Moses preaches a sermon to the Israelites before his death, reminding them of God's promises and commands. He encourages them to (1) trust God, who keeps His promises, and (2) obey God's laws as they prepare to enter the Promised Land under Joshua's leadership. Moses appointed leaders to help govern the large nation, choosing those who were wise, respected, and fair in their judgments. The sermon emphasizes obeying God from the heart in light of His faithfulness in the past.

1. Trust God, He Keeps His Promises
(Chapter 1:1-18)
Sermon by Rodney Tan
Sunday 19/7/2020
Melaka Gospel Chapel

2. Outline
• Background
• 1) Leave Horeb,
Enter the Land (v1-8)
• 2) Lead the People,
Appoint Leaders (v9-18)
• Application

3. Outline
• Background
• 1) Leave Horeb,
Enter the Land (v1-8)
• 2) Lead the People,
Appoint Leaders (v9-18)
• Application

4. Background
• Moses’ last sermon before he died, he preaches :
• on a mountain (outside the promised land of Canaan)
• to all the people of Israel
• The people of Israel :
• Left Egypt
• Wandered 40 years in the desert (Exodus 14:37-41)
• Chose not to enter the Promised Land
• God said all adults will die in the desert
• But their children will enter the land (Numbers 13-14)

5. Background
• Why?
• All the time in the desert – Israelites disobeyed & went against God
• Exodus 16:1-3 (1) And they journeyed from Elim, and all the
congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin,
which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second
month after they departed from the land of Egypt. (2) Then the whole
congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and
Aaron in the wilderness. (3) And the children of Israel said to them,
"Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt,
when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full!
For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole
assembly with hunger."

6. Background
• Q: What does Moses want to do with the people of Israel?
• Moses is about to die
• Joshua will be the new leader & lead them into the land
• Moses preaches a long sermon & wants to accomplish 4 things:
• 1) To remind the people of their past
• 2) To increase their faith in God
• 3) To help them obey God’s laws
• 4) To encourage the people to conquer the land
• Deuteronomy is this long sermon

7. Background
• The land of Canaan is called “the Promised Land”.
• 600 years earlier - God promised this land to Abraham
• Deuteronomy makes it clear – God is faithful to these promises
• Genesis 12:1-3
(1) Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family
And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you.
(2) I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And
you shall be a blessing.
(3) I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you
all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

8. Background
• Why Must People Obey God’s Laws?
• Most of Deuteronomy is about laws to obey
• But the book always highlight God
• The people of Israel must obey God’s laws from their hearts
• 3 reasons given - because of :
• 1) what God did in the past
• 2) who God is
• 3) the promises & warnings for the future
• Main Point: Trust God, He keeps His Promises

11. Outline
• Background
• 1) Leave Horeb,
Enter the Land (v1-8)
• 2) Lead the People,
Appoint Leaders (v9-18)
• Application

12. Deuteronomy 1: 1-8
(1) These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the desert east of
the Jordan--that is, in the Arabah--opposite Suph, between Paran and
Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab.
(2) (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the
Mount Seir road.)
(3) In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses
proclaimed to the Israelites all that the LORD had commanded him
concerning them.

13. Deuteronomy 1: 1-8
(4) after he had killed Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in
Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth in Edrei.
(5) On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to
explain this law, saying,
(6) "The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: 'You have dwelt
long enough at this mountain.

14. Deuteronomy 1: 1-8
(7) Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the
Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains
and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the
Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River
Euphrates.
(8) See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land
which the LORD swore to your fathers--to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--
to give to them and their descendants after them.'

15. Introduction
• These verses give the introduction to Deuteronomy
• Q: Who the book is from:
• Moses
• led the Israelites out of Egypt
• travelled with them through the desert for 40 years
• Q: Who the book is written to:
• All people of Israel – young & old; male & female; every person
• Q: What the book is:
• Words spoken by Moses (v1)
• Commanded by God (v3)

16. Introduction
• Q: Where was the sermon spoken:
• On the other side of the Jordan River
• Outside the Promised Land
• On the plains of Moab
• Q: When were the words spoken:
• In the 40th year after leaving Egypt
• Q: Why Deuteronomy is needed:
• To explain God’s law (v5)

17. Introduction
• Q: Why did Moses preach this sermon:
• To encourage the people of Israel to :–
• 1) Trust God’s promises
• 2) Obey God’s laws

18. 1) Leave Horeb, Enter the Land (v1-8)
• Deuteronomy opens and closes with references to “Moses” & “to all
Israel” (v1; 34:12)
• Deuteronomy 1:1 (First verse of Deuteronomy)
These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side of the
Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain opposite Suph, between Paran,
Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.
• Deuteronomy 34:12 (Last verse of Deuteronomy)
and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses
performed in the sight of all Israel.

19. 1) Leave Horeb, Enter the Land (v1-8)
• Deuteronomy describes Moses’ interaction with the entire nation of
Israel
• Journey from Egypt - ended
• Location of Israel – plains of Arabah (v1)
• Locations of the other places named - unknown.
• Duration of journey from Horeb (Mt Sinai) to Kadesh-Barnea is 11
days walk (150 miles) (v2)
• Contrast : the short distance & the long time
it took Israel to reach the borders of the promised land of Canaan
• The people of Israel are too comfortable waiting at Mount Sinai (v6).

