NOTES OF READINGS ON DEUTERONOMY (2)
NOTES OF READINGS ON DEUTERONOMY (2)
JT It may perhaps help to call attention again to the distinction that is to be made between the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, and this book of Deuteronomy, namely, that in Deuteronomy it is more what Moses’ personal exercises were, and what he said to the people; whereas in the previous books it is what the Lord said to the people through Moses. That is, it is a question of God’s authority in the previous three books, in the main; so you will find constantly in those three books “The Lord commanded Moses”; “The Lord spake unto Moses saying”; and so on. There was no room for Moses’ exercises; it is a question of God’s authority over our souls. That is largely what the kingdom implies.
TMG The lordship of Christ.
JT Yes; the authority of God exercised in Christ, leading to the subjection of our wills to God. When you come to Deuteronomy it is chiefly the exercises of Moses personally, and what he said to them. In the end of the book of Numbers it is said: “These are the commandments and the judgments which the Lord commanded, by the hand of Moses, unto the children of Israel, in the plains of Moab, by Jordan near Jericho” Numbers 36:13. In Deuteronomy 1:1 it is: “These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan, in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red Sea”; and it goes on to say in this chapter that Moses began to “unfold this law” Deuteronomy 1:5. Moses began to unfold it. Consequently Deuteronomy answers more to the headship of Christ; and the book, in the body of it, is engaged with moralising on the previous history of the people. Moses reviewed their whole history; he shows what God had been to them, and what they had been.
[p. 265] So a person, in having to do with Christ personally, is thrown back on his whole history as a believer, and is reminded of what God has been to him, and then what he himself has been. So that on the one hand the soul is encouraged in the knowledge of God, and humbled in the knowledge of itself; and then the communications of Christ to us, and the interest He evinces in us, attach us to Him, hence the desire to accompany Him into the land. We are going into it according to what He is. Deuteronomy is very little studied, but no one can fail to be struck with the character of it; it is peculiar; and undoubtedly it is intended to qualify us for the land, for heavenly privilege. We do not get the military side in it, as in the book of Joshua. Joshua is the military book in the main, and hence Joshua is a military leader. In Deuteronomy Moses has compassion for the people, and shows his personal interest in the land, as we see in this chapter; he would “go in and see the good land” that is beyond Jordan, “that goodly mountain, and Lebanon” Deuteronomy 3:25. So he begins to unfold the law in Deuteronomy 1:5. “On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law”. He beings with this that they are to go into Canaan; that is the great thought in the book. The unfolding of the law in Exodus is: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might”. But the unfolding of the law in Deuteronomy begins with Canaan; it is a question of going in there.
TMG What would it answer to in the New Testament?
JT Well, it is seen in Colossians and Ephesians. Headship is specially emphasised in Colossians; and then the extent of the territory in Ephesians; because that is outlined [p. 266] here.
WH That is why you add Ephesians, because the territory is brought in?
JT Yes; Ephesians 3 is the territory. There can be no question that headship is very little known.
TMG Would you say that it is the affection side in Deuteronomy?
JT Moses’ love for the people is a marked feature in the book.
JM When you say headship is very little known, is it because we are not sufficiently subdued?
JT I think it is. As we were saying last night, there is a great deal of lawlessness within the bounds of the law; that is, your will may be active, while you are clever enough to escape the penalty by keeping within the bounds of the law as to your conduct; but in spirit you may be really lawless. This state of things exists to a great extent; you say ‘I will do this’, or ‘I will do that’, without considering whether it compromises the saints, or causes sorrow to the saints, or to Christ. You may be carrying out your own will, and yet not apparently doing anything out of the way.
TMG That is to say, it is yourself you are thinking of, instead of thinking of what is involved in headship. Christ is the Head. It is a collective idea.
JM So if that state is existing among us one can readily see that we do not get the gain of the Head. You would say the Corinthians had not the gain of the Head?
