(REFLECTIONS ON Deuteronomy 1:1-18)

As we enter into the Book of Deuteronomy, which is the last book of the Torah (first 5 books of the Bible), we see Moses speak of the past to a new generation in order to prepare them for their future in the Promised Land.

After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, most of those that initially left Egypt with Moses were gone, and so it was the second generation that would need to prepare for inheritance of the land. In order for this new generation to continue to live in the promise God had given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they needed to first be linked to the past, in order to live for the future.

Deuteronomy means “Second Law.” It does not mean a new law, but a restating and renewing of God’s covenant law for a new generation.

In today’s Scripture, Moses hearkens back to Mount Sinai (Horeb) which was the early wilderness period after the Exodus from Egypt.

6 The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. 7 Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. 8 See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”

As we read the words of Moses, it is a reminder that those he commanded to go in and take possession of the land were almost all gone, and those that remained were a new generation, the second generation, with a new opportunity to fulfill God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Before entering into the Promised Land,
they needed to be aware of the past,
in order to live in the fulfillment of the future.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about the 20th Anniversary of our English Ministry. Twenty years have passed, but for many of us, including myself, it feels like this is a new journey, with new challenges, and new opportunities for growth in our faith.

However, some amongst us have lived through all or at least most of the 20 year journey, and it is important that we understand through them, the past, the hardships, the challenges, and also the successes.

Before entering into the EM 2026,
we need to be aware of the past,
in order to live in the fulfillment of the future.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy 1