Deuteronomy 19

“But if anyone hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises against him and strikes him mortally, so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities," v.11

Read chapter 19
We read again of the cities of refuge.  These cities were for someone that accidentally killed someone and could flee there till they stood trail and then when found guilty could live there until the high priest that passed that judgment died.  It was a place for protection for the accidental man-slayer.  This was not a refuge for someone that purposefully killed someone, "hates his neighbor" "lies in wait for him."  This one was to receive capital punishment, death.  
There's something to play close attention to here and that is the word for mortally in the Hebrew.  The Hebrew word is nephesh which means soul.  Many people say the soul cannot die, but here it seems otherwise.  The soul is put for the man and if the man dies the soul is therefore dead too.  We have to remember that the soul is not immortal for God alone is immortal (1 Tim. 6:16).  From a word study on all the occurrences of nephesh by Bible Teacher Nathan Johnson, he concluded (Soul word study):

A soul is:
1. Any living creature of the land, sea, or air.
2. Any of the above creatures after they are dead.
3. What man is as a product of his body and his breath of life being mixed together.
4. The blood of men, or something connected to the blood of men.
5. People.
6. A person’s self or being.
7. A dead person.
8. The emotions, strong feelings, desires, and appetites of men.

The soul will die, but if we have the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior we know that it will live again (John 11:24).   This is contrary to many religions of the soul dying?  How do you perceive the life and death of the soul?

Deuteronomy 18

"And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’—  when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him." vv.21-22

Read chapter 18
It is a good question to ask, "how should we know if someone is a true prophet or not."  Here it says that if their prophesy comes true or not is a sign.  Yet we have to remember that there are false prophets too that can make things come true, but at best their prophesies come to pass 75-80% of the time, whereas God's prophesies through His prophets come true 100% of the time.  Every time anyone speaks the words of God it should always be tested with scripture.  Then they didn't have the Bible to always refer to but Moses had given them the Ten Commandments and warnings of how to know of false prophets according to God's words in Deuteronomy 13:1-5.  He also said in verse twenty of chapter eighteen that the prophet who speaks falsely in God's name shall die.  
So how do we test today?  Well first we must remember that prophesies have ceased today for a time, "But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part.  But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away" (1 Corinthians 13:8-10).  Also we must ask do they confess that Jesus Christ came as God in the flesh and died for our sins and rose again?  For the true message will always exhort Jesus Christ.  In this time of silence of God it can be confusing or hard not to hear His outloud spoken voice, but we have His word in our hands to hear Him now.  How have "prophesies" today confused you?

Deuteronomy 17

“When you come to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,’ you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses...But he shall not multiply horses for himself...Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself...he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God..." vv.14-19

Read chapter 17
Do these characteristics of a king they should watch out for remind you of anyone?  Someone who multiplied horses?  Someone who had multiple wives?  Someone who multiplied silver and gold for himself?  Solomon was the king that came to my mind.  

When it came to horses:

• 1 Samuel 4:26, "Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen."

When it came to wives:

• 1 Kings 11:3, "he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart."

When it came to gold:

• 1 Kings 10:14, "The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,"  

Now as far as multiplying silver and gold for himself, it's hard to say if that was specifically Solomon, for God made him rich as a gift because Solomon asked for wisdom.  All these characteristics we do see in other kings as well, so should have been a sign over and over again of what the Lord warned them against in having a king over them.  Notice it wasn't God who wanted to set a king over Israel, but the people wanted a king to be like the other nations.  They wanted someone else to make the decisions, someone to take the lead, someone to rule over them.  How much do we want that too?  As much as we love our free will sometimes we just want someone to tell us what to do.  But of course if we don't like it then we complain against that authority.  What about now with the USA choosing the next president soon and from a Christian point a view neither seems like a godly leader, so how do you choose the lesser of two evils?  We need government and authority even in this fallen world.  It's important to vote for who that president will be as we listen to what they proclaim, how they act, and what they believe.  Don't just sit back and think God's going to  do it all, for as Ben Carson said, "One of the ways God controls it is through us."