JT I think not; I think headship comes in where the Spirit is formally recognised. We were pointing out, that this law is unfolded when they were in Moab, In Numbers the two and a half tribes chose to dwell there, and that was falling short of the purpose of God. In Deuteronomy it is divinely given territory. So Moses tells them formally that he gave it to these tribes; hence the position is that [p. 267] which Romans 8 points out for us; it is the territory where the will of the flesh is refused, the Holy Spirit being recognised. You cannot step into Canaan without it; Jordan is the barrier objectively; without the Spirit you cannot go into Canaan, for it is a question of power. In the book of Numbers, from chapter 21 onward, where they found the springing well, this territory is outlined; I mean the Spirit is formally recognised. “Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it”. Numbers 21:17. It is in that state of soul we are prepared for headship. So the plains of Moab are divine territory; territory to which God is entitled, and which He uses to lead us on further.
EM “As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God”. Romans 8:14.
Ques Why does Moses in chapter 1 say, “Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount”? Deuteronomy 1:6. It was where the law was given.
JT Well, mount Horeb stands for the covenant. It is not Sinai here; it is Horeb; the place of covenant relations. God entered into covenant with the people there, and really the Supper stands in that relation to us, because the cup is the new covenant, but then it was not the place to which they were called; they were to serve God there, but it the mountain of God’s inheritance. It is a wonderful mount, the mountain of the covenant, but it is not the place of God’s inheritance. Moses says, “I pray thee, let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon”. Deuteronomy 3:25. Exodus 15 speaks of the mountain of God’s inheritance. That is the mountain we are to dwell in. So they had dwelt long enough where they were; it was essential that they should dwell a period there.
Rem So that knowing headship means real movement in the soul.
JT It is. At the Supper you touch it; but it [p. 268] leads you on. The great object for us is heaven: “Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance”. Exodus 15:17.
JM And is the Supper in order that Christ might take His place, in our affections, as Head?
JT Yes, I think so and it is the Lord’s initiative. He goes in first, and prepares the place, and then comes back and takes us in to it, John 14: 2. In the meanwhile He comes to us spiritually.
JM So that the Supper is to give Him His place in our affections.
JT That is what it does.
TMG And we come in now in the power of the Spirit.
JT Under His leadership. It is well to have before us mount Horeb, however blessed is the mountain of God’s inheritance.
JM Would you say that Horeb is the link with it?
JT Well, it is the place of the covenant. You see you go in married, as we may say. “Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” Song of Songs 8: 5. That is an allusion to Moses taking the people out of the wilderness towards Canaan. Christ is the “Beloved”. Nothing can be more interesting than to see how God proposes the covenant in Exodus 19. He produces it in this way, that He commends Himself; and He commends Himself by recounting certain evidences of His care and love for the people. He says, “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself”. Exodus 19:4. Now that is God’s proposal; and He sends that word to them through Moses. He says as it were, ‘I want you to consider whether it is worth your while to enter into covenant with Me; I want you to consider the past, and what I have done for you, what I have been to you. Is it worth your while?’ He does not [p. 269] speak directly to them; He speaks through Moses to them; and then they send Moses back to God; they do not speak to God, but they send the messenger back to God, saying as it were, ‘We accept the proposal; we will keep the covenant’. “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do”. Exodus 19:8. Now, that was the formal contract which was made there; and prophetically it is alluded to later as a marriage bond, where God is a husband to the people. He says, “I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant”, Ezekiel 16: 60.
RL The first mention we have of Horeb is in Exodus 3, where the Angel of the Lord appeared unto Moses in a flame of fire, out of the midst of a bush; and He proclaimed His name there. What is the thought in it? Horeb is also called the mount of God.
JT And there they were to serve Him. God says, “ye shall serve God upon this mountain” Exodus 3:12. That is where divine service is established.
RL The preservation of the people is indicated; but, as you say, they were not to remain there.
