Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Deuteronomy 1-2.
The book of Deuteronomy is one of my favorite books of the Bible. It is essentially a series of sermons, and a restating of the Law by Moses to the people of Israel before they enter into their Promised Land.
I enjoyed this explanation from the ESV Study Bible Notes:
"The book of Deuteronomy could be subtitled “farewell instructions for a nation.” Two major events form the substance of Deuteronomy: (1) the long speech that Moses delivers, effecting a renewal of the covenant, and (2) the passing of the leadership from Moses to Joshua, thereby making the book a succession narrative. The book thus forms the final volume in the biography of Moses, which begins with his birth in Exodus 2 and ends with his death in Deuteronomy 34.
Like the preceding books of the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy mingles narrative with instructions and laws by which God wanted his covenant people to live. Deuteronomy differs from the preceding books because it is cast as a farewell discourse in which Moses is speaking to the nation. The repeated formula in the preceding three books is “the Lord spoke to Moses,” but in Deuteronomy the rhetorical stance is that Moses speaks to the people. Because the law-giving is phrased as Moses' words to his nation, the effect is that of an extended exhortation to covenant faithfulness. Moses makes a passionate appeal to his followers as they are about to enter the Promised Land. Deuteronomy contains less narrative material than the three preceding books, but occasionally the speeches of Moses are placed into their narrative context. Late in the book, two formal discourses are cast in poetic form (the “Song of Moses,” 31:30–32:47; and Moses' pronouncement of blessing on the nation, 32:48–33:29).
It is likely that the literary form of the suzerainty treaty of the ancient Near East lurks in the background. In a suzerainty treaty, a king or suzerain rehearsed what he had done for his nation and stipulated what he required in response. There is also an incipient note of anticipation, as it is understood that the instructions are given to a people on the verge of setting up a utopia—a good society governed by identifiable institutions and practices—in a promised land."
The Hebrew name for this book of Deuteronomy is Debarim; lit., “The words”. I, for one, intend to listen in rapt attention to what this great prophet of God has to say to Israel, and work hard to learn how I might apply these instructions to my life.
