Though the idea of covenant (berit in Hebrew), to describe God’s relationship with His people, is found all through the Bible, this word appears so often in Deuteronomy that Deuteronomy has been called “The Book of the Covenant.”

Look at Deuteronomy 5:1-21. What is happening here that helps to show how central the idea of covenant (berit) is to the book of Deuteronomy?

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Not long after the children of Israel were redeemed from Egypt, God established the covenant with them, at Sinai, just before they were supposed to enter the Promised Land. Then, after a 40-year detour, just before they are again to enter the Promised Land, which was a central part of the covenantal promise (see Genesis 12:7, Exodus 12:25), through the mouthpiece of Moses, the Lord again gives them the Ten Commandments, a way to re-emphasize just how important it was for them to renew their covenant obligations, as well.

Yes, the Lord was going to fulfill His covenantal promises to them. Now, though, they are obligated to uphold their end of the deal: “So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone” (Deuteronomy 4:13). He did it at Sinai, and now He was doing it again, in Moab, just before they were to take the land promised to them through the promise made to the fathers centuries earlier, a manifestation of the “everlasting covenant” that preceded even the existence of the world.

“Before the foundations of the earth were laid, the Father and the Son had united in a covenant to redeem man if he should be overcome by Satan. They had clasped Their hands in a solemn pledge that Christ should become the surety for the human race.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 834.

Read Deuteronomy 5:3. How do we make sense of this verse?

What was Moses saying to them? Most likely Moses was emphasizing the fact that their fathers were now gone, and the wonderful covenantal promises made to the fathers were now being made to them. This could have been Moses’ way of letting them know that they should not mess up, as the previous generation had done. The promises (and obligations) are now theirs.

<–Monday Wednesday–>

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Key Thought: All through the Bible the covenant and the gospel appear together. The central truth of the covenant was the gospel: salvation by faith.
October 16, 2021

1. Have a volunteer read Deuteronomy 9:5, 27.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. What do these verses tell us about the covenant promises made?
3. Personal Application: Since we are saved by grace through faith, what role does the law play in our lives today? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “Does God overlook and excuse our sins because we have accepted Him as our Savior and become His children? Did He excuse and overlook Israel’s sins in the desert?” How would you respond to your friend?

2. Have a volunteer read Deuteronomy 5:1-7.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. What shows how central the idea of the covenant is to the book of Deuteronomy?
3. Personal Application: Do we look at this covenant as pertaining to us as Israel today? How different is this covenant from the new covenant in Hebrews 8:10 and 10:16? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states: “Why did Moses say that the covenant was not with their fathers, but with them, and they are here today? How do I make sense out of this verse?“ How would you respond to your relative?

3. Have a volunteer read Deuteronomy 26:16-19.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. How is the covenant relationship between God and Israel summed up?
3. Personal Application: Share your thoughts
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “What does it mean that God wanted Israel to be a holy people? Can anyone ever really be holy? Keeping God’s commandments even from a heart of love is impossible for sinful beings. So what is God’s expectation for holiness?” How would you respond to your friend?

4. Have a volunteer read Deuteronomy 8:5, 14:1, 32:6.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. What kind of imagery here reflects the kind of relationship God wants for His people?
3. Personal Application: How do you look at God? What kind of relationship do you have with Him??” Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

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