WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:00.030 --> 00:00:02.840 Nancy: Welcome To Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience. 00:00:02.920 --> 00:00:04.320 Day 100 and 47 00:00:04.839 --> 00:00:06.699 immersed in Deuteronomy, 00:00:09.219 --> 00:00:14.259 the ancient nation of Israel is finally poised to enter the land 00:00:14.259 --> 00:00:16.149 God promised to their ancestor. 00:00:16.149 --> 00:00:16.869 Abraham. 00:00:17.829 --> 00:00:22.449 The books of Exodus, Leviticus, and numbers have told the story of Israel's 00:00:22.449 --> 00:00:25.269 journey from Egypt to the edge of Canaan. 00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:30.189 God has freed his people from their slavery in Egypt and promised 00:00:30.189 --> 00:00:31.839 them a homeland of their own. 00:00:32.739 --> 00:00:36.579 The terms of God's covenant with them have been delivered in parts from 00:00:36.579 --> 00:00:41.109 Mount Sinai, from the Tabernacle, and along the route to Canaan. 00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:45.849 Now, just before he dies, Moses conveys the terms of the 00:00:45.849 --> 00:00:47.889 covenant again, all at once. 00:00:48.804 --> 00:00:53.244 Moses uses a literary form well suited to his purpose, adapting 00:00:53.244 --> 00:00:56.964 the kind of treaty that a High King would use in making an agreement with 00:00:56.964 --> 00:00:59.304 other kings who are subject to him. 00:01:00.354 --> 00:01:03.354 The covenant was made using this culturally familiar 00:01:03.354 --> 00:01:04.974 and accepted treaty form. 00:01:05.514 --> 00:01:09.534 It would govern the relationship between the Lord and the Israelites, 00:01:09.714 --> 00:01:12.564 his kingdom of priests, and Holy nation. 00:01:13.479 --> 00:01:17.679 It is also worth noting that the 10 Commandments are actually a miniature 00:01:17.679 --> 00:01:19.359 version of this kind of treaty. 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:24.849 The nation has been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years during which time 00:01:24.849 --> 00:01:27.249 the disobedient generation has died out. 00:01:27.849 --> 00:01:32.139 Moses knows that the new generation needs to hear and understand their covenant 00:01:32.139 --> 00:01:34.929 with God and embrace it for themselves. 00:01:35.574 --> 00:01:40.434 The book of Deuteronomy is the final message delivered by Moses to this next 00:01:40.434 --> 00:01:42.744 generation of God's covenant people. 00:01:43.704 --> 00:01:48.204 The book of Deuteronomy has six distinct parts that reflect the elements in 00:01:48.204 --> 00:01:52.944 a treaty between a High King and those subject to him credentials 00:01:52.944 --> 00:01:54.714 of the High Kings representative. 00:01:56.034 --> 00:02:00.564 What God has done for Israel, the expectation of 00:02:00.564 --> 00:02:02.544 exclusive allegiance to God. 00:02:03.729 --> 00:02:11.769 Israel's duties under God, blessings or curses, Israel's oath and witnesses. 00:02:12.939 --> 00:02:18.189 The treaty begins by listing the High King's name and titles in Deuteronomy. 00:02:18.399 --> 00:02:22.479 The credentials of Moses are given because he is acting as God's representative. 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:27.099 Next comes a description of what the High King has done for his subjects. 00:02:27.699 --> 00:02:32.109 Deuteronomy emphasizes what the Lord has done for Israel, concentrating on 00:02:32.109 --> 00:02:35.949 God's provision and protection during the nation's wilderness journey. 00:02:36.729 --> 00:02:40.899 The next part of the treaty makes a demand for exclusive allegiance. 00:02:41.469 --> 00:02:45.339 Moses explains how the Israelites are to live out their exclusive 00:02:45.339 --> 00:02:48.789 allegiance by welcoming each new generation into the covenant. 