As we begin the 5th year
according to our Bible Reading Plan, we shall begin with the Book of
Deuteronomy in the Old Testament.
Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy is the last of the five books that make up the Pentateuch, and derives its English name from the Greek translation of 17:18 which signifies a repetition or a “second law”. However, the original Hebrew title is “elleh haddebarim” which are the first words of the first line of the book, “These are the words”. Strictly speaking, Deuteronomy is not a verbatim repetition of the laws of the previous three books, but a heart-felt reminder of some of the salient parts of the law as the people gathered at the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan River, ready to enter into the Promised Land. However, Moses would not be allowed to go with them for he would die where they were gathered. Apart from rehashing some of the important laws, Moses also adds others that were more relevant to their immediate setting (i.e. as they were about to enter into the land of Canaan) and Moses also spoke to appoint his successor, Joshua.
Luther points out that “those things which related to the priests and Levites are omitted” and thus we find no instructions concerning the sanctuary, the service of the priests and Levites, and the laws of sacrifice and purification. Only three annual feasts — Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles — were briefly noted.
The following table is helpful to our study as we reflect on the specific teachings of the book:
1:1 – 5 Introduction
1:6 – 4:43 Words of Moses: Historical Prologue
4:44 – 26:19 Words of Moses: The Law
4:44 – 49 Introduction to Declaration
5:1 – 11:32 Basic Commandments
12:1 – 26:15 Specific Legislations
26:16 – 19 Conclusion to Declaration
27:1 – 29:1 Words of Moses: Blessings and Curses
29:2 – 30:20 Words of Moses: The Final Charge
31:1 – 34:12 Death of Moses and Succession
1:2-5—The Setting
(1) The book of Numbers “narrates the guidance of Israel through the desert from Mount Sinai (or Horeb) to the border of Canaan by the river Jordan which covers the period from the 2nd month of the 2nd year after the exodus from Egypt to the 10th month of the 40th year” (K&D, 649):
a. When did Moses make his proclamation?
b. Where? (Note: The exact location of many of the names in v. 1 cannot be determined today, but Arabah denotes the “general region of Transjordan” and v. 5 seeks to clarify which part of Transjordan is meant.)
(2) What is the significance of pointing out that before they could finally reach this eastern border of Canaan, they had defeated the king Sihon and king Og in the Moabite region? (see the defeat of the two kings in Num. 21:21-35)
1:6-18—Recalling the Event in Horeb (Moses began his first address by recalling important events in their journey in the wilderness from 1:6–4:43 which we entitle the “Historical Prologue”.)
(3) The marching order at Horeb (vv. 6-8)
a. What were the significant events accomplished at Mount Sinai (i.e. Horeb)? (see Exod. 19:1-6; 20:1-7)
b. Now the Lord gave His marching order:
(4) The appointment of leaders (vv. 9-18)
a. What precipitated the appointment of elders to share Moses’ burden? (Num. 11:11ff)
b. What did Moses charge the leaders with? (vv. 16-18)
c. Why, in your opinion, did Moses bring up this particular event to the people at this time?
(5) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.” (Deut. 1:2)
It is true that the actual period of wandering in the desert as a punishment was 38 years and not 40, which in itself has something we should learn in our interpretation of the Bible.
On the one hand, the extended period of wandering in the desert was meant to be a punishment for the sin of rebellion of the Israelites and would be used as an example over and over again in the subsequent history of Israel to warn them not to repeat the same mistake ever again.
On the other hand, one can also argue that “one year for each of the forty days you explored the land” (Num. 14:34) could have included their 2-year journey from their departure from Egypt up to that point, for God in His foresight knew that they would have rebelled against Him and perhaps, in His mercy, counted 2 years as “time served”.
However, the point is not so much whether they did wander in the desert for the exact time of forty years, but that they did incur the wrath of God and wasted their time (and for that matter, God’s time as well) and did not get to see the fulfillment of the marvelous promise of God. This was the exact message Moses sought to convey to the people as they finally reached the eastern border of the Promised Land after forty years in the desert while, as Moses pointed out, it could have taken only 11 days from Mount Sinai (where they received the Commandments of the Lord and became a holy nation belonging to the Lord, Exod. 19) to reach the southern border of the Promised Land.
