Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
[00:00:00] Welcome to God's Full Story. This year, we're looking at every book in the Bible, piece by piece, one week at a time. Uh, we hope it's helping you understand the full story of scripture, and we hope it's strengthening your relationship with God. Uh, if you are enjoying the podcast, we would love to invite you to partner with us financially.
You can do so for as little as three dollars a month by clicking the link in our description. Here's today's episode. Today we're talking about the book of Deuteronomy. And I know when I used to lead the Bible school, the most common phrase that I would always hear students talk about Deuteronomy was, this is just a review book.
Uh, I think it's so much more than a review book and why, why is Deuteronomy here? Who is the audience for Deuteronomy? Why, why do we, is this more than a review book? What do you guys think? Well, why is it called Second Law if it's not a review book? Whoa. Okay. Take that. Take that Bible, school kid. I [00:01:00] attacked you right out of the gate.
It wasn't supposed to be that way. I actually really want to know why it's called second law. It is the second time that the law is stated. Yes. So what is different then about the audience in this book compared to the audience in the first time the law is given? That's a hint then. Everything that has occurred.
Everything has occurred. Yes, we were, it's not a review book because this is a covenant renewal document. It is not simply just reviewing something they already knew. It's actually trying to restate it for a generation because their, their fathers and mothers were unfaithful and they all ended up dying in the wilderness.
So unless you want to die in the wilderness, let's get this right. This time, follow this law or die. Yes. So no, it's, it is more than a review book. A review book, because it was essential for the second generation to renew this covenant and recommit to obeying God. So they didn't end up in the same place that their ancestors did.
And, uh, it's actually even structured [00:02:00] in a covenant form. Uh, if you want to get really, really nerdy, it is an ancient near East. suzerainty treaty that is a hard word to say suzerainty which simply means that it is an agreement between a powerful king and people that the king promises to take care of them and in return they need to do a number of things if they do it they get blessings if they don't do it there are curses and Deuteronomy is actually laid out exactly like one of these treaties would have been in this kind of culture so this is an agreement between God and the king in the second generation, encouraging them that if they're faithful, there's going to be blessings.
And if they're not, there's going to be curses. And those curses are actually something that we're going to see again and again and again as we go through God's whole story. Because when we see The consequences of disobedience, even in the prophets, it's always connected to a covenant curse. When we see blessings, it's always connected to a covenant blessing.
So Deuteronomy is actually a [00:03:00] book that if you're studying the rest of the Old Testament, you're going to be having a bookmark here. You're going to be looking back because everything is pointing back to this book. So is it a review book, Chelsea? No, it's not.
I'm so sorry. It is the second law. You're right. Uh, and it is a very strange name for a book, by the way, Deuteronomy, uh, but there's a lot of good baby name. Yep. There you go. Lots of good baby names in scripture. This is little Deuteronomy Zook. Oh uh, we'll add that to the list, I think. Yeah. For consideration.
That's the most fake Amish name I've ever heard in my life. Yeah. Because, I mean We'll, we'll bring it back. Don't worry. Deuteronomy doesn't have a history of being a male specific name or a female specific name. I hope so. Trendy. Yeah. Either way. You could, with the times. And then everybody would ask you, why Deuteronomy?
Because we want to remind you. It's not a review book. We'd be like, we want you to know about suzerain vassal treaties. That's what we would want you [00:04:00] to know. It'd be like an evangelistic tool. Well we are off to a flying start on this episode of Deuteronomy. Hey, something, just because you brought up the suzerain thing, like one, I've always heard to it referred as a suzerain vassal treaty.
The suzerain is the King. The vassal is the people being ruled, but even the way they were delivered, which I think will come up in the book is that there would be like a, like a statement from the ruler and a response by the people, which is actually, that actually occurs and it's documented in the book of Deuteronomy.
And it seems like you already said this, but the blessings and curses, like define the whole thing. You agree to both. I mean, it, it, if you take a deep dive into these kind of treaties, it is literally structured exactly like one would have been that you would have a historical prologue, you would have some of the things you're referring to of like, this is what I did for you.
It's like a call and response. Yeah. And then even when they, like, Eventually in this book share the blessings and curses on on the two mountains that it's part of the ceremony and exactly the the ratification of this covenant document Um, what's really interesting about that is that god [00:05:00] could have revealed his law and recommitted his law Anyway, he wanted to like, he could have done literally anything to help these people understand what was necessary.
And he chose to use something they all understood already because it would have been a very huge cultural piece that people knew. So he chose to, uh, have them recommit to his law in a way that made sense to them from the context and the culture around them. There's a lot of that in scripture. There is.
