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Book
of
Deuteronomy
Ive
been
replaying
in
my
head
the
stirring
image
Mom
suggested
in
our
final
session
of
the
LORD
carrying
Moses
down
from
the
mountain
where
he
died
to
a
hidden
place
in
the
valley,
a
place
where
He
tenderly
buried
his
servant.
Id
never
thought
about
God
possibly
digging
up
the
dirt
or
burying
Moses
with
His
own
hands,
the
very
hands
that
created
him.
What
a
beautiful
thought.
Ive
probably
never
thought
about
it
because
Im
usually
a
sopping
mess
as
soon
as
I
read
Then
Moses,
the
servant
of
the
LORD,
died
.
.
.
Gets
me
every
single
time.
Death
is
sacred
and
precious,
making
it
all
the
more
jarring
when
we
flip
the
page
to
Joshua
1:1-2
where
the
LORD
says
to
Joshua:
Moses
My
servant
is
dead;
now
therefore
arise,
cross
this
Jordan,
you
and
all
this
people,
to
the
land
which
I
am
giving
to
them,
to
the
sons
of
Israel
(Joshua
1:2).
Well,
all
right
then.
The
time
to
weep
and
mourn
is
over.
Its
go
time
now
for
the
Israelites.
With
relentless
courage,
they
must
leave
Moses
behind
and
march
on
to
conquer
the
land
of
promise.
But
before
Joshua
leads
the
Israelites
across
the
Jordan,
and
before
we
end
our
time
in
Deuteronomy
we
have
a
few
more
verses
to
explore
together.
Every
Seventh
Year
Its
worth
reiterating
again
that
in
Deuteronomy
31.9-13
Moses
commands
the
people
of
Israel
to
read
this
law
(namely,
the
book
of
Deuteronomy)
together
publicly
every
seven
years
to
remind
themselves
of
its
contents.
9
Then
Moses
wrote
this
law
and
gave
it
to
the
priests,
the
sons
of
Levi,
who
carried
the
ark
of
the
covenant
of
the
LORD,
and
to
all
the
elders
of
Israel.
10
And
Moses
commanded
them,
At
the
end
of
every
seven
years,
at
the
set
time
in
the
year
of
release,
at
the
Feast
of
Booths,
11
when
all
Israel
comes
to
appear
before
the
LORD
your
God
at
the
place
that
he
will
choose,
you
shall
read
this
law
before
all
Israel
in
their
hearing.
12
Assemble
the
people,
men,
women,
and
little
ones,
and
the
sojourner
within
your
towns,
that
they
may
hear
and
learn
to
fear
the
LORD
your
God,
and
be
careful
to
do
all
the
words
of
this
law,
13
and
that
their
children,
who
have
not
known
it,
may
hear
and
learn
to
fear
the
LORD
your
God,
as
long
as
you
live
in
the
land
that
you
are
going
over
the
Jordan
to
possess.
Myrbdh hla
Now
weve
already
discussed
how
teaching
is
hugely
important
in
Deuteronomy.
Moses
has
already
commanded
the
Israelites
to
teach
the
LORDs
commands
when
they
are
at
home
and
when
they
are
away,
binding
them
on
their
hands,
doorposts,
and
gates
(Deuteronomy
6.4-7).
Duane
Christensen
does
a
great
job
elaborating
on
this
pedagogical
emphasis
of
Deuteronomy:
The
focus
on
teaching
.
.
.
children
these
words
diligently
within
the
context
of
the
familyat
all
conceivable
times
and
placesillustrates
once
again
the
pedagogical
purpose
of
Deuteronomy.
The
content
of
this
book
was
the
primary
curriculum
in
an
ongoing
program
of
religious
education
in
ancient
Israel.
