Bird's-eye view
In these opening verses of Moses' great farewell address, we are immediately confronted with the central theme of Deuteronomy: the covenant relationship between Yahweh and Israel, which demands faithful, forward-moving obedience. The book opens with Israel poised on the brink of the Promised Land, and Moses begins by reminding them of a pivotal moment at Horeb (Sinai). God's message there was unequivocal: the time for sitting still, for remaining in the place of revelation, was over. The time for action, for conquest, for possession, had come. God had given them the law, established the covenant, and now He was kicking them out of the nest. This is a divine summons to leave the theoretical and enter the actual. The detailed geography lesson in verse 7 is not just a travel itinerary; it is a sweeping declaration of the sheer scale of God's gift. And the foundation for this command is not Israel's merit, but God's sworn, unilateral oath to their fathers. The command is to go, and the basis for the command is God's promise. Thus, from the very start, Deuteronomy frames the Christian life as a journey of faith-fueled obedience, moving from the mountain of revelation into the world of responsibility, all grounded in the unshakeable promises of God.
This is not just ancient history. It is a paradigm for the church. We receive God's Word, we are constituted as His people at the mountain, but we are not called to set up permanent camp there. We are called to advance, to take possession of the promises in the world. The Christian life is not static contemplation; it is a dynamic march. God gives the land, but His people must "go in and possess" it. Grace and effort are not at odds; God's sovereign gift empowers and demands our faithful action.
Outline
- 1. The Covenant Marching Orders (Deut 1:6-8)
- a. The Divine Impetus: No More Delay (Deut 1:6)
- b. The Divine Commission: The Scope of the Inheritance (Deut 1:7)
- c. The Divine Foundation: The Patriarchal Oath (Deut 1:8)
Context In Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy is structured as a series of sermons by Moses to the generation of Israelites who are about to enter Canaan. The previous generation, which came out of Egypt, had perished in the wilderness due to their unbelief at Kadesh Barnea. This book is a covenant renewal document. Moses is re-stating, or giving a "second law" (which is what Deuteronomy means), to this new generation before they face the challenges of conquest and settlement. These opening verses set the stage for the entire book by grounding the impending conquest not in Israel's strength, but in a direct command from God given forty years prior. Moses is essentially saying, "This whole enterprise, which we are about to undertake, is not our idea. This is what God told us to do at the very beginning, right after He gave us the law." This historical reminder serves to both encourage the people (God is with us) and warn them (do not repeat the faithless disobedience of your fathers). It establishes the legal and historical basis for everything that follows: the detailed stipulations of the law, the blessings for obedience, and the curses for disobedience.
Key Issues
- The Relationship Between Divine Gift and Human Responsibility
- The Transition from Revelation to Action
- The Unilateral Nature of God's Covenant Oath
- The Geographical Scope of the Promised Land
- The Danger of Spiritual Stagnation
- Horeb/Sinai as the Place of Covenant Foundation
From the Mountain to the World
There is a constant temptation for God's people to become "mountain-dwellers." We come to the mountain of God, Horeb, which is Sinai. It is the place of fire, thunder, and the very voice of God. It is where we receive the law, where the covenant is formalized, where we get our identity as a people. It is a place of glorious, foundational revelation. And the temptation is to think that the pinnacle of the Christian life is to stay there, to perpetually bask in the afterglow of a powerful spiritual experience. We want to build tabernacles on the Mount of Transfiguration.
But God's word to Israel, and to us, is blunt: "You have stayed long enough at this mountain." The purpose of the mountain is to equip you for the plains. The purpose of the law is not to be an object of abstract contemplation, but a tool for righteous living in the world. The purpose of the covenant is not to create a holy huddle, but to launch a holy invasion. God does not save us so that we can sit still. He saves us and then immediately gives us our marching orders. The Christian life is kinetic. It is a pilgrimage, a conquest, a mission. The mountain is the training ground, but the world is the battlefield and the inheritance. We are blessed at the mountain in order to be a blessing in the land. Stagnation at the place of revelation is, in fact, a form of disobedience.
