with a pen.
Okay, so Deuteronomy chapter 1.
I'm going to read from verses 1 through to 8,
and then Nick is going to take over.
Okay, so...
Okay, Deuteronomy 1 verse 1.
These are the words of Moses,
that he spoke to all Israel in the desert,
east of the Jordan, that is, in the Arabah,
opposite Suf, between Paran and Tophel,
Laban, Hazareth and Dizahad.
It takes 11 days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea
by the Mount Seir road.
In the 40th year, on the first day of the 11th month,
Moses proclaimed to the Israelites
all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them.
This was after he had defeated Sion, king of the Amorites,
who reigned in Heshbon and at Edri,
and had defeated Og, king of Bashan,
who reigned at Ashtoreth.
East of the Jordan, in the territory of Moab,
Moses began to expand this law, saying,
The Lord our God said to us at Horeb,
You have stayed long enough at this mountain.
Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites.
Go to all the neighbouring peoples in the Arabah,
to the mountains, in the western foothills,
in the Negev and along the coast,
to the land of the Canaanites,
and to Lebanon, as far as the great river,
the Euphrates.
See, I have given you this land.
Go in and take possession of the land
that the Lord swore he would give to your fathers,
to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
and to their descendants after them.
Taking up the story at verse 26.
But you were unwilling to go up.
You rebelled against the command of the Lord your God.
You grumbled in your tents and said,
The Lord hates us,
so he brought us out of Egypt
to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites
to destroy us.
Where can we go?
Our brothers have made us lose heart.
They say,
The people are stronger and taller than we are.
The cities are large,
with walls up to the sky.
We even saw the Anakites there.
Then I said to you,
Do not be terrified.
Do not be afraid of them.
The Lord your God,
who is going before you,
will fight for you,
as he did for you in Egypt,
before your very eyes,
and in the desert.
There you saw how the Lord your God
carried you,
as a father carries his son.
All the way you went,
until you reached this place.
In spite of this,
you did not trust in the Lord your God,
who went ahead of you on your journey,
in fire by night,
and in cloud by day,
to search out places for you to camp,
and to show you the way you should go.
When the Lord heard what you said,
he was angry and solemnly swore,
Not a man of this evil generation
shall see the good land
I swore to give your forefathers,
except Caleb,
son of Jephunneh.
He will see it,
and I will give him and his descendants
the land he set his feet on,
because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.
Thanks very much, Nick.
Well, keep your Bibles open
in these first few chapters,
and we'll pray.
These are the words
Moses spoke to all Israel
in the desert.
As we gather together,
we pray
that the words that Moses spoke
would be God's words to us
in our time,
in our land,
and in our generation.
And we pray that we would hear clearly
what you are saying to us afresh,
and that we would be people
who take your words seriously,
so that we may be able to enjoy
and receive
all that you have to give us.
So bless us and help us
as we start out in our journey together
through this great book.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, how long does it take
to get from Cork
to Belfast?
Well, just after Christmas,
we took a trip to Belfast
to visit family.
Except what should have taken
four hours
turned out to be
one day,
four hours.
It should have been
very straightforward
if we had done
what we were supposed to have done.
More about that
a little bit later.
Instead,
we had to endure
standing freezing cold
on the edge of the motorway
waiting for help.
What should have been
an easy journey
turned out to be
very long
and painful.
It was
a serious problem.
How long does it take
to get from Horeb
to Kadesh Barnea
when you take
the Mount Seir road?
Well, look at verse 2.
It takes 11 days
to go from Horeb
to Kadesh Barnea
by the Mount Seir road.
Except what should have taken
just 11 days
took quite a whole lot more.
Look at verse 3.
In the 40th year
on the first day
of the 11th month
Moses proclaimed
to the Israelites
all that the Lord
had commanded him
concerning them.
What should have taken
11 days
has now turned into
40 years.
That's a long time
to be standing
on the side
of the Mount Seir bypass
getting pretty cold.
If you look
on the screen
there's a map there.
You remember
that 40 years ago
God had graciously
rescued
his people
from their captivity
in Egypt.
So Egypt
is over there
to your left
in the top
corner.
God brought them
from Egypt
down to
Horeb
which is right
down at the bottom.
of the sea there
Mount Sinai
we know it as
Mount Sinai
where God
in his goodness
gave them
his law
his words
that he gave them
so that they would
know how to live
in relationship
with God
in the promised land.
