Series: The Law
Text: Deut. 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all
his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is
he.
Introduction
The book of Deuteronomy contains the final words of Moses to
the children of Israel before they entered the land of Canaan with Joshua as
their leader. The book's title means "second law" or "repetition
of the law." In these final sermons,
Moses repeated to the Israelites many of the laws and commandments that were
part of their covenant with the Lord. Moses also exhorted the Israelites to
remember and keep their covenant as he taught them the consequences of either
obeying or disobeying the Lord's laws and commandment.
One of the most notable features of the book of Deuteronomy
is the frequency with which it is quoted in other scripture. Of the five books
of Moses, Deuteronomy is the one most often cited by the Old Testament
prophets. It is also quoted or alluded to almost 100 times in the New
Testament. Jesus used verses from Deuteronomy to dismiss the temptations of
Satan, Thou, shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him, and shalt swear by his
name. Deut.6:13 and then in Duet. 8:3, "…that man does not live on bread
alone but on every word, that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
About two months' time is occupied in the book of
Deuteronomy, as we can determine by comparing chapter 1.3 with Joshua 5.10, But
in his discourses, Moses recounts the history of the forty years since he led
the Israelites out of Egypt. There are three primary discourses of Moses, as
follows.
A Review of the Past -- Chapters 1 to 4 inclusive. It is
suggested that the keyword of this section is REMEMBER.
Application to the Present -- chapters V to 26. The key word
to this might be HEARKEN
Application to the Future -- chapters 27 to 30. The key to
this might be OBEY. It will be noted that the three words, REMEMBER, HEARKEN
and OBEY run all through these discourses.
Besides these three large divisions, there are four smaller
ones, which follow the chapter divisions as follows.
The Charge of Moses -- chapter 31.
The Song of Moses -- chapter 32.
The Blessing of Moses -- chapter 33.
The Burial of Moses -- chapter 34.
The Circumstances under which Moses spoke the words of this
book are impressive. The forty years of wandering are almost over. The
leadership of the Israelites is passing into the hands of Joshua his successor,
who has been his right-hand man throughout the forty years, and one of the
faithful spies who brought back a good report of the land when Israel was at
the border of Canaan at Kadesh-Barnea.
Moses has already been told that his leadership is about to
end and that he is soon to depart this life.
Moses, like a father, speaks to the Israelites. Besides Caleb and
Joshua, there are none of the people present who were over twenty years old
when they left Egypt. That would make the earliest persons, besides Caleb and
Joshua, only sixty years of age. Moses was twice that old, now a hundred and
twenty. The persons from forty years and under had been horn in the wilderness.
Many of them had no recollection of being at Mount Sinai when the law was
given. This necessitates the repetition of the law for their instruction. And
even those who were sixty years of age who had heard it from young people at
Sinai needed it repeated in their bearing, as the laws were for their governing
in the land of Canaan which they were soon to enter.
In the next few minutes, we will look at Christ in
Deuteronomy as typified in the Cities of Refuge, the Rock of our salvation and
the Prophet like Moses. In each of these
types of Christ, we find the safety, security, and hope.
Christ the cities of
refuge (Deut. 4:41)
There were six cities of refuge. The actual distribution of
the cities of refuge was based on the geography of the area. To be of any use,
a city of refuge had to be accessible. For this reason, three were placed on
either side of the river Jordan. Good roads were leading to each city, which
provided the easy access to all of Israel.
The city of refuge was a place where the accused could find
safety.
The accused's life was
not put at risk by the arbitrary actions of the avenger of blood. The question
of intent could be decided in an impartial court so that the interests of the
slain man's family could also be safeguarded, for the cities of refuge were
never intended to harbor murderers. But even if the manslayer was found
innocent of the crime and was vindicated he did not get off completely. He had
to stay within the city of refuge for the rest of the life of the high priest.
The other way was if he died himself.
If the avenger of
blood were to defy the law and take the manslayer's life either inside the city
of refuge or outside it after the high priest's death, then he would himself
become a murderer. But if the avenger of blood found the manslayer outside the
city of refuge before the high priest's death, and took his life, then the dead
man had brought about his downfall, and the case was closed.
The defilement by blood
The provisions made for the innocent manslayer did have a
spiritual significance. First let's read Numbers chapter 35 and verses 32 to
33.
And you shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city
of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the
priest. 33 So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles
the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed
on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. (Numbers 35:32-33)
It is saying in verse 33 that blood will defile the land. Now
when we think about defilement, we probably think of ceremonial defilement
under the law of Moses. For under the law of Moses it was a sign of sin having
entered that thing which is defiled. Whenever blood was shed, the sin which had
contributed to the man's death, and was represented by his blood, was absorbed
by the land which was defiled as a consequence.
