Moses' Last Talk to Israel

From: Messages of God's Love: 1937

The Book of Deu-te-ron-omy

MOSES knew that the big company of Israel were soon to go into the land God had promised them, and that he could not go with them. There they would have lands and homes of their own, great cities and villages, and become a rich and powerful nation instead of being poor slaves as their parents had been in Egypt. Many of them had been small children when they left Egypt, many others had been born since, and had not seen all God’s wonders on the way nor heard His voice at Mt. Sinai, and it was very important they should know how God wanted to bless them and have them for His special people.

So Moses called them altogether to tell them God’s words and what He had done and would do for them. These words were written down and kept and were the fifth book of Moses. Since, it has been named Deu-te-ron-omy, which means “a second giving of the law”.

They were told not to add anything to the words God told them, nor to take from them. (Chapter 4:2).

They were to teach His words to their children, talk of them to each other, and to write them so that others would see them and so none of them should forget diem. When they remembered how the Lord had cared for them and not let their feet become sore, nor their shoes or clothes worn out in forty years of wilderness life; surely He could keep them in the new land! (Deut. 8:4; 29:5⁴Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. (Deuteronomy 8:4)
⁵And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot. (Deuteronomy 29:5)).

This writing of Moses was quoted from several times by the Lord Jesus, and is good for us now. Here is one important verse: “Man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord.” Deut. 8:3³And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. (Deuteronomy 8:3) and Matt. 4:4⁴But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4).

When did Moses give this talk? Deut. 1:3³And 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; (Deuteronomy 1:3). Who stood to hear the talk? Deut. 29:10, 11¹⁰Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel, ¹¹Your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water: (Deuteronomy 29:10‑11).

When were they to talk of God’s words? Deut. 6:7⁷And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deuteronomy 6:7).

Where were they to write God’s words? Deut. 6:9⁹And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. (Deuteronomy 6:9).

What story should a father tell his son? Deut. 6:20-25²⁰And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you? ²¹Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand: ²²And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: ²³And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. ²⁴And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. ²⁵And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us. (Deuteronomy 6:20‑25).

Where were the writings to be kept? Deut. 31:24-27²⁴And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, ²⁵That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, ²⁶Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee. ²⁷For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death? (Deuteronomy 31:24‑27).

ML 12/12/1937

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