Phylacteries
and
mezuzot
are
essentially
pedagogical
tools,
designed
to
keep
the
great
summary
statements
of
the
Words
of
YHWH
central
in
the
experience
of
each
individual
member
of
the
covenant
community.1
When
we
conceive
of
the
public
reading
of
Deuteronomy
every
seven
years
we
should
not
assume
that
its
contents
were
completely
inaccessible
the
rest
of
the
time.
The
commandments
were
supposed
to
be
discussed
in
every
home
at
every
possible
opportunity.
But
even
still,
the
public
reading
every
seventh
year
is
something
quite
special
and
different.
The
children
of
Israel
couldnt
pocket
the
whole
Torah
scroll
once
Moses
died.
They
didnt
have
iphones
or
printing
presses
and
literacy
rates
were
very
low
compared
to
the
mass
literacy
we
know
and
experience
daily
in
modern
America.
Jeffrey
Tigay
points
out
interestingly
that
conducting
the
public
reading
every
seven
years
would
mean
that
no
generation
would
need
to
wait
until
reaching
adulthood
before
having
the
experience;
every
child
would
have
it
soon
after
reaching
an
educable
age.2
Peter
Craigie
also
expounds
helpfully
on
the
nature
of
this
public
reading
assembly:
The
function
of
the
ceremony
would
be
educational;
the
people
would
be
summoned
together
in
order
that
they
may
hear
and
in
order
that
they
may
learn
(v.
12).
For
the
older
people
in
the
covenant
community,
the
educational
value
of
the
ceremony
would
lie
in
remembering
the
covenant
with
God
and
in
renewed
dedication
to
the
God
of
the
covenant.
The
renewed
dedication
would
find
its
expression
in
the
fear
of
God
and
in
obedience
to
his
law
(v.
12b).
The
younger
generation,
however,
would
learn
for
the
first
time
the
full
meaning
of
the
covenant
(v.
13).
Although
they
would
know
about
it
beforehand,
its
significance
would
dawn
on
them
fully
only
as
they
left
their
homes
and
villages
and
heard
the
public
reading
of
the
law
in
the
presence
of
all
Israel
(cf.
v.
11).
There,
in
the
presence
of
the
larger
family
of
Gods
people,
they
would
begin
to
perceive
the
greater
community
of
which
they
were
a
part,
and
they
too
would
learn
to
fear
God.
As
each
generation
1
Duane
L.
Christensen,
Deuteronomy
1:121:9
(WBC
6A;
Accordance/Thomas
Nelson
electronic
ed.
Waco:
Word
books,
2001),
143.
2
Jeffrey
Tigay,
Deuteronomy
(The
JPS
Torah
Commentary;
Philadelphia:
The
Jewish
Publication
Society,
1996),
292.
Scripture
itself
may
record
two
of
these
public
readings
of
Deuteronomy.
The
first,
which
Mom
definitely
mentioned
earlier
in
the
study,
is
2
Kings
23.1-3,
after
the
book
of
the
Law
is
found
by
the
high
priest
Hilkiah
around
622
BCE.
The
second
is
recorded
in
quite
a
lengthy
section
in
Nehemiah
7.73b-9.37.
Have
you
ever
been
part
of
a
public
Scripture
reading
that
impacted
you?
If
so,
describe
it
here:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Several
public
Scripture
readings
have
marked
me
forever.
The
first
was
during
an
event
I
attended
as
a
college
student.
Students
on
megaphones
literally
shouted
through
the
prophetic
literature!
Ive
never
forgotten
it;
I
specifically
remember
the
haunting
words
of
the
prophets
Joel
and
Hosea.
Also,
just
a
couple
of
months
ago,
at
Passion
2012,
over
40,000
of
us
stood
in
the
Georgia
Dome
as
several
leaders
recited
the
New
Testament
book
of
Ephesians.
These
moments
are
few
and
far
between
but
they
are
often
powerful
and
even
revolutionary.
But
it
wasnt
just
the
public
nature
of
the
reading
that
was
so
crucial
for
Israelit
was
also
the
occasion
of
the
Feast
of
Booths
that
mattered
tremendously.
