Deuteronomy 22, 23, 24 " ... So that the Lord your God may Bless You"

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There are times when you just can’t do something for yourself or you don’t have the means with which to do what you need.  Once when I was ill, a friend brought over a chicken dinner.  Because I couldn’t go to the store or prepare anything, it was a gift of immeasurable worth.  I thanked God for the dinner and praised Him for moving someone to help me.

Similarly, in these chapters filled with regulations governing human interactions, there is one phrase, which appeared twice, that jumped out at me, “so that the Lord you God may bless you in all the work of your hands.” (Deut 23:20; 24:19)  

In both instances, God was admonishing Israel not to squeeze every last shekel out of certain business transactions.  When lending money, the Israelite was not to charge interest of a brother Israelite.  While it was alright to charge interest on money lent to foreigners, the Israelite was supposed to lend money but not gain monetarily on another’s misfortune.  In the second occurrence, Israel was instructed to harvest a field without stripping it clean of grain.  Rather, sheaves had to be behind so that someone more unfortunate could gather some grain after the harvesters were finished.

In both instances, Israel was effectively prohibited from capitalizing on someone’s misfortune.  Moreover, God promised to bless the industrious, successful person in all of their work if they treated the less fortunate with compassion (by not charging interest and by leaving some grain in the field).  While God has not ordained for everyone to be wealthy, He has created a situation through which a prosperous person can assist a needy brother.  The needy are blessed by the kindness of the successful while the successful are blessed directly by God.  And, both can praise God for His provision, since neither would have anything if God did not allow it in the first place.

While few of us are farmers or bankers today, many of us do have some extra resources left over after God has blessed us.  Those who prosper would do well to allow someone to benefit from their abundance and so receive a greater blessing from God “in all the work of your hands.”

Deuteronomy 19, 20, 21 Going to War

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Since God promised to enlarge Israel’s borders, Moses also instructed them on how they were to prepare for battle.  Moses continually emphasized to his nation that the land they were about to take was already prepared for them by God.  Since they were to receive their land in manageable bits, Moses informed them that later they would have more battles and that the Levites, who ministered before God, were to keep the nation focused on God and on His promises.

In Deuteronomy 20: 2 – 4, the priest was told to stand before the troops and adjure Israel  not to be afraid but rather to remember that “The Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

And then, any of the troops distracted from leaning on God, were encouraged to go home.  This pertained to newly weds, a new homeowners, anyone afraid, anyone preoccupied with his job, etc.  God only wanted recruits who were completely – body, mind, and soul – devoted to His Word and to His promise to Israel.  Those who could not be fully focused on God were to be considered to be liability.  In this passage, I feel, that Moses underscored the spiritual significance of the battles Israel would face.  These battles belonged exclusively to God and to those He called fight.

Deuteronomy 16, 17, 18 God Promised to Choose a Place as a Dwelling for His Name

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A few years ago, when my Dad was hospitalized with severe cardiovascular complaints, we encouraged him to fight his ailment by assisting him in planning an elaborate trip to Prince Edward Island.  We discussed the modifications that he would need to make to his RV, the various point of interest along the way, the best time of year to go, etc.  I firmly believe that his recovery from a quadruple by-pass was greatly helped by keeping his hope for the future alive and by giving him a vision of the future.

In Deuteronomy, as Moses gave his last impassioned address to a nation about to enter the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, he continued to build on a vision he received from God and desired to actualize in the hearts of Israel.

Almost inexplicably, Moses instructed Israel about the location where the Feasts of the Lord, introduced in Leviticus, were to be observed.    Only in Deuteronomy was their observance first associated with “the place the Lord will choose as a dwelling for His Name” .Moses stated that to celebrate the Passover, each Israelite family had to sacrifice a lamb “at the place the Lord will choose as a dwelling for His Name” (Deut. 16:2).  Then Moses gave an injunction against sacrificing the Passover lamb in any of the towns in which they live.  It could only be sacrificed in the place the Lord will choose. 

