Review of the Ten Commandments

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 5:1) And Moses called all Israel, and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that you may learn them, and keep, and do them."

In the last chapter and post, Moses had ended his long speech to the children of Israel with an exhortation to obedience to the law.  Now he called all the people to him, in order to review with them the statutes and judgments of the Lord that they might learn them and be careful to observe them.

(2) “The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb."

Moses reminded the people of the covenant God Himself had made with the people at Horeb, that is, Mt. Sinai.  Aben Ezra, distinguished Jewish biblical commentator and philosopher of the Middle Ages, observed that Horeb and Sinai were of the same mountain which had two tops, which bore the two different names.

(3) “The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, who are all of us here alive this day."

Moses reminded the people that this particular covenant of the Ten Commandments that God Himself wrote and delivered to them, was given to them, the children of Israel in the wilderness, not to their patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

(4) “The LORD talked with you face to face on the mountain out of the midst of the fire."

Moses reminded the people that the Lord had spoken directly to them themselves out of the midst of fire that had burned on the mountain, audibly and distinctly, directly to them without going through their usual middle man, Moses.

(5) “I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the mountain. He said, (6) ‘I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.'"

Although the people heard the words of the Lord Himself, they had stood back because they were afraid of the fire and thunderings coming from the mountain, and Moses went near to the Lord (Exodus 20:21).  The Lord began at that time reminding the people that He was their Lord God who had brought them out of bondage in the land of Egypt.

(7) "‘You shall have no other gods before Me.'"

Moses began a review of the Ten Commandments as given by the Lord at that time.  First was that they should have no other gods or idols or any superstitious worship other than their worship of their one true God.

(8) "‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth.'"

They were not to make any carved or engraved image or any likeness of anything in heaven, earth, or the deep sea, to represent their God.  Moses had already reminded them of this in Deuteronomy 4:15-19, that they had never seen the form of God, so they must not fall into a temptation of carving an image of their own imagination of Him to worship.

(9) "'You shall not bow down to them nor serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, (10) And shewing mercy to thousands of them who love Me and keep My commandments.'"

In reference to the carved or engraved images the people might make for themselves, they were not to worship these false idols they had created in their own minds, because the Lord was a jealous God, meaning He was zealous and vigilant in guarding them from faithlessness and ultimate death that would result from their falling away from their only source of salvation and life.  It's not that the Lord would necessarily punish a son for his father's sins, but there are consequences to a person's actions that may follow through generations after him.  A father who hated the Lord would thus teach his son the same.  In like manner, and in this case certainly by the Lord's direct actions, as He had frequently done for this particular people, He showed mercy to the generations of them that had come after their patriarchs and loved their Lord and followed His commandments.

(11) "‘You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.'"

The people were never to use the name of their Lord in vain.  His name was only to be used with the highest reverence and awe, and not in worthless, empty, or wrong purposes.  The Lord would not hold him guiltless who took His name in vain, even if the person meant no disrespect to His Lord.  One should not use the name of the most high God in flippant ways.

(12) "'Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD your God has commanded you.'"

The people were to observe the Sabbath, setting it apart as a time of rest and for the performance of holy and religious exercises, as their Lord had commanded they do.

(13) "'Six days you shall labor and do all your work, (14) But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall do no work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.'"

The people were given six days to do all their work, but the seventh day was the Lord's Sabbath, and they were to do no work on that day.  This was not for themselves alone, but to give rest to all their family, servants, animals, etc.

(15) "'And remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.'"

The people were exhorted to remember that they themselves had once been servants in Egypt, that they might be mindful of their servants, and because their God had rescued them and commanded them to observe this day of rest, they ought to do it for Him, themselves, and those in their care and service.

(16) "‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land which the LORD your God gives you.'"

Moses repeated to the people the commandment of God that each should honor his father and mother.  The apostle Paul pointed out in Ephesians 6:2 that this was the first commandment with promise, with a promise of long life and happiness in the land of Canaan if they so honored their parents.

(17) "'You shall not kill.'"

The original word "ratsach" means more precisely "murder".  Jesus said in Matthew 5:22 that a person could be guilty of murder in his heart.  These powerful words of John Wesley, in his Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, certainly can prick the conscience:

Have you not tempted any one, to what might shorten his life? Have you tempted none to intemperance? Have you suffered none to be intemperate under your roof, or in your company? Have you done all you could in every place, to prevent intemperance of all kinds! Are you guilty of no degree of self - murder? Do you never eat or drink any thing because you like it, although you have reason to believe, it is prejudicial to your health? Have you constantly done whatever you had reason to believe was conducive to it? Have you not hated your neighbour in your heart? Have you reproved him that committed sin in your sight? If not, you have in God's account hated him, seeing you suffered sin upon him. Have you loved all men as your own soul? As Christ loved us? Have you done unto all men, as in like circumstances, you would they should do to you? Have you done all in your power to help your neighbours, enemies as well as friends? Have you laboured to deliver every soul you could from sin and misery? Have you shewed that you loved all men as yourself, by a constant, earnest endeavour, to fill all places with holiness and happiness, with the knowledge and love of God?

(18) "'Neither shall you commit adultery.'"

In the literal meaning of the word, this is a commandment to have no sexual relations outside of marriage.  However, again Jesus went to the heart of the matter in Matthew 5:28, saying that one could be guilty if he looked upon a woman with lust in his heart.  John Wesley had some powerful soul-searching words on this, too:

If thou hast not been guilty of any act of uncleanness, hath thy heart conceived no unclean thought? Hast thou not looked on a woman so as to lust after her? Hast thou not betrayed thy own soul to temptation, by eating and drinking to the full, by needless familiarities, by foolish talking, by levity of dress or behaviour? Hast thou used all the means which scripture and reason suggest, to prevent every kind and degree of unchastity? Hast thou laboured, by watching, fasting, and prayer, to possess thy vessel in sanctification and honour?

(19) "'Neither shall you steal.'"

Moses repeated the commandment of the Lord against stealing.  Some Biblical commentators have pointed out that when the commandments were originally given, they were given without the word "neither".  They suggest they were joined together by the adverbial conjunction to make them in a sense one law.  Loving your neighbor as yourself would make it necessary to neither kill, commit adultery, steal, etc.  The apostle said this in Romans 13:9:

For this, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

(20) "'Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbor.'"

Moses repeated the commandment of the Lord to not make a false report against one's neighbor.

(21) "'Neither shall you covet your neighbor’s wife, neither shall you covet your neighbor's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's.'"

Biblical commentators point out that "his field" was added to the list first given in the commandment in Exodus 20:17.  The meaning of the commandment is the same--one should not lust after anything that belongs to someone else, not his wife, not his house, not his land, not his servants, not his livestock, not his car, not his wealth, etc., etc. 

It occurs to me for the first time that this commandment takes care of the committing adultery in the heart that Jesus referred to in Matthew 5:28.  If you are lusting after something that is not your own, you are guilty of coveting.  If you covet a person not your own spouse, you have already broken a commandment, before it is even considered adultery in your heart.  Likewise killing in your heart probably would begin with coveting or bearing false witness.  The commandments are all linked together and can be summed as Jesus summed them in Matthew 22:37-40:

Jesus said to him, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

(22) “These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a great voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and delivered them to me."

Moses finished his review of the commandments of the Lord by reminding the people that the Lord had given those commandments to all of them from the mountain in the midst of fire, clouds, and thick darkness with a great and powerful audible voice.  The Lord had ceased talking to the people after He gave them the Ten Commandments.  He wrote the commandments on two stone tablets which He gave to Moses.

(23) "And it came to pass, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, for the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders."

Moses recalled and reminded the people that after they had heard God's voice from the midst of fire and clouds and darkness, the heads of the tribes and the elders came up to Moses from where they had been afar off.

(24) “And you said, 'Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire; we have seen this day that God speaks with man, yet he lives.'"

Moses reminded the people that the heads and elders remarked at the time that God had shown His great glory to them; they had heard His voice from the midst of the fire.  They had seen and heard for themselves that God spoke to them, mere men, and yet they lived; they were not consumed by the sheer power of His voice.

(25) "‘Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God anymore, then we shall die.'"

Moses continued the retelling of the events at the time.  Although the people had miraculously escaped death upon being personally exposed to their awesome God, they did not believe they would be able to bear it any longer.  They were sure that if they heard the voice of God anymore, they would surely be consumed by the fire.  The people had witnessed such a consuming fire before, like the one in Numbers 16:35 that consumed the 250 men who offered strange incense, or the one that consumed those in the uttermost parts of the camp at Taberah (Numbers 11:1) when the people complained.

