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DEUTERONOMY 1–3; PSALM 48

Week 9, Day 6

Some things need to be said twice. The Book of Deuteronomy, which gets its name from two Greek words meaning “second law,” fills that role. It is presented as a kind of valedictory address by Moses, as he bids farewell to the people he has led for forty years and tries to prepare them for the new land they are about to enter.

He begins by reviewing their history. Philosophers say we should study history in order to learn from it. No doubt this is part of Moses’ intention, but there is more than that. For Israel, history was the story of their encounter with God; so to review history was to recall God’s involvement in their lives.

Even so, Moses reminds the people of the sharing of leadership (1:9), and of the crucial decision their ancestors made to turn back at Kadeshbarnea. That decision led to a generation of wandering in the wilderness before at last there could be victories over Sihon and Og—victories that would be celebrated often in song (Psalm 136).

In all of this the people are reminded of the faithfulness of God and also of their own erratic ways. As we read the account, we get a strong feeling that the history of Israel is the history of every person who sets out for God’s promised land. Every spiritual biography has its uneven path between victory and defeat, good judgment and stupidity. And in it all, whether in Israel’s story or ours, God is at work.

PRAYER: Give me the humility and the attentiveness, O God, to learn from the past, so I can make a better future; in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Moses says that because of Israel’s sin, the Lord also became angry with him (Deuteronomy 1:37). Do you think Moses is justified in this statement?