DEUTERONOMY LESSON 2


     We will begin this lesson in Deuteronomy 1:21 "Behold, the LORD
thy God hath set the land before thee: go up [and] possess [it], as
the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be
discouraged."

     We see the beginning of the account of their father's failure to
possess the land. The commandment from the beginning had been for them
to go in and posses the land. They were to have faith in the LORD
enough that they would not fear.

     Deuteronomy 1:22  "And ye came near unto me every one of you, and
said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the
land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what
cities we shall come."

     They had influenced Moses into allowing them to go and search out
the land, to make sure they could take it. This is a sin, because the
LORD had told them to take the land. This showed lack of faith in the
Word of the LORD. It is as if they were questioning the wisdom of God.

     Deuteronomy 1:23 "And the saying pleased me well: and I took
twelve men of you, one of a tribe:"

     Twelve is a representative number of the whole. These twelve
represented the twelve tribes of Israel. Moses agreed to this plan,
even though it was not the LORD's commandment.

     Deuteronomy 1:24 "And they turned and went up into the mountain,
and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out."

     The spies went by this route.

     Deuteronomy 1:25 "And they took of the fruit of the land in their
hands, and brought [it] down unto us, and brought us word again, and
said, [It is] a good land which the LORD our God doth give us."

     The land was fertile, as the grapes they brought back proved. He
had promised them it would be a land of milk and honey. It was even
more than He had promised. It already had vineyards.

     Deuteronomy 1:26 "Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but
rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God:"

     Even though this land was everything God had promised, they
became fearful, and would not obey the LORD's command to go in. They
feared people, more than they feared the LORD.

     Deuteronomy 1:27 "And ye murmured in your tents, and said,
Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of
Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us."

     The murmuring was a continuous problem. This is the same as in
Numbers chapter 14 verse 1. Look at the actual complaint in the next
two verses. Numbers 14:2 "And all the children of Israel murmured
against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto
them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we
had died in this wilderness!" Numbers 14:3 "And wherefore hath the
LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives
and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return
into Egypt?"

     Deuteronomy 1:28 "Whither shall we go up? our brethren have
discouraged our heart, saying, The people [is] greater and taller than
we; the cities [are] great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we
have seen the sons of the Anakims there."

     Fear is the opposite of faith. Their fear of the people was
greater than their faith in the LORD. It is difficult for me to
believe that the LORD, who opened the Red Sea and destroyed Pharaoh's
army, would be so under-rated here. They are looking with their
physical eyes at a flesh people, and are afraid. God is the Almighty
One. Why do they not trust Him?

     Deuteronomy 1:29 "Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be
afraid of them."

     Moses had tried to reassure them that they had nothing to fear,
when the LORD was with them.

     Deuteronomy 1:30 "The LORD your God which goeth before you, he
shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt
before your eyes;"

     The LORD had brought ten plagues on the Egyptians and their false
gods to get them released. The LORD, without any loss of people at
all, had defeated one of the largest and strongest armies of that day.
The LORD had been present with them in the cloud by day, and the fire
by night. They knew God was with them. Their fear was lack of faith.

     Deuteronomy 1:31 "And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how
that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all
the way that ye went, until ye came into this place."

     The LORD had not only delivered them from Egypt, and led them
through the wilderness, but had miraculously cared for their well
being. Their shoes did not wear out. God fed them with Manna from
heaven, and gave them water from the Rock. He had cared for them
personally. They were His people, and He wanted them to decide on
their own to make Him their God.

     Deuteronomy 1:32 "Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD
your God,"

     Doubt, and fear of the things they saw with their physical eyes,
caused them to not have faith in the LORD in their hearts.
     Deuteronomy 1:33 "Who went in the way before you, to search you
out a place to pitch your tents [in], in fire by night, to shew you by
what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day."

     The LORD was with them on a daily basis. He led them miraculously
with His fire and smoke. It would have been a monumental task for them
to travel with the near three million people in their company, if the
Lord had not led them to each camping place. This desert had very
little water. God knew where every drop was. This same fire stood
between Pharaoh's army and the Israelites, until they could all cross
the Red Sea. Their lack of faith astonishes me. It is like miracles we
see today, and just take them for granted. The LORD is all powerful
now, as He was then. It takes faith to please the LORD.

     Deuteronomy 1:34 "And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and
was wroth, and sware, saying,"

     Their murmuring rose to the ears of the LORD. He was disappointed
that His people did not trust Him. His wrath came up in His face.

     Deuteronomy 1:35 "Surely there shall not one of these men of this
evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your
fathers,"

     Their lack of faith in the LORD caused them to wander 38 more
years in this wilderness, until the generation of doubters died. He
would keep His Word that this land would be their promised land, but
their children would be the ones to receive it.

     Deuteronomy 1:36 "Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see
it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to
his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD."

     As we discussed in the book of Numbers, Joshua and Caleb were the
only two of the twelve spies who brought back a good report. God would
allow them to live, and Caleb would receive of the land with His
children.  Joshua would not receive land, because he was of the
Levitical tribe, but he would live and take Moses' place. The LORD
always blesses the obedient.

     Deuteronomy 1:37 Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes,
saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.

     This is speaking of the anger of Moses at these people causing
him to strike the Rock {symbolic of Jesus} the second time. God told
Moses to speak to the Rock for water. Moses struck the Rock in anger
at the people. The LORD did not let Moses enter the promised land.

     Deuteronomy 1:38 "[But] Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth
before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause
Israel to inherit it."

     Just as Moses led the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt,
Joshua will lead them into the promised land. The anointing of Moses
has been transferred to Joshua at that time. The people must accept
him and follow him. Joshua is the leader God has chosen for this task.

     Deuteronomy 1:39 "Moreover your little ones, which ye said should
be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge
between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I
give it, and they shall possess it."

     Those who were under 20 years of age, when their fathers refused
to take the promised land, will be the inheritors. These little ones
had not been part of the decision to rebel against the LORD. They will
receive the long awaited promised land. They had not chosen evil over
good.

     Deuteronomy 1:40 "But [as for] you, turn you, and take your
journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea."

     Moses is retelling the outcome of those who failed to obey God's
commands to go into the promised land. They were punished by sending
them back into the wilderness, until they died off.

     Deuteronomy 1:41 "Then ye answered and said unto me, We have
sinned against the LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all
that the LORD our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every
man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill."

     As soon as they had heard that God was angry with them, they
repented and decided to go into the promised land. They had rather
fight, than be banished back to the wilderness. It is too late. God
will not help them in battle now.

     Deuteronomy 1:42 "And the LORD said unto me, Say unto them, Go
not up, neither fight; for I [am] not among you; lest ye be smitten
before your enemies."

     Moses told them, if they went into battle now, they would not be
under the protection of God. The LORD would not be with them, because
they had doubted His ability to save them. They would certainly fail
in their endeavor without the blessing of the LORD.

     Deuteronomy 1:43 "So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but
rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously
up into the hill."

     Even the fact that they went up into the battle was in defiance
of Himself. He would have been with them, if they had immediately
gone. Now, they are completely upon their own.

     Deuteronomy 1:44 "And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain,
came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in
Seir, [even] unto Hormah."

     They were defeated, because God was not with them. The Amorites,
in this Scripture, are speaking of the Canaanites.  They chased them
as bees do. The Amorites slew many of them. Numbers 14:45 "Then the
Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and
smote them, and discomfited them, [even] unto Hormah."

     Deuteronomy 1:45 "And ye returned and wept before the LORD; but
the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you."

     Moses had remained at Kadesh. The people came back to Moses for
protection. Their tears were bitter, because of their great loss in
the battle. The LORD had stopped hearing their pleas at this time. He
would not stop the punishment on them because of their unbelief.

     Deuteronomy 1:46 "So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto
the days that ye abode [there]."

     The following Scriptures show that Moses stayed in Kadesh, until
God gave orders what they were to do. Numbers 14:25 "(Now the
Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn
you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea."
Numbers 14:34 "After the number of the days in which ye searched the
land, [even] forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your
iniquities, [even] forty years, and ye shall know my breach of
promise."  We see the severity of the punishment for not believing.































                        Deuteronomy 2 Questions

1.  What had God told them to do, now that they were at the entrance
    of the land?
2.  What did they do, instead of following the wishes of God?
3.  This is a _______.
4.  This showed lack of faith in the ________ of the _______.
5.  It is as if they are questioning the ________ of God.
6.  What reaction did Moses have to this?
7.  How many men went to search out the land?
8.  Who did the represent?
9.  What did they bring back, that proved this was, indeed, a land of
    plentiful food?
10. They refused to obey God's ___________.
11. Where did they murmur?
12. Quote Numbers chapter 14 verses 2 and 3.
13. What excuse did they give for not wanting to take the land?
14. Fear is the opposite of _______.
15. Why does the author find it difficult to believe their fear?
16. What did Moses say to these fearful people?
17. Why does their fear not make any sense?
18. What does, the LORD thy God bare thee, mean?
19. They were His people, and He wanted them to make Him ______ _____.
20. What caused them to not have faith in the LORD in their hearts?
21. How had God led them?
22. What did the fire of God do at the Red Sea, that showed the LORD's
    tremendous power?
23. Who of the twelve spies would live to inherit land in the promised
    land?
24. Which other one of the twelve spies had no fear?
25. Why did he not inherit land?
26. Why was Moses not allowed to enter the promised land?
27. Who would lead them into the promised land?
28. Who would inherit the promised land?
29. When they realized they had sinned against God, what did they do?
30. Would God be with them in this battle of their own making?
31. What happened to them?
32. Moses had remained at __________.
33. Quote Numbers chapter 14 verses 25 and 34.