The Feast of Weeks was to be celebrated with rejoicing “at the place God will choose as a dwelling for His Name” (Deut. 16:11).  Then the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) was to be celebrated with great joy “at the place the Lord will choose” (Deut. 16:16). During Sukkot, Israel was commanded to be joyful because “the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.” (Deut 16:15)

All of this was being told to Israel while they were still camping in the desert, east of the Jordan.  The land they saw across the Jordan River was still occupied by the Amalekites, the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites, who terrified Israel thirty eight years earlier. Essentially, Moses was telling a frightened group of people that as far as God was concerned their battles with the denizens of Canaan were over and victorious.  God wanted them to see that He had a bigger plan for the nation which included choosing a place in the land of Canaan in which to build a dwelling for His Name.  The Lord wanted Israel to fully understand that He intended to live in their midst.

While Moses only introduced the idea that the Lord would choose a place for His Name in Deut. 12, in these three chapters, this idea is accelerated, repeated several times.  I suspect that the people of Israel could better face the battles ahead of them if they were fully assured that God not only stood by them but also had plans for them beyond just giving them the land.  Israel had yet to fight a single battle.   But before crossing the Jordan, they had to be resolved that God Himself would fight for them and that he would go ahead of them. Hearing of God’s plans for their future enabled Israel to confidently tackle the obstacles facing them.

Deuteronomy 13, 14, 15 Anticipating Life in the Promised Land

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As Moses continued to instruct the generation of Israelites who were about to enter the Promised Land, it is interesting to note that he addressed the nation as though conquest of the inhabited land was a forgone conclusion.  Earlier, Moses had assured Israel of God’s everlasting covenant with them and reminded them of God’s promise that He would go before them to dispossess the inhabitants. Having said that, Moses shifted Israel’s thought away from worrying and wondering about their imminent entry into Canaan; away from worrying about the anticipated battles and related stress.

By talking about how they were to relate to each other and to God once in the land of Canaan, Moses refocused the way the nation thought about the Promised Land. He had them visualizing themselves settled comfortably in cities and dealing with violations of the Law.  He talked to them about the food they were permitted to eat; about tithing of their prosperous crops; about taking on servants; about cancelling debts; about living in cities.  He talked about stability to people who spent their entire life wandering throughout the desert, packing up and moving as God directed them to do. 

Then, in Deuteronomy 12:11, Moses, for the first time, tells Israel

Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for His Name – there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord.  Deuteronomy 12:11

The second time a specific place of worship is mentioned is

            "... go to the place the Lord your God will choose ... Then you and your household shall eat   there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice." Deuteronomy 14: 25 - 26

            

So Moses not only had the people of Israel think about how they would live and interact in a normal, non-warring society, but also he introduced God’s plan for the tabernacle to  be permanently located in a city chosen by Him.  Neither the people nor their tabernacle would wander through the desert any more.  By stating that it was God’s desire for there to be a city for national worship in Canaan, Moses further underscored God’s covenant promise that the land of Canaan belonged to Israel and that He would go ahead of them to make certain that Israel could take possession of their land. Moses told Israel that they could  look forward to worshipping God joyfully, without worrying about being attacked. 

In Deuteronomy, Moses turned Israel's eyes to God, to His provision, and to His covenant promise. As Moses  communicated God's vision for the nation and God's committment to the people, he strove to imbed the idea that the nation's spiritual journey and destiny did not end with crossing the Jordan River.

Deuteronomy 10, 11, 12

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In these chapters, Moses knew that his time of shepherding Israel through the desert was coming to an end.  Although he loved his people, Moses worried about Israel’s ability to continue in God’s will.  After all, they rebelled numerous times over the past forty years, incurring God’s anger and judgment. . 

