Commentary - Deuteronomy 4:44-49

Bird's-eye view

This section of Deuteronomy serves as a crucial hinge. It is a preamble, a title page if you will, for the great sermon that follows. Moses has just concluded his first discourse, a historical retrospective reminding Israel of their failures and of God's faithfulness (Deut. 1:6-4:40). Now, before launching into the second major address, which contains the heart of the covenant renewal, the Ten Commandments and their exposition (Deut. 5-26), the Spirit inspires this formal introduction. It sets the stage, geographically and theologically. It anchors the law-giving in the solid ground of God's redemptive acts in history. The law is not given in a vacuum; it is given to a redeemed people, in a specific place, at a specific time, on the heels of specific victories that God has won for them. This passage frames the law with the gospel of their recent salvation from Sihon and Og. It tells them, "This is who you are, this is where you are, and this is what God has just done. Now, listen to His law."

Outline

Context In Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy is structured as a series of farewell addresses from Moses to the generation of Israelites poised to enter the Promised Land. The name itself means "second law," not a new law, but a repetition and expansion of the law given at Sinai forty years prior. This repetition was necessary for a new generation. The first generation had perished in the wilderness because of their unbelief. Now, their children stand on the brink of fulfillment. Moses' task is to prepare their hearts for this inheritance by grounding them in the covenant. Chapters 1-4 are a historical prologue. What we have here in verses 44-49 is the superscription to the second and central section of the book. It functions like the title on the spine of a book, telling you what you're about to get into: the very law of God, given in a context of grace and victory.

Key Issues

Verse by Verse Commentary

44 Now this is the law which Moses set before the sons of Israel;

Right out of the gate, we are told what this is. This is the Torah. This is the instruction, the direction, the law. Moses is the mediator, but the law is from God. He "set" it before them. This is a formal, solemn act. It is not a casual suggestion. It is placed before them as their path, their guide, their constitution as a people. A nation is not a nation without a law. And this is not just any law; it is the law of Yahweh, the foundation for a holy commonwealth. It is set before them as a choice, the choice between life and death that Moses will articulate later. God does not coerce the heart, but He does set the standard of righteousness plainly before us. There it is, take it or leave it. And of course, in our own strength, we always leave it, which is why we need a Savior who came to fulfill it.

45 these are the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments which Moses spoke to the sons of Israel when they came out from Egypt,

Here the law is broken down into its constituent parts. "Testimonies" are the stipulations that bear witness to the character of God and the nature of the covenant relationship. Think of the Ten Commandments; they are a testimony. "Statutes" are the specific ordinances and regulations, the prescribed rules for worship and civil life. "Judgments" are the case laws, the application of God's principles to specific situations. This is a comprehensive rule of life. It covers everything. And notice the timing: "when they came out from Egypt." Redemption precedes the giving of the law. God didn't give them the law so that they could earn their way out of Egypt. He brought them out of Egypt by grace, and then He gave them the law so they would know how to live as a redeemed people. The gospel always comes before the demand. Grace is the engine, and obedience is the caboose.

46 across the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses and the sons of Israel struck down when they came out from Egypt.

Now the geography and the history are layered on top of each other. They are "across the Jordan," on the very doorstep of the promised land. They are in a valley, a place of decision. And it is "opposite Beth-peor." This is a spiritually charged location. Beth-peor was the site of a gross apostasy, where Israel yoked itself to a pagan god through sexual immorality (Numbers 25). Moses is giving them the holy law of God in the very shadow of their recent, high-handed sin. This is a stark reminder of their need for this law, and their desperate inability to keep it apart from grace. Furthermore, they are standing on conquered ground. This is the land that belonged to Sihon. They are there because God fought for them. The law is given to a victorious people, not to a people trying to achieve victory. God gives the victory first, then He gives the marching orders for how to live in that victory.

47 And they took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were across the Jordan to the east toward the sunrise,

The victory is emphasized. It wasn't just Sihon, but also Og, the giant king of Bashan. These were formidable enemies, Amorite kings who stood as obstacles to God's promise. And Israel, through the power of God, struck them down and took their land. This conquest of the Transjordan was a down payment, an earnest, of the full inheritance to come. God was showing them, "See? I can do it. The enemies are strong, but I am stronger." This is a picture of our salvation in Christ. He has defeated our Sihon and Og, that is, sin and death. He has conquered them, and we now live in the territory He has won for us. Our obedience is not a desperate attempt to win the battle; it is the joyful process of mopping up and taking possession of a field that has already been won by our King.

48 from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, even as far as Mount Sion (that is, Hermon),

The boundaries of this initial victory are spelled out with precision. From the south (Aroer) to the north (Mount Hermon). This is real land, real geography. God's promises are not ethereal platitudes; they are earthy and concrete. He promised them a land, and here is a tangible piece of it. Mount Hermon, also called Sion here, is a majestic peak, a source of water and life for the whole region. This is a picture of the scope of Christ's victory. It is total, from one end to the other. He has secured for us a vast and glorious inheritance, and He calls us to possess it, to explore its heights and depths.

49 with all the Arabah across the Jordan to the east, even as far as the sea of the Arabah, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah.

The description is completed, sweeping down the Jordan valley (the Arabah) to the Dead Sea (the sea of the Arabah). And it all lies at the foot of Pisgah. This is profoundly significant. Pisgah is the mountain from which Moses will view the promised land but not enter it. The law, which Moses represents, can show us the promised land. It can describe its glories and give us the directions. But it cannot get us in. Only Joshua, whose name is Yeshua, or Jesus, can lead the people across the Jordan. This entire section, therefore, frames the giving of the law within the context of God's mighty acts of salvation, and it subtly points forward to the one who would be a better Joshua, who would not only fulfill the law but would also bring us into the true promised land, the eternal Sabbath rest of God.

Application

The structure here is the structure of the Christian life. We do not obey in order to be saved; we obey because we have been saved. God gave Israel the victory over Sihon and Og before He reiterated the statutes and judgments. Christ has won the decisive victory over sin and death on the cross, and now He calls us to live as a holy people in the land He has secured for us. Our lives are to be lived "across the Jordan," in that realm of victory.

This passage also reminds us that God's law is a gift. It is our wisdom. It is the path of life. It is given in the shadow of our failures (Beth-peor) as a gracious guide to keep us from such folly. We should receive it not as a burden, but as the loving instruction of our heavenly Father, who has redeemed us and wants us to enjoy the fullness of the inheritance He has prepared.

Finally, we must see that the law, while good, always points beyond itself. It stands at the foot of Pisgah, showing us a land it cannot enter. All the testimonies, statutes, and judgments find their ultimate fulfillment and meaning in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the true Torah, the living Word of God. To read this law is to read about Him, and to obey this law in faith is to follow Him into the promised land.