Moses’s speech in Deuteronomy 1–4 centers on the idea of “God with us.” That is the central idea that holds together the various parts of this opening section. The message is good news, and it’s delivered with a meta-perspective that looks backwards to speak the gospel to Israel in the “present” moment of Deuteronomy, to Israel in the the future time of exile, and to all God’s people throughout the generations.

Israel failed to believe that God was with them in the past, though he carried them like a Father (1:30–33). They must learn from the past and trust he will fight for them in the future (3:22). They must remember and obey his instructions because this is their wisdom and evidence of God’s nearness. This is how they participate in and with God’s presence. Through their obedience, God will draw other nations to himself and his wisdom (4:7–8). Finally, even when God’s people ruin their lives and end up living in the chaos of decreation and exile due to their sin, God will not leave them (4:31). The gospel of “God with us” will still be true in the end, when Israel is exiled for her own persistent disobedience.

The past, present, and future call is to remember, repent, and trust Yahweh (4:31) by following him where he leads, even when he leads them into scary places.

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 introduces the goal, Moses’s plan, the problem, and the call. The central idea is that Israel failed to trust that Yahweh was present with them in the past, exemplified by their disbelief at Kadesh, and they must not make that mistake again (1:30–33).

Plan

Moses’s goal is to explain and remind Israel of God’s instructions so that God’s people can move forward and inherit the promises made to Abraham (1:1–8), which God has already begun to fulfill (1:9–18). In the first four chapters, before getting to the instructions themselves, Moses situates God’s instructions in the narrative context in which they were originally given (Exodus) and in Israel’s current moment — Deuteronomy, on the plains of Moab, just before the challenge of trusting Yahweh by entering the promised land.

Problem

Israel rebelled (1:26), accused God of trying to kill them (1:27), and did not believe Yahweh (1:32), despite the fact that it was Yahweh who went before them and carried them like a Father does a son (1:30–33). They bore the consequences.

Call

Don’t this again.

Chapter 2–3

Moses’s review of the story looks all the way backwards, all the way to Genesis, and it looks forwards to the time when Israel has taken possession of the land. The stories focus on the way God has been with Israel during their wilderness wanderings (chapter 2), making a way for them despite their rebellion, overthrowing kings and kingdoms (chapters 2–3). The way in which God has been with them in the past is relevant to where they are headed: into difficult lands to overthrow intimidating kings and kingdoms.

The call: Remember how God has been present with you and has fought for you, trust him, and follow him into the scary places he is leading you.

Looking backwards

Deuteronomy 2 repeatedly reminds Israel that long ago God gave lands and overthrew kingdoms for Esau and Lot. The point is that God can do this for Israel, too. Deuteronomy 2:5 (Edom / Esau), Deuteronomy 2:9 (Moab / Lot), Deut 2:19 (Ammon / Lot), and Deut 2:22 (Horites / Esau) all demonstrate that Deuteronomy is written with the stories of Genesis in mind. To read and interpret Deuteronomy in light of the narrative context of Genesis–Deuteronomy is what the author intends.

Looking ahead

In Deuteronomy 2:10–12 and 2:20, Moses says that the people of Esau and the Ammonites dispossessed giants who formerly lived in that land, and the point is that Yahweh can most certainly do this for Israel. Deuteronomy 2:22–23 adds in the Horites and the Avvim. The Horites were dispossessed by Yahweh for the sons of Esau, and the Avvim were dispossessed by the Caphtorim. Chapter 3 focuses on the kings and kingdoms that Yahweh defeated for them in recent days, in the last east of the Jordan, the defeat of Sihon and Og. King Og was the last of the Rephaim (3:11).

Chapters 2–3 look forward to what Israel is called to, taking possession of a land filled with giants. The repeated emphasis in these chapters on Rephaim, descendants of giants, serves to motivate Israel that God can overcome their fears. The mission ahead for Israel is doable. If Yahweh can give lands and kingdoms to the sons of Esau and the Ammonites, dispossessing giants along the way, how much more will it he do so for Israel, his chosen people, his “firstborn son” (Exod 4:22).

Deuteronomy 3:21–22 is the key verse that makes explicit how this history review is focused on (1) God’s presence with his people and (2) aims to motivate future-looking trust and obedience.

And I commanded Joshua at that time, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings. So will the LORD do to all the kingdoms into which you are crossing. You shall not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you.’

Conclusion

Moses circles back to where he started in chapter 1. His recollection of the story so far is intended to motivate Israel to not be afraid this time, but rather trust that Yahweh will fight for them (3:22), echoing Exodus 14:14. This language (“it is the LORD your God who fights for you”) will echo through Joshua, appearing explicitly in Joshua 23:3, 10.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 urges obedience and calls Israel to remember that God’s presence is always available to his people if they will repent. The way God’s people participate with God and experience his presence in the present moment is by obeying God’s instructions.

