want to see a lack of days ago ballplayer in the playoffs with every ounce of that's Moses is speaking to the whole person this is not just as you hear this is not just hearing words physically it's it is entering in everything you're hearing with the totality of all that you are and so the heart is vital and if Israel does not obey from the heart they do not obey and toward the end Moses is having encouraged them to wholeheartedly follow the Lord he's gonna come in chapter you know 31 and tell him you won't you're not gonna do it because judgments are gonna come upon you and certainly as we go through we see the the land just about every chapter of Deuteronomy talks about the land and Israel going in and taking possession of the land with a reminder that Moses isn't going with them the death of Moses is like a dark shadow in the backdrop of these speeches he talks about you know three times chapter one chapter 3 kept the 31 he pleaded with Yahweh to let him go in the land and Yahweh said no because of his disobedience and with the most of these contexts he also then says the God has raised up Joshua you to go ahead into Joshua interestingly when you get to Joshua's was just as we obeyed Moses we will obey you Moses makes it very clear whom God has chosen to take his place why because Yahweh made known to Moses yet Yahweh in his grace even though Moses can't go in to the land he can see the land now here's one thing that we believe is still a geographical similarity of Moses day to our day 35 hundred years later and that is right around late winter when the winds are just right to this day you can stand on the heights of Moab east of the Jordan and you can look and on a clear day you can see all the way to the Mediterranean when does Moses die well last day of the 11th month first day of the 12th when they're gonna mourn from 30 days I expect I expected he died could be inclusive the first day but somewhere around you know February and I calendar and gentlemen if you ever have the opportunity to go just go but if you can go on February go typically they'll let you go to Jordan I've never seen it but but I've had individuals been there in February so yeah a clear day it's about the only time during the year but yeah you can without binoculars with a naked eye because it's only what about 60 miles from plains of Moab over to the coast kind of like Southern California a clear day some of you guys you're gonna be amazed there's gonna be some day the you know the winds are gonna how the rain is gonna come and this whole valley is gonna be you know the whole LA is gonna be cleaned out and you can go to one of the heights around LA and you can see 50 60 miles all the way the Pacific now gentlemen it's not gonna happen often it's usually gonna be this dismal smoggy atmosphere that we have but there's gonna be just a few days that's the way it is in Israel just a few days in late winter very early spring probably sometime in February March ever it happens late January but look I mean look out the window you can't see a thing there's gonna come some mornings when we're gonna come to this room and the foothills are gonna look like they were right out that window that you could just reach out and touch them that's my illustration of Moses got his chance to see I know God gave him a pair of binoculars probably not they weren't discovered yet but they have vital you know vitality he died he did not die of old age being 120 he died with his full physical capacity no senility with Moses so he was sharp and able to see but it's interesting he brings up and he brings up you know and God was mad you know angry with me on your account yes chapter you know 20 you rebels if you hadn't he hadn't have been rebels I wouldn't have rebelled but you did I did it's not Moses not taking personal responsibility stating a fact you know your rebellion led to my rebellion so Joshua will take over all right any questions comments introduction or themes or exodus yeah I would say this that in the narrative the Holy Spirit why do we have these you know different and I would say different aspects are not contradictory but where in in the previous part of the Torah will have the the narrative of the events this happened then this happened then this happened you're right in Deuteronomy many times what he'll do is is give a more personalized this was what was taking place yeah you know you previously had the mere you know accounts now I tell you you know what was happening and of course chapter 9 and 10 or first part of ten or good illustration of that that you know when he went back to receive the law the second time and a little bit more about how he played with Yahweh and what Yahweh's response was and again giving more of a personalized more of an intimate more of a first-hand you know account of what was merely narrated previously in the Torah so yeah it's very personal it's much more personalized than anything else within the Torah yeah up until this point you you've been hearing facts and and now Moses is kind of giving you some of the inside scoop behind some of those facts he has given you know commands now he is giving you know the appeal the heart the you know the passion you should have you know for Yahweh to keep these commands previously he's given narrative now he's giving extra you know now he's giving exposition he's given explanation and and exhortation imperative is based upon you know what he said so so really is it's if you want to put it this way it's from it's from mere narrative you know it's a proclamation it's almost a sense which I could say that you know through numbers 36 up until this point you have a lecture and then in Deuteronomy you have preaching so if you want to know and sometimes this you know seminary students ask what's the difference between a lecture and a sermon that's the difference between Genesis 1 the numbers 