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The Book of Deuteronomy

The author was Moses written 1407-1406 B.C.

Deuteronomy is a repeating of the law to the new generation that had come out of the wilderness, ready to make their conquest of Canaan. The name Deuteronomy means "second law." It is perhaps better rendered, "This is the copy (or repetition) of the law." It is not a presentation of a "second law" different and apart from the Sinaitic legislation, but it is a partial restating and explaining of the previous laws of Israel to this new generation. The emphasis of Moses in this book is to "observe to do" what God has commanded.

Deuteronomy, however is more than just a simple restatement of the law. The compassion of God for His chosen people is dealt with, together with their covenant responsibilities. A call from God for strict obedience is presented. Finally , Moses appointed his successor Joshua, and went off to a mountain by himself to view the Promised Land from a distance before he died.

Praise the Lord Almighty!!

The Lord Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never die." ----John 11:25

Praise the Lord Almighty!!

The Book of Joshua

The author is Joshua written in 1380 B.C.

Joshua is the first book of the second part of the Old Testament, which includes the historical books through Esther. This follows the first five books called the Pentateuch. The name of this book comes from the man Joshua who was a great religious and military leader. Joshua is a book of conflict and conquest. The anticipated entrance into the Promised Land, as found in the book of Deuteronomy, becomes a reality in Joshua.

A Moral Problem: Some people question the command of God to annihilate the Canaanites. God was patient and waited to bring judgment on the unrighteous nations. The Canaanites were not innocent, but rather evil and wicked (Gen. 9:25; Lev. 18:25; Deut. 12:29-31). God gave Abraham and his descendants the land and used them as an instrument of judgment on the wicked. The complete removal of some perverted and wicked groups was necessary to insure that Israel would not be affected or influenced by their gross sin and immorality.

The Man Joshua: Joshua was of the tribe of Ephraim (Num. 13:8). (The name Joshua in the Greek form is Jesus.) Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land, an example of Jesus leading His people into the promises of God. Joshua personally attended to Moses throughout the wanderings in the wilderness for forty years. He was with Moses on the Mount (Ex. 24:13) and was one of the twelve spies (Num. 13:8, 16). At age eighty-five, he succeeded Moses and ruled over Israel for about twenty-five years. He was instrumental in the settling of the twelve tribes in the Promised Land and of governing them until he died at age 110. He was a great warrior, but also a man of prayer and trust in God.

Praise the Lord Almighty!!

The Book of Judges

The author was Samuel written around 1000 B.C.

Often the greatest heroes appear in the midst of the worst chaos and confusion. This is true in the book of Judges, where true heroes and heroines repeatedly are called upon to save the day after the people have fallen into sin. After Joshua's armies conquered Canaan, the twelve tribes of Israel settled their alloted portions of the land. They had no earthly king, because God was to serve as their king. But this required that the people follow and obey God---a situation that rarely existed during this period. The people soon became unfaithful to God and practiced the ways of their pagan neighbors. To punish their disobedience, God allowed the Israelites' neighbors to oppress them. The Israelites then repented and asked God to rescue them, and so he raised up various leaders among them to drive out the enemy. These leaders were known as judges. They not only defeated their enemies and drove them from the land but they turned the Israelites' hearts back to God. But time after time, soon after the people were delivered from their oppressive neighbors, they lost their zeal for God, and the whole cycle begain again.

Message. The central message of Judges is found in the interpretation of Israel's history within its pages. The author sees the hand of God in all that happens. Israel's failure to consolidate the land and keep their religion and cultural life strong was the cause of tragedy which followed. Idolatry crept in, vicious oppressors rose up to torment them, hunger and famine were their constant companions.

Yet, God always raised up a "man of the hour." This is the theme of the book. Whenever the suffering was worst, and the people cried out in despair, God called forth a "judge" or deliverer to throw off the yoke of the oppressor. Sometimes these were good and noble men like Gideion, or Samuel; but, sometimes they were erratic and unstable men, like Samson.

The message of Judges also stresses the theme that God raises up the weak to confound the strong. Gideon was the youngest Manassite in his father's house, and his father's family was "least in Manasseh." The people were weak and unarmed, as in the case of Gideon's army. They used earthen pitchers, and torches, the bloodcurdling blase of trumpets---and their faith in God! With these they routed the enemy, and, seizing the weapons of the foe, they drove the Midianites back into the desert. Another great lesson: no weapons can destroy a people that puts its faith in God---and all the weapons of war are useless unless God gives the victory. Faith in God is stronger than a thousand armies.

The final lesson is that chaos reigns whenever man is free to "do what is right in his own eyes." Civilized life is impossible when every man has "his own way." It is an expression of the original sin which goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Only by obedience to the Law and love of God can man ever find the happiness for which God made him!

Praise the Lord Almighty!!