I’m starting February strong with another Bible blog. Here we are with Deuteronomy, the last book of the Penteteuch (meaning ‘5’) and Torah (meaning ‘law’).

Again, I found that The Bible Project video gives a great overview of the book, explaining that Deuteronomy is essentially Moses’ last speech to the Israelite people as they were about to enter the land.

Depsite my concerns about some of Moses’ leadership choices when I finished reading Numbers, I can’t help feeling a bit sorry for him. Here is Moses, having led the people out of slavery in Egypt, having wandered around the desert for 40 years, and he’s not allowed in! Being the last of the generation who didn’t trust God fully, Moses gets a glimpse of the Promised Land, but does not get to go into it.

So we’ve got this great big speech with warnings and curses, blessings and encouragements. Moses reminds the people where they have come from and tells them how good it could be if they keep God’s commandments, but he’s very clear what will happen if they don’t. I’m not sure I could manage to preach as boldly as Moses does in this book!

He reminds them of the laws they are to follow. Some of them seem so strange. The Bible Project has a tip for reading them. Don’t compare the laws with our laws now. Rather, compare them with the laws that governed the nations around Israel at the time, and you’ll see how counter-cultural they were.

Some laws I very much like, for example, the laws around being generous to and understanding of the poor, the widow, the orphan and the foreigner. We read of some solid business laws, but they are softened enough to take into account the most vulnerable in society.

My favourite verse: Deuteronomy 4.29: But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.

The number of times Sophia fell asleep to me reading Deuteronomy: 1.

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