Introducing Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1

            The title Deuteronomy literally means “second law.” The whole book is set in the land of Moab, just east of the Jordan River, where Moses gives what I like to call a pep talk. He retells Israel’s history, reminding them both of God’s goodness and their failures. He reiterates many of the laws that we have already heard. And he encourages them to faithfulness to those laws and to the Lord who gave them.

            Because a major theme of Deuteronomy is obedience, this is a good place to remind ourselves of the two covenants that Israel lived under: the covenant with Abraham and the covenant associated with Moses. Paul describes how we are supposed to understand the relationship between these two in Galatians 3-4. The covenant of Moses was the lesser of the two covenants. It was given specifically to Israel as a sort of guardian until the promise of the Savior was fulfilled, and it was conditional in nature: “Obey, and I will bless you and keep you in your land.” The covenant with Abraham was the greater of the two, having been given first, and being unconditional, simply the Lord’s promise that He would bless Abraham and all the peoples of the earth through him.

            Keeping these covenant straight is necessary and important because getting Deuteronomy wrong will lead to all sorts of bad beliefs. This book is a hotspot for passages that, if not understood correctly, will lead a person into all sorts of trouble. Deuteronomy, if not understood as Israel’s book, will lead us to think that God is very much into the quid pro quo, that He blesses you if you’re obedient and that He punishes you if you’re not. It’s a book that can be misused by the Joel Osteens and Joyce Meyers and the televangelists of the world. It’s a book that can lead you to think that your troubles are all because your faith isn’t strong enough and that if you had a stronger faith you’d be happy, healthy, and wise all the time. So, this distinction of the covenants and understanding them correctly is hugely important for understanding Deuteronomy and understanding our own life before God.

            Today’s reading, Deuteronomy 1, sees Moses retelling Israel’s story for a new generation. He tells of the command to set out from Mt. Sinai and of the appointment of leaders (very similar to Exodus 18). Then he reminds them of the rebellion by which they refused to take the land the Lord had promised. We have to remember that in Deuteronomy Moses is not speaking to the generation that rebelled but to that generation’s children. It is both a history lesson, “This is why we’re here,” and a warning, “The Lord doesn’t put up with that nonsense.” Moses’ line, “The little ones that you said would be taken captive will be the ones to enter the land,” (v. 39) reminds Moses’ listeners, “You now have the Lord’s promise.” And it’s the promises of God that give every generation of believers hope! In that promise, they will inherit the land.