(Brief!) Intro to Deuteronomy

Hello, again! I thought that since we're starting Deuteronomy, I'd provide a little introduction to the book for you. But first, here are the questions and answers I know you're waiting for.

Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Sun, March 15: God tells Moses that he will not enter the Promised Land, but his assistant will. Who is his assistant? (Deut 1)
Deuteronomy 1:37-38 37 Because of you the LORD became angry with me also and said, "You shall not enter it, either. 38 But your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will enter it. Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it.

And here's the question of the day:
Mon, Mar 16: Whose descendants live in Seir? (Dt 2)

And here's the reflection of the day:
**Before I go any further, I want to attribute the following information to Ronald Clements, author of the Deuteronomy section of the NIB Commentary. (I don't know what I would do without my shelves of commentaries when it comes to this blog!)

Clements writes that Deuteronomy is the fifth and final book of the "books of Moses," otherwise known as the Pentateuch. These five books are the foundation of the whole Old Testament. These books "provide the basis for the heirs of Abraham, who are also viewed as persons bound in covenant to the Lord God, through the revelation given to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Horeb), to govern their lives as the people of God." After all, that's what God's law is all about, right?

The word "Deuteronomy" means "second law." This is a proper title for this book because it describes it the giving again of the law given to Moses on Mt. Sinai in Exodus; in Deuteronomy, it's "the law given by Moses in the plains of Moab immediately prior to the crossing of the river Jordan and Israel's entry" into the Promised Land.

But Deuteronomy is more than just a book of law (Dt 5; 20). There are also sections of narrative (chap 1-3) that summarize the story of Israel's life in the wilderness. It also has series of exhortations and warnings (chap 6-11), blessings and curses (chap 27-28), and poems (chap 29-33).

Chapters 1-3 are not just an intro to Deuteronomy but also an introduction to the books of Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, and 1-2 Kings, the narrative history lived under the law of God. These are known as 'the Former Prophets' and follow the monarchy that develops in Israel. Keep this in mind when we begin to read through the Former Prophets in another, starting with Joshua in April.

Finally, here's a brief outline of the book of Deuteronomy:
I. Deut. 1:1-3:29 Introduction to Israel's Story
II. Deut. 4:1-11:32 The Commandments of God
III. Deut. 12:1-26:19 The Deuteronomic Law Code
IV. Deut. 27:1-30:20 Epilogue
V. Deut. 31:1-34:12 Appendix

I hope this helps you a little bit as you begin the adventure in Deuteronomy!

Have a great day!
Allison