Review & Intro: In Chapter 30, Moses is warning the nation of Israel of the consequences they will bear if they turn from God and serve other gods after his death. They will surely be scattered and taken away from the land. He speaks, however, into the future tense, saying that the Lord will bring them back to the land and restore their fortunes, as well as giving them new hearts to fear Him and obey Him. In Chapter 31, the Israelites will be given the notice that Moses will not go across the river of Jordan with them, but the Lord will go ahead of them and give them success. He lets the people know that Joshua is the new leader that will be taking them in. They need not fear for the Lord will not fail them or forsake them.
Deuteronomy Chapter 31 - Observation Questions
1. How old was Moses at this time which is right before the time he will die? vs. 2
2. Although Moses will not cross the Jordan with Israel, how does he encourage them about Who will go ahead of them? vs. 3
3. What will the Lord do for them? vs. 3
4. What must they do themselves once the Lord does this for them? vs. 3
5. Who is the new leader that will cross ahead of them in the place of Moses? vs. 3
6. What previous defeats can they look to and know that the Lord will do the same to their present day enemies? vs.4,5 -
7. Fill in the blank of what the Lord told them from verse 6 - " Be _____ and _____, do not be _____ or _____ at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes _____ you. He will not _____ you or ______ you."
8. Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance." (vs.7) ... Who was going "ahead" of Joshua and would be "with" him? vs. 8
9. What assurance was Joshua given in regard to the Lord's presence? vs. 8b
10. What assurance does the Lord give us in regard to this promise also?
11. Back to Deuteronomy 31. ... Moses wrote the law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. (vs.9) ... After this, Moses reminded them about the year of remission of debts. How often did this come and what did it mean? vs. 10
Note: Review your notes from Deuteronomy Chapter 15 to refresh your memory on the remission of debts.
12. What day was it to be celebrated on every 7 years? vs. 10
13. Who would be gathered at the place the Lord chose for His Name to dwell at that time when that festival was celebrated? vs. 10-13)
14. What would happen as they gathered at that time? What would they hear? vs. 11
15. What was the purpose for the children being present to hear this? vs. 13
Note: As you recall from our study of chapter 15, the Year of Remission of debts occurred every seven years. This was when all loans were dropped, a year of financial forgiveness. Every Israelite started over with a clean slate.Notice too that there was a specific time during that Year of Remission to read the Law: at the Feast of Booths. This feast looked back to the time when God tabernacled among the people in the wilderness. But it also points forward to the Millennial Reign of Christ, when He returns to earth, ruling and reigning from Jerusalem's Temple Mount. As it turns out, this command of Moses becomes a prophecy of that time, because one day, when the Lord tabernacles among us on earth, the eternal Word will be read to us again. Comment on the verses below:
16. Back to Deuteronomy 31. ... What time had drawn near for Moses? vs. 14
17. Who did Moses commission to take his place? vs. 14
18. Moses and Joshua met at the tent of meeting. Who appeared to them and in what form was his appearance? vs. 15
19. What did the Lord tell Moses in front of Joshua's hearing that the people of Israel were surely going to do after his death? vs. 16
20. How will the Lord respond to their forsaking Him for other gods? vs.17,18 -
21. What did the Lord tell Moses to do before his death? vs. 19
22. The Lord said that after He brought them into the promised land and they had eaten, and were satisfied, and became prosperous, then they would turn away from Him to serve other gods. (vs.20). When do you think it is easier to fall away from the Lord; in good times or in bad? Share why you think so or a personal testimony if you have one.
23. What did the Lord already know about the "intent" of the hearts of the people? vs. 21
24. What does the Word of God reveal about us today as we read it? Comment on the following verse:
25. Back to Deuteronomy 31. ... This song of Moses would be taught to the children and the descendants would continue to remember it even after years of captivity off of the land in the years to come. (vs.21,22) ...After this, Moses commissioned Joshua. What were his words to him? vs. 23
26. When Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book, he had the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant to place the book beside the ark of the covenant to remain there as a witness to the Israelites. (vs.24-26) ... Moses knew how rebellious and stubborn they were while he has been alive; what did he know they would be like after his death? vs. 27
27. The Lord said to assemble all the elders of the tribes and their officers so that He could address them. (vs. 28) ... What did Moses tell them they would be like after his death in the latter days? vs. 29
Note: In Chapter 32, we will see the words of the song that Moses wrote and spoke in the hearing of them all until they were complete. (vs.30) ...
Applicaton
28. The Lord told the Israelites to be strong and courageous because He would be with them and not forsake them. Later, Moses told Joshua the same thing. Do you have a situation that you need courage to face? The Lord has given us the same assurance. Hebrews 13:5 says "I will never desert you; nor will I ever forsake you." Spend time in prayer for the situation you need to have courage in.
29. The Lord gave Moses a song to teach to the sons of Israel because once they got into the promised land, they would eat and be satisfied and become prosperous, causing them to forsake the Lord. When He brought judgment to them and they were no longer in the land, they would remember the song and realize they once again needed the Lord. Many times when we are in prosperity, we forget our need for God. It is important to learn how to live in times of prosperity as well as times of adversity. Comment on the following verses:
Proverbs 30:7-9 -
Philippians 4:11-13 -
1 Timothy 6:8-10 -
1 Timothy 6:17-19 -
30. Have you ever been away from the Lord and found that you lost the joy of your salvation? Many times, a song can bring us back into His presence. I thought of several tonight when I was writing this lesson. I went over to our Christian video section and listened to a few of them. One in particular is "Power of Your Love" by Hillsong. David states that in the presence of the Lord there is fullness of joy. Nehemiah states that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Moses wrote a song so that they could remember it when they found themselves without strength and needing God's touch. Ask the Lord to put a song in your heart and share it with us if you would like. Comment on the following verses and also let us know what song is on your heart:
Psalm 16:11 -
1 Chronicles 16:27 -
Nehemiah 8:10 -
Psalm 32:7 -
Psalm 51:12 -
Psalm 81:1 -
Psalm 95:1 -
31. Summarize this lesson and post a prayer if you would like.
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