Survey of Deuteronomy

Survey
of
Deuteronomy
by
Duane L. Anderson
Survey of
Deuteronomy
A study of the book of Deuteronomy for
Small Group or Personal Bible Study
American Indian Bible Institute

Box 511
Norwalk, California 90651-0511
www.aibi.org
Copyright © 1972, 2004, 2017 Duane L. Anderson, American Indian Bible Institute
This resource is available free of charge from aibi.org
ANY REPRODUCTION OF MATERIAL FOR RESALE OR PROFIT IS STRICTLY
PROHIBITED
Updated January 2017
Survey of Deuteronomy
Small Group or Personal Study Course
Introduction
This is a small group Bible study course to help you grow in your understanding of the
book of Deuteronomy. This study will be most effective as you get together with a small group
to share the answers that each of you has written in your personal study. This can also be used
as a personal study course to help you grow in your understanding of the book of Deuteronomy.
This course is designed to help you grow in three ways. Throughout the course you will read a
paragraph to help you grow in your knowledge of the verses that you will be reading. After
each paragraph you will usually have three questions. These three questions will focus on three
things: Knowledge, Understanding and Application.
The first question will ask you to find the answer to some question in the verses that you
are reading. This question is to help you pick out a key fact in those verses to help you grow in
your knowledge of those verses. The answer to this question will usually be found in the verses
as you read them.
The second question will ask you a question that will help you to think through the
verses to understand the meaning of the group of verses being discussed. As you read this
question, pray that the Lord will give you understanding of the passage as well as knowledge of
the facts.
The third question will ask you a question that will help you to apply what you have
learned from those verses both to your own life and to your service for Christ. It is as we
understand and apply the Scripture to our lives that the Lord really begins to change and
transform our lives.
At the end of each lesson there will be an opportunity to write down something that you
have learned for your own life through the study of those verses. Our prayer is that as you work
through these lessons that three things will happen in your life:
1. First, you will grow in your knowledge of the Bible.
2. Second, you will grow in your understanding of the verses that you have studied.
3. Third, you will learn how to apply the Word of God to your life.
The basic material in each of these lessons was originally written in one of six Bible
Survey texts written between 1969 and 1974 that cover the entire Bible from Genesis to
Revelation. We are making this material available in this new form to help you grow in your
knowledge, understanding and application of the Bible to your life. The Lord willing, we will
continue to make other books available as we have time to prepare them in this new form.
May the Lord bless you as you learn His Word.

Page
Introduction ii
1. Survey of Deuteronomy - Deuteronomy 1:1-2:37 1

2. Survey of Deuteronomy - Deuteronomy 3:1- 4:49 6
10. Survey of Deuteronomy - Deuteronomy 201-21:23 43
Lesson 1
Deuteronomy 1:1-2:37
The people of Israel had wandered in the wilderness for forty years since the Lord had given the
law to Moses at Mount Sinai. During that time all of those over twenty years of age that had
heard the law had died except for Joshua and Caleb. The new generation that had become
adults since the people had left Mount Sinai was now ready to enter into the land that God had
promised to Israel. Before the people went into this land of promise, God told Moses to give
the people a review of their history. Then Moses was to give the people a review of the law
because God know that many of the parents had failed to teach their children the
commandments of the Lord.
As you study this lesson, you should use the following objectives to guide you in your study.
By the time you complete this lesson, you should be able to:
Explain what God said about the training of the people.
Explain the failure of the people at Kadesh-barnea.
Explain what you learn about the wanderings in the wilderness.
Explain why Sihon chose to fight against Israel instead of letting Israel pass through his
land.
As we begin our study of Deuteronomy, we get a real picture of the terrible results of sin. From
Mount Sinai it was only an eleven day journey to the land that God had promised to Israel.
However, because of the sin and rebellion of the people of Israel, it took the people forty years
from the time they left Mount Sinai until they entered into the land that God had promised to
them. When the people had been at Mount Sinai, God had told them that they had stayed there
long enough. It was time for them to go to the land that God had promised to Israel.
1. Read Deuteronomy 1:1-21 and write what God told the people to do with the land that God
had promised to their fathers.
2. Explain what the choice of Israel to rebel against the Lord shows about the terrible
consequences of rebellion.
3. Explain why you think that people need to understand that there are consequences when they
choose to rebel against the Lord.
The Lord had promised the land to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. As a result, all the people
had to do was go into the land and possess the land because God would drive out their enemies.
The Lord also promised to make the people such a great nation that their numbers could not
even be counted. Moses had realized that the people were already such a large nation that he
could not rule them by himself. Then the people had agreed with Moses that it was a good idea
to have men selected from each tribe to lead the people of that tribe. These men were given the
responsibility of judging the cases of the people from their tribe.
4. Read Deuteronomy 1:1-21 and write who the people were not to respect as they judged the
people.
5. Explain why it was important for Moses to select leaders from each tribe that could take the
responsibility to judge the cases where a decision needed to be made.
6. Explain why you think that the people did not trust the Lord and believe that He would drive
out their enemies.
When the judges were judging a case, it was common in the surrounding countries for the judge
to give the advantage to those who were rich. God said that the people of Israel were not to
judge in that way. The rich and the poor were to be treated as equals. Today many people still
favor the rich and forget the poor. However, all people are created equal in the sight of God.
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Then Moses told the judges that the hard cases should be brought to him so that he could let
God show how that particular case should be judged so that the people would know the will of
God.
7. Read Deuteronomy 1:1-21 and write to what place the people had come as they had traveled
through the wilderness.
8. Explain what these verses teach about the desire of God for the way that all judgment should
be handled.
9. Explain why you think that it is important to treat the rich and the poor equally in cases
where there is a judgment to be made.
When the people reached Kadesh Barnea, they had come to the edge of the land that God had
promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God had promised that He would give them that land.
As a result, the Lord told the people not to be afraid or discouraged. However, the people had
been afraid. The people had come to Moses and suggested that they should send spies ahead to
search out the land before the entire nation entered the land. Then the twelve spies had been
sent to go and search out the land. These spies had returned to say that the fruit of the land was
very good. In fact the land was a wonderful land.
10. Read Deuteronomy 1:22-46 and write why the people of Israel did not enter the land even
though it was a good land.
11. Explain why the people had suggested to Moses that they should send spies to check out the
land before going into the land.
12. Explain why you think that many people are controlled by fear instead of trusting the Lord
for strength.
At Kadesh Barnea the people chose to rebel against the Lord instead of obeying him. They
complained in their tents that God had brought them out of Egypt to be destroyed by the
Amorites. They complained because the people of the land were tall. The people of the land
also had high walls around their cities. The people of Israel were especially afraid of the sons
on Anakim because they were giants. Moses had tried to encourage the people. The people had
seen the great things that the Lord had done for them in Egypt. They had seen the great things
that the Lord had done in the desert. That was the reason that Moses knew that the Lord would
continue to do great things as the people entered into the land.
13. Read Deuteronomy 1:22-46 and write who the people did not believe.
14. Explain why the people were afraid of the sons of Anakim even though they had seen what
God had done for them in Egypt.
15. Explain why you think that people begin to complain when they are controlled by fear.
The Lord had been leading the people of Israel with a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at
night as they had traveled from Egypt to Mount Sinai. In spite of that fact, the people still
refused to believe that the Lord would give them victory. When the Lord saw that the people
refused to put their trust in Him, God said that the older generation would not be allowed to
enter into the land. The only ones over twenty years of age that God said would enter the land
were Caleb and Joshua. They were allowed to enter the land because they had trusted the Lord
when the rest of the people had rebelled. God said that the children of those who had rebelled
would be the ones that would enter the land.
16. Read Deuteronomy 1:22-46 and write where God then told the people to go.
17. Explain why the people refused to believe that the Lord would give them victory even
though He had led them through the wilderness.
18. Explain why you think that many people are afraid to trust the Lord and choose to depend
on their own strength instead.
When the people heard that God was going to send them out into the desert to die, the people
rebelled again. They decided that they would go and fight against the people of the land.
2
However, God had already spoken because of the rebellion of the people. The Lord did not go
with the people when they went to fight against the Amorites. Then the Amorites won a great
victory over the people of Israel. The people missed the opportunity to enjoy great blessings
from the Lord because of their rebellion against Him at Kadesh Barnea.
19. Read Deuteronomy 1:22-46 and write how long the people stayed at Kadesh Barnea after
they rebelled against God.
20. Explain what these verses teach about the consequences of rebellion against the Lord.
21. Explain why you think that it is important for people to realize that they need to pray for
wisdom before they make choices instead of acting on their own plans.
The people then went out into the desert when they realized that they could not fight against the
Amorites. There the people had remained for a long time. In fact there were in the desert near
the Rea Sea for most of the forty years that they wandered in the wilderness. Finally the word
of the Lord came to Moses and said that it was time for the people of Israel to go in and possess
the land that God had promised to them. God told the people to start north toward the land of
promise. They were not to fight the people of Edom as they went north.
22. Read Deuteronomy 2:1-15 and write what the people were to buy from the family of Esau
in Seir.
23. Explain why the people of Israel were told not to fight with the people of Edom as they
traveled through their land.
24. Explain what you think the people thought when they realized that their choice meant that
they would wander for forty years in the wilderness.
The people of Israel paid the family of Esau (Edom) for everything that they used as they went
through the land of Seir. God also told the people to pay for everything that they used as they
went through the land of Moab. We also see how the Lord had taken care of His people for the
entire forty years that they were in the desert. Even though they had rebelled against the Lord
and refused to enter the land at Kadesh Barnea God had not forgotten His people. God had
supplied all of the needs of the people for the entire forty years that the people had wandered
through the desert. We also read what some of the people were like that Israel met as they
traveled.
25. Read Deuteronomy 2:1-15 and write how tall the people of Emim were.
26. Explain why God chose to care for His people and provide for them for the forty years even
though they had rebelled against Him.
27. Explain what you learn about the love and compassion of the Lord from the fact that He
provided for Israel the entire forty years in the wilderness.
The reason that the people of Israel had rebelled against God and had not entered the land when
they first came to the edge of the land was due to the fact that the spies told the people about the
sons of Anakim. The people of Israel had been afraid to fight the sons of Anakim because they
were giants. However, the people of Israel had met other groups that were just as large as the
Anakim and God had given victory to Israel. We also read that it took thirty-eight years for all
of the men of Israel to die. That was exactly as God had promised in order to make it a total of
forty years from the time that the people had left Egypt until they entered into the land of
promise.
28. Read Deuteronomy 2:1-15 and write what had happened to all of the men of Israel by the
end of those years.
29. Explain what these verses teach about the way that the Lord had supplied the needs of the
people throughout their time in the wilderness.
30. Explain why God allowed Israel to fight against people that were as large as the sons of
Anakim while they were in the desert.
After the rebellious men of Israel had died, God told Moses to go through the lands of Moab
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and Ammon. However, they were not to fight those people because God had given that land to
Lot. God said that the first nation that Israel was to fight was the Amorites who lived in the
land of Heshbon. Their land began at the Arnon River. God promised that He would put fear
in the hearts of the people because of what He would do to the Amorites. All of the
surrounding nations would hear what the Lord had done for Israel when they fought against the
Amorites.
31. Read Deuteronomy 2:16-37 and write how God said the other nations would feel when they
heard what the Lord was doing for Israel.
32. Explain why God told Israel not to fight Moab and Ammon but told them to fight against
the Amorites.
33. Explain why you think that God said He would cause the people of the surrounding nations
to hear how He helped Israel defeat the Amorites.
God caused the nations to become afraid of the people of Israel. These nations heard what the
Lord was doing for Israel and became so afraid that the people hardly had enough courage to
even try to fight against Israel. They could not fight very well because of their fear. When
Israel reached the edge of the land of Heshbon, Moses sent a letter to the king asking for
permission to go through that land. Moses promised that the people would stay on the highway.
34. Read Deuteronomy 2:16-37 and write where Moses said the people of Israel would not turn
as they traveled along the highway.
35. Explain why Moses gave the people in the land of Heshbon the opportunity to let them pass
through without fighting against them.
36. Explain why you think that God had placed fear in the hearts of the people that Israel would
meet as they prepared to enter the land.
The people of Israel also promised to pay for any food or water that they used as they traveled
through Heshbon. However, Sihon, the king of Heshbon, refused to let the people of Israel pass
through his land. Instead God hardened the heart of Heshbon so that he chose to come against
Israel with his army. Moses had given the king of Heshbon the opportunity to avoid
destruction. However, Sihon chose to fight against Israel. God had said to Abraham 400 years
earlier that the sins of the Amorites must be judged. As a result, God had hardened the heart of
Sihon so that he chose to fight against Israel instead of just letting them pass through the land.
37. Read Deuteronomy 2:16-37 and write what the people of Israel did to the Amorites because
they chose to fight against Israel.
38. Explain why God had hardened the heart of Sihon so that he chose to come and fight against
the nation of Israel.
39. Explain why you think that the Lord had given the Amorites an additional four hundred
years before bringing judgment on them for their sins.
The Lord gave Israel a great victory over Sihon and the Amorites. The army of Sihon was
completely destroyed. In addition, the people of Israel also completely destroyed the cities and
the people of Heshbon. This destruction was so complete that none of the people of Heshbon
remained. The people of Israel took the cattle and the possessions of the people of Heshbon.
We also see the reason why the people of Israel were able to defeat all of the cities of Heshbon.
We read that the Lord was the One that gave them the victory. He was the One that had fought
for Israel.
40. Read Deuteronomy 2:16-37 and write how many cities were too strong for the people of
Israel.
41. Explain what it means when it says that the Lord was the One that fought for the nation of
Israel.
42. Explain why this helps you to understand the fact that no one can stand against you when
the Lord is for you.
4
Now reread Deuteronomy 1:1-2:37 and write down the three most important lessons that you
learned from these chapters.
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Lesson 2
In our last lesson we learned that the book of Deuteronomy is a review of the history of the
Israel from the time that they were at Mount Sinai until they were ready to enter the land that
God had promised to them. We also said that this book includes a review of the law that was
given to the people at Mount Sinai. This lesson will complete the review of the travels of the
people of Israel. As we study this lesson, we will learn about the privilege that was given to
Moses even though he was not allowed to enter the land because of his sin. God also took this
opportunity to tell this new generation about the importance of the law.
Explain about the defeat of Bashan by Israel
Explain what Moses was allowed to do even though he could not enter the land.
Explain what God said about the importance of the law.
Explain where the people were when Moses reviewed the law.
As we finished our last lesson, we studied about the defeat of Sihon, the king of Heshbon.
Today we go on to learn about the defeat of Og, the king of Bashan. Just like Sihon, Og chose
to fight against the people of Israel instead of letting the people pass through his land. God
gave the people of Israel a wonderful promise. God promised Israel that He would give them a
complete victory over the army of Og. Then Israel fought against the army of Bashan. Israel
killed all of the people and captured all of the cities of Bashan. There was not a single city that
was able to stand against Israel. A total of sixty cities were destroyed.
1. Read Deuteronomy 3:1-20 and write what all of the cities had to protect them from the army
of Israel.
2. Explain why there was not a single city in the entire land of Bashan that was able to stand
against the army of Israel.
3. Explain why you think that Og refused to let Israel pass through his land without fighting
even though he had heard what the Lord had done to Heshbon.
These cities had been built to stand against any enemies. However, they could not stand against
Israel because God fought for the people of Israel. No army can stand against the power of
God. The people of Israel also captured the cattle and the possessions of the people of Bashan.
We learn that Og was a very large man. He was so big that his bed was made of iron instead of
wood. His bed was thirteen and a half feet long and six feet wide. This was part of the reason
why he was considered such a powerful king. He was so large that no one could stand against
him until he met the army of Israel. The Lord gave Israel victory over Og.
4. Read Deuteronomy 3:1-20 and write the names of the tribes that had received the lands of
Heshbon and Bashan.
5. Explain why it was important for the people of Israel to realize that the Lord would fight for
them before they entered the land that God had promised to them.
6. Explain why you think that God chose to tell about the size of the bed of Og, the king of
Bashan.
Moses gave this land to these tribes on the condition that they would go with the other tribes to
conquer the land on the other side of the Jordan River. However, not all of the people actually
crossed the river. The wives and the children of these tribes and also the cattle remained in the
land that had been given to them. These families moved into the cities that they had conquered.
The men promised to fight with the men of the other tribes until all of the tribes were at peace
and had gained their own possessions in the land that God had promised to them.
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7. Read Deuteronomy 3:1-20 and write what the men of these tribes would be allowed to do
once the other tribes had conquered the land across the river.
8. Explain what these verses teach you about the victory of Israel over Og, the king of Bashan.
9. Explain why you think that it was important for the men of the two and a half tribes to help
the other tribes even though they were given land that was already conquered.
Moses also told the people how he had spoken to Joshua at the time that the Lord give victory
to the people of Israel over the people of Bashan. Moses had told Joshua to look and see the
power of God. God had given the people of Israel complete victory over the armies of Heshbon
and Bashan. Then the Lord promised that He would give the same kind of victory to the people
of Israel against all of the nations that they would fight if the people would depend on the Lord
for strength instead of trusting their own strength. The people of Israel did not need to fear their
enemies. Today we do not need to fear those who might try to do evil to us.
10. Read Deuteronomy 3:21-29 and write who God said would fight for the people of the nation
of Israel.
11. Explain why it was important for Moses to have Joshua observe and see the power of God
as God gave Israel victory over the nations of Heshbon and Bashan.
12. Explain why you think that God wanted Israel to learn to depend on Him instead of
depending on their own strength.
These verses also tell us why we do not need to be afraid today. When we have placed our trust
in Christ, we know that we can depend on Him to give us His strength as we pray and yield the
control of our lives to Him. We can depend on the Lord to fight for us. As a result, we can
have peace in our hearts because we know that our dependence is on the Lord and not on our
own strength. Then Moses told of his own prayer to the Lord. Moses thanked the Lord for
showing him the greatness and the power of the Lord. Moses had realized that there was no one
that could compare with the Lord as he saw the power of God revealed time after time as the
people of Israel had traveled through the desert.
13. Read Deuteronomy 3:1-20 and write what Moses asked the Lord to allow him to do.
14. Explain why it was important for Moses to tell the people of Israel how he had thanked the
Lord for the greatness and power of the Lord.
15. Explain why you can have peace in your heart when you depend on the Lord instead of
depending on your own strength.
One of the greatest desires that Moses had was to have the opportunity to see the land that God
had promised to the nation of Israel. However, the Lord had told Moses that he would not be
allowed to enter the land because of his sin. As you remember, Moses struck the rock twice
when God had told Moses that He would provide water if Moses would speak to the rock. He
and Aaron had also taken the credit for supplying the water from the rock instead of giving the
credit and glory to the Lord. That was the reason why God had said that Moses would not be
allowed to cross the Jordan River and enter the land of promise.
16. Read Deuteronomy 3:21-29 and write where the Lord told Moses to go so that he could see
the land.
17. Explain why the fact that Moses and Aaron took credit for getting water from the rock
instead of giving the glory to God resulted in Moses not being allowed to enter the land of
promise.
18. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to make certain that the things that you
do bring glory to God and not to yourself.
Mount Pisgah was fairly close to the Jordan River. As a result, it was possible for Moses to see
quite a bit of the land on the other side of the river from the top of Mount Pisgah. Moses was
told to look in all four directions from the top of the mountain. Because Moses could not enter
the land, he was told to encourage Joshua and strengthen him. The Lord had chosen Joshua to
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take the place of Moses and lead the people into the land. For this reason, the Lord told Moses
that he had a responsibility to strengthen and encourage Joshua.
19. Read Deuteronomy 3:21-29 and write what God told Moses that Joshua would do after
Joshua became the leader.
20. Explain why Christians also have a responsibility to strengthen and encourage new leaders
of the Lord.
21. Explain some of the ways that you have found that are helpful to strengthen and encourage
other leaders.
After Moses had reminded the people of the way that the Lord had led the people of Israel, he
began to talk about the importance of obeying the law. Obedience to the Word of the Lord was
required by the Lord. The people were not to add to the commandments of the Lord or to take
away from them. Otherwise it would be necessary for God to judge the people of Israel. The
people were to know the commandments of the Lord and then do them. That was the way that
Israel would continue to be a great nation. The people of Israel were not to forget the words
that the Lord had spoken to them.
22. Read Deuteronomy 4:1-24 and write to whom the people were to teach the commandments
of the Lord.
23. Explain why it was important for the people to Israel to obey the commandments of the
Lord and not just to know them.
