Deuteronomy 1:1 – 3:22
Devarim Is the Hebrew for the name of the book we call in English Deuteronomy, which is Greek for repetition of the law. Devarim means words.
In this portion of scripture, Moses reminds the children of Israel about the wanderings in the wilderness for 40 years. He recalls to memory and reminds them about the rebukes of YHVH for their disobedience, about warnings given and also about promises given.
He recalls the various battles that were fought along the way. YHVH fought mighty peoples and gave them and their lands into the hands of the children of Israel.
As one reads these scriptures they should remember the various people groups and battles that took place, as previously recorded.
We read about mass slaughterings of entire towns and villages. We read where God told them to kill every man, woman, boy, girl, child, and infant. I have heard many people claim that the God of the Old Testament was a God of blood and that He couldn't be the God of the New Testament who advocated love and mercy. I pondered over these verses myself for many years. I couldn't understand why in some cases God would command the children of Israel to destroy everyone, while in other cases He would allow them to take women and children alive to become part of their people group.
One aspect of God needs to be understood here. God does not tolerate corruption. The children of Israel were slaughtered many times by God because of their sins, but I believe, there is a much deeper reason here that we have missed.
This reason goes all the way back to Genesis the 6th chapter. In that chapter we find that God destroyed the earth because it had become corrupt. He saved only Noah and his family because Noah was “perfect” in His sight.
We find the mysterious scriptures about the Nephilim, when the sons of God came down and mated with the daughters of man and created “half-breeds”. I am of the belief that in any folklore tale there was a little truth behind the origin of the tale. The Greeks and Romans and many other ancient cultures believed that gods came down and mated with mankind creating these demi-gods, half man and half god beings, some were even half animal and half god beings.
If one studies these scriptures in Genesis carefully they should find that Noah was perfect to God because his DNA had not been corrupted by these fallen angels.
In the scripture reference this week Moses relates about the people groups that they slaughtered, leaving none alive, not even children. What did all of these people groups have in common? They were all peoples containing the 'giants” that walked the earth at that time. There is no exception to this rule. Satan has tried from the very beginning to corrupt the DNA of mankind.
We find the same thing happening today with scientists manipulating the DNA of humans, animals, and plants. They are mixing and mingling the DNA together. This is corruption. This is corruption of the perfect and individual species that God created. Scientists have now created mice with human organs and other such atrocities. God is not pleased! This would be as in the days of Noah!
I believe that when God wiped out these people groups it was for a reason. They were not really human beings, they were a corrupted DNA half breed brought about by Satan.
The book of Devarim (Deuteronomy) is a recollection or retelling of what has already been given (the Torah), and what had already transpired in their wilderness journey. Some things are better the second time around. Looking back in hindsight the people should be able to see their mistakes, their failures, their victories, and be reminded that what was expected of them In the past is still expected of them in the future. They must still obey Torah. A person will never know where they are going and how to get there unless they know where they have been and what didn’t work.
Remember the Words to get where you are going!
Shalom,
Leisa