Whenever life was violently terminated, even accidentally,
the law had particular requirements to demonstrate a spiritual principle. God
wanted to show that sin also leads to death. So, the treatment of the law of a
life terminated by another can show that similarly, sin can also end a life. As
a result, some compensation or amends was needed for the death.
A killer put himself on the side of sin, by killing someone.
For even if he had killed someone accidentally, he has still taken someone's
life which is strictly the prerogative of sin. He had put a man to death, which
only sin can do. So, his actions had made him "sin" even if only
accidentally.
Now if we take this to the next step, we know that since sin
brings death, it must be destroyed. Therefore the killer who has also brought
death must also be killed.
This is verified by verse 33 of Numbers chapter 35 when it
says:
"…The land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed
therein, but by the blood of him that shed it".
Now the use of the word "land" meant more than the
physical surface of the earth – it also included the people. The defilement of
sin in taking a life was extended to the community. It was also the community
that had the responsibility for its expiation (the act of atonement – amend for
something done which was wrong).
For example, if the death was through murder then Deuteronomy
chapter 21 made it clear that the whole community would get involved. If a man
was found slain and there was no clue as to who might be the killer, then the
slain man's blood would be expiated through the death of a heifer appointed for
the purpose. This would be followed by the solemn renunciation of
responsibility by the community which had dwelled nearest his body. So, in the
cases of taking a life through murder, the whole community was involved.
However, if the taking of life was by accident, then the
accidental manslayer could not, with justice, be put to death to expiate the
blood of his victim. But there is a significant principle that comes into play
here. As the manslayer, fleed to one of the cities of refuge to be absolved
from the responsibility of the "sin" of his actions, the same
principle applies for those who seek refuge in Christ for identification with
Christ forgives the sin.
Just as a side note.
Look at the defilement of our land—America. Our nation aborts almost one million innocent
babies each year. There are around
16,238 murders per year in the United States; this averages to approximately 44
murders per day. Medical mistakes kill 400,000 people per year. These are just a few ways that our land had
been defiled by the blood of the innocent.
Could it be that God has brought judgment on our Nation because we have polluted
the land with the blood of the innocent?
Do we see the judgment in the form of increased number of
natural and geophysical disasters taking place each? Geophysical disasters include earthquakes,
volcanoes, dry rock-falls, landslides, and avalanches. Climatic disasters are
classified as floods, storms, tropical cyclones, local storms, heat/cold waves,
droughts, and wildfires. In 1970, the
average of natural disasters that were reported was 78; in 2004, this number
jumped to 348. According to AccuWeather, since 1990, natural disasters have
affected 217 million people every single year.
As Christians, we should see what is happening in the light
of the scriptures. According to Paul,
these disasters are not natural. They are the convulsions of a world accursed
by human sin. And they are regular reminders that the new creation is conceived
but not yet brought forth. He writes in Romans, for we know that the whole
creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. The whole creation
was brought under a curse because of Adam's sin. This curse will be removed in
the eternal state when Christ will restore the creation to the way it was in
the beginning but until Christ returns the groanings from the weight of sin
will bring the judgment of God upon the nations of the world until His wrath is
poured out in the final judgment.
The High Priest
Those who wanted protection in the city of refuge were
represented by the high priest.
The manslayer was to stay within the city of refuge until the
death of the high priest. This concept indicates that the high priest
represented all who sought refuge, and bore the iniquity of the spilled blood
to his own grave. By doing this, he released the manslayer from the burden of
accountability.
This is appropriate for two reasons:
The high priest was
head of the tribe of Levi. All the cities of refuge were Levitical cities. The
activities of the cities of refuge, therefore, came under his responsibility.
Even more importantly, the high priest, as the spiritual
leader, represented purity and freedom from sin. One of his roles was to atone
innocently shed blood.
The names of the cities
of Refuge
Three were situated to the west of the Jordan River, and
three were situated to the east. The meaning of the names of the six cities are
significant and spell out the principles of salvation in Christ. They proclaim
that the City of Refuge, in other words, the Lord Jesus Christ will consecrate,
sustain, unite in fellowship, protect, cheer and ultimately deliver all
faithful believers.
Verse seven and eight of Joshua chapter twenty list the six
cities.
And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and
Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of
Judah. And on the other side Jordan by
Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of
the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in
Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
These were the cities appointed for all the children of
Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth
any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the
avenger of blood until he stood before the congregation.
The meaning of the names:
Kedesh – to sanctify, set apart, consecrate, to make holy.
Shechem-- between the shoulders or burden bearer.