24. Explain why you know that it is important for you in your own life to know and obey the
commandments that the Lord has given to you.
Adults have a responsibility to teach both their children and their grandchildren the
commandments of the Lord. God reminded the people to remember particularly the
commandments of the Lord that were given at Mount Horeb (Sinai). That was the place where
the Lord had given Moses the Ten Commandments on the tablets of stone. Then Moses
reminded the people of the way that God had spoken to them at Sinai. God spoke directly to
the people from the mountain. The people heard the voice of God but they could not see Him.
At the same time the Lord had spoken to Moses and instructed him to teach the statutes and
ordinances of the Lord.
25. Read Deuteronomy 4:1-24 and write how God had given the people of Israel the ten
commandments.
26. Explain why it is important for adults to teach their children and grandchildren the
27. Explain why you think that God had chosen to speak directly to the people from the
mountain when Israel was at Mount Horeb.
The Lord also warned the people not to make any image that they might begin to worship at a
later date. This included the images of people, animals, birds or creeping thing. God also
warned the people not to worship the sun, moon or stars. God had brought the people of Israel
out of Egypt because He had chosen the people of Israel. However, Moses was not allowed to
enter the land of promise because of one sin. If one sin kept Moses out of the land of promise,
worship of idols would certainly bring a much greater judgment on the people of Israel.
28. Read Deuteronomy 4:1-24 and write what Moses said about the nature of God.
29. Explain what these verses teach about the danger of making images of people, animals,
birds or creeping things.
30. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to make certain that you do not let any
thing become so important that you begin to worship it.
God went on to tell the people of Israel what would happen to the people if they did choose to
make an image to worship at that time or at any time in the future. God said that He would take
the people out of the land that He was giving them if they began to make images and worship
them. The people would be scattered among many nations for that sin. Many of the people
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would be killed. As a result, the people would become few in number if they made images and
began to serve those images. We see that the gods of men cannot see, hear, eat or smell. Since
idols cannot do any of those things, those idols could never help a single person.
31. Read Deuteronomy 4:25-49 and write how the people were to seek God if they wanted to
find Him.
32. Explain why God warned the people that the judgment would be very severe if they chose
to make and serve idols.
33. Explain why you think that it is important for people to realize that idols cannot see, hear,
eat or smell.
The Lord knew that the day would come when the people would turn away from Him and begin
to serve other gods. This was the reason that God gave the people the promise that they would
find Him at any time that they would seek for Him. God told the people of Israel that this
promise would be true even if it were in the latter days before the people of Israel returned to
Him. God said that He would not forget His people. God had made a covenant with Abraham
and God said that the covenant would never be broken. God is a merciful God and will always
keep His promises. The Lord had done great things for Israel in the past and He would
remember His promises in the future.
34. Read Deuteronomy 4:25-49 and write how the other people compare with God.
35. Explain why it was important for Israel to realize that the Lord promised to hear the people
when they would seek Him with all their heart and soul.
36. Explain why it is important for you in your own life to know that the Lord will hear you
when you truly seek Him.
God had brought the people of Israel out of Egypt and then had spoken to them from the middle
of a fire. No nation had ever lived to whom God had spoken directly. God had also protected
His people by doing great miracles for them. God did all of these things for Israel because of
His love for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These things had all shown that God is the only true
and living God. There are no other gods that can compare in any way with God. Since the
Lord is so great, there is only one way to act toward Him. That way is to be obedient. If the
people were obedient, God promised that He would give them long life.
37. Read Deuteronomy 4:25-49 and write the names of the three cities that were to be cities of
refuge on the east side of the Jordan River.
38. Explain why the Lord chose to do many miracles that would show the people of Israel that
He is the true and living God.
39. Explain what lessons you learn for your own life about the greatness of God from these
verses.
Before the people crossed the Jordan River, Moses told them the names of the three cities that
would be cities of refuge on the east side of the Jordan River. As you remember, these cities
were the places where someone could run for safety if he had accidentally killed another
person. The three cities that God chose on the east side of the river were Bezer, Ramoth and
Golan. Later three cities were also chosen on the west side of the river. The Lord was also
going to have Moses do one other thing before he died. Moses was told to review the entire law
for the people. We will see that this review of the law covers much of the rest of the book of
Deuteronomy.
40. Read Deuteronomy 4:25-49 and write where Moses gave the people of Israel this review of
the law.
41. Explain why it was important for Moses to review the entire law with the people of Israel
before they entered the land that God had promised to them.
42. Explain why you think that it is also important for you to help other people become familiar
with the entire Word of God.
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10
Lesson 3
Today we will be starting our study of the review of the law. As Moses reviewed the law,
Moses reminded the people of how their fathers had rebelled while he was on the mountain.
Moses had been on the mountain to receive the law. Moses also told the people what the
leaders of Israel had said when God spoke to them from the mountain. The people had been
filled with fear as God spoke from the mountain. As a result, they did not want to hear the Lord
speak again. God also taught the people of Israel about the importance of teaching the Word of
God to their children. This is followed by instructions about the way to teach the children.
Explain what God commanded the people in the Ten Commandments.
Explain how Moses had prayed for the people.
Explain how parents are to teach their children.
Explain what the Lord said about obedience.
As we begin our study of the law, the very first part of the law that we study is the Ten
Commandments. These commandments had been spoken to the people by God. They had also
been written on pieces of stone by God at Mount Sinai. This was to make certain that the
people would have a permanent copy of the law. When the Lord had spoken the law to the
people, the people had been filled with fear because the Lord had spoken to them out of a fire.
At that time the people asked Moses to speak with the Lord and them speak to them instead of
having the Lord speak directly to them. God also reminded the people of Israel that He was the
One that had brought them out of the land of Egypt.
1. Read Deuteronomy 5:1-21 and write down the first of the Ten Commandments.
2. Explain why the fear of the people of Israel caused them to tell Moses that they did not want
to have God speak to them directly any more.
3. Explain why you think that when people today are controlled by fear that it is often hard for
them to really hear the Word of God.
The first four commandments speak about the responsibility of man to God. People are to have
no other gods. People are not to make any idols because they will begin to worship those idols.
People are not to use the name of the Lord in any wrong way. Any person that uses the name of
the Lord in a wrong way will certainly be guilty. The people were also to have one day each
week set apart for rest. In the Old Testament that day was Saturday. That had been the day that
God had rested after He had finished creating the earth. Now our day of rest and worship is on
Sunday because that is the day that Christ rose from the dead.
4. Read Deuteronomy 5:1-21 and write the first commandment that talks about the
responsibility of mankind to other people.
5. Explain what these verses teach about the responsibility of mankind to worship and serve the
Lord.
6. Explain why you think that Christians should choose to worship the Lord and rest on Sunday
instead of Saturday.
Today there are many young people that do not respect and honor their parents. However, we
see that the commandment to honor the parents is the first commandment that contains a
promise. Those children that honor their parents are promised a long and good life. The other
commandments speak of murder, adultery, stealing, lying and desiring something that belongs
to someone else. In the New Testament we read that we are guilty of breaking these
commandments if we think these thoughts in our hearts even if we do not actually do them.
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Then the final commandment speaks of desiring something that belongs to someone else.
7. Read Deuteronomy 5:1-21 and write how many things we are commanded not to desire.
8. Explain why the command to honor parents is the first command that carries a promise to
those who obey it.
9. Explain what you learn from the second part of the Ten Commandments about your
responsibility to other people.
As we look at these commandments, we realize that it is totally impossible for any person to
keep all of these laws in his or her own strength. Since that is true, we need to know the
purpose of the law. The purpose of the law is to cause us to realize that it is completely
impossible to come to God by our own efforts. We have all broken the law. This is the reason
why people must place their trust in Christ for salvation. Once a person becomes a Christian,
he is free from the law. He is now able to serve Christ in love. As a person grows in his love
for Christ, that person wants to please Christ because of that love. He also realizes that he does
not have to depend on keeping the law to be right in the sight of God.
10. Read Deuteronomy 5:1-21 and write how long God says the sins of the parents affect the
future generations when the parents hate God.
11. Explain the purpose of the law.
12. Explain why it is important for you to know that once a person becomes a Christian that the
person is no longer under the law.
Moses went on to explain what the people did when the Lord spoke to the people of Israel out
of the middle of the fire. When the people of Israel heard God speak the Ten Commandments
from the fire on top of the mountain, the people told the leaders to go and talk to Moses. These
leaders admitted that they had seen and heard the greatness of God. They realized that there
was no way that they could compare with God. They also realized that it is not common for a
person that is alive on the earth to hear God talk. As a result, the leaders asked Moses a
question.
13. Read Deuteronomy 5:22-33 and write the question that the leaders had asked Moses when
God spoke from the mountain.
14. Explain why the people of Israel wanted the leaders to talk to Moses after God had spoken
to the people out of the middle of the fire.
15. Explain why you think that the people were so controlled by fear that they did not want to
hear God speak again.
This question shows the fear of the people. They were very afraid because they thought that
they would die if the heard the voice of the Lord any more. Today many people that are not
Christians are afraid and do not want to hear the Word of God. People often do not like to hear
the Word of God because of their fear of death. The people of Israel then told Moses to go and
hear what the Lord had to say. Then they said that Moses could tell the people the things that
He had heard from the Lord. The people promised that they would hear and do whatever
Moses told them to do.
16. Read Deuteronomy 5:22-33 and write who heard the words of the people that they spoke to
Moses that day.
17. Explain why the fear of death is one of the things that controls the people that have not
placed their trust in Christ.
18. Explain why you think that the people said that they would rather hear the words of God
from Moses than to hear them from God.
The Lord had heard the words of the people. Then the Lord said that He wished that it was true
that the people would hear and do the words of the Lord. The Lord wished that the words of the
people had come from their hearts. However, the Lord knew the hearts of the people. He knew
that they would not obey Him. Then the Lord agreed to speak to Moses and let him speak to
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the people. Moses was to teach the people the words of the Lord so that the people would obey
the Lord. The Lord also promised a long and blessed life if the people were obedient.
19. Read Deuteronomy 5:22-33 and write where God had said that the people were not to turn
from the words of the Lord.
20. Explain why the Lord knew that the people would not really hear His words whether they
were spoken by God or by Moses.
21. Explain why it is important to you in your life to want to hear and obey the Word of God
from your heart.
We go on to read the things that Moses was to teach to the people. The first thing that God told
Moses to teach the people was how to teach their children. Here we see that people do not
automatically know how to teach their children about the Lord. God wanted the people to know
how to teach their children so that the Word of God would be passed on to future generations.
God promised that each generation that obeyed the Word of the Lord and passed it on to the
next generation would have a long life. The Lord also promised that everything would go well
for the people and they would grow into a great nation if they would obey the Lord.
22. Read Deuteronomy 6:1-15 and write what kind of a land God said that He was giving to the
people.
23. Explain why it is important to understand that many parents do not automatically know how
to teach their children about the Lord and need to have someone show them.
24. Explain why you realize that it is very important in your own life to teach your children and
grandchildren about the Lord.
As the people went into the land of milk and honey, they were to remember that they only
served one Lord. They were to love the Lord with every part of their lives. This included their
spirit (heart), their soul and their body (strength). The words that the Lord spoke to the people
were not just to be heard and forgotten. Instead they were to be learned so that the people
would be able to remember them and obey them. Today we also need to memorize the Word of
God so that we know it and can obey it. We are only able to use what we know so we need to
develop a good knowledge and understanding of the entire Word of God as we grow.
25. Read Deuteronomy 6:1-15 and write how God said that the people were to teach their
children the Word of the Lord.
26. Explain why it is important for people to love the Lord with their whole heart, soul and
strength.
27. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to become familiar with the whole Word
of God so that you can fully obey the Lord.
God says that the first way we teach our children is to love the Lord by our own example. God
teaches us how we are to teach out children so that they really know the Word of God. We are
to teach them during the day as we are sitting in our house. We are to teach our children the
Word of God as we travel. We are to teach out children when they go to bed at night. We are
to teach them when they get up in the morning. As we study these verses, we see that we are to
be teaching our children throughout the day. We are to teach them from the time they get up in
the morning until they go to bed in the evening. If we set an example by loving the Lord
ourselves and then teaching our children throughout the day every day, we will usually see our
children grow up to love and serve the Lord.
28. Read Deuteronomy 6:1-15 and write where the people were to write the Word of God.
29. Explain what these verses teach about the way to teach our children so that they will know
and obey the Word of God.
30. Explain why you think that the Lord wants us to use opportunities throughout each day to
teach the Word of God to our children.
One of the most important ways that we teach our children is by our example. We must live
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what we are teaching. The Lord and His Word must be in the center of our hearts and in the
center of our homes. The people were to remember to keep God in the center of their lives. It
is very easy for people to forget the Lord if they fail to continue to teach about Him. When
people drift away from the Word of God, they quickly begin to follow the things that the people
around them are worshiping. When this happens they are not providing a good example for
their children and their children will quickly begin to follow their sinful example.
31. Read Deuteronomy 6:1-15 and write what Moses said the anger of the Lord might do to the
people of Israel if they followed other gods.
32. Explain why parents need to understand that the most important way that they teach their
children is by their own example.
33. Explain why children will quickly begin to follow the sinful examples of parents if the
parents are not providing a godly example for their children.
The people were not to test God by following false gods. Otherwise, the people might be
destroyed. Instead the people were to put the Lord first in their lives so that He would give
them the strength to obey Him. If the people obeyed the commandments of the Lord, they
would be doing what was right and good. Then the people would be able to possess the land
that God had promised to Abraham several hundred years before. The people were also to
destroy all of the enemies that were in the land of Israel.
34. Read Deuteronomy 6:16-25 and write what the people were to tell their children when the
children asked the meaning of the commandments of the Lord.
35. Explain why God warned Israel He would destroy them if they followed false gods.
36. Explain why it is important to you to put the Lord first and ask Him for His strength to obey
His Word.
The question of the children is a very important question. Many parents teach their children the
various stories of the Bible. They teach their children about the commandments of God.
However, they fail to explain to their children why the Bible was written. They fail to explain
why Christ came to this earth. They fail to explain the purpose of many things that are written
in the Bible. When children grow up and do not understand the purpose of these things, they
see no reason for doing them and they often rebel. This is one of the reasons why we have a
very rebellious generation today.
37. Read Deuteronomy 6:16-25 and write where the people were to tell their children that the
Lord wanted to bring them.
38. Explain why it is important to help our children understand the purpose of the things that
are written in the Bible.
39. Explain why it is important in your own life to know why you do what you do.
God said that He brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt so that He might bring
them into the land of promise. It had not been the purpose of God to bring the people out into
the wilderness to wander. The people had to wander for forty years in the wilderness because
of their own rebellion. However, God still kept His promise to bring them into the land that He
had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Today God has also called us for a purpose. We
will not be wandering and experiencing a useless life unless we choose to live in rebellion
against God.
40. Read Deuteronomy 6:16-25 and write for whose good it is that we should fear and honor the
Lord.
41. Explain why God wanted the people to clearly understand that it was His purpose to bring
them into the land that He had promised to them.
42. Explain why it is important to understand that God will keep His promises both to those
who obey and to those who rebel.
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Lesson 4
God had chosen the nation of Israel to be a nation that was set apart to worship and serve Him.
As a result, God warned the people not to marry the people of the other nations. God knew that
the people of the other nations would cause the people of Israel to sin and turn away from the
Lord. God also gave the people some wonderful promises if they would be obedient to Him
and follow His Word. We will learn about some of those promises as we study our lesson
today. WE will also learn what Moses said as he looked first at the past and then at the future.
Explain why God said that the people of Israel were to be a separate people.
Explain the promise that God gave Israel if they would be obedient.
Explain what Moses said about the past.
Explain what Moses said about the future.
The Lord told the people of Israel that they were going to go against seven nations that were
stronger than Israel. These were the people that lived in the land that God had promised to
Israel. However, the people of Israel did not need to be afraid as they went against their
enemies. God promised that He would give the people of Israel victory over all of their
enemies. God also told Israel that they were to completely destroy all of these nations. They
were not to make any treaties with these people or show any mercy to them. God had told
Abraham nearly about six hundred years earlier that he would send Israel to Egypt for four
hundred years because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full. God had spared them from
judgment for all these years but now the time had come for judgment because of their sin.
1. Read Deuteronomy 7:1-11 and write what the people were not to make with the people of
these other nations.
2. Explain why God said that He must judge the people and idols that were living in the land of
Canaan.
3. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to know that you do not need to be afraid
even when you face problems that seem like great enemies.
God knew that the people of Israel would quickly begin to follow the idols and the sinful
practices of the people of Canaan if the people of Israel married these people of the land. As a
result, God told Israel to completely destroy all of the people and their idols that were in
Canaan. The metal and the stone idols were to be broken and the wooden idols were to be
burned. The people of Israel were to be a holy people. God had chosen them and set them
apart to serve Him. The Lord also said that He did not choose Israel because it was a great or a
powerful nation.
4. Read Deuteronomy 7:1-11 and write how large Israel was when God chose them to become
a nation.
5. Explain why the Bible shows throughout the Bible the danger of those who follow the Lord
marrying those who do not follow the Lord.
6. Explain why it is important in your own life to know that God has called you to a holy life
and has set you apart to serve Him.
The Lord chose the people of Israel because of His love. This same love caused the Lord to
remember Israel and bring the people out of Egypt with a strong hand. The Lord is faithful. He
will keep all of the promises that He has made. He will show mercy to all those who put their
trust in Him. The Lord is also a holy God. He will judge all those who do evil and fail to put
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their trust in Him. This was the reason that God wanted His people to do what is right. He did
not want to have to judge them. Instead he wanted to show His love to them.
7. Read Deuteronomy 7:1-11 and write to how many generations God said that He would keep
His covenant.
8. Explain why it is important for people to understand that God is both a God of love and a
holy God.
9. Explain why you are thankful that the death of Christ made it possible for God to be holy
and judge sin and at the same time show love by allowing the blood of Christ to pay the penalty
for sin and offer eternal life as a free gift to all who accept Him.
The Lord went on to promise that the people of Israel would have a great victory if they would
depend on Him for strength. The Lord promised this great victory to the nation of Israel if they
would be obedient to Him. In addition to victory, the Lord also promised to live with His
people. He promised to bless them, their land and their cattle. In fact the blessing of Israel
would be so great that the blessing of other nations could not even compare with the blessing of
Israel. This blessing was promised to Israel if they made the choice to be obedient to the Lord.
10. Read Deuteronomy 7:12-26 and write what God promised the people of Israel about the
diseases of Egypt.
11. Explain why it was important for Israel to know that God had promised that He would live
with His people.
12. Explain why you are thankful that Christ not only lives with you but also lives within your
life so that it is possible to live your life by the faith in the Son of God.
God said that the terrible diseases of Egypt would be on the enemies of Israel and not on the
people of Israel if they chose to obey Him. However, Israel was to completely destroy all of the
enemies that God told them to destroy. Otherwise the people of the land would cause the
people of Israel to follow other gods. The people of Israel were also reminded that they did not
need to be afraid of the power of these other nations. They did not need to wonder how they
were going to drive these people of the other nations out of the land.
13. Read Deuteronomy 7:12-26 and write what the people were told to remember instead as
they faced these other nations.
14. Explain why God told Israel that He was the One that would drive out their enemies and
that they did not need to worry about how they were going to drive out their enemies.
15. Explain why you are thankful that you do not need to try and serve the Lord in your own
strength but can depend on the power of the Lord to work through your life.
God reminded the people of the signs that He had done in Egypt to deliver the people of Israel
out of the land of Egypt. He helped them remember the great power that He had shown in
destroying Egypt because Pharaoh would not allow Israel to leave the land. God told the people
to think about his victory over Egypt any time that they were tempted to be afraid of their
enemies. God reminded the people that they were not fighting alone. Instead the people were
to remember that they served a great and powerful God and that He was the One that would
fight for them.
16. Read Deuteronomy 7:12-26 and write why God said that He would not drive the people of
the land out all at once.
17. Explain why it was important for Israel to remember what the Lord had done for them in the
past when they faced their enemies in the future.
18. Explain why it is important in your own life to remember and give thanks to the Lord
regularly for what He has done in your life and through your life.
When there are no people living in a particular area, the wild animals increase very rapidly.
God said that He would drive out the people of the land as rapidly as Israel was prepared to take
possession of the land. This way the wild animals would not increase. God said that He would
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completely destroy the people of the land. Then Israel was to completely destroy the idols of
the land. They were not to worship any of those idols or allow them to be brought into their
houses. There were to hate these idols and completely destroy them so that they would not be
tempted to worship them.
