Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus and Peter's Three Denials of Him

Continuing a Bible study of the gospel accounts:

(Matthew 26:30) And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

In the last post, Jesus had just instituted Communion at the end of the Last Supper.  Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn at the end of the supper, and then went out to the Mount of Olives.

(31) Then Jesus said to them, "All of you shall be offended because of Me this night; for it is written, 'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.'"

Jesus spoke to His disciples, telling them they would all be offended because of Him that night.  The original word translated as "offended" was "skandalizo."  The similarity to our word "scandalize" is obvious.  The dictionary definition of scandalize is to "shock or horrify by something considered immoral or improper."  Just imagine that all of Jesus's disciples who had been side by side with Him through all His teachings and miracles, and had come to know Him as the Messiah, would that night be scandalized by Him because He was considered immoral or improper!  Jesus then quoted the prophecy from Zechariah 13:7 that said that the Shepherd would be struck and all the sheep scattered.

(32) "But after I am risen again, I will go before you to Galilee."

However, Jesus told His disciples that after He had risen again, He would once again go before them, as a shepherd leading his sheep, into Galilee.  Although they would forsake Him, He would not forsake them, but would be back to lead them again.  It should give them comfort to know that though they would be scattered sheep, they would be gathered together again.

(33) Peter answered and said to Him, "Though all shall be offended because of You, I will never be offended."

Peter said to Jesus that even if all others would be offended by Him, he would never be offended by His Lord.  Peter surely truly believed that in his heart.  As we've seen before, Peter was often rash and spoke or acted without thinking first.  He knew he loved his Lord, but as he often did, he relied on his own strength, having no idea of the trials to come.  We never know how truly feeble we are and how much we need the Lord until we are tried.  It can be a blessing to be shown our weaknesses so that we learn dependence on the Lord.  

(34) Jesus said to him, "Verily I say to you, that this night before the cock crows, you will deny Me three times."

Jesus told Peter that on the contrary, he would deny Jesus three times that night before the rooster crowed in the morning.

(35) Peter said to Him, "Though I should die with you, yet I will not deny You." Likewise also said all the disciples.

Indeed, Peter was so confident in himself, that He actually denied Jesus's statement that he would deny Him three times that night.  That clearly shows Peter's reliance on himself that he would actually deny what he should have known to be true because it had been prophesied by Jesus.  All the disciples agreed they would never deny their Lord.

(36) Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray yonder."

Jesus and His disciples came to a garden at the foot of Mount Olive, called Gethsemane, the name meaning "oil press," a lush place probably where the produce of Mount Olive was pressed and prepared for use.  Jesus asked His disciples to sit while He went to a yonder place to pray.

(37) And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very distressed.

Jesus took three of His disciples with Him, Peter, James, and John, to the yonder place He went to pray.  He began to be very sorrowful and deeply anguished.  We can somewhat understand all the physical torture Jesus went through for us, but we are not able to comprehend what it must have been like for a perfect soul, God in human flesh, to have to take on the entire sin of the world.  I'm sure that was the most distressing part, and probably a very hard thing to accomplish.  God, who could not be in the presence of sin, stooping to such a low level as to take upon Himself all the sin of the world!  That is something we humans cannot possibly understand.

(38) Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."

Jesus told the three disciples how anguished His soul was.  We've always been taught to understand that because Jesus was completely human, this showed His human weakness in that He was distressed by His coming torture and death.  We've been taught that as man, Jesus was tempted, but as God, He never sinned.  However, it was much larger than distress over physical abuse, again, I say something we cannot possibly understand.  Knowing what was soon coming, Jesus asked those three disciples to stay with Him and be watchful.  Whether this meant to watch for danger, be His eyes while He prayed, or be watchful for themselves, or probably a combination of all those things, Jesus exhorted His disciples to stay awake, be alert, and be vigilant while He prayed.

(39) And He went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."

Jesus went on a little further away from the three disciples, and fell down on His face and prayed to His Father in heaven.  Once again, we have been taught that this showed Jesus's human weakness in that He wished for "this cup" to pass from Him and not touch Him.  However, He quickly added that although His human body asked this, He would do according to God's will, not His own fleshly will.  That is all true, but what exactly is "this cup"?  We've always imagined it as the physical torture that was about to come, and I am sure that is true, but John Wesley, in his Notes on the Bible, had another thought.  He pointed out that the anguish in Jesus's human soul was the cup He asked to be passed from Him, and that God indeed took that anguish away quickly; and Jesus was willing to subject to the will of God.  Also, once again, we have to remember that what Jesus's fleshly soul anguished over was more than just physical torture, but the crushing sin of the world, and being completely separated from God and His place in heaven.  We cannot comprehend such anguish because we are sinners; sin abounds in us and around us.  However, the perfect God cannot be in the presence of sin.  He had to come to earth in a human form to be able to take our sin upon Him.  Jesus was man, but He was also God, and this perfect man who had no sin, this man who was actually God incarnate, had to endure the sin of the world and separation from His rightful place in heaven.

(40) And He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch with Me one hour?"

After an hour of prayer, Jesus came back to the three disciples and found them asleep.  This shows their great human weakness in that they could not stand watch for one hour.  The account in Luke added that they were sleeping "for sorrow."  It's not that they didn't care; they cared deeply, and in their deep grief, sleep befell them.  Although all three were asleep, Jesus directed His question to Peter, because he was the one who stated confidently that he would never deny Jesus.  Yet he had denied one of Jesus's last requests to have him sit and watch with him.  Once again, it's not that Peter didn't care and that he meant to deny Jesus's request; it was human weakness and he should have known better than to trust in his own strength to dispute what Jesus had said about him denying Him three times.

(41) "Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation; the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak."

This time Jesus asked that they not only stay with Him and watch, but that they pray so that they might not enter into temptation.  Jesus indeed said that He knew their spirit was willing to do what He asked, but their flesh was weak.  If they had stayed awake and prayed for their own strength and resistance to any temptation, they may have been better able to stand with and perhaps even defend their Lord.

(42) He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Your will be done."

Jesus went a distance away from His disciples again to pray.  Again He prayed that if there was no other way within God's will to follow through with God's current plan for salvation than for Him to go through this way of suffering and death on the cross, and separation from God because of the world's sin upon Him, then He wanted to do God's will.  Jesus, the man, dreaded what was to come and asked for a different way if it were possible.  One might think that because Jesus was also God, that He would know it was the only way, and that He would have the divine strength to follow through.  Indeed, He did, but as all scripture is for our learning so that we may be "perfect" (2 Timothy 3:16-17), Jesus came not only to save us all from our sin, but also to give us the perfect example of a holy man.  He demonstrated that He was tempted, that He anguished over the right thing to do, but relinquished His will to the will of His Father.

(43) And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.

Jesus returned again to the three disciples and found them asleep again.  Scripture says it was because their eyes were heavy; they just couldn't seem to keep them open.  The account in Mark added that they didn't know how to answer Him.  They knew not what to do or say for Jesus, and they were sleepy with emotional stress, and had fallen asleep again.

(44) And He left them and went away again, and prayed a third time, saying the same words.

This time Jesus did not rebuke His disciples, but went to pray a third time, praying the same thing as before.  I don't think the pertinent part is that He again prayed that that cup depart from Him, but if it wouldn't, then He was resigned to His Father's will.  It's that He continued in prayer all the while He waited for the ultimate outcome.  He prayed consistently for strength for His human body to do what He must do.

(45) Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Sleep on now and take rest; behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners."

When taking into context the other gospel accounts of this event, Jesus probably meant the fact that they were sleeping at that point didn't matter because there was no more need to watch; the time for Him to be betrayed into the hands of the Roman soldiers was at that moment.

(46) "Rise, let us be going; behold, he is at hand who betrays Me."

Jesus then told the disciples to wake up and rise and go forth.  It was time for Him to go forth and meet His betrayer, Judas, and face what must happen.

(47) And while He yet spoke, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came with a great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

Just as Jesus was speaking those last words, indeed, there came Judas Iscariot, one of His own disciples, with a great many men with swords and clubs who had been sent by the chief priests and elders of the people.

(48) Now he who betrayed Him gave them a sign saying, "Whomever I kiss, that one is He; hold Him fast."

Judas had planned with the multitude with him a signal that would signify who it was they should seize.  He told them that the One he kissed was the One they were after, and they should immediately seize Him and hold Him.

(49) And immediately he came to Jesus and said, "Hail, Master," and kissed Him.

Judas went immediately to Jesus.  The account in Luke says that he went before the multitude.  He probably ran ahead to separate himself from the mob so it didn't look as though he came with them.  He greeted Jesus with "Hail, Master."  "Hail" was a common greeting wishing one to rejoice and be of good cheer, and he also called Him Master.  How hypocritical and diabolical was Judas in exhorting his Master to be of good cheer while he followed through with his plan that would lead to His destruction.

