Journey Of The Seed - Catch The Bible's Big Picture In 60 DaysSample

REVIEW SESSION

[Scheduled Reading: Deuteronomy 1-7]

In college I always appreciated review sessions – the chance to review what we had just studied or learned together. For us Bible readers, Deuteronomy is a review – a recap of all that had happened since they escape from Egypt. 

Before Moses passes the baton to Joshua, Moses delivers the entire law again, this time to the 2nd generation of Israelites. 

Exodus-Leviticus-Numbers contain the books of the law that cover the forty year period of wandering in the wilderness. Deuteronomy is a repeat of laws and history for the benefit of the new generation of Israelites.

Our reading plan omits some content in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy. So what’s been going on in these books? 

Besides a 40-year time out, God is working a plan to route The Seed through the nation of Israel. From the time of Moses, it will be roughly 1,500 years until this eventual SEED (Jesus) takes its place on the cross. 

While Satan is working feverishly to destroy the “seed” carriers (Israelites), God is building them for survival.

As mentioned earlier, this Israelite nation must be strong, independent, well financed, heavily armed. And they need a government that can sustain order. (Think about the U.S. We need those things, too.) 

To set up this sustaining government, God gives them: 

- Label– God calls them Israelites. He also calls Israel His “firstborn son.” Extremely symbolic isn't it? 

- Land - That's Canaan - the Promised Land! They wander in the wilderness for forty years before gaining entrance. Then the twelve tribes are counted in a census, and given their respective land allotments (we read this in Numbers).

- Location (of worship)- While wandering in the wilderness, whenever they stop to set up camp the tabernacle goes up. Detailed Bible text is committed to this elaborate tent design and related worship practices.

- Laws- God installs a system of sacrifices and laws to remind them of God’s holiness, of their sin and of the way things ought to be had man never sinned. So if a young man skins his knee on a rock and suffers an open cut wound while playing with his kids, he is considered "unclean." 

God wanted them to understand, “it wasn’t intended to be this way” (skinning knees, that is). These laws were very detailed and often confusing…and sometimes weird. 

- Leader- Yeah, that would be Moses. And eventually Joshua.  

- Levites- This tribe is set apart to run the government, sort of like the U.S. congress. They manage the tabernacle, administer laws, perform sacrifices, etc. Their work is funded by a system of gifts and offerings from the other tribes. 

Throughout the Old Testament, we’ll see this system at work. It functions on occasion, but breaks down most of the time. 

Still God’s primary purpose is intact: keeping the nation of Israel alive… which means keeping The Seed alive.