DEUTERONOMY  Lesson 7

DISCUSSION CHPTS. 17-18, INTRO TO CHAPTS. 19-20

OPEN WITH PRAYER

OPENING: Tell about praying for you cards.  

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

INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTERS 17-18

CHAPTER 17 Gives the rules under which capital punishment should be administered.

         In this chapter are also the rules and admonition about choosing a king

         and rules governing the future king.

CHAPTER 18 Is not only instruction for as soon as they entered the Promised Land, it

         also is filled with prophecy. Describes the treatment of the Levites, that

         is, the tribe of priests.  There were to be Levites in every town and

         community to assist in the sin and guilt and thank offerings, which were

         every day occurrences.  There were to be others who would only work at

         the Temple in Jerusalem.  At this time, that was hundreds of years off.  

         God, through Moses promises another prophet like Moses, but greater

         than Moses, our Messiah.

DISCUSSION QUESTION FOR WEEK 8, CHAPTERS 17-18

         1.  How is 17:1 a command for the present, for the near future and a

         prophecy?

                  Explain your answer.  (Hint:  Read 1Pet. 1:17-21)

         2.  We are to be living sacrifices. (Rom. 12:1) How can your sacrifice of

                  time, or talent, or money, or praise be flawed or defective?

         3.  From 17:2-7, how are we do deal with those who might be doing evil

         in God’s sight?  What safeguards has God put in to see that such

         punishment is not carried out lightly?

         4.  Read Matt. 26:57-66.  The high priests tried unsuccessfully to have 2

         or 3 witnesses to testify against Christ.  What the 2 reported was no

         crime.  Jesus had to die as payment for our sins.  What did Jesus do to

         insure His own death when they could not find 2 witnesses?

         5.  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.  The people were to appoint local judges. (Deu. 1:9-17)

         How is our court system parallel or different to the system God set forus?

         6.  Read Deu. 17:14-20, 1Kgs. 9:4-9 and 1Kgs. 10:14-11:8.  All of us

         have seen men whom we thought as men of God and great leaders and

         teachers in the church fall in sin.  What is your reaction?  How does this

         happen?  How are you kept from falling into sin?

         7.  Read Deu. 18:1-8 and Num. 35:2-8.  All other tribes were kept

         together and given large tracts of land.  The Levites were to be given

         portions of each city and the Cities of Refuge, except for the priests in

         Jerusalem who ministered and served in the Temple.    The people were

         to give them that land and provide for them from their tithes.  Is it a good

         system in the modern world?  What is the parallel today?

         8.  They were not to destroy all of the people in the lands they were

         about to possess (18:9-14).  Like them, we are surrounded by detestable

         things of nonbelievers.  What are of the things God would call detestable

         that our society at large condones?

         9.  Some commentaries say vs. 18:15-19 refer to all of the faithful

         prophets who followed, e.g. Elijah, etc.  Others say these verses refer to

         Christ. Which do you think?  Why?

         10.  During the time of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, as well as the

         Minor Prophets, there were many false prophets. (See Jer. 5 and 31).  

         There have been false prophets in every age.  

                  a. What is the benchmark God gives in Deu. 18:6 to tell if a prophet

                  is from God?  

                  b.  Yet, read 13:1-5.  What is wrong with this evidence?  

                  c.  We are warned and told how to discern who is false and who is

                  not.  (1Jn 4:1-7)  How can we tell whom to follow?

INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTERS 19-20

Many people skip, pass over or have their eyes glaze when they read, if they read, many of the following chapters. These chapters do not seem to be relevant to today.  They seem to have been written for a time when life was simpler and more cruel. Yet, if we look at the principles behind the rules, we see issues that touch our lives and should influence our voting.  The two chapters for next week address some of the government’s responsibilities.  While the priests, the tribe of Levi, were designated by God to be the final court, the judges were appointed by the people. (Deu. 16:18)

CHAPTER 19 Deals again with the court system, what is do be done when innocent blood is shed and when there are false witnesses.

CHAPTER 20 Tells them/us how to conduct themselves in war. We have much to learn from these chapters in our everyday lives.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS, CHAPTERS 19-20

1.  Read Lev. 24:17-21. Nowhere are we told who is to carry out the judgment. Do these verses encourage or condone personal vengeance? Would these verses lead to enduring family feuds? Describe the difference between how they would understand these verse with only the information they had at that time versus understanding these verses in light of Deu. 19:1-7, verses understanding these scriptures in light of Matt. 5:21-22 and Matt. 5:38-42.  In what context should we view these commandments?

2.  Read Ch. 19:1-7 and Num. 35:12-27.

a.  What is the distinction God makes between premeditation and accidental death?  Does our court system make the same distinction?

         b. The cities of refuge were to protect the person and family of the

         person who killed accidentally.  They were also to protect the whole

         community.  How does providing a safe place for the one who killed

         innocently protect the community? (19:10)

         c.  Is our constitutional right to an impartial trial by our peers to

         safeguard a person mistakenly being convicted?  Does it work? Have you

         ever been part of a jury selection?  Have you ever sat on a jury?  

3. The rules of evidence, given for capital cases in 17:6, are expanded in 19:16 to include any accusation of wrongdoing.  What does God require of the judges whom the Israelites chose? (6:18-20, 19:18) Is there any difference between what He requires of the judges then and what we should look for in a judge today?

4.  In 19:8-9 God tells the Israelites to establish and addition 3 cities, 9 in all on what condition?  They obviously failed. Is He asking anything different of them in vs. 9 than He asks of us today?

5.  Why does God keep reminding them of their former slavery and that He saved them? (20:1-4) What are some of the ways God reminds you that He saved you?  When you remember, what reaction do you have?

6.  Read Deu. 20:1-4.  When will you, or do you need to put on THIS armor of God?

7.  Why does He send away all who are afraid?  (20:8) What events of history show that fear is contagious and the results can be catastrophic?

8.  There are two reasons why God commands that any man departs who has a new house and has not dedicated it, any man who has planted a vineyard and has not begun to use its fruit, and any man engaged to but not married to a woman.

a. The world would assemble as many men as possible to fight, but not God.  Read Jdg 7:1-8.  What is the reason given here?

b.  The other reason is just logical.  If a man’s heart and mind are not on the fighting, will he make a good soldier?  Could this be why the military discourages enlisted men from marrying?

9. Read (Deu. 20:10-15) What instructions does God give

     concerning  how to deal with the cities that were far away?  It

     sounds like a terrible choice.

     Read Ex. 21:26, Ex 23:12.  Which would you choose?

10.  List the peoples the Israelites were to destroy.

11.Why did God have them destroy utterly those listed in verse 17? (Read Gen. 9:18-27)  

12.  Did they obey God in this? (Read Jdg 3:1-5)