We had another really great week of summer. My dad booked a last minute trip to visit the children, and got to be camp counselor at “Camp Pop.” Which included a lot of swimming, fishing, a trip to the zoo, hotel sleepovers, and very few home cooked meals for the children. But, Camp Pop! We also wrapped up our big kitchen refresh this week (floors, lighting, shelving, backsplash), so I am a very happy camper as well.
I’m also very much looking forward to our journey together in Deuteronomy. I find it absolutely fascinating that the entire book has almost no narrative, and instead, is essentially a compilation of decrees given by Moses. Moses, addressing Israel, and recounting the entire story in his own words, and going over the laws, again.
Before jumping in, I think it’s important to understand what the words Deuteronomy, and in Hebrew, Devarim mean. First, the Hebrew definition of devarim translates to these are the words. As for the word Deuteronomy…
Deuteronomy comes from the Greek words for “second law” or “second teaching” (deuteros = second; nomos =l aw). Moses himself describes this book as a “second teaching” (Deuteronomy 17:18), which is how ancient Jews referred to the book. It is the “second teaching” because it is Moses’s review of many of the laws found in the previous books of the Torah (as well as additional laws and teachings).” — Dennis Prager, The Rational Bible
I don’t know why, but I feel almost giddy going into this last book of Moses. Maybe it’s because he opens with a bang, and immediately laments at how freaking difficult these people have been for him, “How can I bear unaided the trouble of you, and the burden, and the bickering (1:12)!” Can we just take a moment to chuckle at how he gets it out there, basically right away? I find it really interesting that Moses doesn’t begin in Egypt with hundreds of years of slavery. He doesn’t even begin with God’s covenant with Abraham centuries earlier. However, Moses mentions an echo of what God said to Abraham all those years ago, “The ETERNAL your God has multiplied you until you are today as numerous as the stars in the sky (1:10).” I enjoyed the callback to those early days with Abraham very, very much.
He goes on to explain that the people had become so numerous—and so difficult—that he could no longer lead them alone. So he appointed “men of wisdom” as chiefs and officials over the tribes. As mentioned earlier, you’d think Moses would start his decree at the origin, but instead, it essentially opens with the incident of the twelve spies (Parsha Shelach), which was very recent. But perhaps that’s actually a perfect place to start. Because we learned in Shelach that the entire generation, everyone who left Egypt, would have to perish, they would not be allowed to enter Israel. And that time is coming soon. But first, Moses needs to prepare them. He’s essentially speaking to a new generation—many of whom were children when they left Egypt, or were born during the wilderness years. They inherited the consequences of their parents’ rebellion, even though they themselves would be the ones to enter the Promised Land. Before Moses can teach new laws, he first reminds the people of where they’ve been, and more importantly, why. And I think the perfect answer to why is the very incident that left them wandering for forty years. What he’s doing isn’t simply retelling history; he’s making sure they understand the kind of people they’re called to be before they step into the land they’ve been traveling toward for forty years.
I have a feeling that’s why I’m so excited for Deuteronomy. It feels less like another chapter in Israel’s story and more like sitting down with a grandfather who knows his time is short, carefully choosing the words he most wants his family to remember. That’s a different kind of reading experience, and I can’t wait to see what we discover together over the next several weeks.