(50) And Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

Jesus spoke to Judas.  He called him "hetairos," which more accurately means "comrade, companion," rather than "friend."  Knowing full well why he had come, Jesus posed the question to Judas.  Rather than asking why he had come, the phrase that was originally translated as "wherefore," which NKJV translated as "why," meant more accurately "whom or what have you come for."  Surely, Jesus was letting Judas know that He knew he came for someone, and He knew that someone was Him.  Those who were with Judas came and took hold of Jesus.

The account in John greatly expounded on this.  Jesus asked for whom had the multitude come, and they answered, "Jesus of Nazareth."  Jesus answered, "I am," and they immediately fell backward to the ground.  Jesus said, "I AM," and that in itself made them fall to the ground!  In that statement, He said He was God, the Great I Am, and that fact knocked them to the ground!  

There are two parenthetical points I'd like to make here.  First, is to say why I think the King James Version of the Bible is the best translation.  This is one of the best examples.  Every translation of the Bible I have seen says that Jesus said, "I am He," meaning He was the one they sought.  Even the KJV says that.  However, what the KJV did that not all other translations did, was to italicize any word that they added to the original to make the statement clearer, or so they thought in this case.  They thought Jesus had answered that He was the one they sought.  But thanks to their method of italicizing any word they added, we know that Jesus actually said, "I AM."  That is the reason they all fell down.  It's been over eleven years since I wrote about different versions of the Bible and how some actually diminish the divinity of Christ.  For many examples of this and for links to those who have studied the issue more in-depth, please read:  Which Version of the Truth Will You Use?

The second point I wish to make is how much I'd like to encourage folks to at least once read a chronologically ordered Bible.  By reading all events recorded in the Bible in the order in which they occurred, one would get the entire picture of what happened when Judas and his band came to seize Jesus, for example.  I admit, right now I am not studying that version that I prefer.  I was challenged by someone to read the gospels to see what Jesus said.  I was at that time moving slowly through the Old Testament with my chronological study, and I was challenged by someone who suggested that the Old Testament was not relevant in our current culture, and that I needed to see what Jesus said.  I took the challenge, knowing that any part of the Bible, in any order, would provide me with spiritual insight, and I couldn't go wrong doing that.  I admit, I have learned some insight on judging others, BUT that doesn't mean all they do in this culture is right by God's moral law.  Jesus said He didn't come to do away with the law; that moral law still exists.  However, we are to act in love and live our lives as Christians with Jesus as the Lord of our lives, answering those who question how it is that we have such hope (1 Peter 3:15), especially during these troubled times.  Peter said we were to do that with meekness and fear.  And that is because we recognize that we are also sinners, and were once lost, but only through the grace of God and the remission of our sins through Jesus Christ are we saved.

Continuing the study of the 26th chapter of Matthew:  

(51) And behold, one of them who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and cut off his ear.

The account in John tells us it was Peter who drew his sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest.  In his zealous love for his Lord, he sought to protect Him and to prevent the multitude from taking Him.  Commentators suggest, and probably likely so, that Peter was aiming to cut off the head of the one seizing Jesus, but perhaps divine intervention made him miss and merely cut his ear.

(52) Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword."

However, Jesus told Peter to put away his sword.  His reason was that all who fought by the sword would die by the sword.  There are times when God might make a call to fight, but in this instance in particular, Peter's action would have brought on a battle between His disciples and those taking Jesus, and men would have died.  That was not God's will.  The account in Luke states that Jesus touched and healed the man's ear.

(53) "Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He would immediately give Me more than twelve legions of angels?"

Jesus's point to Peter was that it was completely unnecessary for him to take up a sword to defend Jesus, for didn't he realize that if Jesus had wanted to be defended from this multitude, He could have prayed to His Father in heaven and He would have provided more than twelve legions of angels to defend Him.

(54) "But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be?"

Jesus continued His point to Peter that if He had called for legions of angels to defend Himself, how would scripture be fulfilled that prophesied it must be that way, that the Messiah would be apprehended, made to suffer, and would die.

(55) In that same hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out as against a thief, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you laid no hold on Me."

Jesus's point to His captors was to ask why they felt the need to hunt Him down like a robber or thief with swords and clubs.  They had been with Him daily in the temple and never saw Him as a thief.  Why now was all this necessary?  It certainly added to the humiliation to which Jesus consented, to be hunted down as a criminal.

(56) "But all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

After He asked why they came unnecessarily with swords, Jesus answered the question Himself that it was done to fulfill a prophecy in the scriptures of the prophets.  This appears to be the prophecy of Zechariah in 13:7, in which the Lord called for a sword to be awakened against His shepherd.  Then at that point, sadly, all of His disciples fled.

(57) And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

Those who laid hold of Jesus first led Him away to Annas, so says the account in John.  Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas.  Jesus may have been led to him first out of honor and respect, but it seems He was very shortly led to Caiaphas where the scribes and elders were gathered together.

(58) But Peter followed Him afar off to the high priest's palace and went in and sat with the servants to see the end.

Although his fear had sent him fleeing, his love for his Lord sent him following Jesus into the high priest's palace where he sat among the servants of the palace to watch what was to become of Jesus.

(59) Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false witness against Jesus to put Him to death.

This council, the sanhedrin, first had Jesus seized, and then they looked for something of which they could accuse Him!  They had already determined to put Him to death, and willingly sought even false witnesses to do it.

(60) But found none; yea, though many false witnesses came, yet they found none.  At last two false witnesses came.

It appears many false witnesses came before the sanhedrin, but none were able to say anything incriminating against Jesus.  However, in the end, two false witnesses came before them.

(61) And said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.'"

The best those two false witnesses could come up with was that Jesus had said He was able to destroy the temple of God and could build it up again in three days.  That may be the way they interpreted it, or maybe they purposely tried to make it sound worse, but what Jesus had actually said in John 2:19 was, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," and in that, He was referring to His own body, the human temple of God on earth.

(62) And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men witness against You?"

The high priest then arose and addressed Jesus, asking if He had anything to say about what these men had said about Him.

(63) But Jesus held His peace. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God."

Up to this point, Jesus said nothing.  There was really nothing that merited an answer.  He knew that they were determined to put Him to death and that His hour had come.  Now the high priest asked Him point blank, putting Him under oath, if He was the Christ, the Son of God.  The false witnesses had proved useless.  The high priest went straight to the point which he felt was sure to entrap Jesus.  If Jesus said He was the Christ, he would condemn Him for blasphemy.  If He said He was not the Christ, then he could condemn Him for lying and being an imposter.

(64) Jesus said to him, "You have said; nevertheless I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."

Jesus then answered the high priest that it was as he had said.  Additionally, He added that they would afterward have full proof of it when they all saw the Messiah sitting at the right hand of the Father in heaven, and coming in the clouds of heaven to exact judgment.

(65) Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now you have heard His blasphemy!"

The high priest had what he had wanted and that which he had plotted all along to get, his excuse to condemn Jesus.  To demonstrate his zeal for the honor of God, he tore his clothes in grief and abhorrence to what he called a blasphemy of God.  He declared to the members of the sanhedrin that there was no further need for any witnesses, that they had all witnessed what he called Jesus's blasphemy.

(66) "What do you think?" They answered and said, "He is guilty of death."

The high priest asked the members of the sanhedrin what they thought about what they heard, and they answered that they found Jesus to be guilty and deserving of death.

(67) Then they spit in His face, and struck Him with their fists, and others struck Him with the palms of their hands.

It is painful to think of these men spitting in the face of God, and beating and slapping Him.  It is even more painful to think that I myself cursed God when my father died way too young.  How could God ever forgive me for the awful things I said to Him?  But He does forgive; Jesus even asked the Father to forgive what the people did to Him in crucifying Him, "for they know not what they do."  What unfathomable love and mercy!  Indeed, I did not know, and these lost people did not know either.  It's so hard to compare oneself to these wicked men spitting in the face of God, but, there but by the grace of God, go I.  God's saving grace has saved me from the fate I deserve!

(68) Saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is he who struck you?"

They also taunted Jesus.  The account in Mark tells us that they first blindfolded Him and then asked Him to tell who it was who struck Him, ridiculing His claim to be the Messiah.

(69) Now Peter sat outside the palace; and a damsel came to him, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee."

The word that was translated as "palace" means more of an open air area of the palace.  Peter probably sat in the courtyard of the palace, where a young maidservant approached him, and declared that he had been with Jesus of Galilee.

(70) But he denied before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying."

Peter then denied in front of all those among them, probably other servants, and said that he did not know what she was talking about.

(71) And when he had gone out to the porch, another saw him and said to them who were there, "This man was also with Jesus of Nazareth."

Peter then moved to a porch, and another, probably another servant, saw him and told all who were among them that he had been with Jesus of Nazareth.

(72) And again he denied, with an oath, "I do not know the Man!"

