Here is a summary of some of the things that happened after
the Israelites left Egypt.About this Bible Study........The King James Version of the Bible is written in a beautiful form of the English language. It can be hard for modern English readers to understand. In this study, you will find notes and summaries in brown just above the the verses from the Bible. We recommend that you read the notes and summaries first, and then read the verses in their KJV form.
The Book of Deuteronomy
Background....The Israelites left Egypt. They have been traveling in the wilderness for 40 years. They are now getting ready to enter Canaan, the land God promised to them. After they enter Canaan, each family will receive land as an inheritance.
The book of Deuteronomy contains the last speeches Moses gave to the Israelites. It is a review of the past 40 years. He wanted to remind the Israelites that they should always trust and obey God.
The word "Deuteronomy" means the 2nd law. This is the second time that Moses gives the laws of God.
Here is a summary of some of the things that happened after
the Israelites left Egypt.
The Israelites left Egypt in about the year 1450 BC
Year 1--Moses got the laws from God on Mt. Sinai.
The Israelites built the tabernacle.
Year 2–God told Moses to take a census (count) of all of
the Israelites.
The Israelites celebrated the first Passover.
The spies looked around Canaan, then the Israelites refused
to enter Canaan.
God was angry that the Israelites did not trust Him. He punished them, and said they
would travel for a long time.
Years 3-40–The Israelites wandered and traveled around the desert. They were not allowed to move into Canaan for 40 years.
Year 40- The Israelites defeated the kings, Sihon and Og
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Deuteronomy 13
If a prophet (a person who tells about the
future) tries to encourage the
Israelites to worship false gods
Someday later, an Israelite may be able
to predict the future. He might be able to see the future in his dreams.
He will tell the future, and the things will happen. This person
will then try to tell the other Israelites to start worshiping other false gods.
But the Israelites should not pay attention to him. This is a test. God
wants to see
if the Israelites will be faithful. He wants to see if they continue to worship only
Him.
[1] If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
[2] And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
[3] Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
The Israelites should follow God only. They should
respect Him and obey His laws. They should work for God and always be faithful
to Him.
[4] Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
They should kill the man who told the future. He tried
to make the Israelites worship false gods. He tried to make them turn away from
God. God brought them out of Egypt so they were not slaves anymore. The man
tried to make the Israelites disobey God's laws. He is an evil man. The
Israelites must kill him.
[5] And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
If one person tries to encourage another person to start worshiping false gods
One person tries to be secret and encourages another person to start worshiping
false gods. The false gods might be from people who live close. Or the false
gods might be from people who live far away. This is a very bad thing to
do. The bad person must die. It doesn't
matter if it's a brother, son, daughter, wife, or a very good friend. They
should not pay attention to him. They should not feel sorry for him.
They should not try to hide him.
[6] If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
[7] Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;
[8] Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
The person should be killed with stones--people
throwing rocks at him until he is dead. The person he encouraged to worship
other gods should throw the first rock. Then the other Israelites should
throw rocks to kill him.
[9] But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
The person must die
because he tried to make another person do bad things. He tried to turn another person away from God. God brought the
Israelites out of Egypt so they were not slaves anymore.
[10] And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
All of the Israelites should hear about this. They
should be afraid. They should not do anything bad like this.
[11] And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.
If some bad people encourage a whole city to start worshiping false gods
After they move into Canaan, they might hear a
rumor about a city. They might hear that some bad people encouraged a whole city
to start worshiping false gods.
[12] If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying,
[13] Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
They should check into this. They should look around and ask questions. If the
people in the city are worshiping false gods, they should kill all of the people in that city. They should also
kill all of the city people's farm animals.
[14] Then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;
[15] Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
They should get all
of the people's things and put them in a big pile in the street. They should not
keep anything. They should burn everything in the pile. They should also
burn down the whole city. They should burn the city as an offering to God. They
should never build the city again.
[16] And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again.
They should not keep anything from the city. If they obey this, God will not be angry
anymore. He will show them mercy--He will not punish them, and He will do good
things for them. He will keep His promise. They will have many, many children,
grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
[17] And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers;
[18] When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.
