Deuteronomy 1 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Deuteronomy 1 Summary - A Quick Overview

WHEN:

• These events occurred at the end of the Israelites’ 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.

• The Israelites were in the wilderness from approximately 1490-1450 B.C.

• The Book of Deuteronomy opens on the 1st day of the 11th month in the 40th year (Deu 1:3) following the Israelites’ departure from Egypt (approximately 1450 B.C.).

CHARACTERS:

• Israelites (Hebrews) – The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God granted them freedom after several hundred years in slavery in Egypt. Leading up to the book of Deuteronomy, the Israelites had spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness as they made their way to Canaan, the land God promised to give them as a home.

• Moses – Moses was selected by God to lead the Israelites to Canaan. God spoke directly to Moses and Moses communicated God’s words and laws to the people.    

WHERE:

• Deuteronomy 1:5 tells us Moses spoke the words recorded in Deuteronomy while in Moab, probably on the plains of Moab near Pisgah (Numbers 22:1).

OUTLINE:

• INTRODUCTION (1:1-5):

  • The book of Deuteronomy is a series of speeches Moses made to the Israelites.

  • Everyone from the previous generation, who had heard God’s law at Mount Sinai, had died in the wilderness, and God wanted Moses to remind the new generation of His commands.

  • Moses began these speeches in Moab (Deuteronomy 1:5; Numbers 22:1) after defeating Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan (Num 21).

• THE JOURNEY FROM MOUNT SINAI TO CANAAN (1:6-25):

  • In Deuteronomy 1, Moses recounted the history of Israel since leaving Mount Sinai (Horeb) nearly 40 years earlier.

  • After God gave the people His laws on Sinai, He told Moses to lead Israel to the borders of Canaan and proceed to conquer the land He had promised them.

  • Moses recalled how he appointed leaders from each tribe to act as judges amongst the people and settle disputes.

  • When the Israelites reached the borders of Canaan, they sent 12 spies into the land to evaluate the territory and assess their enemies (Num 13).

• THE FAITHLESS ISRAELITES AND THEIR PUNISHMENT (1:26-46):

  • 10 of the 12 spies returned with faithless hearts, telling the people the inhabitants of the land were too strong for them to overcome.

  • They convinced the people they would not be able to take the land and the people began murmuring against God and Moses.

  • Moses tried to convince the people God would give them victory. He reminded them how God fought for them in Egypt and carried them through the wilderness, but the Israelites persisted in their unbelief.

  • God cursed the Israelites for their murmuring and told them they would wander in the wilderness for 40 years until everyone in the older generation died.

  • Upon hearing their punishment, the people tried to change course. They declared that they would go up to Canaan and fight.

  • A group of Israelite men armed themselves and fought against the Amorites in the hill country but were quickly routed.

  • The people cried out to God to reverse the curse, but God would not relent. He told Moses to turn the people around and head back into the wilderness until the 40 years were fulfilled.

APPLICATION:

• In this chapter, Moses reminded the new generation of Israelites about the failings of their parents and grandparents with the hope of inspiring them not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

• There is application here for our personal lives and for the church collective.

• We need to be honest about our past failings, or perhaps the failings of our families, so we can prevent those mistakes from being repeated in the future.

• Churches need to be open to criticism and discussions about how they can improve compared to the previous generation.

• Occasionally looking back at our history with a critical eye will give us perspective to steer properly into the future.