00:02:49.449 --> 00:02:53.289 Also, they are to protect their relationship with God in their 00:02:53.289 --> 00:02:57.039 new land by completely shunning the worship of foreign gods. 00:02:57.909 --> 00:03:03.969 Deuteronomy Next describes the High King's other expectations, an extensive body of 00:03:03.969 --> 00:03:09.039 law regarding offerings and festivals, community leaders, safeguards of justice 00:03:09.219 --> 00:03:12.789 warfare, sexual relations, and much more. 00:03:12.789 --> 00:03:16.989 Shows that loyalty to God is to be expressed in every aspect of life. 00:03:17.859 --> 00:03:21.549 This is followed by a list of blessings for keeping the treaty and 00:03:21.549 --> 00:03:23.289 a list of curses for breaking it. 00:03:24.009 --> 00:03:29.469 As we will see in the story that follows Deuteronomy, the consequences flowing from 00:03:29.469 --> 00:03:31.839 the treaty will determine Israel's future. 00:03:32.709 --> 00:03:36.669 Finally, the treaty is witnessed and copies are safeguarded. 00:03:37.149 --> 00:03:42.219 The entire body of instruction in Deuteronomy is written in a book and 00:03:42.219 --> 00:03:47.049 given for safekeeping to the priests who carried the arc of the Lord's covenant. 00:03:47.859 --> 00:03:52.479 And as Moses names the treaties witnesses, he also pulls together its main themes. 00:03:53.244 --> 00:03:57.294 Today, I have given you the choice between life and death 00:03:57.684 --> 00:03:59.784 between blessings and curses. 00:04:00.324 --> 00:04:04.404 Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. 00:04:05.064 --> 00:04:10.224 Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live 00:04:15.594 --> 00:04:17.034 the book of Deuteronomy. 00:04:19.554 --> 00:04:23.184 These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel 00:04:23.814 --> 00:04:26.334 while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River. 00:04:27.504 --> 00:04:29.604 They were camped in the Jordan Valley near Suf. 00:04:29.994 --> 00:04:36.324 Between Perrin on one side and Tofu, Laben, HRO, and Isaiah on the other. 00:04:37.404 --> 00:04:41.184 Normally, it takes only 11 days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadish 00:04:41.184 --> 00:04:43.164 Baria going by way of Mount Seer. 00:04:44.004 --> 00:04:48.624 But 40 years after the Israelites left Egypt, on the first day of the 00:04:48.624 --> 00:04:53.754 11th month, Moses addressed the people of Israel telling them everything 00:04:53.759 --> 00:04:55.584 the Lord had commanded him to say. 00:04:56.544 --> 00:05:01.734 This took place after he had defeated King Shan of the Amorites who ruled in Heshan. 00:05:02.154 --> 00:05:06.924 And at EDRi I had defeated King OG of BA who ruled in Terro 00:05:09.684 --> 00:05:13.014 while the Israelites were in the land of Moab, east of the Jordan River. 00:05:13.479 --> 00:05:16.929 Moses carefully explained the Lord's instructions as follows. 00:05:18.159 --> 00:05:23.229 When we were at Mount Sinai, the Lord our God said to us, you have 00:05:23.229 --> 00:05:25.089 stayed at this mountain long enough. 00:05:25.449 --> 00:05:28.449 It is time to break camp and move on. 00:05:29.079 --> 00:05:32.619 Go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the neighboring 00:05:32.619 --> 00:05:37.329 regions, the Jordan Valley, the Hill Country, the Western foothills, 00:05:37.359 --> 00:05:39.519 the Negev, and the coastal plane. 00:05:40.284 --> 00:05:44.124 Go to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon and all the way 00:05:44.124 --> 00:05:45.624 to the great Euphrates River. 00:05:46.314 --> 00:05:49.104 Look, I am giving all this land to you. 00:05:49.644 --> 00:05:54.174 Go in and occupy it for it is the land the Lord swore to give to 00:05:54.174 --> 00:05:59.754 your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their descendants. 00:06:00.714 --> 00:06:03.324 Moses continued at that time. 00:06:03.324 --> 00:06:08.334 I told you, you are too great a burden for me to carry all by myself. 