In Moses's sermon in Deuteronomy 1-4, he begins by drawing some lessons from Israel's 40-year journey from Egypt to the banks of the Jordan. He highlights just a few things from the first 39 years of that journey.
One of the things he discusses is Israel's leadership structure, set up in the days of the parents of those who heard Moses' words. Authority was delegated to Israelite leaders at both the advice of Jethro (Ex 18) and the direction of God (Num 11:16-30). Moses mentions here that the Israelites themselves approved of this idea (Dt 1:14). Although Moses would not be with them much longer, he had left them in good hands. Their success in future generations would depend on the strength of that leadership structure.
The main thing that Moses recalls in Deuteronomy 1 was Israel's fateful rebellion at Kadesh-barnea that had added 38 years or more to their time in the wilderness. He reveals in verse 22 that the sending of twelve leaders as an advance scouting party for a tour of Canann was one that their parents had requested. It wasn't something that had been imposed upon them, and it was something that should have helped unify the people around a vision of the wonderful blessings waiting for them in the Promised Land.
However, their parents had lacked faith, which had consequences both for them and for Moses himself (verse 37), who would not be going into Canaan with them. Moses wanted them to remember what had happened and to learn from the sins of their parents. This is a lesson for the people of God in every generation, as Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 10.
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