CHAPTER ONE

Contents: Review of the failure at Kadesh-barnea.

Characters: God, Moses, Caleb, Joshua.

Conclusion: A sad pass it has come to with us when the God of eternal truth cannot be believed. All disobedience to His laws and forgetfulness of His power and goodness flow from disbelief in His Word.

Key Word: Unbelief, v. 32.

Strong Verses:   17, 21, 30.

Striking Facts: Deuteronomy signifies "second law" or second edition, not with amendments, for there need be none, but with additions for further directions in divers cases not mentioned before.

CHAPTER TWO

Contents: The wanderings and conflicts in the wilderness.

Characters: God, Moses, Sihon.

Conclusion: It is a work of time to make souls meet for the heavenly Canaan and it must be done by many a long train of experiences.

Key Word: Journeys, v. 1.

Strong Verses:   7.

Striking Facts: vv. 25, 36. Those who meddle with the people of Christ do it to their own hurt for God often ruins the enemies of His people by their own resolves.

CHAPTER THREE

Contents: Further review of journeyings.

Characters: God, Moses, Og, Joshua.

Conclusion: That cause cannot but be victorious for which the Lord of Hosts fights. "If God be for us who can be against us?" Key Word: Conquest, v. 22.

Strong Verses:   22,24.

Striking Facts: vv. 25, 27. If God does not by His providence give us what we desire, He can, by His grace in Jesus Christ, make us content with it. Be satisfied with this Christ is all-sufficient.

CHAPTER FOUR

Contents: The new generations taught the lessons of Sinai. Cities of refuge designated.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: The review of God's providences concerning us should quicken us and engage us to duty and obedience.

Key Word: Keep (Obedience), v. 2.

Strong Verses:   2, 6, 9, 23, 24, 39.

Striking Facts: vv. 25, 31. Moses forsees the Jewish apostasy and consequentscattering. Those nations that cast off the duties of religion in their prosperity cannot expect the comforts of it when they come to be in distress.

CHAPTER FIVE

Contents: New generations taught the Mosaic covenant.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: Many have their consciences startled by the Law, who are not purified (v. 29). Promises are made but the good principles are not rooted in them. Oh, to be sincere in our covenant with God.

Key Word: Covenant, v. 2.

Strong Verses:   6, 29, 33.

Striking Facts: v. 5. Moses stood between. Herein he is a type of Christ who stands between God and man, as the true mediator, so that we both hear from God and speak to Him without trembling.

CHAPTER SIX

Contents: Israel exhorted to observe all God's commandments.

Characters: God, Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Pharoah.

Conclusion: The fear of God in the heart is the most powerful principle of obedience (v. 2, 5, etc.).

Key Word: Observe, v. 3.

Strong Verses:   3, 5, 7.

Striking Facts: Those who love the Lord Jesus Christ themselves should do all they can to engage the affections of their children to Him, to prevent the religion of the family from being cut off.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Contents: Command to be separate people and to destroy opposing nations.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: Those who are taken into communion with God must have no communication with the unfruitful works of darkness.

Key Word: Chosen, v. 6.

Strong Verses:   6, 9.

Striking Facts: The destruction of enemies furnishes an illustration of the Christian conflict. We are commanded not to let sin reign, nor to countenance it, but to hate it and strive against it. God has promised it shall not have dominion over us. Rom. 6:12, 14.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Contents: Israel reminded of God's gracious past dealings and warned to walk in His Way.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: It is good for us to remember all the ways both of God's providences and grace by which He has led us hitherto through this wilderness, that we may be prevailed with cheerfully to serve Him and trust Him.

Key Word: Remember, v. 2.

Strong Verses:   2, 5, 11.

Striking Facts: v. 4. Those who follow the Lord Jesus have the promise of not only being safe, but easy (Matt. 11:30). If we walk "in his steps," our feet will not swell. It is the "way of the transgressor" that is "hard" (Prov. 13:15).

CHAPTER NINE

Contents: Israel reminded of their unworthiness to possess the land in themselves.

Characters: God, Moses, Aaron, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.

Conclusion: Our gaining of the heavenly Canaan must be attributed to God's power, not our might, and ascribed to His grace, not our merit. In Christ we have both righteousness and strength in Him therefore we must glory, and not in ourselves. Gal. 6:14.