A second time Peter denied Jesus, this time more forcefully and more directly denying knowing Jesus at all.  The first time might have been overlooked if it had been the only denial.  He had just said he didn't know what she was talking about and moved away.  He first denied knowing what she was talking about; this time he actually denied even knowing Jesus Himself.

(73) And after a while those who stood by came to him, and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you."

The other servants and/or anyone else among them probably discussed among themselves what the first two servants had said.  After a while they came to Peter declaring to him that he surely was "one of them," one of Jesus's disciples who always traveled with Him.  They said his speech betrayed him.  This did not mean his spiritual speech as he was definitely not being spiritual in his denials of knowing Christ.  In Mark we learn that it was his Galilean accent that betrayed him and convinced them he was "one of them."

(74) Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!" And immediately the cock crowed.

Perhaps in an effort to convince them he was one of them, Peter began cursing and swore again that he did not know Jesus, his most forceful denial yet.  Immediately a rooster crowed, fulfilling Jesus's prophecy that Peter would deny Him three times before the cock crowed.

(75) And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who said to him, "Before the cock crows, you will deny Me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.

When he heard the rooster crow immediately after his last denial, he remembered the words of Jesus that he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed.  In his account, Luke added a touching detail.  Jesus, who from the upper end of the hall elevated for a tribunal, could look down and see Peter on the porch or in the lower hall if he had once again moved.  Luke added that when the rooster crowed, Jesus turned and looked at Peter, surely adding immensely to the guilt Peter felt for denying His Lord three times.  He went out from the palace and wept bitterly.  Just a little time before, Peter had been so self-confident that he would never deny Jesus.  The relevant point is that Peter was confident in himself.  The confidence must be in God, in His strength, and in His ability to keep us from temptation.  

There are more lessons we can learn from Peter's fall.  No matter how highly exalted a Christian, no matter how apparently favored by God, every one of us is perfectly capable of falling into sin; it is our nature.  It is only by the grace of God and His protection that we don't constantly fall.  God allows Christians to sin to show us our weaknesses, to show us our need for Him, and to increase our dependence on Him.  This means that even if we fail so miserably as to deny Christ (or curse God), we can come back to God with a contrite and repentant heart, and trust in the loving mercy, compassion, and forgiveness of Him.

Jesus Condemns Vain Traditions of Man and Heals a Gentile

Continuing a study of the Gospels:

(Matthew 15:1) Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, who were of Jerusalem, saying, (2) "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus and His disciples had gone to Gennesaret in Galilee.  According to the same account in Mark, scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem had seen Jesus's disciples eating with unwashed hands, and that is when they came to Him.  They asked Jesus why it was that His disciples transgressed the tradition of the elders, handed down by their ancestors, by not washing their hands before they ate bread.  

(3) But He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?"

Jesus turned the question back to the scribes and Pharisees and asked why they transgressed the commandments of God with their traditions of man.

(4) "For God commanded, saying, 'Honor thy father and mother,' and 'He who curses father or mother, let him die the death.'"

Jesus then went on to quote one of the Ten Commandments of the Lord, to honor one's father and mother; and the punishment for breaking that commandment as stated in Exodus 21:17, that whoever cursed his father or mother should be put to death.

(5) "But you say, 'Whoever shall say to his father or mother, "It is a gift by whatever you might have been profited by me."'"

Jesus said that the scribes and Pharisees rather said to their parents that it was a gift to the temple what the parents might have otherwise gotten from them.

(6) "'And honor not his father or his mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition."

Jesus went on to explain that they used that as an excuse not to honor their fathers and mothers, and had thereby nullified the commandment of God by their tradition.  Of course giving to the Lord was good and laudable, but was not intended to be done at the expense of duty to their parents.

(7) "You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, (8) 'This people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.'"

Jesus called them hypocrites because they pretended to be so religious and holy, but had no qualms about setting aside commandments of God when it suited them.  He then quoted Isaiah in Isaiah 29:13.  What God had said through Isaiah at the time about their forefathers was perfectly applicable at His present time, and a prophetic statement, at that.  The people outwardly worshipped the Lord with their mouths and their words, but their hearts were actually far from Him.  They had no true love for Him, no real faith in Him, and certainly no reverential fear of Him, or else they would not have made a mockery of His commandments.

(9) "'But in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

Jesus finished quoting Isaiah, saying that the people vainly worshipped the Lord, teaching the people to observe the traditions of the elders as if they were doctrines delivered by God.

(10) And He called the multitude and said to them, "Hear and understand."

Jesus then turned His attention back to the multitude of people with Him, and exhorted them to hear Him and try to fully understand what He was about to tell them.

(11) "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."

Obviously referring to what the scribes and Pharisees had questioned with regard to the disciples eating with unwashed hands, Jesus told the people that it was not what went into the mouth that defiled a man.  Eating with unwashed hands did not defile a man.  Rather it was what came out of the mouth that defiled him.  As Jesus said in Matthew 12:34, "...out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."  What was in a man's heart and came forth in words or deeds was what actually defiled a man, that is, polluted or corrupted him.

(12) Then came His disciples and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying?"

The account in Mark states that Jesus's disciples came to Him after He had dismissed the multitude and had gone into a house.  It was then that the disciples asked Him about this saying, and told Him the Pharisees had been offended by it.  I had to chuckle at this, that Jesus would care about the Pharisees being offended at what He said, but the disciples obviously wanted to understand what He had said and meant that was offensive to the religious leaders.

(13) But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up."

Jesus answered them saying that every plant, or doctrine, that was not planted in the heart by God, would be uprooted, turned on its head, by God's truth in His time.

(14) "Let them alone; they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into the ditch."

Jesus told His disciples not to concern themselves with the Pharisees.  Jesus called them blind leaders leading the blind.  If they refused to see the truth, they were spiritually blind, and those who followed them who refused to see and understand the truth were also blind.  And if the blind led the blind, both would fall into every ditch that was in the way.  Blind teachers not only destroy their own souls, but those souls that follow them.

(15) Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain to us this parable."

Peter asked Jesus to better explain the analogies He had just given them.

(16) And Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding?"

Jesus was grieved by the fact that His own disciples seemed slow to grasp the spiritual meanings in His parables, because, unlike the scribes and Pharisees, they had been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:11), and yet they still didn't understand.  Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible put forth food for thought:  "Is it not strange to hear the disciples asking for the explanation of such a parable as this! The true knowledge of the spirit of the Gospel is a thing more uncommon than we imagine, among the generality of Christians, and even of the learned."  How truly blessed we are when we are given to understand these mysteries of heaven!  

(17) "Do you not yet understand that whatever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly and is cast out in the draught?"

Jesus rather rhetorically asked if the disciples did not understand that whatever went into the mouth went down to the belly and out into the privy, or some such sort of outhouse or place where such waste was dumped.  It was at this point that John Wesley, in his Notes on the Bible, observed "How fair and candid are the sacred historians? Never concealing or excusing their own blemishes."  It's one of the ways that scripture is validated as true.  Someone making up a story probably wouldn't include so many embarrassing details, but the apostles told it like it truly was!

(18) "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile a man."

Jesus meant the words that came out of a mouth, obviously not spittle or vomit or any such thing that might physically spew out of the mouth.  The words a man spoke came from what he believed in his heart, and that is what truly corrupted a man, not what he ate.

(19) "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies."

Jesus went on to name the types of things that proceeded out of the heart.  Evil thoughts precede evil actions, thoughts of hatred and murder, thoughts of sexual immorality, thoughts of covetousness and theft, and thoughts of lies and blasphemies.

(20) "These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

Those things Jesus listed as thoughts that came from the heart, He said were the things that defiled a man.  Eating with unwashed hands did not defile or corrupt a man.

(21) Then Jesus went from there and departed to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

Jesus then went from the land of Gennesaret to the coasts at Tyre and Sidon.

(22) And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil."

As Jesus came to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, a woman came from that region to Him.  The point was made that she was a Canaanite woman.  That region including Tyre and Sidon was part of Canaan in ancient times, and she was so called because she was a descendant of the Canaanites.  I believe the point is that she was a Gentile, not a Jew.  Even so, she had heard the fame of Jesus, and that He was the Son of David, the much anticipated Messiah of the Jews.  She obviously had faith in Him as such, as she cried humbly to Him to have mercy on her.  She told Him her daughter had been sorely possessed by a demon, obviously hoping to have Him heal her.

(23) But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries after us."

Jesus did not answer the woman.  It's not that He didn't hear her, or chose to ignore her, but as always, it was to teach his disciples further, and possibly to test the woman's faith.  Whatever His motive, you can be sure it was for the benefit of His disciples and for those witnesses, including all future readers of this text.  Jesus's disciples came to Him and asked that He send the woman away because she cried after them and was obviously bothersome to them.  Why they would say that, after witnessing Jesus's mercy in healing so many, can only be assumed to be because she was a Gentile.

