Deuteronomy 9

• Deuteronomy 9:1-6 – Not due to Israel’s righteousness
  • Deuteronomy 9:4-5 – They were allowed to take the land because of the evil of the nations that were in the land. God was delivering justice and keeping His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
  • Titus 3:4
• Deuteronomy 9:7-29 – Remembering Israel’s failures
  • Deuteronomy 9:16-21 – Moses broke the tablets because he was so angry with their sins.
  • Exodus 32:9-10, 30
  • Deuteronomy 9:22 – See Numbers 11, 13-14.

Deuteronomy 10

• Deuteronomy 10:1-11 – Two more tablets.
  • First two tablets
    • God provided tablets – Exodus 24:12
    • God wrote on tablets – Exodus 31:18
  • Second two tablets
    • Moses cut tablets – Exodus 34:1
    • God wrote on tablets – Exodus 34:1, 28; Deuteronomy 10:4
• Deuteronomy 10:12-22 – God’s love for Israel
  • Deuteronomy 10:12-13 – Compare Micah 6:8; John 14:15; I John 5:3.

Deuteronomy 11

• Deuteronomy 11:1-9 – This generation needs to obey.
  • See Deuteronomy 6:5; 10:12; 11:1; 13:3; 30:6 – Love God!
• Deuteronomy 11:10-17 – God will bless the land with rain.
  • Deuteronomy 11:10-12 – They had to irrigate their crops in Egypt, but in Canaan they would receive rain.
  • Deuteronomy 11:23-25 – They would defeat stronger nations because God was with them.
  • Deuteronomy 11:26-29 – See Joshua 8:33-35.

Review of the text

• John 6:9-11
• John 6:22-27
• Figures of speech in John
  • Physical vs. spiritual
    • John 3:3-7
    • John 4:13-14
    • John 4:31-34
    • John 7:37-38
    • John 8:31-36
    • John 8:38-39, 44
    • John 6:31-35 – Physical bread vs. spiritual bread.
• John 6:44-46 – In v45, it is those who have heard and learned from God that came to Jesus. It was not a miraculous intervention.
• John 6:51-58 – Jesus is the living bread from heaven.
  • The phrases about eating His flesh and drinking His blood are about consuming the teaching that Jesus brought to the world.
    • I Corinthians 1:22

Observations

Check your motive.

• John 6:26, 25, 59-63, 66-68

This is not teaching transubstantiation.

• Matthew 26:26-28
• This teaching is not in the text. Jesus was still there when He said to eat His flesh.
• Drinking blood was not permitted under the Law of Moses.
• This is a figure of speech!

You can learn a lot from reading.

What about David?

• Still young – mid 20s
• Saul still king
  • David already anointed
  • Goliath killed
  • David on the run from Saul
  • Saul had 85 priests killed
  • David spared Saul’s life at Engedi
  • Samuel dies
• I Samuel 25
• David just back from sparing Saul
• Still hiding out
• Considerate of Nabal and his men
• Sends emissaries to Nabal
  • We’ve been good to your shepherds
  • Let us eat from your leftovers

David itching for a fight

• What kind of people did David hang out with?
  • David himself a fighter
    • Lion
    • Bear
    • Goliath
  • Jonathan
  • David’s mighty men
    • II Samuel 23

Abigail acts

• This is the first she’s heard
  • Nabal had insulted the greatest warfighter in Israel
  • Didn’t bother to tell his wife
  • Now she’s hearing it for the first time
• Time to act
  • No delay
  • No holding back
• David and Abigail meet on the trail
  • David still fuming
  • Totally set for a fight
  • Vows death and destruction
  • Abigail shows humility and contriteness
  • Begs David’s audience

Abigail’s plea to David

• Plays down Nabal’s importance
  • He is as his name – foolish folly
  • No need to heed
• Takes blame again
• Calls David’s intent sinful – without calling it sinful
• Calls all of David’s enemies worthless
• Shows that she listens well
• Blesses David
• Appeals to what David knows well

David relents

• Abigail acknowledges David’s kingship
  • Reminds David of the sinful nature of his quest
  • Asks David to remember her when God blesses him
• David thanks God for sending Abigail to him
  • Admits his quest was wrong in God’s eyes
  • Notes the harm he had been determined to do

Aftermath

• David takes the gifts, sends Abigail home
• Finds Nabal
  • Feasting, acting the happy drunk
  • Abigail keeps her silence
  • Waits until morning
• Hangover comes
  • Abigail tells all
  • Nabal catatonic
  • Dies ten days later

Epilogue

• David learns from Abigail
  • Acts quickly at the news of Nabal
  • Acknowledges being blessed by Abigail’s intervention
  • Proclaims that Nabal’s death was at God’s hand
  • Proposes remotely to Abigail
• Abigail’s response
  • Not arrogant at her new position
  • Totally humble
  • Quick to go
  • Begins a life of adventure with David

[Note: In this lesson, David talks about Jesus in the past tense, referring to His human existence on earth. In the spiritual sense, Jesus still exists and has always existed. -MRW]

Introduction

• Matthew 16:13-14

He was a real person who lived 2,000 years ago.

• Luke 1:1-5; 2:7; 3:23
• Tacitus wrote about Christians in the first century.

He was the Son of God who lived in a human body.

• John 1:1-5
• Jesus was not simply a wise teacher. He is God’s son.

He introduced a new covenant into the world.

• God had a covenant with Israel, which had been in place for about 1500 years when Jesus arrived.
• John 1:17
• The Old Covenant was meant to be temporary. The New Covenant is better in every way and open to everyone.
• Hebrews 8:1-13

He came to be our Savior.

• I John 4:9-14

He performed miracles to prove His claims.

• Luke 5:18-26
• His followers were persecuted and killed.

He was crucified as a sacrifice for our sins.

• Mark 15:24-39
• Ephesians 1:7

He rose from the dead.

• Mark 16:1-8
• I Corinthians 15:17

He ascended to heaven.

• Acts 1:1-11

His apostles spread their eyewitness testimony.

• Acts 1:8, 21
• I John 1:1-14

He will judge the world in the end.

• Matthew 25:31-46

Deuteronomy 6

• Deuteronomy 6:1-9 – Love God and teach your kids.
  • There is only one God! Love and worship Him only.
  • Deuteronomy 6:4-5 – This section is called the “shema” and is recited day and night by orthodox Jews still today.
  • Matthew 22:35-38
  • Some say that the Old Covenant was external and the New Covenant is internal, but God has always cared about the heart.
    • Genesis 6:5
  • Kids can smell hypocrisy from a mile away, so you must serve God yourself if you want to teach your kids to do so.
  • Deuteronomy 6:6-7 – Spiritual discussions should happen all the time.
  • Deuteronomy 6:8-9 – Compare Proverbs 3:3. This was figurative language.
• Deuteronomy 6:10-12 – When you get blessed, don’t forget God.
• Deuteronomy 6:13-19 – Fear God and obey.
• Deuteronomy 6:20-25 – “When your son also asks you …”

Deuteronomy 7

• Deuteronomy 7:1-5 – Don’t merge with idolatrous nations.
  • God had likely sent prophet after prophet to these sinful nations.
• Deuteronomy 7:6-11 – God chose you and blessed you, so obey Him!
  • I Peter 2:9-12 – Christians are now God’s chosen people.
• Deuteronomy 7:12-26 – God will bless you, just don’t be ensnared by sin!

Deuteronomy 8

• Deuteronomy 8:1-5 – God tested Israel.
  • Deuteronomy 8:3 – Quoted in Matthew 4 when Jesus is tempted.
• Deuteronomy 8:6-20 – Don’t forget God.