Now all they had
to do was to walk
from Sinai
from Horeb
all the way
to Kadesh Barnea
which is
kind of where
the squiggles are
those red lines.
Takes them
eleven days
and they would
be there
at the beginning
of the promised land.
What should have
been an easy journey
turned out to be
long
and painful.
It was a
serious
problem.
So what
went
wrong?
Well we'll find
out in just
a minute.
But where
Deuteronomy
brings us to
in chapter one
is that these
forty painful
years are
now over
and God's
people now
stand on the
very edge
of the promised
land.
But before they
enter into
the promised
land
Moses is
giving his
people
a series
of sermons
before he
dies.
Deuteronomy
is a collection
of talks
given by
Moses
just before
his death.
And in these
first few
chapters
he's looking
back
over those
forty years
right back
to the very
beginning
reminding us
all
of God's
continued
grace
to his
people.
So first
of all
God's
gracious
promise.
Look at
verse six
of chapter
one.
So he's
looking back
remember to
Horeb.
This is down
in Mount
Sinai where
they received
God's
law.
So verse
six.
The Lord
our God
said to
us at
Horeb
you have
stayed
long
enough
at this
mountain.
Break
camp and
advance
into the
hill
country
of the
Amorites.
So here
was a
command
to go
from there
into the
promised
land.
Verse
eight.
See
I have
given you
this land.
Go in
and take
possession
of the
land
that the
Lord
swore
he would
give to
your
fathers
to Abraham
Isaac
and Jacob
and to
their
descendants
after them.
It was
like being
given keys
to a new
home.
A home
that has
been paid
for.
A home
that has
been offered
to you.
Go in
take possession
of it.
It's yours.
And the
land was
theirs not
on the basis
of what they
had promised
to God
and all
that they
would do
for God
but the
land was
there on
the basis
of God's
gracious
promise
to them.
Now with
all the
news that
we see
on television
about Israel
and Palestine
today which
is actually
in the same
area we
need to be
very clear
about what
this land
is and
what has
been promised
to us.
So I
want you to
keep your
finger in
Deuteronomy
1 and
jump all
the way
to Hebrews
chapter 11.
So keep
Deuteronomy
1 open
and jump
all the way
to Hebrews
chapter 11.
I think we
might have
the reference
there is
it?
Yep.
Page 1209.
As we
think about
what this
land actually
is as we
trace the
theme of the
land through
the Bible.
Well here
we have it.
Hebrews
chapter 11
verse 8.
Remember the
promise was
first given
to Abraham
and to
his descendants
that followed.
So verse 8
of chapter 11.
By faith
Abraham when
called to
a place,
that's the
land he
would later
receive as
his inheritance,
obeyed and
went even
though he
did not
know where
he was
going.
Verse 10.
For he
was looking
forward to
the city
with
foundations
whose
architect
and builder
is God.
So what's
the city
that he's
looking forward
to?
Well verse
16 tells
us.
They were
longing for
a better
country,
a heavenly
one.
It wasn't a
physical land.
They were
looking for
something beyond
that.
Therefore God
is not ashamed
to be called
their God
for he has
prepared a
city for
them.
Verse 39.
As he
goes through
all the
other
descendants
and generations
it says
verse 39
these were
all commended
for their
faith yet
none of
them received
what had
been promised.
So even
though they
actually were
in the land
it wasn't
what they
were meant
to receive.
It was
something
greater.
God had
planned
something
better for
us so
that only
together
with us
would they
be made
perfect.
You see
the promised
land that
we read
about in
Deuteronomy
is only
a picture
of the
ultimate
promised
land
which is
heaven.
It's
salvation.
The new
creation,
the heavenly
city where
God and
his people
will live
together in
perfection
for all
eternity.
this is
what Abraham
was looking
forward to
and this
is what
we are
looking
forward to.
This is
the land
that has
also been
given to
us.
So you
see the
story of
Deuteronomy
is actually
a story
about us.
The words
that Moses
were speaking
to the people
then are
God's words
to us
today.
And because
they are
God's words
to us
today,
and because
they contain
a promise
to us
today,
it requires
a response
from us.
Have a look
at Deuteronomy
chapter 30.
We'll go
back to
chapter 1
in just a
minute,
but Deuteronomy
chapter 30.
In some
ways this is
a summary
of the
whole book.
Deuteronomy
chapter 30
verse 15.