36 and Deuteronomy 1 you know to Deuteronomy 33 so you want to know how to preach the first great expository preacher of the Bible was Moses wasn't even Paul in fact Paul learned how to preach from Moses you say how do you know that we'll take a look at all his letters always giving you know facts about who Yahweh is and therefore on that basis I appeal to you where do you get that structure gentlemen he read the Torah he'd heard the Torah and particularly it heard Deuteronomy so so I so here I mean you're gonna have dr. Lawson dr. mccrath pretty good expositors but who do they learn from they learn from Paul and who did Paul learn from Moses and the rest of the prophets so if you want to find out where they get their material for the preaching classes then go back to Paul you want to find out where Paul got his material go back to Moses I think that when you go over about five thousand people because nothing less than a miracle what are your thoughts on that how did that work do you think similar to when Ezra was reading the word and then he had men explaining it and Jethro saying you need to divide things up that is a great question that I can't obviously only answer because the text doesn't tell us certainly Deuteronomy 34 tells us that Moses has not lost any of his physical capability so what he could or could not do I don't know but I think you're right if what we talked about as far as the interpretation the numbers are right probably was more in a system like we see in Nehemiah chapter 8 where where you have as it was relayed Moses spoke and there were relays who heard and then you know would speak and then be picked up by someone else someone else someone else but I will say this that all Israel heard and that is the clear you know statement of the text that's another place where our you know our evangelicals we want to you know lower the numbers would talk about the dynamics of how do you speak and now certainly you know certain dynamics were unnatural we've already seen that while Israel was in the wilderness during those forty years and this is the climax of the forty years so we just can't go back and say all right these are the natural process today a man no matter how good if we vocals and in projecting his voice can only speak to so many people at a given time you know no microphones or anything like that so this is impossible we just don't know but I would practically speaking maybe God in heaven has a DVD of this day of these days and we'll have a chance to see exactly how it took place but but maybe not maybe everything revealed is already revealed and this is much although you know you'll meet Moses during the Millennium and so you can ask him just ask this couldn't answer that question can you and you say sure I was there so but I would assume something like a neomya a but you know it can't prove it one way or another question people saying that the structure of Deuteronomy is based off of like a suzerain well guess what our first interpretive issue is going to be exactly that so a long a long time is going to come on that so the literary structure and we'll we'll go over that the the first part of the next session all right other questions yeah we see as Moses begins to speak he says the Lord God made a covenant with us in the whore of the Lord made not this covenant with our fathers but with us even us are all here alive this day he goes out the way to say that God made this covenant with us is it our understanding that God's covenant from God's perspective is only made with those who are going to keep it it doesn't matter if you were there as your fathers were but the cabinet from God's perspective is made only with those who will keep no I would say and we're talking here about the mosaic covenant he's talking about the covenant made at Sinai whore of so the question is is this to be assumed it's only made with believers and my answer that would be no it's made with all Israel it's Moses speaks this the representatives of Israel are those that accompany him you know back at least partway up of the mountain Exodus chapter 24 and I would go back to what I said you know in Deuteronomy chapter 4 and and was referencing this exact you know verse that that what happened the first generation Israel in the in the speaking of the word that communicates those events it's like Israel of following generations was there so that the second generation those who are at this point 39 and under were not physically at Sinai but in hearing this reiteration of what took place of Sinai they are there because the covenant is not just with those who made the covenant at Sinai it is made you know with every successive generation of Israel I mean this is this is the same truth that Hebrews is going to bring that that Levi was in the loins of Abraham offering the ties to Melchizedek that he was in a sense there even though he had not yet been born and that's true with every succeeding generation of Israel that when they gathered every seven years all Israel reduplicating basically what took place here at Horeb and the whole Torah is read to them then they become as it were first second-generation Israel hearing all over again and and realizing that God historically spoke to the fathers but in the word spoke to them and they too were called to covenant loyalty and had covenant obligations because Yahweh was speaking to them now I believe the fathers there in verse three did not make this covenant with our fathers but with us and as you go through to remind me fathers can be used both for Abraham Isaac and Jacob the fathers and then and then you know first-generation of Israel I think here what he's saying is this covenant is not the covenant made with the patriarchs this is the covenant made with Israel and now that covenant is made with Israel because of the Abrahamic covenants because they are the physical seed