(26) "‘For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?'"

The heads of the people had acknowledged that no person ever had heard the voice of the living God out of the midst of fire and had lived.  They realized nothing like this had ever happened before, and recognized the miraculous nature of it, and did not trust their frail, corruptible, mortal selves to be able to endure it again.

(27) "‘You go near and hear all that the LORD our God shall say, and tell us all that the LORD our God speaks to you, and we will hear and do it.’"

The elders had requested that Moses go near to the Lord on the mount and hear all that He had to say while they stood far away.  Moses could then tell them what the Lord had said and they would listen and do it.

(28) "And the LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the LORD said to me, ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you; they are right in all that they have spoken.'"

The Lord had heard what the elders had told Moses, and He said that they had spoken rightly.  Their words had shown a reverence and awe of the divine majesty of their Lord God, and a knowledge of their unworthiness to be in His presence.  They also promised to listen and do whatever the Lord told Moses they should do, if he would just be their mediator.

(29) "‘Oh, that there were such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!'"

I believe the sense here is that the Lord desired that the people should forever have the same fearful and reverent heart to keep His commandments as they appeared to have at that moment.  If so, it would always go well for them and their children forever.  It would be well for most all of us if we could always have that same conviction we sometimes have in periods of great brokenness and need for our Savior.  Oh, that we would always have such a heart in us that we would fear the Lord and always keep His commandments!

(30) "'Go say to them, "Get in your tents again." (31) But as for you, stand here by Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess.'"

Therefore the Lord had told Moses at the time to tell the people to return to their tents, and He would commune with just Moses to tell him all the commandments, statutes, and judgments that he would then teach the people, that they would observe and keep them in their promised land the Lord was giving them to possess.

(32) "You shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left."

At that point, Moses exhorted the people to observe what the Lord had commanded them, seeing that He had shown Himself to them and then was so willing to consider their request and grant them what they desired.  Seeing they had desired to have Moses as their mediator and teacher and that they promised so solemnly that they would hear and do what he said, they should take to heart just what the Lord commanded they do, and not veer from it.

(33) “You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess."

Moses continued with his exhortation that the people walk in the ways that the Lord commanded them so that they might live a long and good life in their promised land.  It's not so much that God would punish them if they disobeyed and reward if they obeyed, but His commandments are life and life more abundant.  The ways of the world are death.  Therefore the Lord desires that we follow His commandments so that we will have a long and blessed life; if we veer from them, and choose the ways of the world, we will suffer the consequences.

I find it interesting that the very same language is used in the commandment to honor fathers and mothers, that it might go well with them and that their days be long in their promised land.  Just as we are to honor the One who created us, we are to honor those God chose to bring us into this world.  God created marriage and the family.  Family is important to God, and we are His family.  When we honor our families, we honor Him and what is important to Him.  Even when they are dysfunctional, we should love and honor them.  After all, doesn't our Father love and offer to forgive us no matter how dysfunctional we are?

Love doesn't always mean obedience to and enabling of abuse and unlawful behavior.  That is where obeying God and honoring parents differs.  God is always righteous; our parents are not.  However, learning to love and honor them is what most of us learn first in life and prepares us for learning to respect other authorities such as government, police, and employers, and our ultimate Authority, God.  While He is righteous and should be the easiest to honor and obey, it is often against our sinful human nature to obey His commands.  At least that is what we often think, that the laws of God mean no fun, but the exact opposite is really true.  Perhaps learning to obey those rules of parents we think were designed to deprive us of fun prepares us for learning to respect God's laws.  Even Jesus submitted to His parents!  Luke 2:51 tells us Jesus was obedient to his parents.  God Himself in human flesh at 12 years of age was obviously much more advanced in spirituality, but subjected himself to two average, ordinary, inexperienced parents.  Jesus taught us an important lesson in this--no one is too smart, too advanced, or too spiritual for God-given submission.  And here is an amazing revelation--Jesus learned Godly submission!  In human form, Jesus taught us that Godly submission doesn't just happen without effort, but it is a learned behavior.  Hebrews 5:8 states that Jesus, GOD in human form, learned obedience from what He suffered.  That revelation came to me from a beautiful article by David Mathis, Jesus Obeyed His Parents.  Honoring our parents and submitting to authority teaches us obedience and Godly submission so that we may live long and that it may be well with us.

Moses Continues His Speech, Now an Earnest Exhortation to Obedience

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 4:1) "Now therefore hearken, O Israel, to the statutes and to the judgments which I teach you, to do them that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers gives you."

In the past chapters of Deuteronomy, Moses had been giving a speech to the Israelites before they went in to possess their promised land.  Most of his speech thus far had been a historical review of the events leading up to their present moment.  Now he turned to an exhortation to Israel to keep the commands, statutes, and judgments of God that they might live, as the laws of God are always about life and life more abundant, as Jesus later described as the reason He had come, in John 10:10.  Following the instruction of their God would also allow them to go in and take possession of the land promised long before to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

(2) “You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you."

Moses charged the people to keep the commandments of the Lord just as he had given them to them.  They were not to add new laws of their own, nor were they to detract from or make void any part of the law as was given them.

(3) “Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baal Peor, for all the men that followed Baal Peor, the LORD your God has destroyed them from among you."

Moses reminded the children of Israel that they had seen what the Lord had done because of Baal Peor, that is, because of the idolatry the people of Israel fell into by worshiping that idol, having been drawn into it by the daughters of Moab and Midian, through the counsel of Balaam, with whom they committed fornication, which led them to idolatry.  The Lord had destroyed those who had followed Baal Peor from among them; 24,000 were killed (Numbers 25:9).

(4) “But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive today, every one of you."

Moses offered what should seem a word of encouragement that every one of them who held to the statutes and judgments of their Lord and were not idolaters, were alive at that moment, every one of them.  I believe there is significance beyond the fact that they were not killed the day the 24,000 were killed.  There had since that incident been a war with the Midianites and not one person had died (Numbers 31:49); neither it appeared had anyone died from any other disease or accident.  Everyone who held fast to the Lord was alive that day.

(5) "Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do so in the land which you go to possess."

Moses had faithfully delivered the statutes and judgments of the Lord just as the Lord had commanded he do, instructing the people in the way they should act when they finally possessed their promised land.

(6) "Therefore keep and do them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations which shall hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’"

Moses charged the people with keeping and doing the commandments of the Lord for in them was their wisdom and their understanding.  I am reminded of the scripture that tells us, "There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD" (Proverbs 21:30).  There is no wisdom apart from God; no human scheme can prevail against Him.  There is also, "For the LORD gives wisdom; out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6).  If they kept the laws of their Lord, the nations would hear and marvel that theirs was a great and wise nation.

(7) "For what nation is there so great, that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is in all we call upon him for?"

Moses reflected about there being no other nation that had God so near to it, having communication with Him, being able to call upon Him for all its needs to help and deliver it from all dangers.  It's not that Israel in itself was so great, but it was great because of the guidance of their Lord who had chosen them to be His people.

(8) "And what nation is there so great that has statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?"

Moses continued in reflecting about how great a nation theirs was to have such wise and righteous statutes and judgments, as the law their Lord had given them.

(9) “Only take heed to yourself, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; but teach them to your sons and your sons' sons."

Moses stressed that the people be mindful of the laws of God and careful to adhere to them, and to keep their souls from transgressions, lest they forget the things they had witnessed from their God and they allow worldly lusts to replace God in their hearts.  Moses exhorted the people to teach God's laws to their children and their grandchildren.

(10) "The day you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will make them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they shall live on the earth, and they may teach their children.'"

Moses reminded the people of the day they stood before the Lord, albeit some were not yet born at that time; nevertheless God Himself gave the people the law in fire and thunder, an awesome event that surely was cemented in the young minds of those who witnessed it, and the report of it impressed upon those who were not yet born and able to witness it.  God's purpose at the time was to so impress upon the people that their God Himself gave this law that they honor and revere Him as Lord and Lawgiver, and teach their children the same.

(11) "And you came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. (12) And the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire; you heard the voice of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice."

Moses more vividly described the day the people received the Ten Commandments.  They stood at the foot of the mountain that burned with fire and smoke that went up into the air, and thick darkness and clouds covered the sky.  The Lord had spoken to them out of the midst of the fire; the people saw no form of God, but only heard His words.