And remember
keeping in
mind as we
think about
land, we're
thinking of
eternity,
we're thinking
of salvation
today, and
all that God
has promised.
Deuteronomy
30 verse 15.
See, I set
before you
today life
and prosperity,
death and
destruction.
for I
command you
today to
love the
Lord your
God, to
walk in
his ways and
to keep
his commands,
decrees and
laws.
Then you
will live
and increase
and the
Lord your
God will
bless you
in the
land you
are entering
to possess.
Verse 19.
This day I
call heaven
and earth
witnesses
against you
that I
have set
before you
life and
death,
blessings and
curses.
now choose
life so
that you
and your
children may
live and
that you
may love
the Lord
your God.
Listen to
his voice
and hold
fast to
him for
the Lord
is your
life and
he will
give you
many years
in the
land he
swore to
give to
your fathers
Abraham,
Isaac and
Jacob.
you see
obeying the
promises of
God's word
is choosing
life in
all of its
fullness.
The promises
that have been
given to us
through God's
word is about
choosing life.
Life today
and life in
the ultimate
promised land.
You see as
Moses was
speaking and
we go back
to chapter 1
now, as
Moses was
speaking to
the people,
he was not
setting before
them rules
and regulations,
he was
setting before
them God's
gracious promise
of life.
Life for
your family,
life for
your children.
And as we
listen to
these words,
and if we
do listen,
and if we
believe,
and if we
obey,
we will
receive all
that God
has to
give us.
But it
seems that
Israel and
ourselves have
a problem in
obeying what
God has to
say.
So second,
our persistent
rebellion.
Look at
verse 21 of
chapter 1.
Again, the
promise is
repeated.
See, the
Lord your God
has given you
the land.
Go up and
take possession
of it as
the Lord,
the God of
your fathers
told you.
Do not be
afraid and
do not be
discouraged.
So they
obeyed and
went up as
God said.
No, there's
a bit of
delay tactics.
Verse 22.
Then all of
you came to
me and
said,
well, let
us send
men ahead to
spy out the
land for us
and bring back
a report about
the route
we're to
take and
the towns
that we're
going to
come to.
Verse 25.
Taking with
them some
of the fruit
of the land,
they brought
it down to
us and
they reported,
you know
what?
It is a
good land
that the
Lord our
God is
giving us.
So having
renewed their
confidence,
they went
up as
God said.
No, they
didn't.
Verse 26.
But you
were unwilling
to go up.
You rebelled
against the
command of
the Lord
your God.
You grumbled
in your tents
and you said,
the Lord
hates us.
So he
brought us
out of
Egypt to
deliver us
into the
hands of
the Amorites
to destroy
us.
God is
patient.
and in
his
continued
grace,
he reminds
these
persistent
rebels what
he's going
to do.
Verse 29.
Then I
said,
you do
not be
terrified.
Do not
be afraid
of them.
The
Lord your
God,
who is
going
before you,
will fight
for you
as he
did for
you in
Egypt
before your
very eyes.
God is
going to
fight for
you.
Remember
how he
rescued
you from
Egypt.
Just
believe my
word.
Obey
what I
tell you
to do
and enter
the land.
It can't
get more
simple than
that.
Tragically,
and what is
so often
the story
of our
lives,
they
persisted
in their
rebellion.
Verse 32.
In
spite of
this,
you
did
not
trust
in the
Lord
your
God.
In
spite of
God's
promised
word,
in
spite of
everything
that he
had done
for you,
you
wouldn't
trust
what God
said he
would do.
You see,
our rebellion
is always
expressed
in our
refusal to
believe God's
word and
to obey
God's
word.
God's
love and
God's
arrogance.
In our
arrogance, we
think that we
can somehow
receive and
get from
God everything
that we
need through
our own
resources.
For
failing to
trust God
is saying,
I don't
need God.
It's saying
that I'm
better off
without
God.
When we
don't trust
God and
when we
turn our
backs on
him, we're
just saying,
God is
not good.
God is
not generous.
God is
not gracious.
We kind
of echo
the words
of the
people of
Israel.
The Lord
hates us.
He's brought
us here to
destroy us.
We can't
trust him
with our
lives.
And so
we back
off, we
back away.
But the
consequences
of not
trusting God
with our
life are
disastrous.
Look at
verse 34.