Location

Moses urges obedience now in light of their current location, Peor, where in the recent past (Numbers 25) 24,000 Israelites were killed with a plague because of their worship of the local Baal. Repeatedly he calls Israel to “cling to Yahweh” (Deut 4:4) so that they may live (Deut 4:1,4).

Unique wisdom

Deuteronomy 4:6 says that the commandments are their wisdom. This is one of many places where Scripture emphasizes the idea of “law as wisdom.” Obedience to God’s instructions is one way he intends to mediate his presence to Israel and his mission through Israel. Through their obedience, they will embody God’s wisdom and draw other nations to him.

Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?

Deuteronomy 4:7–8 emphasizes the same idea that was explicit in 3:22, the nearness of Yahweh. In Deuteronomy 3:22 the nearness of Yahweh was seen in him fighting for Israel, but that’s not all there is to say about God’s presence in and for his people. In 4:7–8, God’s nearness is seen in the wisdom of his word, the compelling way in which he enables his people to live well in the world. As his people embody and do his word, God’s presence will impact the surrounding nations.

Don’t forget now

Israel must take care lest they forget what God has done and thereby fail to actually do the uniquely wise, good instructions. The threat of repeating the Garden episode is always present (4:9).

This is what they must remember:

1. The supernatural sights of Sinai (4:9–14), especially 4:11–12.
2. They didn’t see the form of any creature so they shouldn’t try to make the Creator into an idol (4:15–19).
3. Yahweh saved them from slavery (4:20–24).
   

Don’t forget later

The next three things to remember are for the generation of the exile, those living “in the last days” (באחרית הימים). Deuteronomy 4:30 makes clear that the phrase באחרית הימים (“in the last days”) is a way of referring to the “end” of Israel’s history, the exile. This phrase is foundational to the messianic hope of the Pentateuch, as it appears in all of the Pentateuch’s major poems, except Exodus 15.¹ The author writes with more than the immediate context of story in mind (Israel on the plains of Moab) and more than the context of Israel in the land. Deuteronomy is written for “the last days,” when Israel is exiled and all hope is lost.

In the last days, God’s people must remember that Moses foretold their self-destruction, and the point is that there is still hope.

5. Their actions have consequences whether anyone sees them or not. Moses said, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today.” That’s a way of speaking about how creation itself is impacted by sin. Disobedience always has consequences (4:25–28), à la the flood, which is clearly relevant to this context because he speaks about the same word that led to the flood in 4:25, שׁחת (“corrupt, destroy,” Gen 6:11–13).² The coming “flood” will be an exile. Moses knew they would end up in exile (4:27–28), and wanted them to know there is still hope, a point the next two things to remember combine to make.
6. When they experience decreation and exile, God is not done with them. Repentance is always the way out. God is just, but he’s also merciful just like he said in Exodus 34:6–7 (4:29–31). God’s people can’t make a mess of their lives so much that God will abandon his plan with Abraham. Yahweh is merciful despite their idolatry. He will not leave them despite their sin and exile. He won’t forget even when they do (4:31).
7. Yahweh is utterly unique, as displayed in the Exodus, and he is utterly for his people (4:32–40).
   

The Concluding Chainlink Passage (4:44–49)

The final section of chapters 4 is a chain-link paragraph. It connects to what is to come by explicitly introduction to the laws/instructions about to be delivered:

This is the law that Moses set before the people of Israel. These are the testimonies, the statues, and the rules, which Moses spoke to the people … (Deut 4:44–45)

It connects backwards by highlighting key stories reviewed in 1:1–4:43:

… when they came out of Egypt, beyond the Jordan in the valley opposite Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses and the people of Israel defeated when they came out of Egypt. And they took possession of his land and the land of Og, the king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who lived to the east beyond the Jordan; from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, as far as Mount Sirion (that is, Hermon), together with all the Arabah on the east side of the Jordan as far as the Sea of the Arabah, under the slopes of Pisgah. (Deut 4:45–49)

Conclusion

At the end of chapter 4 (4:31), just before God’s instructions at Sinai are recalled, we are back to the good news we saw in 1:30–33, 3:22, and 4:7–8. Even in exile and judgment, God will be with his people. The call for every generation of God’s people is to repent and trust that God is with us. This is the central idea in chapters 1–4, and it’s good news for every generation of the people of God.

1. More on the poems of the Pentateuch in this post. ↩
2. I consider the word שׁחת to be a “flood-loaded” word throughout the Hebrew Bible because of (1) its frequency in Genesis 6:11–13 and (2) the way it is used to describe both the action of humanity that brought judgment (“corrupting the land”) and the consequence brought about by Yahweh (“destroying humanity”) so that life could flourish once again. I wrote more on the connection between rebellion, decreation, and judgment in this post. ↩