Deuteronomy 14
The Israelites should not mourn the same way as
other people mourn.
When someone dies, his family and
friends will mourn (be sad). But they should not cut themselves. Some of
the people who worship false gods cut themselves when they mourned. They also
shaved their foreheads. But the Israelites should not do this. The
Israelites are special to God, and they must not copy people who worship false
gods.
[1] Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
[2] for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
Clean and unclean animals
God told them before that some animals are clean, and some animals are not clean
(unclean). They should not eat unclean animals.
These are clean animals:
cattle, sheep, goats, wild sheep, wild goats, gazelles, antelopes, and deer.
They can eat any animal that has split hooves (each foot is divided into two
parts) and chews a cud.
Chewing a cud is something that some animals do. They eat their food, swallow it, then burp it back up, and chew it again.
[3] Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.
[4] These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,
[5] The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.
[6] And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.
Some animals chew a cud, but they do not
have split hooves. They are not clean. The Israelites cannot eat them. These
animals are camels, rabbits, and rock badgers (a small animal with fur).
[7] Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.
Swine (pigs) have split hooves, but pigs do not chew a cud. Pigs are not clean.
They should not eat any pigs. They should not touch dead pigs.
[8] And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead
carcase.
They can eat animals that live in water if the animals
have fins and scales (fins are like little wings on a fish, and scales are like
little half-circles of skin on a fish). If the animals do not have fins and scales, the animals
are unclean. They cannot eat the unclean water animals.
[9] These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:
[10] And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.
They can eat clean birds. But some birds are
unclean. They cannot eat the unclean birds. The unclean birds are: eagles,
ospreys, vultures, hawks, ravens, owls, night hawks, cuckoos, cormorants, swans,
pelicans, storks, herons, seagulls, ostriches, buzzards, crows, hoopoes, bats, and
lapwings.
[11] Of all clean birds ye shall eat.
[12] But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and ossifrage, and the
ospray,
[13] And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind,
[14] And every raven after his kind,
[15] And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,
[16] The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan,
[17] And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant,
[18] And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
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| Osprey Photo from Wikipedia |
Vulture The Fund For Animals Wildlife Rehabilitation Center |
Raven Tonto National Monument |
Cuckoo Wildlife Neighbors of the Williamsburg area |
Cormorant Clipart, etc. |
Swan Wikipedia |
Pelican Australia Gift Shop |
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| Stork Merriam-Webster online |
Heron Washington Department of Ecology |
Ostrich The Coloring Spot |
Buzzard Wikipedia |
Hoopoe Clipart, etc. |
Bat WP Clipart |
Lapwing Wikipedia |
Bugs that fly are unclean. They should not eat them.
But some bugs are clean, and they can eat them.
[19] And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.
[20] But of all clean fowls ye may eat.
They should not eat an animal that dies a natural death
(dies because it was sick, not killed). They can let people from other
places eat it, or they can sell the dead animal to the other people. The
Israelites are God's holy people. They should not cook a baby goat in its
mother's milk.
[21] Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
Giving tithes to God
When they harvest the plants that grow
on their farms, they should give a tithe to God. A tithe is 10% of everything
they pick.
[22] Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
God will choose His special place in Canaan. The
Israelites should take their tithes to the special place. They should take corn,
wine, oil, and their firstborn animals. When they arrive
there, they can eat their tithes. This shows that they respect
and love God.
[23] And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
If God's special place is too far, they won't be able
to carry all of their tithes. They can take money instead. They
should carry the money to God's special place.
[24] And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
[25] Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:
When they arrive at God's special place, they can buy
things to eat and drink. They can buy whatever they want. For example,
they can buy cattle, sheep, wine, or other drinks. They and their families
should eat at the Lord God's special place. They should eat and have a good
time.
[26] And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,
They should remember the Levites who live in their lands. The Levites will not
have their own land. They will live in the other families' lands. They should
share with the Levites.
[27] And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.
At the end of 3 years, they should take their tithes to
a different place. They should take them to a place in the city to save them.
