Deuteronomy Overview + Outline
Deuteronomy: what does that even mean? The Hebrew Bible pulls the title from the first few words of the book, Elleh Haddebarim meaning "these are the words" or "words." Our English translations follow the Greek Septuagint's translation from Deuteronomion or the second Law. Ultimately, the book of Deuteronomy is Moses' explanation of the Law. So without further ado, let's study the details surrounding this book!
WHAT TYPE OF BOOK IS THIS? (LAW, HISTORY, POETRY, WISDOM, GOSPEL, EPISTLE, OR PROPHECY)?
Deuteronomy is the Pentateuch's last book, meaning it is the final installment of the law genre.
WHO WROTE THIS BOOK? WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE AUTHOR?
Scholars traditionally attribute Deuteronomy to Moses due to several verses throughout the book. Deuteronomy 31:9 says, "Then Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel." Likewise, Deuteronomy 31:22, 24 mentions Moses writing the song found in chapter 32 and credited for "...finished writing the words of this law in a book to the very end."
In addition to Deuteronomy accrediting Moses as the writer, many Old and New Testament writers called the Pentateuch the Book of the Law of Moses. (See 1 Kings 2:3, 8:53, 2 Kings 14:6, 18:12, Acts 3:22-23, and Romans 10:19 for more.)
However, one thing to note: Moses died at the end of Deuteronomy. Therefore, someone must have taken down these events and those leading up to his death! Joshua most likely wrote Deuteronomy 32:48-34:12, with the bulk written by Moses before his death in 1405 B.C.
WHO IS THE AUDIENCE OF DEUTERONOMY? WHEN IS IT WRITTEN?
The initial audience of Deuteronomy was the second generation of the nation of Israel. Those between 40 and 60 were born in Egypt and remembered the Exodus as a child or teenagers. Or they were a child of the older Israelites, meaning they were born and raised in the desert.
This book has many farewell speeches that Moses gave to Israel starting on the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year after the Exodus (Deuteronomy 1:3). Many scholars place the writing of Deuteronomy during January or February of 1405 B.C.
WHAT IS THE SETTING AND LOCATION OF THIS BOOK?
Israel camped east of the Jordan river (Deuteronomy 1:1), which Numbers 36:13 referred to as the plains of Moab, when the month-long speeches in Deuteronomy occurred.
WHAT'S THE GENERAL OUTLINE AND STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK AS A WHOLE?
Introduction to the book: The history and setting of Moses's prior speeches (1:1-4)
Moses's First Address (1:5-4:43)
A Review of God's Gracious Acts from Horeb to Beth Peor (1:5-3:29)
The Call to Obey the Law (4:1-40)
Designating the Three Cities of Refuge (4:41-43)
Moses's Second Address: The Conditions of the Covenant Made at Sinai (4:44-28:68)
Introduction (4:44-49)
The Elements of Israel's Relationship with the Lord (5:1-11:32)
The Ten Commandments (5:1-33)
The total commitment to the Lord (6:1-25)
Separation from other nation's gods (7:1-26)
A warning to not forget the Lord (8:1-20)
Illustrations of Israel's rebellion in the past (9:1-10:11)
A command to fear and love the Lord and obey His Will (10:12-11:32)
The Requirements for Living in the Promised Land (12:1-26:19)
Instructions for a life of worship (12:1-16:17)
Instructions for leadership (16:18-18:22)
Instructions for societal order (19:1-23:14)
Instructions from miscellaneous laws (23:15-25:19)
Firstfruits and tithes of the land (26:1-15)
Affirmation of Obedience (26:16-19)
Blessings and Curses of the Covenant (27:1-28:68)
Moses's Third Address: Another Covenant (29:1-30:20)
Concluding Events (31:1-34:12)
The Change of Leadership (31:1-34:12)
The Future Reading of the Law (31:9-13)
The Song of Moses (31:14-32:47)
Anticipation of Israel's failure (31:14-29)
Moses's song (31:30-32:43)
The call to communicate Moses's Song (32:44-47)
The Final Events of Moses's Life (32:48-34:12)
The directives for Moses's death (32:48-52)
The blessing of Moses (33:1-29)
Moses died (34:1-12)
HOW DOES THIS BOOK FIT INTO THE TIMELINE OF SCRIPTURE? WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE IT? WHAT HAPPENS AFTER IT?
