The Meaning Of Life

https://biblehub.com/nkjv/deuteronomy/1.htm

The word “Deuteronomy” means “the second law”, or “repeated word”, and there’s many potential reasons why this book is in the Bible.

First, the definition “second law” indicates to us that Moses reminds everyone of the laws and commands God has given, including the Ten Commandments. Kind of like going to church or reading the Bible multiple times, we all need constant reminders of what God wants of us.

Another possibility is that Moses is assembling the laws and commands into one book. We’ve seen many of God’s laws andcommands spread over the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, so maybe this book is simply a way to collect everything in one place.

And yet, even though there were writings in those days on scrolls and tablets, a lot of information was passed down from face to face. Just like today when we sit and listen to stories of past told to us by our parents and grandparents, much was passed down verbally, and this may simply be a record of what Moses told the new generations. Around 400 years have passed between Exodus 1 and Deuteronomy 1, not counting the 400 years the children of Israel were enslaved in Egypt. The Bible generally considers a generation to be about 40 years (they lived much longer back then), so about 20 generations had passed from the days of Jacob until now.

Whatever the reason, this book repeats or summarized much of what the children of Israel went through, and repeats the laws and commands of God. And this takes place on the east side of the Jordan River, across from the promised land that they have yet to enter.

Chapter 1 begin with Moses repeating God’s command to live in the land of Canaan that he gave to Abraham. And just as a reminder, while this isn’t Biblical, is it possible that Abraham (Abram) was not necessarily hand picked by God, but rather God called out to many, and Abram was the only one that had faith enough to answer?

Moses then reminds the people about the time he was overworked and underpaid, when he was trying to be the judge of over a million children of Israel, and that their whining and moaning was too great for him to bear, so he appointed tribal leaders to help manage the people and take some of the work load off of Moses. And again, putting myself in Moses place, I suggest he was extremely stressed out and very likely “burned out”?

Moses had a very, very personal relationship with God, yet he was still mortal. This is indicated by how frustrated he was with the people that he angrily struck the rock to produce water, which was not the instructions God gave him. And despite how good our relationship is with God, there are times we become angry, or stressed, or at “wit’s end”, so I can’t begin to imagine all that Moses endured.

Moses reminds everyone about how the Israelites refused to enter the promised land because they feared the giants, and did not have enough faith in God to be with them while the entered the land. And finally Moses ends the chapter by reminding everyone of their punishment for that refusal, that God did not allow them to enter, but instead gave the land to those future generations. Instead, God made them wander in the wilderness for 40 years.

Imagine giving someone you love deeply a gift, but they refuse to accept it. It’s the wrong color, or the wrong size, or something they don’t really need. Wouldn’t it make you want to take that gift back? Years ago, my sister worked with a new employee, and they noticed he was always the first one at work in his station wagon with his family in the car, and was always the last one to leave at night. Eventually they realized the family was homeless and living in their car.

The other employees banded together, took up a collected and rented a house, paying the first month’s rent and first month’s utilities, then went and purchased them some used furnishing for the house to get them “back on their feet” until his first paychecks could arrive. They even stocked the refrigerator with food for them. They then planned a big surprise party to gift them all of those things. And when they “surprised” them, the first thing the man’s wife said was, “The TV’s black and white…you couldn’t find a color TV?”

My sister said the happy and joyous mood died right there. They spent a lot of time and their own hard-earned cash to help that family out, and there wasn’t one ounce of appreciation for it.

Here, God does the same. He has overthrown the Egyptians and taken His chosen people out of Egypt, worked wonders and miracles for them, leading them by a cloud and a pillar of night, taking them to the land of milk and honey to give to them. And despite how much they groaned and stated their wish that they had stayed slaves in Egypt, God showed mercy, forgave them for their behavior, and provided them with food and water.

And even as He was giving His children their rules to live by, they couldn’t wait 40 days, and created a false idol, began to worship it and have parties and orgies.

God still led them to the promised land, and when they got there, they refused to enter because even after all that, they still didn’t have faith in God. And yes, the joy in God’s heart was dwindled and His heart was broken. So He took the gift back, and it truly was the most wonderful gift, chose to give it to the next generation that might be more appreciative.

God created the Heaven and Earth. It was designed to be “Heaven on Earth”, all was perfect. But man bowed to the temptations of Satan and lost that promised land.

So now God gives His people another promised land, and we don’t know what the result would have been had they accepted His gift with welcome hearts. God made have turned it into another “Heaven on Earth” with an even temperament, lush gardens, plentiful harvests…but we will never know because God’s gift wasn’t accepted.

And the same holds true today. God wants to give us another gift, the gift of eternal life, living in Heaven at His feet, and eventually a new “Heaven on Earth” when He builds the New Jerusalem and cleanses this earth of sin.

Are you going to accept His gift joyfully and thankfully, or are you going to be like the Israelites and refuse that gift, grumbling and moaning because you’re life isn’t perfect now?