Moses Looks Back & Love God
Deuteronomy 1–11What happens in Deuteronomy 1–11
Deuteronomy means second law, but it is really Moses' farewell address to the new generation standing at the border of the Promised Land. In chapters 1-4, Moses retells Israel's history: the departure from Sinai, the disastrous spy episode at Kadesh-barnea, the forty years of wandering, and the recent victories east of the Jordan. His purpose is not just historical review but urgent warning, so the new generation does not repeat the unbelief of their parents.
Chapter 5 restates the Ten Commandments for the new generation who were not yet born, or were still children, when God spoke at Sinai. Then in chapter 6, Moses gives the Shema, the central declaration of Israel's faith, calling for wholehearted love for the LORD with heart, soul, and strength. He also tells parents to teach these words constantly: at home, on the road, at bedtime, and at sunrise.
Chapters 7-11 warn against the temptations that await in Canaan: idolatry, pride, self-sufficiency, and forgetting God. Moses reminds them that manna taught dependence on God's word, and he warns that prosperity can become spiritually dangerous when it leads people to forget the LORD. Deuteronomy is Moses' final passionate plea: remember what God has done, love Him with everything you have, and teach your children to do the same.
Key takeaways
- The Shema, Love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength, is the foundation of everything God asks of His people.
- Remembering what God has done is essential for faithfulness, forgetting leads to pride and idolatry.
- Man does not live on bread alone teaches that physical provision without God's word is not enough for true life.
- Parents are called to intentionally teach their children about God, at home, on the road, at bedtime, and at sunrise.
A verse to carry
and lest you say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth.” But you shall remember Yahweh your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth; that he may establish his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as it is today.Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (WEB)
Moses anticipated the prosperity temptation: success makes us think we did it. This is perhaps the most relevant warning for comfortable Western Christians. Every ability, every opportunity, every dollar traces back to God.
Something to sit with
Moses warned that prosperity is more spiritually dangerous than poverty, that when life gets comfortable, we tend to forget God. Where in your life has comfort or success made you less dependent on God?
Did you know?
The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) is recited by observant Jews twice daily, morning and evening, making it arguably the most-recited Scripture in history, spoken continuously for over 3,000 years.
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