Bible studies in Deuteronomy
Session 1
See if you can find any introductions.
1. What do you know about the book Deuteronomy? Do you remember it being quoted in the New Testament?
2. Read Deuteronomy 1:1-8. What in history does Moses find important?
3. Read Deuteronomy 1:9-18. How does this delegation work? What are the advantages?
4. Read Deuteronomy 1:19-33. Why is it important not to hide failure, but to understand and learn from it?
5. Read Deuteronomy 1:34-45. How does v41 make the situation worse?
6. In what ways does reading this very old account help us live in 2026?
Session 2
1. Read Deuteronomy 4:2. Why do you think the Israelites are told not to add or take away from the laws they are given?
2. Read Deuteronomy 5:1-15. What do the first 4 commands have in common? Why do you think they come first?
- What might it mean today to “have other gods before me”?
- Does Colossians 3:5 help you understand what form idolatry might take today?
- Is “misusing the name of God” the same thing as swearing?
- How is Sabbath law changed in the New Testament?
3. Read Deuteronomy 5:15-21 What do these 6 commands have in common? Why do you think they come after the first 4?
- Why would we take honouring father and mother seriously now?
- What is included in murder? War, dangerous driving, climate abuse?
- Who is guilty of committing adultery – a married person, someone unmarried seducing a married person, someone considering a fourth marriage . . ?
- Does stealing include: housebreaking, wasting time at work, taking supplies home from work, using things going to waste, recycling?
- What counts as false testimony: lying under oath in court, forgetting to include things in your tax return, telling people about your bad neighbours, repeating unfavourable stories about someone, gossip, . . .
- What is your neighbour is desperate for you to envy their new car – is that coveting? Why shouldn’t you covet anyway?
4 How would you want to use these laws today? What has changed with the New Covenant?
Session 3.
The 10 commandments we looked at last session are not the end.
1. Read Deuteronomy 6:1-9. What is given here as the way to “the good life”? Would this be generally accepted today? How do you feel about it?
2. v4 is still used as a Jewish prayer (the “Shema”) Why does it matter that God is one?
3. What does v5 say is due to God? Does that allow for a “formal” religion?
4. Read Deut 6:10-25. vv10-15 talk about what will be given – do we have any idea that what we have is “given”? Would it be a helpful idea?
5. vv16-19 What are they warned against? How does Jesus quote this in Mt4 and Luke 4?
6. Commandments are to be saved and passed on. Why? And is it significant that the commands come after the promise, and God’s action in saving the slaves from Egypt?
Session 4
1. Read Deut 7:1-6. The destruction of the people in Canaan is difficult for us. Gen 15:16 helps – why? God’s choice of a people to show his light in the world is important (for all). How do you see this?
2. Now we jump to look at some more detailed laws. Read Deut:14:1-2. What is this about? And what underlies it? (v2)
3. Read Deut 14:3-21. Food regulations set Jews apart – but may have practical applications. Compare Mark 7:19.
4. Read Deut 14:22-29. What effect does these uses of the tithe have?
5. Read Deut 15:1-11. What effect would this have? How might it apply to a Welfare State?
6. Read Deut 15:12-18. How does this differ from other ideas of slavery? Why?
Next time, Deut 16 and 3 annual Festivals. (Then we have one week to think about the Covenant).
Session 5
1. Read Deut 16:1-8. (There are fuller instructions for keeping Passover in Exodus 12). What event does this look back to, and why is this important?
2. What is the significance of unleavened bread?
3. Joshua 5:10-12 may suggest that Passover also looks forward (in Deut) to living in the Promised Land. Which features of Passover are significant for Christians and the Easter celebration?
4. Read Deut 16:9-12. The “harvest festival” is also called the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. In later Judaism it was also associated with the giving of the Law (“Torah”) at Sinai. What similarities can you see to the Day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2?
5. Read Deut 16:13-17. (There are more detailed instructions in Leviticus 23:33-end). This festival celebrates the end of the harvest – and what else?
6. What relevance might Tabernacles / Shelters have for Christians?
7. The three major Jewish festivals all involve celebration with family and community. Is this true of Christian festivals? Do we have anything like eating unleavened bread for 7 days after Passover, or living in shelters for 7 days at Tabernacles?
Session 6
This is the last of our studies in Deuteronomy, and we look at how the book has not only stated the laws of God’s covenant, but now offers a renewal of that Covenant with the next generation about to enter the Promised Land.
1. Read Deuteronomy 29:1-8. What is the context? Do we find our history a help to faith?
2. Read Deut 29:9-21. We tend to speak more of blessings than curses. What place should warnings have in our teaching? Should it be different for people outside the fellowship and inside?
3. Read Deuteronomy 29:22-29. Do you think giving up on God and his Covenant is that serious?
4. Read Deut 30:1-10. So there is hope for those who return to God after failure. How well do we teach that – do we fully believe it?
5. Read Deut 30:11-20. What is the choice? Would you put it in this way?
6. Moses was talking about the “Old Covenant” and Christians live under the New. In what ways are the choices the same, and in what ways different?
7. History shows that failure to keep the Covenant was common, and had bad results for the people of Israel. Is the same true for the Christian church?