Summary of Deuteronomy...

The Book of Deuteronomy is set at the end of the Israelites’ wandering in the wilderness, just before they are to finally enter the Promised Land. Moses makes some long statements to the Israelites, which largely recap the events of Exodus and Leviticus. The statements are set into separate ‘addresses’, with brief interludes stating where each speech was made.

While some of the content of Deuteronomy is original, it also revisits, reinterprets, expands and summarises the events and particularly laws that have been revealed in the first four books. In particular, it details the legal code of the Israelites, revisiting and reexpressing the Ten Commandments. There are also a number of new laws in Deuteronomy, however, including laws surrounding economics, land ownership and property. The book then marks the conclusion of Israel’s wanderings in the desert through discussing and reporting on the death of Moses.

What Deuteronomy may have meant to its original audience...

Identifying the original audience of Deuteronomy is something of a challenge. While the setting is Moses and his Israelites, scholars suggest that Deuteronomy was written much later, specifically because of its instructions around kingship in Deuteronomy 17:14-20. The passage anticipates a demand for a king, and then goes on to detail how a king will act. It also highlights the fact that a king should have a copy of the law “written for him in the presence of the levitical priests (Deut 17:18, NRSV)”.

The suggestion is that Deuteronomy is this copy. The name Deuteronomy itself does, in fact, mean “Second Law”, and is drawn from this section of text. It was probably written down much later in Israelite history than it is set, likely to be around the time of King Josiah, who ‘rediscovers the law’ (2 Kings 22:8-11) before enacting a range of religious reforms.

Kingship aside, the overarching theme of Deuteronomy is the notion of covenant. The same covenant that is begun with humanity through Noah, cemented with the Hebrews through Abraham via his son Isaac, and affirmed through Jacob/Israel, is now realised for the whole Israelite people. At the heart of the covenant is a promise of land (Deut 1:8) that is guaranteed by the action of God, providing that the Israelites remain faithful in obeying God’s commands (ie. Deut 4:1-2, 6:18-19, 11:8-9).

That faithfulness includes restating a number of aspects of this exclusive covenant, including forbidding worship of other gods, regulations for worship, and more social laws defining the way that people are directed to treat each other. The 10 Commandments are readdressed as part of this.

However, a key—possibly the key—directive given in Deuteronomy lies in a verse known as the Shema (Deut 6:5) to love God with heart, mind and strength. The Israelites are instructed to “keep these words…” and to “recite them” (Deut 6:6-7). In other words, the people of Israel are directed to commit themselves to the unfolding of God’s law in all that they do. Accordingly, this passage still has a central role in Jewish worship and prayer today.

How Jesus might have read Deuteronomy...

Jesus is certainly willing to confront, interpret and wrestle with teachings from Deuteronomy. He refers to the text (Deut 8:4, 6:13, 6:16) in the Gospels when arguing with Satan at his temptations (Matt 4, Luke 4), and refers to Deuteronomy and other books of the Torah when disputing with the Pharisees and Sadducees.

But perhaps the most significant use of Deuteronomy by Jesus comes in his discussion regarding the ‘greatest commandment’ in Matthew 22:35-40, Mark 12:28-31 and Luke 10:25-28. In all of these, the passage known as “the Shema”, the direction to love God with heart, mind and strength in Deuteronomy 6 is referred to. Interestingly, each time the phrase is coupled with Leviticus 19’s command to love one’s neighbour. For Jesus, love of God and love of neighbour are closely coupled together. It is through love for others that the love of God is realised. “Do this,” says Jesus in Luke 10:28 (NRSV) “and you will live”.

Here Jesus demonstrates that he is not pursuing a radical departure from the core of the Jewish faith as he understands it. Rather, he is calling for a reinterpretation of its core beliefs, which he sees as being best fulfilled in his mission and response to the world around him.

What Deuteronomy might mean for our faith today...

As the Reformers rethought European religion in the sixteenth century, a number of key principles became central to Protestants who sought a ‘Biblically-based faith’. These key ideas were sometimes described as the ‘solae’, based on the word ‘sola’ that begins each phrase. ‘Sola scriptura’ or ‘Only scripture’ meant that scripture was to be the source of Christian doctrine, rather than the centuries of tradition that shaped the medieval church. ‘Sola fide’ or ‘Only faith’ meant that ‘faith’ was the only thing that humans could do to achieve salvation or entry to heaven in the afterlife, contrasting with the medieval idea of penance. ‘Sola gratia’ or ‘Only grace’ means that what Christians were actually saved by was God’s grace and good will… not our own actions or capabilities.

At the heart of Protestant thinking was a desire to see God made more accessible, without the rules, laws and traditions that just created more hoops for people to have to jump through. Yet what was ultimately created, however, was simply another set of rules, laws and traditions.

Sola scriptura led toward Christian communities aggressively, and sometimes violently, promoting Biblical inerrancy. Here, Christians expanded the Bible’s authority beyond the realm of faith and doctrine, and into science and law, arguing that the Bible speaks to all facets of life and that those who hold to an alternative view could not possibly be Christian. Rather than faith, then, one’s Biblical orthodoxy was the measure by which someone could be ‘saved’.

Doctrines of Sola Fide and Sola Gratia descended into debates about pre-destination (who goes to heaven and what choice they have in the matter), and in other places manifested over the correct ‘faith formulae’ for gaining salvation. For example, in many churches the idea of ‘making a decision’ or ‘praying the prayer’ forms the criteria to evaluate whether a person is ‘saved’ (will go to heaven) or not. Rather than simplifying people’s understanding of God, there is much to say that the ideals of the Reformation made understanding God even more convoluted.

Deuteronomy was written to make Israelite faith tradition clear for its readers, to have the law written and told to its children for all generations. To preserve this law, different schools emerged trying to ensure that it was clearly and faithfully rendered. Yet as time went on, argument over meaning led toward practices, conventions and beliefs that not only interpreted the law, but added to it.

For his followers, Jesus came to strip away the ‘added layers’ by fulfilling the law, reducing it to its core purpose “love God, love your neighbour”, drawing on Leviticus and Deuteronomy to help us see the key principle at work in God’s world… love. Yet in the years after Jesus’ death, arguments over priorities, interpretations and traditions simply led to division, complication, and even more ‘additions’ to a law that what is initially intended as life-giving.

For us today, regardless of the specifics of our religious community, we would be well reminded to see that key teaching of Jesus, and the simple ‘good news’ it carries. “Love God, Love others… do this, and you will live!”

Some important questions to ask about this book...