(24) But He answered and said, "I am not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

This statement appears to be made to the woman after the disciples asked Him to send her away.  He told her that He had been sent to the Jews, those lost sheep of the house of Israel.  He was their expected Messiah, and He had come to preach the gospel to them.  We know that the gospel would ultimately be shared with all, but that would be basically after He was rejected by His own.

(25) Then she came and worshipped Him, saying, "Lord, help me."

The woman pressed on.  She came and worshipped Jesus as Lord God, and begged Him to help her.

(26) But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs."

The Lord's salvation was provided for the children of Israel, God's special people.  His answer meant that it was not proper for Him to take Israel's salvation from her, Israel, and give it to the Gentiles, who were viewed as little more than dogs to the Jewish people.  If His words seem harsh and heartless, I believe the purpose was to show Israel what a wonderful gift He had brought to them, His chosen people, and when it was rejected, it was then offered to the "dogs".

(27) And she said, "Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table."

The woman persevered.  She answered that indeed what the Lord said was true.  He had come for the Jews, but even the dogs were able to eat the crumbs from their master's table; obviously what was meant was might there be some crumbs of grace and mercy for her?  

(28) Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith; let it be to you as you will." And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Jesus then answered the woman that she obviously had great faith.  She had persisted through all the obstacles Jesus had set before her.  She sought Him with all her heart and soul and she found Him (Deuteronomy 4:29) receptive to her request.  Besides being a lesson for the Jews, Jesus was perhaps testing the faith of the woman to see how real it was.  Even during the Old Testament times, God welcomed the stranger into Israel if he assimilated and conformed to the beliefs and customs of the Jews.  The woman showed her great faith in Jesus and He granted the desire of her heart, and made her daughter well and whole. 

(29) And Jesus departed from there and came near to the Sea of Galilee, and went up into a mountain and sat down there.

Jesus departed from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, and went near the Sea of Galilee where He went up into a mountain and sat down.

(30) And great multitudes came to Him, having with them those who were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus's feet, and He healed them.

Great multitudes of people came to Jesus, bringing all their people who were lame, blind, mute, or maimed in any manner, and laid them at Jesus's feet.  Jesus healed them all.  How good, merciful, and patient was Jesus in that multitudes of people would come to Him and just cast their debilitated members before Him, and He healed them all.

(31) Insomuch as the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb speak, the maimed whole, the lame walk, and the blind see; and they glorified the God of Israel.

Even though it looked as if people just cast their outcasts before Jesus, as if He were a genie who would grant their wishes, God's purpose was fulfilled in that the people marveled over those healings and glorified the God of Israel.

(32) Then Jesus called His disciples and said, "I have compassion on the multitude because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I will not send them away fasting, unless they faint on the way."

Apparently this multitude of people had stayed with Jesus for three days, at which time Jesus called His disciples to Him.  He expressed His compassion for the multitude who had remained with Him all this time, watching His miracles and most likely hearing Him teach.  He said the people had been there all that time with nothing to eat.  They may have had food that they had had on their persons, but Jesus and His disciples had not furnished them with any additional food; and Jesus would not send them away hungry, as they might would faint along their way.

(33) And His disciples said to Him, "Where could we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?"

Having witnessed so recently how Jesus fed the 5000, how is it the disciples would have no idea how to feed the present multitude?  But that is what they asked Him; how could they find the bread to fill the multitude?

(34) And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven, and a few little fish."

They answered Jesus that they had just seven loaves of bread and a few little fish.

(35) And He commanded the multitude to sit on the ground.

Just as Jesus had done before when He fed the 5000, He instructed this current group to sit down on the ground.

(36) And He took the seven loaves and the fish, and gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitude.

Jesus took the seven loaves and the fish from the disciples and gave thanks to God for the provision.  He then broke bread, which was the custom of the master of a family to do, and then gave the food to the disciples, who in turn, gave to the multitude of people.

(37) And they all ate and were filled, and they took up of the broken meal that was left seven baskets full.

As before, the entire multitude ate and were filled, and seven full baskets of scraps were taken up afterward, more than they started with, as surely one loaf and a small fish would not have filled a basket.  It is interesting to note that there were seven baskets, seven, that number that represented completeness and perfection.  How completely and perfectly had Jesus fed the multitude!  It could also be said that the disciples had the perfect number of loaves to feed the multitude in the beginning.  Jesus alone is sufficient for all needs and He will provide for us perfectly!

(38) And they who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

This time Jesus had miraculously fed 4000 men, besides women and children.  It is very interesting that Jesus performed almost the exact same miracle twice before His disciples.  Remembering that a thing is established at the mouth of two or three witnesses, I believe this was a lesson for the disciples to have faith in God's provision for all their needs, preparing them to go out into the world, teaching and spreading the gospel.  In Christ, there would be bread enough, and even to spare.

(39) And He sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came to the coasts of Magdala.

Jesus then sent the multitude away fully fed, and He took a ship from where He was near the coast of the Sea of Galilee, and went to the coast of Magdala.  Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, explained that Magdala was a few miles north of Tiberias, "in the land of Gennesaret, on the western side of the Sea of Tiberias, and directly east of Cana of Galilee." 

The lessons in this chapter are many.  Much can be learned about the traditions of men which are usually contradictive to the commands of God.  Man's vain worship rituals are not pleasing to God, but He searches the heart.  That is one of the reasons why Jesus healed a Gentile in what may be the first instance of Him healing anyone outside of the Jewish faith.  In her heart, the woman knew her daughter's healing would only come from Jesus and she persistently sought Jesus's help until she found it; "seek and you will find."  Finally, we have recorded the second miraculous feeding of thousands demonstrating His care of His poor and needy followers, and that Christ is all we ever need.  

True Treasure and Cure for Anxiety

Continuing a study of the Gospels:

(Matthew 6:16) "Moreover, when you fast, do not be as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Verily, I say to you, they have their reward."

Jesus continued His Sermon on the Mount.  He had been teaching the right intention and manner in things like giving to the needy and prayer.  He continued now with the right intention and manner of fasting.  As with their charitable giving and prayer, they were not to make a big public show of their fasting, by putting on a pitiful expression so that all would know they were fasting.  If they did so because they sought the admiration of men, then that is all the reward they would receive.

(17) "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, (18) That you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret, shall reward you openly."

Jesus instructed men to fast so that only their heavenly Father knew they were fasting.  Fasting was to be the humbling of the soul before God, and was to be done in secret before Him.  If it was done for admiration of men, it was worthless to God.  However, God would see in secret and reward accordingly.

(19) "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break through and steal."

Jesus dissuaded from storing up worldly treasures, where they were subject to the elements or to theft.  Those treasures could so easily vanish, and one would be left with nothing.

(20) "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break through and steal."

Rather than storing up earthly treasures for oneself, Jesus encouraged storing up treasures in heaven.  These would be acts of love and mercy and charity to others; those treasures were not subject to decay, nor could they be stolen.

(21) "For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also."

One's treasure is what he values most.  Whatever is valued most will certainly be one's heart's desire.  If God is the treasure of one's soul, then his affections and desires will be on heavenly things.  If personal wealth, fame, or power is what a man values most, then his treasures will be built up on earth.

(22) "The light of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is single, your whole body shall be full of light."

The light of the body is the eye.  The eye sees and directs the body.  If the eye singularly focuses on light, then the whole body is filled with light.  If the eye sees singularly and clearly, and is focused on the things of God, then so the whole body will be directed and will therefore be full of light.  This is applied to the mind's eye and intention.  Light represents what is good, true, and holy.  If the mind and its intention is on the things of God, then the entire body will be full of God's light.  

(23) "But if your eye is evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"

If the mind's eye is set on darkness, the opposite of what is good, true, and holy, the body will follow where it is directed, and will be full of darkness.  Therefore if the light of the body is only darkness, and that darkness fills the entire body, how great is that darkness and what awful deeds of darkness will the body perform!  

(24) "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."

If the mind's eye is always looking two ways, looking at two different ends, it might be said to be trying to serve two different or opposing masters or purposes.  Jesus said that was not possible.  Even if both the "masters" were of similar mind and purpose, only one could truly be served, as a servant must obey the law of one over the other.  God's law must be obeyed and cannot be compromised in order to serve mammon, that is wealth, money, and worldly riches.  Whichever is treasured most is the master.

(25) "Therefore I say to you, take no thought for your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; nor for your body, what you shall put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?"

Obviously, man must eat and drink to survive, and he must dress his body, but Jesus's point was to not worry about those worldly things.  Life is much more than food and clothes.  God knows what man needs for life.  How much more important are the things that truly support and sustain life than food and clothes!  If God is trustworthy in supplying all our truly important needs, is there any need to worry about the less important things?

(26) "Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they?"

Jesus told His disciples to consider the birds of the air.  They didn't work to store up food for themselves.  Their heavenly Father knew what they needed and supplied it for them.  His point was that His disciples would be of more value to Him than small animals, so wouldn't it reasonably follow that He would take care of all their needs?

(27) "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" 

A cubit was a measure of length equal to a man's forearm, from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, about 18 inches.  Most scholars believe what was intended here was age, not stature, "age" being the primary definition of the original word "helikia" and "stature" is the secondary meaning.  Lengths of measure have been used to measure time, especially with regard to life.  Psalm 39:5 says, "Behold, You have made my days as a handbreadth..."  Since this follows Jesus's instruction to take no thought for one's life, it seems reasonable to assume He meant here that one could not add so much as a cubit to his life's journey by worrying.  Even if stature was meant, the same conclusion applies.  No one could change either by worrying.  However, when Luke recorded this same account in Luke 12:25-26, he added the question, "If you then are not able to do that thing which is least, why worry about the rest?"  The fact that Luke called this the least thing, does make it sound as if it refers to adding one small cubit to one's life's journey, rather than adding 18 inches to one's stature, which would be a huge thing!

(28) "And why take thought for clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. (29) And yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Having shown what folly it was to worry about food or prolonging life, Jesus asked why then would one worry about clothing?  Just as God fed the birds, He demonstrated how God took care of the flowers in nature that did not labor or spin cloth to array themselves with such beauty, that magnificent natural beauty that could only be created by God, and only to a limited extent imitated by man.

(30) "Therefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the furnace, shall He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"

Jesus continued the thought started in verse 28.  If God took such care to beautifully adorn the lilies, grass, and anything that grew in the fields, things that lasted such a short time and then withered and died and were burned, then how much more would He clothe His people, who are of much longer life and who are designed for much greater purposes and service to God?  He called them of little faith if they should so worry about clothing, and not trust that God Himself always provided what they needed.  It must be noted that it is what we need, maybe not always what we want, and that is not to be viewed as a deprivation, but the all good and just God gives us just the right things for just the right time.  Anything that is seen by us as deprivation should rather be seen as for our own good, for God is always about good and fulfilling His good purposes:

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11

"And we know all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

(31) "Therefore, take no thought saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we be clothed?'"

This is a repetition of what Jesus said in verse 25, after explaining why one should not worry about these things.  John Wesley, in his Notes on the Bible, showed how this verse was so much more than just a repetition.  This was actually a very loving and kind reminder to take anxiety away, a "cure" for anxiety, if you will.  When we put our faith in God, we have nothing to worry about!  Worry is actually a result of lack of faith in God's providence.  When we truly know in our hearts that God is all good, and that He works everything to the good, it's easy to let go, and "let God."  Just because we don't always get what we think we need, doesn't mean God wasn't good to us.  He knows far better than we do what is best for us, and we can trust Him, because in the end, He is always right and just and good.

(32) "(For after all these things the Gentiles seek); for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things."

As an aside, but also a very important distinction for His followers, Jesus told them that the pagan nations of the world sought after these worldly things.  However, His disciples had their heavenly Father who knew that they needed these things.  What a blessing they had in their assurance in God, that the rest of the world did not have and had to constantly worry and strive for their needs.

(33) "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Back to the eye in verse 22, if one will look to God first and singularly, to the things of God and His righteousness, he will receive all the things he needs.  Actually, this statement by Jesus is a great summary of the entire chapter.  If one has the right state of heart, on God, and not on earthly things, he will receive all he needs, and actually be rewarded.  What this reward is, I don't know.  Is it "things added" in this earthly life?  Is it a reward of those heavenly treasures that are stored up in heaven?  Is it reward in heaven itself, or greater rewards in heaven?  I say, what a reward it is to not have to worry as the world does!  How sad is it that worldly people only have the things of the world to reward them?  How sad is it that they must claw and fight their way to achieve those earthly rewards?  How sad is it that they have no real hope for their future eternity and that all they have are their earthly rewards that they cannot take with them?  "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36-37)

(34) "Therefore, take no thought for tomorrow, for tomorrow shall take thought for its own things.  Sufficient for today is its own evil."

This goes back to the Lord's model prayer in which we ask only for our daily needs, and take no thought for tomorrow.  Tomorrow will have its own anxieties.  As my husband used to say, "Don't borrow trouble," as we had enough to deal with that current day.  However, if you trust God to take care of your day's needs, and you daily ask and remain dependent on only Him for those needs, you never have to think about tomorrow.  As another saying goes, every day brings its own cares, so to worry about tomorrow only doubles those cares and anxieties.  Trusting the Lord alleviates anxiety and fear.  Truly, His yoke is easy, and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30).  How easy it is to rest in Him and not have the constant cares and anxieties of the world!

Rules in Times of War

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 20:1) “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt."

Moses had been giving a very long speech in the book of Deuteronomy, mainly reviewing God's Laws.  He now turned to the subject of war.  When the children of Israel went out to battle against their enemies, most assuredly a God-sanctioned war, and they saw all the horses and chariots and people much more numerous than they were, they were not to fear.  Their Lord God was with them, the same God who wrought so many miracles to bring them out of Egypt.

(2) "And it shall be, when you come near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. (3) And shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, you approach this day to battle against your enemies; let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be terrified because of them; (4) For the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’"

Moses told them that when they were on the verge of battle, the priest would come and speak to the people to encourage them, telling them not to fear their enemies, because their Lord was going with them to fight against their enemies, and to save and protect them from those enemies.

(5) "And the officers shall speak to the people, saying, ‘What man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it.'"

The officers would then speak to the people readying for battle.  It seems there were provisions for those indisposed to fight and they could be discharged.  For instance, if there was a man who had just built a new house and had not yet dedicated it, he was to return to his house to do so.  It was customary in Israel to dedicate a new house to God with prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.  This was done in order to secure the Divine presence, protection, and blessing of God.  If a man died in battle without having dedicated his house, another man would take possession of it and dedicate it for himself and his family.

(6) "'And what man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not yet eaten of it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it.'"

Likewise, the officers would ask if there was any man who had planted a vineyard and had not yet eaten of it.  It was perhaps at great expense that a man had planted a vineyard, tending it for years, for he was forbidden by law to eat of it for the first three years (Leviticus 19:23) as it was "uncircumcised", then it was dedicated to the Lord in the fourth year, and finally he was allowed to eat and share it with friends and family in the fifth year.  It seems the Lord was being generously indulgent to allow His people to be dismissed from battle for what appears to be so trivial a reason.  However, John Wesley, in his Notes on the Whole Bible, pointed out that in the beginning of their settlement in Canaan, the people had been encouraged and charged with the building of houses and planting of vineyards for the benefit of their commonwealth. 

(7) "‘And what man is there who has betrothed a wife and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man take her.’"

Additionally, the officers would ask if any man had been betrothed to a woman, but had not yet married her.  He was encouraged to return home to marry her.  If he should die in battle, his betrothed would probably become the wife of another.  It was deemed a hardship for a person to be obliged to go to battle, who had left a house unfinished, newly purchased land half tilled, or a wife with whom he had just contracted marriage.  It seems God only wanted willing volunteers and not those who might be distracted by unfinished business.

(8) "And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart.'"

The officers would ask further if there was any man who was too fearful or fainthearted to go into battle.  Those, too, were given leave from battle.  Once again, only the ready and able volunteers were called to battle.  It was both a kindness to the fearful, but also to the men who remained who would have had to contend with useless cowards whose fear might have infected those soldiers around them.

(9) "And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people."

Once all the men who wanted to be dismissed had been discharged, then they were to assign captains of the armies to lead the soldiers into battle.

(10) “When you come near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it."

When the Israelite armies came to a city to fight against it, they were first to offer peace.  Some of the commentators I study struggle with the fact that the seven nations the Israelites were dispossessing could not possibly be offered peace, because God had already told them that these nations were to be totally destroyed.  I see no contradiction here.  The nations could be offered peace, but God knew they would not accept it.  Perhaps He hardened their hearts to reject peace just as He had with Pharaoh because their cup of iniquity was now full.  Each time Moses had gone before Pharaoh, he had peaceably asked that Pharaoh let the people go, but Pharaoh refused each time.  In the same way, these nations would refuse to let Israel come into to their nations.

(11) “And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then it shall be all the people that are found therein shall be tributaries to you, and they shall serve you."

If the people of the city Israel was approaching accepted their offer of peace and opened up to let them enter, then those people could be allowed to remain and become tributaries to the children of Israel.  By authority of God, the one and only God of the universe, they were to become subject to Israel and would certainly have to renounce idolatry and serve the God of Israel.  Obviously, the seven nations would not accept such terms, although they were to be offered.  The offer would be genuine, for God would have saved any person who gave up his idols and desired to follow Him. 

(12) "And if it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it."

If the city rejected the Israelites' offer of peace, and acted to make war with them, then the Israelites were to besiege the city.

(13) “And when the LORD your God has delivered it into your hands, you shall smite every male in it with the edge of the sword."

When the city was surrendered because the Lord had delivered it into the hands of His people, the Israelite army was to strike down every male in it with the sword.

(14) “But the women, the little ones, the cattle, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall take for yourself; and you shall eat the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD your God has given you."

However, the women and children were to be spared, as well as their cattle.  All the spoil of the city they were allowed to take for themselves, any gold, silver, merchandise, household goods, tools, and whatever was of any worth and value to be found within the cities and the people's homes.  The Lord had delivered their enemy into their hands and it was He who gave them the spoil.

(15) “Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations."

The sparing of the women, children, and cattle, and the spoil of the city, was to be done only in the cities far outside the land of Canaan, outside the seven nations that God had willed destroyed.

(16) “But of the cities of these people which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes."

However, of the cities of the seven nations that the Lord was giving them as their inheritance, they were not to spare any living person or animal.

(17) “But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as the LORD your God has commanded you."

They were to completely destroy the nations the Lord was driving out of the land of Canaan to give it to His people--the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  Six nations are mentioned here, but in Deuteronomy 7:1-2, the Girgashites are listed as one of the seven nations to be destroyed as commanded by God.

(18) "That they not teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, so should you sin against the LORD your God."

The reason the nations had to be utterly destroyed was so that the children of Israel not be tempted to do any of the abominations the people of those nations had done in their idol worship, and thus sinning against their Lord God.

(19) “When you besiege a city for a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them, for you may eat of them, and you shall not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege."

If the Israelites were in a city a long time in their effort to overtake it, they were instructed not to cut down the trees of the city to use them in their siege, for those would serve as food for the Israelites.

(20) “Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, and you shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it is subdued."

However, if the Israelites knew certain trees were not to be eaten of, those trees they were allowed to cut down to use in protecting them from the people of the city that were warring with them.  The trees that bore fruit would provide food for the Israelites for as long as it took to subdue the city.  This was a sensible rule against waste.  No fruit tree was to be destroyed unless it was barren, but they could make use of the trees that could not be used for food.  This was in accordance with other of God's laws against waste that provided for all, as for the poor and the birds of the field, for example.  In Leviticus 23:22, the people were told not to completely reap to the very edges of their fields or to go back and glean after the harvesting, but to leave that for the poor.  Jesus talked about God providing for the birds.  God's creations are by His design and good, and we should always strive to be good stewards of them.  Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Entire Bible, pointed out that this passage might be seen as an "emblem of the axe being to be laid to fruitless trees in a moral and spiritual sense; and of trees of righteousness, laden with the fruits of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, being preserved and never to be cut down or rooted up..."

Laws About Judges and Sentencing and the Election of a King

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 17:1) “You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God a bull or sheep which has any blemish or defect, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God."

In the book of Deuteronomy Moses had been giving the people a review of God's laws before his death.  God had told him he would die before stepping foot into the promised land, so he was preparing the people for life without his leadership.  He continued now with the command that no sacrifice of any animal was to be offered that had a blemish or defect in it.  The sacrifice was a symbol of the perfect blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:19).

(2) “If there be found among you, within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you, a man or a woman who has wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing His covenant, (3) And has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, (4) And it be told you, and you have heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel-- (5) Then you shall bring forth to your gates that man or that woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone that man or woman with stones till they die."

Moses had previously reviewed the law that it was a capital crime to seduce others to idolatry (ch. 13), and here made the point it was no less a crime to be seduced.  Whether he or she initiated the crime or was seduced by it, if any person was found to have gone off and served and worshiped other gods, he or she was guilty of that wicked crime and was to be put to death.  Note that it had to be a sure and certain fact.  A person who heard the rumor of the crime had to inquire diligently to determine if it was true and certain.  When a person was found to be guilty, he or she was to be brought to the gate of the city where there was a public stoning.  I believe the reason capital punishment was in the form of stoning was so that all people participated indicating their desire to rid their land of such wickedness.  Also most noteworthy in this passage is the commandment against astrology.  It is as clear as day that God condemned astrology which is the interpretation of the influence of the heavenly bodies on human affairs.  Only God determines the fate of His creation; although they can make poor choices that steer their fate, God knows all and is in total charge of all.  Looking to any other source for answers is idolatry and a wicked abomination in His sight.

(6) "At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death."

Time and time again we are told in scripture that a thing is established to be true if it is confirmed by at least two or three witnesses.  For all capital crimes, including the aforementioned one, a person was not to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.  How wise this is!  When it is a case of "he said, she said", how can one know for certain the truth?  Even before I knew this scripture, I recall being on an attempted murder trial jury in my twenties, and how I felt very uncomfortable condemning the defendant based on the word of only the victim, whose back was turned at the time of the attempt.  There was really no other corroborating evidence, but there were those on the jury who believed the testimony of the victim was all that was needed.  It was a very long deliberation for a week, and we were finally determined a hung jury.  I remember being very upset about the whole ordeal because the prosecution never asked the right questions to get the truth!  I felt if we the jury had asked some pertinent questions, we might have been able to determine the truth, but that's a whole 'nother story.  However, as I type this now, I realize that that could have been intentional by the prosecutor.  But why didn't the defense attorney ask those questions to positively clear his client?  Either one or both were inept, or one was inept and the other wise to not to bring it up, but either way, I feel confident now in knowing how God would have judged this case, and I did the best I could.  However, I do wish I had known scripture enough back then to quote to the Baptist preacher on our jury that we needed more than just the one witness to condemn that man.

(7) “The hands of the witnesses shall be the first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put the evil away from among you."

In the stoning of the condemned person, the witnesses were to cast the first stones, followed by all the people, signifying the common condemnation of the wickedness against God.

(8) "If there arise a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the LORD your God chooses."

This was spoken about what would be considered lower court judges.  If there was a matter too difficult for them to judge, be it a capital case, a civil matter, or a criminal one, or any other matter within their gates or jurisdiction, then they were to bring their case to the place where the Lord would choose for His tabernacle.

(9) “And you shall come to the priests, the Levites, and to the judge who shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall show you the sentence of judgment."

The case was to be brought to the priests, the Levites, and to the judge who would be there in the day when the Lord had chosen where to place His name and have the cases of the people judged.  The inferior judges bringing the cases would seek advice from the priests and the supreme court, if you will, and that court would advise how to sentence according to the law of God.

(10) "And you shall do according to the sentence which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall show you; and you shall observe to do according to all that they inform you."

The inferior court judges were required to pass sentence according to what the priests and the judge in God's appointed place directed.  They were not only to observe what the supreme court said, but were to put it in practice, and not in certain things or circumstances only, but in everything they had told them relating to the case in question.

(11) “According to the sentence of the law in which they shall teach you, and according to the judgment which they shall tell you, you shall do; you shall not decline from the sentence which they shall show you, to the right hand, nor to the left."

The inferior judges were commanded to pronounce the sentence and follow through with what they were advised and taught by the priests and the higher court judge to do.  The priests and that superior judge ruled and taught according to the law of God and His will and thus their rulings were to be carefully observed.  The lower court judges were not to alter the judgment in preference to either side.

(12) "And the man who will do presumptuously, and will not hearken to the priest who stands to minister there before the LORD your God, or to the judge, even that man shall die; and you shall put away the evil from Israel."

The man who acted presumptuously, the lower court judge, and was conceited in his own opinion and did not listen to the higher court that had been chosen to minister and represent the people's Lord God, that lower court judge was to be put to death to rid Israel of the evil rebellion against the law of God.

(13) “And all the people shall hear and fear, and do no more presumptuously."

All the people would hear what had happened to the presumptuous lower court judge and they would fear and respect the supreme court of God, and would not act as presumptuously.

(14) “When you come to the land which the LORD your God gives you, and shall possess it and shall dwell in it, and shall say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,’ (15) You shall in any way set him king over you, whom the LORD your God shall choose; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother."

When the people had come into their promised land of Canaan and were in full possession of it and dwelling in it, and they decided they wanted a king to rule over them as other nations had, it was permissible by the Lord.  However, the Lord was to choose their king from among their brethren; the people were not to have a king who was not from their nation and religion.  How wise!  It reminds me of our country choosing Muslims to be leaders whose ideals are in direct contrast to the country's laws they are supposed to uphold.  I am not being racist against Muslims and suggesting they could never hold office here, but they would have to swear allegiance to our country and our laws; none of this swearing in on a Koran which makes no sense whatsoever.  It's no particular prejudice against Muslims; it would be the same with a Communist Chinese or any such foreigner who would not uphold our laws.  To be an American, and especially to lead America, one should pledge allegiance to America and denounce previous citizenship.  Of course, all are free to practice their chosen religion, but they must assimilate and conform to our country's laws.  That flies in the face of the universal one world order that so many desire these days, but that is why it can never work.  Too many cultures are in direct conflict with others.  God knows that, and the wisdom of the world is foolishness to Him (1 Corinthians 3:19).