00:06:09.084 --> 00:06:12.714 The Lord your God has increased your population, making you 00:06:12.714 --> 00:06:14.544 as numerous as the stars. 00:06:15.354 --> 00:06:20.004 And may the Lord, the God of your ancestors multiply you a thousand times 00:06:20.004 --> 00:06:25.674 more and bless you as he promised, but you are such a heavy load to carry. 00:06:26.304 --> 00:06:29.304 How can I deal with all your problems and bickering? 00:06:30.174 --> 00:06:33.924 Choose some well-respected men from each tribe who are known for their 00:06:33.924 --> 00:06:38.034 wisdom and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders. 00:06:38.709 --> 00:06:41.559 Then you responded your plan is a good one. 00:06:42.519 --> 00:06:45.939 So I took the wise and respected men you had selected from your 00:06:45.939 --> 00:06:50.229 tribes and appointed them to serve as judges and officials over you. 00:06:50.949 --> 00:06:55.029 Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, 00:06:55.539 --> 00:06:57.969 some for 50, and some for 10. 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:00.849 At that time, I instructed the judges. 00:07:01.539 --> 00:07:04.569 You must hear the cases of your fellow Israelites and the 00:07:04.574 --> 00:07:05.979 foreigners living among you. 00:07:06.969 --> 00:07:10.989 Be perfectly fair in your decisions and impartial in your judgments. 00:07:11.709 --> 00:07:15.819 Here are the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. 00:07:16.869 --> 00:07:21.699 Don't be afraid of anyone's anger for the decision you make is God's decision. 00:07:22.389 --> 00:07:26.619 Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you and I will handle them. 00:07:27.909 --> 00:07:31.059 At that time, I gave you instructions about everything you were to do. 00:07:32.829 --> 00:07:35.919 Then just as the Lord our God commanded us. 00:07:36.219 --> 00:07:40.449 We left Mount Sinai and traveled through the great and terrifying wilderness 00:07:40.779 --> 00:07:45.129 as you yourselves remember, and headed toward the hill country of the Amorites. 00:07:45.999 --> 00:07:50.499 When we arrived at Kadish Baria, I said to you, you have now reached 00:07:50.499 --> 00:07:53.979 the hill country of the Amorites that the Lord our God is giving us. 00:07:54.474 --> 00:07:57.384 Look, he has placed the land in front of you. 00:07:57.804 --> 00:07:59.724 Go and occupy it as the Lord. 00:07:59.754 --> 00:08:02.064 The God of your ancestors has promised you. 00:08:02.634 --> 00:08:05.394 Don't be afraid, don't be discouraged. 00:08:06.474 --> 00:08:10.344 But you all came to me and said, first, let's send out scouts 00:08:10.344 --> 00:08:12.084 to explore the land for us. 00:08:12.474 --> 00:08:16.164 They will advise us on the best route to take and which towns we should enter. 00:08:17.334 --> 00:08:21.414 This seemed like a good idea to me, so I chose 12 scouts, 00:08:21.714 --> 00:08:23.514 one from each of your tribes. 00:08:24.294 --> 00:08:28.674 They headed for the hill country and came to the Valley of Escal and explored it. 00:08:29.394 --> 00:08:32.994 They picked some of its fruit and brought it back to us, and they 00:08:32.994 --> 00:08:38.724 reported the land of the Lord our God has given us is indeed a good land. 00:08:39.774 --> 00:08:44.334 But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God, and refused to go in. 00:08:45.024 --> 00:08:49.269 You complained in your tense and said, The Lord must hate us. 00:08:49.539 --> 00:08:52.959 That's why he has brought us here from Egypt to hand us over to 00:08:52.959 --> 00:08:54.669 the Amorites to be slaughtered. 00:08:55.239 --> 00:08:56.409 Where can we go? 00:08:57.039 --> 00:08:59.679 Our brothers have demoralized us with their report. 00:09:00.249 --> 00:09:04.059 They tell us the people of the land are taller and more powerful than 00:09:04.059 --> 00:09:09.639 we are, and their towns are large with walls rising high into the sky. 00:09:10.329 --> 00:09:13.839 We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anac. 00:09:15.069 --> 00:09:18.369 I said to you, don't be shocked or afraid of them. 