As he recounted Israel’s history, Moses gave the younger generation a sense of belonging to a long line of people with whom God had a relationship.  Israel existed not on the basis of anything they were or did, but simply because God chose to love them.  As Moses gave the younger generation a vision of Israel from God’s perspective, he enabled them to understand that they were a people with a destiny, with special directions from God.  As the time drew nearer for Israel to enter the land of Canaan, Moses sought to impress God’s Law, which separated them from all other nations, onto their hearts.  Because he didn’t want it to be just about the letter of the Law, Moses desired for Israel to love the Lord with the strength of their entire being.

That being said, Moses charged the nation to demonstrate their love for the Lord by keeping His commandments. In Deuteronomy 11, Moses also stated that because Israel was witness to God’s mighty signs, wonders, miracles, and works, they saw and experienced the true, living God in action.  Having experienced God in such extraordinary ways, Moses felt that it should put Israel into a frame of mind of almost involuntarily wanting to worship God through obedience.  Moses went on to say that obedience, as an expression of their love for the Lord, would give them the strength to go and possess the land of Canaan.

The word strength as used here does not refer to muscles or body building.  Rather it is the Hebrew חָזַק (chazaq), which connotes determination, perseverance, steadfastness, or resolve.  It is interesting to note that Israel’s ability to take possession of the land of Canaan was linked to Israel’s obedience to God’s Law.  If Israel’s obedience stemmed from their absolute love for the Lord, then they would have complete confidence in God’s promise to give them the land of Canaan. 

Israel was not supposed to look at who lived in the land of Canaan but rather to look only to the Lord their God who promised the land as an everlasting covenant to them.  Then, as now, love and obedience enable the believer to look to God with the full confidence of knowing that His promises stand.

Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for chazaq (Strong's 2388)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 26 Sep 2010. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H2388&t=KJV >

Deuteronomy 7, 8, 9 God's Covenant of Love אָהַב

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As Israel anticipated entry into the land of Canaan, God reminded Israel of their origins and of His hand in providing for the nation. 


Deuteronomy 8: 2 - 3.   Remember how the Lord (יְהֹוָה , Yĕhovah) your God  (אֱלֹהִים , 'elohiym) led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands.  And He humbled (עָנָה, `anah) you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 


Israel was asked to remember how "the Lord your God" or as the Hebrew expanded translation would read The Existing One who is Ruler and Judge Over All, took care of them and provided for all of their needs.  However, before providing for Israel, God first humbled the nation.  In Hebrew, this word connotes to be afflicted, to be put down, to be weakened.  So, when God caused Israel to hunger, He afflicted the nation until they saw just how weak and vulnerable they were. 


Maybe, while the nation was absolutely helpless - alone in the desert - and without successful recourse to possible vestigial allegiances to Egyptian gods, God had to again show Israel that He was their Covenant God who would provide for all of their needs.  Maybe then they also recognized a spiritual hunger which was previously filled unsatisfactorily by the spiritual "junk food" of Egyptian deities.  Before God could fill this nation with His righteous provision, His Law, and the realization of His promises, He had to bring them to an understanding of their emptiness and their hunger for Him.  Though God gave them manna, they really were learning to live on the words from God's mouth.


Although God gave Israel numerous instructions about entering Canaan, the dominant theme is to take God at His word; to trust Him to do as He promised; to seek to live in accordance with His commandments simply because He designed them for Israel so that He could "keep His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments " (Deut. 7:9).  In Hebrew אָהַב ('ahab), love,  implies a sense of longing or yearning.  


In Deut. 8:2, God stated that He humbled Israel to know what was in the heart in the heart of the nation. Even though He saw and judged the rebellions in the desert, He still proclaimed to Israel how much He yearns for them and how much He loves the nation.  Here God demonstrates that love is neither earned nor a reflection of the beloved's worthiness.  Rather, love is strictly a function of the one who loves.  God chose Israel to love and that love remains eternal, as is the God who swore by Himself.






Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for Yĕhovah (Strong's 3068)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 25 Sep 2010. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
strongs=H3068&t=KJV&page=6 >


Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for 'humble' in the KJV". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 25 Sep 2010. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?
Criteria=humble&t=KJV >


Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for 'ahab (Strong's 157)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 25 Sep 2010. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H157&t=KJV >


Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for 'I Am' in the KJV". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 25 Sep 2010. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=I+Am&t=KJV >

Deuteronomy 4, 5, 6 שָׁמַע Shema, O Israel!