As I was reflecting on this message, it brought me a sigh as well, not so much for the Israelites, but for myself in that I seem to have a hard time not repeating some of my mistakes, and have to learn from it over and over again — the hard way. I wonder if it is true of you as well!
1:19-40—Recalling the Event in Kadesh-Barnea—In the recalling of the incident at Kadesh Barnea (Numbers 13-14) it is obviously not a verbatim recount of the incident. It should be noted that the account given in Numbers is more forensic, while this recount in Deuteronomy is hortative in nature, or we may even take it as Moses’ interpretation of the event:
(1) Arriving at Kadesh Barnea — the southern border of the Promised Land (vv. 19-21)
a. How did Moses describe their journey to Kadesh Barnea? (v. 19) What was he trying to say?
b. On behalf of the Lord, Moses gave the marching order then (v. 21): Why did he ask the people not to be afraid?
(2) The sending of the spies (vv. 22-25)
a. While Numbers 13:1 says that it was the Lord who told Moses to spy on the land, but here he told the people that it was they (i.e. their fathers) who asked to send spies to the land ahead of them (v. 22)
- Obviously both accounts were correct. How can you reconcile the two apparently different accounts?
- What was the motive of the people in wanting to spy on the land first?
b. How did Moses take responsibility for the decision? (v. 23)
c. Why did he think spying on the land was a good idea?
d. How was this decision proved right initially? (v. 25)
(3) The rebellion of the people (vv. 26-40)
a. The fact in the bad report by the ten spies about the strength of the Anakites melted the hearts of the people (v. 28) which might be understandable: But why would it cause the people to grumble and even say “The Lord hates us”? (v. 27)
b. How would you describe such rebellion against the Lord?
c. What facts did Moses use to encourage the people that time? (vv. 29-31; 33)
d. Should these facts (personal experiences of miracles) be enough to turn them around? Why or why not?
e. What was God’s punishment, as a result? (vv. 34-36)
f. What should this recollection mean to the people as they saw (i) all their fathers die in the desert while (ii) Caleb stood right before their very eyes?
g. When did God prohibit Moses from entering the Promised Land? (Num. 20:9-12)
h. Why did Moses blame the people for God's prohibition and lump it together with the above incident? (vv. 37-38)
i. What should the recounting and the interpretation of the entire incident mean to the people?
(4) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“The idea seemed good to me; so I selected twelve of you, one man from each tribe.” (Deut. 1:23)
In recounting the event of sending spies to take a look at the Promised land, there appears to be a discrepancy between the earlier account in Numbers and the present one retold by Moses.
The earlier account reads, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders'.” (Num. 13:1-2).
And yet Moses seemed to be putting the blame on the people as he recounted in Deuteronomy with these words, “Then all of you came to me and said, 'Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and towns we will come to'.” (Deut. 1:22). However, he was also quick to add that, “The idea seemed good to me” (1:23).
We have to understand that Deuteronomy was in some way a reflection by Moses of the past events leading up to the present — the eventual entry into the Promised Land, except that he would not be part of it. While the account in Numbers is more of a summary of the occasion, focusing on what the central event which was the rebellion of the people which led to the 40 years of wandering in the desert. Here Moses was using his recollection to help the people (and himself) to learn from the mistakes of the past. As a result, he felt the need to supplement the previous account with more details that were more relevant to his sermon.
Putting the two accounts together, we in fact have a much clearer picture of what led to the sending of the spies. It was initiated by the people, whose intention was likely to make sure that unlike the dreadful wilderness that they had just passed through (v. 19), the Promised Land was really a land of “milk and honey”. And Moses agreed to it, thinking that by bringing back the fruit of the land, it would only help the cause. But Moses understood that he was not the real leader of the people and so he must have consulted the Lord and got His consent. That was why in Numbers 13:1, he correctly stated that the Lord gave him the order to do so.
