Deuteronomy (Chapter 20)

Deuteronomy 20 gives instructions for warfare, showing that those who were fearful or distracted by homes, vineyards, or marriages were not ready to trust the Lord in battle. This reveals a heart issue—whether God’s people would rely on His promises or cling to earthly security. These principles echo in Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom, where excuses reveal misplaced priorities. Deuteronomy 20 shows that obedience, courage, and trust in the Lord are essential, and that compromise with sin leads to spiritual ruin. Scripture presents one unified call: wholehearted faith in God above all else.

Transcript

Mission And Series Setup

SPEAKER_00 0:00

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Enter Deuteronomy 20: Warfare Laws

SPEAKER_02 0:26

Hey everybody, welcome back to Teach Me the Bible Podcast. We are in Deuteronomy. Today we're picking up in chapter 20. And so we last couple weeks we've seen this expectation of judges and priests and kings and prophets who are going to help judge Israel. And we started last week getting into chapter 19, uh, where we started looking at the case law and how how these how this law of Moses is going to apply in various situations to help Israel do what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord. And so we're picking up in chapter 20 today, verse one. I've got Doc here with me. If you want to walk us through it, we'd be grateful.

Dr. David Klingler 1:03

Absolutely. We've been talking about um and trying to emphasize part of it's true, and part of it's a motivational exercise, right? That to try to convince the readers, and not it's not just convince, it's reality, that if you don't know uh Deuteronomy, yeah, if you don't know Torah, you're going to really not interpret the Bible well, and you're not going to understand so much of what's going on in the New Testament. Uh Jesus is being confronted by the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes. Uh, what are the chances they know law? They know Torah? Well, of course. Yeah. Um, and that's where the disagreement is, right? And so maybe we could introduce this uh chapter a little bit a little bit differently. Now, this is chapter 20 is the warfare chapter. It's it's uh how Israel was to operate in the conquest. What were they to do? Okay. How were they to go and to take the land? Um let me uh let's jump over to the Gospel of Luke. Uh and in the Gospel of Luke, there are these interesting, you know, little stories or or or we call them parables uh that Jesus um says that that are uh really interesting.

SPEAKER_02 2:17

Yeah.

Linking Torah To Luke’s Parables

Dr. David Klingler 2:18

Um and so there's this uh whole section really that where these parables begin, chapters uh we're you know going down through chapter 13, chapter 14, and uh and uh and so forth. Uh and um in this is in chapter 14, verse 16, is the parable of the dinner. Um but let me set the context a little bit. So in the gospel of Luke, so so we're gonna really this is Deuteronomy 20? Yes, this is Deuteronomy 20. Um and and the point here is if you don't know Deuteronomy 20, then you're not going to be able to make any sense of this passage. Right on over there. And you're not going to see the connection. So in Deuteronomy chapter 20, remember what this is. This is Moses' last sermon for Israel to take the land. Yeah. And so here's kind of the marching orders, almost literally. Uh, when you're you go in, you you go take the land, you're going to encounter various people. Here's what happens before the battle, and here's what happens during the battle, and here's what happens after the battle, right? Uh, for you to take the land. Okay. Now we fast forward to the gospels. Uh, and Israel is dispersed among the nations, but the Pharisees are in the land.

SPEAKER_02 3:31

Yeah.