(16) “But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to the end that he should multiply horses, forasmuch as the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’"

The chosen king was not to multiply horses for himself.  It was not that he could not have a few horses, but generally horses were not routinely used for travel or agriculture, but mainly for chariots of war or for pride and grandeur.  Neither reason was acceptable to the Lord.  Multiplying horses for war might make a king put too much confidence in those outward things, or he might be tempted to use them to tyrannize his subjects.  If he multiplied horses for the love of honor and splendor, that was prideful and again putting too much faith in things other than the Lord.  Egypt abounded with horses, and was the principle source of them at that time.  A king was never to send his people back to Egypt to help him multiply horses, for the Lord had told them they were not to go back to Egypt.  It's not that the people were forbidden to ever go back to Egypt; the idea here is that they were not to return to the old pagan ways of Egypt.  A regular trade and alliance with Egypt might cause the people to once again be tempted to engage in the idolatries of Egypt.

(17) “Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, that his heart turn not away; neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold."

A king was not to multiply wives as the lust of the flesh and the eye might cause his heart to turn away from God; also the love of money and riches would cause him to put faith in his wealth and might puff himself up with pride in himself.

(18) "And it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites."

When the king was settled on his throne, he was to write for himself a copy of the law in a book, from the original that was kept by the priests, the Levites.  If this is to be taken literally, and he was to write it himself and not have a scribe do it, that would better imprint the law on his mind, which would seem the purpose of this instruction.

(19) “And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them, (20) That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment to the right hand, or to the left, to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel."

That copy of the law the king had made for himself was to remain with him always, and he was to read it all the days of his life, that he would know in his heart all the words of the law and perform them.  He was to learn to fear and respect his Lord God that his heart not be puffed with pride and he feel superior to his brethren.  He was to know the law and the commandments as given by God and he was not to twist them into more severe laws or more lenient ones, in order that he might prolong his days in his kingdom, and his children also, in the midst of Israel.  I like the way John Wesley wrote of this in his Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible:

"...the scriptures diligently read, are a powerful means to keep him humble, because they shew him in that, tho' a king, he is subject to an higher monarch, to whom he must give an account of all his administrations, and receive from him his sentence agreeable to their quality, which is sufficient to abate the pride of the haughtiest person in the world."

Promises for Obedience, Blessings vs. Cursing

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 10:6) And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera; there Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest's office in his stead. (7) From there they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of rivers of water.

In the last post Moses was making a speech to the people about how unrighteous they were, and that it was only by the mercy and grace of God, and because of the wickedness of the nations they were going in to possess, that they were being given that great land, certainly not for any righteousness of their own.  This verse and the next few seem to be a parenthetical pause in Moses's speech to the people.  Perhaps Moses was stating this in his speech, as he had been relating historical events, but it appears parenthetical nonetheless, whenever Moses said or wrote it.

The children of Israel had taken their journey from Beeroth to Mosera where Aaron died and was buried.  Mosera is said to be the desert of Mount Hor, where Aaron was said to have died and was buried according to Numbers 20:23-28.  Eleazar succeeded his father as high priest.  Some of the names of the other places don't exactly line up with the list of stations in Numbers 33, but most can be explained as in the case of Mosera and Mount Hor, that in one place a city may be mentioned and in another account the region of that city. 

In the last chapter and post, Moses had related how the people had made the golden calf, and that God had been angry enough to destroy them all, and He had also been very angry with Aaron.  Verse 6 shows that the Lord had been gracious in answering Moses's prayers and had reconciled with His people.  He continued to lead them on their journeys, and although Aaron had died, the Lord perpetuated the priest's office through Aaron's son who then became high priest in Aaron's place.  Then the Lord continued guiding His people in their journeys.

(8) At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day. (9) Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD your God promised him.

These two verses are a continuation of the parenthetical pause.  Either meaning about that time, or perhaps when Eleazar became priest in Aaron's place, there was a renewal of the separation of the Levites to bear the ark of the covenant and to minister to the Lord in the priest's office.  The tribe of Levi had no portion or inheritance in the land of Canaan.  The Lord was the Levites' inheritance, and the Lord's portion, the tithes and offerings which belong to God, were given by Him to the Levites for their subsistence, from generation to generation.

(10) "And I stayed in the mount, according to the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the LORD hearkened to me at that time also, and the LORD would not destroy you."

Verse 10 returns to the words of Moses.  He spoke of the time he had received the second two tablets back from the Lord written by His finger.  He had stayed on the mountain another forty days and nights as he had the first time he had received the original tablets.  He commented that the Lord had listened to his prayer, as He had done many times before, and had relented from His plan to destroy them.

(11) "And the LORD said to me, 'Arise, take your journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.’"

Answering Moses's prayer and having relented of His plan to destroy His people, the Lord then told Moses to go on before the people and lead them onward to the land the Lord had promised their forefathers.

(12) “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, (13) To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command you this day for your good?"

Moses posed the question what did the Lord ask in return for all His mercy and forgiveness of their sins, and for His renewal of His promise to their forefathers?  Just that they turn to Him and obey Him--have a reverential fear of God as the Lord of life and all within the universe, to walk in the ways He told them to walk in His commandments, to love Him, and serve Him, and to keep all the commandments and statutes that Moses was now giving them again.  All these things were for their own good, as the ways of God meant life, and transgressions against His laws meant death.

(14) "Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S your God, the earth also, with all that is in it."

Moses reasoned that after all, God was indeed the maker and possessor of heaven and all the universe of heaven beyond what was seen and known by them; the earth was His and all that was in the earth, as well.

(15) "Yet the LORD had a delight in your fathers to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, you above all people, as it is this day."

Even though the entire universe and all that was in it was His, the Lord delighted in their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and loved them, and chose their descendants after them, these children of Israel, to be His very own people, above all other people, as it still was to that day Moses was speaking to them.

(16) “Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no more."

Moses exhorted the people to circumcise their hearts, by removing whatever was sinful to the Lord, all transgressions of the heart, all idolatry, etc., and to no longer be a stubborn people.  When Jesus came and told people He had not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it, and began to teach the spirit of the law, we see here that this spirit is what God intended all along with His laws.  It was not enough to merely circumcise the flesh, which was but an outward sign of purification, but they must purify their hearts and souls.  As Adam Clarke wrote so beautifully in his Commentary on the Bible, "Loving God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength, the heart being circumcised to enable them to do it, was, from the beginning, the end, design, and fulfillment of the whole law."

(17) “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and terrible, who shows no partiality nor takes a reward."

Moses further extolled the Lord as God and Lord of all, the one and only true God, almighty and with awesome terror, who showed no partiality to any particular sort of person, and never exchanged favors for bribes, but was merciful and gracious according to His own pleasure and will, having nothing to do with any works of man, for after all, "There is none who does good, no, not one" (Psalm 14:3).

(18) "He does execute judgment for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing."

God's providence and judgment extends to all; He is Father to the fatherless, Protector and Provider for the widow, and loves the stranger, giving life and provision to all, even to the Gentiles, strangers to Israel.  As Jesus said in Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"  God provides not only for His own people, and for the strangers, but to all living creatures.

(19) “Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt."

Moses exhorted the children of Israel to love the stranger, remembering that they were once strangers in the land of Egypt.  Jesus gave us that Golden Rule, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12).

(20) “You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall cleave, and swear by His name."

Moses further exhorted the people to have a reverential fear of the one true God, and to serve Him, clinging only to Him, and not turning aside to follow false idols, and to swear by His name only.

(21) “He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrible things which your eyes have seen."

Their Lord God was the object and deserver of all praise.  He alone was the one who had done all the mighty and awesome wonders which they themselves had personally witnessed.

(22) “Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude."

From so small a beginning, when Jacob went into Egypt with a total of seventy people, including himself (Genesis 46:27), the children of Israel had been multiplied to more than 600,000 (Numbers 26:51), as numerous as the stars appeared in heaven.

(Deuteronomy 11:1) “Therefore you shall love the LORD your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always."

Chapter 11 of Deuteronomy begins with Moses summing up the reasoning for loving the Lord and always keeping His commandments, because of who He was, and because of all the great and miraculous things He had done for them, including the multiplication of their numbers, the last thing he mentioned at the end of chapter 10.

(2) "And know this day that I do not speak with your children, who have not known and who have not seen the chastisement of the LORD your God, His greatness, His mighty hand, and His stretched out arm, (3) And His miracles, and His acts, which He did in the midst of Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and to all his land."

Moses exhorted the people to take notice that he did not speak to them as their descendants who had not personally seen the chastening of the Lord, or His mighty power and miracles that He had done in Egypt to Pharaoh.  It may be that Moses was only addressing the elders at this point, because the adult generation that had come out of Egypt had died in the wilderness.  However, their children, who would at this time be an elder generation, would have witnessed all the things that took place in Egypt.

(4) "And what He did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and to their chariots; how He made the water of the Red Sea overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD has destroyed them to this day."

Moses continued describing the miraculous works of their Lord that these people would have witnessed themselves, when they came through the Red Sea parted by the Lord, and then He caused the sea to overflow the Egyptian armies of horses and chariots that had pursued them.  The effects of the destruction of Egypt were felt to that day.

