Instructions for Living Deuteronomy 17-34

Have you ever seen those "Books for Dummies"; for example, English Grammar for Dummies or Drawing for Dummies? These books repeatedly crossed my mind as I was reading Deuteronomy. It's not my intent to downgrade the Word of God to an instructional manual, but it felt like the Lord knew it was necessary that the children of Israel (as well as Christians throughout the ages) needed to be told God's instructions a second time in an easy to comprehend manner.

As I homeschool my 7th grader in math, when there is a problem that she is struggling with, I encourage her to "break it down potato-head style." (You guys remember the kids' toys, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head?... anyway...) I just want her to take it from the complex problem she is looking at to something basic that she does understands and use the problem-solving process on the complex problem. For example, if she's challenged on finding the percentage of 587/962, I demonstrate that she can go back to figuring out the process of finding the percentage of something easy, like 1/2, and then apply that same process to the problem at hand: 587/962. This plan of action allows me to focus in on the problem-solving strategy, so that I can successfully apply it to more complex situations.

This is very much how I see the book of Deuteronomy. The Lord has beautifully weaved a complex adventure story for us in the first four books: from Creation, to the calling out of Abram, the birth of a nation that journeyed away from their home and became slaves, their God delivering them from slavery and bringing them to the edge of a promise to give them a homeland of their own, and along the way they are given instructions to live a life that will bring blessings both spiritual and physical.

God knew we needed the instructions for living according to His commands repeated one more time. He went back to the basics of all that had been taught before and laid it out: here are my requirements and how you are to apply them. Take these blueprints and apply it to all future worship and to your lives in the Promised Land.

Of course, there is a greater purpose to Deuteronomy than my Readers Digest explanation. At the beginning of chapter 5, Moses calls Israel together and tells them, "Hear, O Israel, the statues and judgements which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.... The Lord made not this covenant with our father, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day."

I believe these two verses point us to the crux of what Yahweh wants His children to take away from this book. - Listen to Me, I'm giving you a guidebook that tells you how to live and worship Me; how to be blessed and what will cause you to be cursed. Learn My ways, do My ways, and teach the next generation that your nation may be protected and blessed. I'm making a covenant with YOU, not just your ancestors. I am a Covenant-Keeping God and My covenant will go forth with you into the Promised Land. You are My people!

As a whole, the book reminds me a bit of the "great commission" that we read about in the New Testament:

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in Heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:18-19

If you read my post from last week, I pointed out that Deuteronomy is the first time that we read about LOVE factoring into the God-Israel relationship. Gentile people in this time period were religious people. They served their Gods faithfully. I can only imagine that their service was driven out of carnal emotions such as fear, pride, lust, anger, etc. Recall the story of the children of Israel worshipping the golden calf as Moses was on Mt. Sinai. The King James language is very delicate about what was happening at the foot of the mountain, and I won't mention it here, but it was grievous in the sight of the Lord.

This new generation that is about to enter the Promised Land has only heard the stories of God miraculous deliverances, but they have been commissioned to fight giants to gain access to their new homes. They have experienced the goodness of Yahweh through His sustaining power and endless provisions, but the plagues of Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea were not their firsthand experiences. They are going to come face to face with their need to see the Lord deliver them. And Deuteronomy reassures them of their victory. God tells them: your key to victory is loving Me. Israel was to be a peculiar people in that their service to their God was not one of carnal behavior, but service that was pure and holy. They were to live lives that reflected a perfect loving God and Deuteronomy reviews the details of how to serve Him in holiness.

As we move into chapter 29, the Lord states:

Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; But with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him that is NOT here with us this day. (29:14-15)

God is making a point that His covenant will continue on generation after generation. And He has repeated His instructions (broke them down potato-head style for us) so that we can teach them to the next generation and continue on the relationship and blessings of the Lord. Let us seek to be faithful to the commission that the Lord gave the New Testament church, so that future generations will have the opportunity to know Him as we have.