As
Christopher
Wright
observes:
The
occasion
of
the
public
reading
of
the
law
is
also
pregnant
with
significance.
In
the
sabbatical
year,
the
year
for
canceling
debts,
the
law
will
be
heard
in
the
context
of
widespread
liberation
from
debt
and
release
of
slaves,
based
upon
the
historical
recollection
of
Gods
own
liberation
of
the
Israelite
slaves
from
Egypt.4
This
suggests
that
the
public
reading
of
Deuteronomy
during
the
Feast
of
Booths
wasnt
just
about
indoctrinating
folks
but
about
also
holding
them
accountable
for
disseminating
justice
throughout
the
community
and
beyond.
Pretty
awesome,
right?
The
Song
of
Moses
After
commanding
the
children
of
Israel
to
read
the
book
of
Deuteronomy
publicly
every
seven
years,
Moses
finishes
writing
it
down
in
its
entirety.
But
he
is
not
done
with
the
Israelites
quite
yet.
As
we
mentioned
before,
Moses
asks
the
Levites
to
place
the
Deuteronomic
Law
book
beside
the
Ark
of
the
Covenant.
And
then
he
declares
both
pessimistically
and
prophetically,
For
I
know
that
after
my
3
Peter
C.
Craigie,
Deuteronomy
(New
International
Commentary
of
the
Old
Testament;
Grand
Rapids:
Eerdmans,
1976),
372.
4
Christopher
Wright,
Deuteronomy
(New
International
Biblical
Commentary;
Peabody,
MA:
Hendrickson
Publishers,
1996),
295.
learned to fear God and to obey him, so would the continuing community of Israel ensure their lasting possession of the promised land.3
death
you
will
surely
act
corruptly
and
turn
aside
from
the
way
that
I
have
commanded
you.
And
in
the
days
to
come
evil
will
befall
you,
because
you
will
do
what
is
evil
in
the
sight
of
the
LORD,
provoking
him
to
anger
through
the
work
of
your
hands
(Deut.
31.29).
Immediately
on
the
heels
of
this
depressing
foresight,
Moses
somewhat
unpredictably
recites
a
song
before
the
whole
assembly.
Please
take
five
or
so
minutes
to
very
carefully
read
the
song
of
Moses
in
your
own
Bibles
(any
major
English
translation
will
do!).
The
song
spans
Deuteronomy
32.1-43
but
please
read
all
of
Deuteronomy
31.24-32.47.
What
images
stuck
out
to
you
in
your
reading
of
the
Song
of
Moses?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
The
song
of
Moses,
or
the
poem
of
Moses
(we
will
use
these
two
terms
interchangeably
here)
is
not
for
the
faint
of
heart,
is
it?
Yet
it
does
encapsulate
succinctly
and
in
vivid
language
the
gist
of
Israels
history
(past
and
still
yet
to
come),
from
the
breaking
of
the
covenant
to
the
affirmation
of
Yahwehs
unconditional
covenant
loyalty
despite
devastating
consequences.
Brueggemann
suggests,
the
poem
has
on
its
horizon
the
entire
history
to
follow
in
the
corpus
of
Joshua-Kings.5
The
song
has
perplexed
scholars
for
quite
some
time
and
little
consensus
exists
about
what
genre
the
song
of
Moses
even
falls
underis
it
cast
in
the
form
of
an
ancient
covenant
lawsuit,
liturgy,
hymn,
or
wisdom
meditation?
Daniel
Block
even
suggests
that
the
song
is
Israels
national
anthem.6
What
is
clear
is
that
the
Hebrew
text
is
written,
not
in
prose,
but
in
poetic
language.
No
matter
the
precise
form
or
genre
type,
these
poetic
words
undoubtedly
were
to
serve
as
a
witness
against
the
people
of
Israel
when
they
were
unfaithful
to
Yahweh.