(5) "And what He did for you in the wilderness until you came to this place."

They had seen all the ways the Lord had provided for them in the wilderness, leading them, feeding them with manna from heaven, providing water, etc.

(6) “And what He did to Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance in their possession, in the midst of all Israel."

They had also witnessed the chastisements of the Lord, how He opened the earth to swallow up Dathan and Abiram and all their households and belongings, openly before all Israel.  These chastisements were always for Israel's welfare, just as God's provisions were acknowledged to be.  The dangerous rebellion of Dathan and Abiram and Korah and his company threatened to destroy the entire nation of Israel if it had not been immediately crushed by the hand of the Lord.

(7) "But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which He did."

Moses summed up what he started in verse 2.  He was not speaking to their children, who did not personally witness all these things, but he spoke to the people who had personally known all these great acts of the Lord.

(8) “Therefore you shall keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land where you go to possess it."

Because these people had personal knowledge and experience with all the Lord was and what He did, they should know better than anyone to keep all the commandments of the Lord, that were designed for their good and would strengthen them and enable them to go in and possess their promised land.

(9) "And that you may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD swore to your fathers to give to them and to their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey."

Keeping the commandments of their Lord would allow their days to be prolonged in the land promised to their forefathers and their descendants, a land abounding in all good things.

(10) “For the land which you go in to possess is not like the land of Egypt from where you came out, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a garden of herbs."

Moses told the people the land they were going in to possess was not like the land in Egypt from where they had come.  I believe the message Moses was trying to convey is that this was not like the land in Egypt where they labored to sow their seed, and carried water to water it, or used their feet to dig furrows, in a garden they planted in the midst of the dry country that rarely had rain.

(11) "But the land, where you go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinks water of the rain of heaven."

Unlike Egypt that was mainly flat and dry desert, the land they were going to possess was a land of hills and valleys, and was watered, refreshed, and made fruitful by rain from heaven.  The Lord Himself watered this good land; the people would not have to labor so hard to bring water to their crops.

(12) "A land which the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year even to the end of the year."

This special land promised by God to His people was specially cared for by Him.  The eyes of the Lord were always on it from the beginning of the year to the end of it.  The Lord's eyes are everywhere, and all provisions come from Him, but in Israel's case, He had given His people the best land with His special blessings, if they would but follow His instructions in order to receive the best.

An interesting side note comes from something I read by John Wesley, in his Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible.  He wrote that later writers wrote what seemed to be a contradiction about the land of Canaan.  They described it as a barren soil, far from a land flowing with milk and honey.  As Wesley said, rather than questioning the authority of scripture, it rather confirmed it, that the land was blessed because God was in it, and barren when God was not.  As Psalm 33:12 states, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD..."

(13) "'And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently to My commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, (14) That I will give you the rain of your land in its due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your corn, and your wine, and your oil.'"

Moses, speaking the words of God Himself, said that if the people would diligently follow His commandments, and would love and serve Him with all their hearts, He would give them rain in due season.  That is, it would first rain at seed time, and later rain, as needed, before harvest.  Again this rather confirms that if God did not bless the land with His rain, it would indeed be a barren land.

(15) "'And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.’"

This is a continuation of the thought started in verse 13, that if they followed the Lord's commandments, they would have rain when best needed for their crops, and grass as needed for their livestock, so that they would be well fed.

(16) "Take heed to yourselves, that your heart not be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, (17) And the LORD'S wrath be aroused against you, and He shut up the heaven that there be no rain, and the land does not yield its fruit, and you perish quickly from the good land which the LORD gives you."

Moses warned the people not to allow themselves to be deceived and turn aside to other gods.  Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Entire Bible, pointed out reasonably, that the people might come to observe the influence of the sun, moon, and stars, upon their land, an influence put in motion by God Himself, but the objects falsely worshiped by heathen nations.  However, their hearts were just as likely to be deceived by any number of false worship they witnessed from neighboring nations.  The Lord, that jealous God, ever zealous in His protection of His people, would turn from them, shutting up heaven stopping the rain, and their land would no longer yield its fruit and they would perish from the land the Lord was giving to them.

(18) “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes."

Moses exhorted the people to treasure the words he had spoken, specifically the word of God and His laws, in their hearts and in their whole being.  Their eyes should constantly be fixed on the word of God; as signs bound on their hands and foreheads, they should always be in view, on their minds and in their souls.

(19) “And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."

They were to teach their children God's laws, speaking about them constantly, whether in their houses or in public; they were to be an ongoing way of life--living and teaching the word of God from the moment they woke till the time they retired.

(20) “And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, (21) That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth."

They should write the laws on the doorposts of their houses and on their gates, again as constant reminders when they were leaving and upon their return, and also as a sign to other passers by.  Again they were to do all these things that their days and the days of their children might be long in the land the Lord had sworn to their forefathers before them.

(22) “For if you diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave to Him, (23) Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and you shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves."

On the eve of their entering their promised land to possess it, Moses declared to the people the promise of their Lord that if they diligently kept His commandments, loved and held fast to Him, and walked in His ways, He would drive out all the nations from before them, and they would possess the nations that had been greater and mightier than they were.

(24) “Every place on which the soles of your feet tread shall be yours, from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even to the uttermost sea shall your coast be."

Every place in their promised land of Canaan that they trod upon would be their possession, from the wilderness of Paran in the south to Lebanon in the north, and from the Euphrates River on the eastern side to the Mediterranean Sea which was the western-most coast.  This map shared on Pinterest shows the Promised Land as described in this verse:

(25) “No man shall be able to stand against you; the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that you shall tread upon, as He has said to you."

No man in the places within the borders of the promised land upon which they would tread, would be able to stand against the children of Israel, because their Lord would would put fear and dread upon all the inhabitants of the land, who would hear of all the mighty works of God to bring His people to this place.  This was originally prophesied in the song at the Red Sea (Exodus 15:14), and the Lord had indeed told them this in Deuteronomy 2:25.

(26) “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; (27) A blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day; (28) And a curse, if you will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which you have not known."

Moses conveyed to the people that they had been presented with a choice between blessing and a curse.  If they obeyed the commandments of their Lord, which were instructions for life, they would have the blessings that would naturally occur as a result of living right.  That's not to say that God couldn't or wouldn't personally give them extra blessings, but the laws of God are about life and blessing, so following them and walking in the ways of God, does in itself bring blessing.  The people would be choosing a curse if they chose to disobey God's commandments and turn away from Him to go after false gods they had never known, choosing to leave what is certain blessing for unknown mysteries, which always lead to depravity and death.

(29) "And it shall come to pass, when the LORD your God has brought you into the land which you go to possess, that you shall put the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal."

When the Lord had brought them into their promised land, the Israelites were to designate two mountains, one as a mountain of blessings, and the other as a mountain of cursings.  These two mountains were and are parallel to each other, Mount Gerizim being southward, and Mount Ebal northward, and the valley of Shechem in between.  As seen in the photo below, also shared on Pinterest, the mountains are very similar in height and shape: 

"Gerizim" meant "cut off" or "cut down", by implication "cutters down" or "reapers", perhaps designating reapers of harvest from a fertile land.  "Ebal" meant "bald" or "bare", surely implying a barren mountain.  Although it may not be as noticeable now as it was then, Adam Clarke, who lived in the late 1700's and early 1800's, wrote, "That Gerizim is very fruitful, and that Ebal is very barren, is the united testimony of all who have traveled in those parts. See Ludolf, Reland, Rab, Benjamin, and Mr. Maundrell."  How could it be that two mountains so similar in height and shape and so close together, be so different?  It can only be by the providence of God that one can be so fertile, and that without God, one is cursed to barrenness.

(30) “Are they not on the other side of the Jordan, toward the setting sun, in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the champaign opposite Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh?"

Moses further described the location of the two mountains that would be designated as a mountain of blessing and a mountain of cursing.  They were across the Jordan River in the land of Canaan in the plain opposite Gilgal beside the plains of Moreh, near Shechem, which is in the valley between the two mountains.  The following map shows the location of the two mountains in Canaan:

John Wesley made an interesting observation regarding the plains of Moreh:  "This was one of the first places that Abram came to in Canaan. So that in sending them thither to hear the blessing and the curse, they were minded of the promise made to Abram in that very place, Gen.12:6-7."

(31) "For you shall pass over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you shall possess it, and dwell in it."

Moses assured the children of Israel that they would indeed cross over the Jordan River and claim their promised land and would live in it.

(32) "And you shall observe to do all the statutes and judgments which I set before you this day."

Moses further proclaimed that the people would observe and follow all the Lord's statutes and judgments that Moses was giving to the people.  Of course, that is the only way that ensured their continual possession of their promised land.  To be able to achieve what Moses stated in verse 31 was to do what Moses said in verse 32.