19. Read Deuteronomy 7:12-26 and write what God said that these idols were in His sight.
20. Explain what these verses promised Israel about the fact that they would have victory as
they went into the land.
21. Explain why you think that the Lord said that He would destroy the people of the land but
gave Israel the responsibility to destroy the idols.
Moses also explained to the people how the Lord had been with them and had supplied their
needs. He began by reminding the people of the importance of being obedient to the Lord. If
the people would do what the Lord said, they would have life. God would cause the people to
multiply. They would also possess the land that God had promised to them. The people were
also to remember how the Lord had led them for the forty years that they were in the
wilderness. Here we see that the people needed to be reminded of the blessings that come from
serving the Lord.
22. Read Deuteronomy 8:1-6 and write why God proved and tested the people for forty years in
the wilderness.
23. Explain why it was important for Israel to be reminded of how the Lord had been with them
and supplied their needs.
24. Explain why it is important in your own life to be reminded of the blessings that come from
serving the Lord.
Here we also see the purpose of testing. The Lord wants to show us what is really in our hearts.
The Lord knows our hearts so He is not testing for His knowledge. However, we often deceive
ourselves. As a result, God brings tests into our lives to show us what we are really like. One
of the ways that the Lord tested the people of Israel was to allow them to become hungry. As
you remember, the people began to complain when they ran out of food. Then God supplied
them with manna. Their complaining showed that they had not learned to trust the Lord and
ask Him to supply their needs. It also showed that the people needed to depend on the Lord for
strength instead of physical food. We live and have strength as we obey the Word of God.
25. Read Deuteronomy 8:1-6 and write what happened to the clothes of the people as they
traveled.
26. Explain why the Lord tested the people of Israel so that they would understand the true
condition of their hearts.
27. Explain why you are thankful when the Lord brings testing into your life so that you can
understand the condition of your own heart.
During the entire forty years that the people were in the desert, their clothes did not become old
and wear out. Instead God kept those clothes exactly as they were when the people came out of
Egypt. As the people traveled, their feet did not swell up or become sore. God caused the feet
of the people to remain in perfect condition so that the people could travel easily. When God
did discipline the people, He disciplined the people to show them His love. As a result, the
people were encouraged to walk in the ways of the Lord and keep His commandments.
28. Read Deuteronomy 8:1-6 and write what God says is not the only thing by which men live.
29. Explain why it was important for Israel while they were in the desert that their clothes did
not wear out and their feet did not swell.
30. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to know that when God disciplines you
that He disciplines to show you His love.
Moses went on to tell the people about the land to which God would bring the people. It was a
good land. It was a land with plenty of water. It was a land where the fields produced a rich
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harvest. Here we see that God said that the land was an ideal land. The Lord said that the land
was such a good land that the people would never lack as long as they were obedient to Him.
Later God warned that He would stop the rain if they people were not obedient to Him and the
land would not produce a rich and productive harvest. The Lord also said that the land was rich
and had different metals in it. These metals included iron and bronze.
31. Read Deuteronomy 8:7-20 and write what the people were told to do when they had eaten
and were full.
32. Explain why God said that He would stop the rain if the people of Israel chose to live in
disobedience to Him.
33. Explain why it is important to you to know that the Lord will supply your needs as long as
you are obedient to Him.
The people were to remember the Lord as they entered into the land that God had given to
them. They were not to forget the commandments and the ordinances of the Lord. They were
to obey the commandments of God. Otherwise God warned that it would be necessary to bring
judgment. God promised the people that He would give them food and houses. He would
cause their herds and flocks to multiply. He would cause their possessions to multiply.
However, the people were not to let any of these things cause them to become proud.
Otherwise they would forget the Lord and His commandments and turn away from Him.
34. Read Deuteronomy 8:7-20 and write from what house the Lord had led the people of Israel.
35. Explain why pride would cause the people to forget the Lord and His commandments and
turn away from Him.
36. Explain why you realize that it is important to you in your own life to have a humble
attitude and not allow pride to take control in your heart.
The people were not to forget the Lord because He had done many things for them. He had
brought them out of their slavery when they were in Egypt. He had led them through the
wilderness and protected them from the fiery serpents. He had provided them with water out of
the rock. The Lord had fed the people with manna when they ran out of food. The Lord had
also done many things to test the people. However, the purpose of these tests was to strengthen
the people. God allowed these tests so that He could show kindness and do goodness to the
people at the end of these tests.
37. Read Deuteronomy 8:7-20 and write the greatest danger that the people faced as they
entered into the land.
38. Explain why God warned the people not to forget Him.
39. Explain in what ways the Lord has used times of testing to strengthen you in your own
spiritual life.
The Lord knew that the people would be tempted to think that all of the things that they had
received were a result of their own efforts. This was the reason that the people were not to
forget God. God was the One that had provided the people with all of these things. God would
give these things to the people because of the covenant that He had made with Abraham. Now
God warned His people that He would judge them if they turned away from Him to follow other
gods. God said that they would be destroyed just as they had destroyed other nations.
40. Read Deuteronomy 8:7-20 and write why God said that He would destroy the people.
41. Explain why God warned the people of Israel to remember that the blessings that they
received were not a result of their own efforts.
42. Explain why it is important for you in your own life to give thanks to the Lord daily for the
things that He provides for you.
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Lesson 5
Today we will learn about the review that Moses gave the people of the rebellion of the people.
Moses reminded the people of the rebellion of their fathers at Mount Sinai so that the people
would realize the importance of obeying the Lord as they entered into the land that God had
promised to them. God had almost destroyed the people because of that rebellion. However,
God had shown His mercy and had forgiven the people. The Lord had shown this mercy by
giving the people of Israel a second copy of the Ten Commandments instead of destroying
them.
Explain how the people had turned away from the Lord.
Explain how God felt about their rebellion.
Explain how God had showed His mercy in spite of their rebellion.
Explain why the people of Israel were to fear and honor the Lord.
The people of Israel were soon going to enter into the land of promise. In that land they were
going to find great and powerful nations. These nations had strong cities with high walls. The
people of the land were also tall people. In fact the children of Anak were great giants. These
were the people and the cities that the people of Israel would face as soon as they crossed the
Jordan River. In fact these were the very same people that had caused the people of Israel to
refuse to enter the land forty years earlier. However, Moses reminded the people that these
giants and great cities did not need to make the people fearful and afraid.
1. Read Deuteronomy 9:1-12 and write who promised to go in front of Israel as they went into
the land.
2. Explain why the people of Israel did not need to be afraid of the giants or the great walled
cities that were in the land of promise.
3. Explain why you think that people often look at the people and the problems instead of
looking to the Lord and trusting in Him.
Although the enemies were great and powerful, the people of Israel did not need to be afraid.
God promised that He would go ahead of Israel. As a result, the people of Israel were to drive
out the other nations quickly. The Lord also gave the reason why he was going to destroy the
people that lived in the land of Canaan. They were going to be destroyed because of their great
sin. The people of Israel were not righteous. However, this was a case where the sins of the
people of the other nations in the land were much greater. In fact God made it clear that the
people of Israel were not righteous by giving a little picture of the sin of the people of Israel.
4. Read Deuteronomy 9:1-12 and write what God said that the people of Israel were like.
5. Explain why the Lord made it clear to the people of Israel that He was judging the nations
for their sins by giving Israel the power to defeat them.
6. Explain why it is important to you to know that one day the Lord will judge every person
without Christ for their sin.
Then Moses began to remind the people of Israel how rebellious and sinful a people the people
of Israel were. Moses showed this rebellion of the people by telling what had happened when
the people were at Mount Horeb (Sinai). There the people were almost destroyed by the anger
of the Lord. It was at Mount Horeb that Moses had gone up into the mountain for forty days to
receive the commandments of the Lord. The Lord had spoken to Moses and then had written
the law on two pieces of stone so that the people would have a permanent copy of the law.
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However, it was during those forty days that the people turned away from God and began
worshiping a golden calf.
7. Read Deuteronomy 9:1-12 and write what the Lord had said to Moses to let him know what
the people were doing.
8. Explain why the people had turned away from God so quickly even though they had just
seen what the Lord had done to Egypt and had heard God speak from the mountain.
9. Explain why you think that the people of Israel could forget the Lord and His works so
quickly.
The Lord saw that the people were rebellious and stiff-necked. The Lord said that He would
destroy the people because of their great rebellion. Instead God promised to take the family of
Moses and make from it a greater nation than the nation of Israel. Then Moses went down from
the mountain to see the sins of the people. He carried with him the pieces of stone that had the
Ten Commandments written on them. Moses saw the sins of the people and he was also very
angry as he saw them worshiping the golden calf and committing other sins.
10. Read Deuteronomy 9:13-29 and write what Moses did with the pieces of stone when he saw
the sins of the people.
11. Explain why the sins of the people of Israel caused Moses to become very angry when he
saw them worshiping the golden calf.
12. Explain why you think that many people are rebellious and stiff-necked even when they
have seen the power of God.
Although Moses was very angry when he saw the sins of the people, he was also very
concerned about the people of Israel. He prayed for them for forty days and forty nights.
During that time he did not drink any water or eat any food. Moses was afraid that God was
going to destroy the entire nation and so he prayed that God would spare the people. God heard
the prayer of Moses and did not destroy the nation of Israel. Here we see that the Lord does
hear and answer our prayers when we pray for the spiritual needs of others and ask the Lord to
work in their lives. Moses was also afraid that God would destroy someone else whom he
loved.
13. Read Deuteronomy 9:13-29 and write who else Moses was afraid that God would destroy.
14. Explain why Moses was able to pray for the people for forty days even though he had been
very angry with them.
15. Explain how the example of Moses helps you to know what you should do when you are
angry at the sins of others.
Moses prayed for Aaron at the same time that he was praying for the entire nation of Israel.
The reason that Moses was afraid that God would destroy Aaron was the fact that Aaron was
the one that had made the golden calf that the people were worshiping. God also heard this
prayer of Moses and spared the life of Aaron. Then Moses took the golden calf and ground it
into powder and dumped the powder into the stream of water from which the people drank.
This incident did not stop the rebellion of the people. They rebelled against the Lord many
more times.
16. Read Deuteronomy 9:13-29 and write how long Moses said that the people had been
rebellious.
17. Explain why Moses ground the golden calf into powder and mixed it with the water that the
people drank.
18. Explain why you think that Moses was concerned that God might destroy Aaron for his sin.
The people of Israel had been rebellious against God even during the time that they were living
in the land of Egypt. This was the reason that Moses had spent so long praying for the people.
Moses reminded the Lord of His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses knew that the
rebellion of the people deserved judgment. However, Moses did not want the people of the
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other nations to speak evil of the name of the Lord because God had destroyed His people out
in the desert. Moses reminded the Lord that the people were His people even thought they were
rebellious.
19. Read Deuteronomy 9:13-29 and write what Moses had told the Lord that the people of the
nations would say if He destroyed Israel.
20. Explain what these verses teach about the rebellion of the people of Israel when they were
at Mount Sinai.
21. Explain why one of the real concerns of Moses as he prayed was that the people of the other
nations would not speak evil of the Lord.
The Lord did forgive His people and showed great mercy to them. The Lord told Moses to
prepare two new pieces of stone so that the Lord could write the law a second time. Moses
obeyed the Lord and prepared the pieces of stone. Then Moses went up on the mountain to
meet the Lord. Today we also need to meet with the Lord. We need to let the Lord speak
through His Word to us. This is the reason why it is good to begin each day by studying the
Bible and letting God speak to us through His Word. Just as the Lord gave the law to Moses so
that he could teach the law to the people, the Lord will also teach us through His Word.
22. Read Deuteronomy 10:1-7 and write what God wrote on these new tablets of stone.
23. Explain why it was important for Moses to go up to the mountain and meet the Lord after
God had showed His great mercy to Israel.
24. Explain why it is important for you in your own life to meet the Lord daily and let Him
speak to you through His Word.
God wanted His people to have a permanent copy of the Ten Commandments. As a result, God
wrote the commandments in stone so that the people would have the law in a form that could be
kept permanently. These pieces of stone were to be kept in the Ark of the Covenant. On the
Day of Atonement each year, the blood was placed on the mercy seat which was on the top of
the Ark of the Covenant. This was a picture of the fact that the blood covered the sins that were
written on the law. In the New Testament we learn that Christ took away our sin and has made
us free from the law. Because of the blood of Christ, we are no longer bound by the law.
25. Read Deuteronomy 10:1-7 and write what Moses did after God gave him the second copy
of the law.
26. Explain why it was important that the pieces of stone with the Ten Commandments were
placed under the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant.
27. Explain why it is important to you to know that Christ both took away your sin and also
made you free from the law.
Moses had met the Lord on the mountain and he had received the commandments of the Lord.
As soon as he received the law, he went down to the camp. The law was later placed in the ark
that was in the center of the camp. Here we see that God wanted the law in the place where the
people would be continually reminded of it. In the same way as we spend time in Bible study
with the Lord each morning, we are also given a message to share. We need to take that
message with us as we go through the day. If the Word of God is in the center of our thoughts,
it will be a part of our conversation throughout the day as we talk to others.
28. Read Deuteronomy 10:1-7 and write where Aaron died.
29. Explain how Moses gave us an example by taking the Word that the Lord had given to him
to the center of the camp.
30. Explain why the Word of God will be a part of our conversation as we talk with others
throughout the day if the Word of God is in the center of our thoughts.
We go on to read how the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to serve Him. As a part of their
duties, the Levites were given the responsibility of carrying the Ark of the Covenant as the
people traveled through the wilderness. We also learn that the tribe of Levi was not given a
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separate inheritance. Instead the people were to give a tithe to support the Levites so that the
Levites could spend their time doing the work of the Lord. After the Lord had given Moses
these instructions, Moses was told to return to the camp and prepare to go to the land of
promise.
31. Read Deuteronomy 10:8-22 and write what land God said the people were to go and
possess.
32. Explain why it was important for the Lord to set apart the tribe of Levi for a ministry of
service to the Lord.
33. Explain why you think that the Lord chose to provide support for the Levites through the
tithe of the others tribes.
As the people of Israel were now preparing to go into that land that God had promised them,
God told them that they were to do several things. They were to fear the Lord. They were to
walk in His ways. They were to love the Lord and serve Him with all of their heart and soul.
They were also to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord. The Lord said that they
should do all of these things for their own good. As we are obedient to the Lord, we are able to
enjoy the blessing of the Lord. We have inner peace because we know that we are doing what
is right.
34. Read Deuteronomy 10:8-22 and write what these verses say about heaven.
35. Explain why the Lord said that walking in the ways of the Lord and loving and serving the
Lord was for the good of the people of Israel.
36. Explain why you are thankful that the Lord gives you inner peace as you love and serve
Him in your life.
Both the heavens and the earth belong to the Lord because He created them. The Lord also
chose the fathers of the nation of Israel because of His love for them. As a result, the people
were encouraged not to be rebellious or hardhearted any more. Instead they were to realize that
God is the One that is over all things. He is the Lord of Lords and has all power. He is able to
do all things. God does not play any favorites. Instead God helps the needy and loves the
stranger.
37. Read Deuteronomy 10:8-22 and write how the people were to treat those that were
strangers.
38. Explain what these verses teach about the greatness of God.
39. Explain why it is important for you in your own life to continue to grow in your
understanding of the greatness of the Lord.
Because God is so great, the people were to do several things. They were to love any strangers
that lived in their land because they had been strangers in Egypt. They were to fear the Lord
and serve Him. They were to give their praise to God because He had done great and
wonderful things for them. They were to remember how the Lord had blessed them and caused
them to become a great nation. When they went into Egypt, there were only seventy people that
went into Egypt. While they were in Egypt, the Lord had blessed them and they had become a
great nation.
40. Read Deuteronomy 10:8-22 and write how the Lord had made them increase while they
were in the land of Egypt.
41. Explain why the Lord said that the people of Israel were to show love to any strangers that
would live in their land.
42. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to love and serve Christ in thanks to
Him for all that He has done for you.
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Lesson 6
We have been reminded several times of the importance of obeying the Word of the Lord.
Today we will see that the Lord reminded the people of Israel again about the importance of
obeying the Lord. The Lord promised the people of Israel that they would receive many
blessings as they were obedient to Him. Because of the importance of obedience, God again
reminded His people about the way that they were to teach their children. The spiritual growth
of many people is closely related to the way that they are taught by their parents in their homes.
That was why God wanted the people to understand the importance of teaching their children
the Word of God.
Explain what God said about the importance of obedience.
Explain what God said about teaching children.
Explain why the people were to have one place to worship.
Explain what God said about blood.
As we begin our study of this chapter, we see that the people were reminded again to love the
Lord. They were reminded to be obedient to the Lord at all times. The Lord said that the
people had seen many examples of the results of disobedience. They had seen the great power
of God against those who did evil. The people that had been children when Israel was in Egypt
had seen the signs and the miracles that the Lord did in order to bring the people of Israel out of
Egypt. God had brought great judgment on the Egyptians because of their sin. When Pharaoh
decided to take his army and recapture the people of Israel, Israel had seen the judgment of
Pharaoh and his army.
1. Read Deuteronomy 11:1-17 and write how God had used the Red Sea to judge the rebellion
of Pharaoh.
2. Explain how the people that had been children when Israel left Egypt were aware of the
power of God because of what they had seen God do to Egypt.
3. Explain why you think that the Lord continued to emphasize the importance of obedience to
Israel.
The Lord had also judged many other forms of rebellion as the people traveled through the
desert. One such rebellion was the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram. Because of their rebellion,
God caused the earth to open up and swallow them, their families and their possessions. They
went down into the earth while they were still alive. Again we are reminded that sin and
rebellion bring death. The people of Israel had seen all of these things that the Lord had done.
Now they were encouraged to follow the Lord so that they would be strong. God promised that
if the people would follow the Lord that they would have a long life in the land of promise.
4. Read Deuteronomy 11:1-17 and write how rich the Lord said that the land of promise was.
5. Explain why it is necessary for the Lord to judge rebellion when people choose to rebel
against Him.
6. Explain why you think that God chose to judge the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram by
taking them and their families down into the earth while they were still alive.
God said that the land of promise was very different from the land of Egypt. The land of Egypt
was quite flat in the area where the people of Israel had lived. Much of the land was watered by
the Nile River when it flooded each year. Irrigation was also used to water part of the land of
Egypt. This was possible because the land was so flat. However, the land that God had
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promised to Israel was quite different. It was a land of hills and valleys. The water for the
crops came from the rain. This meant that the people would need to trust the Lord to provide
the rain for their crops.
7. Read Deuteronomy 11:1-17 and write who cared for the land that God had promised to the
people of Israel.
8. Explain why it was much more important to receive rain from the Lord in the land of
promise than it had been when the people were in Egypt.
9. Explain why it is important in your own life to realize that you need to trust the Lord to
provide what you need day by day.
Because God watched over the land and provided the water for it with the rain, God said that
the land would be blessed as long as the people obeyed the Lord. God promised to give both
the early and the later rain so that the land would produce the best possible crops. The fields
would also have plenty of grass to feed the cattle. The people would have great blessings as
long as they were obedient. However, if the people began to follow other gods they would feel
the anger of the Lord. God would stop the rain so that the crops and the grass would not grow
any more. Then the people would quickly become hungry and die.
10. Read Deuteronomy 11:1-17 and write what God said would cause Him to stop the rain after
the people came into the land.
11. Explain what these verses teach about both the results of obedience and disobedience to the
Lord.
12. Explain why you think that the first judgment that God said He would bring for sin was to
stop the rain.
Since it is so important to obey the Lord, the Lord told the people again how to teach their
children so that the children would obey the Lord. The people were to keep the Word of the
Lord in the center of their lives. They were to teach the Word of God to their children in their
homes and as they traveled. They were to teach their families and the other people that lived in
their homes both in the morning and in the evening. In fact the people were to teach their
children at all times. The people were also to keep the Lord in the center of their homes. This
meant that they were to serve the Lord from their hearts so that it affected everything that they
did in their homes.
13. Read Deuteronomy 11:18-32 and write what the people were promised about their days if
they would teach their children.
14. Explain why God told the people of Israel that it was important for them to serve Him from
their hearts in addition to teaching their children at all times.
15. Explain why you have found it important in your own life to serve the Lord from your heart.
God promised here that both the parents and the children would have a long life if the parents
taught the children to follow the Lord. There were also other promises if the people would be
obedient. The Lord promised to drive out all of the other nations even if those other nations
were greater and more powerful. The Lord also said that all of the places where the people
walked would belong to Israel. No person or nation would be able to stand against the people
of Israel. Instead the other nations would fear Israel. Then God gave the people a choice. God
said that the people could have a choice of a blessing or a curse.
