Deuteronomy: a book of faith

1. The first speech (Chap 1-4) summarizes the route map and the 40 years of wilderness journey, and God’s faithfulness
2. The second speech (chap 5-26) is the summary of the Law for the benefit of younger folks in the camp, it is also the Constitution for the New nation and the Rule book covering personal and social life. It has Ten Commandments, miscellaneous commandments, Hygienic foods to eat and what to avoid, Marriage and divorce laws, Military rules, Environmental laws, Judges and their behavior, appointment of Kings and their duties and pitfalls
3. The third speech is Chap 27-30, Blessings and Curses on the nation, to be said out loud from the top of Mt. Gerizim (Blessings) and Mt. Ebal (curses)
4. The fourth speech, is a closing blessing on the 12 tribes and the details of Moses’ death

Deuteronomy, literally means Second Law, named so, for it is the Second time the Law was given, and also the Second time Moses makes a Covenant between the people and God' the Sinai Covenant being the first. Many of you also know that the Book of Deuteronomy has profoundly influenced the drafting of Modern Constitutions of many nations.

Now Moses is 120 years old, the wilderness journey has ended for Israel; Moses’ life is ending too. Last few months, he had won two critical battles against Sihon - king of Amorites and Og - king of Bashan, and also distributed the conquered territory to the tribes of Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh. A few kilometres more to pass and they would hit the Jordan river. As you know 3500 years ago, Jordan then was really a full river spanning many kilometres, and you could neither attempt to cross it by boat or by swimming or such stunts. Also as the Bible says, that was the harvest season and Jordan overflew all its banks (Josh 3:15). Perilous to cross, either the Lord parts the River or they would have drowned or enemies killed them and the story would have ended. Our lives in many situations are like that. We come to the Jordan and wonder what next? HOW to cross the River?

Let’s look at Joshua and the Israelites. I would imagine them being so full of anxiety and fear about their future. It concerned their very existence as a people. Moses is going to die, and their toughest battles lay ahead, and a huge river to cross yet again. Here is where the Holy Spirit takes over. Once every few verses in Deuteronomy, Ol’ Patriarch Moses affirms that they will cross over and will settle down in Canaan, that the LORD will fight their battles. About 50x or more (directly and indirectly) he tells them, YOU WILL CROSS OVER, ONCE YOU CROSS OVER, ONCE YOU SETTLE DOWN, AFTER YOU SETTLE DOWN DO THIS, etc etc. I can’t tell you how much it would have meant to them that Moses was reaffirming this and emphasizing this and repeating this. Coming from a man, who was friends with God for 40 years, whose God never failed them even for a single day during the 40 years, it is 100% believable. Their daily morning cereal breakfast Manna and the evening Quail meat was proof

Remember Joshua and the children of Israel would never have made it through the river, but for Deuteronomy. Without that book, there is no Kingdom, no crossing over and no Joshua or David, no prophets. (Many of us are so impressed with Joshua Chapter 1, and rightly so, for many battles in human history have been won just because the General read Joshua 1, including World War-II battles. In Joshua chapter 1, Holy Spirit reminds Joshua of what Moses told him a few days ago in Deut!) Even Jesus needed a launch pad - John the Baptist. If you want to cross your Jordans, stand on someone else’s shoulders and only then you can see the Promised land. You won’t make it alone, you were not designed to be that way.

Stand on the shoulders of someone and you will cross the Jordan.