The book of Deuteronomy along with Isaiah, Psalms and Genesis are the Old Testament books most referred to by the New Testament authors. It was finding and reading the book of Deuteronomy, while repairs were being made on the Temple during King Josiah’s reign, that brought about revival in Judah, see 2 Kgs 22:8-11 and following. It was the book of Deuteronomy that was quoted by Jesus to counter all three temptations of the devil in Matthew 4:1-11.
You will want to be sure to watch the Bible Project overview of the book in your YouVersion app or you can find the video here. Also read the introduction to Deuteronomy in the Holman Concise Bible Commentary (HCBC) pages 61-63.
Moses has led the Israelites for 40 years and the first generation that left Egypt as adults with the exception of Moses, Caleb and Joshua have all died (see Num 26:52-65). These three men and the second generation of Israelites are now camped in the plains of Moab which were located just north of the Dead Sea and east of the Jordan River. For the route of the Exodus see the HCBC on page 32, the maps in your Bible or in a Bible Dictionary. Moses knows he will not get to lead the people into the Promised Land but will soon die (Num. 20:12; 27:13-14). He wants to lead this second generation into a covenant relationship with Yahweh as he had led the first generation and he wants to warn them of the consequences of not obeying God. He does this through three messages or sermons he delivers. The Hebrew name for this book, mentioned in the HCBC on page 61 is “these are the words.” The first message or ‘words’ are from Dt.1:1-4:43. The second ‘words’ are found in Dt. 4:44-28:68 while the third ‘words’ are from Dt. 29:1-30:20.
The Bible Project summary mentions the importance for the Jew of Dt. 6:4-9 known as the Shema. Shema is the transliteration of the Hebrew word translated as ‘hear’ or ‘listen’ in our English versions. The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary says,
The Shema became for the people of God a confession of faith by which they acknowledged the one true God and His commandments for them. Later worship practice combined Deut. 6:4–9; 11:13–21; Num. 15:37–41 into the larger Shema as the summary of Jewish confession. When Jesus was asked about the “greatest commandment,” He answered by quoting the Shema (Mark 12:29).[1]
One section that deserves serious reflection is Dt. 10:12-22. Paul House writes,
Moses completes the book’s second major section by defining love as total respect (fear) and careful obedience. Respect and love lead to service (10:12). Wholehearted love leads to complete obedience (10:12–13). Acceptance of God’s ownership of all creation (10:14), a claim that excludes all other gods from power on earth or in heaven, means that God may choose whomever he wishes, and Yahweh has chosen Israel (10:15). God’s character is flawless, uncontaminated by greed or prejudice, filled with kindness for the weak (10:17–18). This knowledge should move Israel to internal faith (10:16), external kindness to non-Israelites (10:19) and open worship of the Lord who created and protected their nation (10:21–22). Covenant faith operates from the soul to the world, not the opposite. Faith that is not internalized will not result in God-pleasing works.[2]
[1] Brand, Chad, Charles Draper, Archie England, Steve Bond, E. Ray Clendenen, and Trent C. Butler, eds. 2003. “Shema.” In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1481. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] House, Paul R. 1998. Old Testament Theology. 180. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