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:21.159 The Lord your God is going ahead of you. 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:25.389 He will fight for you just as you saw him do in Egypt. 00:09:26.289 --> 00:09:30.549 And you saw how the Lord your God, cared for you all along the way as 00:09:30.549 --> 00:09:35.349 you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father caress for his child. 00:09:36.099 --> 00:09:37.899 Now he has brought you to this place. 00:09:39.024 --> 00:09:44.304 But even after all he did, you refuse to trust the Lord your God, who goes 00:09:44.304 --> 00:09:48.894 before you, looking for the best places to camp, guiding you with a pillar of 00:09:48.894 --> 00:09:51.714 fire by night and a pillar of cloud. 00:09:51.714 --> 00:09:58.224 By day, when the Lord heard your complaining, he became very angry, so he 00:09:58.224 --> 00:10:03.294 solemnly swore not one of you from this wicked generation will live to see the 00:10:03.294 --> 00:10:05.814 good land I swore to give your ancestors. 00:10:06.429 --> 00:10:08.919 Except Caleb, son of Giana. 00:10:09.699 --> 00:10:13.179 He will see this land because he has followed the Lord completely. 00:10:14.109 --> 00:10:18.819 I will give to him and his descendants, some of the very land he explored during 00:10:18.819 --> 00:10:23.439 his scouting mission, and the Lord was also angry with me because of you. 00:10:24.039 --> 00:10:29.289 He said to me, Moses, not even, you will enter the promised land. 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:34.719 Instead, your assistant, Joshua, son of none will lead the people into the land. 00:10:35.454 --> 00:10:39.114 Encourage him for he will lead Israel as they take possession of it. 00:10:39.864 --> 00:10:41.904 I will give the land to your little ones. 00:10:42.474 --> 00:10:43.704 Your innocent children. 00:10:44.754 --> 00:10:49.164 You are afraid they would be captured, but they will be the ones who occupy it. 00:10:49.854 --> 00:10:54.684 As for you, turn around now and go on back through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. 00:10:56.004 --> 00:10:56.994 Then you confessed. 00:10:57.354 --> 00:10:59.184 We have sinned against the Lord. 00:10:59.634 --> 00:11:03.204 We will go into the land and fight for it as the Lord. 00:11:03.204 --> 00:11:04.914 Our God has commanded us. 00:11:05.604 --> 00:11:08.544 So are your men strapped on their weapons thinking it would be 00:11:08.544 --> 00:11:10.194 easy to attack the hill country? 00:11:11.304 --> 00:11:15.654 But the Lord told me to tell you, do not attack for I am not with you. 00:11:16.074 --> 00:11:19.704 If you go ahead on your own, you will be crushed by your enemies. 00:11:20.544 --> 00:11:23.014 This is what I told you, but you would not listen. 00:11:24.009 --> 00:11:28.539 Instead, you again rebelled against the Lord's command and arrogantly 00:11:28.539 --> 00:11:32.679 went into the hill country to fight, but the Amorites who lived there came 00:11:32.679 --> 00:11:34.809 out against you like a swarm of bees. 00:11:35.529 --> 00:11:39.309 They chased and battered you all the way from SR to hor. 00:11:40.629 --> 00:11:44.919 Then you returned and wept before the Lord, but he refused to listen. 00:11:45.579 --> 00:11:48.609 So you stayed there at Kadish for a long time. 00:11:50.199 --> 00:11:54.009 Then we turned around and headed back across the wilderness toward the Red 00:11:54.009 --> 00:11:58.509 Sea, just as the Lord had instructed me and we wandered around in the 00:11:58.509 --> 00:12:01.239 region of Mount SSR for a long time. 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:05.889 This concludes today's immerse reading experience. 00:12:06.009 --> 00:12:06.939 Thank you for joining us.