Deuteronomy 16

“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the Lord your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment.  You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous." vv.18-19

Read chapter 16
The gates was where the local town council sat as the basic unit of government.  This is where business was conducted and seats of judgment set up at this city entrance for judges, officers and elders.  We see this in Ruth 4 when Boaz meets with other elders of the city in the seats that were set up at the city gate to discuss a matter.  These judges and officers were to judge with just judgment, not perverting the the law which in Hebrew it's literally "regard faces."  The were to accuse and judge according to what the person did and not who the person was.  Unfortunately that is exactly what happened of judges showing partiality, taking bribes, letting rich rob the poor, not obeying the laws of the sabbath year or year of jubilee that all ultimately led to their downfall and God sending time in to captivity.  In places of leadership, spiritual character and truth is far more important than popularity, talent or wealth.  This is the opposite of what we are seeing today in who's leading in the presidential nominations.   

Deuteronomy 15

"It shall not seem hard to you when you send him away free from you; for he has been worth a double hired servant in serving you six years. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do." v.18

Read chapter 15
This is a repeat of the law, but with an addition that masters were to send provisions with them as their earnings once they were set free after six years.  The difference in the hired servant and the slave was a great contrast.  The hired servant earned wages, were hired yearly for at most three years (Lev. 25:53).  The slave, or bondservant, did not receive wages except for food and housing and served for six years.  The difference of both time and money was double profit to the owner of the slave than the hired servant.  So when the master sets his servant free he should not grumble and give freely the abundance that the Lord has blessed him with.  Masters were not to harden their heart towards giving (v.7) to the poor of their brethren or their slaves (which were foreigners as the Israelites were not to enslave their fellow Jews, Lev.25:39-43).  The slave could've fallen in love with their master or felt secure staying there and could commit to him for life by putting an awl through his or her ear, but that was a decision of the slave not the master.  Now we don't have slaves here in the United States today, but flip it the other way and realize we're bondservants to Christ as we see Paul refer to himself so often (see Phil. 1, Titus 1).  We may not earn wages from Him in this life, but we are provided for and our treasure is in heaven.  We are the bondservants that have committed to Christ our Master not just for six years but forever!  

Deuteronomy 14

"But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses.  And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household." vv.24-26

Read chapter 14
Moses repeats the tithe commandment in this chapter after he just mentioned tithing in chapter 12.  Giving is sometimes a thing that people need to be reminded of more than other commands, apparently and obviously.  The Israelites were to tithe a tenth of their produce for the Levites and every year by bringing it to Jerusalem and a second offering every three years for Levites, orphans, widows, strangers.  If the yearly offering of going to Jerusalem was too difficult a journey the Lord allowed them to sell it for money and spend it on whatever their heart desires for feasting before the Lord, as a thanksgiving feast that would be reminded to fear the Lord always (v.23).  To spend the money on their heart's desires wasn't for material things, or a vacation, but for provision of food to celebrate in a place more suitable for them if they couldn't make it all the way to Jerusalem.  The could get what was pleasing to their appetite and possibly treats that they normally didn't eat. Carrying money was obviously a lighter load than a tenth of all produce of the land.  How great does this show that the Lord's commands are not to be burdensome, but provision is shown for those that cannot meet the command that the still may offer and celebrate.
Do you need to be reminded often to give freely?  Do you treat yourself occasionally as a rejoicing and reminder to fear the Lord?

Deuteronomy 13

“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,  and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’  you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." vv.1-3

Read chapter 13
You see a miraculous event and give God the glory, but did you know that Satan can do miraculous events too?  "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders," (2 Thessalonians 2:9).
Now this chapter isn't necessarily saying that the prophet or dreamer of dreams was of Satan, although could be a false prophet, but how this man that had a God-given task as a mediator and spoke of things that would happen and it did, then turned away from the Lord and could possibly take a following of others.  Why would a prophet give a true message followed by an invitation to worship idols?  Did pride get to them, did they desire to have their own following, greed for money and power?  This is a lot of ways we see cults created where a religious leader breaks away from their organization and brings a following that have been caught up in signs and wonders than truth.  Who are these followers?  Lazy people that want to base off of feelings than put in the effort to seek answers, unstable people who blindly follow others.  There will always be lazy and unstable people who will not test things according to God's word.  "We don't test the message by supernatural events, we test the message by God's word" (Warren Wiersbe).  Moses had warned the Israelites to not follow false gods of the Canaanites in the land they were about to enter, but in this chapter he is warning them against their own people that will try to get them to follow idols.  God allows these things to happen to test us (not tempt us).  
How have you seen a highly respected Christian leader turn a following away to idols?  How can you test the eye and mind of supernatural events with God's truth?