Sabbath Healing And Table Honor

Dr. David Klingler 3:32

Uh, and they're in Jerusalem, particularly, and they they think that they're right, and they're questioning Jesus on is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not, you know. And so we pick it up in chapter 14. Now, all the way through this section, this is uh Luke's storytelling, Jesus has been eating with sinners, tax gathers and sinners, from chapter five all the way through. Um, he's going to be asked about this in the next chapter, chapter 15. Uh, and here in chapter 14, he's eating with sinners again. In chapter 15, they ask why, you know, uh they were grumbling. The tax uh the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling because Jesus was eating with tax gathers and sinners. But in chapter 14, it came about that Jesus went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath day to eat bread, and they were watching him closely, and there in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. And Jesus answered and spoke to the lawyers and the Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not? But they kept silent, and he took hold of him and he healed him and sent him away. And he said to them, Which one of you would have a son or an ox fall into a well immediately wouldn't pull him out on the Sabbath day? Now we're going to come back to this in uh I think in two weeks. Yeah. Uh in chapter 22. Uh that why would they do that? Well, because they know the law. But they would rescue it if it was theirs. Would they rescue it if there was their brothers? Because in the law it says if your brother's ox or donkey falls in a hole, you have to rescue it. And Sabbath is an excuse, right? Um, they could make no reply to this. And so he began to speak a parable to the invited guests when he noticed how they were picking their places of honor, saying to them, When you're invited, or the word here is invited is actually called. It's you know, one of our theological words. When you are called by someone to a wedding feast. Now, this is the whole Old Testament story. Israel's looking to be married again, to be wedding again. Do not take the place of honor for someone more distinguished than you may be and may be called by him. And uh when he who is called by you both come and he says, Give your place to this man, and in disgrace you will occupy the last place. Um Luke's also doing this uh everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted. And so he goes down through here and he tells this story uh about um uh when you give a luncheon or a dinner, uh do not invite your friends or your brothers or your rich relatives. They'll invite you in return, you'll have your repayment. But when you give a reception, you invite the poor and the crippled and the lame and the blind, right? This is love of brother.

SPEAKER_02 6:11

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 6:11

They're going, well, we don't love them.

SPEAKER_02 6:13

Yeah, he's setting, yeah, he's setting the the two sides of the spectrum. Exactly.

The Great Banquet And Excuses

Dr. David Klingler 6:17

Yeah, you will be blessed because they do not have means to repay you. Uh and when those who were reclining at the table with him heard this, they said to him, Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God. Right? So they're going, uh Israel's going to establish the kingdom in the land. Um, Deuteronomy chapter 20. And here they're looking forward to the re-establishment of the kingdom in the land. But Jesus responded. A man was having a big dinner, and he invited many. And at the dinner, he sent his slave out to say to those who had been invited, Come for it's already. And they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said, I bought a piece of land, I'm not able to uh I need to go look at it. Please consider me excused. Another, I bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm trying to, you know, try them out, you know. Got a new tractor and see if it works, you know. Uh please consider me excused. Another, I've married a wife for this reason. I I cannot come. The slave came back and reported to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to the slave, the servant, So this is the father, the master, Jesus, the servant, going out to invite these people. They won't come uh partake in the kingdom. Yeah. Go out at once into the streets and into the cities, and bring in here the poor and the crippled and the blind and the lame. And the slave said, Master, all that you've commanded has been done, and there's still room. And the master said to the slave, Then go out into the highways and the hedges and compel them to come in, that I my house might be filled, for I tell you that none of these men who were invited shall taste of my dinner. Now, what does that have to do with Deuteronomy chapter 20?

SPEAKER_02 7:54

Yeah.

Reading The Banquet Through Deuteronomy 20

Dr. David Klingler 7:55

Well, let's go back and see. So here's the instruction that Moses gives Israel. When you go to battle against your enemies, and you see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not fear them. For the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you. When you are approaching the battle, uh the priest shall come near and speak to the people. And he shall say to them, Hear, O Israel, you are approaching a battle against your enemies today. Do not be faint-hearted, do not fear, do not panic, do not tremble before them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to deliver you. And the offer uh the officers shall also speak to the people and say, Who is the man who's built a house and has not dedicated it? Or uh depart, let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the middle of the battle, or in the battle, and and another man would dedicate it. Or who is the man who's planted a vineyard and has not begun to use its fruit? Let him depart and otherwise uh return to his house, otherwise he might die in battle, and another uh would begin to use its fruit, or a man who is engaged to a wife and has not married her, let him depart and return to his health. Otherwise he might die in battle, and another would marry her. Then it's no you gotta stop and ask. Now, wait a second.

