This week, we shall continue with
the study of the Book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament.
4:32-40—Historical Prologue: The Lord is God in Heaven and on Earth
(1) Moses challenges the people to ask “has anything so great ever happened” and “anything like it ever been heard of” (v. 32b):
a. What is the first event he is referring to? (v. 33)
b. Which historical event was it?
c. What is the second series of events he is referring to? (v. 34)
(2) What should these events have meant to the people? (v. 35)
(3) Why does Moses add that the purpose of hearing God’s voice and seeing the fire is “to discipline” them? How so? (v. 36)
(4) What have all these signs and wonders achieved and for what reason? (vv. 37-38)
(5) What should the response of the people include? (vv. 39-40)
4:41-43—Precursor to the Rehearsal of the Laws
(6) Although Moses was not able to enter the Promised Land Proper, what does the setting aside of the three cities of refuge in the Transjordan region signify to the following?
a. To Israel as a nation
b. To the Law of Moses
c. To Moses himself
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) This prelude to the rehearsal of the law spells out two aspects of the declaration that follows:
a. Since the Law was already given after their exodus from Egypt (at Sinai), why is it being reiterated at this point of time?
b. Where is it being declared from? (you may want to consult the map at the back of your Bible to see how large this Transjordan area is)
5:1-21—The Ten Commandments
(2) Before Moses reiterates the Ten Commandments (vv. 1-6)
a. What does he urge the people to do with the Law? (v.1)
b. Why does he say that the covenant was not with their fathers but with them? (v. 3) What is he trying to say?
c. Why does he place emphasis on how the Law was delivered? (vv. 4-5)
(3) The Ten Commandments (vv. 6-21): It is helpful to read the Ten Commandments given in Exodus 20:2-17 side by side with what is reiterated here. You may be familiar with these commandments. Let’s reflect on each because of its significance to our relationship with God and with one another in our next few days of devotion:
Vv. 6-10: 1st and 2nd Commandments which are about whom we worship.
Vv. 11-15: 3rd and 4th Commandments which are about how we worship
Vv. 16-21: 5th – 10th Commandments which are about how we treat one another
1st Commandment (v. 7)
(4) Before you read the following definition, try to give your own definition of what is meant by “God”.
(5) Webster gives the following definition of God: “A being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient, originator of the universe, the principal object on faith and worship in monotheistic religions.” How does your definition compare to Webster’s?
(6) Why do people worship “gods” in general?
(7) Why do some people not worship any “god” at all?
(8) Why does God prohibit His people, the Israelites, to worship any gods other than the Lord? (v. 6)
(9) Why does He make it the first Commandment?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
5:8-10—2nd Commandment:
(1) Why do people feel the need to make something visible to worship, knowing that it is made by their own hands?
(2) Does the prohibition of the making of idols extend to the painting of idols or gods? Why or why not?
(3) Why do so many Christians or churches display the painting of the image of Christ?
(4) Since this is the case, what’s wrong in making images or icons of saints and praying to them?
(5) Some argue that they are not really worshipping the icons or images of Christ or saints, but are using them to help them meditate. What do you think?
(6) What is the purpose of vv. 9-10? Are they added for the sake of the 2nd Commandment only or for the 1st Commandment as well? Why?
(7) Why does the worship by God’s people of any other god or reducing the Lord into any image or idol amount to “hate”?
(8) What is the relationship between loving God and keeping His commandments? (See Jn. 14:21 as well).
(9) In what sense is God jealous?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
5:11—The 3rd Commandment
(1) What does the word “misuse” generally mean?
(2) What is in a “name”, especially God’s?
(3) How might we misuse God’s name?
(4) What might prompt us to do so?
(5) Read Matthew 5:33-37. How does the example of Jesus illustrate the misuse of the name of God?
(6) Is there any other way that people (including you) might “make use” of God or His name?
(7) If our relationship with God is not to be one of “using” Him, what should it be?
(8) What warning is attached to this Commandment and why?
5:12-15—The 4th Commandment
(9) Instead of “using” Him, what is God’s desire for us in relating to Him?
(10) In Exodus, the Israelites are told to “remember” the Sabbath (20:8) and here, Moses exhorts them to “observe” it (5:12): Is there a difference between the use of the two words? Why?
(11) What is meant by to “remember”?
(12) What is meant by “holy”?
(13) The reasons for giving this Commandment are also different between the two passages:
a. What is the reason given in Exodus 20:11?
b. What is the reason given here? (5:15)
c. Why does Moses choose to use a different reason?
d. What is the implication of this Commandment to the wider society?
e. How do the two reasons complement each other?
(14) Since the resurrection of our Lord, the apostles had observed the Sabbath rest on the Lord’s Day (i.e. Sunday). How then should you “remember” your weekly Sabbath in order to fulfill the essence of this Commandment?
(15) How does the Sabbath distinguish the Israelites from the rest of the
nations? In what way?
(16) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
5:16—The 5th Commandment
(1) In dealing with how we must treat others, why does God cite how we should treat our parents first? Can you think of at least three reasons?
(2) What is the general meaning of “to honor”?
(3) What then does it mean to honor our parents?
(4) What if we consider them not worthy of honoring?
(5) Can you think of any biblical example in which the father and/or mother might be considered unworthy of respect? What about Isaac and Rebekah? How did their children treat them? (See Gen. 31:35; 35:27-29)
(6) How do you reconcile this Commandment with Genesis 2:24?
(7) How does the Lord Jesus view this Commandment? (See Mk. 7:9-13)
(8) Why does this commandment carry a special blessing?
(9) How does the Apostle Paul look upon this blessing? (Eph. 6:1-3)
5:17—6th Commandment
(10) How important is this Commandment?
(11) Is there a difference between “to kill” and “to murder”?
(12) What about manslaughter? (See Deut. 19:3, 4, 6 and Jos. 20:3)
(13) What about the legal execution of a convicted killer (Num. 35:30)?
(14) Why then does God also take life?
(15) What does Jesus say is the essence of this Commandment? (Matt. 5:21-26)
(16) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
5:18—7th Commandment
(1) What is your definition of adultery?
(2) Webster defines it as “a voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other than the lawful husband and wife”. How evil and destructive then is the sin of adultery?
(3) How does the world view adultery these days?
(4) How does Jesus interpret this Commandment? (See Matt. 5:27-32)
(5) What insight does the Apostle Paul add to this Commandment? (1 Cor. 6:18-20)
(6) What is the best way to avoid committing this sin? (Ps. 119:9 and 2 Tim. 2:22)
5:19-21—8th and 10th Commandments
(7) How would you define stealing?
(8) What is the underlying cause for stealing?
(9) Is poverty a valid excuse for stealing?
(10) How is the 10th Commandment related to the 8th?
(11) Do you think the 10th Commandment is related to contentment? (See 1 Tim. 6:6-8)
(12) How do you define contentment?
(13) Is the prayer in Proverb 30:7-9 an effective prayer for keeping the 10th Commandment? Why or why not?
(14) Can you think of other ways that might help us keep this Commandment?
(15) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
5:20—9th Commandment
(1) As a commandment, this is the first that mentions about “neighbor”. Of course, all sins are sins, what does the singling out of a sin or crime against a neighbor signify, especially with this new covenant community?
(2) What might be the motive behind testifying falsely against one’s neighbor?
(3) Why is the punishment for such a crime so severe? (See Deut. 19:16-21)
(4) How does this particular commandment function in upholding the integrity of the legal process or judicial system of the covenanted community?
(5) The word for “false” also can mean lying, deceiving or fraudulent and when repeated in Deut. 5:20 another word for “false” is used which can also mean, nothingness, emptiness, worthlessness or something vain (Durham, 296). As we have seen from the reflections of the previous days, the real focus of the Ten Commandments is the heart; what kind of character does this 9th Commandment demand from the people of the covenant and what is its significance?
The Ten Commandments
(6) Should one commandment be greater or more important than another? Why?
(7) In citing Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, how does Jesus summarize the Ten Commandments in Matthew 22:37-40?
(8) When Jesus says, “And the second is like it”, what does He mean by “like”?
(9) By saying that all “the Law and the Prophets” hang on the “two commandments”, what does Jesus see as the relationship between the two, even though He refers to one as the greatest and the other one as second?
(10) What then is the use of the Ten Commandments to Christians today?
(11) What added significance might there be for Moses to reiterate these Ten Commandments to the people at this time?
(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?