In the remainder of Moses’ second sermon – which began at 5:1 – he continues to apply and clarify the Law. In these chapters he adds flesh to the skeleton of the Law with statutes that apply to specific situations. This study will highlight certain statutes and seek to explain their historical-cultural context. Some of […]
The foundation of the covenant is its prohibition against worshiping any god other than Yahweh. Nothing is more fundamental to the people’s place as God’s chosen people than their exclusive worship of Him. Thus violations of the first two commandments are to be dealt with in the harshest terms. In Chapter 13 Moses lists specific […]
Moses reaches the end of his discussion of the importance of the Law that he began in 5:1. In this chapter he repeats many of the themes and warnings he has discussed throughout this address. It is critical that the people love God and obey Him as they enter and conquer the land. They must […]
Moses begins to conclude this portion of his second sermon (which began in 5:1) by explaining how the incidents he has described affect the people going forward. His concluding remarks will lead into the specific application of the Law which begins in 12:1. Along with 30:15-19, this is one of the key passages in Deuteronomy. […]
In these verses (along with verses 18-19) Moses records his response to the people’s sin with the golden calf. After rebuking them and making them realize the seriousness of their actions he rushes back to God and appeals to Him to spare the people. What drives him are God’s words in verse 14 – “Let […]
No one earns Canaan. No one deserves the Promised Land. This is the message Moses wants to convey to the people with this part of his sermon in Chapter 9. He goes to great lengths to make sure they know their upcoming conquest has nothing to do with them. It is all about purging the […]
These are John’s final words to his readers. After 84 verses stressing love, obedience, and belief and after a section full of encouragement centered around the things we know (eternal life, confidence in prayer, the evil of the world, the truth of the Son of God), John decides to leave his spiritual children with one […]
These verses come right out of the promise of verse 13. If we know we have eternal life, then we know we can come before God in confidence when we pray. As John comes to the end of his letter he focuses on the promises he most wants his readers to understand. Combined with verse […]
This verse is a transition between verses 6-12 and 14-17. After John ends his thoughts about the threefold witness of Christ’s identity in verses 6-12 by explaining that those who have the Son have eternal life, he summarizes that idea with this verse. Then he begins a new thought in verse 14 about the confidence […]
Throughout the letter John has focused on three tests for the believer – three tests of assurance. The child of God must believe that Jesus is the Messiah (2:18-27, 3:23, 4:1-6, 4:15), the child of God must obey God’s commands (2:3-6, 2:28-3:10, 3:24), and the child of God must love God and his brothers (2:7-11, […]
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