And it's, it's really interesting that is actually God's choice so that the people understand it and follow it and, and, and do it. I think sometimes, uh, it's so easy to think that, that when God wants to take his people to a, a, a different level or a different place, he's going to like automatically institute heaven on earth.
Like we're going to go straight from A to Z, but he uses things they're familiar with, and sometimes he's even just. Using progress that okay, you're familiar with other Kinds of covenants like this or other kinds of suzerain [00:06:00] vassal kind of treaties We're going to take it and we're gonna redeem it We're gonna make it even better and kind of show you what a true king should be like and what's A faithful people should be like so yeah, there's a lot of that in scripture.
That's that's a really good thought Well, we also know that this takes place as they're in the wilderness Okay, that's if we just remind ourself of where we've come from they left egypt They went to mount sinai received the law the first time and then through the disobedience of their fathers and mothers A 11 day journey to the promised land ended up taking 40 years bummer Yes, so now they this Is a whole book recommitting them to the heart of God, recommitting them to the covenant, revealing God's heart for them.
And also there's a lot of things that God is doing because he's beginning to take them from a group of refugees or a group of people who are just kind of mobile all the time. And he's starting to build them into a nation. So in this [00:07:00] book, you've got some principles for education. You've got some things for health.
You've got things for government. Uh, Moses, Give some very passionate speeches that you see a lot of just his heart for them keeping the law, uh, and all of this is preparing them to go in and take the land that we're going to see them do in the next book in Joshua. Uh, so there is so much kind of bringing them back to what was supposed to be and woven in you see.
Just God's incredible heart that he cares about every detail of life. Um, sometimes we even make jokes about some of the things that are in the law. Like it talks about going outside the camp and burying your excrement and they're like, Ooh, you know, God's talking about burying poop, but that's hell. If you've got almost a million people and that stuff's happening in the camp, that's a problem.
So there's so much, uh, really great things going on here. What are some other things that you really just jump out at you as far as, uh, the heart of that God's revealing, or maybe even things that we see about Moses, uh, as he's [00:08:00] leading the people towards this promised land. Well, I mean, I know you'll probably end up talking about this, but Deuteronomy is like, I love those verses.
Yeah, go, go, once you, um, do you have it there open? I do, I do. Okay, yeah, let's read it, because that is such a It's an amazing compilation of just the heart of God. Yeah. Hero Israel, the Lord, our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. I'm going to keep going because it's just that good. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Uh, I just, I don't know. I love it. It sums up how I feel about God's word. And I'm not like talking about Deuteronomy laws to my kids all the time, but it's a good reminder of [00:09:00] how I should be raising my kids and scriptures on the forefront of how we do things.
When the law can feel kind of dry sometimes, or it's like, even that. You know, adage, there's a bunch of rules and regulations like, no, that's, that's the heart. That's what God is after. God just desiring his people to be like him and that he would lead them. Uh, and I mean, that is a huge verse for, for Jews as well.
I mean, that's, what's the, the Hebrew way they call it? Yes. Um, which is required, I think, to be recited several times a day. Um, I mean, so, so they would interpret that. Um, not figuratively. So and, and many groups of Jews actually do bind it on their hands and do tie it between their eyes and do put it, yeah.
Um, so they take it very seriously and they'd be, they would, they would be today very familiar with the passage and would have been for thousands of years familiar with the passage because it's a key [00:10:00] passage. And I think while we don't necessarily have to say it six times or however many times we don't have to bind it on our head, there's a lot of.
New Testament parallels that when you see things like the seal of God in Ephesians, like it's, they're sealed and, uh, even figuratively in revelation, different places, it's talked about on their hands and on their head is where they're marked. And it's, it's a sign of ownership that this separated Israel from the other nations.
This made them different. This said, we have a different God. And that causes us to behave differently, which goes back to this agreement that God is making with them. And imagine if we did. So, like, right, like, we're always cautious about staying away from legalism, and I understand all those things, but imagine if you actually did, you know, say this.
What? Like a couple times a day or like literally, I mean, audience out there, like you're, you're listening to us. Like what if you actually tried this like every day this week, say these verse, it's not going to save you, right? Like it's not going to grant you right relationship with God, but imagine how you would see [00:11:00] things a little bit differently because you're making a habit of saying these things.
Cause it's one of the things that sticks out to me from Deuteronomy six and I'm with Chelsea. Like I love that passage a lot. Like I find myself teaching that passage a lot. Um, if you look at the actual commands. Teach them diligently to your children, a talk of them while you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, when you rise, those are all things we still do.
