1 Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.
2 And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm,
3 And his miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land;
4 And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day;
5 And what he did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came into this place;
6 And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel:
7 But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did.
8 Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;
9 And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
10 For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:
11 But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven:
12 A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.
13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
15 And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.
16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
17 And then the LORD's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.
18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:
21 That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.
22 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;
23 Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.
24 Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.
25 There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you.
26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:
28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
29 And it shall come to pass, when the LORD thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.
30 Are they not on the other side Jordan, by the way where the sun goeth down, in the land of the Canaanites, which dwell in the champaign over against Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh?
31 For ye shall pass over Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God giveth you, and ye shall possess it, and dwell therein.
32 And ye shall observe to do all the statutes and judgments which I set before you this day.
The book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Pentateuch, attributed to Moses. It is a collection of sermons given by Moses to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. The book is divided into three main sections: the first is a historical review of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, the second contains laws and regulations for the Israelites to follow, and the third contains blessings and curses for obedience and disobedience to God's laws.
Chapter 11 of Deuteronomy continues with Moses' exhortation to the Israelites, reminding them of God's faithfulness and their responsibility to obey His laws. In this chapter, Moses emphasizes the importance of remembering and obeying God's commands in order to prosper in the land that He has given them.
1. Remembering God's Faithfulness
Moses begins by reminding the Israelites of God's faithfulness and the miracles He performed in their midst. He urges them to remember everything that God has done for them, from delivering them from Egypt to providing for them in the wilderness. This serves as a reminder that God is always with them and will continue to be with them as long as they remain faithful to Him.
"Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm; the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country; what he did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots, how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea as they were pursuing you, and how the Lord brought lasting ruin on them." (Deuteronomy 11:2-4)
2. Obedience to God's Commands
Moses then emphasizes the importance of obeying God's commands. He reminds the Israelites that they have seen firsthand the consequences of disobedience, as many of those who rebelled against God in the wilderness perished. He urges them to keep God's laws and to teach them to their children, so that they may continue to prosper in the land that God has given them.
"So keep the words of this covenant to do them, that you may prosper in all that you do." (Deuteronomy 11:32)
3. Blessings and Curses
Moses also reiterates the blessings and curses that come with obedience and disobedience to God's laws. He reminds the Israelites that if they obey God's commands, they will be blessed with rain, fruitful land, and victory over their enemies. However, if they turn away from God and serve other gods, they will be cursed with drought, famine, and defeat.
"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known." (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)
4. The Land of Milk and Honey
Moses also reminds the Israelites of the land that God has promised them, a land flowing with milk and honey. He describes the land as a place of abundance, with plentiful crops and water. He urges them to remember that this land was promised to their ancestors and it is now their responsibility to possess it and enjoy its abundance.
"For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year." (Deuteronomy 11:10-12)
5. Love and Fear of God
Moses also emphasizes the importance of loving and fearing God. He urges the Israelites to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength, and to fear Him and keep His commandments. He reminds them that God is a jealous God and will not tolerate the worship of other gods.
"Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always." (Deuteronomy 11:1)
Chapter 11 of Deuteronomy serves as a reminder to the Israelites of God's faithfulness, their responsibility to obey His commands, and the blessings and curses that come with obedience and disobedience. It also emphasizes the importance of remembering and teaching God's laws to future generations, as well as the love and fear of God.
This chapter also serves as a warning to the Israelites not to repeat the mistakes of their ancestors who rebelled against God in the wilderness. It is a call to remain faithful to God and to always remember His goodness and mercy.
The land of Canaan, which is described as a land flowing with milk and honey, represents the abundant blessings that God has in store for His people if they remain obedient to Him. However, it also serves as a reminder that these blessings are contingent upon their obedience and faithfulness.
Overall, Chapter 11 of Deuteronomy serves as a call to action for the Israelites to remember and obey God's commands, and to always keep Him at the center of their lives. It also serves as a reminder for us today to always remember and be grateful for God's faithfulness, and to remain obedient to His commands in order to receive His blessings in our lives.
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