Deuteronomy 1:19-46

Deuteronomy 1:19-46

[19] And when we departed  from Horeb,  all that great  and terrible  wilderness,  which ye saw  by the way  of the mountain  of the Amorites,  as the LORD  our God  commanded  us; and we came  to Kadeshbarnea.  [20] And I said  unto you, Ye are come  unto the mountain  of the Amorites,  which the LORD  our God  doth give  unto us. [21] Behold,  the LORD  thy God  hath set  the land  before  thee: go up  and possess  it, as the LORD  God  of thy fathers  hath said  unto thee; fear  not, neither be discouraged.  [22] And ye came near  unto me every one of you, and said,  We will send  before  us, and they shall search us out  the land,  us word  again  by what way  we must go up,  and into what cities  we shall come.  [23] And the saying  pleased me well:  and I took  twelve  men  of you, one  of a tribe:  [24] And they turned  and went up  into the mountain,  and came  unto the valley  of Eshcol,  and searched it out.  [25] And they took  of the fruit  of the land  in their hands,  and brought it down  us word  again,  and said,  It is a good  land  which the LORD  our God  doth give  us. [26] Notwithstanding ye would  not go up,  but rebelled  against the commandment  of the LORD  your God:  [27] And ye murmured  in your tents,  and said,  Because the LORD  us, he hath brought us forth  out of the land  of Egypt,  to deliver  us into the hand  of the Amorites,  to destroy  [28] Whither shall we go up?  our brethren  have discouraged  our heart,  saying,  The people  is greater  and taller  than we; the cities  are great  and walled up  to heaven;  and moreover we have seen  the sons  of the Anakims  [29] Then I said  unto you, Dread  not, neither be afraid  [30] The LORD  your God  which goeth  before  you, he shall fight  for you, according to all that he did  for you in Egypt  before your eyes;  [31] And in the wilderness,  where thou hast seen  how that the LORD  thy God  bare  thee, as a man  doth bear  his son,  in all the way  that ye went,  until ye came  into this place.  [32] Yet in this thing  ye did not believe  the LORD  your God,  [33] Who went  in the way  before  you, to search you out  a place  to pitch your tents  in, in fire  by night,  to shew  you by what way  and in a cloud  by day.  [34] And the LORD  heard  the voice  of your words,  and was wroth,  and sware,  saying,  [35] Surely there shall not one  of this evil  generation  see  that good  land,  which I sware  to give  unto your fathers,  [36] Save  Caleb  the son  of Jephunneh;  he shall see  it, and to him will I give  the land  that  he hath trodden upon,  and to his children,  because he hath wholly  followed  the LORD.  [37] Also the LORD  was angry  with me for your sakes,  saying,  Thou also shalt not go  in thither.  [38] But Joshua  the son  of Nun,  which standeth  before  thee, he shall go in  thither: encourage  him: for he shall cause Israel  to inherit  [39] Moreover your little ones,  which ye said  should be a prey,  and your children,  which in that day  had no knowledge  between good  and evil,  they shall go in  thither, and unto them will I give  it, and they shall possess  it. [40] But as for you, turn  you, and take your journey  into the wilderness  by the way  of the Red  sea.  [41] Then ye answered  and said  unto me, We have sinned  against the LORD,  we will go up  and fight,  according to all that the LORD  our God  commanded  us. And when ye had girded  on every man  his weapons  of war,  ye were ready  to go up  into the hill.  [42] And the LORD  said  unto them, Go not up,  neither fight;  for I am not among  you; lest ye be smitten  before  your enemies.  [43] So I spake  unto you; and ye would not hear,  but rebelled  against the commandment  of the LORD,  presumptuously  up  into the hill.  [44] And the Amorites,  which dwelt  in that mountain,  came out  against  you, and chased  you, as bees  do,  and destroyed  you in Seir,  even unto Hormah.  [45] And ye returned  and wept  before  the LORD;  would not hearken  to your voice,  nor give ear  [46] So ye abode  in Kadesh  many  days,  that ye abode 

What does Deuteronomy 1:19-46 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

These verses deal with Israel"s failure at Kadesh-Barnea, its causes and its consequences.
The Hebrew word translated "take possession" ( Deuteronomy 1:21), referring to the Promised Land, occurs over50 times in Deuteronomy. God"s great desire for His people had been that they possess what He had promised them. Unfortunately the older generation would not because of fearful unbelief.
The sending of the spies was the people"s idea ( Deuteronomy 1:22; cf. Numbers 13:1-3). Moses agreed to it, as did the Lord, because it was not wrong in itself. It had the potential of being helpful to the Israelites. Nevertheless God had not commanded this strategy. He knew that the sight of the threatening people and fortified cities ( Deuteronomy 1:28) would discourage them.
The people"s sin in failing to enter the land was not just underestimating God"s power. They could have blamed themselves for their weak faith. Instead they blamed God and imputed to Him the worst of motives toward them. God loved them, but they claimed He hated them ( Deuteronomy 1:27). In covenant terminology to love means to choose, and to hate means to reject (cf. Genesis 25:23; Malachi 1:2-3; Romans 9:10-13). [1] The Israelites doubted God"s goodness, denied His word, and disobeyed His will (cf. Genesis 3).
"The most subtle danger for Israel was the possibility that they might doubt the gracious guidance of God and His willingness to fulfill His promises. It was to become the besetting sin of Israel that they doubted the active and providential sovereignty of Yahweh in every crisis." [2]
"Such familial language was common in ancient Near Eastern treaty texts where the maker of the covenant would be "father" and the receiver "son."" [3]
The Book of Deuteronomy reveals the wrath of God ( Deuteronomy 1:34) as well as His love.
The account of Moses" sin ( Deuteronomy 1:37) is out of chronological order. Moses" purpose in this narrative was not to relate Israel"s experiences in sequence but to emphasize spiritual lessons. He was exhorting the Israelites to action more than teaching them history.
"Moses . . . looked behind his own failure and referred to the cause of his action, which was the people"s criticism of the Lord"s provision of food." [4]
God"s provision of a new leader who would take the nation into the land followed Moses" failure ( Deuteronomy 1:38). The point is that God provided for the Israelites even when they failed. Moses did not try to hide his own guilt.
Moses connected entering the Promised Land with the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The new generation of Israelites was in a position similar to the one in which their original parents found themselves. They had "no knowledge of good or evil" and so had to depend on God to "give it to them" as a gracious father ( Deuteronomy 1:39; cf. Deuteronomy 32:6). The instruction (Torah) that Moses gave the people was the means that God would use to provide for their good (cf. Deuteronomy 30:15-16).
The former generation tried to salvage an opportunity lost at Kadesh through unbelief ( Deuteronomy 1:41). This is not always possible, and it was not in this instance. [5]
". . . chapter1sets up what Deuteronomy is about. It will echo and anticipate disobedience and unwillingness to live by promise and instruction. Further, the chapter gives us clues about the purpose and context of Deuteronomy. It is a word of instruction about how to live in the land, addressed to a people whose history reflects persistent faithlessness and disobedience..." [6]