So this is written. I don't know, thousands and thousands of years ago, our rhythms are still exactly the same. Um, obviously we probably don't walk by the way, probably drive by the way, but, but if you actually made a habit of doing these things, you actually would be in a much more spiritual, better spiritual position, discipleship wise, I guess, not, I mean, not righteousness wise, but there's, there's, it's just presents a multitude of opportunities to talk about the Lord with anybody.
And like, I think about that with my kids. Specifically, like I think about when we're driving and we see like a [00:12:00] sense or something like, like something that my kids are like, Oh my gosh, mom, look at that. And like, I think about this verse and I, my, my usual response is, isn't God so awesome that he would create the sky in a way that is so beautiful at night.
And like, like, I just, this first makes me want to point everything back to the Lord, even if it's not like a specific command or specific law, it's just like. Remember, remember God and how like he created this for you to enjoy. Um, I hope it, I hope it rubs off on my kids. I hope it sticks. Which if you remember, I mean, how many times in the Pentateuch have, have we already seen that the people were supposed to be reading the law on a regular basis?
Oh yeah. They were supposed to be renewing the covenant. They were supposed to be celebrating the Passover. They're supposed to be doing, which is a lot more involved than reciting this verse six times a day or something. Um, And they almost never actually did that. They almost never did it. Almost never.
Hopefully the Shema happened a little more often. Maybe. One thing that does [00:13:00] stick out to me too is, I had never really thought about this before, but in verse 5 it says, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart. Um, the word love sticks out to me because, I mean, I don't have not done a deep dive study on ancient near, near Eastern culture religions, but I would imagine that love is not part of a God's command.
Like you will love me. Um, There's not too many Pagan gods that involve love. Right. I mean, that is kind of one of the hallmarks of Yahweh. Even this, I mean, this sets it, this sets it apart for them. Like, this is a god of love, and he's saying, you will love me, and you will love this law, and I'm, this command that I'm giving to you, it's going to be on your heart.
Like, these are just words that show the character of God in a way that these people would have been like, whoa, like, this is different. And I love that not to be cliche.
So we've got all of this, uh, just [00:14:00] reminder to keep the covenant going. A lot of passionate messages from Moses. And then we're on the edge of the promised land and Moses doesn't get to go. But also his death passage is just like. I love it so much. Not that he dies. What do you love about the death passage, Chelsea?
I love that. Okay. Well, let me tell you, I love that you can see how much the Lord cares for Moses in the way that like, like the Lord buries Moses. That's incredible. Um, I think it's in here, right? I'm not thinking of something else. Do you ever wonder what that looked like? I do. I don't know. What does God burying someone look like?
I don't know, but he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab and he was 120 years old when he died. Like, just imagine, like the Lord, I just am thinking of the Lord just very, being very gentle with Moses and just like saying, Hey, like I, like, you're not going to be able to experience this, [00:15:00] but he experiences the Lord's loving kindness in another way, even in death.
Uh, if you're not totally familiar with the reason why he didn't enter, uh, why I love it, it is talked about in numbers, um, as well. Uh, and basically Moses is told, told to, uh, speak to the rock to have water come out for the people. He strikes it, which is something he actually did in the past. Uh, and it worked.
So, you know, he kind of was ascribing to the, you know, when you're supposed to get water out of a rock, this is how you do it manual. He struck it. instead of being obedient to God, uh, which did dishonor God, uh, because he wasn't being obedient. Uh, and it seems like that, uh, one event could be kind of harsh, but, uh, we do see that God takes obedience very seriously.
Um, and several other times in Deuteronomy is interesting. If you really take a close look, Moses also blames the people for it. So he still does a little bit of human blame shifting there several times. He blames the people. This [00:16:00] is why I'm not entering the land. It's like, actually, no, Moses, uh, you, you had a part in this too.
I'm sure these people had plenty of times that Moses was on the verge of pulling out his hair, but, uh, he doesn't do it because of his disobedience. It doesn't get in because of his disobedience. So we're on the edge of the promised land. We have been journeying with Moses. Yes. Chelsea gave away that spoiler that Moses does die.
Yeah, sorry. Oh, did people not know that? That Moses dies? My actual son did not know that. Fun fact. He thought Moses was still alive? He loves watching The Prince of Egypt. And this is my three year old. He wanted to invite Moses to his birthday party. This is a true story. And I was like, buddy, um, Moses actually died.