16. Read Deuteronomy 11:18-32 and write what the people were told to do in order to receive
the blessing.
17. Explain why God told the people of Israel that they could choose whether they wanted a
blessing or a curse.
18. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to know that the Lord also gives you the
same choice.
We have seen that the Lord gave the people of Israel a choice many times. Now we see that
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God offered the people a choice again. The people could enjoy either a blessing or a curse.
However, they had to make their own decision. Today God still offers a choice to all people.
They can either choose to serve the Lord or they can choose to rebel against Him. Those who
make the choice to put their trust in Christ will have eternal blessing. Those who make the
choice to reject Christ and the life that He offers are making the choice to receive eternal
judgment.
19. Read Deuteronomy 11:18-32 and write the two mountains between which the people were
to review the blessing and the curse after they crossed the Jordan River.
20. Explain the choice that these verses offered to the people of Israel as they prepared to enter
the land of promise.
21. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to give people choices and explain both
the blessings of good choices and the consequences of sinful choices.
The Lord knew that it would be easy for the people to rebel if there were other gods in the land.
For this reason, the Lord reminded the people again to destroy all of the false gods of the people
when they entered into the land. They were to break down the altars and burn the idols.
Nothing was to be left in the land which their children might begin to worship at a later time.
The people were not to be tempted to worship any other gods. Instead God said that there
would be one place where the people of Israel would gather to worship Him.
22. Read Deuteronomy 12:1-16 and write who was to choose the place where the people were
to worship.
23. Explain why it was important for the people to destroy all of the idols that they found in the
land and not let any of them remain.
24. Explain why you think that it is very easy for people to begin to worship some kind of an
object or person instead of trusting the Lord.
The Lord said that when the people reached the land of promise that the people were only to
worship in the place that the Lord chose. That was the place where the people were to bring all
of their sacrifices and offerings. That was the place where they were to eat the offerings that
they offered to the Lord. The people were not to do the things that they thought were right.
Instead they were to study the Word of God and do what God said was right. That way they
would know that the things that they did were pleasing to the Lord. Today we also need to
study the Bible instead of doing the things that are right in our own eyes.
25. Read Deuteronomy 12:1-16 and write how the Lord promised the people they would live
when He gave them rest from their enemies.
26. Explain why the Lord said that the people of Israel were to offer all of their sacrifices and
offerings at the place that the Lord chose.
27. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to learn what God has said is right and
what is wrong by studying the Word of God regularly.
God promised the people that they would live in peace and safety when they entered the land as
long as they were obedient to Him. Then God said that He would show them the place to set up
the tabernacle. All of the sacrifices were to be brought to that tabernacle so that the people
would not begin offering burnt offerings to false gods. The people were also to be filled with
joy as they served the Lord. When the people killed an animal at home, they were not to eat
any of the blood. Instead they were to pour the blood out on the ground and cover it with dirt.
28. Read Deuteronomy 12:1-16 and write who God said was allowed to eat the animals that
they killed in their own homes.
29. Explain why the people were to have only one place where they worshiped the Lord and
offered their sacrifices.
30. Explain why you think that God said that the people were to cover the blood with dirt when
they killed an animal at their homes.
The animals that the people ate in their homes were not to be their offerings that they offered to
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the Lord. They could eat the animals that were not sacrifices to the Lord in their homes.
However, they were to take their offerings to the Lord to the tabernacle. Then the people could
eat part of the offering at the tabernacle. The people were also encouraged to be filled with joy
as they offered these sacrifices to the Lord. If we are not joyful when we give our gifts to the
Lord, there is really no purpose in giving those gifts. As the people gave their gifts to the Lord,
we see that the Lord reminded them that they were not to forget the Levites.
31. Read Deuteronomy 12:17-32 and write how long the people were told to remember the
Levites.
32. Explain why the people could be filled with joy when they were offering their sacrifices to
the Lord.
33. Explain why you know that you can also be thankful and filled with joy when you offer
your gifts to the Lord.
The Lord knew that it would be difficult for the people to bring their animals to the tabernacle
to be killed when the people received their own land. The distance would make that impossible
for those tribes that were far from the tabernacle. As a result, that was why God told the people
how they were to kill their animals at their own homes. The people were to make certain that
they drained all of the blood out of the animals. God had said to Noah after he came off the ark
following the flood that the life is in the blood and so God said that the people were not to eat
any blood.
34. Read Deuteronomy 12:17-32 and write what the people were to do with the blood so that it
would not be eaten.
35. Explain why God told the people that they were to make sure that they drained all of the
blood from the animals and did not eat any of the blood.
36. Explain why you think that the early church decided at the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15
that the Gentiles should avoid things strangled and the eating of blood.
The Lord gave the people of Israel a reason why they should not eat the blood. God said that a
man and his children would all have a better life if they did not eat the blood. This is true
because blood carries diseases. Those who eat blood will experience more sickness and
disease. Although the people could kill their own animals to eat, they were not to kill the
animals that they offered as sacrifices. Instead the sacrifices were to be killed at the tabernacle
by a priest and the blood was to be burned on the altar. In this way no one would eat this blood.
37. Read Deuteronomy 12:17-32 and write what the people of the land had offered as sacrifices
to their gods.
38. Explain what the Lord teaches in these verses about the eating of blood.
39. Explain why you think that the blood of the sacrifices that the people offered to the Lord
was to be burned on the altar.
God promised the people that they and their children would continue to have a long and good
life as long as the people obeyed the commandments of the Lord. Then the Lord reminded the
people again that they were not to follow the gods of the surrounding nations. God hated the
sins that the people of Canaan committed in their worship of their false gods. We read that the
nations that lived in the land that God had promised to Israel even burned their own children as
sacrifices to their false gods. Then God reminded the people to do the things that He had
commanded.
40. Read Deuteronomy 12:17-32 and write what God said about changing the commandments
of God.
41. Explain why God said that He hated the sins that the people of Canaan committed in their
worship of their false gods.
42. Explain why you think that the Lord promised the people that they would live long and
fruitful lives if they were obedient to Him.
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Lesson 7
Today we are living in a day when many people are making predictions about what is going to
happen in the future. However, this is not something that is new. People have been trying to
predict what was going to happen in the future for thousands of years. In fact people were
already trying to predict the future back in the time of Moses. As a result, the people were told
how to recognize the difference between a true prophet and a false prophet. God said that a
false prophet was to be put to death so that he would not lead the people the wrong way.
Otherwise the people would become controlled by the power of the devil.
Explain how to recognize a false prophet.
Explain how God said that the sinful cities should be judged.
Explain what God said about mourning.
Explain what God said about the food of the people.
God knew that people would arise that would try to lead the people of Israel the wrong way.
These people would include people that claimed to be prophets, dreamers of dreams or others
who tried to predict the future. God did give the people true prophets that spoke of the future.
In fact the things that these true prophets said are written down for us in the Bible. Some of the
things that these true prophets said have still not happened yet so we can learn about things that
are still future by studying the Word of God. However, God wants us to be able to recognize
those that are false prophets so that we will not be deceived by them.
1. Read Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and write the first thing that false prophets will say to try to lead
people astray.
2. Explain why it was important for the people in the nation of Israel to recognize when a
person was a false prophet.
3. Explain why you are thankful that the Lord has given you the Word of God so that you can
learn about things that are still in the future.
Any person that tries to get us to turn away from the Lord and serve false gods is a false
prophet. He is speaking for the devil and is not speaking for God. Today there are many
leaders of churches who are saying that the Bible is not true. These verses say that such people
are also false prophets because they are trying to cause people to turn away from the Lord.
They are working to cause people to follow other things. The Lord said that He would allow
such prophets to come among the people to show whether the people really loved the Lord from
their hearts. These false prophets are actually a test to show how a person thinks and feels.
4. Read Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and write what God said should be done with a false prophet.
5. Explain why the Lord said that He would allow false prophets to test the people so that they
would know if they loved the Lord from their hearts.
6. Explain why you realize that it is important for you in your own life not to be deceived by
people who say that the Bible is not true.
We will learn later in the book of Deuteronomy that anyone who makes even one prophecy that
does not happen exactly as that person has spoken that prophecy is also a false prophet. Here
we see that the people of Israel were to put a false prophet to death so that the person could not
continue to lead the people the wrong way. A false prophet was one that was trying to lead the
people away from God. God said that the way to get rid of this evil was to put the false prophet
to death. Then he could not continue to lead others the wrong way.
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7. Read Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and write what the people were to do instead of listening to those
who were false prophets.
8. Explain what these verses teach about the way to recognize those who are false prophets.
9. Explain why you think that the Lord said that a person that made even one false prophecy
was to be put to death.
God knew that there would also be men and women who might try to lead their families to
follow other gods. These people who try to turn people from the Lord might even include
children, brothers, or other close relatives. They might try to get their families to worship the
false gods of the surrounding nations. In fact they might even try to lead their families to
worship the gods of nations that were a long way from Israel. God said that the people were not
to listen to any relatives that might try to cause the people to follow false gods. They were not
to allow these relatives to continue to lead others the wrong way.
10. Read Deuteronomy 13:6-18 and write what was to be done to any person that encouraged
others to follow false gods.
11. Explain why the Lord warned Israel that there might even be family members that would try
to lead the people away from the Lord.
12. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to make sure than you do not get
deceived by those who follow false gods.
God knew how easy it is for people to be led the wrong way by those who follow false gods.
God said that such people were to be put to death. The one who heard the person speak to lead
others astray was to be the first to start to put the evil person to death. He was to throw the first
stone. Then all of the other people were to throw stones at the person until the person was dead.
God said that such people were to be killed so that all Israel would learn to fear the Lord. God
said that such a severe judgment would keep the rest of the people from following such
wickedness.
13. Read Deuteronomy 13:6-18 and write what certain men that were evil might say to the
people of a whole city.
14. Explain why God said that the punishment for someone who tried to get Israel to turn to
other gods was death by stoning.
15. Explain why you think that God gave Israel such a severe penalty for those who would try
to lead others to follow idols.
It was possible that evil men and false teachers might cause entire cities to turn away from the
Lord to serve other gods. When the rest of the people of Israel heard that a certain city had
begun to follow other gods, the people were to send men to find out if the things that they had
heard were true. This was to make certain that a person did not spread a false rumor about a
city. God said that a city was evil if it had followed other gods. However, these men were to
check to make certain that the person who gave the report was telling the truth and was not just
trying to destroy that city.
16. Read Deuteronomy 13:6-18 and write what God said should be done to a city if that city had
begun to follow false gods.
17. Explain why God said that the people of Israel were to carefully check when a person said a
city was following false gods to determine whether it was true or just a rumor.
18. Explain why you think that a person that spreads false rumors can also be very dangerous.
God said that any city that began to follow idols was to be destroyed completely. All of the
people in that city were to be killed. All of their animals were also to be destroyed. Then all of
their possessions were to be burned with fire. A city that was destroyed because the people had
turned away from the Lord and had followed idols was never to be rebuilt. The people were not
to keep anything that had been a part of that city because that city had done evil. Only by
completely destroying that city would the holiness of God be satisfied.
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19. Read Deuteronomy 13:6-18 and write what the Lord said he would do if the people obeyed
Him and completely destroyed that city.
20. Explain what these verses teach about the judgment of those who chose to follow idols
instead of following the Lord.
21. Explain why you think that God said a city that followed idols was to be completely
destroyed along with every person and every thing in that city.
God promised that if the people would destroy any city that followed idols that He would show
His kindness and mercy to Israel. The Lord said that He would show compassion on Israel and
multiply them as a nation because of their obedience. God would show His love for Israel.
Then God gave the people a commandment that we are still to follow today. First the people
were to hear the commandments of the Lord. Then the people were to do what they had heard.
Here we see that the Lord says that true obedience is both hearing and doing. Today we are
also told to obey the Word of the Lord and not just hear it.
22. Read Deuteronomy 14:1-2 and write whose children God said the people of the nation of
Israel were.
23. Explain why it is important that God told Israel that He would multiply them as a nation if
they were obedient to Him.
24. Explain why it is important for you to both hear and obey the commandments of the Lord.
God said that the people of Israel were called to be the children of God. For this reason they
were to be different from the people of the surrounding nations. The people of the surrounding
nations did certain things to show their sorrow when they died. One of these things was to cut
off part of the hair of the eyebrows. God said that the people of Israel were not to cut off any
part of their eyebrows when someone died. God also calls us to be different from the world as
Christians. We are to serve the Lord. We are to allow the Lord to change and transform our
lives as we learn His Word and put His commandments into practice in our lives.
25. Read Deuteronomy 14:1-2 and write what kind of people the Lord had chosen the people of
Israel to be.
26. Explain why God told the people of Israel that they were to be different from the nations
that surrounded them.
27. Explain why you think that your life will have a great impact for the Lord if you are being
transformed by the Lord through learning and obeying His Word.
The people of Israel had been chosen by God. They were chosen to be His own special people.
They were to be a holy people. They were to be different from the people of the other nations.
They were to be a people that were set apart to worship and serve the Lord. Today we have
also been set apart to worship and serve the Lord when we placed our trust in Christ. We have
been given the Holy Spirit to give us the power to live lives that are different from the people
around us. The only way that the people around us are going to listen when we speak about the
Lord is if our lives are an example for the Lord. We will only be a real example for the Lord
when we are yielding our lives to the Holy Spirit so that we have His strength to serve Him.
28. Read Deuteronomy 14:1-2 and write what God had done for Israel that He had done for no
other nation.
29. Explain what it means to be a special people that are set apart for God.
30. Explain why our worship will only be true worship and our service will only be effective
service for the Lord as we are yielding to the power of the Holy Spirit.
Moses also gave a review of the dietary laws that the Lord had given to the people of Israel.
These dietary laws told the people of Israel what kinds of meat that they could eat. God said
that the people were only to eat the animals, birds and fish that were clean animals. They were
not to eat any animal that was unclean. Anything that ate garbage was unclean. Anything that
ate other birds or animals was unclean. The only clean animals were those animals that ate
plants, the fruit of the plants or some other form of vegetation.
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31. Read Deuteronomy 14:3-29 and write what God said about any animal that had died of
itself.
32. Explain why it was important for the people of Israel to only eat the meat of animals that
were clean animals.
33. Explain why you think that God said the people of Israel should only eat animals that ate
vegetation and not animals that ate garbage or other animals.
Any animal that died of itself might have a disease. Since the people did not know the reason
for the death of the animal, they were not to eat the dead animal because they were to be a holy
people. They were not to eat such an animal even if the people of the surrounding nations ate
the animals that died of themselves. The people were also warned not to boil a young goat in
the milk of its mother. This was part of the idol worship of the surrounding nations. God did
not want the people of Israel to become involved in any way with the sinful practices of the
other nations. God knew that such things would soon lead to idol worship.
34. Read Deuteronomy 14:3-29 and write what God said to the people of Israel about giving a
tithe of their seed to the Lord to show their thanks to Him.
35. Explain why the people of Israel were told not to eat an animal that died of itself even if that
was common in the nations that surrounded them.
36. Explain why you think that the Lord told the people of Israel not to practice any of the
things that the surrounding nations did in their idol worship.
The people were to give one tenth of everything that they received to the Lord. This included a
tenth of their crops, their cattle and everything else that they received. This tithe was to be
brought to the tabernacle each year. If the people lived too far from the tabernacle to bring their
animals and crops, they were to sell the tenth and take the money to the tabernacle. Then they
were to use that money to buy other animals at the tabernacle and offer those animals as a
sacrifice. Whether the people lived close to the tabernacle or far from it, they were to sacrifice
a tenth of all that they had to the Lord. (They ate a part because this was both worship of the
Lord and fellowship with the Lord).
37. Read Deuteronomy 14:3-29 and write for whom they were to bring their tithe at the end of
three years.
38. Explain what these verses teach that the Lord taught the people of Israel about tithing to
Him.
39. Explain why you think that the people were told that they were to give a tithe to the Lord by
burning it as a sacrifice (see also Deut. 12:13-15).
In addition to the tithe that the people were to sacrifice to the Lord each year, the people were
also to give a tithe to the Levites to supply the needs of the Levites. In addition, the people
were to bring still another tithe every third year. This tithe was for the poor, the widow and any
others that might be in need. Between the tithe for the Lord, the tithe for the Levites and the
tithe each third year for the poor, the people gave almost one-fourth of all that they received to
the Lord. Here we see that the tithing of the people of Israel was much different than most
people teach when they talk about tithing.
40. Read Deuteronomy 14:22-29 and write what the Lord promised to do if the people gave
their tithes to the Lord.
41. Explain why it was important for the people of Israel to give a tithe every third year to help
provide for the poor and needy.
42. Explain why it is important for you in your own life to have a great concern for the poor and
needy.
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Lesson 8
We have learned many things about the way that the Lord worked in the lives of the people of
Israel. We have seen that the Lord gave the nation of Israel certain times when the people were
to spend extra time remembering what God had done for them. Today we will learn more about
one of those special times. That time was the seventh year. During the seventh year the people
were not to plant any crops. Instead they were to allow the land to rest during the seventh year.
It was also at this time that the people were to let their servants that were Israelites go free.
Explain what the people were to do in the seventh year.
Explain what you learn about a love slave.
Explain what the Lord said about the Passover.
Explain what the Lord said about the other feasts.
We have learned in an earlier study that the seventh year was to be a year in which the land
rested. Today we will see that the seventh year was also a very important year for those who
were poor and needy. God said that in the seventh year all past debts were to be forgiven. If
one person owed another person money, the person that was to receive the money was to
forgive the debt of the poor person in the seventh year. That debt was not to be held against the
poor person any longer if the person was from Israel. Any person that was from Israel was a
brother and was not to be kept in debt permanently.
1. Read Deuteronomy 15:1-11 and write from whom the people could still require a debt after
seven years.
2. Explain why God was concerned about protecting the poor by telling the people of Israel
that they were to forgive all debts in the seventh year.
3. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to show your concern for the poor by
being willing to forgive their debts to you.
The requirement to forgive past debt was only applied to the nation of Israel. The people of
Israel were always to forgive the debt of another Israelite at the seventh year. The only time
that this law would not apply would be if there were no poor people that were in debt. The
people were also reminded that they would be blessed by the Lord if they were obedient to His
commands. God said that the people of Israel could loan money to other nations but they
should not borrow money from other nations. God said that they might also rule over other
nations.
4. Read Deuteronomy 15:1-11 and write what God said He would not let the other nations do
to Israel if the people were obedient to Him.
5. Explain why Israel was allowed to loan money to other nations but God said that they were
not to borrow money from other nations.
6. Explain why you think that the people of Israel were to treat every person of their own
nation as a brother and forgive their debts in the seventh year.
As long as the people of Israel were obedient to the Lord, the people did not need to worry
about the other nations ruling over them. God also told the people of Israel that they were to
show great kindness to the poor. They were not to keep their money from the poor just because
a poor person might not be able to pay the money back. When a man of Israel saw another
Israelite in need, that man was to open his hand wide to the poor person. This meant that he
was to give generously to help the person in need. Here we see that the Lord has a great
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concern for the poor and if we are really following the Lord we will also have that same
concern for the poor.
7. Read Deuteronomy 15:1-11 and write of what the people were told to beware.
8. Explain why God told the people of Israel that they were to share with the poor even when
the poor could not pay them back.
9. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to share generously with those who are
in need.
The Lord also knew the hearts of people. He knew that some of the people might begin to think
how long it was until the seventh year when they saw the poor and needy. The Lord knew that
some would refuse to loan to the poor person because the seventh year would soon come and
they might not be repaid. As a result, the Lord warned the people to give generously and not be
concerned about whether they would be repaid. The Lord promised that He would bless the
people if they would give generously without concern about whether they would be repaid. The
people were to open their hands wide even if it was only a few months to the seventh year.
10. Read Deuteronomy 15:1-11 and write what God said would never cease out of the land.
11. Explain what these verses teach about the importance of helping the poor and needy.
12. Explain why you can share generously with the poor and know that that the Lord will
supply your needs.
At times one of the people of Israel would become the servant of another Israelite. This could
happen to pay for a debt or if a person was caught stealing and could not afford to make
restitution as well as for several other reasons. However, God said that such people were not to
be kept as permanent slaves. Instead these servants were to be set free after they had worked
for the person for six years. When a servant was freed after he had worked for six years, he was
not to leave the house of his master with empty hands. Instead the master was to give the
servant enough so that he could get established and earn a living so that he would not become a
servant again. The people were also to remember that they were once slaves in the land of
Egypt.