because they are the nation which comes from Abraham but no the covenant was made with national Israel I don't think you can within scripture where the covenant particularly was made with with the believers in Israel now the distinction is going to be between the old covenant and the new covenant which seems to be given in perspective in Deuteronomy chapter 29 and 30 but particularly picked up in Jeremiah and Ezekiel Jeremiah 31 Ezekiel 36 will reference it back when we get to those passages in 502 that they have the covenant that is made with believers with regenerate Israel is going to be the new covenant so and I think that is the difference that is seen biblically between the old covenant the old covenant was external the new covenant is internal so that the old covenant is made with all of Israel the new covenant is only with those who have a changed heart so no I think this covenant is made with all of national Israel and on that basis God holds the nation accountable that's why he brings the brassings and the curses and why he'll a gentleman can do so because the covenant is made with all Israel I don't know if that answers your question but no I think I think what he's saying is if you're part of Israel you're part of this covenant and when it's read it's it's it's you here you're coming obligations and this is what you're to be loyal to specifically all of us who hear a lot of this day you don't believe refers to the generation you believe refers back to Abraham Isaac Jacob okay well look at the passage where he says the Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers but with us with with all of us alive that is we ourselves here today no I don't think the distinction is between those who died in the wilderness who received it first and then those of us who are here today and even then those that were here today included unregenerate individuals non-believers it includes an Aiken whose deceptive heart is going to put him under the curse and in Joshua six and seven so I wouldn't say even if you say the father series the first generation of Israel that has died now the covenant is made you know with those of us who are here and the word of life is it kind of based what the original is is made with us ourselves it's made with those of us that are here you know that's with whom the covenant is made what Moses is doing is is making it experiential existential for that generation that it has is as much God's covenant with you as it was with those who went before and those who are going to come after and that would be my understanding of of the verses I don't think anything that I see Old Testament because to reiterate that's the whole distinction between the old and new covenant that there has to be a change of heart there has to be regeneration you know for the one who's under the new covenant that truly is made with believers okay now I understand the answer is also an election to this question but in 49 he talks about punishing the children of their father since the third fourth generation and we have taken and all of his family dies with him when he's the one committed to sin what's the best way that to help people ourselves included understand that there are two concepts that obviously are not contradictory that are given in the Bible the first one and reiterated in in Deuteronomy is that every individual bears the responsibility and consequences for their own sin and I will have to look up the exact passage but it talks in in Deuteronomy and reiterates you know the the truth that one bears you know the consequences you know for sin you have to put any money to death for the sins of their father nor a father for the sins of the son everyone bears their own consequences in that way yet as is seen in the the third commandment and this principle is reiterated here is is the fact that consequences of disobedience can be seen in future generations who follow the same pattern of disobedience and so make these things known to your sons and your grandsons you've seen what has taken place to those who who who disobeyed the Lord at Baal of Peor you've seen what what God does with the disobedience so make that known that your sons and grandsons are not disobedient this way and therefore suffer the same consequences which is also true because God God will punish generation a generation for the same sins committed against him in the same way and so this should be a warning yet understand yet the son the grandson cannot say hey this was this was all determined I couldn't do anything about it no you could you you can repent you can change you can respond to the Lord as you should so both principles are there and and frankly I mean we we see that today we you know we see how there are you know characteristic sins that are passed on from generation to generation but you know very much without without the Lord's intervention a son basically walks in the footsteps of his father that should be sobering for those of us who are fathers and grandfathers and my wife and I have brought this up many many times that it's that's one of the things about parenting that God convicts you of your sin through your kids some of us have been in the same situation so you still have to learn that lesson yeah the kids are little mimics and they they have the same sinful tendencies that you do and their sinful tendencies work out the same way they see it in you so like father like son now is this is the son condemned because he followed his father no he's condemned because he sinned because there is you know the way of escape so yeah I think both truths are to be held as as wisdom and we'll be seen also when you get into Proverbs and the wisdom letter I mean this just have to be held in balance together that that you're part of your family but the same time you bear individual responsibility before the Lord for your own life before the Lord