An Overview of Deuteronomy
by David Gooding
The biblical authors used the literary conventions of their day to convey their message. These included structures and patterns less obvious to us in our modern age. David Gooding brought his expertise in ancient literature to the biblical text, and these study notes represent his thinking about the structure, patterns and thought-flow of Deuteronomy.
When speaking to groups of Bible students, he often said, ‘When it comes to Bible study, there is structure, pattern and thought-flow, and the greatest of these is thought-flow. Here are the thoughts of God expressed. Our job is to follow the thought-flow’. He taught that the most important thing to grasp in biblical interpretation is the way the author develops his message, and that discerning structure and patterns within the text should always be directed towards that end.
David Gooding developed these study notes over many years and distributed them at public and private talks. The study notes are not meant to be the last word on the book, and may not cover it entirely. The Myrtlefield Trust offers them to Bible students, preachers and teachers in order to stimulate further thinking about the book, so that its message may be better understood.
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Study Notes
1: An Overview of Deuteronomy
The Name of the Book
Not ‘a second law’ but ‘the repetition of the law’.
Various Suggestions Regarding the Structure of the Book
R. B. Girdlestone, The Student’s Deuteronomy, London, Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1899, pp. xvi–xvii.
J. A. Thompson, Deuteronomy, Leicester, IVP, repr. 1976, pp. 16–20.
Gordon McConville, ‘Deuteronomy’, in New Bible Commentary, Leicester, IVP, 1994, pp. 200–201.
The Nature of the Material in the Book
Apart from the historical account of Moses’ death and burial (Deut 34), the book is a collection of sermons, or addresses, by Moses.
This collection is made up of three major groups of material (cf. J. G. Millar in Time and Place in Deuteronomy, by J. G. McConville and J. G. Millar, Sheffield Academic Press, Supplement Series 179, pp. 15–88).
2: The Major Thrust of Moses’ Sermons in Group A
Recollection of Israel’s journey from Horeb (Sinai) to the plains of Moab (Deut 1:1–3:29).
a. From Horeb to Kadesh-barnea takes only eleven days (Deut 1:2).
b. But at Kadesh-barnea Israel as a whole repudiated the goal of God’s redemption, namely, entry into the promised land (Deut 1:19–46).
c. As a result Israel had to wander in the desert until all that generation had died.
d. Then God gave them victory and unexpected possession of territory east of Jordan (Deut 3).
e. Moses is not allowed to enter the land; but Joshua is appointed to lead the people into their inheritance (Deut 3:23–29).
The decision now to be taken in the plains of Moab (Deut 4–11).
a. If they would enter the promised inheritance they must remember the nation’s experience at the theophany and giving of the law at Horeb, when God spoke to the nation.
b. They must reckon themselves as a living part of the nation to whom God spoke. In a sense they too stood before the Lord at Horeb (Deut 4:10).
c. They, therefore, must make up their minds to reject all idolatry, both now and when they enter the land (Deut 4:15–40).
d. They must obey God’s law and the voice of God which they heard at Horeb, and the commandments which Moses will now give them (Deut 4:24–5:33).
e. They must ‘love the Lord their God with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their might’ (Deut 6:5); and not forget the Lord when they are surrounded with good things in the land; but remember how God delivered them out of Egypt (Deut 6).
f. They must not fall in love with the Canaanites, but remember God’s love to them (the Israelites); they must not be afraid that they will not be able to drive out the Canaanites; but remember God’s great acts of power that delivered them from Egypt (Deut 7).
g. They must remember all God’s training of them, through hunger, in the desert, to teach them that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God: lest when they are full of good things in the land, they become independent of God (Deut 8).
h. They are not to imagine that it was because of their righteousness that God brought them into the land (Deut 9:4–5). Let them remember their apostasy at Horeb, and their rebellion at Kadesh-barnea. God’s mercy on them was due to Moses’ intercession and God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They are therefore to humble themselves and prepare their hearts to obey God (Deut 9–10).
i. They have seen the ‘chastisement of the Lord’ (Deut 11:2), what he did to Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, and to Korah, Dathan and Abiram in the desert, and fear God, do his commandments, teach them to their children. If they do, they will experience God’s blessings in the land; if they don’t they will suffer God’s curse (Deut 11).
3: The Major Thrust of Moses’ Sermons in Group B
As soon as they enter the land, they are to go to Shechem, build an altar, set up great stones and write the words of the law on them (Deut 27:1–8).
They are to pronounce the blessings and the cursings (Deut 27:9–26).
A detailed description of the blessings, and of the curses (Deut 28).
The terms of the covenant in the land of Moab made with them and their posterity. If they disobey, their punishment will be a lesson to the Gentiles (Deut 29).
But if, as a result of their punishment they repent, God will end their captivity, restore them to the land, and bless them (Deut 30).
About to die soon, Moses counsels Israel how to behave after they have entered the land. They are to keep the set feasts in order to remember God’s redemption. They are to teach their children to fear God, lest they forget and go after idols (Deut 31:1–18).
To help Israel remember, Moses composes a song, and teaches it to the Israelites to pass on to their children (Deut 31:19–32:47).
Moses’ blessing on the tribes, before his death (Deut 33).
4: Three Groups of Material in Deuteronomy
Group 1: Deuteronomy 1:1–11:32
Recollection of the journey from Horeb (Sinai) to the Plains of Moab (Deut 1:1–3:29).
Exhortation and instruction in view of the imminent entry into the land (Deut 4:1–11:32).
NB: This group ends with the command that, upon entering the land, they are ‘to set the blessing on mount Gerizim and the curse upon mount Ebal’ (Deut 11:29–32).
Group 2: Deuteronomy 12:1–26:19
These are the statutes and judgments (Deut 12:1): the detailed specific laws.
Group 3: Deuteronomy 27:1–33:29
NB: This group begins with the command that, upon entering the land, they are to assemble at mount Gerizim and mount Ebal and pronounce the blessings and the curses (Deut 27:1–28:6). And in addition:
The covenant in the land of Moab; and recollection of the past to urge Israel to take seriously the warning of the effect of breaking the covenant; and yet the promise that repentance will bring restoration (Deut 29:1–30:20).
Appointment of Joshua to lead Israel into the land (Deut 31:1–8).
Moses’ Song: its preamble and purpose (Deut 31:9–32:52).
Moses’ blessing of the tribes (Deut 33:1–29).