Kirjatharba-- joining or fellowship
Bezer—a fortified
place
Ramoth - to be high, raised up, exalted.
Golan- rejoicing through deliverance
Christ our Rock He is
the Rock, his work
is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity,
just and right is he.
Christ is the Rock of our salvation. Christ is the giver of the water of eternal
life. Paul's revelation that the smitten
"ROCK" which gushed forth water in Exodus 17:6-note was also "a
spiritual ROCK…and the ROCK was CHRIST." (1Cor 10:4). Even as the rock was
a source of literal water for Israel, Jesus our Rock is the source of
"living water" to all who believe in Him. Everyone who drinks of this water shall never
thirst again, for this Rock "shall become in him a well of water springing
up to eternal life." (Jn. 4:13-14).
The rock speaks of stability.
A rock is something you can lean against without fear of it letting you
down. A rock is stable enough to allow
you to place your burdens on it and give you relief from the heavy load you are
carrying. Run to the Rock of your Salvation and "cast your burden on the
LORD." (Ps 55:22) David ran to his Rock and could affirm that "He
brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set
my feet upon a ROCK making my footsteps firm." (Ps 40:2)
Rocks are long lasting and provide a good picture of God's
attribute of immutability (changelessness). The Rock Himself testifies "I,
the LORD, do not change." (Malachi 3:6) Are you afraid of change? Run to the
Rock of your Salvation, the One Who remains the same yesterday, today and
forever." (Heb. 13:8)
Large rocks provide protection from enemy attack, a fact
David understood well, declaring that "In the day of trouble, evil,
danger, discomfort, distress, affliction, adversity, He will conceal me in His
tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me. He will lift me up
on a ROCK." (Ps 27:5) When we are under attack by the enemy of our soul,
when we are surrounded by our adversaries, we can flee to the Rock of your
Salvation, where the Solid Rock will protect you from your enemies and their
fiery darts.
David ran to the Rock and said, "He alone is my Rock and
my Salvation. He is my Fortress Stronghold, High Tower; I will never be
shaken." (Ps 62:2)
Large rocks provide shade from the blinding, dehydrating rays
of the hot desert sun. David when he was in the wilderness, crying out "O
God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly; My soul thirsts for Thee, my
flesh yearns for Thee, In a dry and weary land where there is no water."
(Ps 63:1) Then, do as David did and run to the Rock of Salvation and experience
His comforting "supernatural shade" and ever sufficient supply of
soul-satisfying drink.
Ira Sankey knew the security and protection of the Rock when
he penned the words to the song a Shelter in The Time of Storm.
The Lord's our Rock, in Him we hide
A shelter in the time of storm
Secure whatever ill betide
A shelter in the time of storm
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land
A weary land, a weary land
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land
A shelter in the time of storm
A shade by day; defense by night
A shelter in the time of storm
No fears alarm, no foes affright
A shelter in the time of storm
The raging storms may round us beat
A shelter in the time of storm
We'll never leave our safe retreat
A shelter in the time of storm
O Rock divine, O Refuge dear
A shelter in the time of storm
Be Thou our helper ever near
A shelter in the time of storm
Isaiah speaking of a future time but applicable in principle
to the present writes "He will shelter Israel from the storm and the wind.
He will refresh her as streams in the desert and as the cool shadow of a large
ROCK in a hot and weary land." (Isaiah 32:2). Where do you run when your
emotions, your circumstances, your trials, your adversaries, appear
overwhelming and your outlook seems hopeless? Look towards the Rock then run to
the Rock, "of Christ Jesus, our Hope" (1Ti 1:1), the Rock Who is
eternally stable, secure, sound, solid, unchanging, immovable and always
reliable, the only Source of inner strength and deliverance for our soul. Run
to Christ, your personal Rock of Salvation.
Fanny Crosby, understood the importance of the Rock of our
Salvation when she penned the words:
Praise the Rock of our Salvation
Praise the mighty God above!
Come before His sacred presence
With a grateful song of love.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
He is God and He alone.
Wake the song of adoration—
Come with joy before His throne!
Christ the Prophet (Deut 18:15-19, John 6:14)
The Lord, thy God, will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the
midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;16
According to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of
the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God,
neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17 And the Lord
said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. 18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among
their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he
shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever
will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require
it of him.
In Moses' parting words of instruction to the Israelites
before his death and their entering the Promised Land, the highly venerated
prophet delivered an intriguing prophecy. He told them: "The LORD your God
will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren.
Him you shall hear" (Deuteronomy 18:15).