However, in his reflection, he also rightly blamed the people for asking to send spies ahead of them which, in the final analysis, was a sign of a lack of faith. At the same time, Moses also took full responsibility for his action, acknowledging that it was done so with his full agreement.
In spite of his bitterness about not being able to enter the Promised Land (1:37), Moses did not seek to shirk his responsibility, and that, to me, is the mark of a godly person.
1:41-46—The End of the Event (failure) at Kadesh-Barnea
(1) Did their decision after the pronouncement of the horrible punishment of their rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea (of forty years of wandering) indicate genuine repentance? Why or why not?
(2) What kind of sin did they commit?
(3) In retelling this story, what lesson did Moses hope that this next generation would learn?
2:1-8—Recalling the Departure from Kadesh-Barnea, Passing the Land of Edom
(4) While we have no idea how long the Israelites stayed in Kadesh-Barnea (see Note 1 below), what does their eventual departure signify?
(5) In that they were not to engage in war with Edom, what important lessons are associated with their dealing
with them? Consider the following:
a. They were the descendants of their relative Esau. (v. 4)
b. The Lord would not give them the land of Edom, though it was close by. (v. 5)
(6) As Moses began to sum up their journey from Seir (see Note 2 below) to where they were in the plains of Moab (1:1), consider the following:
a. What did Moses remind them of in particular? (v. 7)
b. How significant was this reminder?
c. How significant is this reminder to you?
2:9-15—Passing the Land of Moab
(7) What was the reason for sparing the Moabites? (v. 9)
(8) Together with v. 5b and v. 12, how do these verses reveal God’s involvement in the peoples of the earth, other than the Israelites? (See Note 3 below)
(9) Now Moses recalled their crossing of the Zered Valley (likely located at the southeastern end of the Dead Sea):
a. What historical significance did Moses attach to this event? (v. 14)
b. What significant lesson did Moses wish his hearers to learn?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note 1:
Many Jewish rabbis interpret their stay at Kadesh-Barnea as “half of the thirty-eight years” (K&D, 861).
Note 2:
Seir was “a mountainous and extremely rugged country, about 100 miles long, extending S from Moab on both sides of the Arabah or the great depression connecting the southern part of the Dead Sea with the Gulf of Akabah.” (PCD, 766)
Note 3:
“This verse (2:5) is one of the several clues in Deuteronomy to the concept of the nature of God and the realm of His power over peoples and nations other than Israel.” (NICOT, 108)
“You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north.” (Deut. 2:3)
Although we have only gone through a bit more than one chapter in Deuteronomy, it is already obvious that Moses was not simply repeating their 40-year history of wandering in the wilderness. In chapter two, he skipped over many of the details of their encounters with the Edomites and Moabites, and yet at the same time, he gave us his spiritual perspective of not only what had happened, but the very heart of the Lord.
It is worth-noting that after the pivotal event in Kadesh-Barnea in which the rebellion of the people earned themselves the punishment of the 40 year wandering, Moses related what the Lord said to him, “You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north” (2:3).
While we have no idea how long they had stayed in the region, wandering “around the hill country of Seir” (2:1), many Jewish Rabbis opine that it lasted “half of thirty-eight years” (K&D, 861). The length of stay in Kadesh-Barnea is not really that important; the importance lies in the fact that the Lord now gave an order to Moses to take the people northward, to formally resume their journey into the Promised Land.
As much as the death of the “entire generation of fighting men” (v. 14) signified the certainty of the word of God and the high cost of disobedience, this marching order did signify God’s forgiveness, and with God’s forgiveness, they can put their failures behind them and let “bygones be bygones”.
Brothers and sisters, the wandering of the people of Israel is indeed a very vivid picture of our life in Christ in that we have been chosen to belong to Him by our faith. We are His children, we have eternal life. However, while in our flesh, we continue to struggle with sins, and at times we have to face the high cost of disobedience. However, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9).