(13) "And He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone."

Moses reminded the people that it was God Himself who pronounced His Ten Commandments to them, commanding them to do them; and it was God Himself who wrote the Ten Commandments on two stone tablets.  Exodus 31:18 told us of that particular event, when God had given Moses two tablets of stone "written with the finger of God".

(14) “And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might do them in the land in which you go over to possess."

Moses reflected that the Lord had commanded him at that time to teach the people statutes and judgments that they follow in their promised land.  These were all the statutes and judgments besides the Ten Commandments that Moses gave mostly in the book of Leviticus.

(15) “Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, (16) Lest you corrupt yourselves, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure--the likeness of male or female, (17) The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flies in the air, (18) The likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth."

Moses reminded the people that they had seen no form of God when He spoke to them to give them the Law, so he warned them to be careful not to fall into the temptation of making carved or sculpted images of a god they had formed in their own minds, with the likeness of a man or woman, or of any beast, bird, or fish, lest they corrupt themselves and fall into idolatry, and also corrupt and defile God by the images they created.

(19) "And lest you lift up your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the LORD your God has divided to all nations under the whole heaven."

In addition, Moses warned the people against the temptation of looking up toward heaven and feeling driven to worship the sun, moon, or stars.  Those things had been placed there by God.  The rotations and revolutions of the moon and earth divided them among the nations, sometimes one part of the earth enjoying them, and then another, but they were not present with all the people all at once, which it would seem would be necessary if any of them were a god.

(20) “But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day."

Moses reminded the people that their God had brought them out of the fiery furnace, a reference to their hell and bondage in Egypt, to be His own people, His own inheritance, as they continued to be at the day Moses spoke to them.

(21) “Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I would not cross over the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance."

Once again Moses reminded the people that it was for their sakes that the Lord was angry with him.  I can't help but wonder if Moses was a bit resentful of the people because it was their seemingly constant faithlessness that stoked his anger and may have driven him to his actions.  However, it was Moses himself who spoke contrarily to what the Lord had told him and did not act in the way the Lord had commanded him, and therefore did not sanctify the Lord in the eyes of the children of Israel.  Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, wrote a little more generously about Moses and suggested that his point was that if the Lord was so angry with Moses so as to bar him from entering the promised land, could the people think to escape the Lord's wrath if guilty of greater provocations?  That does appear to be a good explanation since that comment was inserted at this point.

(22) “But I must die in this land, I must not cross over the Jordan; but you shall cross over and possess that good land."

Moses lamented that he must die in the land east of Jordan and would not be allowed to cross over into the good promised land.  However, he assured the children of Israel that they would cross over Jordan and possess that good land promised to them.

(23) “Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the LORD your God has forbidden you. (24) For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."

Moses exhorted the people one more time to take heed, perhaps the point being because he would not be with them, or else they might forget the covenant their Lord made with them, and make a carved idol which God had forbidden in His Ten Commandments.  The people had witnessed that the Lord was a consuming fire as with the men who offered incense with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (Numbers 16).  The Lord is a jealous God in the sense that He is "solicitous or vigilant in maintaining or guarding something", one of the definitions of jealous in the dictionary.  We have come to think of jealousy as envy, but that is not the case with God's jealousy.  He is certainly not envious of other false gods and idols, but He is solicitous and vigilant in guarding our only means of salvation which is in Him alone.  He is intolerant of unfaithfulness and rivalry, once again, not because He is envious, but because it takes us away from our only salvation.  Primarily though, a Holy God simply cannot tolerate sin in His presence.  That is why we needed Jesus Christ to cover our transgressions with His everlasting sacrifice and atonement for our sins.

(25) “When you beget children and grandchildren and have remained long in the land, and you corrupt yourselves and make a carved image in the likeness of anything, and do evil in the sight of the LORD your God to provoke Him to anger, (26) I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed."

Moses warned the people that even many years from that point, when they were old and gray and had grandchildren and had lived in their promised land for many years, even if at that point they corrupted themselves by making carved images or idols of any likeness, therefore doing evil by disobeying God and provoking Him to anger, he called heaven and earth as witnesses of the law that had been set before them which so expressly forbade it.  Deuteronomy 30:19 gives a further explanation of this call:  "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."  Once again we see that God's jealousy is one that guards us against death; He wishes that all should come to Him and not perish; He wants us to choose life in Him, and His laws help us to live.  Moses warned that if the people in the future should forget their God and make idols that they would soon thereafter perish from their promised land.

(27) “And the LORD will scatter you among the nations, and you will be left few in number among the heathen where the LORD will drive you."

Continuing his warning started in verse 25, if the people forgot their covenant with their Lord and made idols, the Lord would scatter them among the heathen nations, and they would be left few in number.

(28) “And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell."

Among the heathen nations they would find what it was like to serve worthless idols which could do nothing for them.

(29) "But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. (30) When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, if you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice, (31) (For the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them."

What a beautiful promise!  Even if the children of Israel forgot their God and were driven from their promised land to live among the heathen nations, if they then turned back to their God, genuinely seeking Him with all their hearts, He promised to be found.  Even when they found themselves in tribulation in the future, if they turned back to their Lord and were obedient to His word, because their Lord was a merciful God, and only punished in an effort to have them return to their only source of salvation, He would not forsake or destroy them, but would remember His covenant with their fathers.

(32) "For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one side of heaven to the other, whether there has ever been anything as great as this thing, or has ever been heard like it?"

Moses exhorted the people to inquire into and consult the annals of history, ever since God created man, from as far and wide as they could examine, if there had ever been anything as great as they had experienced, as he would go on to further detail in the next few verses.

(33) “Did people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live?"

First he asked had any people ever heard the voice of God out of the midst of fire, as they had, and lived?  They had distinctly heard God's voice in the midst of the fire that represented His presence, and they were not consumed by His awesome presence.

(34) "Or has God tried to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?"

Moses then asked had there ever been another time when God chose a people for Himself and took them out of another nation by all the means and miracles, and by His own mighty hand, as He had done for them when He delivered them from Egypt and brought them to this point on the eve of their entering their promised land.

(35) “To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD Himself is God; there is none else besides Him."

Moses pointed out that all those signs and miracles had been shown to them alone that they would see that their Lord was the only true God of the universe and that there were no other besides Him.

(36) “Out of heaven He let you hear His voice, that He might instruct you; on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire."

Out of heaven God had allowed the children of Israel to hear His voice, and He had allowed them to see a symbol of Him in the fire, and they had heard His voice out of the midst of the fire to instruct them on how they should live.

(37) “And because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them; and He brought you out of Egypt in His sight with His mighty power, (38) To drive out nations from before you greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is this day."

Because God had loved Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He had chosen their descendants to be His own special people, and He had brought them out of Egypt to be in His presence; and with His mighty power, He had driven and would continue to drive out nations greater and mightier than theirs, to bring them in to their promised inheritance.

(39) "Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is none else."

Moses exhorted the people to realize and know in their hearts that their Lord was God of all the heavens above them, and of all the earth, and that there was no other God but Him.

(40) “You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD your God gives you forever."

Knowing that He was the one and only God who chose them to be His people, they should keep all the statutes and commandments that Moses had given them, so that they should be blessed, and their children after them, that they might live long in the land the Lord had given them.

(41) Then Moses set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun, (42) That the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without having hated him in time past, and that by fleeing to one of these cities he might live.

Then Moses set apart three cities of refuge on the east side of the Jordan.  To those cities a manslayer could flee to safety if he had accidentally and without malice killed his neighbor.  In Numbers 35:14 God had commanded that there be three cities of refuge on the east side of the Jordan River.  The law stated that anyone who murdered was to be put to death.  However, God provided cities of refuge where someone who had accidentally killed another could flee to safety, safe from the avenger, the family member of the slain person trying to avenge the victim's death.  A person in the city of refuge could stay there in safety until his case was judged.

(43) Bezer in the wilderness in the plain country of the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead of the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan of the Manassites.

The three cities of refuge that Moses appointed were Bezer in the plain of the land allotted to the Reubenites; Ramoth, that part of Mount Gilead that had been appointed to the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, that kingdom of Og, of the land allotted to that half tribe of Manasseh.  Adam Clarke wrote that the cities of refuge were a symbol of the salvation by Christ to sinners, and that the names of the cities were thought to "express some attribute of the Redeemer of mankind".  I don't totally see that in these cities' names.  Bezer literally meant "an inaccessible spot"; Ramoth meant "heights"; and Golan meant "captive".  They just sound like names of safety and refuge, but that certainly does define salvation in Christ.  Brown-Driver-Briggs' Hebrew Definitions defined Golan more fully as "their captivity: their rejoicing".