Regarding
the
songs
function,
Harold
Fisch
brilliantly
says:
It
will
.
.
.
act
as
a
mnemonic,
an
aid
to
memory,
because
during
the
intervening
period
it
will
have
lived
unforgotten
in
the
mouth
of
the
reader
or
hearer,
ready
to
come
to
mind
when
the
troubles
arrive.
Poetry
is
thus
a
kind
of
time
bomb;
it
awaits
its
hour
and
then
springs
forward
into
harsh
remembrance
.
.
.
It
will
live
in
their
minds
and
mouths,
bringing
them
back,
whether
they
like
it
or
not,
to
the
harsh
memory
of
the
desert
sojourn.
Once
5
Walter
Brueggemann,
Deuteronomy
(Abingdon
Old
Testament
Commentaries;
Nashville:
Abingdon
Press,
2001),
277.
6
Daniel
I.
Block
How
I
Love
Your
Torah,
O
LORD!
Studies
in
the
Book
of
Deuteronomy
(Eugene,
Oregon:
Cascade
Books,
2011),
162-184.
learned
it
will
not
easily
be
forgotten.
The
words
will
stick,
they
will
be
importunate,
they
will
not
let
us
alone.7
Dont
you
love
that
last
part?
They
will
not
let
us
alone.
Poetic
words
have
the
power
to
provoke
and
to
agitate,
dont
they?
What
strikes
me
about
this
song
is
the
incredibly
vivid
and
beautiful
imagery.
Yet
as
stunning
as
the
imagery
is,
the
message
is
far
from
idealistic.
Things
look
quite
bleak
and
even
terrifying
until
the
final
couple
of
verses
when,
as
Dennis
T.
Olson
says,
the
LORD
sees
that
Israels
power
is
gone,
that
they
have
come
up
against
their
limits,
and
will
finally
have
compassion
on
them
and
win
victory
on
their
behalf.8
Rejoice
with
him,
O
heavens;
bow
down
to
him,
all
gods,
for
he
avenges
the
blood
of
his
children
and
takes
vengeance
on
his
adversaries.
He
repays
those
who
hate
him
and
cleanses
his
peoples
land
(Deut.
32.43).
As
Daniel
Block
says,
the
view
of
Israel
throughout
the
song
is
quite
negative;
the
function
of
the
song
was
to
raise
the
peoples
aspirations
by
fixing
their
eyes
on
YHWH
and
instilling
in
them
gratitude
for
His
undeserved
favors.9
The
song
does
two
things
rhetorically,
as
Block
also
points
out:
In
the
midst
of
prosperity
the
Song
sends
a
cautionRemember
YHWH!and
in
the
midst
of
judgment
it
offers
hopeRemember
YHWH!10
Im
struck
by
how
many
metaphors
are
used
for
God
in
the
song:
God
as
rock
(32:4;
15,
18,
30,
31,
37),
God
as
eagle
(32:11),
God
as
a
nursing
mother
(32:13),
and
God
as
divine
warrior
(32:35).
The
image
that
struck
me
most
was:
You
were
unmindful
of
the
Rock
that
bore
you
(Deut.
32:18)
A
rock
begetting
a
human
being
is
certainly
a
striking
image.
One
of
my
favorite
Psalms,
Psalm
18,
employs
the
rock
metaphor
several
times:
The
LORD
is
my
rock
and
my
fortress
and
my
deliverer,
my
God,
my
rock,
in
whom
I
take
refuge,
my
shield,
and
the
horn
of
my
salvation,
my
stronghold
.
.
.
For
who
is
God,
but
the
LORD?
And
who
is
a
rock,
except
our
God?
.
.
.
The
LORD
lives,
and
blessed
be
my
rock,
and
exalted
be
the
God
of
my
salvation
(vv.
2,
31,
46).
Patrick
Miller
says
that
the
image
of
rock
for
God
points
to
the
steadfastness
of
God
as
an
anchor
and
refuge
in
a
tottering
world.