The God of Israel is also our God, and with God’s forgiveness, we too can put our failures behind and let “bygones be bygones”. God is always a God of “second chance” to those who belong to Him.
2:16-23—Journey into Ammonites’ Territory—Defeat of King Sihon
(1) What was the reason for sparing the Ammonites? (v. 19)
(2) How were the Ammonites related to the Moabites? (see Gen. 19:36-38)
(3) Vv. 20-23 is an insert about the historical origins of the people who used to occupy the lands of the Ammonites, the Edomites and the Caphtorites. What is the spiritual significance of this insert?
(4) How differently was Israel to treat King Sihon who was an Amorite and bore no relation to the Israelites? (v. 24)
(5) What beginning did this different treatment of the Amorites signify? (v. 25)
(6) Do you think the promise of v. 25 really came to pass? (See Jos. 2:8-11)
(7) Since God appeared to be determined to cause fear among the nations beginning with His treatment of King Sihon, why then would He tell Moses to offer peace in the first place? (v. 26)
(8) Just as the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh (Exodus7:3), Moses said He also did it to the heart of King Sihon (v. 30). Why?
(9) What was the message Moses sought to convey to his hearers with the account of the complete destruction of King Sihon? (vv. 32-37; see Note below on v. 37)
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
“The statement of Jos. 13:25, that the half of the
country of the Ammonites was given to the tribe of Gad, is not at variance with
this: for the allusion there is to that portion of the land of the Ammonites
which was between the Arnon and the Jabbok, and which
had already been taken from the Ammonites by the Amorites under Sihon [cf. Jdg. 11:13ff]."
(K&D, 865)
“The LORD destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place.” (Deut. 2:21)
It is interesting to note that as Moses recalled many of the battles in which the Lord empowered them to defeat those in their path as their moved towards the Promised Land, he gave this second-generation Israelites who left with their parents from Egypt some history lessons about the origin of the peoples they faced in the journey. These included the peoples that the Edomites and Moabites had driven out before them in order that they could live in the land they now occupied.
However, these were really not just history lessons, but spiritual lessons as Moses pointed out repeatedly:
“The LORD destroyed them (the Rephaites) from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place” (2:21)
“The LORD had done the same for the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites from before them. They drove them out and have lived in their place to this day.” (2:22)
“Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.” (2:9)
These verses reveal a marvelous spiritual truth, and that is, God is not only interested in the affairs of His Chosen People, but all peoples on earth. As a result, the history of each nation and each people group is not accidental, but under the sovereign control of the Lord whose purpose was affirmed by these words of the Apostle Paul:
“From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us.” (Acts 17:26-27)
I believe even the peace offering made to King Sihon was an invitation to him to come to know the God of Israel. Unfortunately his heart was hardened by the Lord (2:30) as clay is hardened by the sun while wax is melted by the same sun.
3:1-11—Journey into Ammonites’ Territory—Defeat of King Og
(1) How complete was the victory over King Og? (vv. 3-7)
(2) What did the defeat of the two powerful kings of the Amorites mean to this second-generation Israelites who were about to enter into the Promised Land? (vv. 8-11)
3:12-22—Division of the Land so Captured
(3) Vv. 12-17 basically is a summary of the “kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan — the whole land with its cities and the territory around them” (Num. 32:33). To which tribes were these lands east of Jordan given?
(4) What was the reason these 2½ tribes asked to be allotted these lands? (Num. 32:1-5)
(5) As Moses eventually agreed to their request, what condition did he attach to the consent? (vv. 18-20)
(6) At this time, they obviously had no idea how long it would take for the rest of the 9½ tribes to take “over the land that the Lord your God is giving them across the Jordan” (v. 20).
a. What was the purpose of the repetition of this condition to the 2½ tribes at the time?
b. Did they keep their promise? (See Jos. 22:1-4)
c. In what way(s) can you see their growth in spiritual maturity?