(44) And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel: (45) These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which Moses spoke to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt, (46) On this side of the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel defeated after they came out of Egypt.

These and the last few verses of this chapter comprise a big build-up to what was to follow in the next chapter, a review of the laws, statutes, and judgments that Moses had previously delivered to the children of Israel after they had come out of Egypt, on their current side of the Jordan River in the land that had formerly belonged to Sihon king of the Amorites, but had been overtaken by Israel.

(47) And they possessed his land, and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, which were on this side Jordan toward the rising of the sun; (48) From Aroer, which is by the bank of the river Arnon, even to Mount Sion, which is Hermon, (49) And all the plain on this side Jordan eastward, even to the sea of the plain, under the slopes of Pisgah.

The introduction to the review of the laws continued.  The description of their current place east of the Jordan River that they now possessed also included the land of Og, another king of the Amorites.  They possessed the land from Aroer on the Arnon River in the south to Mt. Hermon (also called Sion) in the north, and all that plain east of the Jordan, as seen in this map:

Their possession included all that plain east of the Jordan, but also the slopes of Mt. Pisgah on the eastern side of the Dead Sea in the south.  Although Pisgah is not marked on the map, it is near Mt. Nebo.  They possessed the land north of the Arnon River, east of the Dead Sea in the slopes of Pisgah.

This chapter was mainly Moses's exhortation to the children of Israel to keep the commands, statutes, and judgments of God, and his warning against disobedience.  This was his introduction to a review of the laws in the next several chapters.

Review of Conquest of Og and Distribution of the Conquered Land

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 3:1) “Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan; and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei."

In the past couple of chapters and posts, Moses has been relating the history of the Israelites in the wilderness that had brought them to this point.  At the end of the last chapter he had spoken about how they had conquered Sihon.  Now he began the retelling of the events leading to the conquest of Og.  They turned from the kingdom of Sihon and went toward Bashan.  Og the king of Bashan and all his people came out against the Israelites to battle at Edrei, a city in his kingdom.  Following is a map of the kingdoms of Sihon and Og found here in Wikipedia:

(2) “And the LORD said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into your hand; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.’"

The Lord told Moses at the time not to fear Og who had come out against Israel, for He would deliver Og, his people, and his land into the hands of the children of Israel.  The Israelites would defeat Og just as they had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites.

(3) “So the LORD our God also delivered into our hands Og king of Bashan, and all his people, and we struck him until none was left remaining to him."

The Lord indeed delivered Og and all his people into their hands.  The Israelites killed them all so that none remained alive; see Numbers 21:35.

(4) “And we took all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them, sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan."

The Israelites took all the cities in the kingdom of Og, sixty cities in all, all the region of Argob, which was a district in Bashan; there was not a single city that they did not seize from Og.

(5) “All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns."

All the cities of Bashan that the Israelites took were cities well fortified with high walls, gates, and bars.  These were besides the small towns and villages in the land.

(6) “And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city."

Moses related that the children of Israel had utterly destroyed Og and his people, just as they had destroyed Sihon, utterly destroying all the men, women, and children, of every city.

(7) "But all the cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we took for a prey to ourselves."

However, they did not destroy the livestock, but kept them for themselves, as well as the spoil of the cities.

(8) “And at that time we took the land from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were on this side of the Jordan, from the river of Arnon to Mount Hermon, (9) (Which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion; and the Amorites call it Shenir); (10) All the cities of the plain, all Gilead, and all Bashan, to Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan."

Moses related that at that time they had taken the land from two kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, that were on their current side of the Jordan River, from the Arnon River, the southern border of the land of Sihon, to Mount Hermon in the north.  Verse 9 is a parenthetical statement that tells that Hermon was also called Sirion by the Sidonians, and called Shenir by the Amorites.  They took all the cities in the plain, the cities surrounding Mount Gilead, and all of Bashan, to Salchah in the east, and Edrei and beyond, as seen in the map above.

(11) “For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits was its length and four cubits its breadth, after the standard cubit of a man."

A sort of parenthetical statement is made about Og.  He had been the last of the giants that were mentioned in the previous chapter, the Emim and Zamzummim, who had once possessed the land of the Moabites and Ammonites.  In explanation of how big he was, Moses remarked he had an iron bed, apparently needed to hold his massive frame.  It was in Rabbath, in Ammonite territory, apparently carried there either to save it or perhaps as a trophy.  It was 13.5 feet long and six feet wide, according to the standard cubit of a man; apparently a "king's cubit" was longer.

(12) “And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, and half the mountains of Gilead and its cities, I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites."

The land that the Israelites took possession of at that time extended from Aroer by the Arnon River on the border of Moab, land taken from Sihon, to Mount Gilead and its cities which were taken from Og.  Moses gave the land taken from Sihon and half the mountain and cities of Gilead to the Reubenites and the Gadites, per their request in Numbers 32.

(13) "And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh, all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants."

The other half of Mount Gilead with its cities, which included all the region of Argob (v. 4), with all Bashan, which had been called the land of giants (Og apparently being the last), Moses gave to the half tribe of Manasseh.  Below is a map found at FreeBibleImages.org, specifically at http://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/joshua-altar/, that shows the land of the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, east of the Jordan River:

(14) “Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob to the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi; and called them after his own name, Bashan Havoth Jair, to this day."

Jair, the son of Manasseh, took all the country of Argob to the coasts of Geshur and Maachah, shown in the first map above.  He called it Bashan Havoth Jair, which literally meant "Bashan, villages of Jair".  At first I wondered which map was imprecise, as the western border of Jair's land in the map immediately above doesn't exactly match the territory of Og in the first map.  Then I read that the exact position of Maachah and of Geshur cannot be ascertained.

(15) "And I gave Gilead to Machir."

Moses gave Gilead to Machir, another son of Manasseh, or perhaps more precisely to the Machirites, his descendants.  This map which I cut from a larger map found here at BibleQ, shows Gilead to be the southern portion of the half tribe Manasseh that settled on the eastern side of the Jordan.

(16) “And to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave from Gilead to the river Arnon half the valley, and the border to the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon; (17) The plain also, and Jordan, and its coast, from Chinnereth even to the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, under Ashdoth Pisgah eastward."

To the tribes of Reuben and Gad Moses stated he gave land from Gilead to half the valley of the Arnon River.  The original word "nachlah" translated as "valley" usually more often means "stream or river" or the like.  A valley is the middle of a river, but in this case, most Biblical scholars agree that the middle (or half) meant in the length of the river.  Their land extended from the Arnon River (half of it) northward to the Jabbok River which bordered the Ammonites.  This area is better illustrated on the map earlier that showed the kingdoms of Sihon and Og.  All the plain and the coastland along the Jordan River from Chinnereth to the Salt Sea (or Dead Sea) was included.  Ashdoth Pisgah actually translates "slopes" or "springs" of Pisgah.  Their land went eastward from the Jordan and Salt Sea to the eastern slopes and springs of Mount Pisgah.  This portion of a map shows Mount Pisgah in relation to Heshbon and Nebo seen on the map above this one:

(18) "And I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you this land to possess; you shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all who are meet for the war.'"

Part of the agreement that Moses made with the tribes of Reuben and Gad for the land they requested east of the Jordan, was that they would pass over the Jordan with the rest of the tribes, all who were able being armed to assist them in the conquest of Canaan (Numbers 32:29).

(19) "‘But your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, (for I know that you have much cattle,) shall abide in your cities which I have given you, (20) Until the LORD has given rest to your brethren, as well as to you, and until they also possess the land which the LORD your God has given them beyond Jordan; and then shall you return every man to his possession, which I have given you.'"

When the tribes east of the Jordan went over to fight with their brothers to gain possession of the promised land west of the Jordan, they were to leave their wives and children and livestock in the cities they had been given.  Once the Lord brought victory and gave peace to the children of Israel in their promised land, then the two and a half tribes could return to their possessions east of Jordan.

(21) “And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so will the LORD do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. (22) You shall not fear them, for the LORD your God Himself shall fight for you.'"

