This small group Deuteronomy 20 Bible study guide contains commentary, discussion questions, cross-references, and application to encourage life change. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.
Deuteronomy 20 Bible Study Commentary – Laws Concerning Warfare and the Principlizing Bridge
Outline
I. Going to war (1-9)
II. Peace treaties and victory (10-18)
III. Protect the trees (19-20)
I. Going to war (1-9)
Discussion Questions
• How were the soldiers to react to large armies?
• How does a relationship with God give boldness?
• What situations in our lives today require courage?
• What kind of things might make you feel afraid?
• What was the priests’ role in preparing the people for battle?
• What battles do believers need to fight today?
• What four exemptions were there from service in the army?
• Why were these exemptions provided?
• What do they teach you about God? About people?
• Is there any modern-day application from these verses?
• What do you learn from verse 8 about negative peer pressure?
Cross-References
2 Timothy 1:7 – For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
1 Corinthians 16:13 – Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Psalms 27:1 – The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalms 112:7 – He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
Galatians 5:9 – A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Be courageous –
Deuteronomy 20:1 – When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 20:3-4 – Let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’
The Israelites had a huge mission in front of them, the conquest of Canaan. Forty years before, their terror of the people of the land caused them to rebel against God’s command to go into the land. Because they were afraid, they refused to go in and take possession of it.
Here God commands His people to be courageous. They would face nations more numerous and armies larger and better equipped than theirs. But they had one thing that those pagan nations did not, God’s protection and blessing.
Reflect – What is the root cause of fear?
At its root, fear stems from a lack of faith. One does not truly see or believe that God is in control and that He is bigger than one’s circumstance. Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and saw the waves instead. Those waves frightened him. If he kept his eyes and heart fixed on Jesus in faith, he would have had courage to continue walking on the water.
Reflect – What is a situation that has caused you fear and anxiety? What promises in Scripture can encourage you in the midst of this?
Take a moment to consider God’s sovereignty in the situation. Pray and ask God to give you faith in His power and goodness. That in turn will help give you courage to do what needs to be done.
Notice David’s response to fear.
Psalms 56:3 – When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
David, like all of us, was not immune to fear. When, not if, he was afraid, he consciously renewed his trust in the Lord.
2. The Lord your God is with you – This truth is repeated in verses one and four. God would not forget them. He would not abandon them. He was the one who delivered them out of Egypt. He already showed His supremacy by defeating all of the Egyptian gods and Pharaoh’s grand army.
God’s presence and protection were proven time and time again. In addition to all of the miracles they had witnessed, His presence went before them in the pillar of cloud and fire.
Application – Consider times of difficulty you have faced in your life before. How do you know that God was with you during those times? Seeing His provision in the past is a reminder of His continued care in the future.
3. Consider God’s will when making plans –
Their conquest of Canaan would be successful because God had promised it to them. He was clearly in this plan. It was not their own idea. If this idea had come from their own hearts, they would have every reason to fear and question its ultimate success. Because it came from God, they could rest assured that He would give them victory.
Therefore the most guaranteed path to ultimate victory in our Christian life is to follow God’s will.
James 4:13-16 – Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
For the Israelites, their biggest mission in life was clearly directed by God’s will. It was His vision and not their own.
Reflect – What is your life vision? Is this something you have come up with yourself or has God led you to it?
4. Exceptions for military service –
The military commanders were to consider a person’s life situation and several exceptions were given from military service. Each of these exceptions remind us of God’s grace and compassion. He desires for His people to enjoy the good gifts He has given them. He is not a hard master.
Hosea 11:4 – I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.
Another added benefit of these policies was increased morale for the troops.
A. A newly built house not yet dedicated –
Deuteronomy 20:5 – Is there any man who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it.
Building a new house was a big thing. Those who had finished building one were to be allowed some time to live in and enjoy it. It would be a shame if they went off to battle and died before they could enjoy the blessing of God’s provision for them in this way.
B. A newly planted vineyard –
C. A betrothal not yet consummated –
Deuteronomy 24:5 – When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken.
Application – How can these principles be applied to our modern-day lives today?
Consideration should be given to a person’s life situation before they are pushed into various jobs. We should consider others, their feelings, and their situation before asking for their help. For example, there is a lot of work to do in a church. Every believer has a spiritual gift and contribute. However, maybe the leaders should give time for a newly married couple to get to know and enjoy each other before asking them to serve as teachers or hosting a Bible study. Maybe a man preparing to move his family should be given a Sabbatical from his responsibilities in preaching or other areas. Maybe a woman who has just given birth should be given some time off.
The basic application is to be sensitive to others. We can show love by considering their personal and family situation before asking for their help (either in church ministry or elsewhere).