Deuteronomy 12

“But you shall seek the place where the Lord your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go." v.5

Read chapter 12
SHEKINAH, Hebrew word "to dwell" or "tabernacle."  Throughout the time of the book of Genesis God walked with some of His people such as Abraham and Enoch, but He told Moses that He wanted to dwell with His people (Ex. 25:8), so the tabernacle was built and traveled with Israel through the wilderness.  The tabernacle was the center of all activity in the Israelite camp.  Now in Deuteronomy as they enter the new land they are not to compare or seek God in all their temples and worship places the Canaanites had set up for their gods, but to set up one place, one altar where they are to set the ark of the tabernacle and altar to sacrifice to God; which became Shiloh and then Jerusalem.  This one place signified one God and the one way to communicate with God.

The purpose of the command of the text is to secure the unity, and through unity the purity of the worship of God. That there should be one national center for the religion of the people was obviously essential to the great ends of the whole dispensation. Corruption began as soon as the precepts of the text were relaxed or neglected: Compare the case of Gideon, Judges 8:27; of Micah, Judges 18; of Jeroboam, 1 Kings 12:26 ff. (Benson Commentary)

Today we don't have a tabernacle that we go to to worship for the Lord God is tabernacling among us. "Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love" (Eph. 3:17).
Christ is in us as believers no matter where we choose to go, but we can still seek the place the Lord our God chooses us to dwell for His glory and not our own so that we have unity and purity of worship to God.  

Deuteronomy 11

“Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess,  and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord swore to give your fathers, to them and their descendants, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’" vv.8-9

Read chapter 11
The word 'land' occurs a dozen times in this chapter.  It is referring to the land of Canaan that Israel was about to go in and possess.  It is not only the Promised Land but "it was also the "land of promises" because that land God would fulfill many of the promises relating to His great gift of salvation for the whole world.  The land of Israel would be the state on which the great drama of redemption would be enacted.  There the Savior would be born and live and there he would die for the sins of the world" (Be Equipped, Warren Wiersbe).  
They were to keep God's commandments, not as some burdensome task as most people today look on the law of Moses but to them it was a delight and for their safety.  Keeping the Lord's commands made them strong (v.8).  Sin we know weakens the body and mind, but living according to God's plan gave them strength as to health in body and courageous in mind.  When Moses says that it would 'prolong your days' this didn't necessarily mean they would live for a really long time, although it was promised that they would go in and possess it, but also that each day would be full of abundance. How have you seen your days richer when you walk in God's ways? 
We can't claim God's promises just by hanging up scripture on our walls or wearing a cross around our neck which is much easier and the danger of most Christians today, but a lot harder to hide His word in our heart that we might not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11).

Deuteronomy 10

"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe." v.17

Read chapter 10
We get a list of characteristics of Jehovah, which one of my favorite worship songs quotes.
God of gods-->  this doesn't mean that there are many different gods but the Hebrew word is elohim which can mean God or judges or rulers.  Jehovah is the Ruler of all rulers of the earth.
Lord of lords-->  Jehovah is above all kings and princes and presidents of all time.
Great God-->  His perfect nature
Mighty-->  this is the first time we see the Hebrew word El Gibbor.  He's the strongest to help, protect and defend His people
Awesome-->  He is the most awe-inspiring, jaw dropping, reverence deserving One
Shows no partiality-->  God shows undeserved favor- grace
Takes no bribes--> no justice is averted from Him
So why is this here in Deuteronomy?  To remind Israel of the God they serve as they enter a new land that will try to lead them away and so they wouldn't forget the way God revealed Himself specifically to Israel those forty years in the wilderness.  Which of these characteristics of God do you need to be reminded of today?