Key Word: Remember, v. 7 (stubbornness, v. 27).

Strong Verses:   4.

Striking Facts: It is good often to review the records conscience keeps of our past life of sin that we may see how much we are endebted to God's marvelous grace in Jesus Christ, and may humbly own that we never merited anything at God's hand but wrath and the curse.

CHAPTER TEN

Contents: Further warnings and exhortation and reminders of God's dealings.

Characters: God, Moses, Aaron, Eleazar.

Conclusion: Since we have received so many mercies from God, it becomes us to enquire what returns we shall make to Him. It should certainly cause us to devote our lives to His honor and to lay ourselves out to advance the interest of His kingdom.

Key Word: Commandments, v. 13.

Strong Verses:   12,17,21.

Striking Facts: vv. 10, 11. Moses, Israel's intercessor, had the conduct and command of Israel. Herein he was a type of Christ, who ever lives to make intercession and who has all power in heaven and earth.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Contents: Warnings and exhortations to obedience.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: The closer dependence we have had on God, the more cheerful should be our obedience to Him. In absolute obedience to Him is strength and true success.

Key Word: Obey, v. 27.

Strong Verses :  8, 16, 26

Striking Facts: v. 12. The Bible magnifies the land of Canaan above all others. God's eyes are. still upon it for it is the center of much unfulfilled prophecy.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Contents: Statements of conditions of blessing in the land.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: We must not think that our religion is only for our years of servitude or our entertainment in the place of solitude, or our consolation in affliction. We must keep up devout worship in our Canaan experiences as well as our wilderness experiences.

Key Word: Observe, vv. 1, 28, 32.

Strong Verses:   32.

Striking Facts: The one precept pressed harder than any other by Moses is in regard to the necessity of bringing the sacrifice to one altar at the court of the tabernacle and there to perform all rituals. We are to offer up all spiritual sacrifices to God in the name of Jesus Christ, hoping for acceptance only on the ground of His mediation. 1 Pet. 2:5.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Contents: The test of false prophets.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: "Though we or an angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed," Gal. 1:8. We are to be on our guard against imposition and lying wonders.

Key Word: Dreamers, v. 5.

Strong Verses:   4.

Striking Facts: Observe in v. 3 etc., that they were warned not even to patiently listen to false teachers and dreamers, but to instantly reject it with disdain as unscriptural. See Rom. 16:17, 18; 2 Tim. 3:5; 2 John 10.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Contents: Dietary laws.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: 1 Tim. 4:3-5.

Key Word: Eating, v. 3.

Strong Verses:   2.

Striking Facts: It is plain that the precepts concerning food belonged only to the Jews and were not moral or of perpetual use because of not universal obligation. What they might not eat themselves they might give to a stranger or a proselyte who had renounced idolatry or they might sell to an alien. It was evidently intended to keep them from mingling with and conforming themselves to idolatrous neighbors.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Contents: Laws concerning Sabbatic year and bondservants.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: That we who have received in abundance from God should be rigorous and severe in our demands from poor brethren, is displeasing to God. His tender care of us obliges us to be kind to those who have a dependence upon us.

Key Word: Release, v. 1.

Strong Verses :  6, 7, 8, 10.

Striking Facts: The year of release typifies the grace of the Gospel in which is proclaimed the acceptable year of the Lord, by which we obtain the release of our debts, the pardon of our sins, teaching us to forgive others as we have been forgiven.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Contents: Laws concerning annual feasts.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: By frequent and regular meeting to worship God at appointed places and by recognized rules, we are kept faithful and constant in that holy religion which Christ has established among us.

Key Word: Feasts, v. 10.

Strong Verses:   17.

Striking Facts: See 1 Cor. 5:7. We are to keep this feast in holy conversation, free from the leaven of malice and hyprocisy and with the unleavened bread of sincerity and love.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Contents: Laws concerning idolaters and obedience to authority and kings.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: God would possess men with a dread of that sin worshipping false gods which is a sin in itself exceedingly heinous and the highest affront that can be offered to Almighty God.

Key Word: Transgressing, v. 2.

Strong Verses:   18, 19, 20.

Striking Facts: v. 1. Old testaments sacrifices were required to be perfect because types of Christ, 1 Pet. 1:19, who was perfectly pure from all sin and ail appearances of it.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Contents: Laws concerning Levites, idolatrous practices and prophets.

