On Jordan's Stormy Banks

These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea. In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him in commandment to them, after he had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth and in Edrei. Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this law, saying,

“These are the words”, this is the Hebrew name for the book we call Deuteronomy. These are the words of Moses. More importantly, these are the words of the Lord, which God gave Moses to speak to His people Israel. Because, we who are Gentiles have been grafted into Israel by our faith in Christ, these are the words spoken to us!

With this is mind, is it not odd that very few Christians read or seriously study the book of Deuteronomy? It is not only the laity, but the clergy are neglecting Deuteronomy as well. It is difficult to find sermons preached from Deuteronomy. This neglect is odd when you consider the fact that it was Jesus’ favorite book. He cited it more than any other book. The Apostles loved it as well, they cite it often.

My goal this morning is to get you excited about reading and studying the book of Deuteronomy. Perhaps by the end of this series it will be one of your favorite books as well. I have entitled my message this morning, “On Jordan’s Stormy Bank”. I have done so because it was upon the banks of the Jordan that Moses preached this series of sermons and because the book of Deuteronomy addresses many of the issues that trouble the church and individual Christians in today’s world.

With this in mind, this sermon has three parts:

Moses on Jordan’s Stormy Bank

The Church on Jordan’s Storm Bank

You on Jordan’s Storm Bank

We begin with Moses:

Moses on Jordan’s Stormy Banks

One of the most important reasons we should read and study the book of Deuteronomy is because it is Moses’ farewell sermon to Israel. Moses was Israel’s Pastor-Teacher. Like any good pastor, he loved his congregation. Throughout this book, there is a reoccurring refrain:

Read so that you may hear.

Hear that you may learn.

Learn that you may fear the Lord.

Fear the Lord that you may live!

Moses preached this sermon in order that God’s people might live in God’s blessing! Do you want to live in God’s blessing? If you do, you need to read, that you might hear, that you might learn, that you might fear, that you might live!

One of the messages in this series will be entitled, “The Gospel According to Moses”. Yes, you heard me right—Gospel! Deuteronomy is filled with God’s grace. Nowhere in this book is it taught that we are saved by obedience to the law. In fact, the book makes it plain that no one is free from the curse of disobeying God’s law; and this includes Moses; who was not able to cross the Jordan because of his sin! In any effective Gospel presentation, the first thing you want people to understand is that they cannot save themselves. This is what Moses does in the book of Deuteronomy; but it is not the only thing he does. His final word to Israel is not about the curse of our sin, but blessing of God’s grace!

Deuteronomy 33:29 ESV

Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their backs.”

This brings us to the second reason we should read and study the book of Deuteronomy. The book of Deuteronomy addresses

The Church on Jordan’s Stormy Banks

One of the troubling storms facing the church today is the authority of Scripture. Interestingly enough, the book of Deuteronomy is ground zero in this battle. Starting in the 19th Century, the authorship of Moses was questioned. At that time, German biblical scholars began to circulate the idea that Deuteronomy was written at the time of King Josiah. This is a devastating attack, because it makes Jesus and the Apostles liars, because they taught Moses wrote Deuteronomy. It is undermining the authority of Scripture and Jesus is what destroyed the mainline church and still currently destroying the Evangelical Church.

As we go through this series, I am going to expose the false teachings of these liberal scholars and strengthen your faith in the authority of Scripture.

Another troubling storm that threatens the church today concerns the relationship between the church and Israel, the Old Covenant and the New and the role the law is to play in the believer’s life. I have already alluded to this in suggesting some by be surprised by a sermon I will preach in this series entitled, “The Gospel According to Moses”. Sadly, for most Christians, the Old Testament is a dead book, but listen to how the Apostles spoke of it:

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Hebrews 4:12 ESV

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

When these words were being written, the “Scripture” they were referring to was primarily the Old Testament. I often hear people say, I want to belong to a New Testament church, meaning by this they want to belong to a church that does things the way the First Century church did, but these same Christians never read their Old Testaments! That just does not make sense; the early church read and loved the Old Testament. My hope in this series is that the Old Testament will come alive for you as well!

I now want to turn briefly to the third reason we should read and study the book of Deuteronomy:

You on Jordan’s Stormy Banks

One of the biggest storms we all face is moving forward after we have sinned. Moses begins his sermon by recounting Israel’s sin and God’s grace. Past sins can paralyze us. We feel so ashamed, so unworthy and such a failure. Our confidence in ourselves is broken. As we will see, Moses says to Israel, “Good, now look to God’s grace and His promises.” After forty years the Promised Land was still filled with giants and fortified cities, and today the land on the other side of our Jordan is still filled with giants and fortified cities. The only way forward is still only by God’s grace and faith in His power to fulfill His promises.

One of the most important words in the book of Deuteronomy is “hear”. This word is “shema” in Hebrew. Shema means much more than to audibly hear something, it means to hear and respond!

Remember the pattern I spoke of earlier: Read so that you may hear (shema). Hear that you may learn. Learn that you may fear the Lord. Fear the Lord that you may live!

It has been said, “The person who truly fears God, has nothing else to fear.” What are giants and high walls compared to the Creator of Heaven and Earth!

The blessed life promised by the Old Covenant has not been destroyed, it has been fulfilled. Jesus said,

Matthew 5:17 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

And...

John 10:10 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Deuteronomy was a sermon preached to sojourners, not settlers. They had not conquered and settled down, and neither have we. We are bound for the Promise Land and before us lays a deep and stormy river. Deuteronomy will teach us the type of faith that carries us safely across that storm river!

In a moment, we are going to sing that great old hymn, On Jordan’s Stormy Banks. As we sing it, remember that we should read and study the book of Deuteronomy because on those storm shores once stood Moses preaching his farewell sermon to the church universal and to every individual believer—including you!

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