D. The fearful –
Fear is like a disease. It spreads. One fearful person spreads worry and will infect others. It can cause an entire army to turn and flee in the midst of a battle.
Allowing a fearful person to stay at home protected the entire group. In addition, it was compassionate toward that person.
Application – God wants us to be understanding and compassionate toward the weak.
Take note of Jesus’ attitude toward the weak..
Matthew 12:20 – A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory
II. Peace treaties and victory (10-18)
Discussion Questions
• What laws regarding warfare do you see in this passage?
• What were the terms of peace they were to offer?
• Who were they to offer peace to? Who could they not offer it to?
• How does the principle of “peace offered before judgment” relate to Christ and His ministry?
• According to verse 14, how should they view the spoil?
• How is our modern society and culture different today? Are there any underlying principles here which can be applied today?
• What are the reasons that the Canaanites and associated people groups devoted to destruction?
• What was the result of Israel’s disobedience in this area?
Cross-References
James 2:13 – For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
1 Corinthians 4:5 – Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
Numbers 21:3 – And the Lord heeded the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So the name of the place was called Hormah.
Psalms 145:20 – The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
2 Thessalonians 1:9 – They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Offer peace before bringing judgment – If a city was outside of Canaan and therefore not under God’s judgment of total destruction, the Israelites were to offer it a peace treaty. They were then only to attack the city if the peace offer was not accepted.
This passage shows us clearly that only the Canaanites were to be extinguished. That was due to their abominable practices. God is fair and just. He does not paint everybody with the same stroke. True justice looks at the entirety of a person’s situation.
2. The spoils of war –
Women and children in that era would not be able to take care of themselves. The victors were to take them into their homes and protect and sustain them.
3. Devote the Canaanites to destruction –
See notes on Deuteronomy 3:6-7.
Allowing the pagan people of the land to remain would be to allow temptation in their neighborhood to ensnare them.
Application – We should wage total war against sin in our lives. Allowing it to retain a foothold is dangerous since it can spread so easily.
Ephesians 4:27 – Give no opportunity to the devil.
III. Protect the trees (19-20)
Discussion Questions
• Why was it important to protect the fruit trees?
• What can we learn about stewarding the earth?
• What can we learn about wisdom?
• What can we learn about considering the future and how our actions today it?
Cross-References
Genesis 2:15 – The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
Jeremiah 2:7 – And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination.
Deuteronomy 11:12 – A land that the Lord your God cares for. The eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Do not destroy fruit trees when besieging a city – Here is a rather unique and interesting command in regard to Israelite warfare. They were allowed to cut down trees that did not provide food, but were prohibited from cutting down trees that did provide food. That would include fruit trees and various types of nut-producing trees.
At first glance, a modern reader might look at this command and think that it is totally irrelevant to our lives in the twenty-first century. However, a good student of the Bible needs to look a bit deeper.
When interpreting the Bible, we need to look at several questions to arrive at the meaning and modern-day application of a passage.
A. What did this passage mean to its original audience within the historical and cultural context?
B. What are the differences between that culture and our culture today?
C. What is the universal principle behind the passage?
D. What is the modern-day application of this universal principle?
When we look at Bible passages through these questions, we can find that even Scriptures which seem far removed from our lives today have a universal principle that can be applied to specific situations we face.
Let’s look at this prohibition on cutting down trees for food with these questions in mind.
A. This command was quite clear for the people at that time. They were not to cut down trees providing food because that would be poor stewardship. It would bring about instant gratification in that they would have wood to use in their assault. But it would come at the cost of long-term provision for them and their families. They were to have a long-term perspective and be good stewards of the resources God provided for them.
B. Most readers of this passage are not engaged in warfare. Trees are not often used for making weapons or sieges. We generally buy our food directly from the stores. There is a large gap between the historical culture and our culture.
C. The universal principle is that we should be good stewards of the resources God has given to us.
D. There are many possible applications we can make from this universal principle to our lives today.
Here are a few.
• We should be good stewards of the environment. We should not overfish or hunt to the point of wiping out species. Then these resources will be gone forever. The long-term fertility and sustainability of fields, forests, and waters should be considered in how we use them.
• Don’t litter and destroy the beautiful places God has given to us to enjoy.
• We should invest money wisely to produce a long-term income stream instead of spending everything we make right away for short-term gratification.
Application – What application can you make from this passage?
Let us remember that there is one correct interpretation but many possible applications. Once we find the universal principle, we can then apply it to our own life situations.
When you come across Biblical accounts that seem far removed from your life, use the above questions (called the Principlizing Bridge) to consider how it applies today.