Moses related what he had told Joshua at the time.  After the victories over Sihon and Og, and the assignment of territories to the two and a half tribes east of Jordan, and Moses knowing that he would soon die, he gave charge to Joshua his successor.  He told him that he had seen all that the Lord had done to deliver victories over Sihon and Og, and that the Lord would continue to do just that to all the kingdoms they would pass through to possess their promised land.  There was no need to fear any of the peoples because the Lord Himself would fight for the children of Israel.

(23) "And I besought the LORD at that time, saying, (24) ‘O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god in heaven or on earth can do according to your works and according to your might?'"

Moses reflected that he had pleaded with the Lord at that time, first showing that he recognized how great and mighty his Lord was, that no other false god or idol could do what He had done.

(25) "‘I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that pleasant mountain, and Lebanon.’"

The subject of Moses's plea was that he be allowed to cross over the Jordan River to see the promised land.

(26) “But the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and would not hear me; and the LORD said to me, 'Let it suffice; speak no more to me of this matter.'"

Moses related that the Lord had been angry with him and would not listen to his plea.  Moses said what the Lord had been angry with him about was for the sake of the people.  It was the time at the rock at Meribah, when he spoke for the sake of the people, but spoke ill-advisedly and did not act in the way the Lord had commanded him, and he did not sanctify the Lord in the eyes of the children of Israel.  Apparently the Lord had answered Moses's prayer and plea by telling him not to speak of it anymore.  The Lord had already spoken to Moses on the matter, and more pleas would not change His mind.

(27) "‘Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east, and behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan.'"

The Lord continued to tell Moses at the time that he would be allowed to go to the top of Mount Pisgah and look all around him, and he would be allowed to see the promised land, but he would not be allowed to cross over the Jordan into it.

(28) "'But charge Joshua, encourage him, and strengthen him, for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you shall see.’"

The Lord continued instructing Moses that because he would not be able to cross over Jordan, he was to charge Joshua as his successor, encouraging and strengthening him because he would be the one to lead the people to inherit the promised land that Moses would be allowed to see.

(29) "So we abode in the valley opposite Beth Peor."

This chapter ended with Moses stating the people abode in the valley, the plains of Moab, opposite Beth Peor, which literally meant "house of Peor", probably named for a temple of the god Peor who was worshiped there.

Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, made an interesting observation.  He wrote that the promised land was symbolic of heaven, and Moses represented the law.  The law itself could not bring the people to possession of their kingdom of heaven.  Moses was a great leader, and as good a man as there was at his time, but no one is good enough under the law to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Joshua, whose name is the same as Jesus, Yehoshua, the name meaning "salvation", was appointed to bring the people into the rest God had provided for them.  I love how we can find the promise of Jesus in every book of the Old Testament!

Moses Continues His Historical Review

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 2:1) “Then we turned and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea, as the LORD spoke to me, and we circled Mount Seir for many days."

In the last chapter and post, Moses addressed the children of Israel in their fortieth year after their exodus from Egypt.  He spoke to a new generation of Israelites about to enter their promised land.  It was a historical review of the events that led to their having to wander in the wilderness for so many years.  The end of chapter 1 left them in Kadesh after the Lord had told them they would not be able to enter their promised land because of their unbelief.  Deuteronomy 1:40 related the words of the Lord telling the people to turn back toward the Red Sea and journey into the wilderness.

Here in the second chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses continued his historical account.  The people indeed turned back toward the Red Sea as the Lord had told them to do, and they went around Mount Seir for many days.  Most of the commentaries I study interpreted this to mean they wandered around the entire mountainous country of Edom for many, many days, as in thirty-eight years.  The original word "rab" translated as "many" means "abundant" and is a shortened form of the word "rabab" which means "increase", even "multiply by the myriad" and "ten thousands".  The word that was translated as "days", that is "yom", Strong's defines as "literally (days), or figuratively (a space of time defined by an associated term)", which in this case is a myriad or thousands of days.

(2) “And the LORD spoke to me, saying, (3) ‘You have circled this mountain long enough; turn northward.'"

Moses told the people it was at that point that the Lord spoke to him saying they had been around that mountain long enough and that it was time to turn northward.  The following map shared by www.gantshillurc.co.uk, specifically in this blog post, shows Mount Seir's proximity to the Red Sea.  It was time to move northward toward Canaan.

(4) "‘And command the people, saying, “You will pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir, and they shall be afraid of you; therefore take good heed to yourselves."'"

Moses related to the people that the Lord then told him to charge the people to be very careful as they were to be passing through the border of the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, who dwelt in Seir.  The Edomites would be afraid of the Israelites and might feel threatened.  Numbers 20:21 said that Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border.  Some of the commentaries I study believe that although they could not cross into Edom, they went along the border.  The 1599 Geneva Bible Translation Notes referred to this as the second time they were to cross the border of Edom.

(5) "'“Do not meddle with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as one footstep, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau for a possession."'"

Moses continued telling the people of the Lord's command to them regarding Edom.  They were not to meddle with the Edomites.  The Lord had given Mount Seir to Esau to possess; "Thus Esau dwelt in Mount Seir; Esau is Edom" (Genesis 36:8).  He would not allow Israel to possess so much as a footstep of the Edomites' land.

(6) "'"You shall buy food from them with money, that you may eat; and you shall also buy water from them with money, that you may drink."'"

The Lord allowed the Israelites to trade fairly with the Edomites.  Although the people had daily manna, it appears the Lord did not forbid them to trade with their neighbors when they had the opportunity.  I do believe the sense of this verse is that they must trade fairly.  They were not to take advantage of the Edomites in any way.

(7) "'"For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand; He knows your walking through this great wilderness; these forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing."'"

Because the Lord had so blessed the children of Israel in all they did so that they had lacked nothing in their forty years of wandering, they had no reason to take anything from the Edomites without fair payment.

(8) “And when we passed beyond our brethren the children of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath and from Ezion Geber, we turned and passed by way of the wilderness of Moab."

Moses continued to relate to the Israelites about when they had passed beyond the border of the Edomites in Seir by way of the plain from Elath and Ezion Geber, and turned and passed by way of the wilderness of Moab.  This map from Free Bible Images offers a good idea of what was meant.  In Numbers the Israelites had requested passage through Edom along the King's Highway, but were refused.  If they instead traveled along the border of Edom from Elath and Ezion Geber on the Red Sea, they would have been in the plain west of Edom until they turned back eastward to the wilderness which was "before Moab" (as described in Numbers 21:11).
 

(9) "And the LORD said to me, 'Do not distress the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession.'"

Like with the Edomites, the Lord had told Moses not to harass the Moabites, at least not at this time, because He had given Ar, the metropolis of Moab, to the descendants of Lot.  Genesis 19:37 told about Lot's firstborn daughter bearing a son named Moab, and he was the father of the Moabites.

(10) The Emim had dwelt there in times past, a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. (11) Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims.

These two verses, as well as the next verse, were sort of parenthetical statements.  Most translations even put them in parentheses.  They don't appear to be part of Moses's statements, but were either placed by him as a parenthetical, or perhaps by a later scribe.  The land of the Moabites that at that time had been given to descendants of Lot, had once belonged to the Emim, a people great and many and as tall as the Anakim, who were considered giants.  In Genesis 14, we were told about the Emim, who were destroyed by King Chedorlaomer.  Then Lot possessed their country after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

(12) The Horims also dwelt in Seir formerly, but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their place, just as Israel did to the land of their possession which the LORD gave them.

The Horim, or Horites, were also mentioned in Genesis 14 as dwelling in Seir, till Esau and his sons drove them out, as explained in a later verse here in Deuteronomy.  "Just as Israel did..." could have been added by a later hand after Israel had indeed driven out the inhabitants to take possession of the land promised them by their Lord, or it could have been a prophetic statement by Moses.  Either way, I believe an underlying theme is that the Lord determined who would possess what, driving out the inhabitants for their sins, and giving the land to whomever He pleased.  It should have been an encouragement to the Israelites that they would surely succeed in dispossessing the Canaanites and settling in their land, just as dispossessions of this kind had already been made, even the removing of giants!

(13) "'Now rise up', said I, 'and cross over the brook Zered.' And we went over the brook Zered."

After the parenthetical verses, we return to the words of Moses.  The children of Israel had passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab (v. 8) and at this time Moses instructed them to cross the valley of Zered, as it was more commonly known, the original word "nachlah" meaning either a brook or a valley.  They indeed crossed the valley of Zered.