13. Read Deuteronomy 15:12-23 and write why a man might say that he did not want to leave
his master at the end of six years.
14. Explain why the people of Israel were to treat one another as hired servants and not as
slaves.
15. Explain why you think that a person who had another Israelite work for him for six years
was to give that person enough when he went free to get himself established.
There were times when a man served as a servant to another man that he came to love his
master so much that he did not want to leave his master. Instead he wanted to serve that master
for the rest of his life. In order to show this love, the servant would have the master make a
hole in his ear to show that he wanted to be the servant of his master for life. Then that servant
would serve his master for the rest of his life. He would not go out and begin working for
himself. There were also women servants that also desired to be a love servant for life.
16. Read Deuteronomy 15:12-23 and write what was to be done to a woman that wanted to be a
love servant for the rest of her life.
17. Explain why a person was to have his master make a hole in his ear when he wanted to
serve that master for the rest of his life.
18. Explain why you think that some of the people would love their masters so much that they
would not want to go free at the end of six years.
The love servant gives us a beautiful picture of the relationship that we should want to have
with Christ. Christ chose us to be His because He loved us. Christ bought us with His own
blood when we were slaves to sin. Now we are His servants. However, we should not feel that
we have to serve Christ because it is a requirement. Instead we should want to serve Christ
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because of our love for Him. If we are serving Christ because of our love for Him, we will
want to do more than just meet the requirements of any law. Instead we will have a desire to
love and serve Christ because of the fact that He gave His life for us. The Lord also reminded
the people of Israel that they were to give the first of their flock to the Lord.
19. Read Deuteronomy 15:12-23 and write what they were to do with the first-born of their
flocks.
20. Explain why Christians should want to serve the Lord because of their love for Him and not
because of any requirement to do so.
21. Explain what it means to you to be a love servant of Christ for the rest of your life.
The Lord told the people what they were to do with the first-born of their flocks. They were to
bring all of the first-born of their flocks as a sacrifice to the Lord. The people were to bring that
first-born animal to the tabernacle and offer it as a sacrifice unless the animal had a blemish. If
the animal had a blemish, it was to be eaten at home and the blood was to be poured out on the
ground. This was to make certain that they did not eat the blood. We go on to read about the
Passover. The purpose of the Passover was to help the people of Israel to remember the way
that the Lord had brought the people out of the land of Egypt.
22. Read Deuteronomy 16:1-12 and write how long the people were to eat unleavened bread at
the time of the Passover.
23. Explain why the Lord told the people of Israel that they were to bring the first-born animals
of their flock as a sacrifice to the Lord.
24. Explain why you think that it was important to the people of Israel to observe the Passover
every year to remember how the Lord brought them out of Egypt.
The reason why the people were not to eat bread with yeast in it was to show that they had
been forced to leave Egypt quickly. The people were also told to eat the Passover at the place
where the tabernacle was set up and not at their own homes. They were to eat the Passover at
the time that the sun went down. The lamb that was used for the Passover was to be roasted
over the fire. Then it was to be eaten at the place where God showed the people to set up the
tabernacle. Following the Passover, the people were to eat unleavened bread for six days. Then
the seventh day was to be a special day that was set apart to worship the Lord.
25. Read Deuteronomy 16:1-12 and write what the people were not to do on this special day of
worship.
26. Explain why all of the people were to gather together at the tabernacle each year to eat the
Passover together.
27. Explain why you think that God wanted the people to eat unleavened bread for seven days
each year right after the Passover.
The second feast that the people were to remember and celebrate was the Feast of Weeks. This
feast was also called the Feast of Harvest. This feast was to be a time when the people brought
a freewill offering to the Lord. The people were encouraged to give this offering according to
the way that the Lord had blessed them. This feast was to be a time for great rejoicing. The
people were to rejoice because the Lord had chosen to put His name among His people. This
was also a time when the people were to remember that they had once been slaves in Egypt.
This feast was seven weeks after the Passover and later came to be known as the Feast of
Pentecost. Just as the people of Israel were to rejoice because the Lord had chosen to put His
name among His people, we can also rejoice because of the fact that on the Day of Pentecost
the Lord sent the Holy Spirit to live in the life of each Christian.
28. Read Deuteronomy 16:1-12 and write how many people were to gather at the tabernacle to
celebrate the Feast of Weeks.
29. Explain what these verses teach about the way that the people were to celebrate the
Passover and the Feast of Weeks.
30. Explain why you are thankful that the Lord sent the Holy Spirit to live in your life when you
placed your trust in Christ.
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The third feast that the Jews were to celebrate each year was the Feast of Tabernacles. This was
a feast that lasted seven days. This feast happened after the people had completed their harvest
in the fall of the year. Because this feast happened after the end of the harvest, it was also a
time of great rejoicing and thanksgiving. This was a feast that was to include all of the people
including those who had no families of their own. No one was to miss out on this feast. Today
as Christians we also have much for which to be thankful. Our joy and thanksgiving should
also be shared with all Christians including those who have no families.
31. Read Deuteronomy 16:13-22 and write what kind of a feast the Feast of Tabernacles is
called.
32. Explain why the entire nation of Israel was to join together for a great time of rejoicing and
thanksgiving after the end of the fall harvest.
33. Explain why you think that it is important for Christians today to have times that are set
aside for rejoicing and thanksgiving.
The reason why the people were to have this feast was to show the Lord their thanks for what
He had done for them. The Lord was the One that had caused their fields to produce a good
harvest. The Lord also blessed the things that the people did with their hands. Because the
Lord had done all of these things for the people of Israel, God said that all of the people should
be filled with joy. If we will begin to think of all of the wonderful things that the Lord has done
for us, we will also be filled with joy and thanksgiving.
34. Read Deuteronomy 16:13-22 and write how often all of the men were to gather together
each year.
35. Explain why it was important for the people of Israel to have a time when they could look
back and give thanks to the Lord for all that He had done for them.
36. Explain why you own heart is filled with joy and thanksgiving when you take time to think
about all of the wonderful things that the Lord has done for you.
The Lord gave the people three feasts each year when the people would come together for a
week. All of the men of Israel were to gather at the tabernacle for those three feasts. When the
men gathered together, they were not to come with empty hands. Instead all of the men were to
come with an offering for the Lord. This offering was to be according to the ability of each
man to give. It was to be related to the way that the Lord had blessed each man. Today our
desire should also be to give to the Lord according to the way that God has blessed us. This is
one way that we can show our thanks.
37. Read Deuteronomy 16:13-22 and write what the people of Israel were to have at the gates of
each city.
38. Explain why it was important for the entire nation to come together three times each year to
give thanks to the Lord and to give an offering of thanks to the Lord.
39. Explain why you think that God wanted all of the men to gather together at the tabernacle
three times each year.
God also told the people that they were to have judges at each city gate to judge the cases of the
people. These judges were to judge each case with righteousness. They were not to take bribes
from the rich or take advantage of the poor. They were not to try and twist the words of those
who spoke. Instead they were to judge every case fairly and justly. Then they would enjoy the
blessing in the land that God had promised to them. The people were also warned not to plant
any groves where they might be tempted to worship idols.
40. Read Deuteronomy 16:13-22 and write what the people were told not to set up when they
settled in the land.
41. Explain why the people of Israel were warned that they were not to favor the rich or take
advantage of the poor in their judgment.
42. Explain why it is important to make certain that we treat all people fairly.
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Lesson 9
God knew that the day would come when the people of Israel would decide that they wanted a
king. God knew that they would do this so that they could be like the nations that were around
them. Even though God knew that they would be rejecting Him when they wanted a king, the
Lord did agree to let them have the king that He would choose. We will also learn in our study
today about the One that is called the Great Prophet. This will teach us certain lessons about
Christ. Since Christ is the Great Prophet, we will learn what the Lord taught the people of
Israel about the differences between true prophets and false prophets.
Explain what God said about those who worshiped idols.
Explain what God said about evil spirits.
Explain what you learn about the Great Prophet.
Explain what you learn about the cities of refuge.
Our study today begins with God reminding the people that they were not to offer any animals
that had any spots or blemishes on them. Then God went on to speak about those who
worshiped idols. God said that when the people heard that a certain person was worshiping
idols that the first thing that the people were to do was to make certain that the charge was true.
The Lord said that there must be at least two witnesses in order to make certain that the charge
was true. If it was true that the person had been worshiping idols, then that person was to be
stoned to death. The witnesses were to be the first ones to throw stones at the person that was
guilty of idol worship. Here we see that God wanted the people to clearly understand that idol
worship would produce serious consequences in their lives.
1. Read Deuteronomy 17:1-20 and write what happened if there was only one witness to the
fact that he saw the person worshiping idols.
2. Explain why God told the people of Israel that there must be at least two witnesses to
convict any person.
3. Explain why you think that the Lord wanted the people to clearly understand the severe
consequences of worshiping idols.
One witness could not convict a person because that witness might tell a lie in order to get the
other person killed. The Lord also told the people what they were to do when they could not
make a decision because the decision was too difficult. The people were to go to the tabernacle
and ask a priest or Levite to judge the case and make a decision. When the Lord showed the
people what to do, the people were to do exactly as the Lord had said. The people were not to
try and change the words of the judge in any way. If a person refused to do as the judge had
said, that person was to be put to death. Such rebellion and evil was not to be allowed to
remain in Israel.
4. Read Deuteronomy 17:1-20 and write what God said the people would do when they heard
how the rebellion was judged.
5. Explain why the Lord developed a justice system that may provision for the settlement of
even the hard cases.
6. Explain why you think that when the Lord showed the people what to do in hard cases that
they were to do exactly what He said.
God said here that a strict judgment would cause the people to do right because of fear even
when they would not do right because of the law. The Lord also knew that the day would come
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when the people would decide that they wanted a king. They would want a king so that they
would be like the nations that were around them. Here we have a reminder of the fact that
many people want to be as much like the world as possible instead of choosing to follow the
Lord. God said that He would be the One that would choose their king. They were warned that
they were not to choose any foreigner to be their king.
7. Read Deuteronomy 17:1-20 and write the first thing that God said that a king was not to
multiply to himself.
8. Explain why the Lord knew that the day would come when the people of Israel would want a
king so that they could be like the nations around them.
9. Explain why you think that many people still want to be closely conformed to the world
instead of allowing the Lord to transform their lives.
God said that the king was not to try and get the people to return to Egypt. The Lord also
warned the king not to try and get many horses, many wives or great riches. All three of these
things would cause a king to turn away from the Lord. Instead the king was to make a copy of
the law so that he would know the Word of God. The king was to read a part of the Word of
God every day. God said that this was the only way that a king would learn to fear Him. As a
king studied the Word of God each day for his entire life, he would learn to depend on the Lord
for strength instead of trying to lead the people of Israel in his own strength.
10. Read Deuteronomy 17:1-20 and write what the king was to do in addition to reading the
Word of God.
11. Explain what God taught the people of Israel about what a king was to do when they
demanded a king to lead them.
12. Explain why you think that the Lord said that every king was to write a personal copy of the
Word of God and then read part of it every day.
The Levites were reminded of the fact that they would not have a separate inheritance. Instead
the Lord was to be their inheritance. God had said that the Levites were to spend their time
serving the Lord and carrying out the work that He had for them. As a result, the people were
to give them a tithe to supply their daily needs. We also read that part of the sacrifice was to be
given to the priest for food for him and his family. The first of the crops and the first wool from
a sheep was also to be given to the priests. In this way God was going to provide for the needs
of both the Levites and the priests.
13. Read Deuteronomy 18:1-14 and write what God told the people that they were not to learn
when they came into the land.
14. Explain why God told Israel exactly what they were to do to help supply the needs of the
Levites and the priests.
15. Explain why you think that it was important for the Levites and priests to be free to serve
the Lord at all times.
The Lord knew how terrible the sins of the people were that lived in the land of Canaan. First
we read about the sacrifices of the people in the land. We read that the people of the land
offered their own children as sacrifices. They caused their children to pass through the fire.
We also learn how the people tried to find out about the future. Divination was using some
object such as a crystal or a crystal ball to predict the future. An observer of times is one that
studied horoscopes. An enchanter was one who claimed the power to cast out evil spirits.
16. Read Deuteronomy 18:1-14 and write the next kind of false prophet that is mentioned in this
passage.
17. Explain why the many sinful practices that involved demonic activity was part of the reason
why God said to completely destroy the people of Canaan.
18. Explain why you think that when people turn to idols that they often turn against their own
children and even destroy them.
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A witch was one that practiced evil arts such as casting evil spells through the power of evil
spirits. Charmers were people that controlled poisonous snakes through demon power. A
wizard was a male witch. A consulter of mediums and a necromancer were people who
claimed that they had the power to talk to the spirits of the dead through the power of demons.
Such people actually had one or more demons that had taken possession of their bodies. The
people of Israel were not to get involved in any demonic activity. They were to serve the Lord
only.
19. Read Deuteronomy 18:1-14 and write what God said Israel was to do instead of follow any
of these forms of evil.
20. Explain what God said about those who chose to practice evil through demonic power.
21. Explain why you think that people that turn to demons for power will eventually begin
using that power to destroy others.
After warning the people of Israel about false prophets and others that depended on demonic
power to do what they do, the Lord went on to talk about the one that is the True Prophet. Of
course this is referring to Christ. Christ is the One that is the True Prophet. God said that the
True Prophet would come from the nation of Israel. He was the One to whom the people of
Israel should listen. God had told Moses about the One that would be the True Prophet when
Moses had gone up on Mount Sinai to receive the law. God has said that this Prophet would
speak to the people for God.
22. Read Deuteronomy 18:15-22 and write what God said that this future Prophet would speak.
23. Explain why it is important that God chose to tell Israel nearly 1500 years before His birth
that a True Prophet would arise from the nation of Israel.
24. Explain why you are thankful that Christ is the True Prophet that both spoke for God and
also gave His life for us.
God said that this True Prophet would speak all that God commanded Him. Christ said that He
did not speak of His own initiative but spoke the words that the Father told Him to speak. As a
result, the words of the Father and of Christ are in complete agreement. In fact there are in
complete agreement about everything because they are One. God warned the people of Israel
that the people that did not listen to the True Prophet would be judged. People cannot escape
judgment if they fail to listen to Christ. Because Christ is the True Prophet, God wanted the
people to know how to recognize false prophets so that they would not be deceived by them.
25. Read Deuteronomy 18:15-22 and write what God said would happen to any person that was
a false prophet.
26. Explain why Christ made it clear that He did not speak of His own initiative but instead
spoke the words that the Father told Him to speak.
27. Explain why you think that God told Israel nearly 1500 years in advance that the True
Prophet would speak the words that God told Him to speak.
A false prophet was any person that claimed to speak for God and spoke words that God had
not commanded the person to speak. If a man even suggested to the people that they should
follow other gods or claimed that another god had given him the power to speak, that person
was a false prophet. Anyone that made a single prediction about the future that did not come
true was a false prophet. Today we have many people that are making predictions about the
future. A few of these predictions come true but most do not. God says that if even one
prophecy does not come true that the person is a false prophet. Israel was to put all false
prophets to death so that they could not continue to lead others the wrong way.
28. Read Deuteronomy 18:15-22 and write what God told the people of Israel about a prophet
that spoke something that did not come true.
29. Explain why God said that a person that made even one prediction that was not true was a
false prophet.
30. Explain why you think that God told Israel that they were to put any false prophet to death.
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In the book of Numbers we learned that God chose three cities to be cities of refuge on the east
side of the Jordan River. Now the Lord gave the people instructions about choosing three cities
to be cities of refuge in the land of Israel. The land was to be divided into three parts and each
part was to have a city of refuge where a person could go for protection if he accidentally killed
another person. The cities of refuge were only for those who killed another person by accident.
They were not a place of protection for those who were murderers. A murderer was to be put to
death for his sin.
31. Read Deuteronomy 19:1-21 and write what a man who killed another was not to have felt
toward the one that he killed by accident.
32. Explain why God made it very clear that the cities of refuge were only for those who
accidentally killed someone and that murderers were not protected.
33. Explain why you think that it is important for each person to understand the difference
between accidental death and murder.
If a man had hate in his heart when he killed another person, the death was not an accident.
That death was murder and the murderer was to be put to death. God gives us an example of an
accidental death. If two men were working in the woods together and one had the head of his
ax come off the handle and hit the other man and kill him, that was considered an accident. The
man that had been using the ax could flee to the city of refuge and be protected. The city of
refuge was to be close enough so that no one would catch him and kill him before he reached
the city of refuge.
34. Read Deuteronomy 19:1-21 and write how many more cities of refuge the people wert to
add if God increased the size of the land of Israel.
35. Explain why it was important for the Lord to give the people of Israel an illustration of what
was meant by accidental death.
36. Explain why you think that God wanted the cities of refuge close enough to any area so that
a person who killed accidentally could flee there.
God gave these cities so that the blood of innocent men would not be shed. However, they
were not to protect the murderer. If one man killed another man because of hate and then fled
to the city of refuge, there was a trial for that man. If there were two witnesses that had seen the
hate of the man that killed the other person, that murderer was condemned to death. He was
taken out of the city of refuge so that the avenger of blood could kill him. The people were not
to show any pity to the murderer. He must die.
37. Read Deuteronomy 19:1-21 and write what the people were not to remove.
38. Explain what these verses teach about the difference between accidental death and murder.
39. Explain why a person that was guilty of murder was to be tried and then put to death for the
murder.
God also knew that it was possible that false witnesses would try to tell lies about another
person in order to get that person killed. In order to prevent one person from telling lies about
another person, God said that He would show who was telling the truth. If a man told lies in
order to get another person put to death, the liar was to be put to death instead. The liar was to
receive whatever judgment he was trying to get against the other person. God said that this was
to be done so that the other people would hear and fear.
40. Read Deuteronomy 19:1-21 and write why God said that they should judge the liar in this
way.
41. Explain why a person that gave false witness was to receive the punishment that he was
trying to cause another person to receive.
42. Explain how this warning about false witnesses shows you that God considers it a very
serious sin to be a false witness.
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Lesson 10
God knew that the people of Israel would be fighting many other nations in the future of the
nation of Israel. As a result, God gave Israel many instructions about what they were to do
when they went to war with another city or nation. God told the people of Israel that there were
certain men that should not go and fight. Instead there were reasons why those men were not to
fight at that time. Then God told the people of Israel how they were to fight against other cities.
In addition, God told the people of Israel what they were to do with the people that they
captured.
Explain why God said that certain people were not to go to war.
Explain how God said that the people were to fight.
Explain what was to be done when a man was found dead in a field.
Explain what God said about a disobedient son.
The Lord knew that the people of Israel would be fighting against great and powerful enemies.
These people would have horses and chariots. However, the people of Israel were not to be
afraid of these enemies. Instead the people were to remember how the Lord had brought the
people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. Before the fight began, the priest was to speak to the
armies of Israel. The priest was to encourage the people not to be afraid of their enemies.
Instead the priest was to remind the people that the Lord would fight for them. The Lord would
fight against their enemies and so the people were to trust the Lord for victory.
1. Read Deuteronomy 20:1-9 and write who would go with the people as they went to fight
against their enemies.
2. Explain why it was important for the priest to remind the people how the Lord had fought
for them in the past before they faced the enemy.
3. Explain why you think that the army would be encouraged when they heard the priest tell
what the Lord had done for them in the past.
The Lord said that there were several groups of people that were not to go with the army of
Israel when Israel went to fight against another nation. A man that had built a new house but
had not dedicated his house or moved into his house was not to go to war. His house was to be
dedicated first before he went to war. A man that had planted a grape field and had not eaten
any of the fruit from it yet was not to go and fight. He was to enjoy the fruit of his vineyard
before he went to fight. Otherwise that man might be killed in battle before he had eaten any of
the grapes from that vineyard.
4. Read Deuteronomy 20:1-9 and write the third group of men that were not to go and fight
against other nations.
5. Explain why a person that had built a new house or planted a new vineyard was not to go to
war.
6. Explain why you think that God wanted the people to enjoy the blessings that the Lord had
given them before they went to war.
God was the One that established the first marriage when He brought Adam and Eve together in
the Garden of Eden. For this reason, God had always placed a very high value on marriage.
God said that a man that was engaged was not to go and fight until he had married the woman.
In Deuteronomy 24 we will learn that he was not to go and fight until he had been married for
an entire year. God wanted a couple that was just getting married to have time to get their
home strongly established. As a result, God did not want anything to hinder the establishment
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of the home.