And it ruined his whole day. So it was actually like very, I shouldn't, I should've just made something up and been like, I think he's busy. Busy striking a rock that day. A full day of striking [00:17:00] rocks. It seems like something Moses would do. Right. But yeah, so not everybody knows that Moses died. He did in fact die.
Lived 120 years. Hope I didn't ruin anyone's day just now. Or birthday party. If your day was ruined because you just learned that Moses died, please drop a comment in the notes and we'll direct it to Chelsea. Hey, if you're listening to this, I'm so sorry. Also, what are you doing? How are you listening to the podcast right now?
I think one of the things that sticks out to me from this book. Um, I've heard a lot of people that have issues with the book because it just seems like a lot of commands from God like, uh, you know, and I guess Deuteronomy specifically. Yes, but also just sometimes the whole Old Testament. They're like, Oh, it's just God being bossy.
What's interesting is that. It never gets a lot of press that God literally guarantees that if you obey his commands, he will care for you and provide for you. Like it's always the negative thing that gets a lot of attention and never like, Hey, like, it's not cool to you that God's like, just do what I [00:18:00] say and I will personally take care of you.
It, I know for me, like when I made that mind shift, it was a huge deal for me. Because I'm like, Oh, like, I think he actually intended to care for his people, not punish his people. Like, the positive was actually the thing that was supposed to happen. And to me, it's like, you know, because God hasn't changed, right?
Like God, God's not all of a sudden different. We didn't get to the New Testament and he had a mood shift, maybe we'll talk about that at some point. Um. He's still the same. And what I get excited about from these law passages is like, this is a God who guarantees to care personally for us, like the God of the universe that that owns all things.
If we just do what he asks, it's pretty incredible. We don't, we don't have to, You know, bend over backwards to please him some way. We just do what he says. And he's already shown he'll, he'll do a lot, even if we do a little. Yeah. Um, that it's, it's not, uh, he's not expecting, he understands that we're not going to be perfect.
Yes. And that's part of the promise that goes all the way back to Genesis three, that [00:19:00] there still is someone who will come and will reverse the curse of sin, death, and the enemy, but until then. Let's obey. Let's be different. Let's reflect the God that we're serving. So if you find yourself reading over these, which we encourage you to do, like this week, take some time, check out Deuteronomy.
We will have episodes. Our old episodes will be linked in the show notes, so you can just click them and get there. Try to look at it. I would encourage you to try to look at it from that light. Like, how cool is God that he gives you the instructions, he teaches, literally teaches you, like, how to handle sewage.
Like that might feel kind of weird, but it's like, Hey, these are just good health choices for your life. They can actually transform nations. Yeah, for sure. I mean, like the, the, what was it like the black plague or whatever? That was literally because they weren't treating their sewage. Well, um, anyway, it's a weird sidetrack.
Um, but just read over Deuteronomy and be so impressed with how much God loves his people and cares for his people and causes like, just do what I asked you to do and I'll take care of you. [00:20:00] We may have said sewage more in this episode. I was not anticipating that, actually, but you know what? God knows some things that modern medicine only discovered in the 21st century.
It's so true. Which is amazing. It's so true. So, even sewage in the Bible is amazing. We can't end on that note. No. We won't end on that note, but we will end on the note that Moses is dead. Aw, I'm sad. I mean, I knew it was coming, but I'm sad that we're done with Moses. But now we're going to move on and like the next book is Joshua.
And the thing is like, Joshua has been walking with Moses. Joshua is being, been trained with Moses and now he's going to get the torch passed. Um, and in some ways, uh, he's going to do some very similar things that Moses did to kind of, uh, in some ways God is going to even institute his leadership this way.
So there's a little teaser perhaps for. When we talk about Joshua. Cool. Any other comments? Any other things you want to throw in? Something cool about Joshua is like he gets Moses's attention. Basically by being [00:21:00] one of the few faithful people and that becomes his M. O. I'm sure we'll talk about that. Um, when we get to Joshua, but it's not like he all of a sudden became faithful.
He seems to be a guy that really had a strong faith in God his entire life. Um, And, and he's an, he's a pretty impressive character and a great replacement for, sorry, Chelsea, for Moses. You can never replace Moses. You're ruining my day. A great next. Hey everybody, thanks so much for listening. And if you want to keep listening, uh, we're going to be releasing an episode soon.
And so, follow along with us as we cover God's Whole Story. Reminder, you can always go back and listen to some of the individual deep dives we did in Season 1. Thanks so much, and we'll see you soon. [00:22:00] Bye.