When the
Lord heard
what he
said, he
was angry
and solemnly
swore, not
a man of
this evil
generation shall
see the good
land I swore
to give to
your forefathers.
Except
Caleb, son
of Jephunneh.
He will
see it, and
I will give
him and
his descendants
the land he
set his foot
on.
Why?
Because he
followed the
Lord wholeheartedly.
In fact,
and these are
perhaps some
of the most
troubling words
in Deuteronomy,
when we
persistently
refuse to
listen and
to trust
God's word,
there may
come a
time when
God will
refuse to
listen to
us.
Look at
verse 45.
You
came back
and you
wept before
the Lord,
but he
paid no
attention to
your weeping,
and he
turned a
deaf ear to
you.
And so
you stayed
in Kadesh
many days,
all the
time you
spent there.
You see,
what should
have been
an 11-day
journey,
culminating in
a victorious
celebration of
entering into
the promised
land,
well, it
took 40
years,
and it
ended in
defeat
and misery.
It seems
very clear
that our
persistent
rebellion
against God's
word stops
us receiving
all that
God has
to give
to us.
We are
in desperate
need of
help.
But third,
God's
gracious
response.
Amazingly,
our
persistent
rebellion
is always
met with
God's
continued
grace.
Look at
chapter 2,
verse 7.
Look at
how God
responds to
their rebellion
for their
40 years.
Verse 7
of chapter 2.
The Lord
your God
has blessed
you in
all the
work of
your hands.
He has
watched over
your journey
through this
vast desert.
These
40 years,
the Lord
your God
has been
with you
and you
have not
lacked
anything.
What they
deserve
and what
they get
stand in
complete
contrast.
God
is so
gracious.
Jesus.
And look
at how
God
responds to
them when
they stand
again,
second time
round,
at the
verge of
entering the
promised land.
there is
there is a
bit of
deja vu
about all
of this.
Look at
chapter 2
verse 24.
Set out
now and
cross the
Arnon
gorge.
See I
have given
into your
hand
Sion the
Amorite
king of
Heshbon
and his
country.
Begin to
take possession
of it and
engage him
in battle.
Now these
are the
exact same
people they
were up
against 40
years ago.
Do you
remember the
excuse they
gave 40
years ago?
Go back to
chapter 1
verse 27.
They grumbled
in their
tents and
they said
oh the
Lord hates
us.
He brought
us out of
Egypt to
deliver us
into the
hands of
the Amorites
to destroy
us.
Where can
we go?
Our
brothers have
made us
lose heart
they say.
The people
are stronger
and taller
than we are
the cities
are large
with walls
up to the
sky.
We even
saw the
Anakites
they were
like giants
there.
In fact
they actually
went and
tried to
fight their
own battle.
Look at
the end
of verse
41
of chapter
1
thinking it
easy to
go up
or sorry
so every
one of you
put on his
weapons
thinking it
was easy
to go up
into the
hill
country
that's
into the
promised
land
but the
Lord said
to them
tell them
do not
go up
and fight
because I
will not
be with
you.
You will
be defeated
by your
enemies.
So I
told you
but you
would not
listen.
You rebelled
against the
Lord's
command and
in your
arrogance
you marched
up into
the hill
country.
the
Amorites
who lived
in those
hills
came out
against
you.
They chased
you like
a swarm
of bees
and beat
you down
from Seir
all the
way to
Horma.
You see
unless God
actually journeys
with them
unless God
goes before
them unless
God goes
and fights
on their
behalf
they don't
stand a
chance.
So let's
see what
happens this
time round.
Chapter 2
verse 32.
When
Sion and
all his
army came
out to
meet us
in battle
at
Jahaz
the
Lord our
God
delivered
him over
to us
and we
struck him
down
together
with his
sons
and his
whole army.
At that
time we
took all
his
towns
and
completely
destroyed
them.
Men,
women and
children.
We left
no survivors.
Verse 36.
From
Eror on
the rim
of the
Arnon
Gorge
and from
the town
in the
gorge
even as
far as
Gilead
not one
town was
too strong
for us.
The
Lord our
God
gave us
all of
them.
Now I'm
sure you're
reflecting on
the end of
verse 34.
It kind of
sticks in our
throat a bit
there doesn't
it?
It sounds
very disturbing.
Men,
women and
children
completely
destroyed?
Well this
theme does
come up
later on
in chapter
seven and
we're going
to deal
with it
fully
then.