7. Read Deuteronomy 20:1-9 and write what the leaders were to allow the fearful and the
fainthearted to do.
8. Explain why God said that a man that was engaged was not to go and fight until after he had
married the woman.
9. Explain why you think that God wanted a new married couple to get their home established
before the husband went to war.
The Lord only wanted men to go to battle that had their trust in Him. Those men that did not
have their trust in the Lord for strength would be fearful. As a result, God said that those who
were fearful and afraid were also to go home instead of going to the battle. Those who were in
fear because they trusted their own strength might discourage the other soldiers so that even
more soldiers became fearful. We can learn an important lesson from the fearful and the
fainthearted. Today God is looking for Christians that are depending on Him for strength. God
knows that Christians that are depending on His strength will be able to fight against the powers
of Satan. Those who are depending on their own strength will be controlled by fear.
10. Read Deuteronomy 20:1-9 and write what the people were to appoint to lead the people in
battle.
11. Explain why the Lord said that all of the men that were fearful or afraid were to go home
instead of going to the battle.
12. Explain why you think that the Lord wants Christians to learn to depend on Him for
strength instead of depending on their own strength.
God also told the people of Israel that they were to give a city a choice when they went to fight
against that city. Israel was to send messengers to the city and ask the leaders of the city if they
would like to surrender. In this way the enemies were always given a choice. If the city
surrendered, the people of the city were to become the servants of the people of Israel.
However, if the city refused to surrender, then the army of Israel was to come and fight against
that city. The army was to surround the city and fight against the city until it was captured.
13. Read Deuteronomy 20:10-20 and write what the army of Israel was to do to the men of the
city when God gave Israel victory.
14. Explain why God said that it was important to give the people of a city a choice to surrender
or to fight and not just to go and fight against that city.
15. Explain why you think that God said that the men of those cities that surrendered were not
to be killed but were to become servants instead.
All of the men of the city were to be killed if that city chose to fight against Israel. However,
the people of Israel could take the women, the children, the cattle and the possessions of that
city as a reward for themselves. Then God went on to explain that the people were only to do
this to cities that were far from them. They were not to do the same to the cities that were in
their own land. God said that they were not to allow anyone to live in the cities in their own
land. God said that the people in the land of Canaan were to be completely destroyed because
of their sin. Israel was actually carrying out the judgment of God for their sin on those nations
that lived in the land of Canaan.
16. Read Deuteronomy 20:10-20 and write why Israel was to destroy all of the people that
lived in the land of Canaan.
17. Explain why God said that the people of Israel were only to give the choice to surrender or
fight to those cities that were far from them.
18. Explain why you realize that the reason that God said to destroy the cities of Canaan was to
judge the people of those cities for their sin.
God knew that the people of Israel would soon begin to follow the sinful practices of the people
of the land if any of the people of Canaan were allowed to live. When the people of Israel
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fought against a city, they were not to cut any of the fruit trees to use to build a tower from
which to fight. The fruit trees help to keep people alive. For this reason they were only to use
those trees that produced no fruit to build a tower. That way there would be food for the people
of Israel that moved into the area after Israel captured the city.
19. Read Deuteronomy 20:10-20 and write how long the people of Israel were to fight with
those cities that chose to fight against them.
20. Explain what these verses teach about the way that Israel was to fight both against cities in
Canaan and against cities that were further away from them.
21. Explain why you think the people of Israel were not to destroy any fruit trees when they
fought against a city.
God knew that after the people reached the land of promise that there would be times when a
person would be killed and no one would know who had killed the person. Since the people
would not know who was guilty of the murder, they could not shed the blood of the murderer.
For this reason, the closest city to the site of the murder was to offer a sacrifice to make
atonement. The leaders of the people were to measure and find what city was the closest city to
the place where the dead person was laying. Then the men of the closest city were to bring a
sacrifice.
22. Read Deuteronomy 21:1-9 and write what kind of an animal the people of that city were to
bring as a sacrifice.
23. Explain why the Lord said that the leaders of the closest city were to offer a sacrifice as an
atonement when a person was killed but no one knew who killed the person.
24. Explain why you think that the Lord said that any person who was killed was to have an
atonement made if the guilty person could not be identified.
This heifer for the atonement was to be a heifer that had never done any work. The leaders of
the city were to bring the heifer to a valley where no one had planted any crops. There they
were to cut off the head of the heifer. The priests were to come near and listen to the words of
the elders as the elders followed the instructions of the Lord. The elders of the city that were
close relatives of the dead man were to wash their hands over the dead body of the heifer. This
was to show that they were not guilty and also to show that they did not know who was guilty
of killing the dead person.
25. Read Deuteronomy 21:1-9 and write what these men were to say as they washed their
hands.
26. Explain why the elders of the city that were close relatives were to testify that they had not
killed the person and also that they did not know who had killed the person.
27. Explain why you think it was important for the leaders to testify that they had no knowledge
of who had killed the person.
These men were to testify that they were innocent. Then they were to ask God to show His love
and mercy to the people of that city. They were to pray that God would not hold this sin against
all of the people of Israel. God said that He would not condemn the people if the elders of the
city would offer a sacrifice. Instead God would forgive the people. The innocent blood would
be removed from the people. This would be true because the people had done right in the sight
of God. They had been obedient and offered the sacrifice that God required.
28. Read Deuteronomy 21:1-9 and write what God said that the people had done by being
obedient to Him.
29. Explain why God said that the closest city was to offer a sacrifice when the murderer could
not be found.
30. Explain why you think that God said that He would forgive the people when they were
obedient to His Word.
We saw that the people of Israel were allowed to keep the women and children as servants
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when Israel won a victory over a foreign city. Because of the beauty of some of these foreign
women, God knew that some of the men of Israel would decide to marry some of these foreign
women. As a result, God told the men of Israel what to do before they married a foreign
woman. She was to shave her hair and trim her nails and then have a time of mourning for her
parents for a month. Then the man could take the woman as his wife.
31. Read Deuteronomy 21:10-23 and write what the man was not allowed to do if he decided
that he did not like the woman.
32. Explain why the men of Israel were to allow a foreign woman to have a time of mourning
for her parents before a man of Israel married the woman.
33. Explain why you think that God wanted to make certain that the foreign women were
treated with respect and concern was shown for their feelings.
If a man married a slave, he was required to give her freedom if he divorced her. He could not
sell her to someone else. In this way her rights were also protected. If a man had two wives, he
was required to give the double portion to the son that was born first even if that son was not
the son of his favorite wife. Even it the man had come to the point of hating the wife of the
oldest son that man was still to give the double portion to the oldest son. That was the right of
the first-born. Nothing that happened could change that right.
34. Read Deuteronomy 21:10-23 and write what kind of a son is mentioned next.
35. Explain why a man that married a slave could not sell her to someone else but had to give
the woman her freedom if he divorced her.
36. Explain why you think that a man could not show special favor to the oldest son of a
favorite wife if the man had more than one wife.
If a son refused to listen to his parents even when the parents disciplined him, the parents were
to take that son to the rulers that sat at the gate of the city. They were to tell these elders that
their son was stubborn and rebellions. They were to tell how he refused to even listen to his
parents. They were to say that he would not obey them. Then the elders of the city were to take
the young man outside of the city and stone him with stones. Here we see that God wanted the
children of the families of Israel to obey their parents. God required a very stiff punishment for
any children that refused to obey their parents.
37. Read Deuteronomy 21:10-23 and write what other way in addition to stoning a person could
be put to death for sin.
38. Explain why the rulers of a city were to judge a son that was totally rebellious toward his
parents.
39. Explain why you think that God said that disobedient and rebellious sons should be stoned
to death.
God said that all of the children in the land of Israel would hear what had happened. This
would cause them to learn to fear and respect their parents if they heard that a disobedient son
was put to death. Then God went on to talk about a man that was put to death by hanging.
When a man was killed by hanging, the body of that man was not to remain hanging from that
tree during the night. Instead that man was to be buried the same day that he was hung. God
said that any person that was hung on a tree was accursed by God. This is why Christ was hung
on a cross. He became a curse for us so that we might receive the righteousness of God through
Him.
40. Read Deuteronomy 21:10-23 and write why God said that a body was not to hang on a tree
during the night.
41. Explain why God said that any person that was hanged on a tree was accursed by God.
42. Explain why you think that Christ was willing to become a curse for us in order to pay for
our sin.
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Lesson 11
The first institution that God established after He created Adam was the institution of marriage.
God performed the first marriage when He brought Eve to Adam and they became husband and
wife. They established the first home. Because God feels that the home is so important, God
gave many instructions to protect the home. We will be studying a number of these regulations
today. We will learn what God said about a woman that was accused by her husband of being
unfaithful before marriage. We will also learn what God told the people of Israel about divorce.
Explain what God said about the way that we should show concern for other
people and for animals.
Explain what God said about a woman that was accused of being unfaithful.
Explain what God said about uncleanness.
Explain what God said about divorce.
God wanted the people of Israel to learn to respect the rights of others. As a result, God said
that when a man found the animal of another person that he was to return the animal to the
owner of the animal. If the owner lived a long way from the home of the man that found the
animal, the finder was to keep the animal until the owner came for it. Then he was to return the
animal to the owner. Anything else that belonged to another person was also to be returned to
the owner. If a person saw the animal of another person fall into a ditch that person was to help
the animal out of the ditch so that the animal would not die in the ditch.
1. Read Deuteronomy 22:1-12 and write what a woman and a man were not to wear.
2. Explain why God said that a person was to care for an animal that he found and return it to
the owner or care for it until the owner came for it.
3. Explain why you think that the Lord has a concern for the animals as well as a concern for
people.
A woman was not to wear the clothing of a man. A man was not to wear the clothing of a
woman. Today we have many people who wear the clothing or at least the underclothing of
people of the opposite sex. We see that such things were already happening at the time that
Israel entered into the land of promise. However, we see that the Lord told the people of Israel
that they were not to follow the practices of the other nations. We have seen many times that
they were to be a holy people set apart to the Lord. As a result, they were not to wear the
clothing of the opposite sex. God also said that when the people took the young or the eggs of a
bird that they were to let the bird go free. God also told the people to build a wall around the
sides of their flat roofs so that no one would fall off the roof. Otherwise the people would bring
blood on their houses.
4. Read Deuteronomy 22:1-12 and write what animals were not to plow together in the field.
5. Explain why God said that the people of Israel were not to wear the clothing of the opposite
sex.
6. Explain why you think that God wanted the people of Israel to be different than the
surrounding nations in many different ways.
The Lord also gave several instructions about separation. The people were not to plant different
kinds of seed in the same field. They were not to use two different kinds of animals to work
together. Such animals would not be able to work together as a team. The Lord also told the
people not to use different kinds of materials in the same piece of clothing. The people were
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told to make a blue fringe upon the edge of their clothes. This blue fringe was to show that the
people of Israel were a separate people that had been set apart to serve God. By keeping the
people of Israel as a separate people, God was keeping them as a separate people so that the
promises given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob about the One that would come from Israel could
be fulfilled.
7. Read Deuteronomy 22:1-12 and write what God said sowing different seeds together would
do to the fruit or a vineyard for Israel.
8. Explain why God wanted the people of Israel to be set apart as a separate nation and gave
several distinct ways to keep them a separate people.
9. Explain why you think that it was important for God to keep Israel as a separate people until
Christ was born.
Sometimes a man would marry a woman and then later accuse her of not being a virgin when
he had married her. Such an accusation would bring an evil name on the woman even if the
woman was innocent. In order to protect the woman if she was innocent, the parents could
bring the proof to the elders that their daughter was a virgin when she married the man. Then
the elders were to take the man and beat him for trying to destroy the good name of his wife.
Such a man was not allowed to divorce his wife as long as he lived. However, if the wife was
guilty, then the wife was to be stoned to death so that sin would not continue to remain in the
land.
10. Read Deuteronomy 22:13-30 and write why God said that such a woman was to be stoned
to death.
11. Explain why God gave instructions to protect the women of Israel so that their husbands did
not accuse them falsely.
12. Explain why you think that a man was not allowed to divorce his wife if he had accused her
falsely.
God did not want the sinful practices of the Canaanites to be allowed to continue in the land
when Israel received the land. Otherwise the people of Israel would be encouraged to join in
the sins of the nations. God said that if a man was caught having a sexual relationship with a
married woman that both of them were to be put to death. If a girl that was engaged had a man
come and have sexual relationships with her while she was in a city, both the man and the
woman were to be stoned to death. She was to be stoned because she had not called for help.
He was to be stoned because he had sexual relationships with a woman that was promised to
another man. God said many times that there are to be no sexual relationships outside of
marriage.
13. Read Deuteronomy 22:13-30 and write who was to die if the man forced the woman in an
open field.
14. Explain why a man and woman were both to be stoned if they were caught committing
adultery in a city.
15. Explain why you think that God said that a man was to be stoned if he had sexual
relationships with a woman that was promised to another man.
The man was to be put to death because he was guilty of rape. The woman was not to be put to
death because there was no one to help her out in an open field. If a man had a sexual
relationship with a virgin, he was required to pay fifty shekels to the father of the girl. Then the
girl became his wife. Because of the sin of the man, he could never divorce the girl in the
future. The men were also warned that they were not to marry the wife of their father. Here we
see that God gave the people of Israel a number of instructions about sexual relationships.
16. Read Deuteronomy 22:13-30 and write why a man could not divorce a virgin with whom
the man had sexual relationships.
17. Explain what these verses teach you about the fact that God considers sexual sin a very
serious sin.
18. Explain why you think that God said that a man that had sexual relationships with a woman
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before he married her was never allowed to divorce her.
God spoke of several people that were not to be a part of the nation of Israel in its worship.
First God said that a man who did not have his sexual organs was not to join Israel in its
worship. Then God said a bastard was not to be included in their worship. A bastard was a
man that was born because of sexual relationships between a parent and a child or a brother and
a sister. Such sin is also called incest. God also said that the people of Moab and Ammon were
not to have any part in the worship of Israel because of their sin. Edom and Egypt had shown
kindness to Israel in the past and so God said that they could worship with Israel beginning with
the third generation of the people of those nations.
19. Read Deuteronomy 23:1-25 and write what the people were to keep away from when they
fought their enemies.
20. Explain why God said that Moab and Ammon were not to be included in the worship of
Israel.
21. Explain why you think that God chose to allow the people of Edom and Egypt to join in the
worship of Israel after the third generation.
When the men of Israel went out to fight against another nation, they were to remember that
they were the people of God. They were to avoid all evil temptations that might come to them
as they were on the battlefield. While they were on the battlefield, they were to obey the same
laws about cleansing that they obeyed when they were at home. A man that was unclean was to
stay outside of the camp until evening. Then he could come into the camp after he had washed
himself. The people were also to use a shovel to cover the wastes that came from their bodies.
22. Read Deuteronomy 23:1-25 and write who walked in the middle of the camp of Israel.
23. Explain why God gave the people of Israel instructions about cleansing even when they
were at war.
24. Explain why you think that God said that the people were to avoid any temptation to sin that
might come on the battlefield.
The people of Israel were to keep the Lord in the center of their lives at all times just as we
should do today. A servant that escaped from a master in another country was to be allowed to
live in the land of Israel. He was not to be returned to his master. The people of Israel were not
to allow their daughters or their sons to become religious prostitutes. The money that had been
paid to a harlot or a sodomite was never to be brought to the tabernacle. Such money was evil
in the sight of God. God also said that the people of Israel were not to charge interest to the
other men of Israel. They could only collect interest from a foreigner.
25. Read Deuteronomy 23:1-25 and write what the people were to do when they vowed a vow
to God.
26. Explain why God said that it was important for the people of Israel to keep the Lord in the
center of their lives at all times.
27. Explain why you think that God said that the money that was paid to a prostitute or a
sodomite was never to be brought to the tabernacle.
God wanted His people to keep their word. If the people made a promise to God, they were to
keep that promise or it would be a sin in the sight of God. God said that it was better not to
make a vow than to make a vow and break it. If the people promised to give a certain offering
to the Lord, they were to make sure that they gave that offering to the Lord. The people were
also allowed to eat fruit from the fields of their neighbors as they walked through the fields.
However, they were not allowed to take any fruit other than what they ate as they walked
through the fields.
28. Read Deuteronomy 23:1-25 and write what God said it would be if people failed to keep
their vows to God.
29. Explain what these verses teach about the importance of people keeping their promises to
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the Lord.
30. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to always keep any promises that you
make.
Because of the hardness of the hearts of the people, God did allow a man to divorce his wife.
However, this was only allowed if he found some uncleanness in her. If a man did divorce his
wife, he was to give his wife a letter of divorce. Then she was free to go and marry another
man. Once a woman married another man, God said that she was never allowed to marry the
first husband again even if her second husband died or divorced her. God said that such a
marriage would cause the land to be filled with sin and God wanted His people to be a holy
people.
31. Read Deuteronomy 24:1-22 and write how long a man was to wait after he married a wife
before he went to war.
32. Explain what these verses teach about divorce.
33. Explain why you think that God did not allow a woman to be remarried to her first husband
if she had married another husband and the second husband had died.
God wanted a man and his new wife to have a year together before this togetherness was
interrupted by war or business. This was to allow time for their love and understanding of each
other to grow. The men of Israel were not to charge interest but they could keep something as a
pledge that the person would repay. However, they were not to keep as a pledge anything that a
man needed to earn a living such as a millstone. A man that stole other people and sold them as
slaves was to be put to death. The people were also warned to follow all of the instructions
about leprosy. Otherwise the disease might spread from that person to many other people.
34. Read Deuteronomy 24:1-22 and write who the people were to remember to remind them
about the danger of leprosy.
35. Explain why God made it clear that a newly married couple was to have time for their love
and understanding to grow before the husband went to war.
36. Explain why you think that it is important for newly married couples today to have time to
develop their love for each other and grow in their understanding of one another.
God also gave several instructions to protect the poor. A man was to wait outside a house to
receive a pledge. He was not to go into the house and get the pledge for himself. The pledge of
a poor man was to be returned before evening. The people were also warned not to be cruel to a
servant. A servant was to receive his wages when he requested them because he was poor and
needed the money for food. God also said that a father was not to die for the sins of his
children. In the same way, a child was not to die for the sins of his father. Every person was to
be responsible for his own sins.
37. Read Deuteronomy 24:1-22 and write what the people were to do when they cut their grain
and forgot a sheaf of grain in the field.
38. Explain why the people of Israel were taught that it was important to have a great concern
for the poor and needy.
39. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to have a concern for the poor and the
needy.
God also provided for those families where the husband had died. No one was to take
advantage of the wife or the children. The Lord said that He would punish any people that took
advantage of the needy just as He had punished Egypt for taking advantage of Israel. When the
people harvested their fields, they were to allow some to remain in the fields for the needy.
They were also to leave any olives on the tree that they did not get the first time so that the poor
could gather these olives. They were also instructed to leave a few grapes in their vineyards.
40. Read Deuteronomy 24:1-22 and write who was to receive the things that were left in the
fields, on the trees or in the vineyards.
41. Explain why God showed that He had a great concern for the fatherless and the widows.
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42. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to help and encourage the widows and
the children whose fathers have died.
learned from these chapters today.
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Lesson 12
The Lord wanted His people to serve and obey Him. As a result, God told the people that there
were certain things that would bring a blessing to them. There were other things that would
bring a curse to the people. Here we see that the Lord wanted the people to realize that they had
a choice. They could choose to do the things that would result in blessing or they could choose
to do the things that would bring a curse. Today we will be learning about the things that would
bring a curse on the people. The people were warned about those things so that they would
know how to live the way that God wanted them to live. If they chose to rebel, they would
bring a curse on themselves.
Explain why God said that every family was to be continued.
Explain about the offering of the firstfruits.
Explain what God said about building an altar.
Explain what things God said would bring a curse.
When two men had a disagreement, they were to bring their case to the judges to be tried. Then
the judges were to determine which man was innocent and which man was guilty. If the judged
decided that the man had done something that was evil enough to deserve a beating, they were
to cause the man to lie down. Then they were to beat him according to the evil that he had
done. However, they were not to give him more than forty stripes. Otherwise he would lose
respect for the judges and they would consider him completely evil. The people were also told
to allow an ox to eat while it worked in the fields.
1. Read Deuteronomy 25:1-19 and write who was to marry a woman whose husband had died
before they had any children.
2. Explain why the Lord said that people were to ask the judges to determine who was innocent
and who was guilty when there was a disagreement.
3. Explain why you think that the Lord said that they were not to give a guilty person more
than forty stripes.
