T H E B O O K O F DEUTERONOMY
by: A. Wilbert S. Dianon, SDB
The Book of Deuteronomy tells of the story of the Chosen people of God as narrated by Moses. Moses gave a discourse of what transpired in their wandering in the desert from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea.
In Horeb, Moses appointed leaders for the people to help him as judges as they were becoming so numerous. And immediately after, they set for the Land. However, there were so many foreign people settling along the way such that the Israelites became fearful of them. In short, they did not have full trust in the Lord. They passed along Edom without conflict; along Moab; and to the land of the Ammonites.
But when they reached Heshbon, they engaged a battle against Sihon, the king of the Amorites. Similarly, they captured the territories of Og, king of Bashan. In this part, they passed along the Transjordania and about to enter the Promised Land. But Moses was left behind across the Jordan, for the Lord did not permit him to enter the land.
As his last words to the people, he taught and reminded the people to always trust in the Lord’s commandments. Moses refreshed their minds in the Law given to them by God when they were still in Horeb. Moses then proceeded to warn them against idolatry and the possible punishment the Lord will incur to them if they worship idols. He reminded them of God’s faithful love enshrined in the Decalogue. The Decalogue is to be faithfully observed if the people wanted prosperity and peace in the land they would occupy.
Obedience to the Law will bring them success against their enemies. The wonders of the Lord are so great for those who obey Him. This Law is to be handed down to generations and be always remembered in their daily lives. For those who obey the Law, they receive blessings. For those who disobeyed, a curse be on them.
Moses ordered them to observe the dietary laws such as refraining from eating blood and other unclean animals and to support always the Levites’ needs. With regards to the poor, Moses told the people to take care of the poor and their needy brothers and sisters. Here, God has a great predilection for the poor and slaves. Added to this, Moses reminded the community not to forget the yearly and solemn feasts to the Lord. With regards to sacrificial offerings, he outlined the law on offering animals to the Lord. Moses instructed the leaders of the people – the judges, the future king, the priests, and the prophets, to carry out their duties with prudence, justice, impartiality, and obedience to the Law.
Moses gave the people instructions in dealing with their countrymen. With regards to those who killed a person accidentally, he proposed places for refuge for these people. At war, the Israelites must deal with their enemies as ruthless as possible. There were also some rules in marrying female captives, in treating a hard-headed son, corpse of a criminal, membership in the community and some marriage laws.
Finally, Moses uttered blessings and curses upon people who followed and disobeyed the Law accordingly. The Law is the central figure in the Book of Deuteronomy. The success and the failure of the Chosen People depend on how they treat the Law given by God to them in Horeb.
After saying all these words, Moses sung a song of praise for God’s wonderful works on his people. The song contained Yahweh’s greatness over the enemies of the Israelites. Without God, the people would have been annihilated long time ago by the strength of their foes. But Yahweh was with them as long as they are faithful to the Law given to them.
After this, Moses died in the plains of Moab after viewing the Promised Land from Mt. Nebo. Joshua, son of Nun succeed him as Israel’s leader. And God was with Joshua.
B) SCHEMATIC OUTLINE:
A) Pre-victories
over the Conquest of the Land ( 1- 4: 1-41)
§ Departure from Horeb (ch. 1)
§ Bypassing Moab and Edom and the conquer of Og and Sihon (2: 24 – 3: 1-4)
§ Discourses after victories (4: 1- 43)
B) Moses
gave the Law and expounded it:
§ The Law and its application ( 4-11)
§ Various auxiliary laws (12-26)
C) Final
Words of Moses (27-34)
§ Curses and blessings (27-30)
§ Appointing Joshua as his successor (31-)
§ The song of Moses (32)
§ Moses said blessings upon the tribe (33)
§ The Death of Moses (34)
C) PERSONAL REFLECTION:
In the Book of Deuteronomy, the Law was presented to the people and its various implications and regulations for them to observe in its utmost detail. My first impression is that, it seems that Moses never stopped giving them rules and precepts to be faithfully and persistently followed. By the sight of him, the people were already reminded of what the Lord wanted them to do. Well, for me it was a tough job for Moses to do. I just imagine myself doing like Moses and everytime I meet the people, they will behave differently and tried to hide their true self from me just because I am the instrument of God for them.
I guess, Moses did not like his job. It was a tough work, and especially when he was dealing with a stubborn and hardheaded people. But since, it was God who chose him for this, his obedience is truly praiseworthy.
Personally, I cannot imagine how the people reacted to these detailed precepts. Could it be that the people felt they were being choked by these do’s and don’ts? Probably they did. Were they overwhelmed? Most probably yes!
That’s why for me, the most meaningful words written in the Book is found in chapter 6: 4-6. It is the famous “Shema, Israel…”. This is the summary of the whole Book – loving God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all your strength. This is what the Law tells them. If one obeys the Law, it means he/she loves the Lawgiver.
Applied to my life situation, I remembered what I experienced when I was in practical training then. That was in DBMS Lawaan. There were so many rules in the seminary that I felt the boys cannot excel in their talents. It seems that these rules in the seminary stifled their spirit and they remain very superficial. In one movement from the dorm to the refectory, there were already five or six regulations presented like: silence in movements, form lines before entering, stand straight in praying, refrain from running, etc. Or when they move from dorm to the chapel, rules were abounding. So when we, the formators, met for the student’s evaluation, we tend to criticize their many little misbehaviors than their positive points. Sometimes, I felt I was strange to them. I did not get so close with many of our aspirants at that time.
I can say these things in retrospect. I was too obsessed in letting the boys follow the rules strictly. Of course, there are always positive things in the rules. But what I mean is, I lack this sense of tolerance over these small matters. That recalling them now, I cannot even imagine applying these same rules to myself. I exact punctuality from the boys. I myself am late for many times now. I demand outright cleanliness and order in their beds. But here I am now cannot even follow my weekly schedule of dusting my room.
In short, I demanded discipline from other people, but I cannot discipline myself. Should I be ashamed of myself? Well, yes, I think so. Going back to the topic about following the Law, it is very hard for people to follow and observed all those regulations, because in the first place it is multiplying by tens. In the side of Moses, he also found it hard to be their leader, because that he had to become a good example for them.
Love is the key to this long and multiplying laws and regulations. Probably, at that time, I was psychologically immature in dealing with relationship. Later on I would realize that the main reason why I like to impose rules on the boys, was that I want to cover up my weak points and overcome my insecurities. Sticking to the rules make me stay from my issues at that time. If I had just enough love, I could have done better for them and not for myself. It could have been a very meaningful experience between the boys and me. The whole Book of Deuteronomy is indeed summarized in the short passage of SHEMA!
D) GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1) How did the Israelites enter the land just before they set foot in the Promise Land?
2) What are the provisions for the entering of the promised land?
3) Why was Moses not allowed to enter in the promised land and what is their mentality that supported it?
4) Show how the Decalogue develops in the Book of Deuteronomy.
5) What can obedience to the Law brings to the people?
6) How do the Israelites show their obedience to the Law?
7) What did Joshua and Caleb do before that merit them to enter the promised land?
8) Compare the Book of Deuteronomy with the Book of Exodus. What are their respective emphasis?
9) What is the song of Moses all about?
10) What is your image of Moses after what the five Books had said of him?