But it
is something
that we
don't want
to overlook
just now.
So can
we just
go back
to Genesis
chapter 15
just to
help us
out here.
Genesis
chapter 15
and verse
16.
This is
where the
original
promise was
first given
to Abraham
about going
into the
promised land
and this
is what
God says
to Abraham
and to
his
descendants
that will
follow.
Chapter 15
verse 16.
So he
says to
Abraham
in the
fourth
generation
that's
about
600
years
later
your
descendants
will
come back
here
for the
sin of
the
Amorites
has not
yet reached
its full
measure.
in other
words
God has
given the
Amorites
close to
600 years
to sort
themselves
out.
So what
we read
in Deuteronomy
at first
sounds quite
unfair and
not very
nice
but in
the context
of what we
read in
Genesis
it actually
portrays to
us a God
who is
long
suffering
patient
and very
gracious.
Now of
course it
does raise
other questions
but let's
hold those
questions we
will get to
them when we
move on
later into
Deuteronomy.
But I don't
want us to
lose our
focus and
the thrust
of what
chapter 2
is telling
us here.
That God
in his
grace
has gone
out before
them and
fought the
battle that
they could
never fight.
Unless God
had gone with
them they
would have
failed and
they would
have never
entered the
promised land.
And God
has fought
the ultimate
battle for
us.
You see
as we think
about our
own rebellion
we too
deserve to
be punished
and judged
for our
persistent
rebellion
against God's
word.
But God
in his
grace
has sent
to us
his own
warrior,
his own
fighter,
his son
Jesus Christ
who came
to fight
our greatest
enemies,
sin and
death and
he has
destroyed
them both
once and
for all.
Not with
weapons,
not with
armies,
but through
his death
on the
cross and
through his
resurrection
from the
grave.
We don't
deserve it.
But yet
Jesus has
come to
take all
our failures
of the
past,
our rebellion
of today
and our
sin of
the future
and he's
taken all
the consequences
of it
on himself.
And as
it were,
Jesus
himself was
like shut
out of the
promised land
for us.
He was
barred,
he was
excluded,
he was the
one who
suffered hell
for us,
taking the
judgment for
us so that
we might be
able to
enter into
the promised
land,
enter into
life and
enter into
salvation.
You see,
it's so
clear that
our
persistent
rebellion
stops us
receiving from
all the
good gifts
that God
has to
offer us.
If it
was up to
us, we
would not
have anything.
Amazingly,
through God's
continued
grace and
his grace
alone,
we receive
freely all
that God
has to
give.
Our life
today and
our eternal
life that
is to
come.
God is
so gracious.
Which really
brings us to
the fact that
this is
problem solved.
When our
car broke
down, we
resigned
ourselves to
having to
stay in
Cork.
But we
got a
phone call
from a
very generous
person.
They rang
to tell us
they were
going to
give us
their car
and that
we could
have it
for the
time that
we were
away.
Not just
a car,
but a
car that
was full
of petrol
and fully
insured
for us
to drive.
A
gracious
intervention
and without
their help
we would
not have
got to
our
destination.
God is
continually
gracious to
us.
And because
of what
Christ has
done for
us, that
grace flows
to us day
after day
after day.
And as we
journey together
into 2013,
let me tell
us this,
we are all
going to
doubt God's
goodness.
At different
times we're
going to turn
our backs on
him, we'll
fail to
trust him,
we'll grumble,
we'll complain,
we'll say God
hates us, he's
only brought us
here to make a
misery of our
lives.
Why?
Because we're
persistent
rebels.
And on our
own resources
we'll never
arrive.
But thankfully
our persistent
rebellion is
always met by
God's
continued grace.
grace.
And if we
are to know
this grace
and experience
it day by
day in our
lives, we've
got to get to
the heart of
God's word.
To be people
who read it
and who devour
it, because
even as we
read through
these sections
here right
now, we've
come to see a
picture of an
amazing, gracious
God who
doesn't treat
us as we
deserve to be
treated, but
treats us with
grace.
welcoming us
into his
land, into
his family
forever and
ever.
This is not a
book of rules.
This is a
word of
grace.
Let's read
it as we
enter into
2013.
Let's pray.
Amen.
Father, thank
you that
your word is
really a
story about
us, a
story about
our lives.
And
sometimes that's
painful because
it reflects us
as we really
are.
Stubborn,
rebellion,
rebellious,
failing,
negative.
podem