God's Call to Obedience: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:20

Deuteronomy 1:1‑3:20  •  4 min. read  •  grade level: 10
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Deuteronomy 1:1-3:20
The book of Deuteronomy, which we begin today, is most interesting.
It gives us God’s call to Israel to walk in obedience, and a rehearsal of His faithfulness which should have given them every cause to want to obey. Sadly, it only revealed that they had no heart for God or His Word, and that they earned the curse pronounced for disobedience. There are many reminders of God’s mercy throughout the book, for He was ever ready to forgive and bless if they would only turn to Him, but, as we have remarked, they had no heart to walk in His ways. In spite of this, it is beautiful to turn to the end of the book and read of the promises of future blessing in that day when God gives them a new heart (Jeremiah 31:33-34), and blesses them according to His own purpose in grace, and not according to what they deserved at all.
God Overcoming Our Difficulties
The first chapter reminds the people of how they could have crossed the wilderness in eleven days and entered the land, but unbelief kept them out of it. They did not count on the power of God, but thought only of the difficulties which were too great for them. How often we look at difficulties in this way, and suffer, as Israel did, under the government of God for our unbelief, but if we would only turn to Him we would find Him greater than all our difficulties, and He would overcome them for us. When the children of Israel saw the position in which their unbelief put them, they sought ways of their own to get out of it, but all in vain. It is a blessed, yet serious, thing to have to do with the living God, and human prudence is useless in this path “which the vulture’s eye hath not seen: the lion’s whelps have not trodden it,” (Job 28:7-8). Truly man’s wisdom or strength could neither find it, nor walk in it.
The Advance Toward Jordan
After rehearsing their journeys, we come to the point where the people are about to start in their advance toward the river Jordan, which they had to cross in order to enter Canaan. They passed by the land of Esau, Moab, and the children of Ammon, buying food and water from them, but not entering into any conflict. It is wonderful to see in all this how God is the disposer of hearts and kept these hostile nations from harming them as they passed by. Let us remember that His Word says, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him,” (Proverbs 16:7). Sometimes we are asked, “What would you do if...?” but that is reasoning and not faith. God may never put us in such circumstances, and if He does, His Word will guide us, and His arm is able to protect us.
When they came to the country of Sihon, king of Heshbon, Moses sent messengers asking that they might pass through his land peaceably, but Sihon refused and came out against them to battle. As a result of this, God told the children of Israel to destroy them utterly, killing every man, woman, and child among them, and keeping only the cattle alive. They then took possession of their land for the two and a half tribes who settled on the wilderness side of Jordan. Og, king of Bashan, also came out against the children of Israel, and he and all his people were destroyed, as those of Heshbon had been. The children of Israel then took their land for a possession also. How foolish to oppose God or His people!
Further Meditations
1. What kept the people from crossing the wilderness in only eleven days?
2. Why can’t we count on human prudence to find our way through this world without dishonoring God? What makes it essential to obey the Lord in everything?
3. Obedience: The Saint’s Liberty is a short little booklet by J. N. Darby that covers the essential nature of obedience from a Christian and not a legal perspective.