Introducing Deuteronomy

            The word “Deuteronomy” means “second law,” so the title of the book gives us some sense of what we’re in for.  We can expect three things in this book.  First, there will be some recapitulation of the specific laws that Israel is supposed to follow (especially in the middle of the book).  The second and third things we can expect are related to the fact that Deuteronomy takes the form of an extended pep talk, as Moses prepares to hand leadership over to Joshua and to steel Israel for the coming task of conquest.  So, the second thing we can expect in Deuteronomy is a review of Israel’s recent history, especially in their interactions with the Lord.  (That’s what we see in ch. 1, our reading for today.)  However, the third thing we see is that this retelling of their history is not just for historical knowledge but to motivate them to obedience and faithfulness to the covenant the Lord made with them.  For these reasons, we’ll see that the book of Deuteronomy is a bit more pointed in its presentation than we have seen.  So, let's try not to read it as, "Here we go again."  Let's try to read more as, "Let's get going!"