Dt. 9:1-10:11 First Commandment IV. The Gods of Death-Moralism

Is. 47:5-11

Ps 10:3-13

Eccl. 2:1, 3:17-18

Three idols which Israel will be tempted by:

7:1-26 Militarism and worship of strength/power

8:1-20 Materialism and worship of wealth

9:1-10:11 Moralism and worship of self-righteousness

7:1-26 Militarism and worship of strength/power

"Do not say in your heart..." 7:17

the nations are mightier and more numerous than you (vv1, 7, 17, 22)

Only Yahweh can defeat your enemies

Unacceptible responses:

1) arrogance: God chose us because we are powerful

2) despair: we'll never defeat them

Instead, trust in God

8:1-20 Materialism and worship of wealth

"Do not say in your heart..." 8:17

8:2-10 Remember...

1. the wilderness journey--God's provision

result, obedience to God

2. the promised land in the future--echoes of Eden

result, praise of God

8:11-17 Do Not Forget

1. the promised land in the future

result of forgetting, exalt yourself

2. the wilderness journey in the past

result of forgetting: claim self-sufficiency

Remember and Live

Forget and Die

9:1-10:11 Moralism and worship of self-righteousness

"Do not say in your heart..." (9:4)

Perhaps God chose you because you are morally superior! (v4)

NO!!

They are being driven out because of their wickedness, it is true, (v5)

but you are a stiff-necked people! (v6) --you are no better than they

The only reason God is giving you the land is because he promised your ancestors(v5)

"God's choice of Israel rests on God's gracious promise"!!

The rest of the chapter outlines Israel's faults

You have been rebellious: 9:7, 24

God threatens to destroy Israel and make Moses into a great nation;

Moses denies himself, and pleads on behalf of Israel.

God offers him the "god of numerical strength"--but Moses will not exalt himself,

he seeks God's promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

Don't look at these people, God, look at your promises!

Numerical increase of the Israelites, gifts of food and prosperity, and the obedient life of righteousness and justice are all good gifts of God, but such gifts can become gods. Placing your allegiance in these gods will lead to disobedience and death.

Part of the meaning of Moses' death outside the land is that Moses is not God. The Israelites would be tempted to worship him. His death outside the land shows the futility of worshiping, or trusting in human achievement. Moses even refuses to accept the offer of power and glory for his own family, precisely because he trusts in God's promises, and not in his own performance. Moses must die so that the people may live.

These temptations of militarism, materialism and moralism-power, wealth, and self-righteousness are echoed int the temptations of Christ

As Israel was tempted in the wilderness,

so now Jesus is tempted in the wilderness with these same temptations.

He is tempted to turn stones into bread.

This is not just to fulfill his own hunger,

but to feed Israel as the new Moses.

Will he turn to the idol of materialism to provide miraculous bread from heaven?

Jesus responds by quoting Deuteronomy 8

-the very passage that warns against putting ones' hope in material things

"Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God"

He is tempted to throw himself from the pinnacle of the temple,

in order to demonstrate to all Israel that he is indeed the Son of God.

Will he turn to the idol of power-militarism-

to impressively establish the kingdom of God

Jesus responds by quoting Deuteronomy 6

"You shall not put the Lord your God to the test"

He is tempted with the kingdoms of the world if he will only worship Satan.

This is the temptation of Moses that we have seen this evening.

Will you turn aside from the promises of God?

Will you rely upon your own righteousness (of course Jesus really was righteous!)

or will you rely upon the promises of God?

Jesus returns to Deuteronomy 6

"You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve."

Jesus did not appeal to his deity.

He did not say, "Satan, I'm God, why are you even trying?!"

He did not appeal to his own righteousness.

As the true Israel, He had to endure the temptations of Israel.

And as the true Israel he had to entrust himself to the God of Israel.

He had to believe the promises to his fathers-to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

In other words,

the work of Christ must be seen both in terms of Israel and of Adam.

If you see the work of Christ in terms of Israel,

you see how Jesus is the new Israel-the Son of God who succeeds where Israel failed.

In this sense, he trusts his Father and believes the promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

But as we've seen,

because Israel is the Son of God,

Israel is viewed as the second Adam

(Or more precisely, as a picture of the Second Adam)

And so we need to see that Jesus succeeds where Adam fails.

The temptations in the wilderness do in fact echo Deuteronomy 6-10,

but Deuteronomy 6-10 itself echoes Genesis 3.

No, it never mentions Adam and Eve,

but Adam and Eve were the first to "say in their heart" that the word of God

was not necessary for life.

They trusted their own power and righteousness,

and did not believe that God would really judge them...

Jesus is the one who does not trust in his own power and righteousness.

As we've seen in 1 Peter,

He entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

There is no place in the Christian life for putting confidence in yourself.

Remember your past-including the past of your ancestors.

Remember your history-how your fathers have failed time after time.

And how God has been gracious-time after time.