Contents

Frequently Used Reference Materials
Acknowledgments
A Word to Those Who Preach the Word
Preface: Why I Am Excited about Deuteronomy
1 Deuteronomy: Highly Relevant History (1:1–3, 5)
2 Keys to Launching out into Fresh Exploits (1:4–8 )
3 Leadership and Growth (1:9–15)
4 Basic Training for Judges (1:16–18)
5 Faith versus Fear (1:19–33)
6 The Seriousness of God’s Severity (1:34–46)
7 Provision in the Wilderness (2:1–23)
8 Doing Battle with God’s Help (2:24—3:11)
9 Preparing a Community to Live Harmoniously (3:12–29)
10 Nurturing People Who Cling to God and His Word (4:1–14)
11 How to Prevent Idolatry (4:15–28)
12 Returning to God after Disobedience (4:29–31)
13 Believing and Obeying the Bible (4:32–43)
14 How to Think about the Law (4:44—5:6)
15 Exclusive Loyalty to God (5:7–10)
16 Honoring God’s Name (5:11)
17 Sabbath-Keeping (5:12–15)
18 Honoring Parents (5:16)
19 The Sanctity of Life (5:17)
20 The Sanctity of Marriage (5:18)
21 Respect for Property and Truth (5:19, 20)
22 Covetousness versus Contentment (5:21)
23 A Conversation between God, Moses, and the People (5:22–33)
24 How Fear and Love Can Make Us Holy (6:1–5)
25 How the Word Can Make Us Holy (6:6–9)
26 How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Prosperity (6:10–25)
27 Show Them No Mercy (7:1–26)
28 How Not to Forget God (8:1–20)
29 God Wins in Spite of Us (9:1–8)
30 A Rebellious People and a Praying Leader (9:9–24)
31 Powerful Prayer (9:25—10:11)
32 A Vision of God Fosters Heart Religion (10:12–22)
33 Seven Motivations to Obedience (11:1–32)
34 Worshipping God’s Way (12:1–32)
35 Encountering Occult Power (13:1–18)
36 We Will Be Different from Others (14:1–21)
37 Giving to God (14:22–29; 15:19–23)
38 Special Consideration for the Poor (15:1–18)
39 Pilgrimage Festivals (16:1–17)
40 Principles of Leadership and Justice (16:18—17:13)
41 How to Be a Good King (17:14–20)
42 Priests and Prophets: The Good, the Bad, the Best, and the False (18:1–22)
43 Legal Protection for the Vulnerable (19:1–21)
44 Rules for Warfare (20:1–20)
45 Respect for Life and Land (21:1–23)
46 Rules for an Orderly and Healthy Society (22:1–12)
47 Upholding the High Value of Sex (22:13–30)
48 Rules for a Holy Society (23:1–14)
49 Rules for a Considerate Society (23:15–25; 24:19–22)
50 Generous Justice (24:1–22)
51 Concern for Humans and Animals and Honesty (25:1–19)
52 The Heart of a Biblical Giver (26:1–19)
53 Acts That Help Refresh Commitment (27:1–10)
54 Can We Curse People Today? (27:11–26)
55 Kinds of Blessings and Curses (28:1–68)
56 Keys to Renewal (29:1–29)
57 The Path of Repentance (30:1–20)
58 How to Handle Leadership Succession (31:1–29)
59 Moses’ Song I: Scandalous Disobedience (31:30—32:18)
60 Moses’ Song II: Judgment and Restoration (32:19–47)
61 The Art of Blessing People (32:48—33:25)
62 Moses’ Last Outburst of Praise (33:26–29)
63 The Death of a Great Leader (34:1–12)
Notes

The book of Deuteronomy is a call to obedience—the proper response to God’s faithfulness and love. Consisting primarily of speeches that Moses gave to the Israelites shortly before they entered the Promised Land, Moses’ words proclaimed God’s covenant faithfulness in hopes of motivating the Israelites to obey God despite the coming temptation to conform to the Canaanite culture.
The challenges they faced then are remarkably parallel to those facing Christians today as we grapple with the issue of obedience in a world that offers other attractive ways of life. We wonder: How can we be faithful to God? And how do we help our children and the people we lead to be faithful? This book tells us how Moses tackled these challenges and, as Paul confirms in the New Testament, Deuteronomy serves “as an example…written down for our instruction” (1 Cor. 10:11).
Ajith Fernando unpacks the relevance of Deuteronomy and captivates us with rich anecdotes from his thirty-five years of ministry to first-generation Christians in Sri Lanka. He offers concrete examples of how the truths contained in Deuteronomy can be applied, and he teaches us that obedience is the necessary response to the God who loves and saves us.