21. 1) Leave Horeb, Enter the Land (v1-8)
• Q: Why did it take 40 years to reach the plains of Moab (fringes of the
promised land)?
• A: Root cause - Israel’s unbelief = spiritual failure
• Moses had a strong reason for what he said & did in Deuteronomy
• Quote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to
repeat it.” – George Santayana
• Apply: Let’s learn from the past – don’t repeat Israel’s mistakes!
• Quote: “History is His story” – A.T. Pierson
• Apply: Let’s trust Him - God is in control!

22. 1) Leave Horeb, Enter the Land (v1-8)
• The name “Yahweh” appears first time in (v3)
• appears >230 times in Deuteronomy
• “Yahweh” = God’s covenantal role with Israel
• He is king & He keeps His promises
• “Elohim” (Heb. “God”)
• appears only 38 times in Deuteronomy

23. 1) Leave Hore b, Enter the Land (v1-8)
• God’s defeat of the nations of Sihon & Og (v4) gives Israelites hope
• Deuteronomy is
• an “exposition” (explanation) of all that God had commanded (v5)
• a commentary on earlier passages in Pentateuch
• “law” = (Heb. ”torah”) means “instruction” (v5)
• More instruction than prohibition
• Positive connotation
• God commanded the people to move out of Horeb (Mt Sinai) (v6)

24. 1) Leave Horeb, Enter the Land (v1-8)
• God commands the people of Israel to enter the promised land
• (v7) What is included in the land :
• Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all
the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in
the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon,
as far as the great river, the River Euphrates.
• (v8) That land was promised to Abraham, Isaac & Jacob
• See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD
swore to your fathers--to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--to give to them and
their descendants after them.'

25. 1) Leave Horeb, Enter the Land (v1-8)
• God promised the Israelites an earthly land
• Model of the heavenly land that God promised for true Christians
• Earthly land is not important in the same way for Christians
• Christians are on our way to a heavenly land
• Apply:
• Q: Do we trust God’s promise that He will give believers a heavenly land?
• Q: How does this promise help us to obey God’s commands now?

26. Outline
• Background
• 1) Leave Horeb,
Enter the Land (v1-8)
• 2) Lead the People,
Appoint Leaders (v9-18)
• Application

27. Deuteronomy 1: 9-18
(9) "And I spoke to you at that time, saying: 'I alone am not able to bear
you.
(10) The LORD your God has multiplied you, and here you are today, as
the stars of heaven in multitude.
(11) May the LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times
more numerous than you are, and bless you as He has promised you!

28. Deuteronomy 1: 9-18
(12) How can I alone bear your problems and your burdens and your
complaints?
(13) Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among
your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.'
(14) And you answered me and said, 'The thing which you have told us
to do is good.'

29. Deuteronomy 1: 9-18
(15) So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men,
and made them heads over you, leaders of thousands, leaders of
hundreds, leaders of fifties, leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes.
(16) "Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the
cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man
and his brother or the stranger who is with him.

30. Deuteronomy 1: 9-18
(17) You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small
as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man's presence, for
the judgment is God's. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me,
and I will hear it.'
(18) And I commanded you at that time all the things which you should
do.

31. 2) Lead the People, Appoint Leaders (v9-18)
• Moses reminded the people – God’s command to enter the promised land
• God first made the promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-7)
• At that time, there were only Abraham & his wife
• Now, Israelites had multiplied & are descended from Abraham (v10-11)
• Like stars of heaven (v10)
• The increase of many Israelites means God is faithful.
• So many Israelites means Moses needs helpers to lead the people.
• The number of Israelites were far too many for Moses to handle alone (v9, 12)
• He had to delegate the responsibilities

32. 2) Lead the People, Appoint Leaders (v9-18)
• Moses appointed qualified military leaders (commanders), officials
(scribes/administrators) & judges (1:15-16)
• Moses had to appoint & choose leaders who are (v12-18):
• Wise (v15)
• Respected by God’s people – chiefs of tribes (v15)
• Treats everyone fairly and justly (v15,16)
• Apply: Likewise, we must select church leaders who are fair & just.
• Q: How do we make sure we treat everyone the same?
• Very hard if relatives & rich people expect to be first
• They will get angry when they do not get their way

33. 2) Lead the People, Appoint Leaders (v9-18)
• Q: Do people who give much money to the church become leaders?
• Q: How can we choose leaders who are wise, understanding, fair &
just?
• Not afraid of people (v17)
• Not afraid of what other people will think or do (v7)
• Make decisions that are right in God’s eyes.
• Judgements made are of God (v7)
• Leaders are to have the same attitude as God!

34. Outline
• Background
• 1) Leave Horeb,
Enter the Land (v1-8)
• 2) Lead the People,
Appoint Leaders (v9-18)
• Application

35. Application
• God commands His people to enter the land He promised
• Keep our minds on God’s promise of heaven
• Obey Him on earth
• Trust God, He keeps His promises
• Trust His promises
• Be just & fair in our dealings
• Choose the right leaders