SPEAKER_02 9:14

That should sound familiar, by the way, from what we just read.

Dr. David Klingler 9:17

Yeah, they're making excuses for not going to battle. Um, well, first of all, tell me again about these houses that they've got, right? I'm gonna go back to my house and another one live in it. Uh, and so Israel's to take the land and they're to progressively take the land. But it's interesting how this works. They they were to destroy the Amrite, Hittite, Canaanite, go out to battle. And now, if the Lord is with them, what do they have to fear? Right? You are not to fear. Then the officers shall speak further to the people and say, Who is the man who who is afraid and faint-hearted? Now, what was the command right at the beginning? This is the it's a do not fear and do not be faint-hearted.

SPEAKER_02 9:57

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 9:58

So if you got a bunch of excuses.

SPEAKER_02 10:00

Yeah. So if you're if in other words, if you're afraid because your eyes are on something else.

Fear, Faith, And Battle Exemptions

Dr. David Klingler 10:04

If you're fearful, faint-hearted, and don't think the Lord will deliver, and you and you're afraid that the Lord won't keep his promises, then make excuses and go not partake in the battle and not partake in the world.

SPEAKER_02 10:13

Yeah, we don't want you here. You're gonna take the whole lot of us.

Dr. David Klingler 10:17

So let him depart and return to his house so that he may not make his brothers' uh hearts melt like his heart. When the officers have finished speaking to in other words, this was a uh i if you don't think if you're not with the Lord, because the Lord is with us, but if you're not with the Lord, get out. Right? If you don't, if you don't think the Lord's, you know, you know, think about the twelve spies that go out, right? And uh, you know, and Caleb and uh Caleb in particular, Caleb and Joshua come back, and Caleb says, I don't care how many they are, let me add them.

SPEAKER_02 10:48

We're gonna clean their clothes, you know.

Dr. David Klingler 10:50

And the rest of them are like, they're awful big. Yeah, that's right. And there's a bunch of them. Um Caleb does end up going in and cleaning their clothes. Yes, he does. Uh he absolutely does. Yeah, and so so there's a direct connect here fear, faint-hearted, eyes on something other than the promises of the Lord and the kingdom.

SPEAKER_02 11:09

That's big.

Peace Terms, The Ban, And Idolatry

Dr. David Klingler 11:10

Uh, and that's gonna be the connection to uh to Luke chapter 14. So uh when your officers have finished speaking to the people, and you shall appoint commanders of the armies and the heads of the people, you shall approach the city and fight against it, and you shall offer it terms of peace. Uh I like uh this and uh uh you shall cry out to it uh shalom, peace. Um when uh uh well we'll make another connection here in just a minute. Uh however, if it does um uh does not make peace with you, but makes war with you, you shall bes besiege it. When the Lord your God gives uh it into your hand, you shall strike all the men with the edge of the sword, and the women and the children, the animals, and all the city, and all its spoil you shall take as booty for yourself, uh, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies, which the Lord your God has given you. Thus you shall do to all the cities that are far off from you, uh, which are not the cities of the nations nearby.

unknown 12:09

Right?

Dr. David Klingler 12:09

Uh like um Assyria.

SPEAKER_02 12:14

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 12:14

Right? When Jonah goes to cry out to it. Right. Interesting. Um, you offer it terms of peace. Right? Uh this is the same language of the of the of Jonah. Only in the cities uh of the peoples uh that the Lord your God has given you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes.

SPEAKER_02 12:35

Yeah. They don't get peace treaties.

Dr. David Klingler 12:37

They don't get peace treaties. You shall utterly destroy them, is how they translate it here. This is the the harem. They are under the ban, shall be utterly destroyed. The Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, the Jebusite, as the Lord your God commands you. The Hittite. Um any Hittites in this story that come to mind? Yeah, one of David's mighty men, his name was Uriah the Hittite. Well, as soon as you hear that, you're supposed to go, uh, why is he in the land, right?

