DEUTERONOMY  Lesson 5

DISCUSSION CHPTS. 12-14, INTRO TO CHAPTS. 15-16

OPEN WITH PRAYER

OPENING: Tell about praying for you cards.  

Pass out Prayer Request Cards.  Fill them out and pass them to the right

Background: Sandwiched between the rules of worship in Chapter 12 and the dietary and tithe laws of Chapter 14, is a chapter on how they were to respond to false prophets or anyone who would turn them away from the scriptures as a guide on knowing God and living as He wants us to live.  Time and again, God emphasizes our need to cling to His word.  

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTERS 12-14

1.  Chapter 12 elaborates how important it is for the Israelites to have a central place of worship.  They are not to offer sacrifices anywhere else.  They are not to even ask about other people’s practices.  While it may seem strange to us that God commands them to have one place to worship together and commands them that they are not to offer sacrifices elsewhere, consider the importance of belonging to one church.  The issue is accountability.

A.  To which tribe were the Israelites to be accountable?  What was to keep that tribe from becoming too powerful, and, thus become corrupted?

B.  What is the temptation for individuals or churches who are not accountable for the doctrine of the Gospel?

C.  To whom are you accountable? To whom within the church is Pastor Roessler accountable? To whom outside of our church?

2.  Read 12:23-25 and Lev. 17:10-14.  Many think this is merely a part of the Mosaic Law.  Read Gen. 9:4.  Why does God prohibit all people through Noah and the Israelites through Moses from consuming the blood?  What did the Canaanites do?  Read Acts 15:20,29.  Is this relevant to us today?

3.  Read 12:29-31, Eph. 5:8-12, 2Tim. 3:1-5.  How many times must we be warned not to be ensnared by the culture that surrounds us? What are some of the elements of our culture that ensnare those not on guard?  

4.  Read 13:1-3.  If false prophets can accurately predict events and work miracles, how can we know that are false?

5.  Read 13:12-17.  Why might God command that all the booty be destroyed when a city that turned from God is destroyed?

6.  In chapter 14 are discussed dietary laws.  Read Ch. 14: 2-21

a.  There are no ostriches or pelicans in Egypt or Israel.  Why do you think

God included them?

b.  Read Acts 10:1-28.  How has Peter interpreted these visions? Is God saying in

verses 10-16 that He no longer cares what we eat?

c.  Read: 1Cor. 8:7-13.  Since not eating certain foods does not make us holy,

what reason does God give us for not eating these things?  

d.  What is the relationship between verses 2 and 3-21?

7.  Read Gen. 14:20, 28:22 and Matt. 23:23.  Was tithing initiated by the Mosaic Law?  What was Jesus’ attitude toward tithing?  Should Christians tithe? Why/Why not?

INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTERS 15-16

Chapter 15 is unique in it’s requirement of forgiveness of indebtedness, both in terms of money and in terms of servitude.  Once again in this chapter God shows He knows our hearts.  

Chapter 16 deals with the pilgrimage feasts, the appointment of judges, and, again, the admonition not to add any worship besides the worship of Him.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTERS 15-16

Chapter 15 is about canceling debt.  This is the first time in Deuteronomy that God tells the Israelites that they are to treat fellow Israelites differently than the foreigners who live among them.  

1.  Read: 15:1-3.  How does God say this debt cancellation is supposed to work?  

2.  This is supposed to happen every seventh year.  The number 7 is repeated 31 times in the book of Revelation. What is the significance of the number 7?

3.  In verse 4 God says that there should be no poor.  He does not say there will be no poor.  Why should there be no poor?  Yet, God knew what would happen.  Why God say in verse 11 and Jesus say in Matt. 26:9 that there always will be poor?

4.  Read vs. 7-11. What scenario does God describe that shows He knows our hearts?

5.  Read Deu. 15:12-18 and Ex. 21:1-6.  Again, these verses are regarding kinsmen, fellow Israelites.  

a.  How does it imply Israelite slaves were to be treated?  Contrast this to their treatment in Egypt.

b.  Are we to treat fellow Christians differently than nonbelievers? If so, in what ways? Back up your view with scriptures. (Hint: Read Matt. 5:21-24, Matt. 18:15-17, Mark 3:35, Rom. 14, and 1John)

7.  In addition to the 3 pilgrimage feasts mentioned in Chapter 16, they were to have holy convocations for Rosh Ha Shannah (Feast of Trumpets) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).  These Holiday are respectively on the first and tenth days of the seventh month.  Since Succoth (Feast of Booths) is on the 15th of the tenth month, The Israelites came to Jerusalem by the first and stayed through the 22nd.  It involved taking a month out of their lives.

a.  Do think it was harder or easier for them to take a month than for us? Why?

b.  Why is it so difficult for us today to take one full day every week without trying to be productive?

c.  These three are festivals, times to rejoice, despite their circumstances or adversities.  The reason for their rejoicing is that they were once slaves in Egypt.  Although not scriptural, what are our holidays set aside to celebrate our deliverance from sin?  How does your family celebrate it’s deliverance?

8.  Read Ex. 18:13-26 and Deu. 16:18-20).  God was their legislature, law Giver, but they were told to choose, to appoint judges who would rule between cases and whose judgments had to be followed.  How should these verses influence how we choose judges?

9.  What do you answer to people who say that politics has no room for religion?  Do these verses (Ex. 18:13-26 and Deu. 16:18-20) address that?

10. Chapter 16 ends with God warning about trying to worship other gods in addition to worshipping Him.  “Do not build an altar beside the altar you build to the Lord your God.” To what does that equate today?