Deuteronomy 9

"Hear, O Israel: You are to cross over the Jordan today, and go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven,  a people great and tall, the descendants of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the descendants of Anak?’" vv.1-2

Read chapter 9
Moses continues in the chapter of his exhortation remember the sins of the wilderness.  He tells them they are about to cross over the Jordan and defeat the Anakim of what the ten spies were so afraid of.  The configuration of the first verse can be punctuated like so  read more like, "Hear, O Israel today..."  as it wasn't that very day that they crossed over the Jordan and entered the land.  This was to emphasize in hearing him right now, right this moment of the promise and what was to happen.  Jesus uses this form of speech as well when he says in Luke 23, "Assuredly I say to you today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Depending on where you put the comma changes when this did or will happen and is not something we know for sure yet when this took or will take place.
Now the Anakim were the part man part angle people, as we read of many peoples like these back in chapter 2.  It was well know apparently that no man could defeat them as the saying spread throughout many nations of 'who can stand before the descendants of Anak?'  Anak was a well know descendant of the nephilim after the flood (Gen. 6) and we can read about him and his descendants in Numbers 13.

Moses represents the strength of the enemies they were now to encounter. This was to drive them to God, and engage their hope in him. He assures them of victory, by the presence of God with them. He cautions them not to have the least thought of their own righteousness, as if that procured this favour at God's hand. (Matthew Henry)

How is Christ your strength of enemies you encounter that seem undefeated?  We must remember it is not of ourselves, our own strength, our own righteousness  but it is for wickedness that God drives them out.

Deuteronomy 8

"So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.  Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. " vv.3-4

Read chapter 8
God allows us to hunger?  Yes, so that we can see the need for food for without food we would eventually die.   So just as God wants us to hunger for Him, that we need Him for survival.  Jesus quoted verse three of of Deuteronomy when He was fighting the devil being tempted to turn rocks into bread because He was hungry, but said, "Man shall not live by bread alone; but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4).  Today man can't go long without eat before he dies; Ghandi once fasted 21 days when he was 70 years old but average length a person could go without any food is 12-14 days.  This verse will become fully true in God's Kingdom that literally will die when they don't have God's Word flowing through them.  
An incredible miracle is noted here if you pay close attention: their clothes and shoes didn't wear out and feet never sore after 40 years of wandering in the desert!  How many, if any, shoes or clothes have lasted you 40 years?  And they weren't just living city life but desert wilderness environment that probably got a lot dirtier and rougher use than most of our typical day use.  I'm not scything they wore the same clothes for forty years but they probably didn't all have a full wardrobe of clothes and shoes to change from often.  God is showing how He preserved them healthily to enter the Promised Land. So "the way" that we may be on in our own lives may seem long and require constant need of renewal, God provides us garments of joy through His son Jesus that will carry us through stronger in the end.

Deuteronomy 7

"The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;  but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers" vv.7-8

Read chapter 7
Isn't it nice to know why we are chosen sometimes by friends, a spouse, a job, etc?  Especially when it's not because of who are parents are or older siblings but just simply because of who we are.  When to the world we're not the best fit but to God we are even when we can't understand it.  I always love the quote, 

"To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world."

So with the Israelites they were chosen to be a set apart, holy people to God from all the other nations of the world, and this was not because they were a great nation already for God made the promise to only one man, Abraham, before they even became a great nation.  And even Abraham's son Ishmael had twelve sons who all became kings over nations that always seemed to have been in the land before Israel ever was, they were advancing more quickly than Israel it seems; Israel was the least of all peoples.

They were chosen by God not because of anything they had done or deserved or any motive on their part but only because God loved them. Can you think of someone that has chosen you not because of anything you've done or deserved?  Is there someone you love not based on any standards other than love?  Do you realize God has that same love for you too?  He chose you not because of anything you did but because He loves you period.