SPEAKER_02 13:13

Why is he more faithful than David?

Dr. David Klingler 13:15

Yeah, I mean there's there's so many ironic uh points there. The Jebusites, the city of Jebas. Uh so uh you uh so that now why do you do this? Utterly destroy them, right? The sin of the Amorite uh is not yet, you know, that's the Deuteronomy, or I mean the Genesis chapter 15. Um that they will not teach you to do according to their detestable things, which they have done for their god uh gods, so that you would not sin against the Lord your God. Right? So you wipe them out so that they don't teach you what they've done with to their gods, how they serve their gods, yeah, so that you don't do that to the Lord. Because then what will the Lord do to you? He'll wipe you out. So here's your choice. You wipe them out so the Lord doesn't wipe you out. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:57

If you don't wipe them out, the land needs to be purged from evil. That's a big deal.

Dr. David Klingler 14:01

Then don't be shocked when the Lord wipes you out.

SPEAKER_02 14:03

Yeah, that's right.

Dr. David Klingler 14:04

Uh and we're gonna get to this here in a few weeks uh in Deuteronomy chapter 28. Uh if you're obedient, you'll be blessed in the land. But if you're disobedient, here's what's gonna happen. If you go after other gods, now what would cause you to go after other gods? Not utterly destroying the Amrite, Hittite, Canaanite, Jebusite, intermarrying with them, chapter seven. And they lead your hearts away, and they lead your hearts to follow other gods, uh, gods in whom there is no deliverance, and the Lord your God wipes you off the map.

SPEAKER_02 14:29

Yep.

Trees, Siege Works, And Joshua’s Miss

Dr. David Klingler 14:29

So here's your choice, right? So oh, but that's not compassionate. I'm going, well, that's the choice, yeah, right? And they didn't like it by the worldly standards and by what I'm hearing in the church all the time. Well, you know, I mean, you know, God loves everybody, and you know, the so we've got to change this instruction to utterly destroy, to you know, you know, share the gospel with them and be nice to them. Right? You know, that's basically what we've watered this thing down to. Um, well, that's exactly what Israel tried to do. Uh and the end was their destruction. Absolutely. Uh so you know, it's not an easy choice, but this is the deal. You know, you know, the the Lord, uh you say, well, the the Lord loves everyone. No, the Lord wipes everyone out. Unless you begin with everyone, yeah, uh, or do you begin with no one? I remember when we were in our uh soteriology class and Dr. Leitner or Dr. You know, Bob Lightner, Robert Leitner, called him Lightning Bob. Lightning Bob. He um he used to just get so frustrated with us because you know that back then universalism was was more of a thing. I don't hear a lot of it now, but everyone's saved and God loves everyone and he wouldn't condemn anyone to hell. And yeah, and he would say, You're you're asking why doesn't God save everyone? The better question, the correct question is why does he save any?

SPEAKER_02 15:59

Anyone at all, yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 16:00

Yeah, and how do you stay clean, holy, set apart from those who will defile you, file you, and cause you to follow their gods. Yeah, and then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and he will this is how it reads in Deuteronomy 28, he will wipe you off the face of the ground, off the face of the planet. Yeah, you know, well, that's not good.

SPEAKER_02 16:23

That's why Satan's strategies often lead them into sin, let the Lord kill them.

Dr. David Klingler 16:29

That's right, right, and yeah, so and you're gonna see it with with Solomon, that's what he does, multiplies wives and all that stuff. And we just came out of chapter 17, right? Right. Right. Uh but anyway, so when you besiege a city for a long time and make war with it and capture uh in order to capture it, you shall uh not to destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them, for you may eat the fruit of them, you may eat from them. Uh you are not to cut them down, for is a tree of the field the man that it should be be besieged by you? Only the trees which uh you know are not fruit trees, you shall destroy and cut down, so that you may construct siege works against the city and make war until it falls, right? Well, we're gonna flash forward here to Joshua. Uh and uh you got this tribe who's complaining, you know, hey Joshua, there's just not enough room for us. You know, the Canaanites are I mean, they they they're they really insist on living in their land.

unknown 17:28

You know.

