Come Follow Me 21: Deuteronomy 6–8; 15; 18; 29–30; 34

Come Follow Me Lesson 21: Deuteronomy 6–8; 15; 18; 29–30; 34

Introduction:

Deuteronomy=Repetition of the Law.

Moses began his earthly ministry on a mountain. How do our missionaries do the same thing? How do we?

How did the revelation Moses received on the mountain help the Israelites prepare for the Promised Land? How does the temple prepare us for eternal life?

In Deuteronomy we find Moses’s final instructions, reminders, exhortations, and pleadings with the Israelites. How can his teachings also help us to learn to love God, obey Him, and be loyal to Him? This preparation is what we need to enter into Eternal Life, the Everlasting Promise Land.

Personal Study Introduction:

How can I more fully turn my heart to the Lord? What can I do to ensure that prosperity will not turn me from God?

Deuteronomy 6:4–7 The First Great Commandment. Love of God should proceed all else. We should witness of Him everywhere we go whenever and however we can.

Deuteronomy 8:2–5 The Lord takes care of our every need, even in our wildernesses.

Deuteronomy 8:11–17 Do not take credit for your successes and prosperity. Acknowledge the Lord always. Remember your own deliverance and the deliverance of your fathers, and thatyou’re your blessings that come from the Lord.

Deuteronomy 29:18–20 You cannot rewrite God’s laws to support your own vanities. Blessings will not always follow wickedness. Don’t be prideful.

Deuteronomy 30:6–10 If we love God with all our hearts and keep His commandments and statutes, He will bless us beyond measure.

Deuteronomy 30:15–20 We have been given agency, so that we can choose God and live.

19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Our hearts must be turned to God. We are to love Him first, and then love our neighbors as ourselves: Deuteronomy 6:5–6; Matthew 22:35–40; Leviticus 19:18

How can I keep the word of the Lord always in my heart? Think about that as you read Moses’s words to his people. See Deuteronomy 6:5–6.

Remember the words of Nephi, so that you can pass this on to your children and grandchildren as well. “We talk of Christ….So that our children may know…” (2 Nephi 25:26) Also  Deuteronomy 11:18–21

Family Study Deuteronomy 6-8:

How can we be aware, or stay on guard, so that we don’t forget the Lord? Deuteronomy 6:12

See how the Savior quoted Old Testament Scripture that helped fortify Him against the wiles of the Devil in Matthew 4:1–10. Deuteronomy 6:13, 16; 8:3.

Deuteronomy 7:6–9.

What special things can you do for your family to show them that you love them and that they are special to you?

How can showing our love to the Lord bind us to Him?

9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

Reading: Deuteronomy 6-8

Deuteronomy 6: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/deut/6?lang=eng

Moses proclaims, The Lord our God is one Lord, and, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God—The children of Israel are commanded to teach their children—Moses exhorts them to keep the commandments, testimonies, and statutes of the Lord that they may prosper.

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

21 Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:

22 And the Lord shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:

23 And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.

24 And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.
25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us.

Deuteronomy 7: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/deut/7?lang=eng

Israel is to destroy the seven nations of Canaan—Marriages with them are forbidden lest apostasy result—Israel has a mission as a holy and chosen people—The Lord shows mercy unto those who love Him and keep His commandments—He promises to remove sickness from the children of Israel if they obey.

6 For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

 

12 ¶ Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

14 Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.

15 And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.

 

 Deuteronomy 8: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/deut/8?lang=eng

The Lord tested the children of Israel in the wilderness for forty years—Eating manna taught them that man lives by the word of God—Their clothing did not wear out—The Lord chastened them—If they serve other gods, they will perish.

1 All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers.

2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:

Individual Study: Helping the Needy: Deuteronomy 15

Do you have generous hands and a willing heart? Do you have charity? Do you serve out of love for the Lord and for your neighbor? What is your attitude towards service?

