After 40 years in the desert, God's people are on the very edge of the Promised Land. It took a long time to get here; it should have taken 11 days to cross the desert, but due to their lack of faith, they ended up wandering as nomads for 40 years. Often, we take the hard road by not listening to God, not trusting Him and making life much more difficult for ourselves.
Eventually, they are finally ready for life to get better and to enjoy the amazing life that God has for them but they must adhere to His promises. In Deuteronomy, Moses repeats God's laws for Israel. The name of the book itself reminds us that this is the second time the law has been presented to the people.
How many times has God had to tell you the truth and you refuse to listen? Thankfully, He comes back time and again so that we can eventually understand. The Bible states that God speaks once and then twice, but that man often fails to grasp it.
Through Moses' words, God reveals His heart. He loves the nation of Israel and wishes them to love and trust Him in return. However, God doesn't want people who are simply robotic; He wants a genuine relationship with us. In fact, Deuteronomy feels almost like a wedding, where God binds Himself to this nation with promises of love and faithfulness. They responded with a dramatic mountain experience, pledging to be faithful to Him and to keep His law. While this was a promising start to their new life, their history shows it was not ultimately followed through.