Other people can come and eat the tithes. The people who can eat these tithes are: the Levites, people who
traveled from other places, children who do not have fathers, and widows (women
whose husbands have died.) If they share and help other people, God
will bless everything they do.
[28] At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:
[29] And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.
Deuteronomy 15
The special year when debts are cancelled.
Some of the Israelites will owe money (debts) to other
Israelites. But at the end of 7 years, they won't have to pay the
money back. They will be released. Their debts are cancelled. An Israelite
must not ask his neighbor or his brother to pay him back at this time. This special
time is God's way to cancel debts.
[1] At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.
[2] And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it;he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD's release.
If a person from another place owes money, he should
pay it back. His debts are not cancelled.
[3] Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;
If the Israelites obey God's laws, He will bless
them. He will give them many good things after they move into Canaan. None
of the Israelites will be poor.
[4] Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:
[5] Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.
The Lord God blesses the Israelites. He promised
this to their ancestors. Other countries will borrow money from them. But they
will not borrow from other countries. They will reign over (control) other
countries. But other countries will not reign over them.
[6] For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations,but they shall not reign over thee.
The Israelites should help their brothers who are
poor.
If there are any poor Israelites, the other Israelites should help him. They
should not think the poor person is bad. They should not be selfish. They should give him
what he needs and wants.
[7] If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
[8] But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he
wanteth.
They might see a poor Israelite. But it is close to the
special 7th year (when people don't have to pay money back). They might not want
to loan him money. In the special 7th year, the poor Israelite would not pay the
money back. They should loan the money to the poor Israelite anyway. If the poor
person does not get money, God will hear his prayers. God will not be happy. But
if they loan him the money, God will be happy. God will bless them.
[9] Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
[10] Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.
There will always be some poor Israelites. The other
Israelites should help them.
[11] For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
Some of the Israelites will work as slaves
Some Israelites may be slaves. They will be sold to other Israelites. They will
work for their owners for 6 years. But in the 7th year, they should be free.
[12] And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman , be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
When an owner lets the slave go free, the owner should
give him things when he leaves. He should give him sheep, grain, and wine. God
blessed the owner, and the owner has a good farm with a lot of food. The owner
should remember that a long time ago, all of the Israelites were slaves in
Egypt. God brought them out of Egypt. Now they are free. So, the owner
should let his slave go free in the 7th year.
[13] And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:
[14] Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.
[15] And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.
Maybe a slave does not want to leave. He
loves his owner and his owner's family. The owner should pierce the
slave's ear (make a little hole). He should put the slave by a door. Then he should use
an aul
(a sharp metal tool) and make a little hole . The aul should go through the
slave's earlobe
and into the door. This shows that the slave belongs to the owner forever. This
is for a male slave or a female slave.
[16] And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee;
[17] Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.
The owner should not be upset when a slave leaves in
the 7th year. For 6 years, the slave worked. The owner did not pay him
much money. If the owner had a regular paid worker, he would have paid him more money
than the slave. The owner would have paid the other worker double what he paid
the slave. Now the slave is leaving, but the owner saved money while the slave
worked for him for the 6 years.
[18] It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.
The firstborn male animals
A firstborn animal is the first baby
that a mother animal has. They should give the firstborn male
sheep, cattle, or goats to God. These firstborn male animals should not
work. The Israelites should not cut wool off the firstborn male sheep.
[19] All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.
They can save the firstborn animals until they go to
God's special place. When they go there, they should take the firstborn
male animals. They will be offerings to God. The Israelites will eat them for
a special dinner.
[20] Thou shalt eat it before the LORD thy God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy household.
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| A gazelle is a very fast animal
that the Israelites hunted. Photo from Wikipedia |
The firstborn animals for offerings
should be perfect. They should not be lame (can't walk well), blind, or have
anything wrong with them. If a firstborn animal has anything wrong with
it, the Israelites can eat it in their own city. They do not need to save it for
a special dinner in God's special place. Any person can eat it, even if the
person is unclean. It is the same as eating a deer or a gazelle (animals
they hunted).
[21] And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God.
[22] Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.
But they must not eat any of the animal's blood. They must pour the blood
out on the ground the same as they pour water on the ground.
[23] Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.
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