Deuteronomic History And Canon Shape

Dr. David Klingler 17:30

Oh my god. I mean, they're insisting. So I mean, who are we? They got chariots. Yeah, they and they get yeah, they well, this was in the you know, is in the the hill country, and so so he tells them, well, then just go cut down the forest and live there.

unknown 17:43

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 17:45

Uh wait a minute, Joshua. Now, is the narrator showing you that the people have failed to take the land, they're not following the instruction of the Lord, and Joshua is violent, you know, he says, Well, then go cut down those trees and build siege ramps and take their cities. What are you waiting for? Right? Now that was the right answer if you're going to cut down any trees. But he says, No, he says, go live there, go cut down the trees and clear a place out in the forest and live there.

SPEAKER_02 18:11

Wow.

Dr. David Klingler 18:11

Right? And so these are these are so many places throughout the the story where if you don't know Torah, yeah, you don't see the subtle indications of they're blowing it. And Joshua's blowing.

SPEAKER_02 18:23

Joshua's a huge example of that because it is, I mean, you read Joshua without this, without these words, and and you'll come out with Joshua looking squeaky clean.

Dr. David Klingler 18:35

Right.

SPEAKER_02 18:35

You know, but these are so these details are so important to understanding what the narrator is doing in that narrative.

Dr. David Klingler 18:42

Yeah, Joshua Judges, Samuel King's Chronicles, and so so there's there's a couple debates that that have raged or or discussions, maybe not debates, but maybe maybe. Um should we view this this is an older one, you don't hear about it hardly ever now. Uh, should uh Torah be viewed as the Pentateuch, five books, or Hetz Hexate, six. In other words, Joshua is so tightly tied to Torah, verse five, maybe it should be included. Right?

SPEAKER_02 19:15

Well, it turns out they're all kind of it's the logical, uh, it's the logical uh you know, so so Joshua is right there in the middle.

Why Start With Torah Not John

Dr. David Klingler 19:22

Now, um also in uh you know Old Testament scholarship, uh Joshua to 2 Kings is called the Deuteronomic History, yeah. Uh and so they recognize that Joshua judges 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, all you know, and of course, obviously the prophets and the rest of the writings can only be understood, but this this history can only be understood in light of Deuteronomy, right? So, you know, so does Joshua go with a Deuteronomic history, or does Joshua go with Torah? How closely aligned? I'd say, well, actually, Genesis to 2 Kings needs to be understood together.

SPEAKER_02 20:03

Represented as a single name.

Dr. David Klingler 20:04

Yeah, and uh, and so uh and so this is uh this is so important that we understand uh this uh this story. And Torah has its you know place of preeminence right there at the beginning of the story. Uh and then we could go into all kinds of examples throughout the uh throughout the prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, where the Torah is is the standard, it is the base understanding necessary to interpret because it's Mosaic covenant. Israel's being judged in the light of the Mosaic covenant, and they're being judged, that's Deuteronomy 28, uh, and they are being called to repentance, Deuteronomy chapter 30. Yes, uh, and they're not gonna do it, and so they're going to be scattered among the nations. Deuteronomy 28. Yeah. Um, so all of this is just so central to understanding. But what we're told is start in John.

SPEAKER_02 21:03

Yeah. Right?

Dr. David Klingler 21:03

Wow. You're a believer, start in John. I'm going, there's no starting in John.

SPEAKER_02 21:07

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 21:08

You know, it's like, you know, start a movie, smack dab in the middle. Or or you know, the climax of the movie, right? If you started a movie at the climax, and people go, Oh, yeah, there's the climax, you're going, why? Why you know what's going on here? I don't know who these characters are, how they got here, why they're here, you know, what's the plot, what's the problem, what's the you know, the right, you know, none of it's gonna make any sense to you.