Deuteronomy 6

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." vv.6-9

Read chapter 6
Diligence in teaching children The Way is important and a lot of work and time as it's to be done frequently, earnestly, discreetly.  But not only should we teach and talk about the Lord and His word with our families but with people in our every day life as these verses describe.  Do you talk about scripture when... 

• you sit in your house?
• you walk outside or around town?
• before you go to bed or fall asleep?
• first thing in the morning?
• basically all day long?

Why does it seem so hard or unnatural or not even cross their minds for Christians to talk about scripture wherever and whenever? 

Writing verses on your hand or forehead can be taken metaphorically today as a place of reminder.

By the Jews this custom was followed; and they regarded it as authorized by the injunction of Moses in this passage. Taking his words literally, they had their tôtâphoth and their mezuzah, the former of which - the phylacteries of the New Testament - were strips of parchment, on which passages of the Law (Exodus 13:2-10, 11-17; Deuteronomy 6:4-10, 13-22) were written, and these, enclosed in a box, were bound on the forehead and left wrist, and worn at prayers by the worshippers; the latter a slip of parchment, on which were written certain passages of Scripture (vers. 4-9; Deuteronomy 11:13-21), and which, enclosed in a reed or cylinder, was fixed on the right-hand doorpost of every room in the house 

Think of creative ways that you can talk about scripture whether it be where you have scripture written in your house or why you have a verse written on a piece of paper in your pocket.

Deuteronomy 5

"I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!" vv.28-29

Read chapter 5
Right after the Israelites hear the ten commandments again from Moses the people are in awe and terrified that by hearing the voice of the Lord they shall die for He's a consuming fire.  The Lord heard their words to Moses and said what they say is true and He is happy at their honor and reverence by these words, yet know that this mindset won't last.  That's what God wants though, a heart after Him, one that desires holiness for true happiness.  Oh that all of us sinners would have a heart to fear God and keep His commandments forever!  God will give us those new hearts one day, Jeremiah 32:39-40 says, " then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.  And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. "
What stage is your heart in right now?  Do you fear the Lord or fear man more? Do you desire holiness to find true happiness?

Deuteronomy 4

“For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?..Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren," vv.7,9

Read chapter 4
What a praise and honor Moses shouts out saying 'What great nation is there that has God so near'!  Israel was so blessed and unworthy of God choosing them of all the nations on earth to be so close to them and hear, answer and guide them unlike any other nation.  Praise the Lord that today He has given this gift not to just Israel anymore but to all people and nations that will call on and believe in His Son Jesus.  And for whatever reason we may continue to pray and go to Him!
The section of this chapter calls to worship the Lord without images, the invisible God.  And to do this we are to keep our souls diligently.   The Hebrew for yourself here is nephesh (soul). To do this we are to care, caution and be watchful.  They way we live or don't live for God will show repercussions to the next generation.  We can't just hope they'll figure it out but must be taught and trained and see the passion and dedication in their parents that it's contagious and desired by their kids.  By so living we will train our children and grandchildren.  Moses then later says that they will fall away from serving God (verses 25-31) but that God will not forsake them.  When we're fighting upstream against the flow of this world today, God knows at some time or other we will grow tired of swimming upstream and go with the flow but that He will still remain faithful to His children.
How can you diligently keep your soul and teach the next generation?

Deuteronomy 3

"'I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.’ 'But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me: ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter.' " vv.25-26

Read chapter 3
All of the sudden we start reading in the first person than the third person in this chapter.  Moses, the writer of Deuteronomy, is using "I" and "me" referring to himself.  This chapter ends with Moses praying and asking God if he may enter the promised land even though he was told he wouldnt back in Numbers 20 when God said, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”  God responds to his prayer with both anger and mercy.  Anger possibly because Moses had a complaining, pitiful cry or because Moses couldn't or wouldn't let go of the leadership and task that he had been in charge of all these 40 plus years or because of judgement and decision by that had already been made.  Mercy because God allowed Moses to see with his eyes the land yet not enter it.   
We all have a longing to witness further manifestations of God's goodness and working yet it's not always for us to be a part of.  Moses had trained up Joshua for many years and it was time to fully pass the baton now and trust through faith.

If God does not by his providence give us what we desire, yet if by his grace he makes us content without, it comes to much the same.

