Day #72

Sermon - Audio
Deut 5-7 - Audio
Deut 5-7 - Daily Reading

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Deuteronomy 5

• 5.1-3: Moses makes it clear that the covenant was not just established with the previous generation, but that it is a covenant for all generations.
• 5.4: “The LORD spoke…” These words show something that is hugely different from how things normally worked in the Ancient Near East. Typically only the elite priests heard the voice of God and human rulers gave law. But here we find that God speaks to his people and he himself gives the Torah. This means that the average person knows both God and his law. Class lines are cut across and Yahweh is seen as a God for all of his people.
• The Ten Commandments also show that the bottom line of the covenant between God and his people is one of law and ethics. Sacrifices etc. while important to the system are not the bottom line of the covenant as will be clear over and over again as people like David says that God does not desire sacrifice but a broken and contrite heart (Ps. 51) and prophets, such as Amos, speak out against the worship of a people who have no heart for justice and righteousness (Amos 5). This reality has not changed. God continues to have a deep concern that his people follow his ways.
• 5.6-21: The Ten Commandments are set up in a way that tells us we are to love God first and our neighbor second. At the same time the two are tied together, you can’t just love God; you must also love your neighbor. In designing the 10 commandments this way God is seeking to build a certain kind of community i.e. these are not just a bunch of commandments, rather God wants to build a specific kind of community. Again, in contrast to other laws in the Ancient Near East where it is expected that they will be broken so the law is stated and then a way of making up for breaking the law is given, the Ten Commandments simply state God’s call, his expectation is that they will not be broken.
• 5.7: “Hear, O Israel” Aside from Jesus quoting these words in Mark, these words are found only in the book of Deuteronomy.
• 5.7ff “You” is surprisingly in the singular form in the commandments i.e. these commandments are addressed to the individual and so each member of the community needs to see their responsibility in keeping the covenant and so keep the entire community faithful to the covenant. This address to the individual was quite unique in the Ancient Near East—especially because it addressed all individuals regardless of class or position.
• 5.11: This commandment is particularly concerned with making rash oaths using God’s name, “May God to X to me if I fail to do Y”. Jesus’ solution (and commentary on this commandment) for such rash oath making is to say, “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.” (Matthew 5).
• 5.16: “live long and that it may go well with you” These words mean that if people honor their parents that they will live in a land where they are safe from invasion, that they will live a settled, peaceful life. Breaking this part of the Torah will bring God’s covenant curses. Paul quotes this commandment in Ephesians 6.1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." It is worth noting that Paul talks about life going well on the earth not just in the land of Israel. The idea is much the same, however, that those who honor their parents can be assured of the covenant blessings of God.
• 5.17: “Do not commit adultery” is a word of liberation for women. They are considered a person not a piece of property that to be used as a man desires or ignored as a man desires.
• 5.18: Again, this is a word of liberation for wives. Notice that the woman is set off from all the other household things. “Do not covet your neighbor’s wife. Do not set your desire on your neighbor’s….” By mentioning the wife separately from all other things in the household, she is elevated in status.

Deuteronomy 6

• 6.3: The promise of increasing greatly is a covenant promise made to Abraham.
• 6.4: If you check in the notes in your Bible you will see that the words, “Hear O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Can also be translated, “Hear O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” Jewish commentators hold that this later translation is more faithful to the meaning of the passage—even thought “the Lord is one” would back up their claim of strict monotheism (verses the idea of trinity).
• 6.4: These words become the central Jewish prayer in the late second temple period (just prior to the coming of Jesus) and a stating of the most important commandment. Jesus joins with other Jews of his day in declaring this is the most important commandment in Mark 12.29.
• 6.5: “Love” is not first of all a feeling. The word in the ancient near east first referred to the loyalty of subjects to a king. There was an emotional element to it as well, but first and foremost it is a word that speaks of loyalty. So to love God is to be fiercely loyal to him.
• 6.5 “all” i.e. complete devotion
• 6.5. “heart” i.e. with all of your thoughts cf. Paul in 2 Corinthians 10.5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And also his words in Romans 12. “Be transformed the renewing of your minds. Then you will be able to test what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.
• 6.5: “Soul” i.e. be willing to die for God. This belief caused Jews who were dying for their faith to say shema as they died.
• 6.5: “strength” The Hebrew word is me’od, which means “muchness”. To love God with all your strength means to love him with your resources.
• 6.12: One of the greatest dangers when things are going well is to forget the God who has given them. James writes, 1.16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
• 6.16: According to some rabbis the idea of “testing” or “trying” God is connected to the constant demand that God show that he is among the people by doing great things (like bringing water from a rock). Instead of demands for constant miracles what we need to do is believe God is among us by remembering his past mighty deeds.
• 6.18: The rabbis point out that God could not possibly list all that is right and good so he gives a general command and calls on us to figure out what is right in good in light of the specifics he has given us.

Deuteronomy 7

• 7.1: God makes it clear that he is the one who drives out the nations. This is a holy war.
• 7.1: “seven nations” Jewish tradition holds that the remnants of these seven nations ended up on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. Where this becomes interesting is in Mark 8. Jesus feeds the 4000 in what is a Gentile area. After the feeding 7 baskets of leftovers are picked up (When Jesus feeds in Jewish territory 12 baskets of leftover are picked up representing the 12 tribes). The nations that were driven out at God’s command are now served a meal by God and invited into the kingdom. It is nothing short of an amazing picture and show of grace.
• 7.2: Again God shows himself to be the one who wins the battle. Because this is a holy war all of the booty is to be given to God, there is no room for the gain of personal riches.
• 7.3: “Do not intermarry with them” This command which carries echoes in the New Testament where Christian are told not to marry non-Christians (I Corinthians 7) has its roots in the concern that the non-believer will pull the believer away from God (cf. Numbers 25 and Dt. 17.17).
• 7.6: “holy” i.e. set apart for God.
• 7.6: “treasured” is a word that is connected with covenant relationships in the Ancient Near East. A king would speak of the vassal he was in covenant with a being treasured or cherished to him. Again, we see that the idea of being in covenant with God pervades the Old Testament and is essential to our understanding God and his people.
• 7.7ff: The relation between God and his people is based on grace, not on works.
• 7.11: “follow” is the Hebrew word shamar. The meaning of this word is rooted in the idea of faithfulness. As such it carries more than the idea of simple obedience, it also means to have affection for the one who are following.
• 7.12-14: Yahweh makes it clear that fruitfulness and fertility come not from the nature gods of the land but from him. Indeed the things mentioned are the names not only of things, but the names of the deities. Grain/Dagon; Wine/Tirosh; Calves/Sherger; Lambs/Ashtarot. Yahweh wants the people to know he is the source of all good things and so they need to keep worshipping him and relying on him.
• 7.18: The power of remembering as the people enter into new and dangerous territory is powerful. In chapter 8 the people will be called on to remember again.
• 7.25: God again speaks a word of warning about foreign gods. After the people returned from exile in Babylon for breaking the covenant they were convinced that the number one reason they ended up in exile was because of idolatry. They went to great lengths to eradicate all idolatry from their midst. If you read Jesus’ words to the people of his day you will notice he has much to say about their lack of following God but little to say about idolatry. Paul, on the others hand, has much to say about it as he addressed a Roman culture filled with idols