Deuteronomy 14-16 Sons of the LORD your God

From Deuteronomy 14-16

Q. Who determines your identity and self perception?

Overview

Dt 14.1-2 Law; You are the sons of the LORD. Don't cut or make yourself bald for the dead.

Dt 14.3-21 Law; Food laws, clean and unclean animals to eat. Foreigners may eat.

Dt 14.22-29 Law; Tithes, providing food for the levered

Dt 15.1-18 Law; The poor, the jubilee and care for the poor

Dt 15.19-23 Law; Sacrifice and Worship; Offering the firstborn

Dt 16.1-8 Law; Festivals, Passover and feast of unleavened bread

Dt 16.9-12 Law; Festivals, Feast of weeks

Dt 16.13-15 Law; Festivals, Feast of booths

Dt 16.16-17 Story; Summary statement for festivals

Dt 16.18-20 Story; Instruction to appoint judges to dispense justice

Dt 16.21-22 Law; Sacrifice and Worship, Forbidden forms of worship

Passage and Comments

It's interesting to note some of the laws regarding care of the poor;

4 But there will be no poor among you; for the LORD will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess — 5 if only you will strictly obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all this commandment that I command you today. 6 For the LORD your God will bless you, as he promised you, and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow, and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you. (Dt 15.4-6)

'There will be no poor among you ... if you strictly obey the voice of the LORD'. Well I guess they are going to have poor then, hey? Moses continues reiterating a series of blessings for obedience.

7 “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. (Dt 15.7-8)

They are to take special care of their own kin.

11 For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ (Dt 15.11)

‘There will never cease to be poor in the land’ Hang on, earlier the LORD promised ‘There will be no poor ... if you strictly obey the voice of the LORD.’ I guess the LORD is predicting Israel will not strictly obey the voice of the LORD. Or perhaps the earlier promise was for Israel only and there would be poor foreigners for them to care for. But either way, we know Israel did not strictly follow the voice of the LORD.

But jumping back to the first chapter there is something more I would like to finish us off on;

14 “You are the sons of the LORD your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead. 2 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. (Dt 14.1-2)

Story of Jesus

Sons of the Lord your God. That expression is repeated several times in the New Testament of the renewed people of God. Paul again, sorry;

3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Gal 4.3-7)

and

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Rom 8.14-16)

This is a great thing to remember and a wonderful blessing the LORD has given us. We are sons (and daughters) of the LORD our God. Its an act of grace on the LORD’s behalf to call us this.

Deuteronomy 11-13 His chosen place of worship

From Deuteronomy 11-13

What kinds of things do you do when you want to thank God?

Overview

Dt 11.1-7 Story; Moses urges Israel to remember the acts of God and to therefore love the LORD

Dt 11.8-32 Story; Moses instructs them with blessings and curses for obedience when entering the promised land

Dt 12.1-14 Story; On entering the promised land Israel is to destroy all other forms of worship, and worship God with sacrifices at the chosen location.

Dt 12.15-28 Story; Instructions for eating various foods and sacrifices with respect to the location of the place the LORD will choose.

Dt 12.29-31 Story; Warnings against apostasy

Dt 12.32 Story; Summary statement for all the repeated instructions

Dt 13.1-18 Story; Warnings against idolatry and apostasy. Instructions on how to deal with it.

Passage and Comments

There are a lot of repeated instructions given to Israel and they are interwoven with Israel’s instruction to enter and take the promised land. This is why I haven’t described them as law in my overview. Moses instructs Israel on what they are to do when they enter.

12 “These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. 2 You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3 You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. 4 You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way. (Dt 12.1-4)

They are to destroy all rival forms of worship that could lead to them abandoning their faith and worship of God. In contrast to these places of worship Moses alludes to another location for their worship.

5 But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, 6 and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. 7 And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the LORD your God has blessed you. (Dt 12.5-7)

The place is the tabernacle and eventually it will be set up in Jerusalem.

