DEVARIM - DEUTERONOMY - Word

DEVARIM - DEUTERONOMY - Word -

Dan Stolebarger - Holy Ground Explorations Chapters 1-3:22 INTRODUCTION

PARASHAT DEVARIM • Generally speaking, this book represents Moses’ “farewell address” to Israel, where he reviews the history and the laws given to the people and repeatedly warns that obedience will bring blessing while disobedience will bring disaster. The series of personal discourses in this book all have the tone of rebuke and admonition, and indeed some sages say it resembles a sort of “deathbed blessing” not unlike Jacob’s blessing given to his sons. The book opens 37 days before Moses was to die, namely, during the fortieth year since the Exodus from Egypt, on the ﬁrst day of the eleventh month (i.e., Shevat). The Israelites were in the land of Moab, just east of the Jordan, shortly before they would enter the Promised Land. 1 These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain opposite Suph, between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

To “all Israel” though since there were over 600,000 men over the age of twenty, not including the number of their families, this term most likely meant to the representatives of the nation (i.e., the elders).

The places mentioned all emphasized defeat and where the Israelites angered Hashem. Yet there is no description of the incident but merely hints at those failures. In the words of the Sifri ; "In the wilderness”—the time they complained: “If only we would have died in the desert” “In the Aravah (Plain)”—their worship of Baal Peor in the Plains of Moab (Numbers 25). “Opposite Suph”—the complaints and crying out they made at the shores of the Red Sea “Paran”—the sin of the spies, who were dispatched from Paran (Numbers 13 ). “Tophel” and “Laban” (meaning “libel” and “white”)—their libeling the white manna (Numbers 21:5). “Hazeroth”—where Korach’s mutiny against Moses took place.

When reﬂecting on our life journeys ,we remember times of courage ,or fear ,empowerment or weakness. Yet throughout that whole journey we begin to realize that Hashem was there at every step. Otherwise there would not have been another step. 1

2 It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea. 3 Now it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the ﬁrst day of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him as commandments to them,

Mount Horeb and Mount Sinai are the same and the Mount Seir is the mountain range in Edom across from Eilat. NINTH of AV

Kadesh Barnea Destruction of 1st Temple Destruction of the 2nd Temple Bar Kochba revolt crushed First Crusades - Pope Urban II Expulsion of Jews from England / Spain Deportations from Warsaw Ghetto Opening of Treblinka death camp Disengagement from Gaza

This year the 9th of Av falls on the sunset of July 29th 1

6 “The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. 7 Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates. 8 See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.’

DAN - What’s wrong with this picture? It was an 11-day journey… but they arrive 40 years later! It startling how a lack of faith can derail one’s spiritual journey! BUT no matter where you (steamin’ ahead or on the side of the ditch) it is time for us to heed that two letter exhortation! It’s time to GO! Let’s move on an take the Land that God has promised! Time for the REVOLUTION to start gaining momentum! Are you with me? All KFIR (young lions) … it’s time to ROAR! Our world needs to hear the ROAR of God’s people!

Israel was to begin the conquest from the south, from Kadesh Barnea, not from the east at Jericho. Mentioning the 11 days is meant to contrast the 40 years of wandering that resulted from Israel’s rebellion at Kadesh (Num. 14:34). EDOM Leave them alone I have given this to Esau

MOAB Leave them alone I have given this to Lot

AMMON Leave them alone I have given this to Lot

SIHON OG AMORITES Go to war for I am with you - these lands are given to the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh 2

“Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness of the Way of the Red Sea, as the Lord spoke to me, and we skirted Mount Seir for many days.

2 “And the Lord spoke to me, saying: 3 ‘You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward.

I love the wording here … enough is enough - the TIME HAS COME! Let’s get going! I think at this time we need to hear these words and begin a MOVEMENT once again! Time for a REVOLUTION for the Kingdom of Heaven! 2

7 “For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.” ’

Important to know that even in our defeats and struggles God does NOT give up on us! I have found that one of His most precious promises to me is that He will not forsake or abandon me! Even when the shadow of death confronts us! 2

13 “ ‘Now rise and cross over the Valley of the Zered.’ So we crossed over the Valley of the Zered. 14 And the time we took to come from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed over the Valley of the Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war was consumed from the midst of the camp, just as the Lord had sworn to them. 15 For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from the midst of the camp until they were consumed.

SELAH - The consequences of sin are real - I think about how many of my friends have had their ministries shelved because of sexual sins!

25 This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the nations under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.’

Only God could do this and I believe He can still do this today! I am calling out all members to KFRI to get your ROAR on! Our Friends, Family and Countries need us to Rise UP! No retreat of cowering in the presence of enemy forces! 3

8 “And at that time we took the land from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were on this side of the Jordan, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon 9 (the

Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir), 10 all the cities of the plain, all Gilead, and all Bashan, as far as Salcah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

11 “For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the [b]giants. Indeed his bedstead was an iron bedstead. (Is it not in Rabbah of the people of Ammon?) Nine cubits is its length and four cubits its width, according to the standard cubit.

12 “And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, and half the mountains of Gilead and its cities, I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites. 13 The rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh. (All the region of Argob, with all Bashan, was called the land of the giants.

Seems like God started with the GIANTS - no powderpuff schedule! I can only only envision Caleb ﬁnally being unrestrained! :-) 3

21 “And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. 22 You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself ﬁghts for you.’ JOSHUA will continue to be reminded not to FEAR! 10 times Joshua is told to be Strong and NOT Fear. Numerous times Moses reminded the Israelites not to be afraid because God was with them and would ﬁght for them. And after Moses’ death, God made the same commitment to Joshua as he encouraged him to be strong and courageous: Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. – Josh 1:9

From David to Elijah, from Isaiah to Jeremiah, God continuously reminded his people not to fear. When Jesus charged the twelve disciples with their responsibility, He told them not to be afraid of those who would seek to harm them for proclaiming the truth (Matthew 10:26-28). From the women gathering at the empty tomb to the disciples seeing the resurrected Jesus, the message was the same: do not be afraid (Matthew 28:5, Matthew 28:10). In every instance, people faced legitimate fears. But each time God’s message remained consistent. It seems God understood that we would wrestle with fear.