In the next verse, Moses recalls the Israelites' request that
God does not speak to them directly anymore after they had heard Him powerfully
speak the 10 Commandments from Mount Sinai (verse 16; Deuteronomy 5:22-27).
Moses then repeated exactly what God had told him.
God had said to Moses, "What they [the Israelites] have
spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their
brethren and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all
that I command Him" (Deuteronomy 18:17-18). Incidentally, this passage
also defines a prophet as someone who speaks on God's behalf.
At the time Jesus was born, there was the expectation that
the Prophet spoken of by Moses would soon arrive. In addition to the prophecy
of Deuteronomy 18:15-18, the Jews may have seen an indication of the coming
Messiah in Genesis 49:10: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a
lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the
obedience of the people." They may have also had in mind other portions of
Scripture from the prophets and book of Daniel ( Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6;
Daniel 9:24-27).
It is interesting to note the conversations of the men who
would become Jesus' disciples as they first learned of Him. Having seen the
Spirit of God descending on Jesus after He was baptized, John the Baptist
remarked, "Behold the Lamb of God!" (John 1:36). After spending some
time with Christ, Andrew told his brother, Simon Peter, "‘We have found
the Messiah' (which is translated, the Christ)" (verse 41). And after
Christ invited Philip to follow Him, "Philip found Nathanael and said to
him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus
of Nazareth, the son of Joseph'" (verse 45).
During His earthly ministry, Jesus did not deny that He was
the fulfillment of Moses' prophecy. To the contrary, He said, "He [Moses]
wrote about Me" (John 5:46).
Although the Jewish leaders rejected Christ, some people who
witnessed one of His miracles concluded that He was the fulfillment of Moses'
prophecy. After He miraculously fed 5,000 men plus women and children with five
barley loaves and two small fish, "then those men … said, ‘This is truly
the Prophet who is to come into the world'" (John 6:14).
After Christ's death and the establishment of the New
Testament Church, the understanding that Jesus was the fulfillment of Moses'
prophecy continued as an important concept in the ministry of Jesus' disciples.
Peter explained that Jesus Christ was the One spoken of by Moses (Acts
3:22-23).
Stephen, in his speech before being stoned, also referred to
Moses' prophecy (Acts 7:37). And, in his defense before King Agrippa, Paul
said, "To this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no
other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—that the
Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and
would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles" (Acts 26:22-23).
There is one more aspect of this prophecy in Deuteronomy 18
that deserves special consideration. After God stated that this Prophet would
speak all that He commanded Him, we read: "And it shall be that whoever
will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of
him" (verse 19).
James, Peter, and John were privileged to see a vision of
Christ in His glorified state. ... Apparently echoing the instruction in
Deuteronomy for people to hear the future Prophet's words, "a voice came
out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Hear Him!'"
Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus spoke God the Father's
words. As He told Philip, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have
not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you
say, ‘Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the
Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority;
but the Father who dwells in Me does the works" (John 14:9-10).
Before Jesus' crucifixion, James, Peter, and John were
privileged to see a vision of Christ in His glorified state. On this occasion,
"He [Jesus] was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and
His clothes became as white as the light" (Matthew 17:2). Apparently
echoing the instruction in Deuteronomy for people to hear the future Prophet's
words, "a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!'" (verse 5).
Likewise, Peter, in a powerful message, urged his listeners
to "hear that Prophet," that is, Jesus Christ (Acts 3:23). The book
of Hebrews also reminds us that the Father has "spoken to us by His
Son" (Hebrews 1:2).
So, what do we need to hear from Jesus, the Prophet, the Son
of God?
Time does not permit us to cover every word of instruction
given by Jesus from the Father, here are a few of His key messages:
"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the
Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to
you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means
pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the
least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the
kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great
in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:17-19). To learn more about God's
commandments, see the section "What Are the 10 Commandments?"
"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,' shall enter
the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven"
(Matthew 7:21). To learn more about the future God has in store for those who
obey Him, see "The Kingdom of God."
"Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to
Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the
gospel'" (Mark 1:14-15).
Jesus Christ was and is the Prophet who was predicted in
Deuteronomy 18:15-18 and in passages found in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel.
Conclusion
We have seen Christ as the Cities of Refuge, Christ our Rock,
and Christ the Prophet. In every type
found in Deuteronomy, they can be applied to our Christian experience today.
When we need safety, we can run to Jesus for refuge. When we need security, we can lean on the
Rock of our salvation. We need hope for
the future we can depend on the Prophet Jesus who said I would never leave you
nor forsake you. We have the assurance of
salvation from the sins of the past. We
have security in our salvation in the present in the Rock of our
salvation. We have hope for the future
in the Prophet Jesus Christ, who said He would come again.
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