Story of Jesus

I’ve mentioned a few times in the past that Jesus is the new location where God dwells among us. Today I would like to comment on another aspect of worship. The fact that Christians now are no longer bound to worship God at a single location. Rather we can worship God wherever we are in an unimaginable number of ways. Moses said;

‘you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the LORD your God has blessed you’ (Dt 12.7)

Let us thank God for the ability and desire to worship him for who he is and what he has done. Lets consider how we can worship and please him in what we think, do and say.

Deuteronomy 8-10 Treat others as the LORD has treated you

From Deuteronomy 8-10

You might have heard of the principle, treat others as you would have them treat you. The LORD instructs us to go further.

Overview

Dt 8.1-10 Story; Moses reminds Israel of their journey thus far, the LORD’s faithfulness to them and instructs them to keep the commandments of the LORD

Dt 8.11-20 Story; Warnings against apostasy through giving a series of examples from Israel’s past.

Dt 9.1-5 Story; When they successfully enter the promised land, Israel is not to think it is because of their righteousness.

Dt 9.6-12 Story-Sin; Moses recounts several times when they abandoned the LORD and acted corruptly

Dt 9.13-21 Story-Sin; Moses recounts the golden calf incident and how the LORD almost destroyed Aaron and Israel

Dt 9.22-29 Story-Sin; Moses recounts their rebellion at Massah and Kibroth-hattaavah and his intercession for them

Dt 10.1-5 Story; Moses recounts how he remade two new tablets for the Ten Commandments and the Ark of the Covenant

Dt 10.6-11 Story; Moses recounts how Levi’s tribe is to carry the Ark and his continued intercession for Israel

Dt 10.12-22 Story; Moses recounts the instructions the LORD gave the stubborn people. To circumcise their hearts.

Passage and Comments

Moses in these chapters does a lot of recalling the events that led them thus this far. In particular in anticipation of entering the promised land he recalls Israel’s sins. They are serious and numerous. But the chapters end with these exhortations;

12 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good? (Dt 10.12-13)

Moses echoes the Jewish Shema (Dt 6.4-5) saying love the LORD with all your heart and soul. There is continued emphasis on obedience to the commandments thus revealed. So far only the Ten Commandments and the Shema have been mentioned.

14 Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. 15 Yet the LORD set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. 16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. (Dt 10.14-16)

This I think is the first time circumcision refers to something other than the physical act. Circumcising the heart means cutting of the sinful part of your heart. Clearly this fits the context of Moses recounting all Israel’s sins to this point.

17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. (Dt 10.17-19)

Moses describes the LORD in majestic terms. The LORD is particularly interested in looking after the weak and the sojourners. Once Israel were like this also, in remembrance of how the LORD treated them, Israel to treat the weak and sojourners as the LORD did them.

20 You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. 21 He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven. (Dt 10.20-22)

We finish off with Moses recounting the LORD’s faithfulness to his promise to Abraham for offspring. They went down to Egypt seventy persons. Now they number approximately half a million people. God is faithful to his promises.

Story of Jesus

On reading the LORD’s instruction to Israel to care for the sojourners. Just as the LORD cared for them as sojourners, so are they to care for sojourners in remembrance of how the LORD treated them. I was reminded of the LORD’s prayer in which Jesus prays,

‘forgive us our sins and we forgive those who sin against us.’  (Mt 6.12)

Paul in Romans says something similar;

7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Rom 15:7)

It seems a few times we are meant to reflect on the LORD’s treatment of us and treat others in the same way.

Deuteronomy 5-7 The Jewish Shema

From Deuteronomy 5-7

What is the greatest commandment according to Jesus our king?

Overview

Dt 5.1-5 Story; Moses gives an introduction to the Ten Commandments. The LORD speaks with later generations.

