Deuteronomy
Summary[i]
Deuteronomy consists of the
parting counsels of Moses delivered to Israel in view of the impending entrance
upon their covenanted possession. It contains a summary of the wilderness wanderings
of Israel, which is important as unfolding the moral judgement of God upon
those events; repeats the Decalogue to a generation which had grown up in the
wilderness; gives needed instruction as the conduct of Israel in the land, and
contains the Palestinian Covenant (Deu_30:1-9).
The book breathes the sternness of the Law. Key- words, "Thou shalt";
key-verses; Deu_11:26-28.
It is important to note that,
while the land of promise was unconditionally given Abraham and to his seed in
the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen_13:15; Gen_15:7), it was under the conditional
Palestinian Covenant (Deuteronomy 28:1 - 30:9) that Israel entered the land
under Joshua. Utterly violating the conditions of that covenant, the nation was
first disrupted (1 Kings 12) and then cast out of the land (2 Kings 17:1-18; 2
Kings 24:1 - 25:11). But the same covenant unconditionally promises a national
restoration of Israel which is yet to be fulfilled
See Scofield
- Deu_15:18.
Deuteronomy is in seven divisions:
1. Summary of the history of Israel in the
wilderness (Deuteronomy 1:1-3:29).
2. A restatement of the Law, with warnings and
exhortations (Deuteronomy 4:1 - 11:32).
3. Instructions, Warnings, and Predictions
(Deuteronomy 12:1 - 27:26).
4. The great closing prophecies summarizing the
history of Israel to the second coming of Christ, and containing the
Palestinian Covenant (Deuteronomy 28:1 - 30:20).
5. Last counsels to Priests, Levites, and to
Joshua (Deuteronomy 31).
6. The Song of Moses and his parting blessings
(Deuteronomy 32 - 33).
7. The Death of Moses (Deuteronomy 34).
The time covered by this retrospect is approximately forty years.