(14) “And the time we took to come from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed over the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war was consumed from the midst of the camp, just as the LORD had sworn to them. (15) For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from the midst of the camp until they were consumed."

The space of time from the time that the spies were sent from Kadesh Barnea, until the passage of the Israelites over Zered, was thirty eight years, until the entire generation of men who had believed the bad report of God's good promised land, were dead and gone from the camp.  The Lord had indeed told them at the time of the bad report that none of them would enter the promised land, except for Caleb and Joshua who had trusted God's report over that of the spies.

(16) "So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people, (17) That the LORD spoke to me, saying, (18) 'You are to pass over through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day.'"

After 38 years when all the former generation were dead and gone, the Lord told Moses it was time for the people to cross over the river Arnon, by the city Ar of Moab, which was situated by it; and they were to pass along by the border only of Moab, because they had been told by the Lord not to distress the Moabites (v. 9).

(19) "'And when you come near the children of Ammon, do not distress them or meddle with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the children of Lot for a possession.'"

As with the Moabites who descended from Lot's firstborn daughter's son, the children of Ammon were also Lot's descendants through his younger daughter (Genesis 19:38).  The Lord had told the children of Israel not to harass the children of Ammon, either, because He had also given them their land, and would not allow it to be given to Israel.

(20) (That also was counted a land of giants; giants dwelt there in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; (21) A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead.

Again we have a parenthetical statement; even the KJV put these verses within parentheses.  Just like the Emim who had dwelt in Moab, so the people who had formerly dwelt in the land of Ammon, were considered giants.  The Ammonites called them Zamzummims, which is thought to be the same as the Zuzims mentioned in Genesis 14:5, who were also destroyed by Chedorlaomer at the same time as the Emim.  It is said that it was the Lord who destroyed them, and the Ammonites, descendants of Lot, then dwelt in their place.

(22) As He did for the children of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, when He destroyed the Horims from before them; they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even to this day. (23) And the Avim, who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and dwelt in their place.)

Continuing parenthetical statements in explanation of the history of the Ammonites as to why the children of Israel were not to harass them, it is said the Lord did the same for the Ammonites as He had done for the children of Esau when He destroyed the Horites and the children of Esau dwelt in their place (v. 12).  So was the case of the Avim or Avites, who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza; they were destroyed by the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, and they dwelt in their place.

(24) “‘Rise up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon; behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.'"

After the parenthetical statements, Moses continued speaking the words of the Lord he had begun in verse 17 and 18.  The Lord had told the children of Israel to rise up from where they were, take their journey over the river Arnon, and seize the country of Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon.  The Lord said He had already given it to them; they just had to go in and possess it, by battling Sihon.

(25) "‘This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the nations under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.’"

Moses continued with the words of the Lord saying that as the children of Israel went in to possess the land of Sihon, when they fought, He would be there putting dread and fear of them upon all nations.  Those nations would hear about the children of Israel, all the things they, or more properly, what the Lord had done before them--in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, miracles in the wilderness, and now what would be done to Sihon and Og.  The world would know Israel's reputation and would tremble in fear at the thought of them.

(26) “And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, (27) ‘Let me pass through your land; I will go along by the highway, I will neither turn to the right nor to the left.'"

After reminding the people of the words of the Lord, Moses continued talking to them, telling them of his actions at that time.  He sent messengers to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, asking that the Israelites be able to pass through their land, promising to stay on the king's highway, not veering off it.

(28) "‘You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink; only let me pass through on foot, (29) as the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir and the Moabites who dwell in Ar did for me, until I cross over Jordan into the land which the LORD our God gives us.'"

Moses continued with his message to Sihon.  He proposed that his people also be allowed to buy food and water, paying fair money for the use, just as they had done with the Edomites in Seir and the Moabites in Ar, until they all passed by on foot across the Jordan into the land their Lord had given them.

(30) “But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as it is this day."

However, Sihon king of Heshbon refused the Israelites passage through his land, because the Lord had hardened Sihon's heart against them.  Just as the Lord had hardened Pharaoh's heart in Egypt for His purposes at that time, so He at this time hardened Sihon's heart for the purpose of having him destroyed at this time.  Just as with Pharaoh, the Lord did not force a good person to turn bad just so He could punish him for no reason.  Both of these were wicked leaders that were allowed to go on with their wicked ways until such time the Lord sought to deal with them.  When that time came, he hardened the heart of the enemy so that he would not listen to the words of Moses, but act with the same pride and haughtiness of spirit that he had always had that made him despise Israel.  It was not out of character for Sihon at this time, just as it wasn't out of Pharaoh's character.  I think the sense could be that the Lord didn't allow their hearts to be softened at the gentle reasonable requests of Moses, but made them stay as hard as they ever were.  At any rate, Sihon did refuse to let the Israelites pass, and the Lord made sure of that so that He might deliver Sihon into the Israelites' hands.

(31) “And the LORD said to me, ‘Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before you; begin to possess it, that you may inherit his land.’"

When Sihon refused to let the Israelites pass, the Lord said to Moses that this was part of His plan to begin to give Sihon and his land over to Israel to possess it.  Therefore, had said the Lord, they were to go forth and take possession of Sihon's land as part of their promised inheritance.

(32) "Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz."

Indeed Sihon came out against the children of Israel to fight them at a place called Jahaz.

(33) “And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people."

Moses reflected that the Lord had indeed delivered Sihon into their hands.  They were able to defeat him, his sons, and all his people.

(34) "And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain."

The Israelites took all of the cities of Sihon and utterly destroyed them and killed all the people so that none remained.  It was the time that the Amorites' iniquity was full, as was prophesied in Genesis 15:16 to Abraham, that after four generations his descendants would return to the land of the Amorites, but at that time of Abraham, "the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full."

(35) "Only the cattle we took for a prey to ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took."

The Israelites had destroyed all the cities and all the people, but did not kill the cattle.  They kept them for their own use, as well as plunder of anything of value or usefulness that was left in the cities after the destruction of all the people.

(36) "From Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even to Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us; the LORD our God delivered all to us."

It appears that the two phrases "which is on the bank of the River Arnon" and "the city that is by the river" both refer to Aroer.  Aroer stood on the north bank of the river, but also extended through the midst of the river via a viaduct.  From Aroer to Gilead, there wasn't a city they couldn't overtake because the Lord delivered the cities to them.

(37) "Only to the land of the children of Ammon you did not come, nor to any place of the river Jabbok, nor to the cities in the mountains, nor to wherever the LORD our God forbade us."

However, Moses reminded them, the children of Israel had not gone near the land of the children of Ammon, nor any town or city situated on the Jabbok River which was the border of the children of Ammon, certainly not into their cities in the mountains, nor any place the Lord had forbidden them to go.

The earth is the Lord's and He gives it to whom He pleases.  God had told His people which lands were to be overtaken, and only those were to be destroyed and plundered.  The Moabites and Ammonites were spared at this time, but later fought against the Israelites and committed the most shocking cruelties; the Lord would deal with them later.

Why Did It Take 40 Years for an 11 Day Journey?

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 1:1) These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

In the preceding chapters of Numbers Moses had been giving the people the commandments and judgments of the Lord, concerning their inheritances in the promised land--the boundaries, the division of it, cities of refuge, and the case of inheritances in it.  However, this first verse in Deuteronomy probably refers to what will shortly follow, not what had preceded this.  Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, suggested that the first five verses of this chapter were placed as an introduction to the rest of the book, and that they didn't appear to be written by Moses, but may have been added by either Joshua or Ezra.  Albert Barnes's (Notes on the Bible) sense of this first verse was that it was written by Moses as a "connecting link between the contents of the preceding books and that of Deuteronomy now to follow. The sense of the passage might be given thus: 'The discourses of Moses to the people up to the eleventh month of the fortieth year have now been recorded.'”  I think I prefer the flow of the first explanation, but I really don't think it matters in the scheme of things.

At this time, the Israelites were still in the plains of Moab on the east side of the Jordan River.  The original word translated as "red" was "suph", and it was used when referring to the Red Sea.  However, the Israelites were not near the Red Sea at this time.  In the KJV, "Sea" was added by translators, assuming it meant the Red Sea.  However, all the commentaries I read state it could not have referred to the Red Sea because the Israelites were farther away from it than they had ever been; it may have been a city called "Suph", which is reasonable as many other places follow its mention.  The consensus is that all these places were the boundaries of the plain where the Israelites were at that time.  Suph probably meant Suphah which was in Moab; Paran was thought to be Mount Paran, not the Wilderness of Paran which was too remote; Tophel is probably Tufileh; Laban is generally identified as Libnah; Hazeroth may be Ain Hadherah; and Dizahab actually means "gold", so it was either the name of a place or could have meant a place where gold was found, a gold mine. 