SPEAKER_02 21:33

Right.

Parables’ Authority Rooted In Moses

Dr. David Klingler 21:33

So this is why we insist on starting in uh the old testament. I began my Bible teaching teaching New Testament classes, and and I will say poorly teaching New Testament classes. And I was recognizing man, there's a lot of Old Testament quotes. Um I wonder what those are doing. There's several problems here. First, why am I teaching? Uh It showed the the lack of uh you know a number of teachers, uh, you know, uh qual quality and quantity of teachers. Uh but nonetheless I was teaching in Bible college and I kept thinking, Paul sure quotes the old testament a lot. And Jesus is sure quoting the old testament a lot, and he sure doing stuff. And then I began to entertain the thought that maybe I should learn the old testament and go figure out what's going on here.

SPEAKER_02 22:26

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 22:27

And that's when I finished my THM and went to PhD of Old Testament Studies. And I have come to realize that there is nothing new in the New Testament.

SPEAKER_02 22:38

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 22:39

You know, there we've said this all the time. There the New Testament can be summed up in two words. Told you.

unknown 22:44

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 22:46

He came. Have you not read?

SPEAKER_02 22:48

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 22:48

Yeah, not only he came, but they responded as the prophet said they would. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 22:55

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 22:55

And God responded as the prophets said God would because of their rejection.

SPEAKER_02 23:00

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 23:01

He's taking the gospel to the Gentiles to make them jealous to move them to anger. And then when he sees their strength is gone at the end, uh then he's going to Deuteronomy chapter 32. We're going to do this here in a few weeks. Then he's going to go in, he's going to rescue me. He's going to have compassion on his people, Israel, uh, just like the Father does with the prodigal son story. Yeah. And so all of these, uh, all the parables that Jesus tells, here's a thought. Um someone says, Why do you do that? Jesus, why are you doing this? He says, Well, let me tell you a story. Now, can you make up a story that justifies your actions on the spot? Of course. Sure. Of course. There is no authority in making up a story to explain why you do stuff. Well, then where's the authority? The authority is in the law. He's telling them a story that directly comes from the law.

SPEAKER_02 23:53

Right.

Dr. David Klingler 23:53

Right. Right. Blessed is everyone who eats in the kingdom. He says, Let me tell you a story. There was a man who was throwing a banquet, and they didn't want to go to the kingdom because they made excuses. And so they're not gonna. And so, yeah. And so the story is, you know, blessed is everyone who eats bread in the kingdom, and is says, Let me tell you a story about why you're not gonna be there. Uh just like Israel, you know, was rebellious in the Old Testament, so also are you. Yeah. Uh, and so the the authority of Jesus' parables isn't in Jesus, but it's in Torah, and Jesus has aligned himself with Torah. He's aligned himself with Moses. Don't think I will accuse you. It's Moses who accuses you.

unknown 24:36

Absolutely.

Tease For Chapter 21 And Closing

Dr. David Klingler 24:37

So Jesus is accusing him through his words, through his works, through his parables, through his life, death, burial, resurrection, all of it. And so uh is Deuteronomy important? Uh yeah, I think it's pretty important. Yeah, and uh so so there is no question about that. So next week, when we pick it up in chapter 21, uh, there's gonna be more very familiar uh scenarios that are going to find their place in New Testament stories. And so we'll we'll turn to that next time.

SPEAKER_02 25:09

Yeah, man, I gotta tell you, I I started this, you know, this book in this podcast, you know, knowing how important Deuteronomy is, and and but just as we continue to go through these details, it just just renewed eyes and just seeing all these details, how they come to life throughout the story and how they help illuminate our understanding of it's just incredible. So I hope that I hope that y'all are seeing that. I hope that our listeners are are understanding or at least convinced at this point that it's important. And so I hope you'll dive into these details and get to know them and get familiar with them. We're gonna continue uh to try to guide you through them and and we're gonna pick up next week in chapter 21. We'll see you then.

SPEAKER_00 25:52

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