Dt 5.6-21 Law; The Ten Commandments

1) You shall have no other gods before me

2) You shall not make carved images or likeness of any god and serve them

3) You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain

4) Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy (Salvation from Egypt)

5) Honor your father and mother, promise that your days may long in the land God is giving

6) You shall not murder

7) You shall not commit adultery

8) You shall not steal

9) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour

10) You shall not covet what your neighbour has

Dt 5.22-27 Story; Moses recounts the events at Mount Sinai and the people’s fearful response to hearing the LORD

Dt 5.28-6.3 Story; Moses continues hearing the LORD and later instructs Israel to do all the LORD has commanded

Dt 6.4-5 Law; Love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul and might

Dt 6.6-9 Law; Misc, Reminders for keeping the LORD’s ways. Teach children, talk of them anytime, signs on hands and foreheads, on house doorposts and gates.

Dt 6.10-15 Story; Reminder not to sin as they did before with idolatry, but observe all the commands

Dt 6.16-19 Story; Reminder not to sin as they did at Massah, but observe all the commands. The LORD will honour his promise.

Dt 6.20-25 Story; Moses instructs Israel to pass on the LORD’s saving actions to later generations. Obedience to these covenant laws is considered righteousness for the Jews.

Dt 7.1-5 Story; Instructions on entering the promised land. They should completely destroy. Warnings against intermarriage and idolatry.

Dt 7.6-11 Story; Israel is the elect and chosen of God. Through no quality of their own, but God’s covenant love.

Dt 7.12-26 Story; The LORD tells them to trust and obey him, he will bring them into the promised land.

Passage and Comments

In Deuteronomy 5 Moses reiterates the Ten Commandments. The introduction describes how important it is for Israel to obey them and adds some interesting descriptions.

5 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. 2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 Not with our fathers did the LORD make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. 4 The LORD spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, 5 while I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. (Dt 5.1-5)

Two observations. Firstly, note again Moses refers to the instructions the LORD gives him and Israel as a covenant. Secondly, as I observed one or two days earlier, the generation that was present died of old age in the wilderness. Moses is speaking to later generations of Israel as if they were also present at Mount Sinai saying, ‘Not with our fathers did the LORD make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today.’ (Dt 5.3) Throughout Israel’s generations they are meant to think that they too were present at the mountain, hearing the law.

At the end of the Ten Commandments Moses says.

22 “These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. (Dt 5.22)

It is significant that Moses says ‘he added no more’. Essentially he is making a distinction between the Ten Commandments as all the other laws in the Torah. If we skip forward a bit more.

6 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. (Dt 6:1–3)

Moses is referring to the Ten Commandments again. Note the language he uses. The are commands that they must ‘do’ and ‘keep’. They should obey them all their lives that they may live, things will go well with them and they will multiply as the LORD has promised. The commands are part of the covenant agreement. This is Israel’s obligation. Provided they meet their obligations the LORD will honour his covenant promises.

4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Dt 6:4–5)

The above text is what the Jews called the ‘Shema’. It was perhaps the most important prayer of the Jews and command they were to obey. “It sustained and rejuvenated the Jewish self-consciousness, reinforced the worldview and the hope. There was one god, Israel was his people, and he would deliver them soon. In the meantime they must remain faithful.” (p233, NT Wright, NTPG) “To hear,” in Hebrew lexicography, is tantamount to “to obey,” especially in covenant contexts such as this. That is, to hear God without putting into effect the command is not to hear him at all. (Merrill, E. H. (1994). Deuteronomy (Vol. 4, p. 162). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.) The command speaks to the heart. The centre of a persons being. It captures the concepts of mind, will, and emotion together. Its with the heart people believe (Rom 10.9-10).

6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 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. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Dt 6:6–9)

Moses reiterates the importance of the Ten Commandments and the Shema. They are to remember them by teaching them to their children (good verse for sunday schools), speak of them to one another and write them on bits of papyrus and bind them to their foreheads (yes literally).

Story of Jesus

Jesus refers to the Shema as the greatest commandment in the gospel. He says;

28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”

29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. (Mk 12.28-34)

And for us who believe Jesus is the Christ and follow him as our king, these commands of his are still important and we will be held accountable to them.