Christ in all the scriptures
Christ in Deuteronomy The words of eternal life!
Like all the books of the bible, the key to the understanding of Deuteronomy is hung up at the beginning:
"These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red Sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab"-Deuteronomy 1v1.
Deuteronomy is the Hebrew dabharim meaning "the words"; the phrase Elle haddabharim translates "these are the words", which are the first words of the book. Thus the entire book is the words of Moses to Israel prior to entering the land. Indeed they are the last words of Moses, since he dies at the end of the book, making them even more significant.
In fact the book contains the three last sermons of Moses, followed by a farewell benediction. The Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) has Deuteronomy as "the second law", meaning, not a different law, but a reiteration of the unchanging law of God to all peoples. One of the key words in the book is "remember", calling on all Israel to view the past as key to the future."
Remember what you were! 5v15. Remember what God did to Pharoah! 7v18. Remember all the way the Lord led you! 8v2. Remember, and forget not, how you provoked the Lord! 9v7. Remember the day you left Egypt all the days of your life! 16v3. Remember what the Lord did to Miriam! 24v9. Remember what Amalek did to you! 25v17. Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations! 32v7.
Thus the book is a call to remember all the past as it points to a better future.
Chapters 1-3 1st sermon Historical....learn from past events
Chapters 4-26 2nd sermon Didactical....obey the law, the statutes and judgments
Chapters 27-30 3rd sermon Prophetical....the land is before you, go in and possess it
Finally, Chapters 31-34 Farewell blessings.
Moses' words were the very words of God to all the people of Israel, and he calls them to heed them-1v1; 4v1; 5v1; 5v22; 6v1; 8v1; 12v1; 27v1; 29v1. God is speaking to Israel, and to the whole earth through Israel (32v1).
All this points to Jesus Christ as "The prophet like unto Moses" in the New Testament.
"God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in times past unto the fathers through the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by (in) His Son..."Hebrews 1v1.
"These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven..." John 17v1. "I have given them the words which thou gavest me..." John 17v8 "I have given them thy word..." John 17v14 "When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples...John 18v1 "...wholesome words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the doctrine which is according to godliness" 1st Timothy 6v3
Indeed the entire New Testament is about the words of Christ, whose words are authoritative and decisive for Christians. The book of Revelation is almost entirely the words of Christ, transmitted through an angel to John the apostle and the warning is declared at the end, not to add to or diminish from these words. This makes the meaning of every word to be precious to every believer, and the study of them, and the practice of them, to be our life's commitment.
The book of Deuteronomy reveals God fulfilling His obligations to mankind (His faithfulness and covenant promises). The thought that the sovereign God has obligated Himself to humanity is awesome in itself! In light of that, He also expects human beings to become obligated to Him. It is recorded in Acts 3v22, "Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you of your brethren, like unto me: Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you".
Jesus commissioned His apostles, "Go ye therefore and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you"-Matthew 28v19/20.
Peter said, "Thou hast the words of eternal life!"-John 6v68. The Lord has fulfilled His obligations to us, will we return the compliment?
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