Deuteronomy falls after the book of Numbers but before the book of Joshua. In Numbers, the Israelites accuse God of being a liar while yearning for their life of slavery in Egypt. Because of their unbelief, the Lord did not allow anyone 20 or older to enter the Promised Land. This second generation out of Egypt received the speeches and reminders of Moses found in Deuteronomy to keep the Lord's commandments and covenants.
After this month, Moses died, and Joshua took over as leader of the Israelites. This new generation finally entered the Promised Land through conquests and obedience to the Lord's commandments.
HOW DID CHRIST FULFILL THE TRUTH FOUND IN DEUTERONOMY?
God called the Israelites to perfectly love and obey Him alone throughout Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 6:5). This command was solely out of response to God's love for the Israelites. (See Deuteronomy 4:37, 7:7-8, 13 for more about God's love toward His people.) Failure to do so would come with a curse, found in Deuteronomy 28:15-20, 16. Moses told the people that they could not fulfill perfect love and obedience to the Lord, setting up a grim picture in Deuteronomy 31:28-29.
However, Deuteronomy 18:18-19 prophesied a perfect prophet to fulfill this command. It says, "'I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.'" This verse foreshadows Christ Jesus! The apostle Peter referenced this foreshadowing in his sermon in Acts 3:18-23, confirming Christ Jesus fulfilled it!
Ultimately, Jesus is the greater Israelite, for He perfectly loved and obeyed the Lord. The following verses show how Christ did so.
In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, "'Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.'" Jesus lived a perfect life for 33 years. He did all that God commanded! Likewise, in John 14:31, He said, "'but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.'" Christ loved the Lord and perfectly fulfilled the Law. In doing so, His righteousness cured what Adam started in His sin (Romans 5:19). Therefore, He took on our curse so that we may walk in His righteousness!
How beautiful is Galatians 3:13, which says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree." God put on Christ the curses we deserve. Therefore, Jesus, the greater Israelite, loved and obeyed God perfectly on our behalf. Those who believe in Him receive eternal salvation from God's wrath!
KEY VERSES IN DEUTERONOMY
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."
Deuteronomy 6:5
“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.”
Deuteronomy 18:18-19
“But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.
“The Lord will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and perish quickly on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken me.
Deuteronomy 28:15-20
“Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them. For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And in the days to come evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.”
Deuteronomy 31:28-29
KEY THEMES IN DEUTERONOMY: LOVE, OBEDIENCE, AND CURSES
Throughout Deuteronomy, it is clear that the Lord loves His people by His sovereign choosing! The proper response to His love was for the Israelites to love Him in return. Therefore, this book outlined the blessings of obeying God and the warnings of the curses for disobeying the Lord. Overall, Deuteronomy shows the relationship between loving the Lord and obeying Him while pointing to the fact that believers cannot fulfill the Law alone. It is through Christ becoming the curse for us that we might live out the blessing of His righteousness!
WHERE DOES THE NEW TESTAMENT QUOTE OR REFER TO DEUTERONOMY?
Jesus quoted Deuteronomy multiple times throughout the Gospels. One of the first times we see Scripture quoted from Deuteronomy was when Satan tempted Christ. With each attempt, Jesus responded with a verse from Deuteronomy. When tempted with bread, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3. The second time, Satan tempted Jesus to tempt the Lord. Jesus responded with Deuteronomy 6:16. Lastly, when tempted to bow and serve Satan, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:13: He was to serve the Lord only! Both Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 1:1-12 record the same temptations.
Later, Jesus quoted the command in the Sermon on the Mount to not kill or commit adultery (Deuteronomy 5:17-18). Other laws from Deuteronomy that Christ mentioned involve honoring one's mother and father, taking an eye for an eye, and many more (Deuteronomy 5:16)!
As you can see, many other references between the four gospels allude to truths in the last book of the Pentateuch. But it doesn't stop there. Peter would eventually quote Deuteronomy 18:15-19 in his sermon in Acts 3:22. Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Timothy, Hebrews, 1 Peter, Jude, and Revelations refer to Deuteronomy too!
There could be another blog post about all the references that directly quote, refer to laws reiterated in Deuteronomy, or loosely allude to the book!