3:21-29—Moses Forbidden to Enter the Promised Land
(7) When did the Lord say He would not let Moses “bring this community into the land I give them”? (Num. 20:10-13)
(8) What was the reason given by the Lord? (Num. 20:12)
(9) Why did he plead with the Lord to basically change His mind? (v. 23)
(10) How did he try to sway the Lord? (vv. 24-25)
(11) Can you blame Moses for trying?
(12) What was God’s reply? (v. 26)
(13) Why did Moses say the reason for God’s refusal was “because of you the Lord was angry with me and would not listen to me”? Was he trying to blame the people for his own fault? Why or why not?
(14) What did the Lord ask him to do instead? (v. 27)
(15) Was it any consolation? Why or why not?
(16) How did he pass his baton to Joshua? (vv. 21-22)
(17) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.” (Deut. 3:25)
It was on the plains of Moab when the Israelites were finally ready to enter into the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering that Moses felt the hurt of being prohibited from entering into it, to taste the fruit of his labor.
The incident that led to this prohibition happened quite a bit earlier when the Israelites finally left Kadesh-Barnea and moved northward through the land of Edom and Moab. Before this last leg of their journey, the people quarreled with Moses over a lack of water in the Desert of Zin which led to the twice-striking of the rock, and the Lord took this presumptuous act of Moses as not trusting in Him and not honoring Him as holy (Num. 20:12).
This obviously bothered Moses greatly, and from his own account in Deuteronomy, he must have brought this up with the Lord from time to time, and as he was about to pass his baton to Joshua, he must have asked for the last time in greater earnestness than before, and that caused the Lord to reply with a sense of finality, “That is enough…Do not speak to me anymore about this matter.” (3:26) Ouch! It must have hurt and hurt deeply!
It appears that Moses was so hurt that he tried to pass the blame on the people by saying, “But because of you the LORD was angry with me and would not listen to me” (3:26). However, it was true to a certain extent because had the people not been so rebellious and prone to sin so easily and quickly, Moses would not have acted so presumptuously out of anger.
On the other hand, Moses related this event so honestly with the people not with a view of blaming them, but with the intention of warning them so that they would not treat Joshua the same way. Calvin also points out that, Moses chose this time to share with the people that the Lord’s refusal to change His mind was the reason that he had to pass his baton to Joshua, not because he was so discouraged by them that he decided to quit. It was not his choice, but God’s. No, Moses was not a quitter; he persevered till the end!
4:1-40 is a historical prologue which calls the people to obedience.—As Moses is ready to reiterate a good portion of the Law (from chapters 5-27), he now emphasizes to them the great importance of the Law:
4:1-8—God Unequalled, the Law Unparalleled
(1) How important is the Law to them in their possession of the Promised Land? (v. 1)
(2) The warning of changing the Law (v. 2)
a. What is meant by adding to or subtracting from the Law?
b. What might prompt them to add to the Law?
c. What might prompt them to subtract from the Law?
d. What will the consequence be of changing the Law? (Rev. 22:18-19) Why?
(3) The incident cited by Moses in vv. 3-4 was recorded in Numbers 25:
a. What happened at Shittim?
b. What did the Lord do to them? (Num. 25:9)
c. Why did Moses cite this particular incident to warn them? (v. 4)
(4) What does v. 5 teach about our attitude in studying the Word of God?
(5) Moses
asked them to observe God’s decrees and laws carefully (vv. 6-8).
a. How will their observation show the nations their wisdom and understanding? (v. 6)
b. Will our observation of the Word of God show non-believers that we are “a wise and understanding people”? How so?
c. How near is God to His people? (v. 7)
d. Is that true of you?
e. How does God’s body of law distinguish itself from that of all other nations? (v. 8)
(6) Can you list the uniqueness and the superiority of the Bible over any of the religious "sacred books” of the world? Try to list at least five areas.
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?” (Deut. 4:7)
For Moses to say these words in Deuteronomy 4:6-8 is so fitting and powerful, especially about God’s greatness and nearness (v. 7) because he not only witnessed the mighty power of the Lord—the ten plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the pillar of cloud by day, the pillar of fire by night, not to mention the many miracles that the Lord had performed through him, he also experienced first-hand the “nearness” of the Lord. While many in the Old Testament had seen their prayers answered, and answered miraculously, few could claim that “the Lord would speak to them as a man speaks with his friends” (Exod. 33:11). That was how near or close the Lord was with Moses.