Rem The covenant conveys the love of God.
JT I do not know anything more wonderful in a way than that God should commend His love to us; not only manifest it, but commend it.
JMcF Is entering into the covenant responding to divine love?
JT I think so. God is showing His love. He not only commends it, but He sheds it abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us; and then we answer to it. So it is not now as in Israel; you do not undertake to do the will of God without the means to do it; by the Spirit you do it; so that the righteous requirements bf the law are fulfilled in us. That is our side, answering to the covenant.
[p. 270] Now, I was remarking that in these chapters you find that the Spirit moralises on the occurrences in the wilderness; whether it be God’s dealings with them, or their conduct. In chapter 2 He calls attention to what they have been; during all the forty years they had lacked nothing; and then when you come to this chapter I think He moralises on the event of the overthrow of Og, which typically was consequent on the reception of the Spirit.
JM What would Og answer to?
JT Well, he was a very big man. That is what we all are after the flesh in our own account. Self is prominent. It was a great day in the history of the apostle when the overthrow of that took place in him.
T.M.C. Is that Romans 8?
JT Yes.
JM What is your thought as to the moralising on this?
JT I mean that the Spirit would base certain teaching on it for the instruction and blessing of our souls.
RL It says they took all his cities at that time and they utterly destroyed them. That would be complete deliverance.
JT Quite so: the complete overthrow of that huge man; and this is the only passage where we get the dimensions and the description of his bed. He represents a very great moral hindrance to the soul’s progress. Do you not think so?
TMG I think that most of us know it experimentally.
RL Not only did they overthrow, but they possessed the land, Deuteronomy 3:12.
JT We must not allow a void; the ground occupied by the flesh must be occupied by the Spirit.
JM What do you mean by that?
JT There is to be no vacancy in the heart; no [p. 271] void crevices; all of it is to be occupied by the Spirit of Christ. Mark this is not the sphere of the purpose of God; this refers to what goes on within your soul.
TMG It is preparatory.
JT And the occupation of the territory is most essential; no good general will leave any city unoccupied or unguarded, because if he does he will suffer later. You are responsible for your own territory. It is a question of the operation of the Spirit in your soul.
JM It is a question of the Spirit taking the place of the flesh?
JT Yes and you hold the territory for Christ now; instead of having your own ambition, and conceptions, all that space is to be occupied for Christ.
WH In that way appreciation of the land would come in?
JT Yes. The Spirit displaces the will of the flesh.
TMG Would it answer to Romans 8: 9,10?
JT The territory is occupied in that way.
JMcF Would it go as far as Colossians; “In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in him”? Colossians 2:9,10.
JT That is further on. The Colossians were in danger of listening to men. Man’s mind is apt to be interesting, and I must not listen to it; though it is able to say some very fine things. Now I think the apostle meets that danger by saying that we do not need anything outside Christ. “Ye are complete in him”, he says, “who is the head of all principality and power”. Colossians 2:10.
JM It is remarkable how much is said in Romans 8 of the Spirit.
JT Very remarkable; it is not only the plains of Moab, it is mount Nebo; it is a question of spiritual eminence. That is, Moses reaches typically [p. 272] the highest point of Romans 8; he did not get as far as Colossians, he did not reach to Ephesians, because that is all beyond Jordan. In this chapter Moses formally resigns in favour of Joshua; he can bring the people up to the point where the Spirit is recognised; and he expresses all the activities of the Head; but then he fails in the type, he does not go over Jordan.
TMG It is a point from which you can view all the land.
JT Romans 8 and fellowship go together. The Lord says to Abraham: “Lift up now thine eyes and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever”, Genesis 13:14,15. Well, where was he then morally? He was in the spot where Lot separated from him. There was a separation because of the truth that involves fellowship. The Lord says: “Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art”. Genesis 13:14. Now there is a point of spiritual eminence in your soul that corresponds with Romans 8. So you lift up your eyes from that eminence, and the Lord shows you the land.