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As I remember  my aunt who died this morning of complications from diabetes,  I think of a voice that is now stilled - never to be heard again. I miss my aunt and hold onto many happy childhood memories in which she played a part.  I grieve as the Israelites must have been grieving when

Moses had assembled them in these opening chapters of Deuteronomy.


  Most of the people Moses  addressed in Deuteronomy were mourning  someone's death.  Only thirty-eight years earlier, God had judged everyone in Israel who was twenty years old or more for rebelling at Kadesh Barnea (Numbers 13 -14).  Can you imagine that in the space of thirty-eight years a few hundred thousand individuals died?  Only those who were under twenty at the time of the rebellion were to be allowed entrance into the Promised Land.  It's hard to move to a foreign country when your heart may be bound to someone buried in the land of your birth.  

While Israel knew that one day they would enter the Promised Land, maybe there were some who were getting attached to the land through which they roamed.  They knew where family and friends were buried.   Maybe it was becoming more difficult emotionally to embrace a new land.

Moses called the nation together and re-capped Israel's history.  As this somber, grieving nation began to consider God's promise for them, Moses  called them to listen to God's word.  Though the generation that perished already received the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, Moses formally presented it to a generation already familiar with the Law  in Deuteronomy 4, 5, 6. 

After reciting the entire Law, Moses concluded it with the compelling "( שָׁמַע ) Shema, O Israel!"  or "Hear, O Israel!"

Deuteronomy 6:4 -7.   Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give to you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk to them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

 Shema (Hebrew  שָׁמַע ), means to hear as in to give heed or to obey.  The entire Law that God gave Israel was to be imprinted upon their hearts so that they would live life through the lens of the Law.  What really struck me about the Law, which for the most part forms the foundation of civilized criminal law i.e. don't steal; don't murder; don't lie or perjure yourself., is the fifth commandment:

Deuteronomy 5: 16.  Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Since this Law was first given to Israel, the most obvious reading is that God  instructed the people of Israel to honor their parents so that they may have a long, good life in the land of Canaan.   Generally, to honor means to treat with respect or to revere.  In Hebrew, honor, כָּבַד (kabad), implies to consider someone as have great importance or weighty significance.  Israel was told to value their parents highly; to attribute enormous significance to them; to regard parents almost as they would God Himself.


Because  the second part of the "Shema, O Israel!" addresses the relationship of the parent to the child, there is an extra emphasis on the sanctity and holiness of the family unit.  Parents, at all times, were to find opportunities to talk to their children about God's Laws and about His love for them.  An expression of God's love for Israel was the Law He gave to them (Deuteronomy 4: 7- 8.  What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way we have the Lord our God is near to us whenever we pray to Him?  And what other nation is so great as to have such  righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?").


In His Sovereign wisdom, God created families as the social unit in which His Law was to be learned.   In the fifth commandment, God did not qualify which parents should receive honor.  Rather, honor is due simply because of the position parents hold in God's scheme.  As teachers of God's Law, parents were to be regarded as God's ambassadors or emissaries by their children.    Parents are accountable to God to teach their young, while the young are to reverently receive the instruction their parents give. By this injunction, the bar was raised for both the parents and their children.   Perhaps, when both parents and children are focused on learning and living in God's expressed will, or Law, they are seeing each other through God's eyes.  Maybe, when foibles and faults are seen in Heaven's perspective, families can get along much better.  So, in His Wisdom, God made the Law, the study of God's requirements,  the focal point of the Israelite family. Thus, in the fifth commandment  both the first four spiritual laws and the second five civil laws are bound.  




Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for kabad (Strong's 3513)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 24 Sep 2010. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H3513&t=KJV >

Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for shama` (Strong's 8085)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 24 Sep 2010. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H8085&t=KJV >