The brother of a man who died was to marry the wife of his brother so that the family would be
continued on as a family in the nation of Israel. The first child was to be named after the
brother that had died. Then that child carried on the name of the brother. If a man refused to
marry the wife of a dead brother, she was to go and tell the elders of the city. Then the elders
were to call the brother and ask him if what the woman was saying was true. If the man then
still refused to marry the wife of his brother, she was to take off his shoe and spit in his face.
This was a testimony of the fact that he would not take his responsibility to raise up children for
his brother.
4. Read Deuteronomy 25:1-19 and write what name was to be given to such a man.
5. Explain what these verses teach about the importance of carrying on the name of a brother.
6. Explain why you think that God wanted men to take the responsibility to raise up children
for a brother that had died.
If two men were fighting together, the wife of one man was not to try and stop the fight by
grabbing the sexual organs of the other man. God said that such a thing was very evil and the
woman was to have her hand cut off. God also warned the people that they were not to have
two separate sets of weights. Instead they were to use the same weights for both buying and
selling. This way the people would be honest in all of their trading. God promised the people
that they would have a long life if they were honest in their dealings with other people.
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7. Read Deuteronomy 25:1-19 and write what the people of Israel were told to remember about
Amalek.
8. Explain why God said that the people of Israel were to use the same weights both when they
were buying and when they were selling.
9. Explain why you think that God promised the people that the reward for honesty would be
long life.
The army of Amalek had come around behind the people of Israel as they were traveling
through the wilderness. Then the army of Amalek began to fight against the weak and the
feeble that were at the back of the line of march. The army of Amalek did this because they did
not fear and respect God. As a result, God said that the nation of Amalek must be judged. God
said that He would use Israel to judge Amalek after God had given Israel rest from the rest of its
enemies. God said that Israel was to completely destroy the people of Amalek so that there
would not be a single person left from that nation.
10. Read Deuteronomy 25:1-19 and write what God said should be done to the name of
Amalek.
11. Explain why God said that the nation of Amalek must be judged for attacking the weak and
the feeble.
12. Explain some of the ways that you can show the concern of the Lord for the weak and the
feeble.
God told the people that when they came into the land that they were to bring the first fruits of
the land to the place where the tabernacle of Israel was to be set up. Then they were to tell how
the Lord had given them these first fruits. This was actually a short review of the history of the
nation of Israel beginning with the time when Jacob left the land of Canaan and went down into
the land of Egypt. This review included a review of how God had brought the people of Israel
out of the land of Egypt and into a land flowing with milk and honey. They were to review this
history as they brought their first fruits to the Lord and came to worship the Lord.
13. Read Deuteronomy 26:1-19 and write what was to cause these people to rejoice as they
brought their first fruits.
14. Explain why the people were to review how the Lord had worked in the history of Israel
when they brought their first fruits to the Lord
15. Explain why you think that it is important for all people to remember how the Lord has
worked in the past.
The Lord also told the people what they were to say about their tithes. First the people were to
give their tithes to the Levites, the strangers, the fatherless and the widows. Then they were to
tell the Lord what they had given. It is important to notice that the people were to tell the Lord
what they had given to Him and not to tell what they had given to other people. People like to
boast to other people about the things that they have done. However, we are not to boast to
people but rather to thank the Lord for what He has done and ask Him to bless them. Here we
see that the Lord will bless us if we are obedient and do not boast about what we have done.
16. Read Deuteronomy 26:1-19 and write how the people were to keep and do the
17. Explain why the people were instructed to tell the Lord what they had given to Him instead
of telling other people.
18. Explain why it is important in your own life to have a humble attitude and not boast about
the things that you have done.
The people of Israel were instructed to keep and do the commandments of the Lord from the
bottom of their hearts and souls. This meant that obedience to the Lord was to come from their
inner person because it was a decision and attitude of the heart. The Lord told His people that
He would make them greater than any other nation if they would do these things. They would
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also be a holy people unto the Lord. Today the desire of the Lord is the same for us as it was
for the people of Israel. First, the Lord wants us to know what He says. Then God wants us to
do and obey what He says. When we do what the Lord says, we should do it with love from the
bottom of our hearts.
19. Read Deuteronomy 26:1-19 and write what the Lord promised to make the nation of Israel
20. Explain why it is important to keep and do the commandments of the Lord with all our heart
and soul.
21. Explain why it is important for you in your own life to do what you do for the Lord because
of the love that He has shown to you.
In order to help the people of Israel remember and obey the commandments of God, the Lord
told the people what they were to do when they had crossed the Jordan River. The people were
to gather great stones and plaster them with plaster. Then they were to write all of the words of
the law on these plastered stones. These stones were to be in a place where all of the people
could see them. In this way the people would be continually reminded of the Word of God.
Every time that the people passed that place they would be able to read the Word of God.
22. Read Deuteronomy 27:1-8 and write where the people were to set up these stones so that the
people would see them.
23. Explain why the people of Israel were to write the law in a place where it would be seen by
all of the people.
24. Explain why you think that the Lord wanted the people to be able to regularly read the law
that He had given to them.
Mount Ebal was near the center of the land that God had promised to the people of Israel. It
was also an excellent meeting place. There was a small valley between Mount Ebal and Mount
Gerizim. By gathering on the sides of these two mountains, all of the people of Israel could
hear one person speak. This meant that this was the perfect gathering place when the entire
nation of Israel gathered together. As a result, this was the place where they were to plaster the
stones and write the law of God on them. They were also to build an altar of stones in order to
offer sacrifices to the Lord.
25. Read Deuteronomy 27:1-8 and write what the people were not to lift up on the stones of this
altar.
26. Explain why the Lord said that the people were to make Mount Ebal the place where the
whole nation would gather together.
27. Explain why you think that the Lord wanted a place where the people of Israel could gather
together to hear the Word of God and offer sacrifices to Him.
God said that the people were not to use iron tools to make these rocks smooth and beautiful.
God knew the hearts of the people. God knew that the people would the begin to worship their
own efforts. Instead the people were to build the altar with the stones just as they were. Then
God said that the people were to write the law very plainly on the pieces of stone that they had
plastered. God wanted to make certain that the law was written clearly and plainly so that none
of the people would have any excuse for not knowing the law.
28. Read Deuteronomy 27:1-8 and write what the people were to offer on this altar that they
built.
29. Explain why it is still very important for us to explain the Word of God very clearly and
plainly.
30. Explain why you think that God said that the people were to use natural rocks for the altar
and not make a beautifully engraved altar as a place to offer sacrifices.
The Lord said that the people of Israel would certainly enjoy His blessing if they obeyed Him.
However, the Lord also gave them a warning. God said that they would receive certain curses
if they failed to obey Him. In order to impress these curses on the minds of the people, God
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told the people what they were to do when they entered into the land. Half of the tribes were to
gather on the side of Mount Ebal. The other tribes were to gather on the side of Mount
Gerizim. Then the Levites were to read all of these curses to the people.
31. Read Deuteronomy 27:9-26 and write what the people were to say as the priest completed
the reading of each curse.
32. Explain why God said that the people were to gather with six tribes on Mount Ebal and six
tribes on Mount Gerizim so that all the people could hear the blessings and the curses.
33. Explain why you think it is important for everyone to realize that they have choices and that
the choices that they make will bring either blessings or curses.
The first curse covers those who chose to turn away from the Lord to serve other gods. God
said that any person that carved a wooden idol or made a metal idol was cursed. This was true
even if the person tried to hide the idol in a secret place where no one could see it. Although
people might not be able to see the idol, God would see the idol and would bring judgment on
the person that had made the idol. This is a reminder of the fact that we cannot hide our sins
from the Lord. He sees all things. In addition, the Lord also knows the thoughts of our hearts.
34. Read Deuteronomy 27:9-26 and write the second thing that God told the people of Israel
would bring a curse.
35. Explain why God chose to remind the people that the very first thing that would bring a
curse was to turn from God to idols.
36. Explain why you think that God said that He would judge the person who made an idol
even if the person hid the idol so that no one else could see it.
We see that the second thing that God said would bring a curse would be for a person to
dishonor a father or a mother. God made it clear that He placed great value on the importance
of respect for the parents. Today respect for parents is a subject that needs to be emphasized as
strongly as it was emphasized to the nation of Israel. God also promised to curse those who
moved the landmark that marked the corner of the property of their neighbor. This was the way
that men tried to steal property from their neighbor so that they could get more property for
themselves. God also promised a curse to those who would cause a blind man to go the wrong
way. Then God promised a curse to those who would try to take advantage of the stranger, the
fatherless or the widow.
37. Read Deuteronomy 27:9-26 and write what the people were to say after each curse was
given.
38. Explain what these verses teach that God said would bring a curse to the people of Israel if
they failed to respect their parents.
39. Explain why you think that respect for parents is a very important lesson to teach children
as they grow.
God also gave a curse to those who would choose to commit various kinds of immorality. This
included immorality with a mother, an animal, a sister or a mother-in-law. God places a very
high value on the holiness of sexual relationships. Today people have strayed a long way from
the standard of God. These verses speak of immorality in the family. However, these curses
also applied to all forms of immorality. God also gave a curse to all those who committed
murder or took a bribe to kill an innocent person. These curses made it clear that God would
bring judgment on all those who chose to rebel against the commandments that the Lord had
given to Israel.
40. Read Deuteronomy 27:9-26 and write down the final curse that the Lord gave to the people
of Israel
41. Explain why God warned the people of Israel that any kind of immorality would bring a
curse.
42. Explain why you think that God places a very high value on the holiness of sexual
relationships.
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Lesson 13
In our last lesson we learned about several things that God said would bring a curse on the
nation of Israel. Today we will begin our lesson by studying some of the things that God said
would bring a blessing. Then we will learn about some additional things that God said would
bring a curse to the nation of Israel. God knew that the people of Israel would turn away from
Him and begin to do the things that God had warned them not to do. As a result, God also told
the people of Israel what would be the final results of continuing rebellion. The things that the
Lord mentioned in these chapters are still having a great impact on the people of Israel today.
Explain the promises about blessing.
Explain what God warned the people about judgment.
Explain how God promised to judge continued rebellion.
Explain what God said about obedience and disobedience.
The Lord had given the people of Israel a choice many times. Here we see that God offered the
people of Israel a choice again. That choice was to serve God and enjoy His blessings or reject
God and receive His curses instead. God promised that there would be many forms of blessing
for obedience. The first blessing was a promise that Israel would be above all of the other
nations of the earth. God said that they would have blessings in their cities, in their fields,
among their children, in their flocks and in their supply of food. They would see these
blessings as they came in and as they went out. In fact there would be blessings everywhere
that the people went.
1. Read Deuteronomy 28:1-20 and write what the Lord promised to do to the enemies that rose
up against the nation of Israel.
2. Explain why God chose to remind the people of Israel many times that they could make
choices and those choices would either bring blessings or curses.
3. Explain why you think that it is important to help others understand that they can make
choices and that the choices they make will either bring good or evil consequences.
God promised that His blessings would include victory for Israel over the enemies of Israel. In
fact the blessings of the Lord would include everything that affected the people of Israel. God
said that this blessing would happen as the people were obedient to the commandments of the
Lord. People everywhere would recognize that the people of Israel served the Lord and that
they were being blessed by the Lord. The nation of Israel would become a rich and powerful
nation. They would receive rain to water their crops. All of these things could be enjoyed by
Israel as long as they served the Lord. That is why the Lord encouraged the people not to make
the choice to turn away from the words that the Lord had commanded them.
4. Read Deuteronomy 28:1-20 and write what God said that the people were not to go after if
they wanted the blessing of the Lord.
5. Explain why the Lord wanted Israel to understand that His desire was to bless them and that
He would bless them as long as they made wise choices.
6. Explain why you think that many people just tell others what they have to do instead of
following the example of God and giving choices and explaining consequences.
God gave the people of Israel a choice. If they chose to serve the Lord, God said that the
people would enjoy great blessings. However, if they chose to follow other gods, they would
bring great curses upon themselves. They would be cursed in each of the areas where God had
said that they would enjoy a blessing. They would be cursed when they came in and when they
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went out. The Lord would send these curses as judgment for rebellion. Most of the people
would die because of the various curses that would come on the people. Few of the people
would remain.
7. Read Deuteronomy 28:1-20 and write what God said would come on the people in whatever
they tried to do if they made the choice to reject the Lord.
8. Explain what these verses teach that God said would be the cause of this blessing and
cursing.
9. Explain why you think that it is important for people to realize that they bring judgment on
themselves when they choose to do evil.
God went on to tell the people of Israel how He would bring these curses on the people. God
said that He would cause various diseases to come on the people. These diseases would bring
sickness and death. Then God said that He would stop the rain so that the land would become
very dry and hard. The dust would also be blown by the wind. The people would fall before
their enemies and would run in all directions in order to try and escape from their enemies.
When they fell before their enemies, the birds and the wild animals would eat their bodies. The
Lord also promised that the people would have boils, tumors, the scab and the itch.
10. Read Deuteronomy 28:21-48 and write how long God said that these things would last for
the people.
11. Explain why God warned the people of Israel that the consequences of choosing evil
included diseases, drought and death in addition to boils, tumors, the scab and the itch.
12. Explain why you think that God allows certain diseases as a direct result of choosing to
break the law of God.
There would be no cure for those diseases that were caused by sin. God said that some of the
people would also become insane or blind. They would not even be able to see in the middle of
the day. They would take a wife but another man would lay with her. They would build a
house and another man would live in it. Others would eat their crops. Their animals would
also be killed. Their sons and their daughters would become the slaves of the people of other
nations. Everything that the people had prepared would be enjoyed by the people of other
nations.
13. Read Deuteronomy 28:21-48 and write how the people would feel about the things that they
saw happen.
14. Explain why God said that one of the consequences of sin was that the things that Israel
prepared for themselves would be enjoyed by the people of other nations.
15. Explain why you think that it is important to help people realize that they will be forced to
live with the consequences of their choices.
The people would become completely upset by the things that they would see happening to
them. God also promised that they would be covered from head to foot with boils. The Lord
would take them out of the land of promise and bring them to another land where they would
serve idols. In fact the other nations would even talk about the terrible things that would
happen to the nation of Israel. The people would plant seeds in their fields but their crops
would be eaten by the locusts. Their vineyards would also be destroyed by the worms.
16. Read Deuteronomy 28:21-48 and write what God said would happen to the olive trees of the
people.
17. Explain why God said that the judgment for sin on Israel would be so severe that even the
other nations would talk about that judgment.
18. Explain why you think that God said that one of the consequences of sin would be that the
people would be taken out of their own land.
The fruit of the olive trees would fall off the tress before the olives became ripe. The parents
would have children but the children would be taken as slaves to foreign countries. The locusts
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would eat all of the trees of the land. Strangers would rule the land. All these curses would
come on the people because they refused to obey the commandments of the Lord. God warned
them that this would be a choice with very serious consequences. Because the people refused to
serve the Lord with joy and gladness, they would serve their enemies with sorrow and sadness.
They would have a yoke of iron around their necks.
19. Read Deuteronomy 28:21-48 and write who God said would become the head when Israel
became the tail.
20. Explain the results of these curses that God said He would bring on the people if they chose
to rebel against Him.
21. Explain why you think that one consequence of sin is that people experience sorrow and
sadness instead of joy and gladness.
In addition to all of these curses, God also said that He would bring a nation from a far country
against Israel. This nation would be a very cruel nation that would not show any kindness to
either the young or the old. They would eat the cattle and the crops of the people of Israel.
Then they would surround the cities and fight against the cities until they destroyed the walls
that protected those cities. While their cities were surrounded, the people would become very
hungry. They would be forced to eat anything that they could find to eat.
22. Read Deuteronomy 28:49-67 and write what God said the people would eat when they
became very hungry.
23. Explain why God said that He would bring a nation from a far country to judge Israel if they
continued in rebellion.
24. Explain why you think it is important for all people to realize that God is a holy God and
must judge sin.
God said that the people would become so hungry that they would even eat their own children.
This would be true of both the men and the women. They would even trick their own families
so that they could kill them and eat them. In addition to war and starvation, God also said that
He would bring great plagues on the people if they did not follow Him. The diseases of Egypt
that had filled the people with fear would also come on them. God would bring all of these
plagues and sicknesses on the people of Israel because of their sin and rebellion.
25. Read Deuteronomy 28:49-67 and write how many people would be left after God had
brought these judgments on the nation of Israel.
26. Explain why God warned that continued rebellion would bring hunger and starvation as
well as disease.
27. Explain what you learn from the fact that God said that the people would even eat their own
children in their hunger.
The nation that had once been a great nation would become a small group of people. Then God
said that the small group that remained would be scattered among the nations. They would be
in nations from one end of the earth to the other. They would have no peace among these other
nations. Instead they would be filled with fear and be afraid that they might be killed at any
moment. They would be afraid during the day and also be afraid during the night. They would
live in such fear and doubt that they would wonder if they would even survive.
28. Read Deuteronomy 28:49-67 and write what the people would say in the morning because
of their fear.
29. Explain why God said that the continued judgment of Israel would include the scattering of
the people from one end of the earth to the other.
30. Explain why you think that God chose as one of His judgments to scatter the people of
Israel throughout the world.
Moses also reminded the people of the things that the Lord had done for the people of Israel
when He had brought the people out of Egypt. Even though the people had seen and heard
what the Lord had done for Israel, the people still did not understand that they could depend on
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the Lord for all things. The people even knew how the Lord had cared for them for forty years
in the wilderness. They had seen how their clothes had not become old. The Lord had supplied
the people with food to eat and water to drink. The Lord had given Israel victory over its
enemies.
31. Read Deuteronomy 29:1-29 and write what God had said would happen to Israel if the
people would keep and do what the Lord had commanded them to do.
32. Explain why people often fail to understand that they can depend on the Lord for all things
even though they have seen what He has done in the past.
33. Explain why you find it important in your own life to remember what the Lord has done in
the past and ask Him to give you greater understanding.
The Lord promised that the people would prosper in everything that they did if they would obey
the commandments of the Lord. All of the people would be able to enjoy this blessing from the
most important leader to the servant that cut the wood. God had chosen the people of Israel
long before and had made wonderful promises to their fathers. God had made His covenant
with all of the people of Israel including those who were not present that day. God had told the
people that He would establish them as a people for Himself. The Lord had said that He would
be their God and would keep His promises that He had made to Abraham.
34. Read Deuteronomy 29:1-29 and write what the people had seen in Egypt and the other
nations through which they had passed.
35. Explain why the Lord reminded the people several times that He would bless them if they
would be obedient to Him.
36. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to choose to be obedient to the Lord.
The people of Israel had seen the terrible idol worship of the nations through which they had
passed. Now the Lord warned the people that all of the curses in the book of the law would
come on the people if they followed the evil ways of the nations through which they had
passed. If any person followed these evil ways, God would destroy him. The judgment would
be so great if the people turned away from God that the people of the surrounding nations
would talk about the terrible judgment of Israel. God wanted the people to realize that they
could choose either the blessings or the cursing.
37. Read Deuteronomy 29:1-29 and write what the nation of Israel would become like if they
chose to live in rebellion against the Lord.
38. Explain why God warned each individual that if that individual followed the evil ways of
the nations that God would destroy that person.
39. Explain why you think that the book of Deuteronomy speaks about the results of
disobedience so many times.
God told the nation of Israel that the whole land would become like Sodom and Gomorrah if the
people continued to live in rebellion. People from other nations would realize that these things
had happened to Israel because the people had turned away from the Lord. They had happened
because the people had chosen to serve other gods. As a result, these people would realize that
the Lord had shown His anger against the sin of Israel. This was the reason why the Lord later
took the people out of the land of Israel to another land.
40. Read Deuteronomy 29:1-29 and write to whom the secret things belong.
41. Explain why God warned the people of Israel about the judgment that they would face if
they turned away from the Lord and continued to live in rebellion.
42. Explain why you think that God said that the secret things belong to Him and that the things
that He reveals belong to us.
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Lesson 14
In our last lesson we saw that God said that He would scatter the nation of Israel among the
nations of the world if they chose to rebel against the Lord and then continued to live in
rebellion against Him. However, God promised that He would never forget His people even if
they did rebel. Today we will learn that the Lord promised to return the people back to their
own land when the people repented and returned to Him. This meant that the people of Israel
were actually faced with a great choice. It was their decision to choose whether they wanted
life or death.
Explain what God said the people must do in order to return to the land.
Explain the choice that faced the people of Israel.
Explain the last words of Moses to the people.
Tell about the warning that the Lord gave to Moses about the people.
