Deuteronomy 1-- The Lord Hates Us

Scripture: Deuteronomy 1 (especially verses 22-33)

Last summer, I took a seminary class on the Old Testament. I recommend doing this if you get a chance, as it opened my eyes to many fascinating and enriching facts about God and the Bible. And while I mean that encouragement, there's one specific reason I'm sharing this fact. My teacher (Dr. Mark Futato of RTS, who wrote the excellent study material for the book of Jonah in the ESV Study Bible!) said something that stuck with me:

"If you learn only one book of the Old Testament, make it Deuteronomy. It was Jesus' favorite book."


Now, I won't try to defend this speculative claim... but I hope it makes you excited to venture into Deuteronomy together!

The book, whose name means "second Law," records the final words of Moses to the nation of Israel before he died and they finally entered the promised land. Part of these last words, as the name suggests, is a second giving of God's Law.

But first, Moses recounts the nation's recent history. In chapter 1, he describes the first leg of their journey after the first giving of the Law. One part is particularly striking to me-- the story of the ten unfaithful spies. 

To give a very brief summary: when Israel first approached the promised land, they sent in twelve scouts to scope out the scene. Only two of them returned ready to enter and take the land. The other ten talked about how scary and invincible the enemies there were. Here's the part that I think is extremely relevant-- how did Israel receive the news of the ten spies? Moses recounts:

You grumbled in your tents and said, “The Lord hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us. Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear.

When confronted with scary, difficult circumstances, Israel concluded, "The Lord hates us." Their hearts melted in fear.

We all face really hard situations. Pain, heartbreak, anger, confusion, and, as in this passage, fear are all part of the human condition. When you are thrown in the fire, do you doubt God's love or existence? Do you conclude He is punishing you?

I hope that when I'm in distress, I will be able to heed Moses' words that Israel ignored: "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid... The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son...”