Israel’s Refusal to Enter the Land. Yet you were not willing to go up [to take possession of it], but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. Deu 1:26
INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT
The Law Repeated for the New Generation
I FIRST DISCOURSE OF MOSES, Deuteronomy 1-4
1. Review of Israel’s History from Sinai to the Jordan, Deu_1:1-46; Deu_2:1-37; Deu_3:1-29
2. What made Kadesh-barnea a momentous and memorable place?
INTRODUCTION
This is again the Greek name for this book, and signifies the “second giving of the Law.” It contains the records of public addresses to Israel, delivered in the eleventh month of the fortieth year of their wanderings through the Wilderness. As Moses uttered them on the eve of his own speedy removal, he was able to speak with unusual emphasis and urgency. The allusions to the natural features amidst which these addresses were given are consistent with the place and speaker. It has been shown also by competent scholarship that Deuteronomy has all the peculiarities of Moses’ style; and any differences of hortatory entreaty and appeal may be accounted for by the mellowing effect of age.
The special references to this book in the New Testament are very significant. Our Lord quoted from it thrice in His Temptation, Mat_4:4; Mat_4:7; Mat_4:10. See also Rom_10:19; Act_3:22; Act_7:37. There are touches by a later writer, and an appendix, Deu_34:1-12; but the origin of the treatise as a whole must be ascribed to the great Lawgiver.
ISRAEL’S REFUSAL TO ENTER THE LAND
“Then we set out from Horeb (Sinai), and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, just as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea.
And I said to you, ‘You have come to the hill country of the Amorites which the LORD our God is about to give us.
Behold, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and take possession of it, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’
“Then all of you approached me and said, ‘Let us send men [into the land] before us, so that they may explore and search the area for us, and bring back to us word regarding the way we should go, and the cities we should enter.’
The plan pleased me and I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe.
They turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied it out.
Then they took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they reported back to us, and said, ‘It is a good land which the LORD our God is about to give us.’
“Yet you were not willing to go up [to take possession of it], but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God.
You murmured and were ill-tempered (discontented) in your tents, and said, ‘Because the LORD hates us He has brought us from the land of Egypt to hand us over to the Amorites to destroy us.
Where can we go up? Our brothers (spies) have made our hearts melt [in fear] and demoralized us by saying, “The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large, and fortified [all the way up] to heaven. And besides, we saw the [giant-like] sons of the Anakim there.”‘
Then I said to you, ‘Do not be shocked, nor fear them.
The LORD your God who goes before you will fight for you Himself, just as He did for you in Egypt before your [very] eyes,
and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried and protected you, just as a man carries his son, all along the way which you traveled until you arrived at this place.’
Yet in spite of this word, you did not trust [that is, confidently rely on and believe] the LORD your God,
who went before you along the way, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to seek a place for you to make camp and to show you the way in which you should go.
The Penalty for Israel’s Rebellion
“And the LORD heard the sound of your words, and He was angry and took an oath, saying,
‘Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore (solemnly promised) to give to your fathers,
except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and to his children I will give the land on which he has walked, because he has followed the LORD completely [and remained true to Him].’
The LORD was angry with me also because of you, saying, ‘Not even you shall enter Canaan.
Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter there. Encourage and strengthen him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
Moreover, your little ones whom you said would become prey, and your sons, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, shall enter Canaan, and I will give it to them and they shall possess it.
But as for you, turn around and set out for the wilderness by way of the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds).’
Comments by
F.B.Meyer
On
THE PENALTY OF UNBELIEF
There is little to distinguish Kadesh-barnea among the sand-dunes of the desert. It was situated on the frontier, where Canaan fades into the southern desert. But it is a notable place in the spiritual chart, and few are they that have not passed through some notable experience there. It was there that Israel thought more of their enemies and difficulties than of the right hand of the Most High. When we look at circumstances apart from God; when we account our temptations and inbred corruptions too masterful to be subdued; when giants bulk bigger than the ascended Christ, we also turn back from the Rest of God to the barren wanderings of the waste. God allows these difficulties as a foil to His power and grace and to train us to high attainments.
DONATIONS FOR BIBLE DISTRUBUTION — Quovadisworld
On MeWe join our group at Friends in Jesus
We also have a Page about Creation Ministries International.
See also Young Earth Creationists
On Facebook;
Join our closed group at : Quo Vadis Christian Community Group to read and partake in the Bible study to learn to know Jesus Christ. To know Him is to Love Him.
We also have an open Page at Quo Vadis Christian Community you might want to know more about.
Please ad yourself to our Messenger group to receive notification and chat to other members of the group.
You may however wish to disable notification and look at post when you have the time.
Join our messenger group at Friends in Jesus.
If you want a Bible please contact: Please let me have a Bible.
If you want a Bible in Pakistan.
You may also want to join Creation Ministries International.
Find more Study topics at Quo Vadis World
DONATIONS FOR BIBLE DISTRUBUTION — Quovadisworld
We give thanks and acknowledgement to Rick Meyers from e-Sword.
P.O. Box 1626
Franklin, TN 37065
United States of America
www.e-sword.net
