Ch 1 / 34~6 min
Devarim

Chapter 1

Moses Recalls the Journey and the Failure of Fear

Moses reviewing the journey of faithlessness and Elohim's patience foreshadows Yeshua who, knowing all our failures, leads His people forward with grace and truth.

  1. Moses Recounts Israel's Journey

    Moses begins his final sermon by looking back. Before moving forward, Elohim wants His people to remember where they've been and what He has done.

  2. 1These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suf, between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.
  3. 2It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea.
  4. 3In the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that YHWH had given him in mitzvah to them,
  5. 4after he had struck Sihon the king of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan who lived in Ashtaroth, at Edrei.
  6. 5Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to declare this law, saying,
  7. 6“YHWH our Elohim spoke to us in Horeb, saying, ‘You have lived long enough at this mountain.
  8. 7Turn, and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the places near there: in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the lowland, in the South, by the seashore, in the land of the Canaanites, and in Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.
  9. 8Behold, I have set the land before you. Go in and possess the land which YHWH swore to your fathers—to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob—to give to them and to their offspring after them.’”
  10. Leaders Appointed

    Moses recalls appointing judges to share the burden. Elohim's work is never meant for one person alone — the Father builds teams to carry His purposes.

  11. 9I spoke to you at that time, saying, “I am not able to bear you myself alone.
  12. 10YHWH your Elohim has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as the stars of the sky for multitude.
  13. 11May YHWH, the Elohim of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are and bless you, as he has promised you!
  14. 12How can I myself alone bear your problems, your burdens, and your strife?
  15. 13Take wise men of understanding who are respected amongst your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.”
  16. 14You answered me, and said, “The thing which you have spoken is good to do.”
  17. 15So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and respected men, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, captains of hundreds, captains of fifties, captains of tens, and officers, according to your tribes.
  18. 16I commanded your judges at that time, saying, “Hear cases between your brothers and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the foreigner who is living with him.
  19. 17You shall not show partiality in judgement; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgement is Elohim’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.”
  20. 18I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do.
  21. The Failure at Kadesh-Barnea

    Moses retells the moment Israel refused to enter the land. He wants the new generation to learn from their parents' fear — don't repeat it, choose faith this time.

  22. 19We travelled from Horeb and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw, by the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as YHWH our Elohim commanded us; and we came to Kadesh Barnea.
  23. 20I said to you, “You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which YHWH our Elohim gives to us.
  24. 21Behold, YHWH your Elohim has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as YHWH the Elohim of your fathers has spoken to you. Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed.”
  25. 22You came near to me, everyone of you, and said, “Let’s send men before us, that they may search the land for us, and bring back to us word of the way by which we must go up, and the cities to which we shall come.”
  26. 23The thing pleased me well. I took twelve of your men, one man for every tribe.
  27. 24They turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out.
  28. 25They took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us, and brought us word again, and said, “It is a good land which YHWH our Elohim gives to us.”
  29. 26Yet you wouldn’t go up, but rebelled against the mitzvah of YHWH your Elohim.
  30. 27You murmured in your tents, and said, “Because YHWH hated us, he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us.
  31. 28Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our heart melt, saying, ‘The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to the sky. Moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there!’”
  32. 29Then I said to you, “Don’t be terrified. Don’t be afraid of them.
  33. 30YHWH your Elohim, who goes before you, he will fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,
  34. 31and in the wilderness where you have seen how that YHWH your Elohim carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went, until you came to this place.”
  35. 32Yet in this thing you didn’t believe YHWH your Elohim,
  36. 33who went before you on the way, to seek out a place for you to pitch your tents in: in fire by night, to show you by what way you should go, and in the cloud by day.
  37. Elohim's Judgement on That Generation

    That generation lost its inheritance because of unbelief. But their children are standing at the border now. Elohim's plan survives every failure — His promise endures.

  38. 34YHWH heard the voice of your words and was angry, and swore, saying,
  39. 35“Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land which I swore to give to your fathers,
  40. 36except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it. I will give the land that he has trodden on to him and to his children, because he has wholly followed YHWH.”
  41. 37Also YHWH was angry with me for your sakes, saying, “You also shall not go in there.
  42. 38Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
  43. 39Moreover your little ones, whom you said would be captured or killed, your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, shall go in there. I will give it to them, and they shall possess it.
  44. 40But as for you, turn, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”
  45. 41Then you answered and said to me, “We have sinned against YHWH. We will go up and fight, according to all that YHWH our Elohim commanded us.” Every man of you put on his weapons of war, and presumed to go up into the hill country.
  46. 42YHWH said to me, “Tell them, ‘Don’t go up and don’t fight; for I am not amongst you, lest you be struck before your enemies.’”
  47. 43So I spoke to you, and you didn’t listen; but you rebelled against the mitzvah of YHWH, and were presumptuous, and went up into the hill country.
  48. 44The Amorites, who lived in that hill country, came out against you and chased you as bees do, and beat you down in Seir, even to Hormah.
  49. 45You returned and wept before YHWH, but YHWH didn’t listen to your voice, nor turn his ear to you.
  50. 46So you stayed in Kadesh many days, according to the days that you remained.
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