Deuteronomy 15: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/deut/15?lang=eng

Every seven years, all debts are to be released—The people are admonished to care for the poor—Hebrew servants are to be released and given gifts during the seventh year—The firstling males of herds and flocks are the Lord’s.

Vs 1-2 The Lord wants us to let go of debts, grudges, and wrongs committed against us? Am I doing that? Can I do it before seven years are up?

Remember that the Lord has always provided for your needs.

Vs 7-8 Am I freely giving of my substance to the poor?

Vs 10-11 There will always be poor. Care for them with a willing heart.

Slaves and servants also to be released the seventh year (unless they want to stay)

Individual Study: Jesus Raised Up Like Moses to Save His People: Deuteronomy 18

Peter, Nephi, Moroni, and the Savior Himself all commented on the prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:15–19: Jesus was the Prophet that was raised up like unto Moses.

How is the Savior like Moses?

Peter: Acts 3:20–23; Nephi: 1 Nephi 22:20–21; Jesus quoted from Acts 3 and Isaiah 11: Joseph Smith—History 1:40; Jesus testified of Himself: ; 3 Nephi 20:23).

Deuteronomy 18: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/deut/18?lang=eng

 

How priests are supported—Divination, spiritualism, and the like are abominations—A Prophet (Christ) will arise like unto Moses.

Vs 2 The Lord is the Levites inheritance.

Vs 5 Levi was chosen by the Lord to minister.

9 ¶ When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

Israel is to remain clean and holy before the Lord.

13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.

Whole, complete, clean.

15 ¶ The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

16 According to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

17 And the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?

22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

 

Family Study: Deuteronomy 29:

12 That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day:

13 That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

What does it mean to have a covenant relationship with God? How does the covenant bless us?

Deuteronomy 29: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/deut/29?lang=eng

The children of Israel make a covenant with the Lord under which they will be blessed if they are obedient, and cursed if they are disobedient—If they are disobedient, their land will be as brimstone and salt.

Vs 4 What do we need to do to obtain a heart that can perceive, eyes that can see, and ears that can hear?

Vs 7-8 The Lord was with Israel in their battles.

Vs 9 Keep covenants so that you’ll prosper.

Deuteronomy 30: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/deut/30?lang=eng

The scattered Israelites will be gathered from all nations when they remember the covenant—Moses places life or death, blessing or cursing, before the people.

Simba, remember who you are.

We don’t have to search far and wide to find the truth. We need to look to God and look in our own hearts.

14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

15 ¶ See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

16 In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

If we do well, we are blessed; if we choose evil, we’ll be cursed. The Lord offers us repentance, and we can be restored to Him again.

 

19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

This whole chapter is applicable to us in our day. We also need to learn to NOT look beyond the mark, but look to the Lord, keep His laws and commandments, cherish our covenant relationship with Him, and be nourished in the good word of God.

Person Study Deuteronomy 34: What happened to Moses?

Alma 45:18–19 These verses say that Alma was most likely translated like Moses was (buried by the hand of God, or taken unto Himself).

Under Moses in the Bible dictionary, we read:

It was necessary that he be translated, in order to have a body of flesh and bones at the time of the Transfiguration, since the Resurrection had not yet taken place. Had he been a spirit only, he could not have performed the work on the mount of giving the keys to the mortal Peter, James, and John (see D&C 129). See Matthew 17:1–13.

Moses came again to the earth on April 3, 1836, to the temple in Kirtland, Ohio, and conferred the keys of the gathering of Israel upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery (D&C 110), so that the keys of authority would once more be operative among men on the earth.

Translated Beings

Deuteronomy 34: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/deut/34?lang=eng

Moses sees the promised land and is taken by the Lord—Joshua leads Israel—Moses was Israel’s greatest prophet.

Jesus is Israel’s greatest Prophet.

4 And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.

5 ¶ So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.

Vs 6 but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.

Vs 7 Moses was 120 year old when he was translated.

9 ¶ And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses.