The name Deuteronomy means "second law".

It is Moses’ final address to the people. It covers the last 1 ½ months of Moses’ life. He’s 120 years old. He can still see and hear very well.

He’s rehearsing the work of God in Israel’s past history. Many of the people were born in the wilderness. Many did not sea the parting of the Red Sea. Many did not have the memories of the and being delivered out of Egypt.

This is all taking place in the last 40 days of Moses’ life.

I see two purposes for Deuteronomy –

Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers were in some ways written more for the Levites, as they contain specific instructions for the priests and Levites in their ministries.

One of the major themes we’re going to see through the book is that of God’s love for His people.

Chapter one dealt early wilderness history. After having received the Law at Mt. Sinai (or, Mt. Horeb), God told the Israelites to get moving. When they got to Kadesh Barnea, they sent spies into the land, but when the people heard about the giants and the high-walled cities, the people became afraid. They decided they didn’t want to go in. They had a hard time believing that God could help them conquer the land.

Mount Seir is the land of the Edomites.

This "many days" is the 38 years of wandering.

Isn’t this an awesome display of God’s love for these people?

They were actually denied passage through Edom, and had to go around it. The Edomites felt threatened by the massive multitude of Israelites. (Num.20)

God is trying to get a message across to the Israelites.

How did they know when all the men were dead?

Lot had two sons by getting his daughters pregnant. The people descended from Lot were the Ammonites and the Moabites.

Again, encouragement against the giants.

It was even Yahweh Himself who had apparently helped the Moabites to get rid of their giants!

If God could help the Moabites, couldn’t He help His people Israel?

This picks up the historical narrative, how the Israelites, after going around Moab, headed up north to face the Amorites.

Why such destruction against the Amorites?

Hundreds of years earlier, God had spoken to Abraham about his descendants, and told him that they would become slaves in a foreign land, but that after 400 years of slavery, God would bring them out –

too strong – lit. – "too high"

Moses and the people saw God as being the one who gave them a victory, yet in reality, the Israelite army had to go out and fight this one.

sixty cities.

Again, those "high walls". Now they have learned that God can handle walled cities.

remnant of giants – or, "rephaim". Og was the last of this race of giants

13 ½ x 6 foot bed. He must have been huge!

or, Galilee.

The two and a half tribes that settled on the east side of the Jordan, occupying the land of Sihon and Og, were to not settle down, but to keep fighting with the rest of the nation until the entire land was taken and everyone had their inheritance.

God has already shown you that you can have victory.

Now they’re finally ready to believe it.

38 years earlier, the Lord had told the people this, but now they’re finally at a place where they’re ready to listen.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Moses was trying to butter God up and ask him for something.

Moses really wanted to go into the Promised Land. He was looking forward to it.

Moses had blown it.

Moses wasn’t allowed to go into the Promised Land, but he would be able to see it from a distance, from atop a mountain.

This was where the Israelites had fallen into sin with the young Moabite women, committing immorality and idolatry, all at the advice of Balaam.

This is where they are sitting at the time of this address.