It
is
a
poetic
way
of
speaking
of
the
faithfulness
of
God,
who
can
be
counted
upon
and
trusted,
whose
ways
are
clear,
straight,
upright,
and
not
devious
or
deceptive.11
7
Harold
Fisch,
Poetry
with
a
Purpose
(Bloomington:
Indiana
University
Press,
1990),
51.
Selection
quoted
in
Patrick
D.
Miller,
Deuteronomy
(Interpretation;
Louisville:
John
Knox
Press,
1990),
225-226
8
Dennis
T.
Olson,
How
Does
Deuteronomy
Do
Theology?
Literary
Juxtaposition
and
Paradox
in
the
New
Moab
Covenant
in
Deuteronomy
29-32
in
A
God
So
Near:
Essays
on
Old
Testament
Theology
in
Honor
of
Patrick
D.
Miller
Edited
by
Brent
Strawn
and
Nancy
R.
Bowen
(Winona
Lake,
Indiana:
Eisenbrauns,
2003),
211.
9
Daniel
I.
Block
How
I
Love
Your
Torah,
O
LORD!
Studies
in
the
Book
of
Deuteronomy
(Eugene,
Oregon:
Cascade
Books,
2011),
179.
10
Daniel
I.
Block
How
I
Love
Your
Torah,
O
LORD!
Studies
in
the
Book
of
Deuteronomy
(Eugene,
Oregon:
Cascade
Books,
2011),
178.
11
Patrick
D.
Miller,
Deuteronomy
(Interpretation;
Louisville:
John
Knox
Press,
1990),
227.
Deuteronomy tells us that Moses wrote and recited the song on the very day the LORD commanded him to ascend the mountain on which he would die (32:48- 50). I cant help but think that one of the primary reasons Moses left behind the song was to simply help the people of Israel remember the bottom line of his message. Moses is a master preacher who rearticulates the heart of his sermon in beautiful language to make a lasting impression on the people, so they will not forget. Conclusion As we conclude our time together, I wonder, is there anything that you will take away with you from your time in Deuteronomy? A specific life-giving word? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ The weight and importance of faithfulness to our covenant God is what has impressed itself so heavily upon me over the past six or seven weeks. Deuteronomy has forced me to think a whole lot about what faithfulness looks like as a disciple of Jesus, the Messiah, of Israel. I suppose Ill spend the better part of my life thinking about what this really means and seeking to embody it. What I do know is that JesusHis obedient life and His faithfulness on the cross, must wholly and thoroughly inform what faithfulness means to us. Christian faithfulness is, I think, fundamentally cross-shaped and that has lots of wonderful and yet challenging implications. Finally, Deuteronomy has challenged me to stop and think about what we can do to equip and educate the next generation of disciples. With each year lived my desire and concern to see the spiritual baton passed grows. This past weekend my six-year-old nephew Jackson got his very first truly legit Bibleno pictureswere talking the real deal here. I watched closely as he fixated on it and clutched it tightly in his hands. My sister, Amanda, told me yesterday that Jackson even insisted on taking his new Bible into the bathroom with him. And youre thinking, Well, of course he did, hes a guy, Melissa! That means NOTHING. You do have a point. But seriously, I can hardly remember a more special moment. I wanted to tell him, Oh, you have no idea or just you wait, little nephew! Or maybe even what my Mom uttered to me some twenty years ago: this Book isnt like every other book. You cant always sense the importance of something when youre actually experiencing 6
it but this time, even in the moment, I had a deep sense of its profundity. Echoing in my head was Psalm 145: One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts . . . They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and will declare your greatness . . . They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom (Psalm 145:4, 6-7, 11-12).
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading along and journeying with us through Deuteronomy. Wherever the LORD may be leading you in this season of your life: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1.9). Love the LORD your God, for He is your life and length of days; obey His voice and hold fast to Him.