Today we will be studying the section of Deuteronomy that is known by many as the
Palestinian Covenant. This section actually began in our last lesson where we learned that God
would scatter the people among the nations if they chose to be disobedient. God begins this
chapter by telling the people what they must choose to do in order to again enjoy the blessings
of the Lord after they had been scattered among the nations. The people were told that they
would be able to return to the land when they returned to the Lord and began obeying His voice
again. God said that would happen when they began serving the Lord again with their whole
heart and soul.
1. Read Deuteronomy 30:1-10 and write what the Lord promised to do as soon as the people
began serving Him with their whole heart and soul.
2. Explain why these verses show us that the Lord will never forget the people of the nation of
Israel.
3. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to know that the Lord will never break
His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
This promise made by God is a covenant of God with the people of Israel. God promised to
show great love and kindness to the people as soon as they returned to Him. God promised to
gather the people from all of the nations where they were scattered. God said that even if a few
of the people were scattered to the ends of the heavens that He would even gather the people
from there and bring them back into their own land. God also promised to bless His people
when He brought them back into their own land. At that time the people will be multiplied and
become greater than they have ever been in the past.
4. Read Deuteronomy 30:1-10 and write what the Lord promised to do to the hearts of the
people at that time.
5. Explain why this is a great promise to the people of Israel to know that God has promised to
regather them from the ends of the earth and the ends of the heavens.
6. Explain why the fact that the Jews have begun to return to the land of Israel over the past
two generations helps you to understand how God keeps His promises.
The Lord promised that He will change the hearts of the people when He regathers them from
all of the nations where they have been scattered. At that time all of the people of Israel will
turn to the Lord and will love Him. This has not yet happened. It is an event that is still in the
future. At that time the desire of all of the people of Israel will be to serve the Lord. The Lord
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will also judge all of the nations that have persecuted Israel. At that time the people will return
to the Lord and begin to obey His voice. They will become obedient to all of His
commandments.
7. Read Deuteronomy 30:1-10 and write what the Lord promised that He will make Israel at
that time.
8. Explain why the Lord says that there will come a time when all of the people of Israel will
turn to the Lord and obey His commandments.
9. Explain why you think that the Lord is the One that changes the hearts of people and gives
them a desire to obey and serve Him.
God promised the people that everything that they did would be blessed if they would return to
Him. God said that when the people returned to the Lord that He would bring them back into
their own land. God promised that at that time He will multiply and bless their children. God
also promised that He will multiply their cattle and their crops. In fact the Lord will be filled
with joy because He can bring these blessings on the people because of their obedience to Him.
God promised that all of these things will happen when the people begin to serve Him with their
whole heart and soul. Here we see that God will never forget His past promises to Israel.
10. Read Deuteronomy 30:1-10 and write what God said that He will do when that time comes.
11. Explain what these verses teach about the fact that God has promised that there is still future
blessing for Israel.
12. Explain why you think that the Lord said that He will be filled with joy when He can bring
all of these blessings on the people of Israel.
Moses told the people of Israel that the commandments of the Lord were not hidden from them.
Those commandments are not hidden in heaven where no one can reach them. They are not
even across an ocean where they might be difficult for them to reach. Instead we see that the
Word of God is very close to the people of Israel. In fact God said that His Word should be in
their mouth and in their heart. If the Word of God was in their mouth, then they would be
speaking it. If it was in their heart, then they would be obeying that Word. Here we see some
key principles for our own lives. We also need to choose to speak the Word of God. We also
need to choose to obey the Word of God from our hearts.
13. Read Deuteronomy 30:11-20 and write what God said that He had set before the people.
14. Explain why God told Israel that the Word of God was very close to them and that He
wanted it to be in their hearts and their mouths.
15. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to have the Word of God in your heart
and in your mouth.
God had given the people of Israel His commandments. Now the people of Israel were faced
with a choice. They could obey and keep those commandments or they could choose to reject
them. God said that the choice belonged to the people. They could choose life and good or
they could choose death and evil. If they obeyed the commandments of the Lord, God
promised that He would bless them and cause them to multiply in the land that He was going to
give to them. However, God also warned the people what would happen if they made the
choice to turn away from Him and began to worship and serve other gods.
16. Read Deuteronomy 30:11-20 and write what God said would happen to them if they chose
to serve other gods.
17. Explain why God told the people of Israel that He gave them His commandments but said
that they could choose to obey or choose to reject those commandments.
18. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to know that you can also choose life
and good or choose death and evil.
Rebellion against God brings certain judgment. God said that the people would die if they
chose to serve other gods. As a result, God told the people that He had set before them a
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choice. That was why it was their choice to choose life or death. Then God encouraged the
people to choose life. He encouraged the people to serve Him. Then the people would live in
the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God is the One that gives life. It
is His desire that all people will choose life and not turn away from Him.
19. Read Deuteronomy 30:11-20 and write what had to be true in the lives of the people in
order for them to obey Him.
20. Explain the choices that the Lord gave to the nation of Israel in these verses and the
consequences that would come from each choice.
21. Explain why you think that God encouraged the people to chose life and good rather than
choose death.
After telling the people of Israel about the choice that God was giving to them, Moses began his
last message to the people. Moses told the people that he was now one hundred and twenty
years old. He had come to the end of his life. However, the people of Israel were just ready to
begin a new life as they entered the land of promise. As the people entered the land, the Lord
promised that He would go before the people and drive out the nations that were in the land.
The Lord had also appointed Joshua to become the leader and lead the people into the land.
22. Read Deuteronomy 31:1-13 and write what the Lord promised to do to the people in the
land.
23. Explain why Moses reminded the people that the Lord was about to give them a new life in
the land of promise.
24. Explain why you think that the Lord had Moses tell the people that the Lord had chosen
Joshua to lead them into the land.
The Lord had given Israel complete victory over the armies of Sihon and Og. Now God
encouraged the people to be strong and not to be afraid. The people did not need to be afraid
because the Lord would go with them. He would not leave them or fail them. Then Moses
called Joshua to the front of the people. Moses told Joshua that God had picked him to lead
Israel into the land of promise. Now Joshua was not to be fearful or afraid. The Lord would go
before him and be with him. Joshua did not need to be afraid because the Lord would never fail
him.
25. Read Deuteronomy 31:1-13 and write what Moses did with the law after he wrote the law.
26. Explain why Moses told both the people of Israel and also Joshua that they did not need to
be fearful or afraid.
27. Explain why you know that the Lord will give you His strength so that you do not need to
be afraid as you trust and serve Him.
Moses gave the law to the priests and to the leaders of Israel. These men were instructed to
gather the entire nation of Israel together once every seven years. This gathering was to include
the women and the children as well as the men. At that gathering the priests and the leaders
were to read the entire law from Genesis through Deuteronomy to the people. This was to help
the people learn the Word of God so that they would fear the Lord and do what the Lord told
them to do. They were also to teach the Word of God to their children so that their children
would also serve the Lord.
28. Read Deuteronomy 31:1-13 and write how long God said that the people were to obey this
command to gather every seven years to hear the Word of God read.
29. Explain why God said that all of the people were to gather together to hear the Word of God
read every seven years.
30. Explain why it is important to you to gather together with other Christians to hear the Word
of God read and explained.
The Lord told Moses that the people would turn away from God after the death of Moses. God
said that the people of Israel would begin to follow the false gods of the land. At the same time,
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the people would forget the commandments of the Lord. God also warned that He would show
His anger against sin when the people rebelled. He would hide His face from the people and
allow great evil to come on the people. These troubles and evils would come on the people of
Israel because they chose not to allow the Lord to be in control of their lives.
31. Read Deuteronomy 31:14-30 and write what Moses was told to write and teach to the
people.
32. Explain why God told Moses in advance that the people would forget the commandments of
the Lord and turn away from Him after they came into the land.
33. Explain why you are thankful that God showed His love and care for the people of Israel
even though He knew that they would forget His commandments.
Moses was told to write a song that would warn the people of what would happen if they turned
away from the Lord. We will be studying that song in our next lesson. This song would be a
witness against the people if they did evil and turned away from the Lord. It would stand as a
testimony in the day when the people of Israel turned from God to serve other gods. The people
were to teach this song to their children so that it would never be forgotten by the children.
God told Moses to teach the song to the people because God knew what the thoughts and the
hearts of the people were like.
34. Read Deuteronomy 31:14-30 and write when Moses wrote the song.
35. Explain why God had Moses write a song and teach the song to the people to help them
remember what God had said.
36. Explain why you think that it is often easier for people to remember something that they can
sing.
Moses was obedient to the Lord. That very same day he wrote the song and taught it to the
people. After Moses completed the writing of the song, he finished writing the books of the
law. Then he gave the copy of the law to the Levites that carried the ark of the Covenant. This
copy of the law was to be placed in the side of the ark. It was to be a witness against the sins of
the people. The people had been very rebellious throughout the life of Moses. As a result,
Moses knew that they would be even more rebellious after his death.
37. Read Deuteronomy 31:14-30 and write what Moses was told to gather before the Lord.
38. Explain why it was important for Moses to write this song and begin teaching it to the
people the very day that God told Him to write the song.
39. Explain why you think that God told Moses to place a copy of the law in the side of the ark.
God told Moses to gather all of the leaders together so that they could hear the warning of God.
Moses told these leaders that he knew that the people of Israel would turn away from the Lord
after his death. Then evil would come on the people because they had turned away from the
commandments of the Lord. When any group of people turn away from the Lord, it becomes
necessary for God to bring judgment on them because of that evil. God is a holy God and must
judge sin.
40. Read Deuteronomy 31:14-30 and write who Moses told the words of the song that he had
written.
41. Explain why Moses was instructed to gather all of the leaders together and warn them about
the danger of turning away from the Lord.
42. Explain why you think that it is important for people to understand that when they choose to
follow evil that the day will come when they will face judgment.
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Lesson 15
Today we come to our final lesson in our study of the book of Deuteronomy. In this lesson we
will see that Moses gave some of his final words to the people of Israel in the form of a song.
This song gives a little review for the people of the way that the Lord works. As a result, it
places a choice in front of the people. Every generation would have that song to remind them
of the choice that they faced. Before his death, Moses also gave a blessing to all of the people
of Israel. Then we will learn how God gave Moses the privilege of viewing the land before he
died.
Explain what you learn about the way that God makes choices.
Explain what you learn from the warning about judgment.
Explain the blessings that were given to the various tribes.
Tell about the death of Moses.
Moses began his song by speaking about the Lord. Our God is a great God. He is the Rock
that can never be moved or broken. Everything that He does is right. His ways are just. He is a
God that speaks the truth and does no evil. As we realize the greatness of God, we also realize
the sinful condition of every person. Yet in spite of the fact that the Lord knew that Israel
would be an evil and sinful nation, God said that He chose that nation to be His chosen people.
Here we are reminded that God did not choose Israel because of their goodness but because that
was His choice. God is the Father of the nation of Israel. He chose Israel and established the
people as a nation.
1. Read Deuteronomy 32:1-25 and write what the people of Israel were told to remember.
2. Explain why it is important for all people to understand that God is a great God and that He
is a Rock that can never be moved or broken.
3. Explain why it is important for you to know that God also chose you because that was His
choice and not because of your goodness.
The people were asked to remember the way that God had chosen His people many years
before. When God chose Jacob, he was like a man wandering in the wilderness. However, the
Lord had found Jacob. Then the Lord had led him and taught him. The Lord also provided for
him as he led him. God protected Jacob just as an eagle protects her young. As a result, Jacob
depended on the Lord to lead him. He did not follow any strange gods. Then the Lord blessed
Jacob and caused his possessions to increase and multiply. However, something happened to
Israel as the nation was blessed by the Lord and increased.
4. Read Deuteronomy 32:1-25 and write what happened to Jeshurun (Israel).
5. Explain what this song teaches about the way that the Lord had worked in the life of Jacob
because He had chosen Jacob.
6. Explain why you are thankful for the fact that God first chose you and then He found you
and brought you to Himself.
The nation of Israel enjoyed great blessings from the Lord. As a result, they grew fat. Then
they turned away from God and the Rock of His salvation (Christ). When the people turned
away from the Lord, they began to follow false gods. They even offered sacrifices to demons.
They created new gods with their own hands and began to worship those gods. They forgot that
the Lord was the One that had chosen them. They forgot that God had formed them and made
them. The Lord was filled with anger when He saw the sins of the people.
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7. Read Deuteronomy 32:1-25 and write what God said He would hide from the people of
Israel.
8. Explain why God said that the people turned away from Him and began to make new gods
with their own hands.
9. Explain why you think that many people forget that God is the One that formed them and
made them.
God is a holy God and cannot look at sin. As a result of the rebellion of the people of Israel, it
was necessary for God to turn His face away from Israel. Then great judgments came on the
people because God was not protecting them. Instead God allowed judgment to come on them
to punish them for their sins. God used many nations to bring this judgment. These things
included other nations, the weather, wild animals and war. This judgment came on all of the
people and included both the young and the old. Judgment affected all of the people.
10. Read Deuteronomy 32:1-25 and write what God said the people would experience both
without and within.
11. Explain how this song gave the people of Israel a real picture of the results of rebellion.
12. Explain why you think that great judgments will always come on the nations when the Lord
is not protecting them.
God was also tempted to scatter the people among their enemies. However, He did not scatter
the people because of His love and mercy. God realized that the people did not have a clear
understanding of Him. Instead of following the Lord who is the Rock of salvation, the people
had followed the ways of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Because God is a God of love, it
was necessary for Him to judge His people so that they would return to Him. When God
judged the people, their other gods could not protect them or help the people. As a result, the
people of Israel had no one to protect or help them when God brought judgment for sin.
13. Read Deuteronomy 32:26-52 and write what other gods are with God.
14. Explain why God will judge His people in love in order to get them to turn from sin and
return to Him.
15. Explain why you think that God allowed the people of Israel to see that their other gods that
they had made were not able to protect them.
Here we are reminded that false gods are not gods at all. They cannot even be compared to the
true and living God. These false gods do not have any power. God is the One that gives life or
brings death. God is the One that can either wound or heal. No one else can deliver a person
from the hand of God. God is the One that will bring judgment. We also see that Israel was
actually faced with other choices. If they chose to serve the Lord, God promised to bring
judgment on the enemies of Israel. If Israel chose to rebel against God, the judgment of God
would come on the people of Israel. That was why it was the decision of the people to make the
choice whether they wanted to receive the blessing of the Lord or the judgment of the Lord.
16. Read Deuteronomy 32:26-52 and write who helped Moses teach this song to the people of
Israel.
17. Explain why it is important for people to come to the point where they realize that other
gods are not gods at all and do not have power to help them.
18. Explain why you think that God said that He would judge the enemies of Israel if the people
of Israel chose to follow Him.
Hoshea was another name for Joshua. When Joshua and Moses had finished teaching the song
to the people, Moses spoke to the people and encouraged them to obey the words that the Lord
had spoken to them. Moses told the people that they would be blessed for obedience.
Obedience would give them long life. That same day Moses was told to go up to Mount Nebo
because that was the place where he was going to die. God reminded Moses again that the
reason that he was not allowed to enter the land was due to the fact that he had struck the rock
instead of speaking to the rock. He had focused on his own efforts instead of bringing glory to
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God.
19. Read Deuteronomy 32:26-52 and write what God said Moses would have the privilege of
doing from the mountain.
20. Explain what these verses teach about the holiness and character of God.
21. Explain why you think that one of the final things that Moses did was to encourage the
people to obey the words of the Lord.
Just before Moses went up to the mountain to die, he gave a blessing to the various tribes of
Israel. We begin by reading that the Lord loved the people. If it would not have been for the
great love of God for Israel, God would have destroyed the nation of Israel long before. Moses
began the blessings with the tribe of Reuben. Moses said that the men of Reuben would not
become few in number. The hands of the people of Judah would be sufficient for the work that
the Lord had for the people of Judah to do. The people of Levi had been set apart to teach the
law of the Lord to the people of the other tribes so that they would know the law.
22. Read Deuteronomy 33:1-29 and write what the people of Levi would offer in addition to
incense.
23. Explain why as a part of his blessing Moses explained to the people of Judah that the hands
of the people would be sufficient for the work that God gave them as a tribe.
24. Explain why you think that God reminded the people that He loved them before Moses gave
the blessings to each tribe.
God said that those who were greatly loved by the Lord would live in safety by Benjamin.
Joseph was promised great and wonderful blessing in the land. The land would produce very
richly for the descendants of Joseph. His descendants would also be very powerful and have
power over the people to the ends of the earth. The people of Zebulun would be blessed as they
went out. The people of Issachar would be blessed in their tents. Both Zebulun and Issachar
would enjoy riches which would come from trading with other nations. They would live by the
sea and enjoy the riches that came from the sea.
25. Read Deuteronomy 33:1-29 and write what Moses said about the blessing of the tribe of
Gad.
26. Explain why the blessing of the descendants of Joseph said that they would have power over
people to the ends of the earth.
27. Explain why you think that Moses took time to give a special blessing to each of the tribes
of Israel.
The tribe of Gad was promised that it would be enlarged. God said that the reason that Gad
would increase would be due to the fact that it was the Lord that would cause them to increase.
The tribe of Dan would be like a young lion. The tribe of Naphtali would enjoy the favor of the
Lord. They would be full of blessings that came from the Lord. The tribe of Asher was given
the promise that their tribe would be blessed with children. They were also told that their
strength would be like the length of their days. God had promised the people that they would
have long life if they were obedient. This promise to Asher meant that their tribe would have
great strength if that tribe was obedient to the Lord.
28. Read Deuteronomy 33:1-29 and write who God said would be an eternal refuge for the
entire nation of Israel.
29. Explain what these verses teach about the promises that were made to the various tribes of
the nation of Israel.
30. Explain why it is also important to you in your own life to speak words of blessing to
others.
When Moses had finished blessing the individual tribes, he spoke about the entire nation of
Israel. Israel served the true God and none of the false gods could compare to Him in any way.
God has existed throughout all eternity. He is able to provide a permanent place of rest and
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safety. The people did not need to be afraid or fearful of any of their enemies. God was able to
destroy all of the enemies of Israel. The nation of Israel would then live in safety. The Lord
would also fill the people of Israel with happiness. This happiness would come from the fact
that Israel had been saved and helped by the Lord that had made them.
31. Read Deuteronomy 33:1-29 and write what God said would be found out about the enemies
of Israel.
32. Explain why Moses reminded the people of Israel that they did not need to be fearful or
afraid of any of their enemies.
33. Explain why it is important to you in your own life to realize that because of the Lord that
you do not need to be fearful or afraid.
When Moses had finished blessing the various tribes of Israel, he left the people and went to
Mount Nebo. There he climbed to the top of Pisgah. There Moses was able to look at the land
that God had promised to the nation of Israel. He was able to see all the way to the
Mediterranean Sea on the opposite side of the land. Then God told Moses that he was looking
at the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Even though Moses did not
have the privilege of entering the land that God had promised to Israel because of his sin,
Moses did have the privilege of seeing the land.
34. Read Deuteronomy 34:1-12 and write where Moses died.
35. Explain why God gave Moses the privilege of seeing the land that God had promised that
He would give to the people of Israel.
36. Explain how you think that Moses felt as he looked at the land that God had promised to the
people of Israel.
Moses died in the land of Moab exactly as the Lord had said that he would. Then God buried
Moses. Since God was the One that buried Moses, no man ever found out where Moses had
been buried. Even though Moses was a hundred and twenty years old, we read that he was still
like a young man when he died. He could see as well as he had seen when he was young. He
was as strong as he had been when he was a young man. God had kept Moses in perfect health
so that he would be able to do the things that God wanted him to do.
37. Read Deuteronomy 34:1-12 and write who became the leader of the people of Israel when
Moses died.
38. Explain why the Lord had chosen to give Moses the strength of a young man right up to the
time that he died.
39. Explain why you are thankful that the Lord will give you the strength that you need for the
work that the Lord has chosen you to do.
When Moses died, Joshua became the leader of the people of Israel. We read that Joshua was a
man that was full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. In order to be an effective leader for the Lord,
each of us also need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom. This happens as we yield our
lives to Christ and let Him have complete control in our lives. We also read that there had
never been another prophet like Moses. He was the only one that talked face to face with God.
God also used Moses to do many powerful signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.
40. Read Deuteronomy 34:1-12 and write how the people accepted the leadership of Joshua.
41. Explain why it is important for every godly leader to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.
42. Explain why it is your desire to yield to the Lord so that you can serve in the power of the
Holy Spirit and receive the wisdom of the Lord.
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1. Survey of Deuteronomy - Deuteronomy 1:1-2:37 1

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