Characters: God, Moses, Christ.

Conclusion: God has made Himself known to men through One above all prophets (Acts 3:22, 7:37; John 6:14). Hear ye Him.

Key Word: Prophet, v. 15.

Strong Verses:   15, 18.

Striking Facts: vv. 9-14. Let those who give heed to fortune tellers or run to wizards for the discovery of things secret, that use spells for cures, are in league with familiar spirits or fellowship with those who are know that they have no fellowship with God, but with demons.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Contents: Cities of refuge; landmarks, witnesses.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: God would possess men with a great horror and dread of the sin of killing another, even by chance. If by willful violence, see 1 John. 3:15.

Key Word: Refuge (cities), v. 2.

Strong Verses:   9, 10.

Striking Facts: Cities of refuge were located in the center of districts so every corner of the land might have one in reach. Thus Christ is not a refuge at a distance (Rom. 10:8) but brings salvation through the Gospel, to our door.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Contents: Laws of warfare.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: Those enterprises which we undertake by a divine warrant and prosecute by divine direction, we may expect to succeed in. Those have no reason to fear in the battles of life who have God with them.

Key Word: Battle, v. 1.

Strong Verses:   1, 4.

Striking Facts: v. 14. A justifiable property is acquired in that which is won in lawful war. "The Lord thy God gives it thee." Therefore He must be owned in it.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Contents: Inquest for the slain. Domestic regulations.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: We are to have a dread of the guilt of blood, which denies not only the conscience of the murderer but the land in which it is shed. When we hear of the wickedness of the wicked, we have need to cry earnestly for mercy for our land which groans and trembles under it.

Key Word: Guilt, v. 9 (wife, 10-17), rebellious son, (18-23).

Strong Verses:   8.

Striking Facts: vv. 18-23. Those who are bad members of families never make good members of the commonwealth. v. 23. Cf. Gal. 3:13; John 19:31. Christ underwent the curse of the law for us and was exposed to shame for us. In the evening, He was taken down, in token that now the law was satisfied.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Contents: Law of brotherhood, separation, unchaste wives and husbands.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: Christianity teaches us to be neighborly and to be ready to do all good offices as we have opportunity, to all men. Chastity should be as dear to us as our lives.

Key Word: Brotherly, v. 1, (whoredom, v. 21).

Strong Verses:   4.

Striking Facts: v. 25. We shall suffer for the wickedness we do, not for that which is done to us. That is not sin which has not more or less of the will in it.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Contents: Divers regulations.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: We must take care to keep the camp of the saints pure from moral, ceremonial and natural pollution.

Key Word: Holy, v. 14.

Strong Verses:   9, 14.

Striking Facts: Outward cleanliness is a reverence of the divine Majesty. Filthiness is offensive to the senses God has endued us with, is a wrong to human life and an evidence of slothful temper of mind.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Contents: Law concerning divorce; miscellaneous regulations.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: It is of great consequence that love be kept up between husband and wife and that everything be carefully avoided which would estrange them. The changes made by discontent often prove for the worst.

Key Word: Divorce, v. 1.

Strong Verses:   22.

Striking Facts: The creditor who cares not though his debtor and his family starve, nor is at all concerned what becomes of them so he gets his money, goes contrary to both the law of Moses and of Christ.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Contents: Divers regulations.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: Justice and equity will bring down upon us the blessing of God. Those who do unrighteously are an abomination to the Lord and miserable is the man who is distasteful to his God.

Key Word: Abominations, v. 16.

Strong Verses:   16.

Striking Facts: v. 3. See 2 Cor. 11:24. They always gave Paul as many stripes as ever they gave to any malefactor whatsoever.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Contents: Law of the offering of the firstfruits.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: We are to acknowledge God as giver of all good things which are the support and comfort of our natural lives and are therefore to give to God the first and best as those who believe Him to be the firs! and best.

Key Word: Firstfruits, v. 10.

Strong Verses:   10, 18.

Striking Facts: It is fitting that God who gives us all we have should by His Word direct the using of it and though we are not now bound by the tithing laws, we are commanded to give of such things as we have and to lay by in store as we are prospered, for the furtherance of Christ's work.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Contents: The blessing and cursing from Mt. Ebal and Gerizim.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: We are all compelled to say Amen to the law of God, owning ourselves justly under its curse and that we must certainly have perished had not Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.