Deuteronomy 2

"The Emim had dwelt there in times past, a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim...the Horites formerly dwelt in Seir, but the descendants of Esau dispossessed them...That was also regarded as a land of giants; giants formerly dwelt there. But the Ammonites call them Zamzummim,  a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim...And the Avim, who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza." vv.10,12,20-21,23

Read chapter 2
Do you remember about the nephilim?  Nephilim were descendants of the fallen angles that came down and had relations with women (Genesis 6).  They were all destroyed in the Flood but then there was another irruption of nephilim after (Genesis 6:4).  Many were called giants, Hebrew rephaim which most likely came from Rapha a well known descendant of the Nephilim.  So we still read of these people here in Deuteronomy with other names: Emim, Hornites, Zamzummim, Avim.  We first see of these people in Genesis 14 during the time of Abraham, "In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, and the Horites in their mountain of Seir."  This was Satan's scheme to destroy the line for the Messiah to come by mixed relations of fallen angles and women.  So why the Lord commanded Israel to utterly destroy these people to stop their lineage.  The Lord gave victory to these other nations of descendants of Lot, Esau and others so to destroy these giants, not just being Israel to destroy them.  
We don't have the nephilim or any form of them today, praise the Lord, but we still have Satan working trying to destroy the children of God.  How have you seen nonbeliever help destroy Satan's schemes that they don't even realize they're helping God's people out?

Deuteronomy 1

"It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea. 3 Now it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him as commandments to them, " vv.2-3

Read chapter 1
Deuteronomy is the fifth and last book of the Pentateuch, no scroll ever seen with more than these five books.   Deuteronomy means "the words" and sure enough we have the last words of Moses throughout this book as he spoke unto the Israelites before they enter the promised land.  He reminds them of the law, of their rebellion, of how God provided. 
At the start of this chapter it's noted that it is an eleven day journey from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea, yet it took them way longer than that.  Kadesh Barnea is where Moses sent the spies to spy out the land in Numbers 13.

The Children of Israel had traveled south from Egypt to Mount Sinai, which is in the southern portion of the Sinai peninsula. After eleven months there, they journeyed north to Kadesh-barnea, which is right at the southern border of the Promised Land.
They can see it. They can taste it. They can smell it. They can touch it. It is right there! They are right on the border of where God has been intending to take them.
From Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea—Mount Sinai where the law was given, to Kadesh right at the border of the Promised Land—is 150 miles or so. According to Deuteronomy 1, this is an eleven-day journey on foot. But that journey—they come to Kadesh but they end up being in and around Kadesh and not getting into the Promised Land for another thirty-eight years.
God intended they go from Sinai to Kadesh and into the Promised Land, an eleven-day journey; they should have been in. (Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Revive Our Hearts)

If we could see how something was all going to work out we wouldnt need faith, especially if we knew something would take 40 years verses 11 days depending on how we chose.  When have you realized a long round about way of coming to God's promises that could have been much shorter if you would have obeyed God in the first place?

Numbers 35

“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,  then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there.'" vv.10-11

Read chapter 35
Cities of refuge.  A place that provided protection for one who killed someone unintentionally.  The murderer may flee to one of these six cities till stood trial.  Even if they're acquitted they must then still stay and live in the city of refuge till the high priest dies.  So only by the death of Jesus our High Priest are sinners liberated.  These cities had to be easy to get to so we see three placed on each side of Jordan River.  Just like us when we sin accidentally or knowingly with repentance in our heart are we to RUN to Jesus who's our city of refuge.  If murder accidentally happens today one still has to stand trail and are in a hold facility until acquitted or receive their penalty.

"The surprising thing when we look through the scriptures is that we can find no actual example recorded of someone actually using the cities of refuge. 

Yet despite this we see the appointment of these Cities was an act of grace and mercy which foreshadowed those characteristics manifested by the Lord.

