Reading Report - Numbers and Deuteronomy

19. Towards the Promise Land
The book of Numbers illustrates the preparation of the people of Israel as the leave Mount Sinai and begin their forty year journey through the wilderness to the promise land. The exodus generation did not survive the journey and their death is recorded because of their disobedience and lack of faith and trust in God to provide that which he promised.

20. Murmurings
The people of Israel not only show a lack of faith in God, but in the people that God has chosen to lead them as they rebel against authority. Their rebellion not only displays a lack of trust in God to provide what he has promised to provide, but also ignorance of what he has already done on their behalf by bringing them out of slavery and setting their captive hearts free to worship their God. But even despite their rebellion, God still maintains his promise to provide the land of Canaan. The New Testament implication is that while the Israelites failed in their wilderness testing, Jesus Christ not only does not fail, but triumphs over death and Satan to provide the promise land to the New Testament believer.

21. Love and Loyalty
The book of Deuteronomy draws to a close the wilderness time and is the opportunity for Moses to speak his last words of love, encouragement and reminder to his people of the ways of the Lord. He reminds them of the special relationship they have with God through the covenant that he has established with them to be their God and their provider. The people are continuously reminded that obedience provides life and disobedience brings death, so they must be mindful of both the covenant promises of blessing and the covenant consequences of cursing. The New Testament implication is the same as the old, that we are to have only one God, and we are to give all of ourselves to him as his covenant relationship is established and renewed by Jesus Christ in us, so that we may remain faithful and obedient.

22. Why Israel?
Deuteronomy reminds us that Israel was not chosen because of something special within them, but because the Lord desired to build a covenant community in which to display his gracious and unmerited love. The consequence for Israel in being chosen was the responsibility in keeping the covenant for the world to see, so that they would see the righteousness of God on display. The New Testament implication is that all who are chosen in Christ are divinely elected to keep this covenant by having faith in the Lord and obeying his word.

23. Conclusion
The Pentateuch establishes the back drop from which the rest of scripture unfolds the story of redemptive history. It is established in the people and history of the Israelites continues to shine forth redemptive truth even in the midst of their failures and rebellion against God. The coming messiah is not only promised, but the family line in which he will come from is established, preserved and chosen from the very beginning. The types and shadows that are given in the Pentateuch point us towards a greater fulfillment in the new covenant, in the person and work of Jesus Christ and ultimately an even greater fulfillment in the new heavens and new earth to come.