JMcF That is what Pisgah really means: the hill, or eminence.
JT If we are not in fellowship, we never can look into heaven; you do not see things rightly. Now, fellowship is connected with mount Horeb, because the covenant is attached to it; it is the bond that you are in; the contract that you have made. But then the other side is the Spirit. The Lord would lead you into the spiritual side.
JM And the bond is the love of God.
JT Moses, you may say, resigns here in favour of Joshua; he says, “I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that the Lord [p. 273] your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the Lord do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest. Ye shall not fear them: for the Lord your God he shall fight for you”. Deuteronomy 3:21,22. It is Joshua now. Then Moses goes on to speak to the people; he says as it were: ‘I would like to have gone in, but the Lord would not let me go in for your sakes’. That is Deuteronomy. It would be quite out of keeping with the Law that the law-giver should bring them into Canaan, but he could speak to them about Canaan. You like to hear a preacher speak about heaven. The book of Numbers, as we were saying last night, gives us the boundaries; the book of Deuteronomy gives us the full extent of the land. The boundaries are in Colossians; “Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on the earth” Colossians 3:2; the “not” is like a boundary. Colossians shows you the boundary between heaven and earth; and you are, in the spirit of your mind, to be inside that boundary; not outside of it. Now when you come to Ephesians, it is not only that your mind is there, but you are there.
TMG Seated in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.
JT Moses’ mind was in the land, but he could not go in himself because of circumstances. He was a good Colossian!
JMcG Do you connect the thought of the Head with Joshua?
JT In a way; only when you come to Joshua it is more a military idea. One feels one’s ignorance about these things; but it is well to take things up as Scripture presents them. Joshua is introduced as a military leader; but it is military in this sense, it is the way you are led subjectively. Joshua leads you directly against the enemy. Joshua is a type of Christ, but Christ known spiritually in the soul. You will remember that in Exodus 17 he led against Amalek. The conflict was dependent upon Moses’ [p. 274] hands being uplifted. It is intercession rather than authority that is needed in such conflict. In Exodus 33 Joshua is found in the tabernacle That is Christ in some spiritual way known to our souls.
JMcF At the end of this book it says that Moses laid his hands on Joshua. What is the force of that?
JT Well, the laying on of hands is committal; I think he would do that in an apostolic way, as the apostle Paul did on Timothy.
JMcF I thought it was Moses approving of him in that way as a suitable leader; he was Moses’ servant, and therefore was thoroughly instructed and ready to take the lead, so to speak.
JT I love to think of Moses as a heavenly minded man. It is beautifully seen here; “I pray thee let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon”. Deuteronomy 3:25. How he appreciated the land, although he had not really seen it.
Ques When the Lord said to Moses: “Speak no more unto me of this matter”, Deuteronomy 3:26, would that mean that the Lord would do better for him?
JT I think the Lord was indicating, that, as a type, he could not go in; speaking unadvisedly with his lips disqualified him. He called the saints rebels; a very serious thing to do.
RL In verse 28 Joshua was to be charged, and encouraged, and strengthened. Moses must have had the mind of the Lord, so he could put his hands upon the one whom the Lord had marked out to lead His people.
JT All this is to show the great place the people had in his mind; if he could not take them in he saw to it that another would.
PL The Lord encouraged the people in that way. He pointed out the one who would bring them in.
Rem I suppose on the mount of transfiguration Moses had his desire [p. 275] answered.
JT I do wish we had heavenly minds, that we might see the boundaries, and keep inside them. Although you may be in the wilderness, your mind may be within the boundaries, Moses’ mind was within the boundaries.
TMG That is, that we should be good Colossians.
JT When you come into the assembly, it is not only your mind, but you have come into the sphere; it is all God’s land. I fear there is a great deal of national feeling among God’s people, and that is all outside the boundaries of Canaan.