(2) It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea.
 
Again, this verse seems to be part of an introduction to what will follow in later verses.  In the KJV it is in parentheses.  Perhaps this is the only verse that was added after Moses wrote his record.  Going from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea was only an eleven day journey, yet it had taken the Israelites forty years to get to this point.  I tried for quite awhile to find a map that showed what would be a normal path from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea, and came across this delightful map from an article by Phil Campbell that really sums up the point:

That point is, of course, what could have taken just eleven days, but because of their unbelief in God, took the Israelites forty years and an entirely new generation to get back to the current point.

(3) And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him as commandments to them, (4) After he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth in Edrei.

Now here they were in their fortieth year after coming out of Egypt, in the eleventh month, Shevat, which is about our January and February, on the first day of that month.  Moses was about to speak to the congregation what the Lord had commanded him to give as commandments to them.  This was after their victory over Sihon (from Heshbon) and Og (from Bashan who dwelt at Ashtaroth) in Edrei.  The 1599 Geneva Bible Translation Notes suggests this was a parenthetical mention to remind the Israelites of God's favor, preparing them to be receptive to what was to follow.

(5) On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to declare this law, saying, (6) “The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying, ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain.'"

On their current side of the Jordan River, across from their promised land, Moses began speaking to the people.  They had come to Mount Sinai (generally thought of as the same place as Horeb) in the third month after their departure from Egypt (Exodus 19:1-2), and left it on the twentieth day of the second month of the second year (Numbers 10:11-13), so it appears they had been there nearly a whole year when God told them it was time to move.

(7) "‘Turn and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and to all the places near to it in the plain, in the hills, and in the valley, in the south and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, to the great river, the river Euphrates.'"

Moses continued, repeating what the Lord had told them when it was time to move from Horeb.  He told them to move from Horeb and go toward the mountains occupied by the Amorites, and to all the places near it, in the plain, in the hills, and in the valley, to the southern border of Canaan to the Mediterranean Sea, to the land of the Canaanites upward to Lebanon to the Euphrates River.

The map above (courtesy of Bible History Online) gives a general sense of the area the Lord was talking about.  There are the Amorites in the east to the southern border of Canaan which was at Kadesh Barnea to the Mediterranean Sea, and in the north is Mount Lebanon.

(8) "'Behold, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them and to their descendants after them.'"

Moses continued, reminding the people of the words of their Lord at that time He told them to move from Horeb.  He, in essence, told them "There is your land, promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, before you.  Now go in and take possession of it."

(9) “And I spoke to you at that time, saying, ‘I am not able to bear you alone.'"

Moses reminded the people that he had said he alone was not able to take the entire burden of the children of Israel.  In Numbers 11:14 he had told God he could not bear the burden alone, and God had taken of the spirit that was upon Moses and gave it to seventy elders so that they could wisely assist him in governing the people.  Although there was no reference that Moses himself had declared he was unable to bear the burden of the people, there was also the time that Moses's father-in-law advised him in Exodus 18:18 that he could not continue to try to bear the burden, but should appoint and teach men to be judges of the people's matters to share the burden with him.

(10) "'The LORD your God has multiplied you, and here you are today, as the stars of heaven in multitude.'"

The KJV never used quotation marks to identify quotes.  Some of the versions show this as a continuation of what Moses had said to the people at the time he had told them he was unable to bear them all alone.  Others suggest he was telling them at that current time that the Lord had so multiplied them that they currently were as numerous as the stars of heaven, a reference to the original promise God had made to Abraham (Genesis 15:5).

(11) "'(The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as you are, and bless you, as He has promised you!)'"

Once again, it's hard to know with certainty whether Moses was referring to what he had said to them previously at the time he spoke of in verse 9, or if he was making the statement at this current moment.  Either way, it is seen as a parenthetical statement that Moses wished for the people to become a thousand times greater in number than they were, and that God would continue to bless them as He had blessed them up to that point.

(12) "'How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?'"

This appears to complete the explanation of what Moses had begun in verse 9, that was the reason he could not bear the burdens of the people by himself.

(13) "'Take wise and understanding men known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.'"

Moses had told the people that they were to take wise and knowledgeable men from their tribes and he would appoint them as leaders of the people.

(14) “And you answered me and said, ‘The thing which you have spoken is good for us to do.'"

This verse makes it clear that verses 10 through 14 have been what was spoken at the time when Moses apparently told the people that he could not bear them alone, perhaps at the time of Exodus 18:18, or at some other time when he had spoken directly to the people about how best to govern them.  He had told them to choose their own leaders from among their tribes to be their leaders, and the people had agreed it was a good plan.

(15) "So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes."

Moses had previously taken the chief men of wisdom and knowledge from their tribes and made them leaders of the people.  Adam Clarke wrote that these were millenaries (captains over thousands), centurions (captains over hundreds), quinquagenaries (captains over fifties), and decurions (captains over tens); and that each of these were probably dependent on that officer immediately above himself.  The decurion, or ruler over ten, if he found a matter too hard for him, brought it to the quinquagenary, ruler of fifty, and if he found a case too complicated for him, he brought it to the centurion, etc.

(16) "And I charged your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother and the stranger who is with him.'"

Moses had charged the people's judges at the time to hear the cases of the people, including the strangers who dwelt among them, and to judge righteously.

(17) "‘You shall not respect persons in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid of the face of any man, for the judgment is God's; and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it to me, and I will hear it.'"

To be a respecter of persons was to show partiality to particular classes of people, whether they be rich and powerful, or poor and needy.  The judges were to judge impartially, and they were to judge small cases as well as great cases.  They were not to fear any man, for their judgment was considered to be God's judgment, as He had commissioned them to judge for Him.  If a case had worked up the chain of command and was too difficult for them, then the case was to be brought to Moses, and of course, if it was too difficult for Moses, he took the problem to God.

(18) “And I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do."

Moses had delivered to them all the laws, statutes, and judgments that had been revealed to him by the Lord.

(19) "And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which you saw by the way of the mountains of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh Barnea."

Moses reminded the people of the time they left Horeb as the Lord had commanded they do.  They went through the wilderness of Paran, hard and dry and difficult to travel through, in the way that led to the mountains of the Amorites.  They went the way the Lord had told them to go, and they came to Kadesh Barnea.

(20) “And I said to you, ‘You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which the LORD our God does give to us.'"

Moses told the people at that time that they had arrived at the mountains of the Amorites which the Lord had given to them, not just the mountains, but the whole land of Canaan beyond them.

(21) "'Behold, the LORD thy God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has said to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’"

Moses continued reminding the people of what he had said at the time.  He told them to behold the land of Canaan before them to which the Lord had brought them, and to go in and possess the land as their Lord had told them to do.  He told them not to fear or be discouraged for the Lord had given them the land to possess.

(22) “And every one of you came near to me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come.’"

Moses reminded them that they all came to him at the time.  I'm sure not every single person came to him, nor would this current generation of people have come to him, but their fathers and the heads of their tribes representing all the people at the time came before him.  They proposed that they send some men into the land to explore it and to bring back word about the best way to go and information about the cities to which they would come.

(23) “The plan pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one from each tribe."

Moses recalled that the people's plan seemed a good one to him.  He selected twelve men, one from each tribe.

(24) "And they turned and went up into the mountain, and came to the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out."

Those twelve men went up into the mountains of the Amorites into the Valley of Eshcol, and searched out the land.

(25) "And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down to us, and brought back word to us, saying, ‘It is a good land which the LORD our God does give us.’"

Moses reminded them that the twelve spies brought back fruit of the land and the news that the land the Lord was giving them was very good.

(26) “Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God; (27) And you murmured in your tents, and said, ‘Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. (28) Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’"

Even though they saw the land was good, the people would not go in to possess the land against the command of their Lord to do just that.  They cowered in their tents talking among themselves and actually came to the conclusion that this great act of love for His people was actually a trick to destroy them.  Incredible!  How little they had learned about God's nature and His love and mercy for them that they could believe such a thing!  The people complained there was no place they could go into the land that they wouldn't encounter people taller and greater than them, and cities too strong and fortified for them to enter.  They blamed the spies for discouraging them with all this news.  Besides, there were the giant sons of Anakim there, as well!  The people took the word of ten spies, for Caleb and Joshua had encouraged them to take possession of the land their Lord had given them.