Verse by Verse Commentary
6 “Yahweh our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain.
Moses begins by establishing the authority behind the message. This is not his own grumpy impatience; this is a direct quotation from Yahweh our God. The location is Horeb, another name for Sinai, the mountain where the covenant was made. This roots the command to "move out" in the very same event that constituted them as a nation. The God who gave them the Ten Commandments is the same God who tells them not to linger. The message itself is a sharp, divine prodding. "You have stayed long enough." Literally, "Much for you, this dwelling at the mountain." There is a time for receiving instruction and a time for acting on it. Israel had been at Sinai for about a year, receiving the law and building the tabernacle. It was a necessary and foundational period. But it was not the final destination. God Himself declares that this phase is over. This is a divine rebuke to spiritual inertia. God is not honored by our indefinite camping out where He has previously blessed us; He is honored by our moving on to where He is currently sending us.
7 Turn and set out, and go to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the Shephelah and in the Negev and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.
The command is twofold: first, a change in orientation ("turn"), and second, a commencement of action ("set out"). This is the essence of repentance: a turning from one thing and a moving toward another. And where are they to go? God lays out the staggering dimensions of their inheritance. This is not a vague "somewhere over there." It is a detailed, panoramic description of the land. He lists various regions: the central spine of the hill country, the Jordan valley or Arabah, the western foothills or Shephelah, the southern desert or Negev, and the Mediterranean seacoast. He defines it by its inhabitants, the Canaanites, and by its geographical extremes, from Lebanon in the north to the Euphrates River in the east. This vast territory is far larger than what Israel ever actually possessed, even under David and Solomon. This points to the fact that the fulfillment of God's promises is always greater than our grasp of them. This is the land grant, the royal charter, given by the King of all the earth. The sheer scope of it was meant to inspire awe and faith. This is what your God is giving you.
8 See, I have given over the land before you; go in and possess the land which Yahweh swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and to their seed after them.’
Here we have the theological foundation for the command. "See," Moses says, urging them to look with eyes of faith. "I have given over the land before you." In the mind and decree of God, the transfer of ownership is already a completed act. The verb is in the perfect tense; it is a done deal. The deed is signed and sealed in heaven. But this divine gift does not preclude human action; it necessitates it. Because God has given it, they must now "go in and possess" it. This is the biblical paradox of divine sovereignty and human responsibility held in perfect tension. God's giving empowers our getting. Our possessing is simply taking hold of what has already been granted. And why has it been granted? Not because of their righteousness, but because Yahweh swore to their fathers. The ultimate ground of their hope is the unilateral, unconditional oath God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God's reputation is on the line. He swore an oath, and He will not break it. Israel's obedience, therefore, is not a way to earn the land, but rather the way to enter into the enjoyment of a gift already secured by God's promise.
Application
This passage is a direct assault on a comfortable, static, and fruitless Christianity. It is easy for churches and for individual believers to get stuck at Horeb. We can become connoisseurs of past blessings, experts on the details of our initial conversion or some other significant spiritual experience. We can study the law, debate theology, and organize our church life with great precision, all while sitting still at the base of the mountain. God's word to us is the same as it was to Israel: "You have stayed long enough."
The gospel is not a ticket to a stationary holding pattern; it is a commission to a worldwide conquest. The Great Commission is our version of "turn and set out." Jesus has been given all authority, and He has, in principle, "given over the land before you." The nations are His inheritance. Our task is to "go in and possess" by making disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded. Our confidence is not in our own strength or strategic brilliance, but in the oath of God, the finished work of Christ, and the promise of His presence. We must see the world not as an intimidating collection of giants, but as a vast inheritance given to us by our Father. We must turn from our fears and our complacency, set out in faith, and begin to take possession of the territory He has assigned to us, whether that be in our homes, our neighborhoods, our workplaces, or to the ends of the earth.