Key Word: Law, v. 8.

Strong Verses:   9, 10.

Striking Facts: v. 5. Christ, our altar, is a stone cut out without hands (Dan. 2:34, 35) refused by the builders but accepted of God and made the headstone of the corner.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Contents: Conditions of blessing in the land and causes of chastisement.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: If we do not delight in God's will, we not only come short of the blessing promised but lay ourselves under chastisement, which is as comprehensive of all misery as His blessings are of all happiness.

Key Word: Obedience (keep commandments), v. 1.

Strong Verses:   2, 58.

Striking Facts: vv. 64, 65. Remarkably fulfilled in the present dispersion of the Jews. They have, through the centuries been continually on the move, either in hope of gain or in fear of persecution and so will continue until the King comes and they are restored by Him to the promised land.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Contents: Introductory words to the Palestinian covenant.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: We are bound in gratitude as well as duty and faithfulness to keep the words of the solemn covenant of God, through Christ.

Key Word: Covenant, v. 1.

Strong Verses: 9,29.

Striking Facts: Moses concludes the prophecy of the Jews rejection, v. 29, as Paul concludes his discourse on the same subject. Rom. 11:33. God has kept back no truth that it is profitable for us to know about His counsels, but only that which it is good for us to be ignorant of.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Content: The Palestinian covenant declared.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: Those shall have life who choose it. Those who come short of life and happiness must thank themselves. They would have had it, had they chosen communion with God.

Key Word: Choice, v. 19.

Strong Verses:   15, 19.

Striking Facts: Israel has never yet taken the land under the unconditional Abrahamic covenant, nor ever possessed the whole land promised. Gen. 15:18; Num. 34:1-12. The covenant awaits the coming of the King for its fulfillment.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Contents: Moses' last counsel to the priests and instruction to the Levites. Warning of Israelitish apostasy.

Characters: God, Moses, Joshua. Conclusion: It is a great encouragement to God's people that in the place of some useful instrument of His whom He removes, He raises up others to carry on His work.

Key Word: Counsel, (spake these words) v. 1.

Strong Verses:   6, 8.

Striking Facts: v. 16. God has infallible foresight of all the wickedness of the wicked. How often He has conferred His favors upon those whom He knew would deal treacherously and ungratefully. "How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out."

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Contents: The song and exhortation of Moses.

Characters: God, Moses, Joshua.

Conclusion: The warning and consoling words of God sent down from heaven should sink into our hearts and soften them as the rain softens the earth, so make us fruitful in obedience.

Key Word: Doctrine, v. 2. (He gave a song of praise, Ex. 15, but this is one of instruction) .

Strong Verses:   4, 29, 43.

Striking Facts: vv. 49, 52. Those may die happily whenever God calls them, who have had a believing prospect through Christ and a foregleam of the heavenly Canaan as a well grounded hope of life beyond death.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Contents: Moses' blessing upon the tribes.

Characters: God, Moses.

Conclusion: It is a very desirable thing to have an interest in the prayers of those who are about to depart for heaven. Key Word: Blessing, v. 1.

Strong Verses:   25, 27.

Striking Facts: Thrice happy is the people whose God is the Lord. They are in His hand, v. 3; at His feet, v. 3; at His side, v. 12; between His shoulders, v. 12; in His arms, v. 27; behind His shield, v. 29, and fitted with His sword, v. 29.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Contents: Vision and death of Moses.

Characters: God, Moses, Joshua.

Conclusion: Those may leave this world with cheerfulness who have known God face to face through His Son, and who have had the vision of the heavenly Canaan in their eye.

Key Word: Death, v. 5.

Strong Verses:   10.

Striking Facts: It was reserved for Joshua (the Lord Jesus of whom Joshua was a striking type) to do for us that which the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. Through Him we are led into the land of rest the rest of conscience and the rest of heaven.

We leave Moses, the great law giver, buried in the plains of Moab. We leave our Saviour, who came to fulfill the law, and bear for us its curse, seated at the right hand of God on high, awaiting the hour of His return, when of the increase and peace of His government, there shall be no end.