Unfortunately, in the symbolic application of the Cities of Refuge, comparatively few take heed of the offer of grace in Christ Jesus, and so are destroyed by the Avenger of blood, sin in the flesh." (bridgetothebible.com)

Numbers 36

"This is what the Lord commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them marry whom they think best, but they may marry only within the family of their father’s tribe.’  So the inheritance of the children of Israel shall not change hands from tribe to tribe, for every one of the children of Israel shall keep the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers." vv.6-7

Read chapter 36
So we see the daughters of Zeophehad again if you remember them from chapter 27 concerning not letting their father's name be blotted out because he had no sons and asking for the inheritance to be passed on to the daughters instead.  Now the petition is by the chief fathers of their tribe, the tribe of Joseph, for  marriage inheritance of land following these daughters that it stay within the tribe.  This would cause for their land to decrease while other tribe's land increase if they married men from other tribes of Israel.  God wouldn't allow riches to one tribe at the expense of another.  So Moses commands that they marry within their father's tribe so that they don't lose land inheritance within what each tribe was allotted.  We have to note too that Moses said, "Let them marry whom they think best."  There was still free will in whom to marry just with the restriction of their father's family.  We have to remember how big families were then and if they were to marry one of their cousin they probably had 100 options!  Plus it seems a marriage ordained by God then just hope-you-choose-right kinda guy. "How could they fail to marry well when God himself directed them?" Matthew Henry)  Now this command for women to marry within their family tribe wasn't for all daughters but only heiresses.  This isn't a law for us today, but how important is it to you for believers to marry other believers (not because of earthly inheritance, but eternal inheritance)?

Numbers 34

"Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,  “Command the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance—the land of Canaan to its boundaries. " vv.1-2

Read chapter 34
The Lord tells of the boundaries of the promise land to Israel.  It was about 160 miles in length and 50 miles wide.  That's the length of the widest part of the great lake Lake Superior. This was a little compass of land for such a large population of people, yet for a long time this little plot of land was the only place on earth where God was known.  

This was the vineyard of the Lord, the garden enclosed; but as it is with gardens and vineyards, the narrowness of the space was made up by the fruitfulness of the soil. Though the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, yet few know him, and serve him; but those few are happy, because fruitful to God. Also, see how little a share of the world God gives to his own people. Those who have their portion in heaven, have reason to be content with a small pittance of this earth. Yet a little that a righteous man has, having it from the love of God, and with his blessing, is far better and more comfortable than the riches of many wicked. (Matthew Henry's Commentary)

For the area in which you live whether big or small, how are you making it "rich in soil" and a place where the Lord is known?

Numbers 33

"These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. 2 Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the Lord. And these are their journeys according to their starting points:" vv.1-2

Read chapter 33
It'd be interesting to map out exactly the Israelites route over the 40 years in the wilderness.  I imagine it being like the Lewis and Clark journey and seeing every place they stopped and set up camp for a while as they journeyed from coast to coast of the now United States.  Here is a map I found on google.

If I counted right the Israelites moved 42 times, that's almost once a year they moved.  Have you moved around as much in your life?  Can you even imagine moving that much for that long?  It's interesting how the NIV says their "stages of their journey."  Makes me think of stages of life that we all go through and it definitely feels like I've gone through more than 42 stages of life and I'm only 31 years old.  Moses recorded their journey of cities and round about route to get from Egypt to the Promised Land.  What would it look like if we recorded the stages of our journey from slavery to the Kingdom come?

Numbers 32

"Then they came near to him and said: “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, 17 but we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land." vv.16-17

Read chapter 32
So finally after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness they're about to enter the promised land- second chance wit the next generation.  But we see 2 1/2 tribes wanting to stop short of entering the land of Cannan and stay on the other side of the Jordan as their inheritance of land.  This of course upsets Moses because he thinks history will repeat itself and reminds them of what happened last time they were about to enter the promised land. The Ruebenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manessah tell Moses they will still cross the Jordan to fight for Israel and destroy everything as the Lord commanded but then after return to the other side of the Jordan to settle then where the other ten drives take land inheritance.  This land must have had something really special about it for them to make this request and decision.  So they build homes for their women and children to stay in while the men go off to war.
How have you seen history repeat itself of not learning from past mistakes and how have you seen change so it doesn't repeat itself?