(29) “Then I said to you, ‘Do not dread them, neither be afraid of them. (30) The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, (31) And in the wilderness, where you have seen how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.'"

Moses reminded the people of what he had said at the time.  He told them not to dread or fear the Canaanites, for the Lord went before them and would fight for them, just as He had done in Egypt.  He reminded them of how the Lord had cared and provided for them in the wilderness up to that point.

(32) "Yet in this thing you did not believe the LORD your God, (33) Who went in the way before you, to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day."

Moses reminded the people that they did not believe that their Lord, who had constantly gone before them previously to lead them to their campsites and had shown them the way to go in that fire by night and in that cloud by day, would lead and protect them now that they might go in and possess the land.

(34) “And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was angry, and swore, saying, (35) ‘Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers, (36) Except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him I give the land that he has trodden upon, and to his children, because he has wholly followed the LORD.'"

Moses reminded them of how the Lord was angry with their words and their lack of faith, and had vowed that none of that generation would be able to see the good land that He had promised to them long before them.  None would see it except for Caleb (and Joshua mentioned later); those two spies had wholly followed the Lord.  They alone had come back with good reports and believed the Lord when He had told them they could go in and possess it.

(37) "Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, 'You also shall not go in there. (38) Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there; encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.'"

Moses admitted to the people that the Lord was angry with him, also, and told him that he would not be able to go into the promised land either.  This did not happen at the same time that the people had believed the bad report of the spies, but some 37 years later at the rock at Meribah, when he spoke for the sake of the people, but spoke unadvisedly and acted differently than the Lord had commanded him, and did not sanctify the Lord in the eyes of the children of Israel.  For that reason the Lord had told Moses he would not be the one to bring the congregation into the promised land, but Joshua, Moses's own servant and minister, would do that.  The Lord had instructed Moses to encourage Joshua, for he would be the one to lead them into their promised land to inherit it.  This, of course, was because Joshua had been one of only two spies (with Caleb) who had believed the Lord in that they could go in and possess their promised land, just as the Lord had told them to do.

(39) "‘Moreover your little ones and your children, whom you said would be prey, whom in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in there; and to them I will give it, and they shall possess it.'"

Moses continued with what the Lord had said at the time of the people's rebellion and lack of faith, that their children whom the people had cried would become prey to the Amorites (Numbers 14:3), they, those children, not being at the age of understanding between good and evil, and certainly not having the understanding at the time to choose between the good and bad reports at the time of the spies, they would be the ones to go in and possess the land (Numbers 14:31).  The Lord would give it to the children of the children of Israel.

(40) "‘But as for you, turn and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.’"

Moses continued with what the Lord had said at the time.  Those adults at the time, who would not be allowed to enter the promised land, were told to turn back toward the Red Sea again and journey into the wilderness (Numbers 14:25).

(41) “Then you answered and said to me, ‘We have sinned against the LORD; we will go up and fight, just as the LORD our God commanded us.’ And when everyone of you had girded on his weapons of war, you were ready to go up into the mountain."

Moses reminded the people of what they had done at that point.  They realized that they had sinned against the Lord, and they were ready to go up into the mountain and fight for their land (Numbers 14:39-40).

(42) “And the LORD said to me, 'Say to them, “Do not go up nor fight, for I am not among you; lest you be defeated before your enemies.”’"

The Lord had told Moses at the time to tell the people not to go up or fight, for He would not go with them.  If they persisted in going, they would be smitten by their enemies (Numbers 14:41-42).

(43) “So I spoke to you; and you would not listen, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the mountain."

Moses reminded the people he had told them the words of the Lord, that they should not go and fight, but they would not listen.  Once again, they were rebelling against the word of the Lord.  When He told them to go, they would not, and then He warned them not to, they went defiantly up into the mountain.

(44) “And the Amorites who dwelt in that mountain came out against you and chased you as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even to Hormah."

Moses continued to remind them of what happened at the time.  The Amorites who dwelt in the mountain came out against them as bees that had been disturbed in their hives.  The original scripture (Numbers 14:45) that told of this incident indicated that it was the Amalekites and the Canaanites who came out against them.  The commentaries I study explain that the Amorites, as the most powerful nation of Canaan, are sometimes referred to as to the Canaanite tribes in general.  Continuing Moses's reminder to the people, he told them they had been defeated at Mount Seir, and driven back to Hormah.

(45) "And you returned and wept before the LORD, but the LORD would not listen to your voice nor give ear to you."

Moses reminded the people that those of them who had returned from their presumptuous advancement up the mountain, wept before the Lord, but He would not listen to them, for He had warned them not to go, but they had once again disobeyed, and He was not going to change His decision about sending them back into the wilderness and not allowing them to go in to possess their promised land.

(46) "So you abode in Kadesh many days, according to the days that you abode there."

After that, the people remained in Kadesh many days.  No one seems to know the exact meaning of this difficult verse.  Adam Clarke wrote, "They had been a long time at this place. And some think that the words mean, 'Ye abode as long at Kadesh, when you came to it the second time, as ye did at the first.' Or, according to others, 'While ye were in that part of the desert, ye encamped at Kadesh.'"  Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Entire Bible, quoted others before him:

...according to Jarchi, as they did in the rest of the journeys or stations; so that as they were thirty eight years in all at several places, they were nineteen years in Kadesh; the same is affirmed in the Jewish chronology. Maimonides says they were eighteen years in one place, and it is very probable he means this; but Aben Ezra interprets it otherwise, and takes the sense to be, that they abode as many days here after their return as they did while the land was searching, which were forty days, but without fixing any determinate time, the meaning may only be, that as they had been many days here before this disaster, so they continued many days after in the same place before they marched onward into the wilderness again.

As Dr. Gill concluded, I believe the sense is just that they remained as long in Kadesh after this disaster as they had before it.  Moses continued in the next chapter with their journeys from there.

A study of the word "Deuteronomy" reveals it is a Greek word, "Deuteronómion", and means "second law" or "copy of the law".  However, Moses wrote in Hebrew, and that word for "Deuteronomy" was actually "eleh ha-devarim" and that means "these are the words."  The book of Deuteronomy was essentially a retelling of God's laws and of the history that brought the people to this point in time.  In this first chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses reminded the people why they had been in the wilderness for forty years.  It was due to their own lack of faith and misconduct.  The purpose of the law of God was to instruct the people in the way that would give them peace and prosperity, and keep them close to Him, their provider, their protector, their very source of life.  When the people lost sight of that and began to wander away, it was a merciful God who brought them back to Him in whatever means necessary.  God, in His infinite wisdom and knowledge of everything past, present, and future, knows exactly what we need to bring us to Him.  Some people take more refining than others, but the ultimate goal of God is that all should come to repentance and salvation in Him (2 Peter 3:9).  He is long-suffering, that is patient, taking the time, for instance forty years, to bring us to Him.  We should all reflect on our past lives and see the blessings of God throughout, and understand that in those times of hardship God was working to draw us to Him.  I don't believe that the bad things in our lives are the result of God punishing us.  We have free will, and we often use it to turn from what God tells us is best for our lives.  However, I don't believe as some do, that nothing "bad" ever comes from God.  What we consider bad and what God considers that same thing to be are probably quite different!  If a man has lived his entire life apart from God, and is in a terrible accident that disables him for the rest of it, but he comes to salvation in God because of his trials, would that not be a good thing?  Even when there is loss of life that seems so unfair to us and may make us want to reject God because of it--if that loss eventually brings us to God because we can't handle it alone, is it not a good thing?  We make the mistake of thinking that this life on earth is most important!  If God takes a young person home to be with Him where they have joy and perfection and eternal life and love, is that not a most wonderful thing?  It only hurts those of us who are left behind, who must learn and draw near to God in our pain.  I certainly don't believe God gives a child cancer.  The things we have done in our environment and the chemicals we eat and breathe, all our choices in life, bring about the perfect storms that can create cancer in a young one.  No, it wasn't the choice of the child.  But once again, this life is only meant to be a journey to heaven.  Our dear ones who may have lost their lives early just had a much shorter journey.  The rest of us may have to wander in the wilderness for awhile before we get there!