However, what he said about the wisdom and understanding that the Law imparts is equally true.
“History has confirmed this. Not only did the wisdom of a Solomon astonish the queen of Sheba (1 Ki. 10:4ff), but the divine truth which Israel possessed in the law of Moses attracted all the more earnest minds of the heathen world to seek the satisfaction of the inmost necessities of their hearts and the salvation of their souls in Israel’s knowledge of God, when after a short period of bloom, the inward self-dissolution of the heathen religions had set in; and at last, in Christianity, it has brought one heathen nation after another to the knowledge of the true God, and to eternal salvation, notwithstanding the fact that the divine truth was and still regarded as folly by the proud philosophers and self-righteous Epicureans and Stoics of ancient and modern times.”
(K&D, 875)
4:9-31—Historical Prologue—Call for Obedience: Do not Worship Idols
(1) Remember Horeb (vv. 9-14) — since they have an unequalled God and an unparalleled Law.
a. In order that they would be careful and watch themselves closely, they are not to forget what their eyes have seen and let their memory fade (v. 9):
- Which incident is Moses referring to? (v. 10)
- What did they see that was so unforgettable?
- What did they hear that should not fade away?
- What is the purpose of this epiphany? (v. 14)
b. In order that they would not forget, they are to “teach” and to “remember”.
- What might be the relationship between teaching, remembering and not forgetting?
- How may you apply this to your own life?
(2) Important lesson learned from Horeb (vv. 15-20)
a. What is the one thing that Moses seeks to emphasize from their experience at Horeb? (v. 15)
b. What then is its implication? (vv. 16-19)
c. What is the reason behind man making idols with their own hands and worshiping them?
d. Why would people worship the sun, moon and/or stars?
e. In this modern age, why are there so many people in the west who worship nature?
f. What are the two reasons that Moses gives in urging Israel to be different from these idol-worshipping pagans? (v. 20)
(3) Repeating the message against idol-worship (vv. 21-31)
a. Why does Moses use his death to urge them to not to forget God’s covenant with them?
b. Why does he single out idol-worship in his exhortation? (v. 23)
c. What is the warning he gives them concerning idol worship? (v. 24)
- What might have caused Moses to anticipate that they would worship idols upon entering Canaan? (v. 25)
- What will the punishment be? (vv. 26-28)
- What should they do then? (vv. 29-30)
- Why would God still be merciful to them? (v. 31)
(4) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” (Deut. 4:9)
As Moses is about to remind the people of the salient decrees and laws (from chapters 5-26), he wants to impress upon the people not just the letter of the laws, but their genuine encounter with the Lord in Horeb. In particular, he points out that they have seen with their own eyes (4:9) and heard with their own ears (4:12). The implication is that even in the darkest hour of their lives, and even as God seems to be silent, this vivid memory of the awesome appearance of the Lord in fire, clouds and darkness, accompanied with His awesome voice, should remind them both of the power of God and His commandments that have been cast into stone.
However, it is interesting that Moses would foresee that even such an awesome memory would “fade” and that they would forget (4:9). As a result, he urges them to “teach them to your children and to their children after them” (4:9).
Those who have been involved in the teaching ministry, whether it is in the pulpit, in a Sunday School classroom or in leading a small group Bible study, would understand that our growth in the knowledge of the Bible is enhanced by teaching others. We are always the first ones to be spoken to by the Holy Spirit through our preparation.
It is true of myself as well. I have just written in my journal today that the preparation of this “5-Year Devotion Plan” has deepened my understanding of the Word far beyond what I learned in my years of seminary training. Of course, my seminary training provided me with a good foundation especially in exegesis, and it gave me the tools for doing meaningful research.
I wonder how you may apply this advice of Moses to your life.