At the end of his life, Moses made sure the children of Israel had the law that would save and bless them. Deuteronomy contains guides for holy living and blessings for remembering and obeying God. Our relationship with God involves our obedience and his mercy.
“Teaching Old Testament Laws,” Robert E. Lund, Religious Educator 8 (2007)
The law of the Old Testament has been superseded by Jesus’s law, but it is still the foundation. Within the law laid out in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are spiritual principles designed to bless us.
“Beware Lest Thou Forget the Lord,” Dean L. Larsen, April 1991 General Conference
The concerns expressed by Moses for his people have been repeated by other prophet leaders through all gospel dispensations. As people apply gospel principles in their lives, their circumstances also improve. The message that echoes to us from the pages of history and the counsels of the Lord and his prophets is to seek first the kingdom of heaven, to clothe the naked, to feed the hungry, and in all things to acknowledge the Lord.
“Worship: Bowing Down and Serving the Lord,” Jennifer C. Lane, Ascending the Mountain of the Lord, BYU Religious Studies Center
Deuteronomy reminds us who God is and how to worship him.
“‘With strong hand and with outstretched arm’ (Deuteronomy 4:34); ‘With outstretched hand and with strong arm’ (Jeremiah 21:5): Chiasmus in Deuteronomy and Jeremiah,” David Rolph Seely, BYU Studies Quarterly 59 supplement (2020)
Deuteronomy 1:1-5 and 4:44-49 form an “inclusio,” a rhetorical form of repetition that brackets a passage. Deuteronomy 4-11 form a chiasmus with exhortations to obey Yahweh. Several chiasms in Deuteronomy center on the Lord. Deuteronomy is significantly quoted in Jeremiah.
“The Great Commandment: Principle or Platitude?” Howard A. Christy, Religious Educator 3 (2002)
Jesus stated that the first and great commandment is to love God (Deuteronomy 6:5). The word in Hebrew is hesed, which means love, kindness, and mercy in steadfast and covenantal ways. Our relationship with God is founded on both law and mercy.
“Deuteronomy 1—16: An Exhortation to Obedience, Part 1,” Old Testament Student Manual Genesis–2 Samuel (1980), 214–222.
Deuteronomy is a title formed from the two Greek words deutero, “second”, and nomos, “law”. Thus, the title means “the second law”, or “the repetition of the law”. The Shema, which consists of Deuteronomy 6:4–9; Deuteronomy 11:13–21; and Numbers 15:37–41 (in that order), is recited twice daily by all devout Jews as an evening and a morning prayer. In Deuteronomy 11, Moses pointed out to Israel that the children were not aware of all that God had done for their fathers while they were wandering in the wilderness (see Deut. 11:2). He gave them specific instructions about teaching their children (Deut. 11:18–19) and promised them certain blessings if they obeyed.
“Deuteronomy 17—33: An Exhortation to Obedience, Part 2,” Old Testament Student Manual Genesis–2 Samuel (1980), 224–233.
Moses sets the penalty for worshiping false gods. He prophesies that a prophet like him would come (Deut. 18:15). He sets out rules for war (Deut. 20). “Christ is the Stone of Israel. ‘I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall.’ (D. & C. 50:44.) Christ is thus the stone or foundation upon which all people must build. Of him the psalmist prophesied: ‘The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.’”
