Author and Date The Book of Deuteronomy records the farewell words that Moses spoke to Israel on the plains of Moab, just east of the Jordan River, as the nation stood ready to enter the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 1:1-5). Its Hebrew title, Devarim, means 'words,' taken from the opening line, 'These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel.' The familiar English name comes from a Greek phrase meaning 'second law,' because the book restates and applies God's covenant to a new generation, the children of those who had died in the wilderness. Scripture consistently presents this teaching as the work of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:9, 24), and both Jesus and the apostles quote it as the words of Moses (Matthew 19:7-8). The closing account of Moses' death (Deuteronomy 34) was evidently added by a later hand, most likely Joshua. The events belong to the final weeks of the forty-year wilderness journey, on the very border of Canaan. Structure Deuteronomy is arranged as a series of sermons, framed much like an ancient covenant document between a great king and his people. The first address (chapters 1-4) reviews Israel's journey from Sinai and calls the people to remember God's faithfulness. The second and longest address (chapters 5-26) restates the covenant law, beginning with the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5) and the great confession known as the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), then unfolding what wholehearted love for God looks like in worship, justice, family, and daily life. The third address (chapters 27-30) sets before Israel the blessings of obedience and the curses of rebellion, urging them to choose life. The final chapters (31-34) record the Song of Moses, his blessing on the tribes, the commissioning of Joshua, and Moses' death on Mount Nebo. Key Message At the heart of Deuteronomy stands love. 'Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might' (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Israel is called to one God, and to a love that shapes the whole of life. This obedience is never a way to earn God's favor; it flows out of gratitude, for the LORD had already redeemed His people from slavery in Egypt purely out of love (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). God asks His people to circumcise their hearts (Deuteronomy 10:16), to teach His words to their children (Deuteronomy 6:6-9), and to remember that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3). Setting life and death, blessing and curse before them, Moses pleads, 'Therefore choose life' (Deuteronomy 30:19). How Deuteronomy Points to Christ Deuteronomy reaches forward to Jesus in striking ways. Moses promised, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you; it is to him you shall listen' (Deuteronomy 18:15-18). The apostles proclaimed that this prophet is Jesus (Acts 3:22-23). When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He answered the devil three times with words from Deuteronomy (Matthew 4:1-11, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:16; 6:13), succeeding where Israel had failed. He named the Shema the greatest commandment of all (Mark 12:29-30). And Deuteronomy declares that 'a hanged man is cursed by God' (Deuteronomy 21:23), words the apostle Paul applies to the cross, for 'Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us' (Galatians 3:13). The book that pronounces the curse also points to the One who would bear it. Why Deuteronomy Matters Today Deuteronomy still speaks with tender urgency. It reminds us that true faith is not cold rule-keeping but wholehearted love for the God who saved us first. It teaches parents to pass living faith to the next generation, warns that prosperity can quietly harden the heart (Deuteronomy 8:11-18), and calls God's people to care for the poor, the stranger, the widow, and the orphan (Deuteronomy 10:18-19). Jesus Himself lived by this book and fulfilled its deepest hopes. To read Deuteronomy is to hear a shepherd's voice urging us to remember, to love, and to choose life, found fully in Christ, the Prophet greater than Moses. Open the Book of Deuteronomy and let Moses' words move your heart afresh: read and study it, with audio and many translations, free on the BiblePro 主内圣经 app, and meet the Lord who first loved you.